Battle Master Fighter (Honour Mode)
Final composition: Battle Master Fighter 12 (pure single-class).
Why this split
Fighter is a very simple yet powerful build that’s easily recommended to every player. No multiclassing, extremely forgiving with gear — “just pick up a sword and start bonkin’”. Battle Master is the sub for the extra options and the consistent damage from Maneuvers. Strong all the way from early levels, and the action economy at the end game is a bit nutty.
Character Creation
| Field | Pick |
|---|---|
| Origin | Any |
| Race | Any |
| Background | Player’s choice |
| Class | Fighter (Battle Master) |
| Fighting Style | Great Weapon Fighting (2h) — also valid: Archery (DEX build) or Defence |
| Skills | Athletics, whatever else you want |
Stats with Elixir recommended; feel free to swap CON / DEX based on preference.
How Superiority Dice Work (read once)
- Superiority dice are added to specific Maneuver effects and refund on a short rest.
- Trip Attack is the Honour-mode key: prone targets have disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity saves and cannot take reactions — which removes most legendary actions from the equation. Melee attacks within 5 m of a prone target have Advantage.
- Precision Attack: spend a die to guarantee the hit when the dice go wrong.
- Riposte: off-turn attack when they miss you (and they generally do, in heavy armour).
- Disarming Attack: use on Maelish to push his side away.
- Pushing Attack: great for repositioning enemies (e.g. the Steel Watchers encounter).
Level-by-Level
L1 — Fighter 1
- Fighting Style (this guide assumes Great Weapon Fighting). Ideally pick the archetype now — all solid options.
L2 — Fighter 2
- Action Surge.
L3 — Fighter 3 — Battle Master — power spike
- Maneuvers: Precision Attack, Riposte, Trip Attack.
L4 — Fighter 4 — first feat
- Feat: Alert — going first is critical in Honour Mode to control combat and set up the first round.
L5 — Fighter 5
- Extra Attack (2 attacks from here).
L6 — Fighter 6 — second feat
- Great Weapon Master — if you can ensure consistently high attack rolls (−5/+10)
- Savage Attacker — very effective boost to damage rolls
- Sharpshooter — only if playing a DEX archer fighter
L7 — Fighter 7
- Maneuvers: Disarming Attack, Pushing Attack.
L8 — Fighter 8 — third feat
- Take the L6 feat you didn’t pick (GWM / Savage Attacker / Sharpshooter).
L9 — Fighter 9
- Indomitable.
L10 — Fighter 10
- Maneuver of your choice. “Honestly I don’t use any others.”
L11 — Fighter 11 — power spike
- Extra Attack — third attack. Endgame action economy: 3 attacks + Action Surge on a single turn.
L12 — Fighter 12
- Feat: Ability Improvement (your choice)
- Athlete — round out STR if not using elixirs or gauntlets
- Tough — for survivability
Key Items
| Item | Act | Why | ⭐ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adamantine Splint Armour | 1-2 | Chest | |
| Gloves of the Growling Underdog | 1-2 | Gloves | |
| Haste Helm | 1-2 | Helm | |
| Doom Hammer | 1-2 | ⚠️ applies Bone Shell to Maelish (stops his mite healing) + magical bludgeoning he doesn’t resist | ⭐ |
| Svartlebee’s Woundseeker / Jorgoral’s Greatsword / Unseen Menace / Halberd of Vigilance | 1-2 | Weapon options | |
| Balduran’s Giantslayer | 2-3 | Weapon (Act 3 reward, listed in the Act 1+2 alternatives) | |
| Reaper’s Embrace / Armour of Persistence | 1-2 | Chest options | |
| Gauntlets of the Warmaster / Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength | 1-2 | Gloves | ⭐ |
| Boots of Speed / Helldusk Boots | 1-2 | Boots | |
| Wavemother’s Cloak | 1-2 | Cloak | |
| Titanstring | 1-2 | Ranged alt — pair with Drakethroat (Thunder) | |
| Drakethroat Glaive (Thunder) | 3 | Setup: use on Titanstring | |
| Shadeclinger Armour | 3 | Equip/remove to keep Advantage on saving throws | |
| Elixir of Bloodlust / Hill Giant Strength | general | Consumables | ⭐ |
Combat Pattern
- Initiative: Alert — you go first; set up the party or start the nova.
- Standard turn: Trip Attack (prone) → attack with Advantage → Action Surge for the full barrage. Prone + no reactions = the boss’s legendary actions stop working.
- Reactions: Riposte on every miss; they generally do miss.
- Role: front line — tank, bait opportunity attacks, set up the nova or clean up stragglers after the casters’ first round.
Act-by-Act Priority
| Act | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adamantine Splint, Underdog gloves, Trip Attack | Strong from level 1 |
| 2 | Haste Helm, Doom Hammer (Maelish), GWM/Savage Attacker online | Consistent high damage |
| 3 | Giantslayer, Hill Giant gauntlets, 3 attacks + Action Surge | One-turn boss potential |
Honour Mode Reminders
- ⚠️ No AOE — this is a head-empty single-target style; the party handles crowds.
- Prone is the whole identity: if a boss can’t be proned (immune), fall back to Precision Attack + riposte pressure.
- Viable solo (tested solo on stream after patch 7) — no elixir powers needed, just survivability.
- Gear-agnostic: don’t over-optimize; heavy armour + a big stick is 90% of the build.
Source
- Build PDF (canonical, updated 2026-07-18): Party Build Template — Google Drive
- Video (secondary): TOP 4 BUILDS TO WIN YOUR HONOUR RUN (section at 6:24)