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The Fighter is one of four starting Vocations inDragon’s Dogma 2that both the Arisen and Pawns have access to. It’s a traditional melee class that uses longswords, maces, and shields to deliver brutal punishment. They’re easy to play, quite tanky, and can deal great damage with the right build.
Today, we’ll be looking at two builds for the Fighter that make it a great choice for any party. Whether you enjoy dealing damage or tanking incoming damage, these builds have something for every playstyle. Both builds can be used roughly halfway through your playthrough with minimal gear checks.
This guide is aimed at players who are currently in Bakbattahl and have access to Volcanic Island. The Arisen build assumes you have access to the Fighter-Maister skill.
Endgame upgrades for this build is discussed towards the end of the “Equipment” section, but beware that this section has endgame spoilers. The rest of the guide is spoiler-free.
Build Overview
Become an unstoppable force and immovable object in equal measure with the Fighter Vocation, one of Dragon’s Dogma 2’s starter Vocations. While this sword and board class seems basic at first glance, using the right skills can turn the Fighter into a DPS monster with excellent survivability.
If you need a frontline tank in your party, we have aPawn build that uses multiple taunt and utility skillsto keep your backline safe while your Fighter endures the coming onslaught. But if you’re more interested in dealing damage yourself, we have anArisen build that uses offensive skills to dish out some excellent single-target damage.
Skills And Augments
The Fighter Vocation has a mix of damage and utility skills that lend itself to being a frontline tank. It doesn’t hit quite as hard as its Warrior cousin, yet the Fighter’s sturdy shield allows them to absorb more damage than any other Vocation in the game—save forthe Mystic Spearhand’s Mirour Sheldeand one of theThief’s Maister skills.
As such, you’ll usually bring a Fighter totank incoming hitsand distract foes, although it can deal some serious damage once you have endgame gear. Our two builds focus on buffing the survivability of the Fighter while offering great damage (the Arisen build) or group utility (the Pawn build).
Weapon Skills
Riotous Fury
Unleash a flurry of attacks that deal immense damage. Drains most of your stamina. Missing the first attack leaves you temporarily staggered.
Cloudward Slash
Leap into the air and strike the target. Can be used while airborne.
Burst Strike
Dashes forward at great speed, impaling the target for moderate damage.
Flawless Guard
Begin spinning with your shield equipped, blocking all incoming damage. Can be used while staggered.
Constancy
Grants 15% more Knockdown Resistance.
Fighters are typically used as tanks in most groups, and while that can prove invaluable for squishier party compositions, it can lead to a somewhat boring playstyle. This build uses multiple offensive skills to make the Fighter a powerhouse against larger foes. Most of your damage will come fromRIotous Fury, a Maister skill that unleashes an onslaught of melee attacks. It drains a ton of stamina, so be careful when using this attack.
When facing weaker opponents, you can useCloudward Slashto strike aerial targets orBurst Striketo quickly damage grounded foes. Burst Strike also serves as a fantastic movement skill while exploring the world. Finally, we useFlawless Guardto break out of staggers while deflecting incoming attacks. It’s especially useful if you get surrounded and need to reposition.
For our Augmentations, we use a fairly standard configuration that biases survivability and overall stamina management.Provocationis mandatory for this build, as it draws enemy attention away from your Pawns and toward the Arisen, perfect for keeping your backline Vocations safe.DynamismandZealsubstantially improve your stamina management, although they’re both locked to the late-game Warfarer Vocation.
The final three slots are mostly down to preference. We recommendEndurancefrom Archer to increase your Stamina,Mettleto improve your physical defense stat, andConstancyfrom Sorcerer to give yourself more knockdown resistance. If you’re using Dwarven upgrades on your weapon, consider dropping Constancy for Dominance, a Warrior Augment that increases your knockback power.
Shield Drum
Bash your sword against your shield, drawing the attention of all nearby enemies.
Launchboard
Use your shield to launch an ally into the air. Ideal for launching allies onto larger monsters.
Parry an incoming attack, then retaliate with a powerful counterattack.
Shield Pummel
Strikes the target twice with your shield, launching smaller foes away from you. Larger foes receive significant posture damage.
Pawns make great use of the Fighter’s defensive and utility skills.Shield Drumis fantastic on a Pawn, as it will force all nearby enemies to attack your Fighter. This gives your other characters a chance to recover their HP or deliver a powerful attack.Launchboardis also a fantastic utility skill. Your Fighter will use their shield to launch you over objects or directly onto larger monsters, including flying enemies.
As for dealing damage, Pawns can useVengeful Slashto great effect. Their AI is well-suited for parrying attacks, so giving them a powerful counterattack for each parry will greatly increase their damage. Finally, we useShield Pummelto ragdoll smaller foes while staggering larger targets. If you’re fighting a boss that’s off-balance, your Fighter will usually activate Shield Pummel and force the boss into a downed state.
No tank build is complete without theProvocationAugment. This will greatly increase the chance of nearby enemies attacking your Fighter. Equip Subtlety on your other characters, and your Fighter will always be the character that draws aggro. We also recommend using defensive Augments likeMettle, Apotropaism, and Constancyto keep your Pawn alive during tough fights. Throw a Mage into the mix, and your Fighter will be unstoppable.
Sabatons of Judgement
Saint Idreum’s Stole
The Fighter has access to some fantastic weapons and armor towards the later sections of the game, specifically once you reach Volcanic Island.The Exaltedis a powerful mace that you can get from Drabnir’s Grotto, a dungeon that connects Bakbattahl and Volcanic Island. While on the island proper, you can findMolten Edgeif you prefer a fire mace over a holy weapon.
As for armor, we recommend the armor pieces found in Bakbattahl shops until you reach the endgame. TheCreedbound ArmorandSabatons of Judgementmatch the visual style ofThe Exaltedmace quite well. you’re able to also get theLaurel Circletfrom the “Put a Spring in Thy Step” quest on Volcanic Island. Completing this quest chain will also grant access toDwarven upgrades, which you should use on all of your items.
Saint Iredeum Stole Location
TheSaint Idreum’s Stolecape is located on the western edge of Bakbattahl. When the river forms a triangle, head north until you reach the Tomb of Al’Guttos. Slay the Lich and loot the nearby chest to find the cape.
We use it solely for its looks; any cloak will work here.
For your rings, we highly recommend you use theRing of Gritto reduce the stamina cost of blocking attacks. We pair this with theRing of Triumphyou get from turning in Seeker’s Tokens to increase all of our core stats—HP, stamina, and carry weight—by a slight amount.
Executioner’s Greaves
Uniter’s Mantle
Virtually every item here issold by the Dragonforged in the Unmoored World, a twisted version of Gransys that may only be accessed if youstart the true ending. He will relocate to the Seafloor Shrine for the remainder of your playthrough. Simply speak with him and purchase Dragon’s Dogma,Dragon’s Aegis, and the Subjugator set. Any cape will work here; we use theUniter’s Mantle.
We still recommend the same rings as before, although feel free to dropRing of Triumphfor theRing of Disfavor. It has the same effects as the Provocation Augment, freeing up an Augment slot.
These items have the best overall stats for the Fighter Vocation. You’ll need270 WLCto purchase all of these items, which is slightly under how much you’ll earn from completing the Unmoored World’s main quest. If you need extra WLC, we recommend farming Drakes and Lesser Dragons in the endgame world as long as possible before you start NG+.
