Best Fighter build in Dragon's Dogma 2, including skills & weapons

While it might be the most 'basic' of all the Vocations in the game, but using the best Fighter build in Dragon's Dogma 2 gives you arguably the strongest balance between attack and defence that you can get.

With both a sword and shield in hand you'll be able to alternate between dealing heavy damage and protecting yourself and your teammates, and I certainly felt like the classical hero whenever I picked up the Figher's mantle.

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The build that I've crafted here is more focused on defensive counter-actions than aggressive pushes that you might find with a Vocation like the Warrior, but it gives you the ideal split between damage and protection in my eyes.

Both Flawless Guard and Vengeful Slash protect you against enemy attacks, with the latter offering the opportunity for a parry action that can deal serious damage if you time it right. This lets you take the heat and, in theory, avoid any incoming damage if used in the right way.

If you're good enough then this will work perfectly with the Ring of Predominance too, which raises your Strength by 10% when you're at max health, letting you deal incredible damage on any of your counter-hits. You can purchase this from Grisha's Armory in Sacred Arbor, or find it in a number of different locations - including the Ancestral Chamber or Myrddin's Home in the Checkpoint Rest Town.

When it comes to Augments, there are some that just come down to personal preference - and access too of course. However, you'll definitely want to equip Mettle and Thew from the Fighter's own arsenal, and something like Verve is fantastic if you're looking to deal more damage overall.

• Blink Strike (upgraded to Burst Strike)
• Shield Summons (upgraded to Shield Drum)
• Gouging Skewer (upgraded to Gutting Skewer)
• Impeccable Guard (upgraded to Flawless Guard)
• Hindsight Slash (upgraded to Hindsight Sweep)
• Counter Slash (upgraded to Vengeful Slash)
• Perfect Defense (upgraded to Divine Defense)
• Riotous Fury

Outside of the selections that I made for the build above, Weapon Skills like Shield Drum and Divine Defense are excellent options that you'll also want to consider.

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Shield Drum in particular is a great choice for this build - and might be an option if you haven't quite obtained the Maister's Teaching. It draws enemies to you instead of your allies, which gives you more opportunities to either block or parry their attacks.

Divine Defense is also a game-changer when used right, as it offers the most effective form of solo defence in the game that now consumes less stamina in its upgraded form. Make sure to use this whenever facing one of the game's bosses, as it'll save you from having to waste a precious Wakestone.

• Dragon's Dogma
• Carnation
• Molten Fury

Dragon's Dogma is by far the best weapon you can use for the Fighter - how could it not be? The game's namesake is only accessible through the Dragonforged for 110 Wyrmslife Crystals though, so you'll need a good enough sword to take down enough dragons beforehand of course.

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That sword is obtained by any of the endgame armouries of smithies for 58,500 Gold, which is a great price to pay for a sword this strong. It does, of course, offer less strength than Dragon's Dogma, but it's the second-highest overall in this weapon class, so you definitely can't go wrong.

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If you don't quite have the coin - or instead want a fiery touch - then you might want to head to the Mountain Base Cave in Agamen Volcanic Island to find the Molten Fury weapon. This does a combined 475 damage across Strength and Magick unenhanced, but it critically also deals 120% fire elemental damage, which can tear through an enemy's health if they are even remotely weak to it.

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I find that the Fighter is a strong and reliable Vocation in-game, but it doesn't quite reach the heights of some of the game's stronger offerings. It's the easiest to play and offers the least risk when diving into the toughest fights, but its lack of high-damage skills does cap its ceiling a little bit.

I'd put it in the middle of the pack in general, with other Vocations like the Thief, Magick Archer, and Warrior above it. It's still fantastic in the right hands though, and is a class that you largely can't go wrong with.

If the Fighter isn't doing it for you right now, why not check out any of our other build guides for the nine other Vocations:

• Best Archer build
• Best Mage build
• Best Thief build
• Best Sorcerer build
• Best Warrior build
• Best Trickster build
• Best Mystic Spearhand build
• Best Magick Archer build
• Best Warfarer build

Make sure not to parry away any of the tips on our Dragon's Dogma 2 homepage, as you can learn how to solve the Sphinx's riddles, how to deal with Dragonsplague, and the difference between the smithing styles in-game.