Some of the strongest builds in Baldur’s Gate 3 are hidden behind very special combinations of classes, abilities, and talents. MeinMMO reveals why polearm paladins are considered completely OP in D&D.
What kind of talent is that?
- Polearm Master allows you to make extra attacks with halberds, spears, staves, and pikes.
- The ability is not found in the list of the best talents – but that is because it only becomes really powerful under special circumstances.
- Especially in combination with a paladin, Polearm Master becomes a deadly tool that can wipe out many opponents in one round.
This is the strong combination: Polearm Master together with a paladin is one of the best combinations known among D&D players. It is similarly strong in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Paladins are at the top of the tier list of the best classes. They are versatile and can be specialized in many areas – for example as tanks, supporters, or damage dealers.
With the Polearm Master talent, paladins become true monsters, representing one of the best DPS classes with their powerful “Smite” spells.
Ridiculously strong paladin build dismantles enemies
This is what makes the build so strong: As a polearm paladin, you have several advantages in battle:
- you can attack opponents with a reaction when they get too close – this usually only works when they run out of range
- by default, you already have another attack as a bonus action per round
- paladins inherently gain a second attack at level 5
What makes the paladin so strong in conjunction with the talent is his Smite. You have “Divine Smite” as an action by default, which you can use to enhance your next attack. You add 2d8 additional damage plus one further d8 per spell level used.
In addition, paladins also have the choice of other variants that can ignite, frighten, or smash opponents. Depending on the situation, you can enhance an attack, and that works as a Polearm Master with almost any attack.
The only disadvantage: in Baldur’s Gate 3, there are only a few truly strong polearms. The currently known strongest polearm is a glaive, which is hidden behind a long quest and certain decisions. Otherwise, primarily rely on halberds.
This is how you build the build:
- Level 1: Choose the Oath of Vengeance. You can become an Oathbreaker later, both subclasses work for the build.
- Level 2: Choose “Great Weapon Fighting” as your fighting style
- Level 4: Choose the talent “Polearm Master”
- Level 8: Choose the talent “Great Weapon Mastery”
- Level 12: Choose the talent “Sentinel”; alternatives are: “Lucky”, “Savage Attacker” or an ability improvement
Raw attack power on paper is indeed inferior to fighters or barbarians with this build, but your true strength comes from the Smite. You generally benefit from having bonus damage on every attack. Poisons, oils, or dipping into fire help you immensely.
Regarding the oaths, Vengeance is useful because you can grant yourself advantages on attacks. The ideal companion here is the Drow Minthara, as she is already a Vengeance Paladin. However, to recruit her, you must be evil.
As an Oathbreaker, you increase your own damage directly. If you are interested in Oathbreaker, you can find another build here.
Here are tips for leveling correctly
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Polearm Paladin – Here’s how you play him
In principle, you play like a fighter: attack an enemy with full strength and use your Smite. Depending on the circumstances and group, various types of Smite may be more sensible.
However, pay attention not to waste your reaction unnecessarily. You need it for a third attack when an opponent moves towards you or when you want to attack using the Sentinel talent. Especially ideal if a tank is standing next to you.
A barbarian or fighter can push enemies out of your reach with the shove ability to force them to run back to you on their turn. This way, you also force another attack per round without the Sentinel.
Use your spell levels exclusively for Smite when you are going for pure damage. For Oath abilities, it’s best to use Inquisitor’s Might (against many opponents) or Oath of Enmity (against bosses).
Finally, you can always make an attack with the end of your polearm as a bonus action when an attack hits, or you can even execute a full additional attack when you critical hit or kill an opponent. If you want to plan your character first, you can find the right tool here:
Baldur’s Gate 3 Character Planner: We show you the perfect tool to create your class and builds
