Baldur's Gate 3 Class Tier List 2026: All 12 Classes and 58 Subclasses Ranked

Researched and drafted by Kuro, Geeky Inc's AI teammate. Checked by two separate AI review passes before publishing. How we make our guides

The best classes in Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3) right now are Paladin, Sorcerer, Fighter and Wizard. They hold up from Act 1 through an Honour Mode finale with no multiclassing needed. Bard, Warlock, Cleric, Druid, Monk and Barbarian are close behind. Rogue and Ranger sit lowest as full 12-level classes, but they're also the two best multiclass dips in the game, which matters more than their solo ranking.

This list is current for Patch 8, Larian's last major update (April 15, 2025). It added 12 new subclasses, one per class, which brings the total to 58. The hotfixes since then have fixed bugs and haven't touched balance (MP1st), so these rankings still apply in 2026.

How we ranked the classes

We ranked every class for a single-class run to level 12 on Tactician or Honour Mode. Damage on its own doesn't decide it. We looked at four things:

• Turn-one impact. Does the class end or swing a fight before the enemy acts?
• Power spikes. How early do the key features arrive (Extra Attack at level 5, third-level spells, subclass features)?
• Resource independence. How much of its power survives once the spell slots or short rests run out?
• Party value. Does it make the other three characters better?

Multiclass dips get their own table further down. A class can be a weak 12-level pick and still be one of the best 2–3 levels to add to someone else.

BG3 class tier list at a glance

S tier: the classes that carry a run

Paladin, Sorcerer, Fighter and Wizard are S tier because each one can decide a fight on its own turn and still has a plan when resources run low.

Paladin

The Paladin gets Extra Attack at 5 and Divine Smite on every hit, and a smite on a critical hit doubles its dice. That's the biggest single-target burst in the game. The part people overlook is Aura of Protection at level 6, which adds your Charisma modifier to every nearby ally's saving throws. On Honour Mode that aura stops more wipes than any damage number. Oath of Vengeance is our pick: Vow of Enmity gives advantage on a boss for the whole fight, so you crit and smite more often.

Sorcerer

The Sorcerer is here for Quickened Spell, which turns a spell into a bonus action so you cast two in one turn. Shadow Magic, added in Patch 8, is the best subclass. It can cast Darkness for sorcery points, which blinds everything inside and blocks ranged attacks in or out, and Strength of the Grave brings you back to 1 HP instead of going down. Storm and Draconic are both A tier and easier to play.

Fighter

The Fighter is the most reliable class in BG3. Action Surge at level 2 gives a full extra action. Extra Attack comes at 5 and a third attack at 11, and none of it needs a long rest. Battle Master manoeuvres such as Trip Attack, Menacing Attack and Riposte add control on top of the damage. If you're new to the game, this is the class we'd tell you to start with.

Wizard

The Wizard has the deepest toolbox in the game. It learns spells from scrolls, so its spellbook grows with exploration, and it has every answer: Counterspell, Haste, Hypnotic Pattern, Wall of Fire. Bladesinging (Patch 8) gets Bladesong, a +2 AC and movement boost, plus Extra Attack later, which goes a long way toward fixing the wizard's biggest weakness: dying in melee. Evocation is the simpler pick for Fireball-heavy parties.

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A tier: excellent picks with one weakness

Bard, Warlock, Cleric, Druid, Monk and Barbarian are all strong enough for Honour Mode. Each one has a single limit that keeps it out of S tier.

Bard

College of Lore gets Magical Secrets, so the Bard can take spells from other classes' lists. It's also the best character for skill checks and dialogue. College of Swords trades some of that for Extra Attack and Flourishes. The weakness is lower raw damage than a full caster or a martial class.

Warlock

Hexblade (Patch 8) lets the Warlock make weapon attacks with Charisma, so one stat covers spells, attacks and dialogue. Eldritch Blast with Agonizing Blast is the best cantrip in the game. The weakness is only a few spell slots, though they come back on a short rest.

Cleric

Heavy armour, Spirit Guardians and Bless make the Cleric the backbone of any Honour Mode party. Light Domain's Warding Flare cancels enemy attacks. Tempest's Destructive Wrath maximises lightning and thunder damage. The weakness is a slow damage curve before Spirit Guardians at level 5.

Druid

A Circle of the Moon Druid's Wild Shape is a second health bar, and the druid spell list has some of the best area control in the game. The weakness is that Wild Shape falls off late without the right gear.

Monk

The Way of the Open Hand Monk's Flurry of Blows adds an effect to every hit, such as knocking prone or pushing back, and Stunning Strike can lock a boss out of its turn. Many monk builds also take Tavern Brawler, which adds Strength to unarmed attack and damage rolls. The weakness is a fragile body until Ki and AC catch up.

Barbarian

Rage halves weapon damage taken, and Path of Giants (Patch 8) turns thrown weapons into a real Barbarian build. Berserker gives a bonus-action attack every turn. The weakness is that it has almost nothing to do outside combat.

B tier: Rogue and Ranger

Rogue and Ranger are B tier as 12-level characters because almost all of their power arrives in the first five levels. That's also exactly why they're the best dips in the game.

Rogue

A level-12 Rogue still makes one attack per turn. Sneak Attack scales, but a Fighter or Paladin out-damages it by Act 3. Thief's Fast Hands gives an extra bonus action at level 3, and that one feature is why "Thief 3–4" shows up in so many top builds. The Patch 8 Swashbuckler is the best single-class rogue: it can Sneak Attack a target with no ally nearby, as long as it's the only enemy in melee range.

Ranger

The Ranger has a similar problem. Gloom Stalker gives a bonus to initiative and an extra attack on the first turn of combat, and it's done by level 5. Levels 6 to 12 add little that a Fighter doesn't do better. The Patch 8 Swarmkeeper is fun, but it doesn't fix the late game.

Every BG3 subclass ranked (all 58)

The best subclasses in BG3 are Shadow Magic Sorcerer, Hexblade Warlock, Battle Master Fighter, Way of the Open Hand Monk and Oath of Vengeance Paladin. Here's every subclass with our tier and the one reason for it. ★ marks the 12 that Patch 8 added.

Where we disagree with other lists. HackTheMinotaur's subclass ranking puts Lore Bard and Tempest Cleric in B. We have them in A. Magical Secrets lets a Lore bard take Counterspell and Hunger of Hadar from other classes' lists, and Tempest's maximised Call Lightning is one of the strongest Act 2 tools in the game. We also rank Battle Master and Open Hand higher, because their damage doesn't depend on spell slots or long rests.

Best multiclass dips in BG3

The three dips that make the most BG3 builds better are Thief Rogue 3, Gloom Stalker Ranger 3–5 and Hexblade Warlock 1. In each case two to five levels give you most of what the class has to offer.

The rule of thumb: never delay a core spike for a dip. Take the dip after Extra Attack (level 5) on a martial class, or after third-level spells (level 5) on a caster, unless the dip is the build.

Baldur's Gate 3 tier list FAQ

What is the best class in BG3 for beginners?

Fighter (Battle Master) or Paladin (Oath of Vengeance). Both hit hard from level 1, wear heavy armour and don't punish you for forgetting to rest.

What is the strongest class for Honour Mode?

Paladin, for Aura of Protection plus smite burst. Shadow Magic Sorcerer is a close second if you're comfortable fighting around Darkness.

Which Patch 8 subclass is the best?

Hexblade and Shadow Magic are S tier, with Path of Giants close behind. College of Glamour and Way of the Drunken Master are the weakest of the 12.

Is Ranger bad in Baldur's Gate 3?

Not bad, just front-loaded. A full Ranger falls behind after level 5, but Gloom Stalker is one of the best dips in the game.

Has BG3 been rebalanced since Patch 8?

No. Larian called Patch 8 its final major patch, and the 2026 hotfixes have fixed saves and crashes, not balance (MP1st).

The bottom line

For your first run, pick Paladin, Fighter, Sorcerer or Wizard and you can't go wrong. For a second run, build around the dips: Thief, Gloom Stalker and Hexblade are where BG3's builds get interesting. If a Patch 8 subclass caught your eye, Hexblade, Shadow Magic and Path of Giants are the three worth a full playthrough.

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Images: official Baldur's Gate 3 screenshots from Larian Studios (Steam store page).