Dragon's Dogma 2: Best Fighter skills and augments
Best Fighter skills and augments in Dragon's Dogma 2
Interested in the best Fighter skills and augments in Dragon's Dogma 2? When it comes to knocking down a horde of fantasy foes, there's nothing like a good ol' fashioned Fighter. This is especially true in Dragon's Dogma 2. While some of the game's other Vocations might require a bit more explanation to grasp, the Fighter should be immediately familiar to anyone who's played an RPG in the past. You know the deal - slip on your sword and shield and get ready to wade into the thick of combat.
That said, like any timeless character class, the Fighter Vocation is simple on the surface but possesses great depth. In this guide, we've delved into the best Fighter skills and augments, giving you the rundown on what you need to know to make monsters quiver in the face of your melee mastery.
In this guide:- Dragon's Dogma 2 Fighter weapon skills
- Dragon's Dogma 2 Fighter core skills
- Dragon's Dogma 2 Fighter augments
Dragon's Dogma 2 Fighter best weapon skills
As a Fighter, you'll have two best friends - your sword and your shield. (Technically, you can also use a rapier or a mace, but the classic sword and shield combo will be commonplace for most players.) While other Vocations specialise in pure damage, like the Warrior, Fighters boast both offensive and defensive capabilities, and their weapon skills are a well-rounded balance that make the most of aggression and protection. Here are our favourites.
Blink Strike
Blink Strike is the first weapon skill you get as a Fighter, and it remains a valuable asset well into Dragon's Dogma 2. This ability causes the Fighter to lunge forward with blade extended to stick into an enemy. It requires practice to nail down correctly, and you should take care to not go careening off in the wrong direction, particularly when fighting swift opponents. Get that aim down, and you'll find Blink Strike to be a reliable damage dealer.
Upon ranking up your Fighter, a more advanced version of Blink Strike dubbed Burst Strike will become available, letting you travel further and hit even harder.
Airward Slash
Certainly a flashy move, Airward Slash sees the Fighter jumping into the air and twisting their body like an acrobat as they swing their weapon diagonally. This is an absolutely pivotal tactic for knocking flying enemies out of the sky, and since Fighters lack the range of other Vocations, you'll rely on Airward Slash a fair bit unless your pawns can disorient airborne foes for you.
It's worth mentioning that Airward Slash is less reliable against small ground foes, since your attack will go right over them. If you want to use it against a wolf, for instance, it's best to jump from higher ground and then activate Airward Slash. When it comes to big creatures like minotaurs, Airward Slash works just fine.
Gouging Skewer
Gouging Skewer looks vicious beyond belief, with the Fighter chucking their blade into a target before slamming it repeatedly back and forth through their body. It's a tricky weapon skill to use, because if you miss, then you're left quite vulnerable. But the potential to wreck your target is too appealing, and this skill has useful tactical implications.
If Gouging Skewer hits small enemies who are flinching, your Fighter will pin them down and deplete a good section of their health bar in a flash. Meanwhile, using Gouging Skewer against bigger foes lets the Fighter cling to them, setting up that awesome "climb on the boss" action that Dragon's Dogma is known for.
Shield Bash
Shields aren't just for saving your skin - they can be used offensively too. Shield Bash causes the Fighter to barrel forwards with their shield at the ready, knocking a target off balance. This is an excellent skill for getting mobs off of your back in the midst of a busy encounter, and there's nothing like sending a saurian flying with your shield after they've poked you a few too many times.
Against large enemies, I usually like getting in close and using Shield Bash against their legs. The harder they are, the bigger they fall, and all that.
Impeccable Guard
Playing as a Fighter means you'll be up close most of the time and a prime target. Impeccable Guard is your emergency weapon skill to be deployed in the moments when everyone's raining blows down on you and you just need to get out of there. This skill makes the fighter stick their shield in front of them and spin like a turtle, blocking attacks from every direction. Even better, it can be used while flinching. Don't sleep on Impeccable Guard - it just might save your life.
Dragon's Dogma 2 Fighter best core skills
Every Dragon's Dogma 2 Vocation has core skills that act as defining class markers. The Fighter's include some basic essentials like Onslaught, which serves as your foundational weapon attack, and Defend, which of course is the act of guarding with your shield. Those necessities aside, the following three core skills are worth practicing.
Deflect
This one goes out to all the Soulslike fans who can't get enough parrying in their lives. Deflect lets you knock a foe off-kilter the moment they hit you, utilising a quick counterattack that consumes no Stamina. As you probably anticipated, this requires some practice, as you've got to hit the Deflect button right at the moment of impact. Getting the timing right will make you unstoppable, so start brushing up on your shield skills as soon as possible.
The more powerful variant of this skill, True Deflect, sends your enemy staggering back even farther and is worth investing in as long as you've gotten that parry timing mastered.
Tusk Toss
Tusk Toss makes your Fighter trace a skyward arc with their sword, sending lighter enemies careening skyward. It's not as epic against big bosses, but as a fan of Goblin Slayer, there's something about using this skill to knock a multitude of goblins every which way that just gets me. If you've got a pawn Archer in your party, the cool synergy that comes with seeing them nail said goblin with an arrow in mid-air is too fun to resist.
Enchanted Counter
As you face stronger foes in Dragon's Dogma 2, you'll often encounter elemental resistances and weaknesses. Often, your pawns might be the ones to point this out in the midst of a fight - for instance, yelling that the minotaur you're hacking at is weak to fire. Any magick-wielding pawns will follow up with whatever appropriate spells they have, often enchanting your weapons with something like Fire Boon, which lets you deal fire damage.
Enchanted Counter is an excellent skill to have during these specific instances, as it'll let you automatically counter with an elemental attack corresponding to whatever you're enchanted with when you use Defend. While this skill is certainly more situation-specific than some of the others here, you should be practiced enough at defense to find it increasingly useful as you level up and run into tougher bosses.
Dragon's Dogma 2 Fighter best augments
All Vocations in Dragon's Dogma 2 receive augments, which act as passive stat boosters. The Fighter's augments are all oriented around amplifying defense or helping with melee tactics, and these two are the ones I've relied on the most.
Mettle
Mettle increases your physical Defense stat and is an automatic must. You can't be a Fighter if you don't keep those Defense numbers nice and high!
Provocation
You've got a shield and are supposed to be a solid tank for weaker party members, particularly your mage pawns who need time to unleash their big damage and curative spells. Provocation lets you live up to this role by increasing the likelihood of being targeted by enemies. With all of the other skills we've picked out here, you're more than capable of holding that aggro.
That concludes our study of the sword and shieldplay that make up the Fighter's best skills and augments. For more on tackling the wild world of Dragon's Dogma 2 and becoming the legendary Arisen that all your pawns praise you as, keep your eyes on Rock Paper Shotgun as we delve into all the other Vocations of this epic adventure. You can start with our deep dive into the magickal ways of the Mage, the smooth firing of the Archer, or the shifty dagger action of the Thief. For more advanced vocations, check out our guide to the greatsword swings of the Warrior, the extreme magick of the Sorcerer, the Duospear slices of the Mystic Spearhand, the crafty illusions of the Trickster, the bow spell combos of the Magick Archer, or the many weapon skills of the Warfarer.