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All Dragon’s Dogma 2 Fighter skills and which to unlock

The Dragon’s Dogma 2 Fighter is the tip of the spear on your journey, but what are the best skills to use with this damage-dealing menace?

Dragon's Dogma 2 Fighter build: a person holding a sword and shield attacks a rope bridge.

What are the best Dragon’s Dogma 2 Fighter skills? There are plenty of vocations in Dragon’s Dogma 2 that can deal damage, but very few who can tank it. The Fighter can, thankfully, do both, and is a vital component of any successful party. With it, you can draw the ire of surrounding enemies so your team can do what they do best.

The Dragon’s Dogma 2 release date is finally here, and the immense RPG game will eat up tens of hours without issue if you let it. If you’re spending that much time traipsing across the Dragon’s Dogma 2 map, it might as well be as a powerful Fighter, swatting at foes from the frontline. Here are the best Dragon’s Dogma 2 Fighter skills.

Dragon's Dogma 2 Fighter build: a videogame menu showing the skills of the Fighter class.

Best Dragon’s Dogma 2 Fighter skills

The best Dragon’s Dogma 2 Fighter has a mixture of both offense and defense; being able to protect your allies is important, as they’ll likely be able to inflict more damage than you. You’re no slouch in the pain department, though, and with this build, you’ll be able to take down enemies with sheer force of will, and quite a large weapon.

The best Dragon’s Dogma 2 Fighter weapon skills are:

  • Full Moon Slash
  • Burst Strike
  • Shield Drum
  • Launchboard

Full Moon Slash

An area of effect attack, the Full Moon Slash sees you slice a wide arc directly in front of you, damaging anything that happens to get in your way. Excellent for taking on multiple enemies at once, combined with Burst Strike, you’ll be able to get into the fight and deal damage almost instantly.

Burst Strike

A dash combined with a stab is fairly simple but extremely effective. Burst Strike is one of the Fighter’s only mobility abilities, and the fact it deals decent damage is a bonus. You’ll want to be in the thick of things at all times, and this is an essential skill for achieving that.

Shield Drum

Having the eyes of every enemy on you may not seem like a fun afternoon, but that’s exactly where the Fighter wants to be. Shield Drum draws the attention of enemies in the immediate area – they’ll attack you, leaving your teammates free to deal damage.

Launchboard

Launchboard allows you to use your shield to launch one of your allies up into the air. It may not sound like much, but if you’re facing a large opponent, getting on their back is a surefire way to victory. Can also be used to reach difficult spots while out of combat, although be careful you don’t launch a pawn off the edge of a cliff, as we have done. More than once.

All Dragon’s Dogma 2 Fighter weapon skills

The Fighter has many skills, and your mileage may vary when focusing on drawing aggro constantly while your team fights it out. If you prefer to take a more hands-on approach, there are plenty of abilities that focus on dealing damage rather than taking it. On the flip side, there are abilities like Flawless Guard that you can take to completely sure up your defenses, at the cost of outgoing damage.

Here are all the Dragon’s Dogma 2 Fighter weapon skills:

Fighter Weapon Skills Rank Cost
Blink Strike 1 Free
Airward Slash 1 200
Shield Bash 1 200
Shield Summons 2 300
Compass Slash 3 450
Springboard 3 450
Gouging Skewer 4 700
Impeccable Guard 4 700
Hindsight Slash 5 1100
Counter Slash 6 1800
Perfect Defense 7 2500
Burst Strike 4 100
Cloudward Slash 5 1300
Full Moon Slash 6 1300
Gutting Skewer 7 2000
Hindsight Sweep 8 2500
Shield Pummel 4 1000
Shield Drum 5 1300
Flawless Guard 7 2000
Vengeful Slash 8 2500
Riotous Fury Maister Skill Free

Dragon's Dogma 2 Fighter build: a videogame menu showing the skills of the Fighter class.

All Dragon’s Dogma 2 Fighter core skills

The Fighter’s core skills are centered around staying alive and countering your opponent’s attacks. These are vital if you want to stay healthy in the more frenetic fights, and when mastered, can turn defense into offense at a moment’s notice.

Here are all the Dragon’s Dogma 2 Fighter core skills:

Fighter Core Skill Rank Cost
Onslaught 0 Free
Defend 0 Free
Empale 0 Free
Deflect 0 Free
True Deflect 1 150
Steeled Foundation 3 400
Tusk Toss 2 250
Enchanted Counter 4 600

True Deflect

Essentially a parry, True Deflect allows you to reflect a target’s attack onto them. Raise your shield the instant that the enemy’s attack makes contact to activate this core skill.

Tusk Toss

An offensive core skill, Tusk Toss is a huge, sweeping strike upwards that can send smaller enemies flying. Hold down your primary attack button to charge this attack.

Steeled Foundation

A useful skill, Steeled Foundation allows you to brace using your shield to protect from large falls. Great when you’re on the back of an ogre and have nowhere else to go but down.

Enchanted Counter

Enchanted Count applies elemental damage to the enemy whenever you defend. This is only active when you have an element enchantment currently active, so ensure your Mage keeps you topped up in battle.

Dragon's Dogma 2 Fighter build: a videogame menu showing the skills of the Fighter class.

Best Dragon’s Dogma 2 Fighter augments

The best Dragon’s Dogma 2 Fighter augments are there to bolster your health and your strength. Vitality raises your max HP, while Thew allows you to more easily ragdoll enemies. Provocation increases the chances of enemies targeting you instead of your teammates, which, as we know, is where you do your best work.

Here are the best Dragon’s Dogma 2 Fighter augments:

Fighter Augment Rank Cost
Mettle 2 300
Provocation 4 900
Thew 6 1800
Dominion 8 3000
Diligence 9 5000

Mettle

Increases your physical defense to protect against non-magical attacks. With Mettle, you’ll be able to withstand more punishment as you tank for your team.

Provocation

Increases the likelihood of being targeted by foes. Essential if you plan on being the tip of the spear for your party.

Thew

Increases your carry weight. Simple, really, but with this, you’ll be able to carry more loot around before dumping it in your storage box.

Dominion

Allows you to lift and pin opponents for an extended duration. Focusing and isolating powerful opponents is an easy to way to ensure they can’t hurt you back.

Diligence

Hastens recovery when downed or crawling. Being the frontline for your party, you’re bound to take more punishment than the rest, and with Diligence, you’ll be able to get back into the fight quicker.

Best Dragon’s Dogma 2 Fighter party

The Fighter is the crux of any good team; they’re the point of the spear, and the shield that protects their allies. You’ll need damage to follow up your hustle, with the Dragon’s Dogma 2 Sorcerer being a potent choice for DPS. A Dragon’s Dogma 2 Thief will also serve you well when dealing with larger enemies, and as always, a Dragon’s Dogma 2 Mage will keep you alive, no matter the odds.

Now that you know how to build your Dragon’s Dogma 2 Fighter, there isn’t a creature in the land that will be able to break your shield or your spirit. If you’re just getting started in the adventure game, we have a guide on Dragon’s Dogma 2 vocations that can help you decide on who to bring with you on your adventure.