Despite being a relatively simple Vocation, Fighter can comfortably take on all the challengesDragon’s Dogma 2has to offer. Their ferocious offense is easily matched by their stalwart defense, and depending on who’s doing the fighting, this Vocation can easily stand against all manners of beasts.

As one of the most flexible of melee classes, the Fighter Vocation is very beginner-friendly. Even so, players will want to know how best to utilize their sword and shield before they head into the Vermund and beyond. This guide covers the basics of thisstarting Vocation inDragon’s Dogma 2, along with some tips for building your Main Pawn as a reliable melee tank.

Dragons Dogma 2 Best Starting Vocations Fighter Class

How to Play Fighter

The Fighter is your basic sword-and-shield character who balances offense and defense. They’re often the party’s tank, though you may finesse their skills and gear to favor aggression over protection. It is completely distinctfromDragon’s Dogma 2’sWarrior, as the latter is more inclined toward the DPS/CC side of things.

The main strength of this Vocation is its versatility. Fighters can deal Slash damage with their swords and Strike damage their shields, making them effective against enemies that can resist one or the other. Also, Fighters can parry attacks by perfectly timing their blocks, opening enemies up to follow-up strikes. A good Fighter knows when to use which damage type while keeping other party members safe from harm.

A fighter against some goblins in Dragon’s Dogma 2

Dash toward an enemy and stab with your sword.

Gouging/Gutting Skewer

Thrust your blade into the enemy before raining down additional blows. Best used when mounted/pinning a smaller enemy.

Riotous Fury

Maister Skill. Rush your enemies with a furious barrage of shield bashes before finishing with a powerful, overhead sword slash.

Impeccable/Flawless Guard

Spin nimbly on the spot, blocking attacks from every direction. Can be used to break out of getting staggerlocked.

Blink/Burst Strikeis a bread-and-butter skill for Fighters. It can help you close gaps extremely quickly while dealing respectable damage to any target it hits. Early on, this is best paired withShield Bash/Pummelas your main source of Strike damage. Later on, replace the latter withRiotous Fury, a skill you can learn fromLennartin Melve after you complete theNesting Troubles quest.

Fighter using Shield Summons in Dragon’s Dogma 2

Gouging/Gutting Skewerworks in tandem with Riotous Fury as your main damage skill when mounted. Crawl up to an enemy’s weakpoint, then unleash this skill to deal massive damage. You can also use it on smaller enemies by staggering and grappling them before pressing the skill button.

Defense-wise,Impeccable/Flawless Guardis your best option, mainly because it can save you from getting locked in place. Only use this in such cases. You’ll be relying on regular blocking and parrying to defend yourself with.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 Tag Page Cover Art

Shield Summons/Drum

Attract the attention of nearby enemies.

Fighter Pawns are most effective when they’re built around tanking and grabbing enemy aggro.Blink/Burst StrikeandShield Summons/Drumare the most important skills here; the former allows the Pawn to quickly come to the aid of allies, while the latter makes sure enemies stay focused on them. Gouging/Gutting Skewer is still very effective versus large targets, though you’re able to always swap this for Rightous Fury as it is generally more versatile.

If you want your Main Pawn to be a tank, ensure they are Kindhearted. If so, they will focus on staying by your side and protecting you to the best of their ability. You cancustomize Pawn appearances and inclinations inDragon’s Dogma 2by buying Incense or Art of Metamorphosis books.

As for Augments, all the ones in the Fighter’s Augment tree is extremely beneficial for the class in terms of tanking damage and taking aggro. Some priority Augments from other classes include:

Due to how gearing up works in this game, the best equipment will always be whatever has the bigger numbers. The majority of weapons and armor in the game can be acquired by purchasing them from vendors, though there are some that can be found in the world as well. Here are some recommended weapons and rings:

Vernworth - Atop theGrand Riftstone of Vermund building

The Dragonforged during the Post-Dragon story

Ring of Grit

Reduces Stamina cost of blocking with shields.Complete Readvent of Calamityin Melve before doingFeast of Deception.

Increase HP, Stamina, and Carry Capacity. Exchange 15 Seeker Tokens.