Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 FunkySpunk Apr 09, 2015 15:49:51	The Fighter, Ranger and Paladin all get to choose a fighting style.  They choose between Archery, Defense, Dueling, Great Weapon Fighting, Protection, and Two Weapon Fighting.   Have any of the people who are much better at crunching numbers than I am ever charted and figured out what fighting style is the best?
#2 Marandahir Apr 09, 2015 16:17:51	Archery, Duelling, Great Weapon Fighting.  Don't take Protection or Defence – or rather, only take Defense if you're dead-set on being a Great-Weapon-using Ranger (it's your only option, short of MultiClassing into Fighter or Paladin) or a Two-Weapon-using Paladin (it's your only option, short of MultiClassing into Fighter or Ranger).  Also, Two Weapon Fighting is underwelming, and still doesn't really work unless you take the feat (and remember, feats are a variant rule).  Protection doesn't really let you do the job it seems to be made to do; a Fighter or Paladin that has to stay 5 feet away from the ally they're protecting doesn't really have any real stopping power with it.  Archery is pretty much essential for any Bow build (but not essential for Crossbow builds); Duelling is perhaps the best Fighting Style and works with a Shield in your other hand (meaning Sword-and-Board users should use this as well as Eldritch Knights, Paladins, and Rangers who might want to "keep a hand free" for somatic casting). Great Weapon Fighting is excellent as well.
#3 FunkySpunk Apr 09, 2015 16:30:15	Is this your opinion, or is there data to back it up?
#4 Marandahir Apr 09, 2015 16:35:08	I don't have the DPR calculations to back it up, but a quick survey of some of the class guide threads and other threads on this topic gave me that recommendation.  I believe some people did run the DPR and other situational analyses and found results similar to what I claimed above. In any case, it's not my opinion, I'm just repeating what I've read here, though Protection's issues is something that has been harped about everywhere since the release of the 5e PHB.
#5 FunkySpunk Apr 09, 2015 18:21:05	Okay, cool!   I get the impression Protection is the worst.  It is very situational.   Dueling and Great Weapon Fighting are great if you're planning on primarily using a certain weapon type. Same with Archery and Two Weapon Fighting, although I havrs ree also read that crunching the numbers results in TWF not being worth it.   Defense always seemed to be the most boring to me, but when you think about it, it will be EXTREMELY rare for your Fighter, Paladin, or Ranger to not be wearing armor.  Since you never know what kind of magic weapon you'll find later on in your career, it might be the best choice.     I'm hoping somebody has actually crunched out those numbers because I'd love to see the results!!
#6 HermanTheWize Apr 09, 2015 18:28:04	What if you're in a campaign where there is limited healing and few party members? I think you underestimate the AC bonus. I would always take archery over defense if I'm a archery fighter. But the Damage bonuses from the melee fighting styles I think is a lot less than poeple think. At the end of the day I think the worth of damage bonuses vs the AC are fairly close.
#7 FunkySpunk Apr 09, 2015 18:32:12	HermanTheWize wrote:
#8 Macv12 Apr 09, 2015 18:48:47	Defense is the best second choice, if you're a Champion or you're multiclassing.   Great Weapon Fighting is favored because the bonus applies to all the dice associated with that attack. So your weapon, plus extra weapon dice when you crit, plus paladin smites, plus any other stuff I'm forgetting. It also applies to every attack you make, including OA's and bonus actions (like the one from Great Weapon Master). So it has a higher optimization ceiling than the other options.   Dueling applies to every attack, but doesn't scale up when you add more dice. It also only works with the worst offensive setup (single one-handed weapon), and is used to "shore up" that option (it gives a d8 weapon the same average damage as a d12), rather than make it offensively better.   Two-Weapon Fighting is the worst because it's not only static, but it can only be invoked once per turn. No effect on OA's, etc. Once you get Extra Attack (especially as a fighter), Second Wind, anything that improves crits, or the Polearm Master or Great Weapon Master feats, dual wielding is usually blown out of the water.
#9 FrogReaver Apr 09, 2015 19:41:56	FunkySpunk wrote:
#10 FunkySpunk Apr 09, 2015 20:10:13	FrogReaver wrote:
(Reply to #10) FrogReaver	Not yet. I've had to put my simulator on the backburner. Prolly will work more on it next month.   FunkySpunk wrote:
#12 Kentus Apr 09, 2015 23:44:37	Macv12 wrote:
(Reply to #12) Macv12	Kentus wrote:
#14 Logain08 Apr 10, 2015 2:40:44	I haven't crunched the numbers, but I would rule that GWF applies to all damage dice associated with an attack. If you don't, I think dueling strictly becomes the best fighting style you can choose if you go for melee weapons. Remember that a great weapon warrior sacrifices the +2 to AC that a duelist can get by equiping a shield. I would say it makes sense for great weapons to do more damage generally than single handed weapons. The trade off is between offense or defense.
#15 SterlingRat Apr 10, 2015 5:33:22	Way too many variables... imo, the only clear best is Archery for a ranged fighter, and the only clear worst is protection. Is the flexability of switching from sword & board to great weapon to two weapon worth taking defense style? That is a difficult choice at level one or two. If you are absolutely sure what kind of fighter you will be (ie you already spent a feat on polearm master or Great Weapon Master or Dual Wielding or Shield Master) then the extra damage could be good; but you run the risk of losing out on the bonus completely if you start using the super-awesome weapon you find at level 9 or switch to another style when you get more feats available. Defense Style is rarely going to lose value - I guess if you multiclass Barbarian or Monk and want to use unarmored defense it would not work, but otherwise... it's the one that will always be useful.
(Reply to #14) Macv12	Logain08 wrote:
(Reply to #5) Coredump00	FunkySpunk wrote:
#18 FunkySpunk Apr 11, 2015 5:27:17	Coredump00 wrote:
(Reply to #18) Coredump00	FunkySpunk wrote: