Aasimar Fighter Build Guide

Levels 1-4

Start with a stat spread of STR 15, DEX 14, CON 13, INT 8, WIS 10, CHA 12. Take the Defense Fighting Style for a flat +1 AC, as you'll be using heavy armor and a heavy weapon. At level 3, select the Battle Master archetype. Maneuvers like Precision Attack are mandatory to offset the -5 penalty of Great Weapon Master, which you will absolutely take at Level 4. Menacing Attack is another fantastic maneuver here, as frightened enemies cannot willingly move closer to you, allowing you to control the battlefield with your halberd's reach.

Levels 5-10

Level 5 brings Extra Attack, doubling your baseline DPR. At this tier, your Celestial Revelation comes online as a major tactical asset. Pop your wings as a bonus action, fly over the enemy frontline, and use Precision Attack on the enemy caster. At Level 6, take Polearm Master to give yourself a consistent bonus action attack when your wings are already out. At Level 8, take the Slasher feat (if using a halberd) or Heavy Armor Master to bump your STR to 16 while gaining vital damage reduction that stacks nicely with your innate Celestial Resistance.

Levels 11-16

Level 11 is the Fighter's holy grail: Extra Attack (2). You are now swinging three times per action. Combined with Action Surge, you can make six attacks in a single turn, adding your Aasimar radiant damage to one of those hits for a massive burst. At Level 12, max your Strength to 18 (or 20 if you rolled stats). At Level 14, you must take Resilient (Wisdom). Your WIS 10 is a massive liability at this tier, and failing a save against Dominate Person turns your six-attack Action Surge against your own party.

Levels 17-20

At Level 17, you gain a second use of Action Surge. Your Celestial Revelation is now adding a flat +17 to +20 radiant damage once per turn. At Level 19, take Tough to bump your HP pool, as you will be face-tanking ancient dragons. Cap off the build at Level 20 with Extra Attack (3), giving you four base attacks per action. With Polearm Master, Great Weapon Master, and your Aasimar flight, you are an inescapable meat grinder.

Great Weapon Master

This is non-negotiable for a Strength-based Fighter. The -5 to hit for +10 damage is the core engine of your DPR. Because you are a Battle Master, you can use Precision Attack to turn near-misses into hits, meaning you can use the +10 damage feature far more reliably than other classes. When you combine this with the extra damage from Celestial Revelation, your burst potential is staggering.

Polearm Master

Taking this at level 6 provides a consistent use for your bonus action. Since activating Celestial Revelation only takes your bonus action on the first turn of combat, Polearm Master ensures your bonus action is weaponized on every subsequent turn. The reaction attack when enemies enter your reach also gives you more opportunities to apply your once-per-turn Aasimar radiant damage if you haven't already used it on your turn.

Resilient (Wisdom)

With an optimal starting Wisdom of 10, your saving throws against crowd control spells are abysmal. In Tier 3 and 4 play, failing a Wisdom save often means being removed from combat entirely or, worse, turned against your allies. Taking Resilient (Wisdom) at level 14 is a mandatory survival tax to keep your winged Fighter in the air and under your control.

Heavy Armor Master

If you have an odd Strength score, taking Heavy Armor Master early adds a flat 3 damage reduction from non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing attacks. When layered with your Aasimar Celestial Resistance against necrotic and radiant damage, you become exceptionally durable against a wide variety of monster stat blocks.

Tier 1 (Levels 1-4)

Your primary goal is acquiring Plate Armor, but you'll likely start with Chain Mail and a Halberd or Glaive. Keep a few Javelins on hand for when you don't want to burn your once-per-day Celestial Revelation flight just to reach a goblin on a 15-foot ledge.

Tier 2 (Levels 5-10)

Upgrade to Plate Armor as soon as you have the 1,500 gold. Look for a +1 Halberd to offset the Great Weapon Master penalty. A Cloak of Protection is highly recommended to shore up your mediocre saving throws, particularly your glaring Wisdom weakness.

Tier 3 (Levels 11-16)

Hunt down a Belt of Fire Giant Strength. Setting your Strength to 25 completely negates the -5 penalty of Great Weapon Master. You should also seek out a +2 Halberd and an Amulet of Health. Setting your Constitution to 19 retroactively boosts your HP, making you a much better frontline tank.

Tier 4 (Levels 17-20)

You want a +3 Halberd and Plate Armor of Resistance (preferably Fire or Cold, since your Aasimar traits already cover Necrotic and Radiant). A Bloodfury Tattoo is the ultimate endgame item, allowing you to add 4d6 necrotic damage to your strikes and heal yourself, stacking beautifully with your Aasimar radiant damage.

As an Aasimar Fighter, your primary party role is the Striker. Your job is to leverage your high single-target damage to eliminate priority threats. Thanks to your Celestial Revelation flight, you aren't restricted to hitting the enemy vanguard; you can bypass the frontline entirely to assassinate squishy targets in the back. Your secondary role is a durable off-tank, utilizing your d10 hit die and heavy armor to anchor the battlefield.

This build shines brightest when paired with a Twilight Domain Cleric. The Cleric's Twilight Sanctuary provides a constant stream of temporary hit points, making you nearly unkillable in melee. Furthermore, if the Cleric happens to drop, your Aasimar Healing Hands is the perfect emergency tool to pick them back up, ensuring the Twilight Sanctuary stays active.

A Wolf Totem Barbarian is another phenomenal partner. If the Barbarian stands next to your target, you gain advantage on all your melee attacks. Advantage perfectly offsets the -5 penalty from Great Weapon Master, allowing you to comfortably spam your +10 damage attacks without burning through all your Battle Master Superiority Dice on Precision Attack.

Paladin 2 Dip

Taking two levels of Paladin grants you Divine Smite. Because your Aasimar radiant damage only applies once per turn, Divine Smite gives you a way to dump radiant damage into your other Action Surge attacks. This turns you into an unparalleled nova burst damage dealer, though it does slow down your Fighter Extra Attack progression.

Barbarian 2 Dip

A two-level dip into Barbarian gives you Danger Sense and, more importantly, Reckless Attack. Reckless Attack gives you on-demand advantage, making Great Weapon Master incredibly reliable. However, you cannot wear heavy armor while raging, so you will need to drop down to half-plate, slightly reducing your AC.

• Wasting Healing Hands on yourself: Healing Hands scales with proficiency, but it's fundamentally a small heal. Using it to top off your own HP during combat is a waste of an action. Save it strictly for reviving unconscious allies who are making death saving throws.
• Mismanaging your bonus action: Activating Celestial Revelation costs a bonus action. If you use it on turn one, you cannot use Second Wind, Rally, or your Polearm Master bonus attack that same turn. Plan your first round of combat carefully.
• Ignoring your Wisdom saves: Leaving your Wisdom at 10 and ignoring the Resilient feat means you will eventually be paralyzed by Hold Person or dominated. A flying, Great Weapon Master-wielding Fighter turned against the party is a guaranteed TPK.
• Applying Aasimar damage incorrectly: The extra radiant or necrotic damage from your Celestial Revelation only applies to one target when you deal damage to it on your turn. Do not try to add this damage to every single strike during an Action Surge.