Lae’zel is a fierce psionic combatant companion in BG3 that can fit any party with her diverse roles. Unlike other melee classes, she can access a subclass offering utility maneuvers to boost your team and debuff enemies. Here’s my best Lae’zel build in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Best Lae’Zel Build in Baldur’s Gate 3
From dealing high melee damage and tanking to darting around the battlefield debuffing enemies, Lae’zel’s innate psionic Githyanki abilities make her a great addition to your party. For those interested in her talents, here are the most optimal subclass, feats, and skills options.
Common in Githyanki culture, Lae’zel takes the mantle of a warrior with the Fighter class. Therefore, our build centers around her melee capabilities, such as dealing damage in the front line and tanking. She’s great at positioning with her psionic mobility and locking down key targets. Our crucial choices for the build lie in the following elements:
- Ability Score: Strength.
- Subclass: Battle Master.
- Skills: Athletics (Priority).
- Feats: Heavy Armor Master/Sentinel.
- Magic Items: Defensive Items and One-handed Weapons.
Lae’zel Companion Features and Mechanics
![a yellow-skinned female githyanki warrior talking](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/best-laezel-build-in-baldurs-gate-3-guide.webp)
Lae’zel brings unique aspects to the Fighter class due to her innate psionic abilities. Therefore, she’s much more than a regular melee combatant.
- Mage Hand: She manipulates small objects with her invisible Mage Hand, allowing you to access secret passageways for small creatures and trigger traps.
- Psionic Jump: Activate this with her high Strength score, and you can leap over a battlefield directly, landing on a Mage or Archer enemy.
- Misty Step: She can teleport offensively and defensively and lock down targets.
As a Fighter, she can also wear heavy armor and generally comes with some of the best starting equipment in Baldur’s Gate 3. Just be careful in social situations; her warrior-like Githyanki ideology rewards aggressive decisions.
The Best Ability Score for Lae’zel in BG3
The most crucial ability score for this Lae’zel build is Strength, and I highly recommend respecing her with Withers to organize her better. Yes, Fighters can be built using Dexterity, as well, but we want to focus on one-handed weapons with a shield for zone control, decent damage, and tanking.
Prioritize Strength and increase it through feats whenever you aren’t taking our recommended ones. Boost it through Auntie Ethel’s scalp if you aren’t taking it with your Tav, through magic items like Potions of Giant Strength or Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength, or through Araj Oblodra’s Strength-boosting potion in Moonrise Towers.
Dump Dexterity since we’re wearing heavy armor. Follow it up with prioritizing Constitution for general beefiness. Thirdly, with what’s left, increase either Wisdom to defend against certain mental spells or Intelligence to defend against Mind Flayer blasts later on.
Best Lae’zel Subclass in BG3
![a yellow-skinned female githyanki warrior in ornamental plate armor wielding a sword](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/best-laezel-build-in-baldurs-gate-3-best-gear-1.webp)
The best subclass for Lae’zel is the Battle Master Fighter due to the vast utility the subclass offers in melee combat. This choice allows us to boost each of our melee attacks with special Superiority Dice that also grants extra effects through maneuvers. I found great success with the following:
- Menacing Attack: This allows her to impose Disadvantage on your foes, which is great for tanking.
- Tripping Attack: If I’m about to do a lot of attacks with Action Surge or the Potion of Speed/Haste, I always start with a Trip Attack first to knock them prone and get Advantage on subsequent strikes.
- Riposte: Boosts your action economy by attacking with reaction from time to time.
- Maneuvering Attack: Great for allowing allies to reposition or flee combat as they won’t provoke attacks of opportunity.
- Disarming Attack: Situationally useful for knocking weapons out of powerful melee and ranged combatants.
These options turn Lae’zel into a damage-dealing tank that draws aggro to herself and locks down enemies in one place. Also, pick up the Dueling or Protection Fighting Style for an offensive or defensive boost. I tested it and Dueling will work even if you wield a Shield in the other hand.
Best Lae’zel Skills in BG3
Skills are an important out-of-combat asset for social interaction or successfully navigating the world. That said, skills are also important for combat in Lae’zel’s case.
Your priority skill should be Athletics. It allows Lae’zel to grapple and shove enemies in combat. This further cements her lockdown potential. She can stop enemies from moving after you or allies. Furthermore, Perception is also important to avoid ambushes and surprises. From here, pick Intimidation if you want social interaction or Survival if you don’t have a Ranger in your party.
Best Lae’Zel Feats in BG3
![a female githyanki warrior in full plate armor wielding a sword and shield](https://www.gameskinny.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/best-laezel-build-in-baldurs-gate-3.webp)
Our tanky Lae’zel damage-dealing machine with plenty of CC options culminates with feats and magic items. Starting with feats, there are two choices to make, depending on your focus.
- Heavy Armor Master: Since almost every heavy armor set we want gives us 2 damage reduction, this synergizes superbly with the HAM feat. We can reduce all weapon damage we take by 5. Imagine being attacked three times and reducing each by 5; that’s essentially like getting 15 temporary hit points.
- Sentinel: This is a great option to punish enemies who don’t focus on Lae’zel in combat when she’s standing next to you or your allies. We want extra attacks, and this feat provides.
Whenever you get a feat opportunity with a Fighter, which is more frequent than with the other classes, consider the Ability Score Increase. Maxing out Strength is sometimes more beneficial than a feat.
Best Lae’Zel Gear in BG3
As for magic items, I recommend picking one from my best heavy armor sets here and one from my best shields here based on your progression. Those are the basics for defense. Go for magic heavy armor and trinkets that increase AC. Otherwise, great options also include our best Fighter gear here.
Regarding weapons, our Dueling Style and Caustic Ring from the Fighter list rewards multiple one-handed attacks. Therefore, these are some great options: Faithbreaker, Sword of Screams, Adamantine Longsword, and the Selune/Shar Spear, depending on your Shadowheart story choices.
That’s my best Lae’zel build in BG3. As always, check out our other Baldur’s Gate 3 guides for various builds, walkthroughs, and tips. For example, our best Astarion and Wyll builds further break down these important companions.
Published: Feb 1, 2024 03:24 am