Today, we’re going to take a Closer Look at the physically-oriented Fighter job class!

Note: Revision 1 – Updated 29 September 2016 [ Denoted with a * ]
– More official Fighting styles
– Purple Dragon Knight archetype
– How do play a Fighter

The Fighter Job Class is a very diverse class that covers martially weapons-trained adventurers. There are many ways to take your Fighter-classed character from whether to use heavy, medium, or light armour; whether to use a shield; whether to be a physical-focussed or finesse-focussed character; whether to use a sword, spear, axe, hammer, etc. The options feel nearly endless! (At least unlike the diverse Bard, its diversity all revolves around martial weapons).

Fighters are not a Job nor Occupation but are rather the game’s classification for this type of Adventurer. Fighters might be good at certain jobs such as being a bodyguard, soldier, etc. But to become the Fighter class, you are a cut above the rest — far more that “just” a low level soldier.

Was your character previously a soldier before becoming an adventurer? Were they formerly trained as a part of an organisation? Were they trained individually from a mentor? Were they a regular farmer or artisan but something happened in their life forcing them to take up the blade against tyranny leading them down the path of a warrior?

Fighters are well-trained in a multitude of fighting styles, arts, and weapons. They are fairly well-rounded combat specialists proficient in pretty much weapons you’d likely find at the local militia weapons store. They can wear pretty much any kind of armour that fits you and any kind of shield you’d find readily available.

Weapons

The main weapons patterns you often see with Fighters are:

• Shield in your off hand and a Weapon in your main hand
• A Weapon in your main hand that you can use with either one hand (allowing you to do other things with that hand) or switch up to using that same weapon with 2 hands to do even more damage
• You wield two lightweight weapons (such as scimitars, daggers, or short-swords), one in each hand, and dual-wield for dual-attacks. (This used to be a Ranger specialty but over the centuries Fighters and Swashbucklers have become more proficient in it) To use this you attack with your main hand as normal but use your bonus action to also attack with your off-hand weapon HOWEVER, your you can’t add your PHY/FIN modifier to this off-hand attack.
• With a bow or crossbow in your off hand and another weapon in your main hand when you’re not using your bow/crossbow
• You use big and heavy 2-handed weapons to be a dominating damage dealer

Beyond your melee weapons, you can often find Fighters also carrying Javelins that they throw at their enemies from a distance when they can’t get into melee range.

Stats

There are two popular ways to approach your stats. Since you’re a weapons fighter, the Mental and Control stats largely used for magic are less important that your Physical and Finesse stats. There are subclasses of the Fighter that use Arcane magic and in those cases, you may need to pay more attention to your Mental stat.

With PHYSICAL as your main stat, you do more damage with your melee attacks and you can take more damage (ie: you have more Hit Points), and you can both give out and take a lot more physical actions such as shoving, grappling, breaking things down, etc.

With FINESSE as your main stat, you are better at dodging attacks and do more damage with finesse weapons and ranged weapons. You are also better at dodging a lot of area effects such as traps and fireballs.

While there are plenty of finesse and speed Fighters, physical and strength Fighters are more common specialising in melee combat.

Armour

Fighters are proficient in any regular kind of armour.

Very few of the Job Classes are proficient in wearing Heavy Armour. Heavy armour is often the go to armour type for physical Fighters. Heavy armour has a specific level of defence based on how protective and hardy the armour is. This class of armour also makes it really difficult to be stealthy [ Disadvantage on Stealth Skill Rolls ]

Another popular class of armour is the Medium Armour.  This can often be a more cost-effective strategy and if you have a Finesse of 14 or higher, you get an extra +2 to your AC (Armour Class) as you have not other the armour’s defensive properties but because it’s flexible enough that you have a limited amount of dodging ability. [ Heavy Armour has a specific AC for defence where Medium Armour has a Base AC + your Finesse Modifier up to a maximum of +2 ]

The other options would be to use Light Armour that gives you some protection but largely relies on your dodging abilities [ Base AC + Finesse Modifier with no Max ] or would be some other type of defensive option. For some races, they naturally have a natural resilience or natural armour. Other defensive options are less appropriate for the Fighter class.

Your standard issue equipment as a Level Fighter is:

• [Heavy Armour] Chain Mail [ AC16 + Minimum Physical 13 + it weighs 55lbs. ] is a typical option for Physical Fighters that want to rely on predominantly Melee Attacks.
• [Light Armour] Leather Armour [ AC11+FinesseModifier + it weights 10lbs ] also comes with a Longbow & a quiver of 20 arrows: This is a better choice for Finesse based Fighters but since this option gives you a Longbow, you might not want to also take the Light Crossbow.

More Standard Issue Gear

The standard gear fits with the different patterns above in the Weapons section.

• You can choose either Chain Mail or Leather Armour + Longbow + Quiver of 20 arrows as detailed in the a paragraph above.
• 1 Martial Weapon + 1 Shield or 2 Martial Weapons + no shield
• 1 Light Crossbow + 20 bolts or 2 Handaxes (that are throwable)
• 1 Dungeoneer’s Pack or Explorer’s Pack

Because you get to choose what Martial Weapons you want here, you can choose any of the 18 classes of Martial Weapons available including expensive weapons such as the Greatsword, Greataxe, Rapier, and Scimitar.

Basic Features of the Fighter

The fighter uses the d10 as its Hit Die. This is higher than most classes as the Fighter is a very Martial class. This means that the Fighter has a lot of HP [ Hit Points – how much damage you can take ] and even more, the higher your Physical stat. [ When you level up, you gain 1d10+PhysicalModifier Max HP ]

The fighter is also proficient in Physical Saving Throws [ Saving Throws are your reactions to certain types of things – Physical: Poison, Eating nasty food, ODing on cheap alchohol, being shoved, being grappled, arm wrestling, etc / Finesse: Dodging area effects like fireballs and traps / Mental: Psychic attacks on your mind, gruelling cramming before a big test / Control: Resisting a lot of Magical Effects ]

More Skills

Bards and Rogues are the most skill-centric classes but Fighters too get to train and hone some skills in addition to skills they’ve become proficient in because of their race and background. [ Gain Skill Proficiency in 2 of the following skills: Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, Survival ]

How do I get better?

All characters as they level up gain more features and improvements. All characters start with a “Proficiency Bonus” of 2 that gets added to anything you are proficient in. This proficiency bonus increases by one at Character Levels 5, 9, 13, and 17 regardless of your job class(es).

At Fighter Class Levels 4, 6, 8, 12, 14, 16, 19 (not Character Level) the Fighter gets to Upgrade! This incidentally is more than most other Job Classes! When you upgrade, you either get 2 Stat upgrade points OR you gain a “Feat” — Special new bonuses, abilities, boosts, etc.

All Fighters gain a number of other features as they level up Fighter Class Levels. This means that if you Level Up in other Job Classes, then they don’t count to you gaining these features.

Fighting Style

At Fighter Level 1, you adopt a fighting style as part of your character’s specialisation.

• Archery: You gain ATK+2 [+2 to your attack roll determining whether you hit your target ] to your ranged weapons attacks.
• Defence: AC+1 when wearing armour.
• Dueling: DMG+2 to your melee weapon attack when you ONLY wield 1 weapon and in only 1 hand. This is usually best for people who use a Shield.
• Great Weapon Fighting: When your 2-Handed Melee Weapon Attack Damage roll is 1 or 2, you can reroll damage but you have to use the new value.
• Protection: Use your reaction to use your Shield to impose Disadvantage on an Attack Roll (of an attack you can see) against a target (not you) within 5 feet of you.
• Two-Weapon Fighting: Add your Modifier (Phy or Fin depending on the weapon) to your off-hand weapon attack (Otherwise, only your Main Hand weapon gets that Modifier Bonus)
• *Close Combat Shooter: When you make a ranged attack within 5ft of a hostile creature, you normally provoke an opportunity attack or have disadvantage on your attack. With this fighting style, you do not have disadvantage on your attack and your ranged attack ignores half cover and 3/4 cover against targets within 30ft. Also, you get a +1 Bonus to attack rolls against ranged targets.
• *Tunnel Fighter: as a bonus action, you can enter a defensive stance until your next turn. You can make opportunity attacks without using your reaction (this means that you can make as many opportunity attacks as you want which is great for confined spaces where you foes get bottlenecked). You can use your reaction to make a melee attack against creatures that move more than 5ft within your reach (but don’t exit your reach to provoke an opportunity attack) This is extremely effective when combined with the Polearm Master Feat that lets you make opportunity attacks when foes enter your reach with specific weapons that mostly have a 10ft reach. You’d be able to make a lot of opportunity attacks from a distance. This is a favoured technique if you are being a lot of use of Battlefield Control strategies as a team.

Second Wind

From Fighter Level 1, get your Second Wind to regain some of your lost Hit Points. As a Bonus Action, you can regain 1d10+FighterLevel HP. You have to rest [at least 1 hour] before you can use this again.

Action Surge

From Fighter Level 2, you can push yourself that little bit further. You can take an entire another Action. You can still only take 1 bonus action per turn but if you can make 2 attacks in 1 action, you can now take 2 attacks twice for a total of 4 attacks. Pushing yourself this hard, pushes your body and strains it. You can only use this once before needing a rest to use it again. At Level 17, you can last out a little longer and use your action surge twice before needing to rest but using it twice in 1 round would definitely be further than your body could handle.

Extra Attack

From Fighter Level 5 you can attack twice in the same Action. From Level 11, this becomes 3 attacks and at Level 20, becomes 4 attacks in a single Action. Combined with the Action Surge, this means you could do 8 attacks in a single around at Level 20 in addition to your Bonus Action.

Indomitable

From Fighter Level 9, you can reroll a failed Save but must use the new value rolled. From Level 9 you can use you indomitable spirit once until your next long rest. From Level 13, two time and From Level 17, three times.

Martial Archetypes – the Fighter’s SubClasses

Every Job Class has some sort of mandatory sub class as a way of further customising and specialising exactly what kind of character you have. For the Fighter, they are called “Martial Archetypes”

Champion

The Champion is very focussed on pure fighter prowess and power. They keep it simple and stick to what they do best: Attacking. On way of looking at combat is to have 4 major types of combat roles: Tanks (Being able to have enemies attack you so that you soak up damage for the team), Glass Cannons and Damage Dealers (focussed on offence a lot more than defence), Controllers (Control the position of enemies on the battlefield to force their actions usually so that they attack the tanks and get damaged by the glass cannons while others are at a safe distance), and Boosters (Increase the effectiveness of your allies while decreasing the effectiveness of your foes).

The Champion easily excels at being a Tank and/or a Damage Dealer. On the flip side, their other general skills are comparatively lower than other job classes. Role play is not only about combat and Champions still play a role in exploration, solving puzzles, making negotiations, etc… but it’s the battlefield where they truly shine.

In terms of playing a Champion character, they’re usually pretty straightforward and likely enjoy a drink and a good time at the tavern. In battle, they don’t have too many option and for the most part just their attack in their main option. All of the Champion specific bonuses are all passive making you the best Attacker you can be.

Critical Strike

You normally get a critical hit when your Attack Roll before bonuses is a 20 (that is a 5% chance). With this improvement at Fighter Level 3, the Champion now gets a a Critical Hit when their Attack Roll is 19 or 20 (10% chance). Critical Hits do more damage (often will be double damage) depending on what the DM tells you that happens. But it’s a great opportunity for you to add a lot of flair to your attack and give a fun description of something cool your character does.

Remarkable Athlete

From Fighter Level 7, you hone up both your physical and finesse skills. You now get a bonus of half your Proficiency Bonus rounded up for Physical or Finesse checks. This includes a Physical Save vs. getting poisoned or your Finesse Dodging Reaction vs. an area attack spell. This also applies to Initiative, Athletics, and Acrobatics checks (as well as Sleight of Hand and Stealth checks if the DM situationally allows it). It’s also applied to breaking down doors, disarming traps, holding your breath, breaking out of webs, etc.

This also allows you to running long jump for an extra Physical Stat number of feet.

Fighting Style

While you learned a fighting style at Level 2, at Fighter Level 10, you can learn an additional (but different) fighting style.

Super Crit!

From Fighter Level 15, the champion can now get critical hits with Attack Rolls (before bonuses) of 18, 19, or 20 (15% chance)!

Survivor

From Fighter Level 18, the Champion gets their capstone ability as the pinnacle of resilience. At the start of each of their turns, they regain PhysicalModifier+5 HP if they are bloodied (If their HP are between 1 and half their Maximum HP)

Battle Master

While the Champion is an extremely hands on type of fighter, the Battle Master is a more technical fighter. They love to learn fighting techniques passed down from generation to generation and often the theory of Martial fighting. Skill and Knowledge are a lot more important to them that the Champion’s extreme combat focus.

Combat Superiority

BattleMasters have honed specialised skills and techniques that they can use for far more than just killing their foes as quickly as possible.

At Fighter Level 3 when you declare to yourself that you are following the Battle Master Archetype, you gain 4x d8 “Superiority Dice” which you can use to execute your special techniques. Using one of these special martial techniques we call “manoeuvres” uses up one of your Superiority Dice and the roll of the die will often tell you how much of an effect your technique has. At Battle Master Level 7 and 15 you gain additional Superiority Dice. While your Dice start at d8, at Battle Master Level 10, they become d10 and Level 18, they become d12.

When your foes make a Saving Throw against your Manoeuvre (where applicable) the DC (or Difficulty they have to beat) is 8 + Proficiency Bonus + your Physical or Finesse Modifier.

At Level 3 you’ve already come to understand and practice 3 different Manoeuvres but you continued to train and practice and at Battle Master Levels 7, 10, and 15 you learn 2 additional manoeuvres plus when you level up to those levels you can swap out 1 of your previous manoeuvres and replace it with another one. You continue to practice and train your skills so it’s only natural that your focus may shift over time.

Manoeuvres

• Commander’s Strike: When you go to Attack, forgo one of your attacks and use up your bonus action to direct one of your party who can hear you to strike that foe. Your ally can immediately use their reaction to make 1 weapon attack adding your Sup.Die roll to your ally’s attack.
• Disarming Attack: When your weapon attack hits, use your Sup.Die to try to disarm your foe (drop 1 item/weapon it’s holding). Physical Save vs. your attack’s Damage Roll + Sup.Dice roll
• Distracting Strike: When your weapon attack hits, use your Sup.Die to distract your foe. Add your Sup.Die roll to your damage you deal in this attack. The next time someone other than you attacks that foe before your next turn, they will get Advantage on their Attack Roll.
• Evasive Footwork: When moving, use your Sup.Die and add its roll to your AC while you’re moving. This is probably most useful when you expect to get attack by an Attack of Opportunity (When you move out of a hostile creature’s melee attack range, they are able to attack you)
• Feinting Attack: Use your Sup.Die and your Bonus Action to make a Feint against a creature within 5ft. You have advantage on your next attack roll against that creature and if it hits, you add your Sup.Die roll to your damage roll.
• Goading Attack: When your weapon attack hits, use your Sup.Die to try to Goad your foe into attacking you. Add your Sup.Die roll to your attack roll. Your foe has to Save vs. Control or will have Disadvantage on attacking anyone but you until the end of your next turn.
• Lunging Attack: When you Melee weapon attack on your turn, you can use a Sup.Die to increase your reach by 5ft. If you hit, add your Sup.Die roll to your damage.
• Manoeuvring Attack: When your weapon attack hits, use your Sup.Die to manoeuvre an ally who can see or hear you into a better position. Add your Sup.Die to your damage. Your ally can use their reaction to move half its speed without provoking attacks of opportunity.
• Menacing Attack: When your weapon attack hits, use your Sup.Die to try to frighten your target. Add Sup.Die roll to your damage and foe Saves vs. Control or become frightened of your until the end of your next turn
• Parry: When you get damaged by someone’s melee attack, use your reaction and a Sup.Die to reduce the damage by your Sup.Die roll + Finesse Modifier
• Precision Attack: Use a Sup.Die to add its roll to your weapon attack roll (before you hear the effects of your attempt to attack)
• Pushing Attack: When your weapon attack hits, use a Sup.Die to try to push back the target. Sup.Die roll is added to your damage and foe saves vs. Physical or gets pushed back up to 15′
• Rally: Use your Bonus Action and Sup.Die to bolster the fighting resolve of your ally who can see or hear you. Target gains Sup.Die + Control Modifier Temp HP
• Riposte: When a creature’s melee attack against you misses, you can use your reaction and a Sup.Die to make a melee weapon counterattack. If it hits, add SupDie roll to damage.
• Sweeping Attack: When  your melee weapon attack hits, use a Sup.Die to try to damage another creature within 5ft of the first target. It’s one single attack that you are swinging wide so you use your original attack roll and same attack damage type but the damage will be your Sup.Die roll.
• Trip Attack: When your weapon attack hits, use your Sup.Die to try and knock down the target. Target saves vs. Physical or gets knocked Prone (Prone is when you are on the ground face down. Prone creatures are in a bad position especially against melee attacks but please keep in mind that it also makes them harder to hit with ranged attacks)

Student of War

At Fighter Level 3, you gain expertise in one type of artisan tools (including beer making ones or a myriad of other crafting options). This could be very useful if you need a part time job.

Know Your Enemy

At Battle Master Level 7, if you spend at least a minute observing or interacting with a creature outside of combat, you can learn more about them and their capabilities. This may work with varying degrees of success, but you can get a sense of if two of these stats are higher, lower, of equal to you: Physical Stat, Finesse Stat, AC, HP currently, Character Level, Fighter Level.

Relentless

From Battle Master Level 15, when you roll initiative but have no Superiority Dice, you regain 1 of your dice back.

Eldritch Knight

The Eldritch Knight Fighter archetype seeks to augment their fighting abilities with studied magic (similar to a wizard). They are still predominantly a martial fighting class but merely augmented with magic — not a full blown magic user. Eldritch Knights are focussed on only 2 specific schools of wizardry that they are more integratable into fighting: Abjuration to boost their defensive capabilities and Evocation for area damage dealing.

Eldritch Knights have to memorise their limited number of spells so they don’t have spellbooks.

Arcane Magic Cantrip Spellcasting

Eldritch Knights through study learn 2 cantrip spells at EK Level 3. (Cantrips are spells that you can do as much as you want without it tiring you out). At EK Level 10, you learn one more cantrip.

SpellCasting Stats

In your online character sheet, select your SpellCasting “Spell Stat” to be Mental. This is determine your Spell DC and Spell Atk Bonus.

Higher Level Arcane Magic Spellcasting

Eldritch Knights follow a very slow spell power progression since they are still predominantly fighting characters that are only augmenting their abilities with magic.

At EK Level 3, you gain 3x Level 1 Wizard spells but 2 of them have to be from either the defensive Abjuration school or area damaging Evocation school. This means you can only ever learn 1 non Abjuration or Evocation spell at Level 3 so you’ll probably want to get the most utility out of it. The spells you learn at level 8, 14, 20 are not limited to those 2 school but all others will be.

As you gain levels in EK, you will gain access to more powerful levels of spells from those two specific spell schools. You also become capable of learning and memorising more spells. When you gain levels in EK, you can also swap out 1 of your previous spells for a new one. If you replacing spell that is from the two specific schools, they can only be swapped with a spell from those schools.

Like every other magic user, you use spell slots to cast non-cantrip spells. These spells are a limited resource and will tire you out. You need to take a long rest before you can replenish those spell slots.

Weapon Bond

At EK Level 3, you learn a 1-hour ritual to magically bond you and a weapon. That weapon can’t be disarmed from you unless you are incapacitated. As a bonus action, you can summon the weapon to you if it’s on the same plane of existence and it will appear in your hand. (However, if you leave your weapon in the Ohte village and take the expedition’s teleportation gate to another world, you won’t be able to summon it). You can have two bonded weapons but can only summon one at a time. You can leave it in a hidden lockbox somewhere near the gate and summon anytime you want though.

War Magic

From EK Level 7, you can use your action to cast a cantrip and in the same turn, you can then use your bonus action to make a single weapon attack.

Eldritch Strike

From EK Level 10, you can use your weapon attack to affect a creature’s spell resistance. When your weapon attack hits, it had disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes to withstand your next spell against it if it’s done before the end of your next turn. This effectively means that you attack and hit your foe and in the next turn you use a spell against them.

Arcane Charge

From EK Level 15, you Action Surge gets boosted with the ability to teleport up to 30ft into an empty space either before or after your Action Surge’s Action. For example, you could rush up to an enemy and attack them, then you could use your Action Surge to attack them again and be teleported 30ft away protecting you from both an Attack of Opportunity and from immediately being within their attack range.

Improved War Magic

From EK Level 18, your war magic is powerful enough that you aren’t limited to cantrips. When you can any spell, you can use your bonus action to make a single weapons attack.

Dragon Knight*

The Purple Dragon Knights were warriors that pledged to defend their lands against evils and took their crusade well beyond their own lands. Inspired by them, other Dragon Knights began to emerge taking up the mantle of passing along that inspiration to others in their fight against the evils that threaten all the lands. They believe that it is deeds, not words, that show the true calibre of their strength. [ While the Eldritch Knight is like a combat wizard rolled into a fighter, the Dragon Knight is more like the non-magical aspects of a Bard rolled into a fighter yet far less bardic than Skalds, the epic poet combat specialists ]

Rallying Cry

DK Level 3, inspire your allies to push that little bit further even when they hurt. When you use your Second Wind, three allies you choose within 60 ft who can hear you can also get some of the benefits. They will regain your Fighter Level number of HP. [ At level 3 that could be a quarter of a wizard’s hit points ]

Your DM may decide to give you a charismatic boost from time to time adding your Control Modifier to the HP that your allies gain.

Royal Envoy

DK Level 7, you have a great level of professionalism and grace fit for a royal guard. You gain proficiency in Persuasion (if you already have it, then proficiency in one of: Animal Handling, Insight, Intimidation, Performance). After you’ve gained that proficiency, now gain double proficiency (aka Expertise) in Persuasion.

Inspiring Surge

DK Level 10, push your allies a little bit further to keep on fighting. When you use your Action Surge, ONE ally you choose within 60ft who can see or hear you can use their reaction to make a melee or ranged weapon attack.

DK Level 17, you can use this with TWO allies at once.

Your DM may decide to give you a charismatic boost from time to time adding your Control Modifier to your inspired allies’ attack rolls for these inspired attacks.

Bulwark

DK Level 15, extend your Indomitable ability to an ally who can see and hear you plus is not incapacitated. When you reroll a Mental or Control roll, that ally that also failed their roll against the same thing can also reroll their save.

Other Martial Archetypes

You can find other martial archetypes if they are noted to be used with “5e” (that denotes the 5th edition of Dungeon’s & Dragons). If you find an archetype you are interested in, discuss it with your DM and they may adapt it for you to use in the Rabbit Hole. There are, for example Witch Hunter, Samurai, Shieldman, etc.

How to play a Fighter*

Fighters are probably the most straight forward type characters to play. They are predominantly combat centric but their combat strategies are pretty straight forward unless they are magic using fighters.

We spend a lot of time out of combat and don’t want fighters to feel useless here. This, however, really comes down to your character’s background and personality. Rogues and Bards have a lot of skills with a lot of utility outside of combat, fighters have 2 skill proficiencies in addition to 0-8 they might pick up from their race or background. This doesn’t mean that fighters should stay out of the non-combat roleplaying. Even if you don’t have a skill proficiency, you should still try to find ways to resolve situations, solve puzzles, get key information, etc.

In combat, there are often 4 major roles: Tanks, Glass Cannons (Damage Dealers), Battlefield Controllers, and Boosters(+Hinderers).

Your specific subclass may give you more options but the core abilities of the fighter will often make them Tanks and/or Damage Dealers. These two roles are far more straight forward than the other two.

Tanks should engage the enemy and be the ones you take the damage rather than your more delicate classes. You may want to use protective types of strategies to prevent your allies from getting hurt. You may want to position yourself between your allies and your enemies making you the most likely target of attacks. You also probably want to make yourself as strong as possible with more hit points and stronger heavy armour.

Damage Dealers should dish out a lot of damage while the tanks are soaking up damage from your enemies and keeping your enemies occupied. If you are going to be a damage dealer, you should know how well you can take a hit. The bulk of the damage dealers tend to be Glass Cannons so they can dish out a lot of damage but they can’t take all that much. Your Tanks will try to take the damage for you, but doing a lot of damage will often make you to the targets of your enemies’ ire. So, it’s important to fight as a team when you’re fighting strong enemies.

What the Internet has to say

• Champions are all around good and straightforward making them a good choice for new players
• Battlemasters are a good mix of Battlefield Control skills and good damage.
• Eldritch Knights are a good mix of Magic and Fighting. Your spells are very limited but it keeps you focussed on spells best for augmenting you in combat. Lightning Lure can draw something in closer so you can slash it. Hit with booming blade follow by a weapon slash. Shock it with Shocking graps and yet another weapon slash.  There’s a lot of good synergy here between magic and well… slashing.
• There are also Cavalier and Scout subclasses bringing back some of the stuff from decades ago but unless that brings you nostalgia, then they aren’t recommended.
• The TRIP maneuver is great. You can knock them prone giving all your melee attackers advantage while you get extra damage.
• Disarming Strike, Menacing Attack, Parry, Precision Attack can all be really good too.
• Eldritch Knight should consider some of these spells
  • [0] Booming Blade
  • [0] Green-Flame Blade
  • [0] Lightning Lure
  • [0] Minor Illusion
  • [0] Shocking Grasps
  • [1] Absorb Elements
  • [1] Shield
  • [1] Tasha’s Hideous Laughter (although some people disagree) – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • ( [1] Burning Hands )
  • ( [1] Expeditious Retreat – just fast movement doesn’t have to be for retreating ) – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • ( [1] Ice Knife ) – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • ( [1] Sleep )
  • [2] Hold Person – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • [2] Mirror Image – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • ( [2] Blur ) – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • ( [2] Enlarge/Reduce ) – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • ( [2] Invisibility ) – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • ( [2] Misty Step ) – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • ( [2] Web ) – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • [3] Bestow Curse – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • [3] Fear – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • [3] Haste – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • ( [3] Blink ) – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • ( [3] Counterspell )
  • ( [3] Dispel Magic )
  • ( [3] Fly – if you are an archer ) – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • ( [3] Hypnotic Pattern ) – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • ( [3] Sleet Storm ) – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • ( [3] Slow) – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • ( [3] Stinking Cloud ) – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • [4] Banishment
  • [4] Fire Shield
  • [4] Greater Invisibility – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • ( [4] Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere )
  • ( [4] Polymorph ) – [Not in 2 schools!]
  • ( [4] Wall of Fire )
  • ( [4] Watery Sphere ]
• Internet says Awesome Feats include: Crossbow Expert, Defensive Duelist, Great Weapon Master, Lucky, Magic Initiate, Medium Armor Master, Polearm Master, Resilient, Sentinel, Sharpshooter, Shield Master, War Caster… but it also says a lot more of the Feats are still good beyond that.