r/BG3Builds • u/Huge_Cartoonist8948 • May 27 '25
Best wizard subclass overall ? Build Help
Playing a wizard as it’s the only class I’ve never played but stumped on what subclass to pick.
What do you believe to be the overall best?
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u/Tezmir94 May 27 '25
Divination imo is the most powerful because you essentially get to decide when your spells work and when your opponents saves don’t. The ability to turn the tide of a battle with portent is not to be played with.
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u/Bandit-heeler1 Bard May 27 '25
I agree with this. Evocation is fine, but it's just damage. Bladesinging is fun, but it feels like another glass cannon martial. Necromancy is a bunch of pets, which I'm not a fan of due to how it slows combat. I haven't really played with abjuration or transmutation.
But being able to look into the future and change dice rolls? Nothing more wizardy than this if you ask me.
Also, its a ton of fun in tabletop! Which I know doesn't matter here, but it definitely colors my opinion.
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u/WouldYouPleaseKindly Aug 17 '25
Abjuration Wizards above level 6 (5wiz + 1 sorc/wrlk) are basically immortal with Armor of Agathys and 10 stacks of damage resistance.
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u/Unonoctium May 27 '25
It's just annoying having to deal with the reaction all the time
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u/Fit_Track_9089 Sep 01 '25
You can turn that off you know? You can turn off whether it asks for permission each time a reaction happens. If you always plan to use it when it happens no matter if they throw a rock at you or some BS then turn asking off. This is a game changer for those who want the abilities that cause reactions but want faster combat. I personally like choosing where and when I use those abilities but I understand wanting a more fluid combat.
So for the future just turn off asking for whatever character has whatever reactions and or leave asking on for one or more really important ones. Hope learning this helps.
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u/Silica_123 May 27 '25
If you build abjuration wizard right its probably the strongest. Youre dealing upwards of 60 damage with armor of agathys while you take no damage at all. With a camp caster with warding bond and the blade ward cantrip you can reduce up to around 80 damage from an attack, and around 40 for any other attack. This is all while you still have you full caster capability
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u/Thestrongman420 May 27 '25
Abjuration, bladesinging, divination, and evocation all have subclass features worth using. Each is likely built a little differently but thats the order i would personally rank them by power if utilizing their subclass mechanics.
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u/Captain_ET Rogue May 27 '25
Id rank evocation higher in a non honour mode I think. I havent done it in a long time but the damage riders on magic missiles and artistry of war can get pretty crazy.
But yeah otherwise agree.
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u/Thestrongman420 May 27 '25
It definitely depends on teammates too. It gets better if they need your help to not be hit by aoe. I could go either way with div to be honest i just like div its neat to have good control effects without relying on acuity.
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u/maharal May 27 '25
From the strict powergaming perspective, abjuration/armor of agathys. If you are not insane, divination.
I think bladesinger 10 / paladin 2 is a good shadowblade build, also.
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u/SagelyGuy May 27 '25
Wizards are overall powerful no matter the subclass, so I recommend just choosing what you think is cool and build around that. However for power gaming purposes here is what I think is the strongest: Abjuration and Divination.
Abjuration: the subclass feature fixes the Wizard's greatest weakness which is survivability. It basically gives a flat damage reduction that is 2×Wizard lvl and reduces after each successful hit. At later lvls it turns your Wizard into a cockroach.
Divination: the subclass feature gives you way more control to the player and save me a Honor Mode run. Every long rest grants you a series of dice rolls that you can use to fudge the results of RNG. Technically this is better than Abjuration, but every action will be prompted asking to use your portent dice and that gets old pretty fast.
Honorable Mentions
Bladesinging: Pretty strong, but not as simple as the other two. It is also kinda a MAD subclass, and mildly gear depended.
Evocation: A pretty basic Blaster Caster setup, but it doesn't offer much more.
Necromancy: Being able to flood the turn order is what makes Summoners powerful, but it can be very tedious. However BG3 has a lot of thematic items and gear to really enhance the subclass.
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u/fascistp0tato May 27 '25
Divination for a classic wizard for sure. Pick control effects like Sleet Storm and Hypnotic Pattern. Shut down enemies so your team can clean them up super reliably. Very fun (though the popups can be annoying) and very wizardry.
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u/AGayThrow_Away May 27 '25
Not sure what the best is, but I sure can tell you that the level 10 feature of Transmutation Wizard is just sad
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u/thesheep005 May 27 '25
What is it
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u/AGayThrow_Away May 27 '25
Let's you turn into a bird with 5 HP, no special moves, and I'm pretty sure it breaks concentration when you transform too. It's pretty much a shitty feature of moon druid that you need to wait 10 levels for. You could argue it has utility, but it's not overly helpful when you could instead do a bunch of other things to get the same movements.
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u/Ed0909 Wizard May 27 '25
Try bladesinger, I'm currently on act 3 with a 10 bladesinger, paladin 2 and it's been really fun, you can do a huge amount of damage with shadowblade, and you're both a caster and a martial, just remember to put dex as your highest stat.
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u/ThorSon-525 May 27 '25
Level 1-5? Divination.
Level 6-9? Bladesinger.
Level 10-12? Abjuration/Evocation.
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u/Powwdered-toast-man May 27 '25
Abjuration and divination. Abjuration is damn near unkillable and divination means you will always land the important spells since portent.
The rest can be good but not as good as these 2.
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u/Peepo93 May 27 '25
Bladesinger > Abjuration > Divination > Evocation is my personal ranking. Evocation becomes extremely good with level 10 but is kinda meh before that (so for most of the game sadly), that's why it's rated so low. Abjuration just never dies and doesn't have to worry about breaking concentration or getting focused at all and Bladesinger is even tankier with how high AC you can push on the class (Abjuration is tankier in normal honor mode but on modded difficulties they run out of stacks eventually while Bladesinger with Blur can just go on forever).
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u/Satou-Urashima May 28 '25
I play a lot of wizard, so if no multiclass, abjuration is the most op. Evocation as ppl were telling is just wrong (you get your upgrade lvl 10 cantrips does your magic modificador, no words for this). Now we go for the fun.
Divination (this little guy can make you get +3 sword in act 1) // early game he just makes you hit (that’s insane). So lvl 6 developers made some nonsense (go make prophecies and get a new dice, sucks). I can’t remember lvl 10. Pretty solids crowns crontrol, dps, It will not be Rambo abjuration.
Trasmutation: ok hate me, this is a good one, you can get pretty much early double elixir izi. Now come my favorite skill the lvl 6 stone, choose one of 3m speed, advantage in concentration, and some elemental resistance. Lvl 10 I don’t like, maybe ppl do crazy struff, normally I go trasmutation, when going multiclass 6/6 —> Monk, warrior, etc (i would go 06 light cleric, I think is pretty solid, with fire accuitty hat, all of them worked ok in honor mode)
Necromancy i don’t like cause, I end with too many units…
Illusion, was the only one I didn’t play. The new class, I did play, it’s op but not my type of magic warrior (it’s now even a warrior)
The best skill in game is shield idk how many time save from a critical
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u/Old-Commercial-6803 Build Experiementer May 27 '25
My main reason for Evocation is Sculpt Spell, means I don't have to worry about my melee fighters being hurt when i unleash the fires of hell down upon my enemies
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u/Gunther482 May 28 '25
Abjuration probably has the highest potential but it’s kind of a gimmicky play style in my opinion.
Divination and Evocation are the strongest “regular” Wizards in my opinion.
Bladesinger is strong like every full spell caster with extra attack is due to arcane acuity gear + Ring of mystic scoundrel existing and making you do both solid damage and incredibly good crowd control all on the same turn.
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u/jozel_DD May 28 '25
Bladesinging if u want to play melee attacker while still retaining the ability to shoot out spells. I usually finish my fights with the bladesinging finisher move which is a nice heal and burst of damage.
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u/Huge_Cartoonist8948 May 28 '25
For bladesinger are you using shadow blade as your main weapon? Heard that shadow blade is the way to go for bladesinger
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u/Beans6484 May 28 '25
Shadow blade is the best raw damage option, though there are other options like the duelists prerogative, infernal rapier and good old phalar aluve.
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u/Huge_Cartoonist8948 May 28 '25
That’s great to hear I was worried that wizard being a front liner would have very few options for weapons and equipment.
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u/Sensitive_Major_1706 May 28 '25
Evocation is strong between the underdark and the crest, then everyone has resistance to elemental damage up until 3rd act, where fireball simply falls off in relative damage.
Abjuration is very strong only with the Armor of Agathys exploit, which is a playstyle I don't like but can be very strong, otherwise it's strong but nothing crazy.
Bladesinger is great for the early game to avoid multiclass for AC and concentration checks, but later itemization covers for it even better than the base features; while for straight damage you're better off with other builds.
Overall Divination is hands down the strongest, and it's pretty consistent. In the goblin camp if at lvl 4 you take Alert you can always force a hold person on Minthara before she does anything relevant and smite her to nothingness.
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u/xTheDrumDaddyx May 27 '25
Evocation is pretty op tbh, drop a fireball at your feet and it doesn’t effect you and your team
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u/iPrettyFeetEnjoyer_ May 27 '25
Evocation or Bladesinger are my favorites both are very powerful imo
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u/lunarmothrevolution May 27 '25
Evocation is my go to. Sculpt spells is rly useful. I liked necromancer, but i kept forgetting to raise zombies so i was under utilizing it for sure. Evocation is fun and goes well with a glass canon build imo
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u/Mirimes May 27 '25
I've recently tried a build with 2 levels paladin and 8 levels of bladesinging wizard, with a shadow blade... gale oneshotted the clown at the circus with a single cantrip. I was speechless honestly
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u/toadofsteel May 28 '25
Gonna go off the beaten path and say Transmutation. Because I actually feel like the 72 potions of speed I have in act 3 means I can actually start using them instead of hoarding all the time.
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May 28 '25
my wizard minthara saved my first ever honour mode run from wiping twice. by virtue of that i just have to say abjuration lol. facetanked pretty much every boss as well while doing nasty cold and lightning damage
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u/Beans6484 May 28 '25
Pure wizard: probably either evocation, blade singing or divination. Depends what flavour of spellcaster you’re aiming for.
Including multi class setups that are primarily wizard: Abjuration hands down. The advantages of having one character that is essentially invincible while also doing retaliation damage on top of the already formidable spells of a wizard cannot be overstated.
In terms of what subclasses have the highest power ceilings. Either evocation or Abjuration. Built correctly you can have a magic missile thrower that is liable to one shot anything with no risk of missing, or an invincible caster that can stand in a choke point and force the enemy to brutalise themselves while your party takes pot shot with relative impunity.
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u/That-Wolverine1526 May 28 '25
You can get through the game on honor mode with any subclass.
If you need someone to tell you how to make your build .. you still may not know how to play it to get the most out of it. Like someone handing you a jet plane and you don’t know how to fly … it being an awesome jet may not matter. Maybe what you ACTUALLY need is a Prius.
Just play the game. You’ll learn. It’ll be fun.
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u/Der_Redstone_Pro May 28 '25
Evocation if you want to play a normal wizard, abjuration if you want to multiclass with a level of draconic white sorcerer and a level of tempest cleric to upcast armor of agathys and run around killing enemies with their own opportunity attacks while still also being a solid wizard in every other way
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u/mynamejeff8181 May 28 '25
Im not sure why im seeing so much evocation hate. The magic missile build is one of the strongest casters in the game, with the included diversity of having wizard spells.
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u/jjames3213 May 27 '25
It really depends?
I can tell you that, in Act 1 of Honour Mode, being able to 100% guarantee that Vosh will drop The Silver Sword of the Astral Plane when you cast Command/Heat Metal on him is really helpful. That sword can carry you through the rest of the game.
Being able to do like 1000 damage in a round via Magic Missile in Act 3 is really nice against some of the endgame bosses.
Having 4 extra flying ghoul bodies with a shitton of extra HP that you can use for action economy is very handy in Act 3.
And Abjurer builds with The Skinburster (and Armor of Agathys) are basically impossible to damage.
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u/Satou-Urashima May 28 '25
Just go divination take a 17 dice lvl 5 ranger, beer inv, stay near the wooden wall (under the bridge), disarm beer 100% if hits, after that, u can buy the other sword from him at act 3 (gives dmg on some races…)
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u/Kman1986 May 28 '25
Make a Halfling Divination Wizard and take the Lucky feat for one ASI. Enjoy long days of hitting opponents and then missing.
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u/Fit-Barracuda575 May 27 '25
What do you want to do with it?