Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Barbarian Subclass [Stats, Pros, & Cons]

After spending more than 40+ hours in-game, here are my thoughts on the Best Barbarian Subclass.

By Atik Younus December 10, 2023

Choosing the Best Subclass for Barbarian in Baldur’s Gate 3 can be difficult. Each subclass of Barbarian is unique, and at level three, the Barbarian has access to three subclasses: Wildheart, Berserker, and Wild Magic.

Key Takeaways

Barbarian has three Subclass Choices: Wildheart, Berserker, and Wild Magic.
Wildheart specializes in attuning the aspects of different beasts in nature, for example, wolves, bears, and more.
Berserker specializes in boosting their Rage to gain more abilities in combat.
Wild Magic specializes in utilizing Wild Magic to create different kinds of effects in battle.

Best Barbarian Subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3

The table below shows the stats allocation for all three Barbarian Subclasses.

Stats	Wildheart	Berserker	Wild Magic
Strength	16	17	17
Dexterity	14	14	13
Constitution	16	16	16
Intelligence	8	8	8
Wisdom	12	10	12
Charisma	8	8	8

1. Berserker

Best for Dealing Damage.

BG3 Berserker Subclass — Berserker [image by me]

This is probably the Best Barbarian Subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3. If you’re looking for a pure-damage dealer who has a thirst for battle and loves to indulge in violence. This subclass can deal a lot of damage by stacking up crits and works tremendously well with the Feat Tavern Brawler.

A table for Optimal Stats.

Strength	17
Dexterity	14
Constitution	16
Intelligence	8
Wisdom	10
Charisma	8

Rage becomes Frenzy.
You get two bonus actions.
Gain access to Improvised Weapon Attack.
Ability to resist Charmed, Frightened, or Calm Emotions while in Frenzy.
Enemies are instilled into a Terrible Fear in your presence.

It provides a limited range.
You have to keep attacking to keep your Frenzy up.
Managing your Frenzy can be difficult for beginners.

2. Wildheart

Best for tactical approach.

BG3 Wildheart Subclass — Wildheart [image by me]

This Barbarian subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3 has a lot going on for it. Depending on the kind of Beastial Heart you choose, the effects differ, e.g. boosting your ally’s movement or attacks, getting resistance, and more. To be honest, this subclass can do a lot of stuff that is different from the classic Barbarian, but it lacks the pure raw damage output that a Berserker can do.

Note: Wildheart Barbarian can change their Beastial Heart at each Level-up.

A table for Optimal Stats.

Strength	16
Dexterity	14
Constitution	16
Intelligence	8
Wisdom	12
Charisma	8

You can speak to Animals.
Different Beastial Heart gives you different abilities.
Difficult Terrain has no effect on you.

Limited damage output.
Choosing the right Beastial Heart requires knowledge and foresight.

3. Wild Magic

Best for unexpected surprises.

Wild Magic, well, this is an interesting subclass. Firstly, it allows you to use magic, which, for a Barbarian, is unique. However, the magic effects of this subclass are random. Not to mention, this class tries to be both a Barbarian and a Caster at the same time, making it less effective.

A table for Optimal Stats.

Strength	17
Dexterity	13
Constitution	16
Intelligence	8
Wisdom	12
Charisma	8

Having access to Arcane Abilities is a bonus for a melee class.
The Unexpected Nature of Wild Magic can have hilarious outcomes.

This class has Inconsistent Damage.
Wild Magic has random effects, and you dont know what you will get.
It is complex to manage both Barbarian’s and Arcane’s abilities.

My Thoughts On The Best Barbarian Subclass

My In-Game Play Time — My In-Game Time [image by me]

After putting a lot of hours into this game, in my honest opinion, Berserker is the best subclass for Barbarian in the game. Not only does it deal a lot of damage, but it’s consistent damage to boot at that which both of the other subclasses lack.

.This concludes my guide on the best Barbarian Subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3. Lastly, check our review of BG3 by our expert Huzaifah. You should look at our guide on Wild Heart Barbarian if you want to try a different subclass. You should also look through this subreddit post that goes into details about Barbarians.