Battle Master Maneuvers in DnD 5E explained

Command the battlefield with Battle Master Maneuvers 5E in DnD. Execute tactical moves to turn the tide of combat.

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Maneuvers are a fantastic way to spice up combat, or even social situations, by giving you access to interesting benefits and debuffs. In this article, we’ll break down every way you can get Battle Master Maneuvers for your character and list all of the currently published maneuvers. For a more in-depth look at maneuvers, check out our Fighter 5E guide.

How can you get maneuvers?

Whilst the mechanic is native to a single Fighter subclass, there are a few ways to get your hands on these interesting character options. Here is every way you can add maneuvers on to your character:

  • Be a Battle Master Fighter or take a three level dip into it – Obvious, but we’re trying to be comprehensive here!
  • Martial Adept (feat) – This will give you two maneuvers of your choice and one d6 Superiority Die per short rest to use them with.
  • Superior Technique (Fighting Style) – Exclusive to Fighters, this style will give you one maneuver of your choice and a d6 Superiority Die that is added to any others you may already have.
  • Fighting Initiate (Feat) – This allows you to grab the above Fighting Style as long as you have proficiency with at least one martial weapon.

Complete list of maneuvers

The following list of maneuvers is arranged alphabetically but divided into the DnD 5E books they appear in:

PHB Maneuvers

  • Commander’s Strike
  • Disarming Strike
  • Distracting Strike
  • Evasive Footwork
  • Feinting Attack
  • Goading Attack
  • Lunging Attack
  • Maneuvering Attack
  • Menacing Attack
  • Parry
  • Precision Attack
  • Pushing Attack
  • Rally
  • Riposte
  • Sweeping Attack
  • Trip Attack

TCoE maneuvers

  • Ambush
  • Bait and Switch
  • Brace
  • Commanding Presence
  • Grappling Strike
  • Quick Toss
  • Tactical Assessment

We hope that you’ve found this article helpful and are already planning your next Battle Master. If you’re interested in learning about other parts of the game, then check out our how to play section, or if you’re planning your next character, then check out our classes section. Until next time, crits be frequent, and your Superiority Dice roll high!

Expert Editor-in-Chief