Eldritch Hexknight - Shadow Blade Build - Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3)

In this post, I will go through the Eldritch Hexknight Build for Baldur's Gate 3. This utilizes Shadow Blade​ for psychic damage, and gets a front-loaded feature set from Hexblade multiclass. The build is simplified further by going into Charisma for spellcasting and weapon damage.

Eldritch Hexknight - Shadow Blade Build

This is one of the variations of the Eldritch Knight build, which needs fewer feats, and can utilize Shadow Blade + Resonance Stone​ to the maximum. The main simplicity is a 1-level dip in Warlock, which shuffles around your abilities, making Charisma the main one for damage and spellcasting.

This does mean that the build needs to wait for a good moment when both Hexblade and Shadow Blade​ are available and worthwhile, leading level 9 as that perfect spot. So, it is kind of a late bloomer, but you can fully use the Two-Handed Eldritch Knight Build before this and then make a switch.

At the core, it is a fighter, so you will be able to enjoy three attacks from the main action point. Eldritch Knight gives War Magic, which allows you to easily utilize a bonus action for another attack after the use of Booming Blade. And if that is not enough, pop Action Surge​ for 3 more attacks, which will vaporize the target.

EK can also act as a semi-spellcaster, thanks to Eldritch Strike. Of course, how much use you will have for it is another question, as most likely your attacks will kill key targets on turn 1. Still, stocking up on scrolls and having Band of the Mystic Scoundrel can make it an interesting option, instead of just always hitting. 

So let's jump into the build!

Class Contribution

The build does have variations, whether it is a pure or multiclass build. I do see merit in some variations to ensure that you can freely use all of the capabilities.

11 Eldritch Knight

• Second Wind​ for an easy heal when the situation requires, works well in the early game, where bonus action usage is limited.
• One of the simplest and most powerful actions in the game - Action Surge, giving a full action point that works with Extra Attack.
• Weapon Bond is a nice feature that forces the weapon to return to hand if dropped.
• Access to up to level 2 wizard spell list. These are great spell options, like Shield​ or Mirror Image, to improve defensive capabilities.
• Extra Attack​ and Improved Extra Attack​ for 3 attacks on the main action point, this is the highest number of any class.
• A free action Indomitable, which allows you to reroll a saving throw in case you fail it.
• The main highlight is the ability to attack with a bonus action using Booming Blade​ + War Magic, without needing much effort.
• Semi spellcaster setup, with the passive Eldritch Strike,​ you can cast spells (be it normal ones or scrolls) to highly increase your chances of landing them.

1 Hexblade Warlock

• Bind Hexed Weapon​ - the main level 1 highlight from Hexblade, which makes the weapon use Charisma as the main modifier.
• Warlock Spellslots that reset on short rest.
• Hex Warrior​ with bonus proficiencies in Medium Armor and Shield. This also lets you use Bind Hexed Weapon​ to use Charisma as the main weapon stat.
• Hexblade's Curse​ - not that important for the build, as it already has plenty of good uses for bonus action.

Synergy with other builds

Eldritch Knight, as a fighter, can fit in any standard party composition. Its power comes from the reliability of landing multiple attacks, which will either kill an enemy or leave them with low health. They can also do some spellcasting, so they can be adjusted to almost any party.

Controllers

Almost any party can benefit from good controllers that use Hold Person, Glyph of Warding: Sleep,​ or Hold Monster. They guarantee a 100% critical chance and allow you to maximize the whole group's damage. As a Two-Hander EK with 8 attacks on Nova round, and all of them being critical hits, you can vaporize any foe.

• Fire Sorcerer - one of the most reliable builds for this type of setup, with Hat of Fire Acuity + Scorching Ray​ to build Arcane Acuity. After that, use the control spell witha  100% success chance.
• Lorecerer - similar to Fire Sorcerer, can use the same combo and can easily apply total control. Sadly, it is just limited to Hold Person and Glyph of Warding.
• Spellsword build - Sorcadin, Bardadin, Swords Bard Archer is the standard option for spellsword controllers. Also, other caster-related builds- Lore Bard or even Arcane Trickster with access to unlimited scrolls.
• Eldritch Knight by itself can act as a controller, via scrolls, and use Scroll of Hold Monster or Scroll of Hold Person. To make this effective, you will need Band of the Mystic Scoundrel, which allows for bonus action casting. Still, I think this is not as good in terms of damage, as EK can use its bonus action for effective weapon attacks.

Piercing party

The Eldritch Knight can use Bhaalist Armour, as you use Shadow Blade, it doesn't havea  direct boost; however, your party members that use spears, daggers, shortswords, and ranged weapons will get their damage doubled:

• For Archers - Arcane Archer, Swords Bard Archer
• Thrower builds - Eldritch Knigh Thrower, Berserker Thrower
• Melee martials with piercing weapons - Bardadin, Battle Master, Sorcadin, Bladelock

So if you have another party member using piercing damage, the results will speak for themselves, as you will be able to easily kill any foe with double damage.

Leveling Overview

Here is a concise table with all the main picks during your leveling progression. For more detailed reasoning, I go further in the article. Also, do not forget to check the recommended gear, as it is crucial.

Level	Class	Selection
1	Fighter 1	Fighting Style: Defence​
		Abilities: STR - 8, DEX - 16 (15+1), CON - 14, INT - 8, WIS - 10, CHA - 17 (15+2)
		Skills: Intimidation, Athletics, Acrobatics
2	Fighter 2	-
3	Fighter 3	Subclass: Eldritch Knight
		Cantrips: Minor Illusion, Blade Ward​
		Spells: Shield​, Protection from Evil and Good​
		Expanded: Longstrider​
4	Fighter 4	Spells: any
		Feat: Savage Attacker​
5	Fighter 5	-
6	Fighter 6	Feat: Ability Improvement - +2 Charisma
7	Fighter 7	Spells: Darkness, any
8	Fighter 8	Expanded: Shadow Blade​
		Replace Spell: any unused spell -> Misty Step
		Feat: Actor​ or Ability Improvement - +2 Charisma, etc.
9	Warlock 1	Cantrips: Booming Blade, Friends​
		Subclass: The Hexblade
		Spells: any
10	Fighter 9	Replace Spell: any unused spell -> Mirror Image​
11	Fighter 10	Cantrips: any
		Spells: any
		Replace Spell: any unused spell -> ​Enlarge/Reduce​
12	Fighter 11	Spells: any
		Replace Spell: any

Starting the Game - Level 1

For this build, my start will be somewhat different. The build only starts to function from level 9. Two aspects need to happen:

1. Obtain the Shadow Blade​ spell at level 8
2. Get Hexblade dip, which only makes sense once you are level 9 and have access to 2 feats.

So, before that, I recommend running the standard Two-Hander Eldritch Knight build, which will serve you well until you are ready to transition into this setup.

Still, I would like to cover a few character creation choices that are not changeable, and are important during the initial steps.

Playing as Origin Gale

You have a special feature that helps this build immensely if you choose Gale as an Origin in character creation.

Origin	Features	Description
Gale	Civil Militia​ Human Versatility​	Gale is one of the best choices for this specific build if he is chosen as the origin character in character creation. In the mid part of Act 2, you can obtain a free level 3 spell slot, which would be used to cast scaled-up Shadow Blade​ for increased damage.

Custom Races

Picking a race provides various benefits - abilities, dialogue options, looks, etc.

Race	Features	Description
Half-Orc	Savage Attacks​ Relentless Endurance​ Darkvision​	The half-orc features are a good addition for this kind of build, where you will engage in frontline combat. The instant resurrection and bonus critical damage will help immensely.
Wood Half-Elf	Civil Militia Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry Fleet of Foot - your movement speed is increased by 1.5m.	The improved movement speed from this race is one of the best passive features to help reach targets on melee builds.
Wood Elf	Elven Weapon Training​ Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry Fleet of Foot - your movement speed is increased by 1.5m.
Zariel Tiefling	Darkvision​ Hellish Resistance​ Thaumaturgy​	Great race that offers unique looks and a few great features. I recommend Thaumaturgy​ as it helps immensely with dialogue checks without any negative consequences. The additional smites, like Searing Smite,​ can be helpful for a little more damage in the early and mid game.

Background

Backgrounds are mostly for role-playing, and you can pick those that fit your backstory. Of course, you can still do slight optimizations here by picking at least one skill that falls under your high ability scores, for example, Intimidation - Charisma, History - Intelligence, and so on. Here is what I recommend for the build:

Leveling Progression - Levels 1-12

Level 1 Fighter

Class

Overview
Fighter
Features
Second Wind​	You can use this to heal yourself in tight encounters, to get a little bit more of survivability.

Fighting Style

Style	Description
Defence​	Effective stat boost compared to other fighting style options, as a result, improving armour class.

Abilities

Now, let's take a look at the abilities of the Shadow EK build. Correct allocation will allow you to maximize the early gameplay and get good modifier bonuses.

Ability	Value	Description
Strength	8	Strength becomes irrelevant.
Dexterity	16 (15+1)	Helps with initiative and gives a boost to the armor class when wearing medium armor.
Constitution	14	Improves the total amount of health and Constitution Saving Throw success when concentrating on spells.
Intelligence	8	Not a relevant stat for the build
Wisdom	10	This will remove the negative modifier against Wisdom Saving Throws.
Charisma	17 (15+2)	This will be the main stat for both offensive and spellcasting. What's good is that the fighter gets plenty of feats, which allow you, depending on the setup, to reach 24 charisma if you want it.

Skills and Expertise

Overall, the skills should be impacted by your roleplaying and background decisions. However, you would still want those that will give you the best benefits. My recommendations are to pick those at which you have a high ability modifier or are useful in general:

• Intimidation
• Acrobatics
• Athletics

Level 2

One of the best fighter features gets unlocked:

Feature	Description
Action Surge​	The iconic action of a fighter is extremely popular for its simplicity and effectiveness. You get additional action with full bonuses from Extra Attack.

Level 3

This level brings the important choice of subclass

Subclass

Overview
Eldritch Knight
Features
Weapon Bond​	Your weapon cannot be knocked out of your hand and returns when thrown.

Cantrips

You can choose two options. Here are my suggestions:

Cantrips	Description
Minor Illusion​	It can be used to lure enemies into one place, even before combat starts.
Blade Ward​	It can be situationally useful, especially if you can cast it before combat starts, to save an action point. Otherwise, it has minimal effect.

Spells

I recommend concentrating on utility spells rather than offensive or control ones, which will have limited effectiveness.

Spells	Description
Shield​	One of the best level 1 spells, giving a high boost to armour class to help with avoiding attacks.
Protection from Evil and Good​	The only other spell in the list that makes sense for the setup and the build.

Expanded

Spells	Description
Longstrider​	Excellent utility spell, that can also be applied to other party members and even summons.

Level 4

Level 4 brings a new feat, slightly improving the build capabilities

Spells

Replace Spell

Nothing to replace with.

Feat

Feat	Description
Savage Attacker​	Gives a big damage boost for all the damage rolls you do with weapon attacks.

Level 5

The level gives an important feature for a melee build:

Feature	Description
Extra Attack	Can make an additional free attack after making a hit with your main action point.

Replace Spell

Nothing to replace

Level 6

The second feat is already being unlocked as a special feature of the fighter, compared to other classes

Replace Spell

Feel free to make any adjustments if needed.

Feat

Level 7

A new subclass feature is unlocked:

Feature	Description
War Magic​	This is the main highlight of why you would take Eldritch Knight. With Booming Blade,​ you will have a very easy of activating additional bonus action attack in case Great Weapon Master: Bonus Attack​ doesn't activate.

Spells

To be fair, none of these spells matter much for what the build is aiming. The most relevant one would be:

Spells	Description
Darkness​	In case you have a darkness party that has Blinded​ immunity, this spell can be a decent option for covering more of the field. Still, you are more motivated to hit with a weapon, so only use this either before combat or when Hastened.
Any	Take any spell

Replace Spell

Sadly, no level 2 replacements yet

Level 8

This is the major level where the build obtains its last pillar - Shadow Blade. This means you will concentrate mainly on using psychic damage for the rest of the game.

Expanded

Feat	Description
Shadow Blade​	Gives an option to use Shadow Blade with its psychic damage as the main source. With various bonuses and Resonance Stone, this becomes one of the most powerful builds.

Replace Spell

Remove Spell	Add Spell	Description
Any spell that you rarely use	Misty Step​	Gives a significant mobility boost, in case you are not able to reach targets.

Feat

For the third feat, the options are situational depending on your picks:

Feat	Description
Ability Improvement - +2 Charisma	The second feat will allow this build to reach 24 charisma if you take the Auntie Ethel Hair.
Sentinel: Vengeance​	Perfect feat if you can position yourself close to the allies, to activate the reaction.
Alert​	Excellent feat for ensuring that you are immune to Surprised​ and can start nice and early in the combat sequence.

Level 9 - Warlock Lv 1

Now you should multiclass into Warlock and get the Hexblade subclass. The multiclass functionality is available in the level-up screen:

Class

Overview
Warlock
Features
Warlock Spell Slots	These spell slots can be used to cast spells and refill each Short Rest.

Cantrips

Cantrip	Description
Booming Blade​	The new cantrip can be used with a normal attack without any cost. When enemies move while under its effect, they receive thunder damage. In later levels, it gives a direct damage boost. So no reason not to use it every turn.
Friends​	Although risky to use, it can help immensely with dialogue checks, which are important. Do not cancel the cantrip near the target NPC, as they will attack you. Move away before doing that.

Subclass

Overview
The Hexblade
Features
Bind Hexed Weapon​	This action allows you to bind any melee weapon and makes you proficient in it. This also results in using Charisma modifier instead of Strength or Dexterity. It also has a 20% chance to apply Hexblade's Curse​ without activating it.
Hexblade's Curse​	Using the bonus action, you can improve your damage and increase your crit chance. This is a great alternative to Hex,​ and it does not use a concentration slot.
Hex Warrior​	This passive is responsible for the multiple bonuses you get, specifically armor and shield proficiencies.

Spells

Spell	Description
Shield​	Extremely valuable spell early in the game. Albeit with limited warlock spell slots, this becomes expensive to use in later levels. So I would only use it for the early game, or if you are in a pinch.
Any	Using other spells would be a waste of spell slots, as their effects are minimal. Just take anything.

Level 10 - Fighter Lv 9

An additional feature is unlocked for the Fighter class:

Feature	Description
Indomitable​	Greatly improves chances of succeeding in Saving Throws, minimizing the impact of various actions and spells.

Replace Spell

Remove Spell	Add Spell	Description
Any spell that you rarely use	Mirror Image​	Gives a huge survivability boost with highly increased Armour Class.

Level 11 - Fighter Lv 10

This level unlocks another Eldritch Knight feature:

Feature	Description
Eldritch Strike​	This is an excellent feature, even if you don't plan on using it heavily. In some cases, with applied disadvantage and the landing of Scroll of Hold Monster will easily win an encounter.

Cantrips

The build should be fully melee, and by this stage, it does not matter which cantrip you take

Spells

Feel free to take any spell, none of them has a major impact.

Replace Spell

Remove Spell	Add Spell	Description
Any spell that you rarely use	Enlarge/Reduce​	Excellent concentration spell that gives easy bonus damage. Just cast it before a fight.

Level 12 - Fighter Lv 11

This level is a big stepping stone, making the fighter one of the strongest martial builds:

Feature	Description
Improved Extra Attack​​	Now, a third attack can be used, tripling your base damage. Especially in the late game, where you have multiple sources of additional damage, this will stack up for easy kills against most foes.

Spells

Take any spell

Replace Spell

Feel free to make any changes that you might find relevant

That's it, the build is done!

Maximizing Ability Scores

Now, as the build progression is covered, there are a few aspects and important decisions you will have to make throughout the game. These will decide your final score for abilities.

Charisma

So this ability score is quite important, and as we talked already, there are a few main ways to maximize it

1. 17 Charisma - the base for character creation.
2. Act 1 - Auntie Ethel Hair - you will want to get +1 Charisma if you pick this choice.
3. Feat - Ability Improvement - +2 Charisma.
4. Act 3 - Mirror of Loss - pick +2 Charisma.
5. Act 3 - Mirror of Loss, Patriar's Memory - +1 Charisma.

The last part is what to do with the third feat. Here are your options:

1. If you get Auntie Ethel Hair +1 Charisma and Patriar's Memory, take Actor​ feat resulting in 24 Charisma.
2. If you did not get the Ethel Hair and only got the Patriar's Memory, then you have a free feat to take, as you end up with 22 Charisma.
3. If you did not get Ethel Hair and got unlucky with Patriar's Memory, take the Actor​ feat - 22 Charisma.

This results in 22-24 Charisma, with a +6-7 modifier. There are other feat options that I recommend, like Sentinel: Vengeance​ or Alert, which will lower your Charisma.

Potions, Elixirs, and Consumables

Let's take a look at what consumables you can use to further empower the build.

Potions

Consumable	Description
Potion of Speed	This is a very powerful potion. It gives an additional action point which can be used to cast a spell or attack. The activation is generally by drinking using a bonus action. However, you can stack together with party members and make one member Throw​ it on the ground, giving Hastened​ to everyone.
Oil of Accuracy	The attack roll bonus is pretty good, which improves your chances of hitting.
Diluted Oil of Sharpness	Helps with attack and damage rolls.
Potion of Invisibility	It can be used in two ways - the first one is to enter combat with a Surprised​ round, causing enemies to skip their turn. Another option is to leave combat if you see that it is not going in your favour.
Terazul	Gives Hastened​ and stacks with other sources of it. This is a late-game consumable.

Elixirs

Unfortunately, only one Elixir can be active at a time. However, the good thing is that they last until a long rest, making them very useful and economical.

Be sure to activate them before combat, as otherwise, you will need to use Bonus Action.

Consumable	Description
Superior Elixir of Arcane Cultivation	Gives a free level 3 spell slot. After each long rest, use it to upcast Shadow Blade​ and gain an additional 1d8 damage. This will result in 3d8 damage, making it stronger than any other base weapon. After that, you can use other elixirs.
Supreme Elixir of Arcane Cultivation	Gives a free level 4 spell slot. After each long rest, use it to upcast Shadow Blade​ and gain an additional 1d8 damage. This will result in 3d8 damage, making it stronger than any other base weapon. After that, you can use other elixirs.
Elixir of Bloodlust	The elixir gives an easy option to get an additional action point - just kill a foe. This can then be used to attack one more time or cast a full spell.
Elixir of Vigilance	For some encounters, you will want to go first. This elixir will ensure that it overcomes even Surprised​ mechanics.
Elixir of The Colossus	Provides bonus damage of 1d4 and some other good bonuses.
Elixir of Heroism	Boosts attack rolls by 1d4; this is a good boost to increase the likelihood of landing attacks.

Illithid Powers

This special mechanic in Baldur's Gate 3 allows you to consume tadpoles and unlock special Illithid Powers.

At first, you can only use the base powers. As you move to Act 3, you will be able to unlock the outer ring powers, also called Elite.

Illithid Power	Type	Description
Favourable Beginnings	Base	Beneficial power to take as it does not have any costs, and provides only benefits on the first hits with attack rolls.
Luck of the Far Realms​	Base	It's an easy way to ensure you land critical hits, especially good with Divine Smite.
Cull the Weak​	Base	It can help to kill an enemy faster if it is left with a few HP.
Psionic Backlash​​	Base	Excellent way to deal additional damage with reaction, early and mid game.
Transfuse Health​	Base	You can use it to drain health when activating Helmet of Grit.
Ability Drain​	Base	Decreases enemy ability score, free use, so worth getting it.
Shield of Thralls​	Base	Excellent option for bonus temporary HP. It can also apply Stunned on foes after it is destroyed.
Illithid Expertise​	Elite	It can be used to maximize the effectiveness of charisma-based skills, especially those relevant to the main character.
Psionic Dominance​	Elite	It can be used to save yourself from a deadly spell.
Freecast​	Elite	Allows for freely casting a spell without resource limitation.

Equipment Recommendations

Now I would like to go through some gear recommendations to maximize the Hex Eldritch Knight Build. Items are especially important as they take the build to the next level thanks to their unique effects.

Act 1

As I covered in the earlier part of the build, go for a Two-Handed Eldritch Knight build before level 9. So, no gear recommendations for this Act.

Act 2 - mid-game

Be sure to get Resonance Stone in the Mind Flayer Colony at the end of Act 2.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (Two-Handed)	Drakethroat Glaive	Can be used to apply the Draconic Elemental Weapon​ for an additional damage rider. This is not used as a main hand weapon.
Melee (One-Handed)	Shadow Blade	The core item of this build, that you obtain at level 8 Eldritch Knight by learning the Shadow Blade​ spell. It is the strongest one-handed weapon, and with some optimizations, can reach ridiculous damage numbers.
	Drakethroat Glaive	Can be used to apply the Draconic Elemental Weapon​ for additional damage rider.
Melee (Off-Handed)	Knife of the Undermountain King	Off-hand weapon option, which improves the critical rolls range and slightly improves overall weapon damage.
Shield	Adamantine Shield	A very powerful shield that enables critical attack immunity.
	Sentinel Shield	A decent shield with a good boost to initiative.
Ranged	Bow of Awareness	Excellent bow as a stat stick, providing an initiative boost.
	Darkfire Shortbow	Gives a free Haste​ use. Nothing fancy, especially as there are Potion of Speed to be found, but the duration is longer.
Head	Diadem of Arcane Synergy	The best headwear to use in terms of damage boost. This comes from the Arcane Synergy​ effect, which is easy to activate using Booming Blade.
Cloak	Cloak of Protection	Improves survivability and Saving Throw success. You want to equip this cloak to maintain that good Armour Class.
	Cloak of Elemental Absorption	Absorbing the elements adds a damage rider on the next attack.
Armor	Dark Justiciar Half-Plate	One of the best-looking armours, and great options for maximizing spell concentration. You will obtain either of these depending on the Act 2 major decision regarding Nightsong. They also give a special Shield of Faith​ action that helps activate the Strange Conduit Ring.
	Dark Justiciar Half-Plate
	Reaper's Embrace	The best heavy armor in Act 2, gives slight damage reduction and looks just cool!
	Dwarven Splintmail	A good heavy armor, especially in the middle of Act 2. Still, you will get some better options later on.
	Potent Robe	In terms of pure offensive, this is the best armour as it improves Booming Blade​ damage. Sadly, it will impair your Armour Class, but it can be somewhat alleviated with Mage Armour.
	Yuan-ti Scale Mail	Excellent medium armor that has full scaling from Dexterity ability modifier.
Gloves	Flawed Helldusk Gloves	Solid gloves for weapon damage boost.
	Gloves of Baneful Striking	Excellent gloves to debuff enemies with Baneful Strike. This can help land spells for your allies as you hit multiple enemies and weaken them
	Dark Justiciar Gauntlets	Both of these gloves are a decent option, the higher ones give additional action to curse creatures in at least Lightly Obscured​ areas.
	Dark Justiciar Gauntlets
Boots	Disintegrating Night Walkers	One of the best boots in the game, which are obtained in Act 1.
	Boots of Striding	Gives Prone​ while concentrating on spells. You can use cheap ones like Enlarge​ or something from scrolls.
Amulet	Broodmother's Revenge	Continues to be the best amulet in terms of damage boost.
	Amulet of the Harpers	Excellent pick with Shield​ spell, without using your spell slots.
	Periapt of Wound Closure	Excellent amulet that can help in tight situations when you are Downed.
Rings	Shadow-Cloaked Ring	Gives additional damage boost while the target is at least Lightly Obscured.
	Strange Conduit Ring	Gives psychic damage rider while you are concentrating on a spell. This can be anything, like Protection from Evil and Good​ or Enlarge​
	Snowburst Ring	An interesting choice that you can use to create ice fields. This does require a cold damage rider on your weapon from the Draconic Elemental Weapon buff with Drakethroat Glaive.
	Ring of Protection	Improves armour class, making it easier to avoid enemy attacks.

Act 3 - Final Build setup

Overall, the equipment section revolves around one key item - Helmet of Grit. If you are okay running it and can equip Amulet of Greater Health you can run with two bonus actions. Specifically for Eldritch Knight, this gives insane options:

1. Two attacks with War Magic​
2. One attack with War Magic​ and cast a spell with Band of the Mystic Scoundrel

I go into these setups more below, but giving a heads up, on what to expect.

High Damage Setup

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-Handed)	Shadow Blade	This continues to be your main weapon when summoned with the Shadow Blade​ spell.
Melee (Off-Handed)	Rhapsody	In general, this would be the best weapon, as it would give a direct damage boost to all weapon attacks. The problem arises if you use Helmet of Grit and need to activate the second bonus action. Unless you have Haste​ or activate Action Surge,​ you will not be able to activate Booming Blade​ a second time. If this sounds like a hassle, look at the next option.
	Dolor Amarus	Excellent weapon choice if you can guarantee critical hits. The easiest way is via Hold Monster​/Hold Person. Pair it with Vicious Shortbow for maximum damage.
	Ambusher	Can add a necrotic damage rider on enemies that did not take a turn yet.
	Belm	Comes with a Perfectly Balanced Strike​ action, which replicates the damage of a main-hand weapon while only using a bonus action. This is only a relevant pick if you have problems activating War Magic​ a second time with Helmet of Grit. Otherwise, go for Rhapsody.
Ranged	Vicious Shortbow	In terms of pure damage boost, this is the best bow, especially as you can easily guarantee critical hits via Hold Monster​/Hold Person.
	Hellrider Longbow	Gives a whooping +3 to initiative, I would only use it without the Alert​ feat.
	The Dead Shot	Reduces the critical roll requirements, giving a slight average damage boost.
Shield	Viconia's Walking Fortress	One of the best shields in the game with a stacked feature set and higher Armour Class.
	Adamantine Shield	A very powerful shield that enables critical attack immunity, which I think is important if you are running Helmet of Grit.
Head	Helmet of Grit	In terms of combat potential, this is the best headwear if you pair it with the Amulet of Greater Health. Eldritch Knight has a way to effectively use 2 bonus actions. However, the health loss is not for everyone, and might even seem too risky.
	Diadem of Arcane Synergy	Alternative to the Ring of Arcane Synergy. The effect gives a substantial damage boost via Arcane Synergy.
	Horns of the Berserker	Straightforward headwear option that adds necrotic damage rider on each attack.
Cloak	Cloak of Displacement	The best cloak in terms of defensive capabilities, as it gives the enemy a disadvantage on attack rolls.
Armor	Armour of Persistence	An alternative heavy armour that also gives Blade Ward​ to reduce incoming damage.
	Bhaalist Armour	The best armour in terms of combat damage potential. This gives Aura Of Murder​ a doubling of damage of all piercing attacks. Even if you do not use these weapons, your archers can benefit from this effect.
	Potent Robe	If you are okay with some risks and having a lower base armour class, this robe offers improved damage when hitting with Booming Blade. It will add a full charisma modifier to the damage of your weapon type. As EK, you have various options to improve survivability - Shield, Mirror Image, etc.
	Adamantine Splint Armour	The only option to wear if you would like to negate critical hits from the enemies. This greatly improves survivability, especially when you are running Helmet of Grit.
Gloves	Legacy of the Masters	One of the best gloves in terms of direct damage boost via damage and attack rolls.
	Craterflesh Gloves	These gloves are very powerful, especially if you have other controllers in the group that can consistently cast Hold Monster​/Hold Person. What makes these gloves special is that they inherit some damage riders, making the bonus force damage even higher than it should be.
	Martial Exertion Gloves	Listing these gloves as they could give additional attacks to the already ridiculous number of attacks the Eldritch Knight does. Still, with Helmet of Grit and having half HP, this can be somewhat risky to use.
	Helldusk Gloves	Improves Spell Save DC and gives a fire damage rider. This is an excellent option if you want to lean into spellcasting, but still retain damage potential.
Boots	Helldusk Boots	Both of these are some of the best boots in the game. Use any of these to improve your movement on various terrains and avoid negative effects.
	Disintegrating Night Walkers
Amulet	Amulet of Greater Health	My go-to pick for an amulet, mandatory if you are using Helmet of Grit.
	Broodmother's Revenge	Best offensive amulet, giving poison damage rider. You will need to get healing from another source to activate it, like a potion or a cleric's Healing Word.
Rings	Ring of Arcane Synergy	Very powerful accessory that gives direct damage boost via Arcane Synergy. Use this or Diadem of Arcane Synergy. The bonus depends on spellcasting modifier, so that is why Charisma is so high on the build.
	Shadow-Cloaked Ring	Excellent ring that easily gives a damage boost while enemies are at least Lightly Obscured.
	Strange Conduit Ring	Great ring option, as you have good options for activating Concentration, like Enlarge.

Battlemage Setup

This variation offers a gish option, where you can also spellcast with your bonus action. I do recommend stocking up on various scrolls like Scroll of Hold Monster, Scroll of Hypnotic Pattern, etc., more or less anything with illusion/enchantment school.

There is an argument to be made that you could skip on Arcane Acuity​ gear (Helmet of Arcane Acuity, Gloves of Battlemage's Power) thanks to the Eldritch Strike​ effect. However, your targets will be enemies or bosses with Legendary Resistance, so to overcome them, all boosts will help.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (Off-Handed)	Rhapsody	The recommended off-hand option if not going for shields. The Scarlet Remittance​ effect gives a nice boost to Spell Save DC.
Ranged	Hellrider Longbow	Gives a whooping +3 to initiative, I would only use it without the Alert​ feat.
	The Dead Shot	Reduces the critical roll requirements, giving a slight average damage boost.
Shield	Ketheric's Shield	The only shield that gives a boost to Spell Save DC.
Head	Helmet of Grit	Depending on what your priority is Helmet of Grit ensures that you can activate War Magic​ and still cast a spell with Band of the Mystic Scoundrel.
	Helmet of Arcane Acuity	This is an alternative option to Gloves of Battlemage's Power as both of these enable stacking Arcane Acuity. I would give priority to gloves if you are okay with Helmet of Grit.
Gloves	Gloves of Battlemage's Power	Alternative to the Helmet of Arcane Acuity if you take the Helmet of Grit for the additional bonus action.
	Gloves of Baneful Striking	With a crazy amount of attacks, you can use each of your hits to apply Baneful Strike​ to increase your chances of landing spells for EK and other allies.
	Legacy of the Masters	Glove alternative if using Helmet of Arcane Acuity. These give a nice damage boost which inherits the weapon damage type.
	Helldusk Gloves	Improves Spell Save DC and gives a fire damage rider. This is an excellent option if you want to lean into spellcasting, but still retain damage potential.
Amulet	Amulet of Greater Health	My go-to pick for an amulet, mandatory if you are using Helmet of Grit.
	Broodmother's Revenge	Best offensive amulet, giving poison damage rider. You will need to get healing from another source to activate it, like a potion or a cleric's Healing Word.
Rings	Band of the Mystic Scoundrel	This ring option is in case you want to lean into spellcasting with scrolls to apply illusion and enchantment spells via a bonus action. This allows the Eldritch Knight to utilize its Eldritch Strike.
	Ring of Arcane Synergy	Very powerful accessory that gives direct damage boost via Arcane Synergy. Use this or Diadem of Arcane Synergy. The bonus depends on spellcasting modifier, so that is why Charisma is so high on the build.

Debuffer Setup

With this many attacks and access to already powerful weapon Shadow Blade you can do some interesting setups with Revorb setup, by utilizing gear that has Radiating Orb​ and Reverberation. Although in terms of damage, it weakens the build, it does become a unique setup.

Build Mechanics

In this section, I would like to dive deep into how to play the Crow Paladin Build. This will help you utilize it to the fullest and correctly use various actions and spells throughout the game.

Important Mechanics and Combos

Let's go through key mechanics and tips on how to use the build effectively.

Obtaining a third-level spell slot

The Shadow Blade​ has a powerful effect; it scales with additional damage rolls at a level 3 spell slot and level 5. Sadly, reaching the latter is not possible for this build. But a level 3 spell slot is obtainable reasonably.

The easiest method is to drink Superior Elixir of Arcane Cultivation, cast Shadow Blade,​ with this level 3 spell slot. Then you can drink any other elixir, and you are set! Pretty simple.

There is also an option of playing as Origin Gale. If he is a companion, unfortunately, it will not work... You have to defeat one of the three Act 2 bosses - Gerringothe Thorm (Lv. 8), Thisobald Thorm (Lv. 6), or Malus Thorm (Lv. 7). This will prompt you to consume Shadow Weave. When doing that, you will gain a special Level 3 Spell slot that restores after each long rest.

Maximizing Psychic damage

With the Shadow Blade​ question resolved, and having ways of maximizing it. So let's go through some options that help you reach maximum damage:

• Shadow Blade​ cast with a level 3 spell slot
• Resonance Stone to double the psychic damage, which is obtained late in the Act 2 Illithid colony - Resonance Stone. 
• Shadow-Cloaked Ring - adds 1d4 of weapon damage type, and with the Resonance Stone, it gets doubled
• Legacy of the Masters - adds 2 damage, which uses the damage type of your weapon.
• Strange Conduit Ring - 1d4 psychic damage
• Critical hits with Hold Person​/Hold Monster​ doubling all the dice rolls

This can easily deal 150+ damage per hit, making many of the late-game encounters a breeze.

Use Utility and defensive spells

The easiest way to utilize the Eldritch Knight well is to utilize its access to various utility spells: 

• Mirror Image​ - best used to buff up before combat
• Longstrider​ - use it every long rest to increase movement speed on all party members, not just yourself
• Enlarge​ an easy 1d4 damage boost on each attack.

There are a few other options, but these already provide nice value for the EK spell slots, and why you took this subclass.

Control and offensive spellcasting

So at first glance, you may think that melee attacks are the only thing that you should concentrate on. Of course, you would be right, in terms of "optimal setup" and doing the most damage, that's probably what you would go with.

However, you can be a pretty good spellcaster thanks to Eldritch Strike, which gives the enemy disadvantage on saving throws. With a decent spellcasting modifier and having Band of the Mystic Scoundrel, you can cast illusion and enchantment spells with just a bonus action.

The main problem is that you are limited to Hold Person. However, it is easy to stock up on scrolls by having a dedicated Pickpocket Build. Now you can cast Scroll of Hold Monster, Scroll of Hypnotic Pattern, etc, almost for free and with just a bonus action.

Bind the Weapon

Once you get the Hexblade subclass with Bind Hexed Weapon, be sure to apply it. Without it, you will not get the full benefits of the Charisma modifier on your weapons. This will result in you using Dexterity instead. That's not a huge problem, but your hit chance will decrease.

You will need to cast this on Shadow Blade each long rest.

Maximizing the number of attacks

The build can land a high number of attacks late in the game, especially once you get the Improved Extra Attack​:

• Base attack
• Bonus action attack War Magic.
• Helmet of Grit (if you take it) - additional bonus action for which you can activate by either Belm or the second use of Booming Blade, when activating Action Surge.
• Haste​ or Potion of Speed for an additional action point with a single attack.
• Elixir of Bloodlust - one more action point for a single attack if you kill an enemy.
• Extra Attack​ - gives another attack for the main action point.
• Improved Extra Attack​ - one more attack for the main action point, resulting in 3 of them
• Action Surge​ - gives an action point which can be used for 3 attacks with Improved Extra Attack​
• Terazul - a late-game consumable that gives another attack.

So you can have 8+ attacks easily with a fighter, which can take out most enemies or bosses with a single nova round.

Late Game Combat

As the build starts from level 9, I will cover the late-game tactics

• Don't forget to cast Shadow Blade​ with a level 3 spell slot, either with Superior Elixir of Arcane Cultivation or Gale Origin's special level 3 spell slot. This needs to be done each Long rest.
• Buff up with Longstrider​ to improve movement speed after each long rest.
• Be sure to activate Bind Hexed Weapon​ to make Charisma the main weapon modifier for attack rolls and damage.
• Ensure that you activate War Magic​ by using Booming Blade​ whenever possible. It also gives free damage, so no reason not to use it.
• Improve survivability by casting Shield​ when getting hit.
• Use Action Surge​ for Nova rounds to land more attacks. Also, be sure to activate Booming Blade​ for the second activation of War Magic​ if using Helmet of Grit.
• To maintain the needed health with Helmet of Grit, use Transfuse Health​ illithid power.
• Do prebuffing with spells like Mirror Image​ or Enlarge​ before combat, to save your action points.
• If you decide you want some spellcasting, stock up on scrolls and equip Band of the Mystic Scoundrel. To take this further, get additional bonus action with Helmet of Grit.

Build Variations

Here are some variations that work similarly and utilize the same core classes.

Setup	Description
Two-Handed Eldritch Knight: 12 Eldritch Knight	This variation is ideal if you prefer a two-handed setup. It gains 4 feats, allowing it to reach 24 natural strength, without impeding any of the other stats. Great Weapon Master: All In​ gives a huge boost to damage, and going for piercing weapons with Bhaalist Armour, takes it to one of the strongest builds.
11 Eldritch Knight 1 Hexblade	You can also use Two-Handed weapons with this split. Just that you will have to prioritize Great Weapon Master: All In​ feat, by skipping one Ability Improvement, +2 Charisma. Sadly, you will not be able to reach 24 Charisma. Still, this is a perfect option if you want this to be the main character with high charisma.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading the Hex Eldritch Knight Build for Baldur's Gate 3. This utilizes Shadow Blade​ and maximizes Charisma as a single stat, both for weapon attacks and spellcasting. This also results in good dialogue dice rolls, making this a perfect main character choice.

Cheers!