Superior Technique 5e

You learn one maneuver of your choice from among those available to the Battle Master archetype. If a maneuver you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver's effects, the saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice.)

You gain one superiority die, which is a d6 (this die is added to any superiority dice you have from another source). This die is used to fuel your maneuvers. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain your expended superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest.

Superior Technique 5e: Fighting Style Review

Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold

The martial classes tend to run out of resources constantly. When your full-caster allies get a larger and larger pool of spells every level, sitting on an action surge and second wind as your only rechargeable resources for most of the game can feel pretty terrible. Superior Technique technically offers fighters an additional resource with a once per short rest Battle Master Maneuver. These tend to feel like they’re a little worse than 1st level spells, but a bit better than a cantrip on average. Getting one use of this per short rest when you’re forgoing any of the other additions that augment nearly every attack you’re making round after round just isn’t enough on nearly any character.

Still, a new resource can be exciting and fun to use at least. There are some Maneuvers that give you a new toy that can interface with combat in a way you can’t without it.

Commander’s Strike stands out when you have a rogue at the table and want to get an extra use of their sneak attack in the round. Beyond that, you’re probably better off making your own attacks. Disarming Attack can work exceptionally well on duelists, acting as a tool to take away a larger, scarier object that you can swoop down and grab by interacting with an object. Feinting Attack is a once per short rest attack roll with a bonus d6 and made with advantage, which is fine and all, but it's for a single attack. Something like Great Weapon Fighting or Dueling add a flat damage buff to all of your attacks made with the given weapon. Maneuvering Attack offers an ally a free half-move while also getting a bonus d6 damage. Parry is a way to mitigate a bit of incoming damage, Quick Toss is a free bonus action attack once per short rest, and possibly the best of the bunch. Riposte is similar to Quick Toss, giving you a free attack when something misses you, this time as a reaction, which is excellent. Trip Attack is the last one worth mentioning, as it potentially sets up the rest of your attacks that turn and all allies attacking in melee range before the creature's next turn.

Of these options, the two that stand out the most are Quick Toss and Riposte, both giving you a new way to make more attacks per short rest, often feeling like an extra use of Action Surge in the low tiers. If you decide to commit to Battle Master, this gets quite a bit better, as it adds to the pool of dice you get, gives you a new Maneuver to use with the dice, and scales it up as you progress. The difference between one Maneuver per short rest and three or more is GIGANTIC in feel. You can reliably use them every fight. You can make more interesting decisions and approach enemies in new ways fight after fight with flexible options to engage them with. On top of Battle Master, Superior Technique is a great choice.

On its own, outside of Battle Master, Superior Technique is an easy Fighting Style to pick up when you’ve taken all the other options that fit your specific weapon usage and you want to get an extra swing or two with it per long rest. Taking it early can give you one more resource at levels one and two, which will feel pretty good, but not scaling as you reach third level and beyond will quickly leave it feeling worse than most of your comparative options.

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