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Unlocking Victory: The Definitive Guide to the Best Polearm in D&D 5e

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What is the best polearm in D&D 5e? The answer, like most things in D&D, isn’t a simple one. It depends entirely on your character build, your party composition, and your preferred playstyle. However, if we’re talking raw, optimized damage output and control, the halberd or glaive generally reign supreme, particularly when combined with the Polearm Master and Great Weapon Master feats. These weapons offer a potent combination of reach, damage, and synergy with powerful feats, making them a formidable choice for any martial character seeking to dominate the battlefield.

Understanding the Polearm Landscape

Before diving deeper, let’s define what makes a weapon a “polearm” in D&D 5e. Essentially, polearms are two-handed melee weapons characterized by a long shaft with a bladed or spiked head. They typically possess the reach property, allowing you to attack creatures 10 feet away. The primary polearms in D&D 5e that synergize with the Polearm Master feat are the glaive, halberd, quarterstaff, and spear. We’ll examine these in detail:

Glaive: Deals 1d10 slashing damage, weighs 6 lbs, and has the heavy, reach, and two-handed properties.
Halberd: Deals 1d10 slashing damage, weighs 6 lbs, and has the heavy, reach, and two-handed properties.
Quarterstaff: Deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage, weighs 4 lbs, and has the versatile (1d8) property. This allows it to be wielded one-handed or two-handed, offering some tactical flexibility.
Spear: Deals 1d6 piercing damage, weighs 3 lbs, and has the thrown (range 20/60) and versatile (1d8) properties. Like the quarterstaff, it can be used one-handed or two-handed.

The Powerhouse Combination: Polearm Master and Great Weapon Master

The key to unlocking the full potential of polearms lies in two impactful feats: Polearm Master (PAM) and Great Weapon Master (GWM).

Polearm Master: This feat provides two significant benefits:
- You can make an additional attack with the opposite end of the weapon as a bonus action, dealing 1d4 bludgeoning damage + your Strength modifier.
- Enemies that enter your reach provoke an opportunity attack. This is an invaluable defensive tool, allowing you to control the battlefield and punish approaching foes.
Great Weapon Master: This feat offers two powerful options:
- On a critical hit or when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack, you can make one melee attack as a bonus action.
- Before you make a melee attack with a heavy weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack’s damage.

When combined, these feats create a devastating synergy. The reach of the glaive or halberd, coupled with the Polearm Master’s opportunity attack, allows you to control enemy movement. The bonus action attack from Polearm Master provides consistent extra damage, and Great Weapon Master allows you to trade accuracy for massive damage spikes.

Why Glaives and Halberds Excel

Glaives and halberds stand out due to their d10 damage dice and the heavy property. The d10 damage provides a higher average damage output than the d6 or d8 of the quarterstaff and spear. The heavy property is essential for utilizing the Great Weapon Master feat’s -5 attack roll/+10 damage bonus effectively.

While the quarterstaff and spear can be used with Polearm Master, they lack the raw damage potential when maximizing the use of Great Weapon Master. The spear’s thrown property offers some ranged flexibility, and the quarterstaff’s ability to be wielded one-handed opens up options for using a shield (sacrificing the bonus action attack), but these advantages often pale in comparison to the consistent damage and control offered by a glaive or halberd wielding character.

Tactical Considerations and Class Synergies

The effectiveness of a polearm build also depends on class and tactical awareness:

Fighters and Paladins are excellent choices, as they gain extra attacks and have access to fighting styles that enhance weapon combat. Fighters can take the Great Weapon Fighting style to reroll 1s and 2s on damage dice, increasing average damage output. Paladins can utilize their divine smites to add bursts of radiant damage on top of their weapon attacks.
Barbarians can also be effective with polearms, utilizing their Rage ability to further increase damage.
Strategic positioning is crucial. Utilize your reach to stay out of melee range while controlling the battlefield with opportunity attacks. Work with your party members to create advantageous situations, such as funneling enemies into chokepoints or flanking them for advantage on attacks.
Consider the campaign setting. In campaigns with lots of tight corridors, the reach might be less valuable, making other weapon options potentially more appealing.

Building a Polearm Master Character

Here’s a sample build to illustrate the potential:

Race: Variant Human (for the free feat)
Feat (Level 1): Polearm Master
Class: Fighter (Battle Master)
Fighting Style (Level 1): Great Weapon Fighting
Stats: Prioritize Strength, then Constitution.
Feat (Level 4): Great Weapon Master
Weapon: Halberd or Glaive

This build provides a strong foundation for a polearm-focused character, allowing you to deal consistent damage and control the battlefield from early levels. The Battle Master subclass provides additional combat maneuvers to enhance your tactical options.

Addressing the Downsides

The primary drawback of using a glaive or halberd is the lack of a shield. This reduces your Armor Class (AC) and survivability. However, this can be mitigated through strategic positioning, defensive feats (such as Tough), and support from your party members. Additionally, the damage output and control you gain from the Polearm Master/Great Weapon Master combination often outweigh the defensive disadvantage.

Other Considerations

While halberds and glaives are typically considered the optimal choice, the quarterstaff and spear can still be viable options in specific scenarios. A Monk, for example, might find the quarterstaff appealing due to their Martial Arts abilities. A character focused on mobility might prefer the spear for its thrown property. The key is to choose a weapon that complements your character’s overall build and playstyle.

Ultimately, the “best” polearm is the one that you enjoy playing with the most. The core mechanics of D&D are designed to facilitate creativity and fun above all else. However, if your goal is to maximize damage output and battlefield control, the glaive or halberd, when combined with Polearm Master and Great Weapon Master, represents a formidable and highly effective choice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Polearms in D&D 5e

Does a pike work with Polearm Master? No. While a pike is technically a polearm, it is a spear, and it doesn’t qualify for the bonus action attack granted by Polearm Master. The feat specifically requires a glaive, halberd, quarterstaff, or spear.
Is a spear better than a sword in D&D 5e? It depends on your build and strategy. A spear has the thrown and versatile properties, which offer tactical flexibility. A sword is more straightforward in melee combat, but lacks reach. If you are using PAM feat, then the spear is the best option since the Spear is the only option to use 1 handed so that you could use the dueling fighting style.
What classes benefit most from Polearm Master? Fighters, Paladins, and Barbarians are excellent choices due to their martial prowess, extra attack features, and access to fighting styles or rage bonuses that synergize well with polearm combat.
Is it worth taking Great Weapon Master even without advantage? Yes, but it’s riskier. The -5 penalty to attack rolls can be significant, especially at lower levels. However, the +10 damage bonus is substantial. Consider your character’s Strength score, proficiency bonus, and access to buffs that can increase your accuracy. Having advantage definitely increases the value of GWM.
What’s the best fighting style for a Polearm Master build? Great Weapon Fighting is generally the best choice, as it allows you to reroll 1s and 2s on damage dice, increasing your average damage output. Dueling style can be used in the case of the spear, but the damage trade off isn’t always worth it.
Does the Sentinel feat synergize well with Polearm Master? Absolutely! Sentinel further enhances your ability to control the battlefield. It allows you to reduce an enemy’s speed to 0 when you hit them with an opportunity attack, preventing them from reaching your allies.
Can you use Polearm Master with a magic polearm? Yes, as long as the magic weapon is a glaive, halberd, quarterstaff, or spear, it is compatible with Polearm Master. Magic weapons can significantly enhance your combat effectiveness.
How important is reach in D&D 5e combat? Reach is a powerful tactical advantage. It allows you to attack enemies from a safer distance and control the battlefield with opportunity attacks.
What are some good spells to use with a Polearm Master build? Bless, Haste, and Shield of Faith can all enhance your combat effectiveness. Bless increases your attack rolls, Haste provides extra action for additional attacks, and Shield of Faith boosts your AC.
Is it possible to build a ranged polearm character? Not really, aside from the spear’s thrown property. Polearms are primarily melee weapons.
How do you deal with enemies that are immune or resistant to slashing damage? Consider carrying a backup weapon that deals a different damage type, such as bludgeoning or piercing.
Are there any subclasses that don’t work well with Polearm Master? Subclasses that rely heavily on bonus actions for other abilities might find it difficult to utilize the Polearm Master’s bonus action attack consistently.
What are some alternatives to Great Weapon Master for a Polearm Master build? Savage Attacker, Lucky, or Tough are all solid choices that can enhance your damage output, survivability, or consistency.
How does the Dungeon Master affect the viability of a polearm build? The DM’s encounter design and rulings can significantly impact the effectiveness of a polearm build. Encounters with many enemies, open battlefields, and lenient rulings on opportunity attacks will favor polearms.
Where can I learn more about D&D character optimization? There are many online resources available, including forums, blogs, and video guides. Exploring different character builds and strategies can help you become a more effective player. You can also visit the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org to learn more about the educational and strategic aspects of tabletop role-playing games.

The versatility of polearms, especially when coupled with the right feats and strategic thinking, makes them a powerful choice for any D&D adventurer. Experiment, explore, and find the polearm build that best suits your playstyle and helps you write your own epic saga.