BG3 Best Weapons to Dual Wield

If you want to dominate in Baldur’s Gate 3 with dual-wielding weapons, you need to know which blades, axes, or other options will give you the edge. Dual-wielding offers a unique and thrilling combat style that allows for fast, high-damage attacks with plenty of versatility. But not all weapons are created equal, and choosing the right ones can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Before we dive into the specifics, let’s tackle why dual-wielding in BG3 is so powerful. Dual-wielding grants more attacks per turn, which increases your damage output significantly—especially when using weapons that benefit from your character’s abilities, feats, and enhancements.

The Ideal Pair: Speed and Power

The real trick to dual-wielding in Baldur’s Gate 3 is balancing speed with power. If you go for two heavy weapons, you might end up sacrificing attack speed, and if you opt for two light weapons, you could miss out on some serious damage potential. A good combination of weapons allows you to strike quickly while still dealing heavy blows. Below are the top weapons to dual wield, balancing speed, damage, and added effects.

1. The Speedsters: Short Swords and Daggers

These are among the fastest weapons in the game and make for ideal dual-wield options. Short swords benefit from a higher critical hit chance and are also finesse weapons, making them perfect for rogues who rely on Dexterity. Daggers are another excellent option for quick strikes. When paired together, these weapons can give you a flurry of attacks that can overwhelm your enemies.

• Best Pairing: Short Sword + Dagger
  • Key Advantage: Maximizes the number of attacks per turn.
  • Ideal For: Rogues, Rangers, and anyone prioritizing Dexterity.

The real beauty here is the critical hit frequency. Dual-wielding short swords gives you a higher chance to land critical hits, which can quickly turn the tide of battle. Combine this with sneak attacks or bonus action abilities, and you’ll be an unstoppable force.

2. Elemental Fury: The Flame Tongue + Any Offhand Weapon

This combo is one of the most potent available. The Flame Tongue deals additional fire damage with each attack, making it a deadly option when you want to stack elemental damage. Pair it with any offhand weapon like a dagger or short sword for bonus attacks, and you’ll quickly melt through enemy hit points.

• Best Pairing: Flame Tongue + Dagger
  • Key Advantage: Fire damage on top of normal damage.
  • Ideal For: Fighters, Paladins, or anyone looking to maximize damage per strike.

The Flame Tongue not only adds elemental damage, but its damage-over-time (DoT) effect can devastate enemies, especially when combined with an offhand weapon that strikes fast and frequently.

3. Dual Rapiers: The Deadly Duelist Setup

While technically a finesse weapon, rapiers offer a more powerful alternative to short swords. They have a slightly higher base damage and still benefit from Dexterity-based attacks, making them a great choice for rogues and duelist-type fighters.

• Best Pairing: Rapier + Rapier
  • Key Advantage: High damage with finesse attack.
  • Ideal For: Rogues, Fighters, or Bards who want versatility.

The combination of two rapiers brings balance. You get finesse, so your Dexterity can fuel your attacks, but you don't have to sacrifice damage. The rapier’s superior damage output compared to daggers or short swords is a significant boon in prolonged battles.

4. Swords of Absolute: Power and Control

The Sword of the Absolute is another top-tier weapon for dual-wielding in BG3. These weapons are rare and imbued with unique abilities that give you additional damage and control effects. You can stun or debuff enemies, which not only deals direct damage but also incapacitates your foes, allowing you to control the flow of battle.

• Best Pairing: Sword of the Absolute + Light Weapon (Dagger or Short Sword)
  • Key Advantage: Powerful bonus effects and control abilities.
  • Ideal For: Fighters, Barbarians, or anyone wanting control over their opponents.

5. Hand Axes and Scimitars: Strength-Based Slashing

If your character is more focused on Strength rather than Dexterity, you can still dual wield with efficiency. Hand axes and scimitars are excellent choices for Strength-based characters who want to maximize their melee damage output.

• Best Pairing: Hand Axe + Scimitar
  • Key Advantage: Heavy damage from Strength-based attacks.
  • Ideal For: Barbarians, Paladins, or Fighters.

Hand axes bring versatility with the option to be thrown for ranged damage, while scimitars add reliable slashing damage in close quarters. This pairing allows a Strength-based character to remain flexible in combat.

Key Feats for Dual-Wielding

To truly master dual-wielding, you’ll want to optimize your feats. The following feats and abilities make dual-wielding much more effective:

• Dual Wielder Feat: This is an obvious must, as it allows you to use larger weapons in each hand and increases your Armor Class (AC) when dual wielding.
• Two-Weapon Fighting Style: Fighters, Rangers, and Paladins benefit greatly from this, as it allows you to add your ability modifier to your offhand attack’s damage roll.
• Feat: Sentinel: This is a great feat for controlling the battlefield, allowing you to stop enemies in their tracks when they try to disengage.

How to Get the Most from Your Dual-Wield Build

Dual-wielding is about more than just having two weapons—it’s about leveraging your character’s strengths and maximizing your attacks per turn. Focus on building your character’s Dexterity or Strength (depending on the weapon), and ensure that you’re making the most of your bonus actions each round.

Dual wielding also opens up new tactical possibilities. You can move into position, strike twice (or more), and then disengage or use a bonus action to activate a special ability. This flexibility is why dual-wield builds are so exciting in BG3.

Finally, don’t forget that enchantments and magical weapons are game-changers. Always look for magic weapons that offer bonus effects like elemental damage, additional attacks, or increased critical strike chances. Pair these weapons with your class abilities to dominate every encounter.

Dual-wielding in BG3 offers an incredible mix of speed, versatility, and power. Whether you're cutting down enemies with rapiers, lighting them on fire with Flame Tongues, or overwhelming them with a barrage of daggers, the right weapon combination can make all the difference.