What are the best ways to deal with enemy summons in Baldur's Gate 3?

Dealing with enemy summons in Baldur's Gate 3 can be a challenging aspect of combat, especially when facing spellcasters or creatures that can summon additional allies to the battlefield. Understanding the mechanics and strategies to counter these summons is crucial for maintaining control over the fight and ensuring your party's survival. HereÔÇÖs a detailed guide on how to effectively handle enemy summons.

First, itÔÇÖs important to understand the mechanics behind summons. In Baldur's Gate 3, summons are typically created through spells or abilities that bring additional creatures into the fight. These summons can range from low-level creatures like familiars or minor elementals to more powerful entities like demons or undead. Summons often act on the same turn as the summoner, and they can be controlled by the AI or the player, depending on the source. Summons usually have their own health pools, actions, and abilities, making them a significant threat if not dealt with promptly.

One of the most effective strategies for dealing with summons is to focus on the summoner. Many summons are tied to the summonerÔÇÖs concentration, meaning that if the summoner loses concentration, the summons may disappear. Spells like Magic Missile, which can hit multiple targets, or abilities that cause forced movement, such as Thunderwave, can be used to break the summonerÔÇÖs concentration. Additionally, targeting the summoner with high-damage attacks or crowd control spells like Hold Person can prevent them from summoning more creatures or maintaining their current ones.

If the summoner is not the primary target, or if the summons are not concentration-based, the next best strategy is to deal with the summons directly. Area-of-effect (AoE) spells like Fireball or Shatter can be highly effective against groups of summons, especially if they are clustered together. Spells like Spirit Guardians or Cloud of Daggers can also create zones of damage that continuously harm summons as they move or stand within the area. This can be particularly useful for controlling the battlefield and preventing summons from overwhelming your party.

Another important tactic is to use crowd control abilities to neutralize summons. Spells like Sleep, Hypnotic Pattern, or Fear can incapacitate multiple summons at once, rendering them unable to act. This can buy your party valuable time to focus on other threats or to reposition for a better advantage. Additionally, abilities that cause conditions like Stunned, Paralyzed, or Prone can be used to disable summons temporarily, allowing your party to deal with them more easily.

Positioning is also key when dealing with summons. Keeping your party members spread out can prevent summons from targeting multiple allies with AoE attacks or abilities. Using terrain to your advantage, such as taking high ground for ranged attacks or using chokepoints to limit the movement of summons, can help control the flow of battle. Additionally, using summons of your own, such as familiars or conjured creatures, can help distract enemy summons and draw their attention away from your party members.

Common mistakes to avoid when dealing with summons include ignoring them entirely or focusing too much on them at the expense of other threats. While itÔÇÖs important to address summons, they are often less dangerous than the summoner or other enemies on the battlefield. Prioritizing targets and managing your actions efficiently is crucial. Another mistake is failing to use crowd control or AoE spells effectively. These tools can significantly reduce the threat posed by summons, but they must be used strategically to maximize their impact.

Advanced techniques for dealing with summons include using spells like Counterspell to prevent the summoner from casting their summoning spells in the first place. This can be particularly effective against powerful summoners who rely on high-level spells to bring in reinforcements. Additionally, using abilities that cause conditions like Blindness or Silence can hinder the summonerÔÇÖs ability to cast spells or maintain their summons.

In terms of character building, having a balanced party with a mix of damage dealers, crowd control specialists, and support characters can make dealing with summons much easier. Classes like Wizards, Sorcerers, and Clerics have access to powerful AoE and crowd control spells, while Fighters, Barbarians, and Rogues can focus on dealing high damage to quickly eliminate summons or the summoner.

In conclusion, dealing with enemy summons in Baldur's Gate 3 requires a combination of understanding the mechanics, strategic targeting, effective use of spells and abilities, and proper positioning. By focusing on the summoner, using AoE and crowd control spells, and avoiding common mistakes, you can effectively manage summons and maintain control over the battlefield. Advanced techniques and a well-balanced party can further enhance your ability to handle these challenges, ensuring your partyÔÇÖs success in even the most difficult encounters.