Top 10 Best Wizard Spells in Baldur’s Gate 3

When it comes to spell selection, Wizards are the casters supreme in BG3 as they get access to the most extensive spell list. This top 10 list will help you choose the most optimal ones when leveling up. Here are my top 10 best Wizard spells in Baldur’s Gate 3.

What Are the Top 10 Best Wizard Spells in Baldur’s Gate 3

The Wizard spell list is stacked with the best damage-dealing spells in the game, as well as some great defensive, mobility, and crowd-control options. Our entries below are based on what role a spell fulfills, whether it be AOE damage or crowd-control, and I’ll provide great alternatives for some spells. Here’s a brief overview before we dive into the details:

• Shield and Mage Armor
• Flaming Sphere
• Misty Step
• Web
• Counterspell
• Fireball
• Hypnotic Pattern or Slow
• Wall of Fire
• Conjure Minor Elemental or Conjure Elemental
• Chain Lightning or Disintegrate

Feel free to click on any of these and skip ahead to their entry if a specific spell interests you.

Shield and Mage Armor

Shield and Mage Armor are the two best defensive spells in the game, and every Wizard should eventually have both. I survived numerous boss fights just by having that Shield spell up almost every round at the cost of some Level 1 spell slots. The best part is that Shield is a Reaction, so you’re only casting it when you need it. 

As for Mage Armor, it lasts until you Long Rest, and it’s a hefty boost to your AC along with some Bracers of Defense and other Wizard gear. If you’re multiclassing into Fighter for armor or playing a Dwarf, you won’t need Mage Armor, but for a single-class build, this is defensively the best Wizard spell in the early and mid-game.

Flaming Sphere

A great early-game concentration option to fill that AOE damage slot is the Level 2 Flaming Sphere spell. It does two things. First, it deals AOE fire damage each turn to enemies close to it. Secondly, you can Slam it into foes for a decent chunk of fire damage as long as you keep concentrating on it. Casters can even turn off the AOE flames if you think you’ll hit allies with it. Flaming Sphere is a versatile damage option that you can keep up while casting Chromatic Orb or Ice Knives at foes.

Misty Step

Another must-have Level 2 Wizard spell is Misty Step for maneuverability around the battlefield. Misty Step won’t only get you out of sticky situations if melee enemies surround you, but you can also use it out-of-combat to reach some secrets and treasure chests. Best of all, it’s just a Bonus Action, and you can cast it along all your other spells in the same turn, unlike in the TTRPG.

Web

The Level 2 spell Web gives Wizards a great AOE crowd-control option. The spell Restrains enemies in a large area and the entire area is difficult terrain, so escaping it is difficult. Sure, enemies can Misty Step out, but by the time enemies get regular access to teleports, you’ll be using higher-level CC spells. I recommend using Web in conjunction with ranged-damage teammates like Rogues or Rangers. 

Fireball

Fireball is the bread-and-butter damage spell for almost all arcane casters, and for good reason. It offers a massive AOE burst damage nuke dealing 8d6, which is incredible for Level 5 when you first get this spell. You can adjust the AOE slightly to avoid allies, which is this spell’s biggest problem, but in most cases, you’re dropping it in Round 1, where enemies are still not fully engaged with your frontline. I don’t recommend upcasting it as it’s not worth it, but this is a quick burst damage option that you’ll be using for the entire game.

Hypnotic Pattern or Slow

Damage is great, yes, but hard AOE crowd-control can potentially win fights faster than Fireball. Hypnotic Pattern has a bigger AOE than Fireball and essentially stops enemies from taking their turn until they’re damaged for three rounds. They don’t get another save if they fail the initial one, and you can start taking out key targets while the others chill there, hypnotized. 

Alternatively, Slow is also a great option that heavily debuffs the enemy team, halving their movement and making it so they can only take either a single attack/spell or a Bonus Action. They can both win fights in Round 1 if you stack up your spell save DC with magic items and have a decent 18 or 20 Intelligence.

Counterspell

This is your core defensive tool for the late game. I countered so many Chain Lightning and Fireballs in Act 3, thus saving my entire team from AOE damage nukes. What I like about Counterspell is that it’s a Reaction, so you’re not only preventing an enemy from casting a spell but also negating their Action with just your Reaction. This is also why leveling Wizards for a Level 6 spell slot can be incredibly powerful to counter Level 6 damage spells. Check out our Counterspelling guide for some tips.

Wall of Fire

Mixing AOE crowd-control and damage, the Level 5 Wall of Fire spell can decimate enemy forces if you position it correctly. I like dropping it between my ranged characters and melee enemies with my Fighter tank standing to meet them and stop them in the Wall of Fire. If you’re lucky with the enemy AI, they’ll stand in the fire battling your vanguard.

Even if they ignore the Fighter, they’ll still take one or two ticks of fire damage, which isn’t bad at 5d8 plus the 1d6 burn from the scorched surface. Best of all, you can still cast powerful damage spells like Blight or Fireball while concentrating on Wall of Fire.

Conjure Minor Elemental or Conjure Elemental

The reason why summoning spells are in the second spot is because they’ve been heavily buffed from the TTRPG version, and now they’re a must-have. Both Conjure Elemental and the Minor version summon an ally that lasts until your Long Rest. 

Even better, they don’t require concentration so that you can have a Fire Myrmidon up and a Wall of Fire and then cast any non-concentration damage spells each round. I recommend casting Conjure Elemental at the start of a day with the Staff of Spellpower or the Markoheshkir for free and then going about your day with an unspent Level 6 Spell Slot.

Chain Lightning or Disintegrate

The pinnacle of damage-dealing for Wizard spells are Chain Lightning and Disintegrate. Chain Lightning is a pseudo-AOE spell since it can bounce from one target to the next, dealing 10d8 damage. Alternatively, Disintegrate is a much more powerful single-target spell dealing upwards of 100 damage, but its downside is that it’s a save-or-die spell, meaning if they succeed on their saving throw, they take no damage. 

I prefer Chain Lightning in most cases, but if you notice a low-Dex enemy that you want dead, then Disintegrate is the best tool for the job. Again, I highly recommend getting the Staff of Spellpower or the Markoheshkir and casting these for free.

That concludes my guide on the top 10 best Wizard spells in Baldur’s Gate 3. For more BG3 guides, check out the best spells for Druids and Clerics, as well as my Wizard Death Knight build.