Lockdown Tactics: How to Keep Enemies From Ever Reaching You
Mike’s Personal Experience
I once ran a tunnel crawl where waves of undead marched toward us. Rather than meet them head‑on, our dwarven fighter planted his halberd, used the Sentinel feat, and turned the corridor into a blender. Only one ghoul ever crossed his reach, and it lost its head doing so. Locking down the battlefield doesn’t just protect your allies — it turns you into a reaper of souls.
Here’s how you become the immovable object that ends encounters early.
1. Use Reach Weapons and Attacks of Opportunity
A glaive, halberd, or whip extends your threat range. Combine them with reaction feats like Attacks of Opportunity to stop enemies cold. For an example of equipment to pair, check out Ashmaul, the Emberwake Hammer — though it’s a hammer, its heft intimidates foes into staying back.
2. Wall of Terrain Spells
Wall of Fire, Wall of Force, or PF2e’s Wall of Thorns force enemies to either take damage or find another route. Bottleneck them, then pick them off.
3. Sentinel and Polearm Master Combo
In 5e, the Polearm Master + Sentinel combo lets you make opportunity attacks when enemies enter your reach and drop their speed to zero when you hit. Instant lockdown.
4. Trip and Pin
Knocking a foe prone stops them from advancing. In PF2e, follow up with Grapple to keep them pinned. They won’t get back up.
5. Defend the Backline
Use your lockdown to protect healers and casters. Stand between them and danger, then strike anything that crosses. See The Paladin Who Can’t Lie but Carries a Shield That Does for inspiration.
Stop Bleeding Actions, Start Winning Fights
Ready to build a wall of steel? Explore more lockdown gear in the Tavern Armory, read advice on team positioning in Player Tips, and drop your lockdown success stories via the Contact page.
Final Thoughts
Lockdown tactics turn battlefields into killing zones. Once your enemies can’t reach you, you control the fight’s tempo and outcome.
Your Next Victory Starts Here
For more on tactical control, swing by GM Wisdom for advice on pacing, and browse our Tavern Etiquette articles to make sure you’re not hogging the spotlight while doing it. Now hold that line!
