You’re standing in the middle of a room filled with five hobgoblins. They’ve got you cornered, shields up, spears bristling. Your fighter is down, the cleric is out of spell slots, and it’s looking pretty grim. Then, you decide to cast steel wind strike 5e. In a literal blink, you vanish. There’s a flurry of steel and silver light. You reappear behind the leader, wiping blood off your blade while all five enemies slump to the floor simultaneously.
It’s the ultimate "nothing personnel, kid" moment in Dungeons & Dragons.
But honestly? Steel wind strike is one of those spells that creates more arguments at the table than almost anything else in the Xanathar’s Guide to Everything expansion. People see that 6d10 force damage and lose their minds. They see the teleportation and think it’s broken. Yet, if you actually look at the math and the positioning requirements, it’s a high-risk, high-reward gamble that can just as easily leave you stranded in the middle of a pack of angry giants with no way out.
How Steel Wind Strike Actually Works
The mechanics are straightforward, but the implications are messy. You flourish a melee weapon worth at least 1 sp—usually a rapier or a longsword, though a dagger works if you’re feeling spicy—and then you vanish. You choose up to five creatures you can see within 30 feet. You make a separate melee spell attack for each one.
On a hit, they take 6d10 force damage.
Force damage is the "gold standard" of damage types in 5th Edition. Almost nothing is resistant to it. Not even ancient dragons or literal gods usually have a way to shrug off force damage. That makes this spell incredibly reliable for bypassing the physical resistances that usually plague martial-adjacent characters.
After the dust settles, you can choose to reappear within 5 feet of one of the targets you hit or missed. This is the part that gets people killed. You aren't just attacking; you are repositioning your entire body. If you use this to target a backline wizard but fail to kill them, you’ve just teleported yourself right into the danger zone.
The Attack Roll vs. The Saving Throw
Most big "area of effect" spells like Fireball or Cone of Cold rely on the enemy making a saving throw. Steel wind strike 5e is different because it relies on your attack bonus.
If you’re a Wizard with a +5 Intelligence modifier and a +4 proficiency bonus, you’re swinging with a +9. Against a high-AC enemy like a Knight or an Iron Golem, you might miss three out of your five swings. That’s the tragedy of the spell. You can potentially waste a 5th-level spell slot and do zero damage if the dice hate you. Conversely, since these are attack rolls, they can crit. A critical hit on a steel wind strike deals 12d10 force damage to a single target.
That is an average of 66 damage. From one hit. It's disgusting.
Who Actually Gets to Use It?
The spell list for this is surprisingly restrictive. Originally, it was just Wizards and Rangers.
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Think about that for a second.
Rangers don’t even get 5th-level spell slots until level 17. By the time a Ranger is casting steel wind strike 5e, the Wizard has been doing it since level 9. It feels like a slap in the face to the "half-caster" class that actually fits the flavor of the spell better. However, thanks to the Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything optional class features and subclasses like the Bladesinger, the spell has found its true home.
- Bladesingers: This is your bread and butter. You have the AC to survive the teleport and the Intelligence to make the attacks land.
- War Mages: Great for a tactical repositioning tool when you need to clear the area around you.
- Horizon Walker Rangers: It fits their theme perfectly, even if it comes online way too late in most campaigns.
- Bards (Magical Secrets): If you’re a College of Swords Bard, you basically have to take this at level 10. It’s flavor perfection.
The "Melee Spell Attack" Confusion
There is a huge misconception that you use your Strength or Dexterity for this spell. You don't.
Even though you are using a sword as a component, the spell specifically says "melee spell attack." This means you use your Spellcasting Ability Modifier. If you're a Wizard, you're attacking with Intelligence. This leads to some weird narrative descriptions where a physically weak, 8-Strength Wizard is suddenly performing a masterful blade dance.
The weapon is just a focus. It’s the conduit for the magic. You aren't "hitting" them with your muscles; you’re hitting them with the force of your will, guided through a sharpened edge.
Comparing Steel Wind Strike to Other 5th-Level Spells
Is it better than Fireball upcast to 5th level?
Let’s look at the numbers. A 5th-level Fireball does 10d6 fire damage in a 20-foot radius. That’s an average of 35 damage to everyone in the circle, halved on a success.
Steel wind strike 5e does 6d10, which averages to 33 damage.
On paper, Fireball wins for raw volume. But fire is the most resisted damage type in the game. Dozens of monsters are immune to it. Force damage? Almost nothing. Plus, Fireball has friendly fire. Steel wind strike lets you pick and choose your five targets. You can weave through your allies without singeing a single hair on the Paladin's head.
Then there’s Destructive Wave, the Paladin favorite. It does 10d6 (split between thunder and radiant/necrotic) and knocks enemies prone. It’s great, but it’s a 30-foot radius centered on you. Steel wind strike gives you that 30-foot range of movement. It’s a mobility tool masked as a nuke.
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The Strategy of the Reappearance
The most underrated part of the spell description is: "You can then teleport to an unoccupied space you can see within 5 feet of one of the targets."
You don't have to teleport. But if you do, you choose which target to land next to.
This makes it an incredible escape tool. Imagine you’re grappled by a Giant Toad. You cast the spell, strike the toad, strike four other things across the room, and then choose to reappear next to the one that is 30 feet away. You just escaped a grapple without using the "Escape" action and did 33 damage in the process.
It’s also a "gap closer." If there’s a pesky Archer on a ledge 30 feet up, you can target them, hit them, and then reappear right in their face, forcing them to take disadvantage on their next shot or draw a measly dagger.
Common Table Disputes
Expect your DM to squint at the book when you use this.
One common argument is whether you need "Line of Effect." The spell says "creatures you can see within range." If there is a glass window between you and the target, you can see them, but most DMs rule that magic can't pass through total cover unless specified.
Another point of contention is the weapon requirement. The spell requires a "melee weapon worth at least 1 sp." This was added in later printings to prevent people from using a focus or a component pouch. You need an actual blade. This means if you’ve been disarmed, you can’t use your "spellcasting focus" (like a staff) to trigger the blade-flurry flavor of the spell unless that staff is also a melee weapon (which, to be fair, most are).
Making the Most of Steel Wind Strike 5e
If you want to maximize this, you need Advantage.
Since you’re making five separate attack rolls, anything that gives you Advantage is a massive force multiplier. A Greater Invisibility spell running beforehand means you have Advantage on every single strike. That’s ten d20 rolls. The statistical likelihood of a crit jumps through the roof.
Also, consider the "Finisher" mentality. Don't use this at the start of a fight against high-HP tanks. Use it when the mooks are at half health. Because it hits five different targets, it’s the best "room clearer" for mid-tier play.
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Honestly, the spell is just cool. D&D is a game of imagination, and very few spells provide as clear a mental image as this one. It’s cinematic. It’s fast. It’s lethal.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Next Session:
- Check your Spell Attack Bonus: Ensure your primary casting stat is maxed out at 20 ($+5$ modifier) before relying on this spell, as missing even two strikes feels terrible.
- Audit the Battlefield: Before casting, identify which of the five targets is in the safest "landing zone" for your teleport. Don't just pick the biggest threat; pick the safest exit.
- Coordinate with the Rogue: Since you can reappear anywhere within 5 feet of a target, use your teleport to instantly provide "Sneak Attack" flanking for your Rogue.
- Watch for Counterspell: Since this is a 5th-level spell with a 30-foot range, you are often within the 60-foot range of an enemy mage's Counterspell. Try to bait out their reaction before committing your big slot.