Strike of the Giants 5e — Which Damage Type Should You Pick?

Introduction

Strike of the Giants is the entry-point feat from Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants, and it works the same way Dragonlance's Squire of Solamnia and Planescape's Scion of the Outer Planes do: most characters who end up with it never spend a real feat slot. The Giant Foundling background grants it directly as a background feature, and the book's own campaign-wide bonus-feat system hands every character in the setting a free feat at 1st level regardless of background.

This guide covers all six damage-type variants, the once-per-turn cost structure, and which of the six 4th-level boon feats each variant sets you up for.

What the Feat Does

Prerequisite: Martial Weapon Proficiency or Giant Foundling Background.

When you take this feat, choose one of six benefits below. Once per turn, when you hit with a melee weapon attack or a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you can imbue the attack with the chosen effect. You can use this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest. Save DC (where applicable) = 8 + proficiency bonus + your Strength or Constitution modifier.

Strike of the Giants carries no Ability Score Increase. That matters because all six of its 4th-level follow-on boon feats do carry one, so the stat bump arrives one feat later than a reader skimming the chain might assume.

Which Variant Should You Pick?

The honest answer is: pick based on the 4th-level boon feat you're building toward, since each boon requires its exact matching Strike variant as a prerequisite. Fire Strike deals the most raw damage (1d10, no save gate at all - it simply always lands the full die on a hit), making it the safest default if you're not committed to a specific follow-on yet. The five save-gated variants trade some guaranteed damage for a conditional secondary effect - invisibility setup (Cloud), a speed shutdown (Frost), a knockdown (Hill), forced movement (Stone), or an attack-roll debuff (Storm).

Unlike a subclass feature, this choice locks in the moment you take the feat and doesn't reopen on a rest or level-up. Decide with the follow-on chain in mind before you commit.

The Six Follow-On Boon Feats

Strike of the Giants exists mainly to gate six 4th-level feats, one per damage type, each adding a +1 Ability Score Increase, a damage resistance, and a signature combat trick:

• Ember of the Fire Giant (requires Fire Strike) - fire resistance, plus a bonus-action AoE burn that blinds on a failed save.
• Fury of the Frost Giant (requires Frost Strike) - cold resistance, plus a reaction that punishes any melee/ranged hit against you with cold damage and a speed shutdown.
• Guile of the Cloud Giant (requires Cloud Strike) - a reaction that grants resistance to an incoming hit and teleports you 30 feet away.
• Keenness of the Stone Giant (requires Stone Strike) - extended darkvision, plus a bonus-action ranged rock-throw spell attack.
• Soul of the Storm Giant (requires Storm Strike) - lightning and thunder resistance, plus a bonus-action aura that gives attackers disadvantage against you.
• Vigor of the Hill Giant (requires Hill Strike) - immunity to forced movement/prone on a reaction, plus bonus healing from short-rest Hit Dice.

For the full comparison of all six boon feats side by side, see The Six Boon Feats, Compared in the Glory of the Giants guide.

Why Most Giant-Themed Characters Get This Free

The Giant Foundling background's own feature grants Strike of the Giants directly, and the book's campaign-wide bonus-feat system means every character in a game using either giant background gets a free feat at 1st level - if you didn't take Giant Foundling or Rune Carver, that free feat is a choice between Skilled and Tough instead. A character built without Giant Foundling - a standard Fighter who happens to meet the Martial Weapon Proficiency prerequisite - can still take Strike of the Giants, but has to spend an actual feat slot on it.

Common Mistakes

Assuming Strike of the Giants grants an Ability Score Increase. It doesn't - all six of its follow-ons do, which makes this an easy detail to get backwards when skimming the chain.

Picking a variant without checking the matching boon feat's prerequisite. Each 4th-level boon requires its exact Strike variant, not any variant. Fire Strike does not qualify you for Fury of the Frost Giant.

Forgetting the free-background interaction. A Giant Foundling character already has this feat from their background feature - check before planning to spend an Ability Score Improvement on it.

Verdict

Free for most Giant Foundling characters via the book's bonus-feat system, which makes the once-per-turn damage rider a clean floor benefit at no real cost. For a martial character built without that background, it's a reasonable feat-slot spend specifically as the entry point to one of the six boon feats - Fire Strike is the safest pick if you're undecided, since it deals the highest guaranteed damage of the six.

FAQ

Do I have to spend a feat slot on this? Usually not - the Giant Foundling background grants it free through the book's bonus-feat system.

Does it give an Ability Score Increase? No - all six of its 4th-level follow-ons do, but Strike of the Giants itself doesn't.

Which variant should I pick? Match it to whichever boon feat you're building toward; Fire Strike is the safest default if undecided.

Can I change my variant later? No - it locks in at feat selection and requires retraining to change.