Character Archetype: The Archer

Race: Wood Elf

Gender: Male

Statistic Focus: Health 80% Stamina 20% Magicka 20%

Primary Skills (you’ll want to level these ASAP): Archery, Sneak

Secondary Skills: Light Armor, Block

Stone Ability: Thief Stone

Essential Perks: Overdraw (Archery), Eagle Eye (Archery), Power Shot (Archery), Quick Shot (Archery), Stealth (Sneak), Deadly Aim (Sneak)

Weapons: Bows and Arrows (the best you can afford), if you can, find a bow with a fire/shock/frost enchantment. Keep a one-handed weapon for backup.

Armor: Light Armor will give you protection but won’t sacrifice speed or stealth

Follower: If you’re looking for aggression, choose Jenassa or Faendal. If you’re looking for someone sturdy, choose Vorstag or Argis.

Advice:

·       As a Wood Elf, you excel in stealthy archery, with bonuses in all of your critical skills.

·       If you see an enemy, drop into sneak mode and look for a vantage point. If there aren’t any, starting off the battle with a sneak attack will give you a good advantage.

·       If an enemy closes in on you or bum rushes you, bash them with your bow and get some space so that you can keep firing.

·       Use your bow exclusively to level it up as quickly as possible.

·       Every single Archery perk is valuable to a dedicated archer. I recommend getting them all as soon as you can. Don’t neglect the Overdraw perk, it makes a big difference!

·       Eagle Eye and Steady Hand are there to help you line up your shots easier.

·       Deadly Aim and Power Shot are there to increase your damage output.

·       Your Sneak skill will make a huge difference if you want to be a sniper instead of just an archer (low Sneak will make things very, very difficult in comparison). A high sneak will allow you to finish off hordes of draugr in a big room without them ever catching onto your location. To level up Sneak as soon as possible, sneak up on even low-level enemies and always take a stealth shot over a normal one.

·       Light Armor is great for an archer because it doesn’t detract from their Sneak skill or their ability to run, duck, block, or gain some distance.

·       Block is a good backup skill for an archer because perks like Disarming Bash and Power Bash work just as well with a bow and can give you the time to get some distance or get in one last shot.

·       Stat bonuses aren’t going to be a big focus to archers since most enemies won’t make it to melee combat. Just make sure that you have enough stamina to support your playstyle if you’re running, blocking, or bashing a lot.

·       If you’re assaulting an outdoor camp or redoubt, don’t forget that you’ve got access to Command Animal as a wood elf. If you can’t quietly take out the sentries, maybe your new bear/saber cat/mammoth will.

·       The Thief Stone is helpful because it will help your stealth skills (sneak, light armor) to keep up with your archery skill. Skills that fall behind aren’t really effective in combat.