Character Archetype: The Berserker

Race: Orc

Gender: Male

Statistic Focus: Health 50% Stamina 50%

Primary Skills (you’ll want to level these ASAP): Two-Handed, Heavy Armor

Secondary Skills: Smithing, Block

Stone Ability: Lord Stone

Essential Perks: Barbarian (Two-Handed), Champion’s Stance (Two-Handed), Juggernaut (Heavy Armor), Well-Fitted (Heavy Armor), Tower of Strength (Heavy Armor), Power Bash (Block)

Weapons: The strongest Two-Handed weapon you can find.

Armor: Heavy Armor, for the most defense.

Follower: Find a follower who can keep up with you and jump right into the battle with you. Stenvar is aggressive, but Belrand offers more versatility. If you’re in the wilderness (as opposed to a cramped dungeon), don’t hesitate to take a war hound along to distract enemies.

Advice:

·       As an Orc, you have solid skill bonuses and the racial ability: Berserk (which lets you take half damage and output double damage for a minute).

·       A berserker will charge right into combat. Their attacks will be slow, but will deal high damage and have a higher chance of staggering foes.

·       Power Attacks are critical to using Two-Handed weapons effectively, so boost your Stamina and perks that improve power attacks, like Champion’s Stance.

·       You are in most danger when you are surrounded. Keep followers or war hounds around to divide the attention of your enemies and keep their numbers manageable.

·       When you do get surrounded, use Berserk to fight your way free of the fray.

·       Heavy Armor is necessary for a berserker because it replaces the protective spells, shields, or stealth skills that other archetypes have. The right Heavy Armor perks can shrug off direct hits from the most powerful of foes.

·       The Lord Stone improves your defense even further, which lets you focus on beating the living daylights out of enemies instead of on your health.

·       Though you won’t have much use of shields, you still have the ability to parry with your weapon. This lets you take advantage of Block perks like Power Bash or Disarming Bash.

·       Combat relies directly on your weapons and your armor. Leveling up your Smithing skill will allow you to make/improve your gear high above that of your enemies early on in the game.

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.

Character Archetype: The Mage

Race: High Elf

Gender: Female

Statistic Focus: Magicka 80% Health 20%

Primary Skills (you’ll want to level these ASAP): Destruction, Conjuration

Secondary Skills: Illusion, Restoration

Stone Ability: Mage Stone

Essential Perks: Spellcasting Rank Perks, Destruction Dual Casting, Augmented Flames/Frost/Shock (Destruction), Summoner (Conjuration), Elemental Potency (Conjuration), Illusion Dual Casting

Weapons: Spells

Armor: Mage Robes. Find whatever robe has the highest Magicka regeneration, then find other armor to increase your max Magicka or decrease the cost of spells

Follower: Find a heavily armored warrior to hold off and distract enemies. Vorstag and Lydia are both good choices (especially early on).

Advice:

·       As a High Elf, you’ll have the highest starting Magicka and can keep that advantage by focusing on Magicka bonuses as you level up.

·       Your racial ability Highborn is your lifeline. Keep it in your favorites and use it to sustain your casting through long battles.

·       When you see an enemy, go on the aggressive by conjuring a creature and then going in with your best Destruction spells from a ranged distance.

·       When battling, you will probably spend most of your time using Destruction or Restoration spells

·       Learn the pros and cons of each element of Destruction. Fire-based enemies are weak to ice, ice-based enemies are weak to fire and mages are weak to shock (because it drains their Magicka).

·       Don’t forget that your spells have secondary effects! You can start off a fight by spraying flames to set your enemies on fire or with ice to slow your enemies down while you dance around the room. Anything to make your enemies struggle while you keep casting will be invaluable.

·       When not dualcasting, maybe use a ward to protect yourself from enemy spells.

·       This archetype is very powerful because of the devastating spells. However, it is also very fragile. So much of your focus will be on increasing your offensive that your health and armor will be left low. You’ll be pretty weak if you’re taking direct attacks.

·       Allow your followers (summoned and unsummoned alike) to distract your enemies and take the damage while you focus on taking out each enemy one by one. If your summoned follower is destroyed, summon it immediately.

·       While you fight, always keep one eye on your health bar so that you can be quick to cast Fast Healing or drink potions when necessary.

·       If an enemy comes in for close range, there are a few things you can do. You can cast Fear or Calm (to escape or send them running). You can check their health and finish them off by dualcasting Destruction or keeping your ward up and switching to stronger spells. Or, if they’re too powerful, you can gain some distance until your followers distract them again.

·       Keep in mind that robes are much lighter than armor, which usually allows you a clean getaway (read: tactical retreat).

·       Your character will use potions much faster than the others archetypes would because of your low health. It might be less expensive for you if you take up alchemy on the side.

·       As a mage, your buying priority is always Spell Tomes. If you join the college early on, you’ll have easy access to the best vendors.

·       The Mage Stone is a solid backup for your character, as it increases all of your focuses.

Character Archetype: The Assassin

Race: Khajit

Gender: Female

Statistic Focus: Health 60% Magicka 20% Health 20%

Primary Skills (you’ll want to level these ASAP): Sneak, One-Handed

Secondary Skills: Alchemy, Pickpocket

Stone Ability: Shadow Stone

Essential Perks: Stealth (Sneak), Backstab (Sneak), Assassin’s Blade (Sneak), Armsman (One Handed), Dual Flurry (One Handed), Dual Savagery (One Handed)

Weapons: Dual One-Handed weapons, but move to daggers once you get the perk, Assassin’s Blade. Keep a bow for misdirecting and distracting foes, or for where sneaking isn’t an option.

Armor: Light Armor for protection without sacrificing speed or stealth

Follower: None. You probably don’t want one since it will make it really hard to sneak with a Viking following you. If you want someone to distract enemies, use a tank like Vorstag or Iona. Try to get them to wait at a distance, though.

Advice:

·       As a Khajit, you already have the One Handed and Sneak necessary to be a good assassin, plus bonuses to your Alchemy, Archery, and Lockpicking for backup.

·       For a good assassin, every situation is a puzzle to be solved (Bethesda’s words exactly), so when you see an enemy, drop into a crouch (if you don’t walk through dungeons in one already, like I do) and figure out how to sneak up on them for a one-hit KO backstab.

·       If you’re looking to get into an outdoors camp or ruin, it’s much better to wait until night, where you can sneak around. Pay attention to the weather, too. A stormy night will offer much better protection than a clear one.

·       In dungeons, keep an eye out for alternate paths, or ways to get behind your foes.

·       In crypts or catacombs, there will probably be times where you can walk right by sleeping (or alert) draugr without catching their notice (assuming your Sneak is high enough and the lighting is gloomy).  Don’t miss on the opportunity to shank some unsuspecting draugr, though. It levels up your skills, it ruins their day, and it makes you smile.

·       At earlier levels, your Sneak is gonna suck, but once your skill gets high enough, you will be able to walk across fully lit rooms without being seen, or to stab someone in the back and walk away before they realize they’ve been hit (seriously). Your sneak skill levels up when things are looking for you, but cant find you. So when that eye is partially open, or closing, your skill is leveling up, regardless of whether you’re hiding from enemies, animals, or Housecarls.

·       Assassins need fast, sneaky ways to kill their enemies before they can retaliate. Perks in One Handed and Sneak will increase your damage output to the point where you’ll be able to one-hit almost anything if you get the drop on it.

·       Alchemy is a great supporting skill to have: poisons increase your damage output and potions heal you and increase your defenses (like your Sneak or Light Armor skills). Ever think about adding potions/poisons to your favorites menu?

·       Pickpocket is worth looking into and totally easy to level up (my friend says you can master Pickpocket in an hour, but I’m not sure I believe him). At first, pickpocket is only good for stealing enchanted jewelry or gold, but once you’ve nearly mastered Pickpocket, you’ll be able to steal the weapons or armor off of foes before killing them (which is sweet).

·       Use your racial ability, Night Eye, when you want to see better. It’s unrestricted (unlike other racial abilities), free, and silent.

·       The Shadow Stone gives you the ability to turn invisible once per day. Even if you know the spell for invisibility, the Shadow Stone can still be useful.

Character Archetype: The Spellsword

Race: Dark Elf

Gender: Female

Statistic Focus: Health 40% Magicka 30% Stamina 30%

Primary Skills (you’ll want to level these ASAP): One-Handed, Destruction

Secondary Skills: Light Armor, Illusion

Stone Ability: Lover Stone

Essential Perks: Armsman (One Handed), Fighting Stance (One Handed), Destruction Rank Perks, Augmented Flames/Shock/Frost (Destruction), Impact (Destruction), Agile Defender (Light Armor)

Weapons: One-Handed weapon and spell

Armor: Light Armor for speed and mobility. Look for enchanted armor that increases your maximum Magicka or Magicka regeneration rate

Follower: if you want a tank to absorb damage, use a warrior like Lydia or Vorstag. If you want anged support, use Jenessa or Marcurio.

Advice:

·       As a Dark Elf, you might have to work a bit harder to level up your one-handed skill (which doesn’t come with a bonus), but the rest of your skills are a good fit.

·       A spellsword is all about flexibility, switching between weapons and spells as the situation demands, aggressively creating and exploiting enemy weakness.

·       Use Destruction spells to soften up foes from a distance before they can get close to you. Use Flames on weaker enemies to cut down their health, Frost on stronger opponents to slow them down, and Shock on mages, to drain their Magicka.

·       Your best defense is a good offense.

·       It’s pretty effective, at earlier levels, to use your Flame spell in one hand while you chop away with a One Handed weapon in the other.

·       As your enemies level up with you, it becomes really important to stagger them. Take the perks Fighting Stance (to power attack more frequently) and Impact (to let spells stagger enemies)

·       Your racial ability is Ancestor’s Wrath, a Flame Cloak spell. Use this at earlier levels to inflict damage at close combat, or if you’re surrounded by a few enemies. Watch out though, at higher levels, using the actual Flame Cloak spell is much more effective and powerful (unless you want to conserve Magicka)

·       Being a spellsword, you can focus your attention almost solely on offense, but it’s a good idea to learn a few Ward spells (for facing mages) or a Flesh spell (like Oakflesh, Stoneflesh) to increase your armor rating against some of the tougher bad guys. Neither one of these should slow you down too much

·       It’s really important that you balance your One Handed and Destruction skills. If one falls behind, it won’t be much use to you

·       Since spellswords don’t use blocking or shields, your armor is your only real defense. Don’t neglect Light Armor perks!

·       When you’re facing a large group of enemies, using Illusion spells like Fear or Frenzy are a huge help because that will disrupt the bad guys and give you the chance to fight one at a time.

·       Your skills as a spellsword are pretty wide-ranging, so the Lover Stone is a pretty good way to keep them pretty advanced. If you notice that one skill is falling behind, you should switch to a specific (Warrior, Mage, Thief) stone to balance your skills out again.

Note: When you meet the leader of the greybeards in the main questline, you can meditate with their leader to attain the perk Force Without Effort (Fus), which allows you to stagger 25% less and enemies to stagger 25% more.

Character Archetype: The Warrior

Race: Nord

Gender: Male

Statistic Focus: Health 60%, Stamina 40%

Primary Skills (you’ll want to level these ASAP): One-Handed, Block

Secondary Skills: Light Armor, Archery

Stone Ability: Warrior Stone

Essential Perks: Armsman (One-Handed), Fighting Stance (One-Handed), Power Bash (Block), Disarming Bash (Block) Elemental Protection (Block), Agile Defender (Light Armor)

Weapons: One-Handed weapons and a shield; Bow and arrows for backup

Armor: Light Armor; with your shield for defense. Heavy armor will weigh you down.

Follower: You’ll be the tank and take up all of your enemies’ attention in combat, so you want a ranged follower who will stay out of the way. Try Marcurio or Jenessa.

Advice:

·       As a Nord, you start out with bonuses in your most important skills plus a racial ability that helps you thrive in the thick of combat.

·       Before each fight, decide where you want to meet your enemies. Give yourself space to move, but don’t let them get behind/surround you, or your shield will be useless.

·       Let your enemies come to you. Use your bow early on, then use your favorites menu to switch back to your preferred weapon and shield.

·       Stay in the spotlight. If your enemies try to go after your follower, take them down so your follower can do his/her job.

·       If you’re getting overwhelmed, try to move back into a hallway or doorway. Sacrificing your space is worth keeping your enemies from flanking you. You’ll also have less things to fight at once.

·       If you become surrounded, use your racial ability, Battle Cry. It will scatter your foes and give you some time to reposition yourself or recover.

·       Master the rhythm of combat. Learn how to use your attack, power attack, and shield bash smoothly with the greatest effect.

·       One Handed perks like Armsman or Fighting Stance increase your damage output, but block perks like Power Bash, Disarming Bash, or Elemental Protection are all important for taking full advantage of your shield and armor.

·       The Warrior Stone helps you level up three out of four of your critical skills.

·       Even if you don’t use a single archery perk, it can be helpful for taking out snipers or luring out enemies.

·       If you can block effectively, you won’t take much damage. This works well with the light armor and gives you extra mobility and carry weight. If you’re struggling, don’t be afraid to switch to heavy armor, though.