Prima Games eGuides Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim eGuide

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Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim eGuide Essentials Training

Character Archetypes

Overview

The following sample characters are a rogues gallery of battle-hardened adventurers, with races, skills, perks, and equipment chosen to maximize their effectiveness. They have titles like “Battlemage,” “Berserker,” or “Assassin,” but these labels only describe their specialties; they don’t appear in game. This is because you can literally create any type of character you wish, focus on any combination of skills and perks, carry and wield any weapon or spell, and choose any type of reaction to enemies and citizens of this world. But if this infinite flexibility leaves you feeling a little overwhelmed, the following Archetypes are a good place to start.

While these Archetypes have been tuned to perform well at their specific style of play, you can adapt them to suit your particular skills or interests. They are here to aid you in understanding how the choices you make can affect your character and to guide you in developing an effective play style. Remember to cross-reference the following information with the section on skills, perks, items, and Followers for more information.

Character Archetype Legend

  • Title: The style of play the character primarily exhibits.
  • Race: The character’s race; picked to accentuate the play style.
  • Gender: This has no effect on the character, aside from occasional citizen reactions.
  • Statistic Focus: How to distribute the Health, Magicka, and Stamina bonuses you receive when leveling up.
  • Primary Skills: Two key skills that govern the character’s play style; raise these as quickly as possible.
  • Secondary Skills: Two other skills important to the character that you should develop heavily.
  • Stone Ability: Which of the Standing Stones you should visit to receive an ability.
  • Essential Perks: The perks most critical to the character’s development; you should always purchase these as they become available. Once you buy Essential perks, consider buying other perks from your primary skills and then your secondary skills.
  • Weapons: The type of combat to which this character is best suited (e.g., melee, spells, bow and arrows).
  • Armor: The type of outfits and/or armor you should seek out or craft.
  • Follower: A Follower or Hireling that complements this play style.
  • Archetype Advice: Useful tips and plans for progression as you explore Skyrim.

The Warrior

  • Race: Nord
  • Gender: Male
  • Statistic Focus: Health 60%, Stamina 40%
  • Primary Skills: One-Handed, Block
  • Secondary Skills: Light Armor, Archery
  • Stone Ability: Warrior Stone
  • Essential Perks: Armsman, Fighting Stance, Power Bash, Disarming Bash, Elemental Protection, Agile Defender
  • Weapons: One-handed weapon and shield; bow and arrows for backup
  • Armor: Light armor; with your shield for defense, heavy armor will just weigh you down.
  • Follower: You can command the attention of your foes in melee combat, so take a ranged Follower to maximize your damage potential. Marcurio and Jenassa are both good choices.

The Mage

  • Race: High Elf
  • Gender: Female
  • Statistic Focus: Magicka 80%, Health 20%
  • Primary Skills: Destruction, Conjuration
  • Secondary Skills: Illusion, Restoration
  • Stone Ability: Mage Stone
  • Essential Perks:Spellcasting Rank Perks, Destruction Dual Casting, Augmented Flames, Frost, or Shock Summoner, Elemental Potency, Illusion Dual Casting
  • Weapons: Spells
  • Armor: Mage robes. Always take the robe with the highest Magicka Regeneration rate you can find. Then look for more gear that increases your regeneration, adds to your total Magicka, or decreases the cost of your spells.
  • Follower: Keep a heavily armored warrior at your side to hold foes at bay. Vorstag and Lydia are both good choices, especially early on.

The Archer

  • Race: Wood Elf
  • Gender: Male
  • Statistic Focus: Health 80%, Stamina 20%
  • Primary Skills: Archery, Sneak
  • Secondary Skills: Light Armor, Block
  • Stone Ability: Thief Stone
  • Essential Perks: Overdraw, Eagle Eye, Power Shot, Quick Shot, Stealth, Deadly Aim
  • Weapons: Bow and arrows, the best you can afford. Ideally, find a bow with a fire, frost, or shock enchantment for even more damage. Keep a one-handed weapon for backup.
  • Armor: Light armor, for protection without sacrificing speed and stealth.
  • Follower: For an aggressive choice, take Jenassa or Faendal. For a sturdier companion, try a warrior like Vorstag or Argis.

Archetype Advice:

  • Always take Overdraw whenever your skill allows it. A 20% damage bonus per shot is just too good to pass up.

The Berserker

  • Race: Orc
  • Gender: Male
  • Statistic Focus: Health 50%, Stamina 50%
  • Primary Skills: Two-Handed, Heavy Armor
  • Secondary Skills: Smithing, Block
  • Stone Ability: Lord Stone
  • Essential Perks: Barbarian, Champion's Stance, Juggernaut, Well-Fitted, Tower of Strength, Power Bash
  • Weapons: Two-handed weapon, the strongest you can find
  • Armor: Heavy armor, for added defense
  • Follower: Find a melee Follower who can wade into combat at your side: Stenvar is an aggressive choice, while Belrand offers more versatility. When fighting in the wilderness, take along an animal companion as well; both Vigilance and Meeko will help distract your foes.

The Spellsword

  • Race: Dark Elf
  • Gender: Female
  • Statistic Focus: Health 40%, Magicka 30%, Stamina 30%
  • Primary Skills: One-Handed, Destruction
  • Secondary Skills: Light Armor, Illusion
  • Stone Ability: Lover Stone
  • Essential Perks: Armsman, Fighting Stance, Destruction Rank Perks, Augmented Flames, Frost, or Shock, Impact, Agile Defender
  • Weapons: One-handed weapon and spell
  • Armor: Light armor for speed and mobility. For best results, look for enchanted armor that increases your maximum Magicka or Magicka-regeneration rate.
  • Follower: If you want a friend to absorb damage, find a warrior like Lydia or Vorstag. For a more ranged support, take Jenassa or Marcurio.

Archetype Advice:

  • Early on, spray flames or sparks with one hand while you hack away with your weapon; you’ll be surprised at how quickly your enemies fall.

The Necromancer

  • Race: Breton
  • Gender: Male
  • Statistic Focus: Magicka 70%, Health 30%
  • Primary Skills: Conjuration, Illusion
  • Secondary Skills: Alteration, Restoration
  • Stone Ability: Ritual Stone
  • Essential Perks: Spellcasting Rank Perks, Conjuration Dual Casting, Necromancy, Dark Souls, Mystic Binding, Mage Armor
  • Weapons: Spells, bound weapons
  • Armor: Mage robes. Always take the robe with the highest Magicka-regeneration rate you can find. Then look for more gear that increases your regeneration, adds to your total Magicka, or decreases the cost of your spells.
  • Follower: Bring a tough, high-damage Follower to create corpses you can resurrect. Stenvar or Ahtar are good choices.

Archetype Advice:

  • If there are any dead bodies lying around, exploit them! Raise the corpse, and your new zombie will charge in ahead of you.

The Assassin

  • Race: Khajiit
  • Gender: Female
  • Statistic Focus: Health 60%, Magicka 20%, Stamina 20%
  • Primary Skills: Sneak, One-Handed
  • Secondary Skills: Alchemy, Pickpocket
  • Stone Ability: Shadow Stone
  • Essential Perks: Stealth, Backstab, Assassin's Blade, Armsman, Dual Flurry, Dual Savagery
  • Weapons: Dual one-handed weapons (move to daggers once you take Assassin’s Blade). Keep a bow on hand for situations where no good stealth route is available and for misdirecting foes.
  • Armor: Light armor, for protection without sacrificing speed and stealth
  • Follower: None, or take a warrior such as Iona or Vorstag, but have them wait at a distance in case you need the backup. Stealth is tricky enough without having to worry about a Follower.

The Battlemage

  • Race: Imperial
  • Gender: Male
  • Statistic Focus: Magicka 60%, Health 40%
  • Primary Skills: Destruction, Restoration
  • Secondary Skills: Illusion, Heavy Armor
  • Stone Ability: Apprentice Stone
  • Essential Perks: Spellcasting Rank Perks, Illusion Dual Casting, Augmented Flames, Frost, or Shock, Recovery, Juggernaut
  • Weapons: Spells, supplemented by staffs or a one-handed weapon as needed
  • Armor: Heavy armor, ideally enchanted to increase your Magicka or Magicka regeneration
  • Follower: As a spellcaster who can stand up to melee combat, almost any Follower can complement your skills. Belrand or Stenvar are both good choices for a more aggressive melee companion.

Archetype Advice:

  • Use Destruction spells to blast foes from a distance, or pull them in, where you can switch to a Dual Cast spell to finish them off.
  • Take more Magicka bonuses when leveling up to increase your maximum Magicka.

The Weaponmaster

  • Race: Redguard
  • Gender: Female
  • Statistic Focus: Health 60%, Stamina 40%
  • Primary Skills: One-Handed, Heavy Armor
  • Secondary Skills: Archery, Enchanting
  • Stone Ability: Steed Stone
  • Essential Perks: Armsman, Fighting Stance, Dual Flurry, Dual Savagery, Juggernaut, Well Fitted
  • Weapons: Two one-handed weapons (dual-wielding), bow and arrows for backup
  • Armor: Heavy armor for maximum defense
  • Follower: You can hold your own in melee combat, so bring a ranged Follower like Marcurio or Illia for ranged support.

Archetype Advice:

  • In some cases, you may be better off rushing your foes to engage them as quickly as possible, before they can ready their defenses.

The Rogue

  • Race: Argonian
  • Gender: Female
  • Statistic Focus: Health 40%, Magicka 40%, Stamina 20%
  • Primary Skills: Sneak, Illusion
  • Secondary Skills: Archery, One-Handed
  • Stone Ability: Serpent Stone
  • Essential Perks: Stealth, Illusion Rank Perks, Illusion Dual Casting, Quiet Casting, Overdraw, Armsman
  • Weapons: Spells, bow and arrows, one-handed weapon for backup
  • Armor: Light armor, ideally with enchantments to improve your Magicka or Magicka regeneration
  • Follower: Seek out a stealthy archer like Jenassa or Faendal.

Archetype Advice:

  • Cast Invisibility and Muffle and sneak past your foes undetected.
  • Cast Fear to send your enemies running, then pelt them with arrows as they flee.