Is Stealth Archer REALLY Most Popular? I Have Data!
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- Опубликовано: 30 дек 2024
- What types of weapons do most people use most of the time in mainline Elder Scrolls games, like Skyrim? The commonly held belief is that most people use Bows, but does that hold up to the data?
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I always gravitate towards the one-handed spellsword idk
Same. One hand alteration and restoration or two handed and bow. Never full stealth
Same lol. Heavy armor one handed basic flame spell every playthrough.
Aye, one of my favourite playthroughs is a Breton ice spell-sword.
Same, sprinkle some shields in and you are a monster
Based
I feel like people try to play fun builds until some bandit chief spawns with full dragon plate armor and a battleaxe and animation kills you the second you get within range... then reload the save before the fight and just stealth archer the section.
I recommend using Morrowloot ultimate. One of the many things it does is descale Skyrim.
You'll still get smooshed into paste by bandits chiefs at first, and you may have to run away, but eventually you'll out level them. Adds a real sense of progress.
Opposite for me. I try stealth archer for something new...but it ends up being too weak and slow, so I start changing into a nightblade and use magic.
I don’t have very good luck with bows, so what I end up doing is hiding somewhere and then using destruction or conjuring a fighting companion. But honestly atm my character is strong enough that I haven’t run into any issues like that for awhile
00:41 I don't think 60+ million people have played Skyrim. 60+ million copies have been sold, but a large portion of those purchases were made by people who have bought the game multiple times.
I also wonder how many of those were freely given away copies of SSE for Legendary Edition owners
Yeah, this makes it a lil hard to tell how many people have bought it, but I've only got it once so there is a large number of people buying Skyrim once, if we put it at half the copies are in the hands of owners of Skyrim already that still means that if it isn't 30 million people who have played, than it's way more ya know? And 30 million pretty fuggin big mannn
No, a "large portion" is not the same people buying over and over. That is a small portion.
@SlimeBlueMS A large portion of people have absolutely bought the game multiple times. That's especially true for console players who have bought the game for multiple console generations.
Damn near impossible to say, how many people have pirated it or bought a used copy?
if spellcasting in skyrim wasn't so garbage I'm sure it'd be higher, I personally go melee+spell in left hand AND bow
Spellcasting is fine.
Where it falls short is when you go past level 50 which isn't something you would do unless your cheesing level ups and resetting the skill.
@@Christina-g4s spellcasting is not fine
Is this some kind of skill issue or are you strictly talking about the destruction skill tree
@@isaacloveland6107 specifically destruction of course, imagine saying skill issue to a skyrim player lol
@@Angels-Haven No you right though lmao, my mind jumped straight to conjuration from your comment and it made me laugh thinking some poor soul is struggling to make that build work
Latest playthrough for me is stealth assassin-mage, in Survival Mode. It's, by far the most fun I had.
Main skills - Stealth, Illusion
Secondary skills - One Handed (dagger), Destruction (for range, dragons mainly), Pickpocket, Smithing, Enchanting
Enter dungeon/fort, cast Mayhem, pick out remaining enemies via backstab and Calm, Frenzy or Invisibility for crowd control.
Improved Nightingale Armor + Vald's Lucky Dagger + magika regeneration jewels.
Ayy, that's the way I'd been playing the last couple times I made saves. One day I realized I never saw what alchemy and enchanting could really do in the game and I wanted a new way to play the game, so I decided I wanted to be a traveling alchemy and enchanted item merchant just to see how far the power of money could carry you in the game with no fighting skills. Now that's the only way I play the game since that's about as strong as you can get base game without outright cheating or glitching. You can get just good enough to profit from base level of alchemy, get basically limitless wealth, and make potions that multiply the power of smithing and enchanting (including enchanting potions that allow you to make gear that helps you make much stronger potions).
My build always ends up being unlimited illusion magic (use muffle and invisibility so you can't be detected by anything in the game), backstab sneak skill for daggers, double damage backstab gloves, and all double enchanted legendary gear where the enchantments that aren't illusion either buff damage, magic resistance, or any other skill I feel like. One shoting lesser dragons and being able to disappear mid fight on legendary is an amazing feeling.
It makes sense, but if you actually split the melee category to 1haded, 2handed and even unarmed/hybrid, you will then get the archery on the 1st position. People usually choose between 1haded or 2handed because they are 2 different specs using different perks, require different strategies, etc, while for archery it's the same perks and you switch between bow or crossbow easily.
That's pretty arbitrary. It's the same playstyle.
melee is melee tho each weapon isn't some different playstyle
I disagree, character builds are often made around weapon perks and those perks define the actual play style. I know it's convenient to put all melee in one category for the sake of a surprising poll result, but in reality most people choose one weapon type as their main. Is like saying that apples and bananas are the same because they are both fruits.
@OpticalGreen all melee plays the same tho you swing at shit this isn't nioh or something dude
@@OpticalGreen Truly, the difference between Limbsplitter and Hack-and-Slash cannot be understated. One allows war axes to cause extra bleeding damage while allows battle axes to cause extra bleeding damage. Or Champion's Stance vs Fighting Stance. One makes one handed power attacks cost 25% less stamina and the other makes TWO handed weapons cost 25% less stamina!
...All sarcasm aside, the perks trees are nearly identical. You'll be ditching a lot of them either way and the only ones that are truly unique are added damage buffs. They won't change the way you play the game.
we should dig down deeper. Which School of Magic do people prefer, which melee weapon and do they mix it up with shields or spells, Crossbows or Bows, Stealth or Non Stealth
In Skyrim Alteration and Restoration and Enchanting are always must weather i'm conjurer or healer or paladin or necromancer or deathknight or cryo/pyro/electro-mancer but, but only when i'm healer i pick Illusion
And in Daggerfall when i can use Destruction and Restoration and Mysticism and Thaumaturgy, even if i'm Warrior with ability to have Magicka i still use Myst and Thaum
Illusion+Conjuration above 50 and you are unbeatable
People think that stealth archers are OP, but it is nothing in comparison to mastery Illusion spells. As a stealth archer, you have to shoot the enemies one by one. As an illusion mage, you need to cast two spells to clear the whole location: 1 Mayhem and something to kill the last remaining enemy.
Necromancer + Illusion is completely unbeatable
@@SlimeBlueMS Conjuration+Illusion is even more OP cause you need no corpses to raise
Not even close to be as reliable play style as stealth archer, can you kill dragons with that? I guess not.
@@luiiz2138 Storm atronachs with hitscan attacks, lightning storm with hitscan attack and stunlock. I am able to shoot dragons down even on flight.
@@M2TWhierarch I miss the part where storm atronachs are an illusion spell
Conjure 2 demon lords and watch them bulldozer everyone or become dragon snack
Stealth archer here. Every play through every time. I can’t stick to melee I can’t stick to magic. I am a damn sneaky coward in these games. The proof is in the pudding.
Usually spellsword, restoration in the left hand when enemies are up close destruction when there far away and sword or axe in the right ready to charge or be charged
9 times out of 10 i end up playing as a spellsword (war axe in main hand, destruction spell in offhand), even if i start the playthough with plans to try something else. i did do a complete playthrough years ago with two-handed, though. i don't think i've ever truly committed myself to the stealth archer build, i'd much rather go in guns (or rather spells) blazing.
I have played a Battlemage every ES since Arena.
In Skyrim, with spells so nerfed, I went for One-handed, Shield and Heavy Armor. The magic I used was the Firebolt and Restoration, basically. I did bring a Bow as well, but once I got the Spellbreaker shield I never really used it, so I stopped carrying one around. What I did bring around, though, was the Archmage robe as part of a second set of magic-enhancing clothes and rings. So one click, and I swapped from melee to spellcaster in a second. Then I could cast as many Firebolts as I needed to kill at a distance, permanently staggering them. Useful against dragons and enemies out of reach.
Combat archer- meaning "anti-unicorn" tactics from oblivion. (Run, find inaccessible high ground, fire many arrows, rinse & repeat) Works in Skyrim too!!
or you could also go as a combat archer in heavy armor , starting at range and then rushing the enemy with melee weapons to finish the job , works well in both skyrim and oblivion
I always felt like stealth archer is kind of the go to Skyrim beginner build. It works great if you don't want to engage with the combat mechanics and keep the difficulty relatively low. The more you raise the difficulty, the worse the build gets. Unless people exploit smithing or enchanting in which case any build is overpowered. Melee is the best playstyle in my opinion. Even more so on the high difficulties. Works well on any difficulty and the game clearly is build with a strong melee focus. Melee stealth is especially powerful and way more strategic than ranged stealth.
What? Stealth archer is literally like the most powerful build for high difficulties because you can still just one shot most things.
@@RaphaelAmbrosiusCosteau51 you have a very valid point, but you can do more with one handed stealth builds or stealth mage builds. It allows for more ways to overcome an encounter especially with magic involved. We all know stealth archer is essentially just pepper enemies with arrows before they find you, and no matter how you look at it that's essentially the only way to clear an area of enemies.
Melee plus restoration is the most favored option actually. It's the easiest to gravitate towards.
You pick up a one handed weapon in the tutorial to fight, then you get hurt and use healing spell. It forms the combat loop from that point onwards.
You asked between melee, magic, bow amd staff. Staves are just back up options for mages.
Poll for spellsword. And you'll get most people saying that.
I actually got melee with sword and dagger, I try to run a pure assassin build and (Even though it isn't in game even with mods) I wear different armor to try to blend into the groups around me. The satisfaction of the silent and up close kills is soooooooo satisfying
I remember my first ever character build. Melee, in right hand, healing spell in left. Eventually, I do gravitated to maxing out my bow stats, enjoying the slow-motion camera that tracks the flying arrow before hitting my enemy in the face. It's too satisfying.
I played the hell out of stealth archer. Nowadays though no way. I hate stealth builds. I primarily go two handed full on Warrior build or full mage build. Very rarely do I ever use stealth
I completely agree. Especially once I realized how little you’re punished for not being sneaky. Even in the cities if you do crime, you can just pay off your bounty. Or in the dark brotherhood, I think all they do is not pay you if you dont sneak. Theres really not much incentive to play stealth for me. I’d rather be a rebel and piss off Astrid and the Theives guild with my loud and unsneaky orc self.
its not the most practical but the illusion + conjuration mayhem mage is my favourite way to go.
I always try to vary my approach on different playthroughs but, with most builds, I maintain at least one best available quality bow for back-up. I've played thru 15-20 times using sorcery, one-hand and shield, two handed and my favorite is one handed in right (usually a war axe) and magic in left. After dying twice in any given situation I get stubborn and break out the bow. Good vid
For some reason I always end up playing as a Stealth Archer despite Magic being my prefered style. This come down to how fun it is to be an Archer and shoot people from a distance, hidden from sight.
Yeah, same for me. Interesting how many people picked melee, though. Very surprised by that.
@@ElderScrollsLorecast Just look at the gameplay showcased in the end of this video, just slowly drawing and loosening arrows while every enemy just stands there taking it and dealing no damage.
The stealth x3 bonuses and stuff like that is nice, because you get to kill an enemy before being discovered. But after that, two boring things happen that is completely unengaging; either they can't spot you, so you just kill all the others while in stealth as well; or you get spotted, in which case you don't really engage in anything then either. It is always the same, all the fights you do survive are you just drawing, looseing again and again until it's over one way or another. You do nothing. No skill, no engagement.
Shield and one-handed is at least engaging. You are interacting with the enemies, reading what they do and reacting to it. They in turn react to your moves. You move around, and might have to find a solution to a ranged enemy somewhere else.
To be fair, I got the Ebon Blade here as always, and it is just the same as with Bows. Since you are only rewarded for dealing damage, you just mash the button to do so as often as possible - and either succeed or don't without engaging with the enemies. No blocking, no moving, no anticipation, nothing. It was so boring I stopped using it.
If you want RPG with good melee Combat, play Warband or Bannerlord. Depending on your pc specs@@BiggusD77
Something I noticed though, is how slow my gameplay was when I played steath builds. And also, the stealth archer benefit was usually broken instantly if I couldnt one shot an enemy. The enemy would find me, and then I’d be in a panic and a bad combat situation. I find raw damage to be more engaging and effective personally. Plus then dungeon crawls dont take an hour.
One of my favorite tactics when fighting ultra-strong dragon priests is “conjure flame atronach so it’s distracted, then run away until your magic comes back so you can blast it with fire yourself”
Before the answer is revealed my builds tend to go bound weapons until I have enough smithing and/or enchanting skill to make a bow/crossbow surpass Daedric, then stealth archer for most of the middle levels, once I get enough shouts maxed I run cool down reduction with melee. So I guess you could say for a good portion of a playthrough archery is king, but once I'm skilled enough with shouts melee plus shouts rule the roost.
Used to be a one handed and restoration spell user, tried being a full mage once and never looked back. I tried stealth archer a couple times but got bored of it, so now I'm always just full time mage. Especially with the anniversary edition staff enchanting, i can't get enough of the diversity and sheer usefulness of being a mage.
So, in my most current playthrough, I'm doing axe and restoration. Sometimes I use destruction or conjuration. But axe and restoration are my primary. The biggest reason I have 60 level in archery and and sneak is I assume feandel. I'm a hardcore battle mage and the biggest reason for me to have a bow out is when I'm over encumber because it allows me to move faster with arrow drawn.
I'm a mage that reduces magic cost to zero via enchanting armour. I occasionally do a stealth archer, but mainly I use it to hunt mammoths.
My first build was one handed sword wielder with magic or shield in left hand.
The second was an insane cheesed stealth assassin with ability to become invisible in front of calm NPCs just by entering sneak mode. Weapon - steel dagger with tens of thousands in damage just from improvement, infinite charge shock with similar damage as well. Later on I added destruction magic to make it fun again. I defeated Miraak just by sneaking and shouting one word of Storm Call a few times
I usually try doing different stuff each time(sword+shield/two handed + crossbow/destruction + conjuration, often mixing some of these up), but always keep a bow in case I run out of magicka, because I always end up carrying hundreds of arrows that I don't make use of.
It depends on what feels best for me, like if they could get magic right I'd use it more often but most games make magic feel like an after thought. If it exists I go for a dragon-slayer sword otherwise I'll use a combination of archery and one handed melee.
I like to mix it up with every playthrough. Stealth archer, sword 'n board, two-hander, blaster caster, conjurer/illusionist, even poisoner with modded bows that did no damage.
Staves are just backup to caster earlier on when majika management is still tricky.
My personal favorite was using Dawnbreaker in the main hand and that exploding sun fireball spell in the other. I just use the sword for everything the spell doesn't kill.
I do stealth characters in Oblivion a lot, too. Not necessarily stealth archers (though I usually have pretty high marksman in both), because I like to get up close and use a dagger more, especially in Skyrim where perks and gear can turn a simple iron dagger into a one-shot killing machine. And sometimes, I just want to be an Orc or Nord tank wielding a massive warhammer.
In truth, archery isn't that great in the Elder Scrolls games outside of stealth. Melee enemies always close the distance and render the advantages of archery moot, while the ranged enemies are much more difficult to hit. So when people become archers, it's usually archers of the stealth variety where they can get in a few extra shots before enemies can fully respond.
Spell and dagger only with poisons is by far the funniest playthru I ever done.
At the beginning I did sword and board with heavy armour, switched it up to a great club once (was quite fun), for a while I got into stealth archer and sneak somewhere around the five year mark, most often lately I play pure mage on hard survival.
10:30 a better analogy would be "Why be a janitor instead of a neurosurgeon?" I doubt I'd be anywhere near smart enough to learn the most basic spells
I have a heavy preference for the sword & board style. There's just something about being a tank I love, though sometimes I mix it up to include Restoration spells for a Paladin build
For me, it depends on the character I’m playing.
My Altmer mage: only spells and staves, robes, enchanting.
My Dwemer Atronach build: 1H+Shield, Dwarven Xbow backup, Dwarven armor.
Orc warlord: 2H (Volendrung) and heavy armor (orc plate).
Bosmer Hunter/Gatherer: Bow of the Hunt and a dagger occasionally, fur armor only.
Breton Necromancer: Conjuration spells for undead.
Argonian Thief/Assassin: Daggers only
So I use all of them but not on the same character.
Invis in one hand, muffled boots, and bound bow or dagger in the other. No matter how many times I play, I *always* end up with this build. The only melee weapon I'll ever pick up is Mehrune's Razor, 'cause I like it. Sneak whenever possible, always invisible, pickpocket everyone and everything.
Personally I enjoy being a conjurer. My current character is a Spirit Caster.only using spells like summon Arniel's shade,summon Aylied lich(from the Cause creation), and otherworldly beings. The only exception are the skeleton summons and zombies
Having played almost every style, I'm not sure i can pick. The answer changes with my mood.
I'm currently working on a full Mage with no enchanting. The thing I'm discovering is that Destruction isn't "weak." It just doesn't become overpowered like the rest. Dual cast Expert spells can deal with most things, and a Fortify potion can handle the rest. The biggest hurdle is the early game, as you're too squishy and the magicka cost is difficult to overcome.
I understand why people love stealth archer. What I don't understand is why no one seems to use the bow bash ability. It's fun and practical.
Prior to Skyrim, I tended to lean into single-handed melee.
My first couple of Skyrim playthroughs, I ran a two-handed melee tank ...
It felt appropriate to the setting and story to run a heavy-armoured warhammer wealding Nord!
Then I discovered the joy of dual-wealding single-handed weapons as a heavy-armoured Orc Berserker!
But now, I tend to main a light-armoured stealth armour loot goblin ...
I'm now trying to figure out how to min-max a completely unarmoured (base tavern outfit) stealth archer, because simple clothing has next to no weight which means more carry-weight for loot!
Begin as a Breton and aim to become the most evil Necromancer, end up using bound bow and sneak attacks.
The thing with stealth archers is you basically have the build the second you get a bow. You don’t need to worry about mana costs/stamina or anything. Legit crouch shoot move to another spot shoot until the enemy dead
10:38 Yeah, you lost me at that point, illusion magic doesn't work on dragons.
In vanilla game yes but there are some mods that add new Illusion spells that are powerful against dragons
@@mihanshid2158 thank you for telling me something I already knew.
@@buxycat 😅
I never did a stealth archer more than once. I usually do two handed hammers or shield and one handed weapon with a bow being used until I close distance so maybe 1-4 arrows depending on how far away the engagement starts.
bows in skyrim are like gunzerker in borderlands, it's your go to if you want to guarantee success, specifically the stealth archer build. "It just works" so well since if you have the slightest inkling of how the stealth works in the game, you can easily accidently exploit it. that's not to mention the simple fact being you will do more damage on average simply do to sneak attacks getting boosted damage. it gets so crazy that if you know what you are doing you can even bully dragons with invisibility through the bow of shadows(early easy quest, not to mention it is a really solid bow that will last most of a playthrough), the lvl 100 sneak skill(since sneak is so easy to lvl there is no problem obtaining it if you really want it), potions(can be expensive but there are many means to obtain them free), or even the illusion spell(only downside on this is the required investment in illusion skill lvl, granted illusion spells are also beneficial for this playstyle and is easy to lvl with muffle). i didn't say the shadow stone because that's a once a day use , so at most you can use it once in a fight against a dragon.
so, while i doubt it will be the most played style, it isn't super popular because everyone thinks it's the most fun playstyle.
i personally usually do a one handed spellsword (i focus on restoration and conjuration) that wears heavy armor so i can just go in balls to the wall pummeling my foes).
There are 5 skills you need for op characters. Smiting, enchanting, alchemy, illusion, destruction.
My favorite build for these games is a Knight with enchantments running sword and board typically. A bow or crossbow are used to hunt or take out targets from afar before engagements but I have no points in Archery or Sneak beyond the first perk bubble. That way I don't become dependent on stealth mechanics.
I will say this.
Setting the theme for a build helps you shape what you want to play for that given run. Right now I am doing a *Nordic Knight* that has Speech, Enchanting, Smithing, Heavy Armor, Block, and One-Handed as their main skills. I can only use novice spells and I need to visit alchemists for potion restock so I don't die in the frigid wilderness of Skyrim. I still have a lot of tools available but I am being restrictive intentionally to focus my character's journey. One of the restrictions is the sole use of Steel only for my character as the highest potential for equipment. Steel Plate will be the highest AP I can reach and Skyforge Steel the highest weapon variant possible for my character.
- Enchantments become more scenario focused.
- Potions and poisons become more strategic in use.
- All weapons now have varied importance in what I need for combat (Sword/Dagger for fast attack combos, Axes for meatier unarmored targets, and Mace/Hammers for Dragons).
I also eat, sleep, and drink everyday without fast travel as now you need to be careful of what you carry and plan your routes across the tundra. Shortcuts become second nature, Carriages are used as a means to make the cities hubs and safe zones for downtime, and I don't save unless I sleep in a bed. Structures, lore, history, old ruins, or an abandoned camp left unattended is now a calm respite from the harshness of the snow. Certain quests now don't need to be completed or approached because of your character's disposition or morals, maybe even their race or religion stop you from continuing forward.
The best way to play, is using your imagination. Nothing here is scripted, you don't need mods, you just need to believe the character you play is real and their needs and ambitions are real. Then make a build that fits in that narrative. Go to that place in your imagination as if you live and breath within it.
Its very difficult to pick one style/build with Skyrim. I am a mixed build. I keep a bow or cross bow and a sword put into a favorites hotkey. In combat encounters I start at a distance and go stealth archer. Then as the enemies detect me and charge i try to whittle their health down with ranged until they get too close. Hit the hotkey for my sword and finish them off.
When I first played Skyrim and I seen a dragon within the first five minutes, I thought it would be useful to level up my marksman early against a flying enemy. Then not being seen against a tank would allow me to extra hits on them to save my HP for when they do find me and I have to engage in melee. I would always play as Nord with the tower sign. They give you immunity to cold, resistance to shock, an open, shield and detect spells from the get go. It has nothing but benefits and zero hindrances like other races and signs. I usually don't have a high MP pool, but my regeneration of MP is fairly quick allowing me to do many small spells quickly. Mostly healing, alteration and illusion. I rarely fight in a party, so stealth is a necessity.
thanks for mentioning my comment! I'll add, not only do i love bows in videogames, but i also do irl. Playing Skyrim made me wanna pick up archery and it's a great deal of fun. I'm team bow all the way.
It's a problem of game balance, really. Players will want to play the highest difficulty they can manage because steamrolling everything is boring, but at the same time this will ironically force them into predictable play patterns like stealth archery because it's obviously the best option to take out highly scaled up opponents.
In Skyrim, you play stealth archer because melee combat (on higher difficulties and levels) is dangerous with those stupid finishers.
In Oblivion, you play stealth archer because melee combat (on higher difficulties and levels) is tedious and it just takes too long to kill melee opponents.
In Morrowind, you just become overpowered and then style on your opponents whatever way you want because, well, morrowind.
Yeah, having two handed bandits take you from 80% HP to dead with no counterplay is the worst.
while it may be more difficult to fight on higher difficulty,due to the fact that i spend most of my early game obsessively gathering and buying plants and metals to improve my alchemy and smithing,i end up making some op gear (not resto loop) from those skills and using mass paralysis on stormcloak camps to boost my level afterwards,putting most points into health,i do not really encounter any challenge that i can’t conquer with the crazy buffs on my armor and the tankiness from all the hp i have stacked on my level ups,regardless of the build.
I can't imagine being a stealth archer outside of Novice. The damage is just too small and you're not going to be one hit killing anything with a bow in Legendary unless you cave, become a nightblade, and start enchanting the bow at the very least. At this point, you'll be relying more on the OP enchantment than the stealth bonus. And aside from that, once you get caught you're screwed unless you're willing to grind for a crap ton of invisibility potions.
I usually go for a battle mage build.
So I blow people up with fireballs then if they somehow reach me or I reach them, I slash tf out of them with a sword or dagger.
One of my buddies plays with bows and actually goes two-handed when he reaches his enemies.
Another buddy of mine actually goes straight to melee dual wielding but maybe a healing spell if he needs it.
I know I'm late to the discusion, but, I am a full blown stealth archer with a smattering of Bound Bow and poisons. The only time I use melee is in tight close quarters, like in hallways and such.
I don't think I've literally ever touched a bow aside form using the Kaidan follower mod and giving his back to him lmao
For me, weapon choices are downstream from roleplay: if I am roleplaying a mage it's a dagger or staff, if an assassin it's sword dagger and bow, if a barbarian then a battle-axe and bow. The poll is an interesting exercise but "just choose one" weapon type will not work at a low level using a sword against dragons, for example. Or your stealth archer gets cornered and has to fight out being surrounded.
I love playing mage characters, but I hardly ever rely solely on magic. Summoning a few minions who charge in while blasting your enemy with your spells is just satisfying.
But whenever I run out of magicka, I tend to switch to either a bow or melee. Sometimes for stealthy kills, I rely more heavily on a bow.
However, going through the entire game in stealth-mode while trying to min/max everything really takes away a lot of the experience of the game. And my game experience really changes a lot based on my character's specialties. I have completely different playthroughs when my character is built completely different too...
I am a stealth archer kinda guy, but I also like to whip out my axe every now and then. The kill cams with melee weapons are cooler than the kill cam with bows.
Stealth archer is fun. But it doesn’t feel like enough damage. Stealth with daggers is completely broken. You don’t even have to cheat, glitch or whatever. Just get the dark brotherhood gloves, max out your sneak tree. And if you want to make the most of it. Make your character an orc. Enchantments help but aren’t absolutely necessary.
I use daggers more than bows when I'm stealth, too. It's more of a thrill to get up close, and the multiplier is stupid powerful.
@@johnprager662or being tightwad on Arrow and bolt
For Morrowind. Spear.
For Oblivion. Stealth Archer.
For Skyrim. Spell Sword / Spell Shield.
With one choice, I'd probably go with Stealth Archer due to how many hours I've spent in Oblivion.
But the most fun in Skyrim imo is the Spell Sword / Spell Shield.
My latest playthrough is exactly that again.
I've never swapped between melee & bows unless I was skill grinding.
But I have seen a LOT of people do it.
I have a confession. I’ve never done stealth archer. I have like 100+ hours in this game I’ve 100%’d it and beaten it dozens of times. Never done it. Not once.
I havent 100%’d the game before, but I have beat it a bunch and done a bunch of playstyles, and imo, stealth archer isnt fun. It can be fun for certain moments, but its generally a slow and passive playstyle. I find it boring. Plus it sucks for large rooms of enemies, because if you cant instakill the enemies, they’re gonna look for you and maybe find you. And its hard to kill a room of people with just a bow.
My first playthrough was a stealth archer because i chose a wood elf, after that none of them was. Even when i made stealth builds, the dagger is better with it's ridiculous multiplier
I like to use bow and crossbow but not via stealth. Partially because archery was a hobby of mine when I was younger. I know stealth can really add to the damage of a bow but I found it more fun to dodge and weave during combat. So satisfying to dodge an arrow while also dodging a sword swing but launching your own arrow and nail your target at the same time for me.
Sneakhammer is clearly the true stealth class.
I like bows to soften the enemy and then fireball at point blank range
Have you tried using a frost based spell in one hand to slow enemies, then blasting em at same time with fireball? That or cackling like Palpatine while shocking bandits is my go to pass time.
I always roleplay as a true Nord two handed warrior, and use a battleaxe. I also keep a restoration spell on hotkey for when Im low on health. No sneaking whatsoever. Never fire a bow. When I was younger I used to play a stealth archer assassin type character but as I grew older I completely changed my view on combat and what is honorable and respectable. I wanted my character to be a warrior, charging in to deal with problems head on, not a coward sneaking around. Anyway later in the game when two handed is maxed I switch to sword and board
I always end up dual wielding by the end. I’ve started games with the intention of doing 2 handed, mage, archer or a multi spec but I always end up playing dual wield swords.
10:09. That. This section of the video is why I play mage. I love the freedom it offers. And it connects me to real life. I dont have to be a great warrior, nor would it make sense for a 125 pound little female dragon born. But what does make sense is when that fun size dragon born summons a dragon to fight a dragon, or uses bend will to ride the enemy dragon into the horizon. Or my other favorite “oop, out of magicka. Guess I’ll become ethereal.”
I went mage at the beginning on my first playthrough in 2011 and while I got annihilated often due to not knowing the mechanics well at the time, I stuck with it for most of the playthrough. Nowadays, I try to do nearly every type of build other than stealth archer because I don't like going with the 'meta.' I've even installed a combination of mods to play a poison-throwing alchemist with nearly no other skills.
Daggerfall : Bow thief
Morrowind : Spell alchemist
Oblivion : Hammer warrior
Skyrim : Shield mage
I always go for either 2 handed sword or a one handed sword and a spell offhand. I rarely do bows.
If I'm attacking a big group like a fort with many bad guys I may use the bow to kill or injure one first then I'm doing the simplistic "Drawing of the sword and charging in" and we'll see how that turns out. I've always been a "Sword Fighter", to me that's the one guaranteed way to get results with every swing whereas with a slow bow the bad guys get too close fast and spells take a very long time to mature like a simple sword. When the bad guys are using a spell or a bow, one "Shield Bash" can totally wreck that NPC then for me its only a few swings and they're a lump of dead flesh at my feet.
Near always default to a dagger or 1H sword with restoration in my off-hand and light armour, helps i typically bring at least 1 companion along to take some of the heat off if need be
I always make the same jack of all trades build but it always ends up having a bow and using stealth. So an archer mage really
My latest build is a bit strange. A Master Vampire and Necromancer that is the head of the Thieves Guild, and the head of the Assassins Guild. Have done zero Mage Guild, and or Companions. and only part way through war quests, and Main quest line. At level 57 I am over 75 on Illusion, Conjuration, and Destruction Magic's and at 100 Sneak, 56 Light Armour, 47 one handed, as well as 64 on Smithing. Right now am equipped with the Death Brand Armour set, Dragon bone Crossbow, Nightingale bow and sword, Mehrune's Razor. All equipment upgraded as high as I can at moment. Many of my other builds have been Sneak Mage.
Never been able to do a stealth archer. I've tried, but it just ends up being so weak and boring. I always cave and start including illusion spells, especially invisibility, into the mix. Still, I've been trying to limit magic lately since it's gotten way too OP. Though I am curious how people manage to stick to pure melee builds...what the hell are you doing against dragons until the last part of the game?
As a teenager, my favorite build was a one handed dedicated swordsman. No magic, no armor, no shield, no now, just me and a sword. The fun was in the challenge of limiting yourself to a single specialization.
*bow
Breton Conjurer here. Enchanted one-handed weapon for side-arm.
I try to pick a role before I start and stick to it the whole time... And it's different every playthrough. But my first 3 playthroughs i did end up as a stealth archer. But that was before I decided to stick with my initial character idea. Having most fun with spells word lately.
Ranger for us…dagger and bow with light armour. Sometimes instead, a one handed waraxe in place of the dagger.
I level up all skills in every playthrough twice(making them legendary) so i play with everything every time but after that i mainly stick to one build for the rest of the game
Builds i play without any mod:
1- One-Handed+Bows
2- Spells
Builds i play Without CGO:
1- Spells
2- One-handed+Shield
3- One-Handed+Shield+Spells
4-One-Handed+Shield+Bows/Crossbows
Builds i play With CGO:
1- Two-Handed+Spells
2- Staves(Used both as Warhammer and Casting spells)+Spells
3- One-Handed+Crossbows
4- Dual-wield Two Two-Handed+Bows
CGO Completely changes how i play the game
Edit: I find Bow/Crossbow only boring, usually Bows/Crossbows are Second weapons for me
Funny thing is I've never played a stealth archer. I'm Mostly a spell blade and when i do aa stealth character I'm using a short sword or a dagger. Bows keep me to distant. You can saver the... Little emotions. Plus bows just feel really samy after a while.
i always start combat with stealth archery then rush in with one or two handers for some melee action
Skyrim is the only Elder Scrolls game where you can Dual yeild more then spells. If you relie on enchanting & have a highenough enchanting skill you can put Chaos & Absord health on either weapon you chose be it Bow or Sword. Pair your enchatments with poisons & the 6X bonus for sneaking while shooting /Stabbing w a Dagger. The fact both Skill trees Marksmen & Stealth give bonusus foe stealth Archer it is prety heavly chosen to do so.
I've tried out bows a couple times but always wind up dual wielding mace and axe.
Pure stealth archer. No question. I will carry a dagger for the up-close fights where I don't/can't disengage, but whenever range is an option, arrows fly and enemies die.
I once built a "Lich King" build where I had 2 Damora that followed me around and carried my stuff while I hit the enemy hard with a 2 handed sword. While that was fun, it was significantly more tedious. Every fight felt like a kite 'em until you're alone and bonk till they die. With the stealth archer, the first shot usually kills someone. Then their death calls their compatriots to investigate. This invariably leads them into my crosshairs and another arrow. Rinse and repeat.
How about archer Lich King: summon a meat shield, conjure a bow, fire away 😇
I have never gone completely full stealth archer in any game of this sort, or at least I've never been able to stick with it for too long. To pick just one combat type, one-handed melee with a shield is my preference, but I vary the type of melee weapon based on game mechanics. I do like to carry some kind or ranged or AOE ability when possible to throw off enemies before I engage them, though, but I consider those to be secondary.
Mounted Archer and stealth archer in caves and buildings
So as to your point - "In a world where magic is real, why would you use anything else?" - I like to imagine that when learning magic, it usually takes a long time to get it to a useful point. Thus the learning of magic is generally reserved for the upper class, not by law nor by talent, but by the simple expedient of being wealthy enough to spend time learning rather than producing the necessities of life.
As to my own style, I tend to go with sword and board. Almost feels strategic, trying to keep your enemies stunned and get your hits in at the same time. I know you can do the same with magic, but for some reason I can never aim worth crap.
i play situationally, so if spells work better in the scenario i use them, or if i need to use a bow i will, etc
I tend to play skyrim as a warrior Nord with bows as a backup weapon for dragons.
I like battle mage setup makes just have so much versatility and can lvl up any skill tree easily with enchantments
I like to go shield mage. I Use illusion and conjuration to outnumber single enemies and turn groups of enemies into just a brawl.and against undead I just switch it up to destruction and conjuration. all the while I have a shield in my left hand that I’m using to just stun lock my enemies.
I really like staffs, but I kind of worry a bit, when carry them equipped because of how guards comment on them. The majority of opponents are not challenging and thus I think most of my kills in Skyrim are either from magic or a melee weapon(thought a sufficiently strong weapon takes some time to acquire). When I see a challenge in close quarters I use staves.
Personally i am mostly a conjuration player i love having pets while using bound weapons for each situation sometimes it makes sense to start the fight with a sneaky arrow then swap to rushing in with my boys or using a bow as support from the back line or healing or distraction or tanking for my ranged units to do a lot of heavy lifting it just depends on the situation but a pure magic build with mainly bound weapons is so fun since without making it broken with alchemy you need to go around the world finding enchantments so make your gear better on your armor its one of the only ways to improve damage
I like playing the game the way it doesnt intend me to. I like playing a stealth melee in fallout and a stealth archer in elder scrolls, because fallout wants me to shoot and elder scrolls wants me to sword. And I just like stealth.
i usually go melee,mostly two handed,i might switch to mage through 100% reduction armor later if i get bored but for the most part i like two handed and sometimes shield and sword.
I’m picking two handed.
The biggest issue with melee is that you need to have a ranged option for dragons.
Even sneak attacks are problematic because many just fly around.
I often play on expert difficulty now, so some leveling control is necessary to keep up with the curve.
So every character I build will have archery or destruction at decent level.
From there you add more levels to the curve for every other skill you use, so until you're settled in a comfortable place every skill you use needs to add combat power.
Currently I'm doing a heavy armor sword and board run where the bow only comes out for stuff I can't handle toe to toe. I do use alteration and restoration as supplement.
At level 20ish now, it begins to happen more often that I'm just out of my league on stuff without terrain abuse, and my bow skill is so low that it barely makes a dent on the heavy hitters.
That's why for any main melee character I always have dragonrend in my favorites, it's kinda inconsistent sometimes but it's still really helpful for when i run into a dragon, i don't use bows because of the low base damage
@@danielvaughn8002 but dragonrend come really late in the game.
Do you rush that, and then begin to take your time for everything else?
@@sneezyfido after I get my combat skills and some decent armor and weapons I'll usually go for shouts next for my late game melee builds but I do see your point, I sometimes try to avoid doing the main story so maybe I'll start using bows for warrior characters
@@danielvaughn8002 if it works for you, that's fine!
I love the spellward shield. Others go for the first word of become ethereal. And it's not hard to get some ranged option either. We get choices.
And it's perfectly valid to hide for a bit if you come across a dragon in the wilderness where there are no guards to shoot it for you.
Personally I hate that because for once I want to get all those shouts as part of popping the completionist achievements on SE as I did previously.. and it's evil that it doesn't carry over.
But that's another can of worms.