Skyrim Stealth Archer Build Guide
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Skyrim Stealth Archer Build Guide
Want to be the shadow who shoots their way to victory in Skyrim? Consider building a stealth archer. Axes have a limit of a few feet. Fireballs have a limit of a few yards. But a well-placed arrow in can hit targets for as far as your gaming device can render them. And if you can do it without being seen, you're doing it in style. It's the basis of the popular Stealth Archer build, one of the most powerful setups in the most popular WRPG of all time - but equally daunting for newcomers. Is it truly so complicated to create? Nah. And we'll prove it to you. Updated on October 27, 2022 by Quinton O'Connor: We've almost entirely revamped this guide to better serve prospective Skyrim Stealth Archer players in 2022 (and presumably beyond). Enjoy the darkness, fellow arrow-shooters. THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY
The Foundation Best Stealth Archer Races And Sign
Skyrim Wood Elf In Character Creation Screen There are two key overarching elements behind the creation of any build in Skyrim, and for Stealth Archers, that especially true. We call this the foundation because it's the building block you're faced with deciding upon within minutes of the game, prior to any form of combat whatsoever. Suggested Races
No matter what you choose here, you won't be a competent Stealth Archer immediately. But your longer-term prospects are another issue entirely. We've isolated three races with the most prominent capabilities for this role: two traditional picks (Bosmer and Khajit) and one less common pick (Orc). Let's take a look at why; it all boils down to racially-related bonuses. Aspect Explanation Usefulness Racial Power A selectable ability unique to a given race, often powerful but typically available only once per day. High. Some of these will flavor your game in ways that no other ability can, lending significance to your choice in race. Racial Effect In most cases, these influence stats, providing bonuses to particular play styles or resistance to specific types of damage. (Imperials and Orcs are the exceptions; the former earn more gold, while the latter are given permission to enter Orsimer strongholds whereas every other race must complete quests to do so.) High. Resistances and damage upticks can change your approach to gameplay. An Argonian's resistance to diseases, for example, will prevent you from having to be careful around enemies that spread infections. Ten-Point Skill Bonus A fairly substantial ten-point bonus is given to one skill per each race at the start of the game, meaning you're somewhat more proficient at it right off the bat, and can thus spend slightly less time building toward it. Moderate. It's useful, don't get us wrong, but it's nothing that can't be rectified over time. That said, it ought to factor into your consideration, if only because it will make the early game easier and more befitting your approach. Five-Point Skill Bonus A less substantial five-point bonus is awarded to five (!) skills. Moderate. If it were merely a matter of one skill getting this small bonus, we'd even call it low. But a quintet of bonuses does add up to help forge a gameplay identity for your character in the initial phase. The Case For Bosmer
Bosmer are the go-to for Stealth Archers in the eyes of the majority of Skyrim aficionados, though perhaps the winds have shifted a bit more against their immediate assumption in recent years. The rationale is remarkably simple: the Bosmer ten-point skill bonus is Archery, giving players an instant edge over the competition and reducing the time necessary to boost the skill to its loftiest heights. This is fair. We've included it for a reason. But is it truly so grand in the final telling? Every race can reach the maximum level, 100, for every skill. Taking a gander at what else the Bosmer have to offer, it's a mixed bag. Command Animal does exactly as it sounds like. Cool, and maybe you can send one forward to distract the enemy. That's fun and fitting, right? Plus, Disease and Poison resistance feels apt for a Stealth Archer. Neither of these traits, however, are going to win any archer-centric awards. The Case For Khajit
That brings us to Khajit, the other traditional choice for Skyrim Stealth Archers. Sneak is their ten-point bonus, whilst Archery still gets a head start with five. (This is, in fact, the inverse of the Bosmer's order.) Arguably, it's better to be a bit quieter than especially prominent with your bow in the early hours. Every other race is notably clunkier in this regard, which kind of ruins the idea. But still, point bonuses are temporary aspects, and trainers throughout the world (including a certain archer in the very first town!) slowly but surely negate their relevance. What else do the Khajit have on tap? A 15-point bonus to damage when unarmed is completely unhelpful for our build, but Night Eye, which boosts visibility in darkness (and, contrary to other racial abilities, can be used multiple times per day), is much handier to have. This bonus remains handy throughout the game, since the Stealth Archer's optimal environment is darkness, concealing their presence. Not being able to see your enemy, of course, rather destroys that advantage. Not so for Khajit. We prefer Khajit over Bosmer, then, except perhaps if role-playing is taken into account. Even so, there's a strong argument to be made for any rogue-centric Khajit. So, yeah. The Strange Case For Orsimer
Last but not least, the less loved but potentially most beneficial race is Orc, or Orsimer. To be clear, Orcs have zero starting skill bonuses of relevance to Stealth Archers, nor is their trait, the ability to enter Orc strongholds without needing to quest for the opportunity, remotely helpful to the build. That combination understandably scares the idea wayward of most players. Here's the thing. The Orc once-per-day power, Berserker, boosts damage output twofold and reduces damage taken by 50 percent for a full minute. We tend to think of warhammers and claymores for this kind of thing, but Berserker works for bows as well. The thing about Stealth Archers is that their primary source of strength rests in perks which provide stunningly effective damage bonuses. Being able to couple those with another massive increase for especially tough encounters is, in a word, spectacular. Sign
Skyrim Activating The Thief Guardian Stone Do you have the Unofficial Skyrim Patch? If so, the answer is Warrior. If not, it's Thief. This is due to a bug that causes Thief to boost leveling up the Archery skill in the original game, despite the game itself claiming it's Warrior-based. If you happen to be playing Skyrim on Xbox 360 or PS3 all these years later, you can't download the patch. If you're playing on PS4, Xbox One, or their equivalent successor consoles, you can. And, probably needless to say, PC users can also download it. One last suggestion: consider playing as a female rather than a male. Completing 'The Heart of Dibella' quest, located in Markarth, grants a permanent 10 percent damage bonus to members of the opposite sex. Simply put, the men you'll fight outnumber the women by a not-inconsiderable margin. The Application Skills Perks And More
Skyrim Archery Perk In Skill Screen Skills
The lovely thing about the Stealth Archer build is that your choice in primary skills is right there on the label: Stealth and Archery. Your damage is dictated by the excellent combination of these two skill trees; they're symbiotic, really, as they each offer massive offensive bonuses whilst keeping you safely tucked away from your foes. Light Armor makes less noise than its heavier counterpart, so it's your defensive must-grab. Illusion can enhance your silent tomfoolery, though it'll require some attribute-leveling in Magicka, which can take away valuable Health-raising opportunities for when the going gets rough and you're handling a crowd of enemies who are very much alerted to your presence. It's up to you. Pickpocketing and Speechcraft are good for role-playing. A silver tongue and deft hands are right at home with the concept of a Stealth Archer. Consider these as secondary concerns. Perks
Skyrim Deadly Aim Perk In Skill Screen Deadly Aim Without a doubt, your biggest boost in damage will be from this skill right here. You should be shooting from stealth close to 100% of the time, so this is essentially a triple damage increase. Skyrim Overdraw Perk In Skill Screen Overdraw You'll be able to do double damage with five points into Overdraw. This stacks perfectly with the last skill, so your shots will be doing six times the damage even without factoring in a headshot bonus. Skyrim Steady Hand Perk In Skill Screen Steady Hand This skill is really what will strike fear into your targets. You'll be able to slow down time and zoom in, making it so shots that might have been risky from a football field away are now a piece of cake. Leftover perks can be spent in finishing the Archery and Sneak tree. If, for some reason, you still have some perk points leftover, feel free to pop a few into Light Armor. Leveling Up
Skyrim Level Up Magicka Health Or Stamina Health We recommend Health because, as previously mentioned, there will be times when too many enemies are involved, and your odds of remaining hidden plummet, especially before you've made significant advances in your skills and perks. Light Armor doesn't provide the greatest defense, so a decent HP pool is necessary. Stamina doesn't apply to most of your toolkit, and Magicka's only of concern if you're working on Illusion. Best Equipment
Skyrim Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow In Item Screen Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow You'll have to side with the Dawnguard, but the reward is worth it. It's somehow available as a straight-up purchase from Sorine Jurard at Fort Dawnguard. It has the highest base damage of any bow. Crossbows fire slower than regular bows, but that works just fine for the stealth build. This device also ignores 50 percent of armor, so just in case your blast isn't of the one-shot variety, you'll be able to finish the job against big bosses quickly. Skyrim Dragonbone Arrow Stats In Game Dragonbone Arrows You'll only be able to regularly get these from the Soul Cairn and even then you have to be level 45 or more. You can craft them as well, but don't do that, just use the best arrows available. The extra damage is not worth how much your enemies will increase in difficulty. Still, if you do come across these, keep them and save them for special moments. Skyrim Ancient Shrouded Armor In Equipment Menu Ancient Shrouded Armor Set This will give you immunity to poison, automatically muffle your footsteps, and increase your bow damage by 35 percent. During the Dark Brotherhood questline, if you've done the Breaching Security bonus requirement, you'll be rewarded this armor after finishing the Locate the Assassins of Old quest. Alternatively, after you've visited Olava the Feeble, you can find this set on a corpse behind the throne in a secret room at Hag's End.