Tips for a lvl 6 Archer/Sneak

[Maugram]

This is my first time playing ES and I had a couple questions that came up as I began to flesh out my character.

He is a Wood Elf Archer/Sneak

I plan on adding some illusion magic and have been using dual daggers when I feel the need (or am pressed to) hack and slash.

I have just used my first companion, lydia, and it didn't feel right. Not only did she cramp my sneaking style at first, I felt like a wimp shooting arrows from the shadows while she did the majority of the hard work. To me there are three possible solutions to this:

1) ditch her and pick up another companion (a sneaky mage/assassin/archer)
2) up the difficulty
3) go solo

I am leaning towards going solo, but I am wondering if there are some good ways to keep baddies (that don't die from the initial sneak attack/first few arrows) out of melee range and in bow range. I have thought about paralyzing poisons, force shout, fear (and other spells).

Anyone with experience care to comment on companions/keeping the enemy away?

And are poisons or enchanting the most important for maxing out an archers capability?

thx

 

[Flynhawaiian9]

I'm a level 28 dark elf assassin and I focus on the bow mainly and little hint and its kinda a glitch... I didn't feel right using it but it helps in the beginning. Use the follow fenriel... I think that's his name maybe fenris either way he is in riverrun usually around the saw mill and he is the only wood elf in town he is pretty at sneaking and provides a handy distraction for the melee enemy while I pump them full of arrows but his biggest perk is he's a teacher of archery and if he. Is ur follower u can exchange item with him even money so after u pay him to train u, u can go in and get ur money back and do it again 5 times for.every level. I still use him and It if I ever need to I can tell him to wait here or part ways (he just goes back to riverrun and u can go get him again) also look into a dab of smithing at least to level 60 so u can upgrade enchanted weapons and elven bows my flawless elven bow drops a giant in two hits... granted that's in sneak and my sneak is at 100 so I kill pretty much every thing in one shot except dragons and mamoths and giants lol if u don't like the idea of using the glitch then just use your bow for every thing even close combat if u can manage it u can always use L1/LB for a knock back which gives u enough time to nock and loose an arrow into the face of ur attacker for some reason I found that gives u a small bonus to ur archery

 

[Flynhawaiian9]

Wow my grammar is terrible from my phone lol

 

[Starr]

I am 61 today and spent a lot of time with the bow as well. I did not focus on a particular agenda and used all forms of dealing death and punishment. You will have enough perks to be awesome in almost anything you want I feel.
If you want to be awesome at sneak attacks, BOW is the way to go. But also train up 1 hand when they do find you. I think every charactor needs Smithing/Enchant/Alchemy maxed to get the most out of their gear. My BOW will do 2000-4000 damage easy in sneak mode with 4 pieces of +46% bow damage gear, potions of +100% bow damage, sneak skill multipliers and top off with some poison too.
I only carry 2 weaps on me, the Daedric bow above and a Daedric mace with 25 life absorbion and 50 fire damage. The mace hits for 650ish, pretty much 1-3 hits for anything on MASTER settings. I used to only use a Daedric dagger with 31 life absorbion + fire but it took more swings and drained the dagger faster - got tired of refilling it so much. Backstab Perk in the sneak tree multiplies sneak damage from any 1 hander by 6 if you need to do that.
Alchemy/enchants rule everything. I can make +150% destruction damage potions when i go mage, 100% damage 1 hand/bow potions and I always buy all the Ultimate potions of "full health" from the dealers when it gets ugly - and it can get ugly on MASTER settings when you have 2-3 Necros casting on you when you dont kill them steathly.
If I wished to be a caster for a while I click on all my gear which by the way gives me like 500% regen/+150% less cost, and makes my Destruction spells nearly free to cast. I never drop below 90% magicka spamming anything as long as i want.
The truth is - its too easy to get "OP" me thinks. But I am still enjoying the game.