What is your favourite build?

I'll apologize if this has already been created, but after ten pages there were not any matches.

Please describe your favourite build, and, by extension, explain why, if you'd like. Also, talk about your current builds or WiPs as well! Oh, and for those of you who play Skyrim on PC: Feel free to talk about your builds with mods.

I'll begin with a little background (for no apparent reason). I originally bought Skyrim on PS3 on release date. I was terribly excited for Elder Scrolls 5; and, I'll admit, I was not in any way dissatisfied. I had attempted to indulge in Oblivion for a little while, though, it, simply, did not leave the impression Morrowind had. In short, Morrowind changed my life-- and my view on games. Suffice to say it was a big pair of shoes to fill... Carrying on... How does this tie into builds? Well, Elder Scrolls 5 underwent some drastic changes in how leveling up affected you character as compared to Morrowind. It has taken some getting used, however, the determination to find a "perfect" build had, for the better part of a decade, always been the driving motivator.

Perhaps it is in my maturity, point of view, whatever else that could be argued the cause, in the short time of returning to Skyrim, I have grown more interested in developing-- I believe folks around here call them "roleplaying" builds. (There was a good couple years where I couldn't play Skyrim. I totally lost interest after the rise of the crazy fps issues shortly thereafter. Early 2014 I re-bought the game for 360.) Despite the massive shrinkage of attributes and the discarding of several skills, the perks system offers a lot of character customization in other ways. As a result, this is where my recent endeavors have brought me; here (to the forums) and here (writing stuff for the forums).

My favourite builds thus far:

1. Spellsword. I'll unlock skills that benefit someone who enjoys casting spells and using sword techniques. I rarely ever ask for aid on these builds. I find the combination of spells, steel, and poisons are enough to make it through even the hardest scenarios.

2. Necromancer. When there's a dead body on the floor, I have a hard time leaving it there. With this build I usually tie it closely to summoning as well. Atronachs, especially Frost, and Dremora Lords are always fun to keep the pain train moving along. 'Course, I do wish there were more choices when resorting to conjurations and such...

3. Finally, my favourite build to date is one that does not progress vertically. I realize this may sound odd, but I've had unending enjoyment from leaving a character at level one, and making it in the cruel world however I can that way. It is, most likely, due to the very fact that it takes so much time and patience to succeed that this build has become my crest in accomplishment.

My current WiPs include a Vampiric Necromancer (Breton) and a pure One-Handed build (Khajiit). I've talked a little about my VN in the Thrall Thread, but for those that don't tread there-- for fear of the dead, obviously... It involves a strict blueprint outlined by the Necromage perk in Restoration. By leveling Conjuration to 100, Restoration to 70, Alteration & Illusion to 90, and Destruction, Smithing & One-Handed to 60, it should be possible to stunt vertical growth at level 40 and maintain wide access to the Dead Thrall spell. While everything is going quite well with this build, it is currently on hold, for focus on my second WiP.

The pure One-Handed build is just that: A pure One-Handed build, although, with attention to axes. I'd like to level One-Handed to 90, stunt vertical progression at 14, and then make everything bleed... I chuckle while reading that back... This is my main and central intent. Make everything bleed!

Well, I've talked a bit about mine. Care to share some of yours?

My favorite build, hmm.........
I gotta say, it's a dead tie between my monk and my thief.

Monk: I played this character like a scholar, always hungry for knowledge. He went to the college of winterhold to learn about alteration and restoration. Studied with the greybeards and meditated on the throat of the world to learn more about restoration(stood in the wind and dual-casted healing). Only ever fought with his fists and wore robes(but rarely college robes, he learned how to enchant his own). The only exception was the daedric gauntlets on his fists, which he used to pump his unarmed damage. Eventually his damage was simply too low, even with shouts, so I allowed the use of katana like weapons. Blades swordss, dragonbane, and eventually the ebony blade(it was a dark time in his life).

Thief: This character used NO combat skills, nor carried any weapons. He was a master pickpocket: travelling through skyrim and paying his way around with what he stole from others. It was quite awhile before he even joined the thieves guild even! He did join them of course and even joined the dark brotherhood. If he had to kill you, he'd either take your own weapon and slit your throat with it, or leave a poison in your pocket and let it do the work for you.

Other than those, I've enjoyed the pure archer, the barbarian(two handed.light armor) and a character based off of me(crossbow, fire magic, stealth, smithing, one handed) before my computer died.

I like the idea behind your monk character. To meditate at the Throat of the World is something I would never have thought of. He must have been bald too!

RedNeK said:

Other than those, I've enjoyed the pure archer, the barbarian(two handed.light armor) and a character based off of me(crossbow, fire magic, stealth, smithing, one handed) before my computer died.

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I've actually thought of building a pure archer for a while now. How did you manage leveling and points? Did you just unlock the whole tree?

I hope you're not still computerless... That's practically a sin...

HouseHosted said:

I like the idea behind your monk character. To meditate at the Throat of the World is something I would never have thought of. He must have been bald too!

RedNeK said:

Other than those, I've enjoyed the pure archer, the barbarian(two handed.light armor) and a character based off of me(crossbow, fire magic, stealth, smithing, one handed) before my computer died.

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I've actually thought of building a pure archer for a while now. How did you manage leveling and points? Did you just unlock the whole tree?

I hope you're not still computerless... That's practically a sin...

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I am not computerless, though the craptop I now have can't handle Skyrim..........
As for how I managed it: I put perks in the left side up to power shot, only took the first perk for slowing time while aiming(whichever one that is) and only took one point for the critical damage perk so that I could get to ranger(faster bow draw speed). Never took the very top perk. Some other useful skills: Sneak(make that first shot really hurt), alchemy(Poisons are wonderful), block(The bash perks, so your bow can be an emergency melee weapon), smithing(if you really want to boost your bow damage), enchanting(if you really need more damage or effects), and light armor for passive stamina regen eventually and because you might get hit once or twice at some point.

Hrm... *strokes invisible Gandalf-esque beard*

Crusader: I admit, I really love the idea of a battlemage, but it feels weird not to block any oncoming hits with a shield or anything. I'm not really comfortable with taking a hell of a lot of damage with Heavy Armor on either, especially on higher difficulty settings. Thus my thoughts on a crusader (my take on a better battlemage) were born, and are the focus for one my current characters. Whereas a warrior or knight generally uses a sword-and-board setup with archery as a utility skill, I decided to use a sword-and-board character with magic as a utility skill (specifically Conjuration and Restoration). Summoning powerful atronachs will take the attention off of you in combat, but still allow you to wade into the thick of battle and take several hits without getting damaged nearly as much as a non-blocking battlemage (which focuses on keeping foes at a distance, much like a pure mage), all while dominating with your trusty weapon. The only downside is that it takes a fair bit of hotkeying favorites on a PC to use quickly and efficiently, since you'll be switching back and forth between magic and a weapon back and forth in the same hand for almost every battle. Major Skills: One-Handed, Block, Heavy Armor, offensive magic of your choice (I recommend either Conjuration or Destruction). Minor Skills: Restoration, Smithing, Enchanting.

Ranger: There's just something so gratifying about not using any form of magic for some builds. This particular one (my take on a ranger, which blends certain elements of the warrior and archer together) is centered around agility; moving around and blocking as necessary after using archery at a distance to thin out the herd. It's also one of the best builds to use alchemy with; I often found myself mixing together deadly poisons and powerful potions to augment my fighting power. While this build may not be suitable for the stand-and-deliver type of combat, it's still one of the few that I still enjoy playing regularly. Major Skills: Archery, One-Handed, Alchemy, Light Armor. Minor Skills: Block, Sneak, Smithing.

Defiler: Similar to the aforementioned crusader, but with necromancy and Bound Battleaxe instead (until you can create and upgrade better weapons, that is). Basically, this is an eviler, more ruthless, and more careless version of the first build on this list, and it's sooo fun to play. Bashing in the skulls of your enemies, then raising them to do your bidding. What's not to love? Major Skills: Two-Handed, Conjuration, Block, Enchanting. Minor Skills: Heavy Armor, Smithing.

Illusionist/Nightblade: The biggest glass cannon of my favorite builds, but one of the greatest, in my opinion. This one never gets old for me. Every battle is a puzzle waiting to be solved, yet when an attempted manipulation or kill goes awry, this build can still hold its own briefly. This is my take on an assassin, which disregards conventional long-distance techniques like archery. Dual-wielding and dual-casting, this build is a deadly force to be reckoned with should all go according to plan. Major Skills: Sneak, Illusion, One-Handed. Minor Skills: Alteration, Restoration, Light Armor, Speech.

My all time favorite build would have to be the battlemage - my definition of one being a mage who has a one handed weapon in one hand and a spell in the other, though can dual wield spells as well. My main character is a battlemage and being a Bosmer as well, she's pretty good with a bound bow (or any bow, really) as well. She was tough to make at first and died tons, and took a bit of paid training to do, but now at level 54 she's a total badass. I just adore her. Unfortunately though her save is pretty buggy, so eventually I will have to re-make her.. But I think it'll be worth it. And just as fun as the first time.
My second favorite build would have to be the sneak archer. I've always played thieves and rogues on other RP games so perhaps that's partly why - or maybe it's just because there is something supremely satisfying about taking out an entire dungeon without being seen.
And my third would be between a two handed warrior and an Illusion assassin. Both are just TONS of fun to play.


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Nocte Aeterna said:

Ranger: There's just something so gratifying about not using any form of magic for some builds. This particular one (my take on a ranger, which blends certain elements of the warrior and archer together) is centered around agility; moving around and blocking as necessary after using archery at a distance to thin out the herd. It's also one of the best builds to use alchemy with; I often found myself mixing together deadly poisons and powerful potions to augment my fighting power. While this build may not be suitable for the stand-and-deliver type of combat, it's still one of the few that I still enjoy playing regularly. Major Skills: Archery, One-Handed, Alchemy, Light Armor. Minor Skills: Block, Sneak, Smithing.

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You know, I have a very hard time separating any playstyle from magic use entirely. I always end up unlocking Respite and using flesh spells. Honestly, the first time I've ever gone more than one session without using a spell is on my most recent pure One-Handed build. I'll agree, it is satisfying; but, I'm sure, not entirely out of enjoyment or of some other relating to fun activity one can pursue.

Defiler:... ...

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Basically, this is an eviler, more ruthless, and more careless version of the first build on this list, and it's sooo fun to play. Bashing in the skulls of your enemies, then raising them to do your bidding. What's not to love? Major Skills: Two-Handed, Conjuration, Block, Enchanting. Minor Skills: Heavy Armor, Smithing.

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Yes, it is a great way to handle those fallen on the battlefield...

Every battle is a puzzle waiting to be solved

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This best describes my methodology to RPGs. I'll almost always pick the hardest possible path/route and try and try until I succeed. The biggest question raised in an impossible scenario isn't, "Do I even stand a chance?" It's, "Sure, I could do it that way. It seems logical, but how about doing it this way instead?"

ecozombie said:

Unfortunately though her save is pretty buggy, so eventually I will have to re-make her.. But I think it'll be worth it. And just as fun as the first time.

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Oh, it always is. The biggest reward, I find, is from attempting the same build, but inadvertently coming up with different-- and more effective results. I've startled myself a few times over errors in judgement in perk choices, or decisions on when to activate/close a quest. The second, third, or even, fourth time around is when you know you're getting somewhere gooood...

By Far, Thalmor Wizard was a most fun experience. Murdering lesser beings, killing those that oppose the Dominion's rules. Looking the type of a superior Elven Being in elegant robes of only the finest silk. By Auriel the exquisite materials that do so make our weapons are nothing but the best. I recommend this build to those that desire unjust justice. For it suits the mood well.

I have tried a few different builds but I always fall back onto my favourite all time build:

Sneak Archer: Doesn't matter what race, but usually a nord female. I will use a bow almost exclusively. I will join the Dawnguard purely to get the Dwarven crossbow. Then when I have my enchanting and smithing and archery up to max I end up with an Enhanced, Legendary Dwarven Crossbow with one or two different enchantments on it. Usually frost and fire. I don't tend to use the elemental bolts, just ordinary Dwarven bolts, which I make sure I have tonnes of. I always end up getting the bow up to around 300 damage. But then I like to make Archery Legendary a few times, just to make it interesting (I play on either Master or Legendary difficulty)

So my character is high in sneak and usually attacks from a ranged position, or snipes. Early on she may duel wield swords as well. If I am feeling like doing that I will get her one-handed up high and make two Legendary dragonbone swords that have a different enchantment on them. Sometimes I will make a daedric bow with soul capture for when she needs to go out hunting for more soul gems to fill.

She will almost always be in light armour. I used to make a couple of sets of Dragonscale armour. Enchant one with Archery and another with one-handed. Once you get the perk "unhindered" it doesn't matter how many sets you carry, they weigh nothing. Lately though I have been selecting maybe one set and sticking to it. Like a simple fur armour or if she goes for the saviors hide. I actually like the female Foreswron armour as well. I like my female nords to look a little more feral (especially if she is a Werewolf, which is always..) so the foresworn armour suits well.

Apart from that, like I said, she is always a Werewolf (hate vampires). Depends on what she does (leaning towards good or evil) she will buy one of the Hearthfire houses.. most times it's lakeview for a good character, winstad manor for evil, and she will marry but after she has done a lot of adventuring...maybe after the main quest is finished.

My other most favourite build was my very first character, a Khajiit who used shock sells and the nightingale armour and bow. Her destruction in shock magic was awesome.

Damnn still need to start my 'Ysmir build' A guy with draping robes with a omfg what a beard!

Everyones just going to be like "Ysmir's beard Its a dragon ! " and I'llbe like Oh? Thanks for letting me know. Or I'll hear "Ysmir's beard! This doesn't look good" and I'll be like " What doesn't look good ?" Or the Guard will say "Wait... I know you...YSMIR'S BEARD!" and I be gone with the wind.

Serial Killer Argonian that lives in the sewers under Goldenglow.

Daelon DuLac said:

Serial Killer Argonian that lives in the sewers under Goldenglow.

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I'm intrigued by this one. There's storage and a place to sleep.... Me likey!

rlang290 said:

Daelon DuLac said:

Serial Killer Argonian that lives in the sewers under Goldenglow.

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I'm intrigued by this one. There's storage and a place to sleep.... Me likey!

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Yup. Bed roll and a chest. As far as I can tell, as long as I open it once in a while (in my case usually once a day), it doesn't lose your stuff. You might want to try it with an anchor though - my Bad'Ash doesn't really store stuff.

My favorite build.. hmmm. Tall, redheaded, buxom with thighs that could crack a coconut... oh wait... I'm guessing that's not the kind of "build" we're talking about.

Aerinir said:

By Far, Thalmor Wizard was a most fun experience. Murdering lesser beings, killing those that oppose the Dominion's rules. Looking the type of a superior Elven Being in elegant robes of only the finest silk. By Auriel the exquisite materials that do so make our weapons are nothing but the best. I recommend this build to those that desire unjust justice. For it suits the mood well.

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I usually go after every Thalmor I come across, regardless of the race of my character. However, I am intrigued as to the build you came up with for this. Would you care to share?

Aerinir said:

elegant robes of only the finest silk.

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Thalmor robes are made of silk? I am intrigued.

shadowkitty said:

Once you get the perk "unhindered"

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I'll have to read up more on this one because I've found the Steed Stone, from my experience, does the exact same thing and more. The Steed Stone affects shields whereas the HA/LA perks don't...

I have the Steed Stone and both perks unlocked on an Argonian and shields still weigh me down. I have only the Steed Stone effect attributed to an Altmer and shields do not. I have not gone to great lengths to figure this out, but it's something to consider.

it doesn't matter how many sets you carry, they weigh nothing. Lately though I have been selecting maybe one set and sticking to it.

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I really liked this side-effect. Sadly, it doesn't apply to enchanted random armour. I have run around collecting Banded Iron Armours though. That was fun... and juvenile...

Harkin said:

Damnn still need to start my 'Ysmir build' A guy with draping robes with a omfg what a beard!

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Sounds like you just want to be a Khajiit... with a glorious mane...

I have a pretty beastly battlemage thing in the works. I'm actually thinking of doing both Destruction and Two-Handed. I've tested it, and it's not only viable, but it kicks major ass.

Nocte Aeterna said:

I have a pretty beastly battlemage thing in the works. I'm actually thinking of doing both Destruction and Two-Handed. I've tested it, and it's not only viable, but it kicks major ass.

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Now do it on Legendary difficulty. On anything less than Master such a powerful build would get boring really fast.

The lowest difficulty I play on is Expert. Default for me is Master.

Also, I just really wanted an excuse to use Stalhrim Armor and explore Solstheim as a Dunmer. It just feels amazing to me.