Hopefully someone can help me, this is my first Elder Scrolls game.

I started wanting to make a dual-wielding Assassin style of character, but am really struggling against some of the harder beasts early on, particularly Snow Trolls and Sabre Tooth cats etc. I've managed to get sneak working ok in dungeons, however for the hard/boss story styler encounters it loses it's edge rather dramatically.

I am finding if I have a tough, hard hitting encounter that I struggle to survive and sneak is not much defense because in some scenarios/fights you cannot sneak to the boss. Further to that, if I am on horse and get jumped by a bear, sabretooth or snow troll then I am in deep trouble!

Really, just looking for tips on how you play the steathy, Assassin style - particularly against the above and those boss dungeon encounters. Any advice?

stay away from trolls and sabre tooth's early on! they will own you
go deep in the sneak tree and when you get your sneak up higher it will be harder for them to detect you also assassins blade gives you x15 damage which is awesome!!
use bows as well, as a lot of animals in the wild, its hard to sneak up on them, so a good bow shot from crouching to maximise the crit damage is perfect!

Join the dark brotherhood, their gear is essential for assassin's.

Join the DB and I use a build that includes bow and arrows. It will save your ass trust me. I use dual daggers for close up combat, sometimes dual swords when I need an extra oomph. And for range I use sneak bow and arrow. It gets a lot easier when you get the perks too. Trust me.

Bows and Arrows 100%.

With a decent amount of perks in Archery and Sneak, a sneak attack with a bow will deal enough damage to take out at least half of those nasty beasties health. Having the Dark Brotherhood armor is also worthwhile, because it increases Back-stab Damage, Bow Damage, makes you completely silent, and resistant to poison.

If you take a companion ... they can tank these for you. Even tank specced you can get 3-4 shotted by snow troll at lvl 10 ... companions can take much much more damage. I am trying to figure out how you can face them directly and survive as well.

Stack mutch on health also, and bring alot of poitions

i'm sneak/archery.
and if i can place a sneak attack on a sabertooth, then it's dead by first shot.

but for frost trolls -> fire, use their weakness. you can jab them with a torch in order to est them on fire (or use magic)

As others have said, you may have to skip them.
Or, wait till at night, and then sneak attack them with bow and arrow.
Sneak attack, move away, wait till the eye closes and you are hidden again. Then sneak attack, move away, rinse and repeat.


Then you have to adjust, and not use your horse. You have to go on foot and stealth your way in the wilderness.


Beginners can just use bow and arrow.
If you shoot an enemy while hidden, he won't automatically know where you are. He will go on searching mode and you can just sneak away from the spot where you fired that arrow.
Wait out his search mode until he gives up. Then you shoot him again, rinse and repeat.

Dagger sneak attacks are probably more for that annoying caster that heals back everytime you shoot an arrow, making the arrow sneak attack not as good.Where you just need to kill them outright in 1 shot.

You are basically a king as an assassin in dungeons. Of course, there are drawbacks, and I still haven't figured out how to sneak during dragon fights...

You don't need a horse with light armor anyway. Horse is for heavy armored peeps.

Make good use of poisons. Go vampire for the +25% sneak bonus. Invest in the Sneak tree. Sneak around at night outdoors.(since your a vampire anyways) Rely on bow stealth kills until Sneak skill is high enough for 1handed assassinations.

If you want an easier early game, go for bows and don't attack higher level monsters if you can't beat them using some cheap tactic.

I'm playing an assassin that's about level 10. I don't use bow however i'm focusing a lot on illusion besides the thief skills and i've found a pretty easy way to take down a sabretooth is by using a calm spell,
go around them and backstab then cast it again and so on until it dies. But yeah if you're just playing an assassin straight up without a bow or some magic tricks the early game will probably be a little tough...
Which it usually is for thieves/assassins, but I think is cool, keeps the game more refreshing.

Thanks guys.

I actually find it a lot like playing Thief and it's sequels (this is a good thing) but have been a little frustrated with the boss fights. I've found Dragons ok because I run for cover and hide behind it to avoid breath attacks and then charge them with 2 swords when they land

The archery is fun, and also sniping the fire traps is great (sometimes hanging lamps over oil pits with mobs and if you shoot the rope it drops the lamp onto the oil!).

Really, the only problem I have had is when on horse and for the odd scripted encounter - but I guess the deep Sneak feat for crouching to lose combat would help.

Where do I find theDark Brotherhood? I've only really done Whiterun and High Hrothgar.

Thanks again.