Hi all

Traditionally I've always played warrior style, heavy armor, 2 handers, going for all out dps, getting kicks out of finding the biggest heaviest stuff and making it work. Also I'm pretty useless at handling magic so I've always shyed away from it. Although I also sneak and steal constantly.

This time I'm trying something new - khajit, fighting with archery + dual wielding daggers, big focus on sneaking/stealth, using magic to heal myself and also using fire a bit too. I'm using light armor.

The problem is, I've no idea whether I'm just going to completely gimp myself. I'm doing some alchemy too which I've never done before, as I get through a lot of potions. I don't really know what to focus on. I've not been putting much into sneak/lockpick/pickpocket/archery etc because I use those so much I'm letting them skill up (though I do need to get some more perks) but I've just no idea what I should be focusing on.

Is it just a case of trying stuff out to see what suits? I want to have a good balance but not be adding points to useless things. I'm really struggling to down a dragon at the mo, I find myself using potions at a ridiculous rate in most situations and just want to make sure I'm able to do some damage as time wears on...

Basically any general advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Matt

From what I see, you're spending quite a lot of time with potions and getting attacked, I'd suggest sneaking from a distance as I do, It's great for training too, try and use a bow and pick targets off from a way away, then wait for everybody to calm down and do the same again until there's nobody alive.

But yeah, my character is an assassin, but he's got good thievery skills too.

You will need all three stealth damage increasing perks, as well as all the damage increasing perks for one-handed and archery. My current dagger does insanely high backstab damage, 720. Archery let's me pick out foe's from far away. Destruction let's me 'panic cast' spells in opponents face if I'm seen, The dual-wielding attack speed booster allows me to use my full stamina bar to use power attacks with. Just 2 more perks for dual-wielding, two from one-handed damage increase, one for archery damage increase and the master sneak perk and I've reached the top of what my char can do.

I would, however, not spend points to 'unnecessary skills' as it'll make your combat efficiency suffer greatly. (stuff like pick-pocket and lock-pick and restoration and speech and alchemy etc will make you less of a killing-machine, if you start spending perks on them too early on).

well i'd say sneak, archery and alchemy will get you a long way....poison, heal potions and sneak attack with daggers or bows...archery is pretty powerfull, i simply dont like it...

if you want to add stuff i'd add light armor, one handed and alteration (for the + armor spells)

thats pretty much what i have, except that i exchanged archery for destruction (cause im playing a darkelf and didnt want to miss out on the magic)

block could also be an addition if you always end up in the middle of the fight (if you cant take em out silently with the bow, but shouldnt happen to often - bow gameplay is SUPER easy here you can simply hide again....)

backstabbing enemies is also easy...take two dagger, pull out your shoes, cast muffle, take out any lights and you can sneak up on pretty much everything even with a low sneak skill

one option that i might try out myself is adding the destruction runes to an archer - imagine this:

casting fire rune in front of you,

posion-sneak-attack an enemy with the bow

assumin he doesnt die he starts charging you while you keep shooting and backing away

before he reaches you he steps on your rune and takes another load...this should take out most enemies except maybe these damn chaurus....

Get money, join the thieves guild and then ask the guys there to train you! Simple!

I have an Assassin question.

One dagger and shield? Or dual wielding daggers? What if I get in the middle of 3 bandits?

Go into the sneak tree but I would join the dark brotherhood ASAP! For some cool amour with nice stealth benefits!
Once you get a little deeper in the sneak tree it gets a lot easier! I am only lv 16 but 1 shotting a lot of people now from behind
I am also dual dagger and bow for long range attacks!

Put a couple points into 1 hand as well, the first one to get more damage and also the flurry one for more speed

wouldnt cut out alchemy completly. poison and bows work very well...if you get all the perks, poisons get twice as strong and last twice as long...thats quite som additional attack power

Thanks guys.

I do have points in 1h + some of the others mentioned here, I'm always just wary of whether I'm putting too much or not enough in, or spreading them too thin etc!

My archery is picking up nicely, it's about 37 now I think. It's great against bandits, but takes ages to take down say, a frost troll.

Even so I appear to be broadly on the right lines, but thieves' guild is definitely next on my list, always enjoyed that.

thanks again
Matt

That extra attack power isn't worth it, either you kill your opponent with one shot or you don't. That extra damage from one arrow isn't going to change that nearly at all. Besides, poisons are literally free: just hunt down some spiders or grind for gold and buy them. Not worth spending perks for that.

A great thing to do when you're an archer is to ALWAYS sneak! It gives you double damage if the enemy dont see you and you level up your sneak

Yarr but then it takes forever to get anywhere! I do it in dungeons etc though definitely. ta!

Matt

Yeah that was what i meant XD always sneak in battle when you see an enemy!