[Mason Nevitt]

Looking for experienced 1h/shield players for the following questions based on perk choices-- I'm extremely picky with perks, and playing as a Cleric I have a bunch of different skills so the perks are spread out. I'm looking for places to save points:

Block:

• Is 5/5 Shield Wall necessary? 1/5 gives you +20% shield bonus which is awesome, but after that it only increases by 5% per point? How critical is 40% bonus vs 20% bonus? 4 points are a lot.
  
• While the right side of the block tree looks more fun (Power Bash, Deadly Bash, Disarming Bash) the left side looks more pracitcal (Deflect Arrows, Elemental Protection, and Block Runner). The end goal is to get Shield Charge, I don't have the points to go up both sides of the tree. Which is better?

Heavy Armor:

• 5/5 Juggernaut gives +100% armor, so I assume all 5 points are a must-have. Correct?
  
• Again, I'm not looking to max out the entire tree. Up the left side, "Conditioning" states "H. Armor weighs nothing and doesn't slow you down." What does "slow down" mean? Stamina regen, or physical speed? The right side of the tree is much more appealing...

[x a million...]

The thing with those base level perks is that you will probably hit the caps without them. You are looking for 85% in both, which depends on a whole lot of other factors. I would say you definitely don't need all of them.

I think the right side of the Block tree is more fun, and I don't think you need to go the route of making Heavy Armor weightless.

[james tait]

Block:

1. 5/5 Shield Wall is unecessary. 1/5 +20% is fine.
2. Going up the left side of the tree was more fun for me and allowed for greater survival. Block runner will let you move at normal speed during a quick reflexes. Which will in turn allow you to run around your opponent. Disarming bash? Any enemy power attack will be avoided with block runner and any normal hit will do pathetic damage through my shield. Enemies can keep their weapons.

Heavy Armor:

1. 5/5 Juggernaut isn't necessary with a shield if you're using smithing, if you're not then I would take all five. 3/5 with daedric let me hit over 580 armor with a shield on.
2. Might want to look at the Steed Standing Stone before you use 3 perks on Conditioning.
-slow down means more stamina use from running and slower movement speed, you will notice a massive improvement with Conditioning or Steed Stone.

[sam]

Does steed stone have the exact same effect as conditioning, i.e. faster and less stamina used? I've not used Heavy Armor much and am really turned off by the stamina consumption and speed... if I don't have to use 3 perks to get conditioning and can just use the stone instead I'd be very very happy!

[alicia hillier]

Left side of the block tree is definitely the way to go if you're choosing.

[Trevor Bostwick]

Yeah, left side of the Block tree is definately more useful than the right side. Being able to mitigate more types of damage while being able to move faster is pure win.
I personally took all the perks in Heavy Armor on my Nord Warrior. With "Conditioning", it's a night and day difference than without it. You can move much faster and sprint for much longer with "Conditioning". I suppose you could take the Steed Stone for a similar effect, but that's also using up the Stone enchantment, which could be used on a much stronger Stone, like the Lord Stone.
Overall, i find Heavy Armor perks to be much better than the Light Armor perks, considering they give "Unique" effects. The -50% Stagger from "Tower of Strength" is very useful, and isn't something that can be found on gear or enchanted. The only other stagger resistance ability i've found is the "Force Without Effort" perk from meditating with Paarthurnax. The -50% Fall Damage from "Cushioned" is yet another effect that is unique and only the Heavy Armor perk offers. Light Armor get's +50% Stamina Regen from "Windwalker", but that is in no way unique. Enchantments and Potions can easily offer that.

[Dean Brown]

Block is bugged. If you pick Deflect Arrows Perk it caps your blocking for every kind of attack at 85.

[JD bernal]

0. im not an experienced shield user. Theorycrafting ahead
1. Depends, look in the numbers thread. block is maxed with 4/5 block
2. Powerbash knocks people down, but left side has definitely more utility.
3. 1/5 juggernaut is enough to reach armor cap.
4. slow down means no more armor penalty to moving speed


Have you started the game already? You cant use shield&weapon and healing spells simultaneously in this game. After playing a bit like this i dropped shield completety. physical damage reduction through armor even w/o shield can reach 80%

[Adam Porter]

Overall, i find Heavy Armor perks to be much better than the Light Armor perks, considering they give "Unique" effects. The -50% Stagger from "Tower of Strength" is very useful, and isn't something that can be found on gear or enchanted.

Tower of Strength is also bugged, and does absolutely nothing.

[Tai Scott]

After 200 hours of playing Healer with Respite, and hence having all stamina potions reduced to loot for sale, I started a heavy armour sword and board Redguard, and found them invaluable (only level 4 so far, so stamina still low). Don't forget you have them early in the game. As for the perks, any help against archers and the inevitable large mobs of mages has to be worth it's metaphorical weight in gold, imho.

[Shelby McDonald]

Yeah, left side of the Block tree is definately more useful than the right side. Being able to mitigate more types of damage while being able to move faster is pure win.
I personally took all the perks in Heavy Armor on my Nord Warrior. With "Conditioning", it's a night and day difference than without it. You can move much faster and sprint for much longer with "Conditioning". I suppose you could take the Steed Stone for a similar effect, but that's also using up the Stone enchantment, which could be used on a much stronger Stone, like the Lord Stone.
Overall, i find Heavy Armor perks to be much better than the Light Armor perks, considering they give "Unique" effects. The -50% Stagger from "Tower of Strength" is very useful, and isn't something that can be found on gear or enchanted. The only other stagger resistance ability i've found is the "Force Without Effort" perk from meditating with Paarthurnax. The -50% Fall Damage from "Cushioned" is yet another effect that is unique and only the Heavy Armor perk offers. Light Armor get's +50% Stamina Regen from "Windwalker", but that is in no way unique. Enchantments and Potions can easily offer that.

You have been misinformed. The stamina regen rate is +50% per light armor piece, so +200% all together. Nothing in the heavy tree can match that, the light armor perks also have less steep requirements, you can get the 'weightless armor' perk at 50, heavy armor its 70, considering how slowly armor levels. Light armor > Heavy armor.

Looking for experienced 1h/shield players for the following questions based on perk choices-- I'm extremely picky with perks, and playing as a Cleric I have a bunch of different skills so the perks are spread out. I'm looking for places to save points:

Block:

• Is 5/5 Shield Wall necessary? 1/5 gives you +20% shield bonus which is awesome, but after that it only increases by 5% per point? How critical is 40% bonus vs 20% bonus? 4 points are a lot.
  
• While the right side of the block tree looks more fun (Power Bash, Deadly Bash, Disarming Bash) the left side looks more pracitcal (Deflect Arrows, Elemental Protection, and Block Runner). The end goal is to get Shield Charge, I don't have the points to go up both sides of the tree. Which is better?

Heavy Armor:

• 5/5 Juggernaut gives +100% armor, so I assume all 5 points are a must-have. Correct?
  
• Again, I'm not looking to max out the entire tree. Up the left side, "Conditioning" states "H. Armor weighs nothing and doesn't slow you down." What does "slow down" mean? Stamina regen, or physical speed? The right side of the tree is much more appealing...

You don't need the first block perk 4 times, you only need it once, the same with sneak. I would recommend getting both sides of the block tree, they are all useful tbh, but if I had to choose I'd say the left side, the shield movement perk is invaluable.

You don't need 5/5 of the juggernaut perk either, if your really desperate to meet the armor cap without smithing then it would help. If you lightly use smithing as you level up (only taking the steep and arcane perk, improving what you find) then you will be able to meet the cap with quite basic armor at high levels. Considering your blocking with a shield, you really don't need to meet the cap, even on master.

You will need the conditioning perk with heavy armor, trust me. It makes your armor weightless (in terms of inventory weight). Normally with heavy armor you use more stamina and move more slowly, the perk gets rid of both of those penalties.

[Frank Firefly]

do you by chance have a source for that info?? 200% stamina regen would be huge.

[luis dejesus]

do you by chance have a source for that info?? 200% stamina regen would be huge.

Read the description of the perk, its +200%, so stamina will regenerate 3x as fast. This will mean in combat, your stamina will regen at 100%, which makes light armor so much better than heavy for melee characters.

[Vahpie]

Tower of Strength is also bugged, and does absolutely nothing.

Nope, it works. My Nord Warrior has it, and he can take a full "Fus Ro Da" to the face from Draugr Deathlords and even Ulfric if i decide to piss him off, and my Warrior just flinches. Doesn't fling him across the room, doesn't interrupt his attacks, doesn't drop his shield when blocking, nothing. Just a slight wobble.

You have been misinformed. The stamina regen rate is +50% per light armor piece, so +200% all together. Nothing in the heavy tree can match that, the light armor perks also have less steep requirements, you can get the 'weightless armor' perk at 50, heavy armor its 70, considering how slowly armor levels. Light armor > Heavy armor.

"Stamina regenerates 50% faster in all Light Armor: Head, Chest, Hands, Feet" is specifically what the "Windwalker" perk states. It's +50%. My Dunmer Nightblade has it, and it is most definately not +200%. Both Heavy Armor and Light Armor level up pretty fast when taking a beating from a Giant. I was able to take my Nord Warrior from 90 - 100 Heavy Armor within 5-10 minutes of letting a Giant beat on me as i healed through it, and that was without the Warrior Stone or Well Rested (Can't get that, Werewolf).

[Harinder Ghag]

"Stamina regenerates 50% faster in all Light Armor: Head, Chest, Hands, Feet" is specifically what the "Windwalker" perk states. It's +50%. My Dunmer Nightblade has it, and it is most definately not +200%. Both Heavy Armor and Light Armor level up pretty fast when taking a beating from a Giant. I was able to take my Nord Warrior from 90 - 100 Heavy Armor within 5-10 minutes of letting a Giant beat on me as i healed through it, and that was without the Warrior Stone or Well Rested (Can't get that, Werewolf).

I think you may be right, could have sworn it was for each light armor piece. Haven't used light armor in a while, been using cloth. My bad!

Nope, it works. My Nord Warrior has it, and he can take a full "Fus Ro Da" to the face from Draugr Deathlords and even Ulfric if i decide to piss him off, and my Warrior just flinches. Doesn't fling him across the room, doesn't interrupt his attacks, doesn't drop his shield when blocking, nothing. Just a slight wobble.

Fus Ro Da isn't stagger, you will still get thrown about from Draugr Deathlords, Fus Ro is stagger. When the Draugr Scourge use Fus Ro Da against you, for some reason it does damage and slightly staggers you instead of throwing you about. You probably got hit from Draugr Scourge Fus Ro Da.

The perk or the meditating on Fus won't stop you being thrown about, wards will.

[Eibe Novy]

Nope, it works. My Nord Warrior has it, and he can take a full "Fus Ro Da" to the face from Draugr Deathlords and even Ulfric if i decide to piss him off, and my Warrior just flinches. Doesn't fling him across the room, doesn't interrupt his attacks, doesn't drop his shield when blocking, nothing. Just a slight wobble.

My dunmer assassin in nightingale/shrouded mix doesn't get flung back by Fus Ro Da. I'm fairly sure the stagger chance is modified by your level relative to the draugr's, your weight, and just plain blocking. All these could mask the perk not working. http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim_talk:Heavy_Armor#Tower_of_Strength_bugged.

I do have a sword & board character who has this perk, too. And it doesn't seem to do anything.

[Meghan Terry]

My reason for choosing the right side of the block tree is that it gives you a different tactical option in combat, whereas on the other side it is more just increasing your defensive power, which is more boring to me. I find bashing in combat to be fun. Also it raises the block skill faster.

[Sheila Esmailka]

My reason for choosing the right side of the block tree is that it gives you a different tactical option in combat, whereas on the other side it is more just increasing your defensive power, which is more boring to me. I find bashing in combat to be fun. Also it raises the block skill faster.

Why not go for both sides though? All the perks are useful, the last perk is overpowered as hell.

[Brentleah Jeffs]

Why not go for both sides though? All the perks are useful, the last perk is overpowered as hell.

The OP said he doesn't have the points.

[stephanie eastwood]

The OP said he doesn't have the points.

Must be able to find 4 perk points somewhere, they do a lot more than most other perks IMO.

[Jonathan Montero]

left tree side for both... heavy armor and blocking. you get 50% magic resistance with the shieldperk + 25% if you use the lord stone = 75%, which is almost the cap. i for myself love that fact, but i don't know what kind of player you are... i don't like to enchant everything to become completely overpowered and through the stone and the shieldperk i get the needed magic restistance and i'm fine.

and to the armor... since you use a shield, you really don't need the extra armor from the right side of the heavy armor tree.

[mollypop]

Until the next patch, if it does fix this, all you need is deflect arrows perk and block is maxed to 85. I dont even think it will e fixed though

[Stacy Hope]

Have you started the game already? You cant use shield&weapon and healing spells simultaneously in this game. After playing a bit like this i dropped shield completety. physical damage reduction through armor even w/o shield can reach 80%

With hotkeys it is pretty much simultaneous-- if I need a heal I have to disengage from combat regardless.