I'm usually a one handed blade/dagger dual wielding maniac, who just charges at enemies LOL and in Oblivion I had ONE sneak/archery character. I do remember how much fun it was and how my heart pounded when I was sneaking through dark caves, sniping my targets in dead silence. It gives you a rush like nothing else. It's like YES NAILED IT (or him or her lol). My third Skyrim character is such a shadow archer character. I have to pay to get light armor training, because the enemies hardly touch me anymore! LOL

I can slow time when I hold my breath and shoot a moving target. Just knowing that your enemies are completely oblivious to you, is a powerful feeling!

Oh and I agree with others here. I play FPS games as well, but using a bow in Skyrim, never reminded me of say Half Life 2 for example LOL

I use bows on almost all of my characters. The exception is my mage.

I guess I like them so much because I'm an avid bowhunter in real life. I actually just put over $450 in my newest compound bow. O_o

Yes ninjas are indeed very cheap and cowardly too

Jeez, Im not saying you have to be GOOD, it just takes a little more care. And all the characters I've played have been melee based (on master) so I would say Im alright at melee.

I'm pretty sure bows were around before guns so why did you even bring up CoD?

Because (imo) its a far more fun alternative to Destruction.

-It doesn't have an extremely strict reliance on enchanting and using only 1 enchantment.
-it is effected by sneak damage
-has an arch, making things less boring and more skillfull.
-has the cool zoom and slow effect
-doesn't have 100% stagger which I find boring and bad design choice in destruction.
-less reliant on mods to make it fun (destro)

OK, well, that's your perception

What's COD? Is that a game?

Whoa, slow down. CoD is rated "Mature." Surely there aren't that many kids playing it? Or Skyrim, for that matter? I just... I just don't see that happening.

Amen, 2 master vamp dead thralls? challenge? lolololol

Archery is good for stealth and taking out melee opponents from afar when you're trying to head into a fort with 5+ people who are all gonna rush you if you just step in with a sword.. nothing to do with "COD kids," dummy.




Funniest post I've seen in a while. You think parents CARE that their 9-13 year olds are playing COD shouting n*gger at each other?

This is 2012. All hope is lost, sir.

• Archery in Oblivion was not enjoyable. In Skyrim, it is fun, and apparently can be maxed out to be pretty nasty.

I think some people have so little going for them in life, that the only way they can get any sort of attention (whether it be negitive or positive) is by bestowing their self proclaimed superiority nonsense onto faceless randoms, on some random internet gaming forum.

I mean, wouldn't life be so simple if psychoanolysts could simply judge a person's mindset based on the games s/he plays?

this thread proves you don't need to play CoD as to come across as a complete and utter bellend.

Why do so many enjoy archery?

1) You can do damage to enemies before they can harm you. From sneak and while enemies "close the gap."

2) Easier to take out high priority targets w/ ranged sneak

3) Poisoned arrows, poisoned arrows, poisoned arrows. Add dam or debuff your choice. The synergy between alchemy and archery is amazing. Being able to do this from the safety of long range and not in melee range is what makes this ability shine.

4) You're not getting a sneak attack bonus with ranged magic.

5) You don't wait for dragons to land. You force them to with an arrow to that soft underbelly.

6) Bows are silent and don't break sneak.

7) Harvesting souls with a soul trapping bow is quite effective since you have the ability to one shot most low lvl monsters from sneak.

8) Arrows have no weight.

9) Making insanely long distance attacks and other impossible shots for style points.

10) Stagger perk makes bows completely viable in CQC. Smashing enemies in the face with your bow is also entertaining.

11) Adds something to any build that lacks ranged combat. Warrior archer, mystic archer, etc.

12) The paralyze ability from enchantments and perking makes you a ranged damage crowd controlling god.

13) Only need 3 perks from the sneak tree for max synergy w/ sneak.

The problem with archery? It is too damn good.

It's really satisfying to put an arrow through a target's forehead (or the back of the head; both work). I get the same feeling from that as the headshots with Lincoln's Repeater in FO3. It never gets old. There is a very, very similar feeling between the archery in Skryim and playing with my favorite rifles in FO3. What can I say? I'm a svcker for great weapons when shooting at bad guys in Beth games. I almost love my bows as much as I loved LR. And, to add to the love affair, I can enchant my bows with fire. What's not to love about that?

I like it because it gets my sneak level up and can you get the x3 bonus from a sneak attack. I like to use archery when I notice there's a group of guys waiting for me because with a sneak attack I can usually take out one of them in one hit or take a lot of health from them.

Combine Archery with Sneak is awesome.And is really fun to watch the bandits searching and asking "is someone there?' hahaha

Only read the first few posts but my first (and currently only character) in Skyrim has been a Bosmer Archer and he is bad @$$. I am currently up to Archery Level 70 with a Enchanted and Superior Glass Bow. A few enchantments on my gear and a bunch of Archery and Sneak Perks later and I am downing people in a single hit. Not to mention, I can just keep hitting people while they run up to me and they usually can't do a darn thing about it. Use my companion to tank for a sec and their as good as dead without taking a single hit point damage.

Archery is good if you keep a spare bow enchanted with soul trap, its a great way to get quickly get those crystals charged.

This is not unique to games, but reality. When's the last time you saw a modern army deploy a platoon of swordsmen instead of going all-ranged?


There's a nice mod idea: Damage bonus for underbelly hits on dragons. (Or, more likely, reduced damage for hitting them anywhere else, since so many people complain that dragons are too easy.)


They're pretty quiet, but not completely silent. If you pay close attention, you can sometimes see that the sneak eye opens slightly as soon as you release an arrow, before it actually hits.

Yeah, because using a bow in skyrim is anything like COD (and makes you a "kid"). I suppose swords make it god of war? I think there should be some sort of screening process for posting here.

Think about it like this why would any one want to learn to use a bow & arrow when they can learn to shoot fireballs from there hands, this applies to any game or scenario with both options.

it's a valid strategie like any other, sneak/ligth armour max your archery perk tree win

Free skill increases up to 75 via Aela the Huntress.

Fireballs are not very discrete when assasinating people.