Forums » Elder Scrolls

What is your favorite style? Mage,warrior, or stealth?

    • 1913 posts
    January 11, 2013 12:42 PM EST
    Simply put, which do you like to use more? Stealth, warrior, or magic? I love using stealth, I love the feeling I get when I have to take out a group of people as stealthy as possible, otherwise I might die.
    • 131 posts
    January 11, 2013 12:50 PM EST

    Warrior...tanking...destruction...death. But seriously, I can't really play the sneaky type or the mage style in most games including Skyrim. When I play games I have the mentality of going in weapon ready and walking out victorious and "battle-worn". I do enjoy the other two styles as a small break from the heavy armored tank style I play most of the time in games. Though if I'm going to really play and be dedicated to a game I'll be rolling that warrior style character every single time.

    My main character in Skyrim, Skyler, is a warrior clad in Daedric armor wielding a 2h-Dragonbone Axe ready for battle. I don't sneak in or cast puny magic spells, I run in axe drawn and cut my opponents down. >:)

    • 277 posts
    January 11, 2013 3:08 PM EST

    Any style as long as the RP is nice. :D

    • 40 posts
    January 11, 2013 8:35 PM EST

    Stealth and a bow. Or just a bow. I never get tired of stealth killing with a bow from the shadows.

    • 856 posts
    January 11, 2013 9:30 PM EST

    My mood switches around a bit, and I think overall I prefer a hybrid type.  But when Skyrim first came out, I preferred a stealth dominant character, but at present I am really enjoying a predominantly warrior style - perhaps, sometimes, with a little magic or stealth to spice it up a bit.

    • 1913 posts
    January 11, 2013 9:35 PM EST
    Which is your favorite to use out of the hybrid though? I tried making a nightblade and even though it uses both magic and stealth, I found stealth a lot more important than magic
    • 30 posts
    January 11, 2013 9:36 PM EST

    Depends on what kind of mood I'm in, but I tend to gravitate towards the warrior side of things. Despite how much I loathed playing as a Stormcloak, I'll admit it was fun using Battlecry during the fort battles. Chasing down fleeing enemies with a warhammer was pretty enjoyable.

    More recently though, I enjoy playing hybrids. I have a battlemage and spellsword that I'm playing right now, as well as a sword-n-board warrior who uses sneak. And lastly there is my Imperial rogue: thief, duelist and stealth archer all rolled into one.

    • 856 posts
    January 11, 2013 9:55 PM EST

    As I stated, when Skyrim was first released I preferred 'stealth', but now it is 'warrior'.

    • 253 posts
    January 12, 2013 3:57 AM EST

    I enjoy hybrid builds the most. My favorite aspect of it is the warrior bit, I simply loving chopping things (people) up into little gooey pieces. What helps me like it so much is supporting it with various magics that compliment my warrior skills in some way. I used to enjoy stealth characters, but not as much now, but for hybrid I normally use all three types of skills, but less so of thief/stealth. I simply do not find it as fulfilling late game (early game its a blast). 

    • 966 posts
    January 12, 2013 6:52 AM EST

    My favorite way to play is a warrior that uses plenty of stealth and some magic support.

    • 952 posts
    January 12, 2013 7:02 AM EST

    The one I enjoy most, is the warrior with a warhammer, the one I find to make me feel the biggest most dangerous badass in Tamriel is the pure destruction mage with some conjuration, the one I feel most comfortable with is the stealth archer. 

    • 773 posts
    January 12, 2013 7:07 AM EST

    I must admit to getting quickly bored with hybrid builds - pretty soon it becomes easy enough to blast through anyone and everyone in my path.

    Much more interesting to me are specialised builds, preferably with a strong role playing element to them. Trying to think of ways to solve a challenge without using brute force is more interesting to me than simply battering my way in.

    So, to answer the question, I'd say 'all three' - but in different and distinct builds and play throughs. 

    • 297 posts
    January 12, 2013 7:19 AM EST

    stealth for sure

    noting brings me more joy than taking out an entire dungeon without anyone of my targets knowing i was there at all

    in fact my character bobbin wood has only been seen a handful of times by non ai bosses but they didn't live long enough too alert anyone of his presence and this is on max difficulty he has full archery and full stealth and only wears plain clothes no Armour for bobbin (except oak/stone flesh) armed with only a bow and throw voice this playstyle is the most fun i have had in Skyrim,

    • 40 posts
    January 12, 2013 7:24 AM EST

    I do also enjoy battle mage or spell-sword type characters. Either wearing plate, light armor or cloth. Usually light/heavy armor, spell in one hand and sword in the other. Magic wise I really like destruction. Frost is my favorite. I am also partial to alchemy. Not a real big fan of having to cast alteration before every battle with cloth so I limit my cloth wearing play throughs to only those that I find really interesting with a solid role play aspect.

    I have not tried illusion/assassin or a nightblade yet but it is on my to do list.

    I have the hardest time with stealth/conjuration characters. I have not been able to get my stealth up high enough I guess and I am finding that quiet casting is pretty important if you are going to sneak around and cast spells.

    Lately,I have cut down to playing one or 2 characters at a time to get more into the role play aspect. I am in my element more with the stealth archer class but I guess that is not really a hybrid.

    • 739 posts
    January 12, 2013 7:59 AM EST

    I like the classics, sometimes picking the skills of some of the old elder scrolls classes in Skyrim works really well...

    For example I really enjoy the old Knight skillset from the old games, sword n board with some decent speechcraft and illusion.

    I agree with what Paul said about perfect 50/50 hybrids, they do get very powerful. Sometimes specialising in one of the three arch types and then bolting on one extra magic skill to keep things interesting works for me.

    Picking the thief skillset and then bolting on something insanely random like conjuration is fun...

    • 8 posts
    January 12, 2013 9:22 AM EST

    I usually just mash everything up into a sort of Spellsword/Scout kinda thing for a first playthrough, other than that i don't have a "Favorite".  

    • 409 posts
    January 12, 2013 10:07 AM EST

    Well I love using magic but I hate playing pure mage, I like using stealth but if I get found our I'm screwed so I would have to go with warrior just because it can survive most situations fairly well.

  • January 12, 2013 10:16 AM EST

    My most exciting playthrough has been a twist on the pure mage.  Heavy armor, shield, destruction, illusion, restoration and enchanting, with a splash of necromancy for flavor.  I took inspiration from Henson's Fearmonger build.

    I really have no favorite style, but mage tops my list.  All of my characters have some mage aspect to them.

    • 11 posts
    January 12, 2013 11:21 AM EST

    Hi guys! Just wanted to let you know I'm new here, this post being my very first. :)

    But on topic:

    I guess my favorite way of playing is an hybrid way, with the emphasis on stealth. I know sneak can be overpowered, but I find it very rewarding. Not to mention the different ways of using it, especially when combined with magic: killing everyone in a cave/dungeon unnoticed/sneaking in, get what you want & get out/watch while the effects of your spells tear almost all enemy to pieces/etc... There is just so much you can do with stealth. 

    My least favorite way of playing would be the warrior; I think it's rather a waste of opportunities to just rush, bash everyones skull in and rush on. It relies less on strategy and ingenuity then the other two ways. I just like outsmarting my enemies more rather then relying solely on raw power.

    • 739 posts
    January 12, 2013 11:34 AM EST

    Welcome to the site Stalefish!

    Check out the character building group, should get you some good ideas to suit your playstyle...

    • 11 posts
    January 12, 2013 11:56 AM EST

    Thanks Mason!

    & I've already explored that group a little, and it looks very promising! I will be checking it out more thoroughly whenever I find time. 

    • 19 posts
    January 12, 2013 12:26 PM EST

    I always will take out a few in a dungeon crawl via sneaky arrow shot.  when in a dark place with unknown numbers i prefer to have the element of surprise.  BUT im doing a legenderay berserker build (i forgot the name of the member who did it) and im using no magic and pretty much no stealth. I walk in wielding battleaxe and ready, complety calm before dragons, i dont even waste the arrows.  This play style has allowed me to mandate how the battle goes and to pretty much be brazen.  I love it and it'll probably be my preferred style of play from now on. 

    • 9 posts
    January 12, 2013 12:34 PM EST

    WARRIOR!!!

    • 19 posts
    January 12, 2013 12:34 PM EST

    that raw power is so sweet and rewarding tho when you slap down a giant, bears, or a dragon, especially since they typically expect that they are stronger and just rush in. at level 27 i stood toe to toe with a blood dragon no magic, and the only shout i used was become ephemeral....it was soo satisfying lol

    • 952 posts
    January 12, 2013 1:24 PM EST

    It can be very tactical. As a warrior you rely on blocking, to evade most damage which requires timing, and younwill need to seperate your enemies and take cover from ranged attacks. You need to know which enemies you can  take or else you'll die since you have no change to run.