Forums » Elder Scrolls

What is the most under-rated play-style in your opinion?

    • 88 posts
    May 9, 2013 10:08 PM EDT
    For me it would be sheild+staff mage. Completly anti-lore but very fun and strong. (I barely speak english so please pardon any spelling mistake I might make)
    • 14 posts
    May 10, 2013 1:36 AM EDT

    I would have to say a standard assassin. A lot of people write it off as "boring" because all you do is kill from the shadows and remain undetected, and where is the fun in not being in open combat right? Wrong. Being an assassin opens up a new way of thinking and a new strategy rather than weapons out/spells flying style of gameplay.

  • May 10, 2013 2:32 AM EDT

    That thought is actually very mainstream, I think assassin types are very overrated due to everyone thinking of them as "badass", when in reality the game mechanics make it all very boring. With the proper skills and weapons you never actually take any risks.

    • 127 posts
    May 10, 2013 7:05 AM EDT

    Damn, Ubisoft.

    • 127 posts
    May 10, 2013 7:06 AM EDT

    Strategy? Sneak is broken in Skyrim you can sneak in front of the enemy. Sneak system in dishonored was a little better atleast.

    • 168 posts
    May 10, 2013 8:00 AM EDT
    I'd have to say the pure thief playstyle. It's not very common to see pure thief builds,either.
    Usually people say that they made 'thieves' but what the probably made was an assassin who steals without perkinng very heavily into lockpicking or pickpocketing.
    In my opinion, a pure thief would be one that uses no armor,weapon, or magic skills, and instead just sneaks and steals. I think Ponty's Burgular is the only pure thief build on the whole site, in fact.

    That being said, healers are also quite fun even if they don't receive as much attention as other mages. The multiple followers glitches suit the healers well, and it won't really overpower them as it would to a character that could fight on his/her own anyway.
  • May 10, 2013 8:09 AM EDT
    I would say a pure warrior, actually. Most people say it's just running in and spamming the attack... Yeah, that's not a warrior, that's how barbarians do it. Being a proper warrior requires decent timing, you'll be a lot weaker without smithing, you'll almost never do as much damage as an assassin, etc. Let's look at their skillset: one-handed, two-handed, heavy armor, archery, block, and smithing. Similar to Ponty's Veteran build, which is a very strategic build (using certain weapons and tactics against certain situations and enemies).
    • 365 posts
    May 10, 2013 8:10 AM EDT

    Basically my main char playstyle, a spell-bow. No, not a bow mage, that is someone that uses a spectral/bound bow. I mean bow and illusion/destruction spells in 50/50 playstyle.

    Very rewarding, very fun. You can go invis, and then either turn them to an ice sculpture or shoot them in the head from 200ft. away with a jarrin root poisoned daedric arrow....

    • 1483 posts
    May 10, 2013 8:18 AM EDT

    A no-kills playstyle without Illusion was one of the most rewarding and fun playstyles in Skyrim for me. Sneaking around enemies, distracting them to slip past them, not to mention countless bosses fallen to the traps and environment. It makes almost any encounter a unique puzzle to be solved. I agree that Sneak is broken, but only when you perk it heavily. I was playing with no perks in Sneak, only using vampire +25% boost.

    • 108 posts
    May 10, 2013 8:22 AM EDT

    I have to try this. I guess, you never touched the main quest. No kills means that if they kill each other you are fine, correct?

    • 1483 posts
    May 10, 2013 8:29 AM EDT

    You can do all the main quest up to the Alduin. You need to kill him yourself by the game design 

    • 88 posts
    • 1483 posts
    May 10, 2013 8:43 AM EDT

    Illusionist is fun until you get Master of a Mind. After that it's boring, the same thing all over again. By they way, that guy in the article buys Fury spell being a High Elf 

    • 1483 posts
    May 10, 2013 8:48 AM EDT

    It means no summons, followers (some quest followers like Barbas don't contribute to your kill count but most do). The Illusion magic is fine but it becomes boring on higher levels. The physics kills don't add to your kill count, so Fus Ro Dah works if the enemy is killed by fall damage and not the shout damage itself. Dark Brotherhood questline requires you to kill 4-5 people yourself, so I destroyed them  Was running Astrid over with a cart countless times 

    • 108 posts
    May 10, 2013 9:13 AM EDT

    haha I never thought of that. So pushing a cart actually does damage? I have to try that one as well.

    • 1483 posts
    May 10, 2013 9:17 AM EDT

    That's the main fun of this playstyle, finding ways to dispose of your enemies creatively. Like Hitman games, no one will be able to blame you, muhaha  The hilarious part in DB questline was that Astrid is not actually required to kill! I frenzied her when she was lying burnt in the Black Sacrament circle and she jumped to her feet and started attacking! Nazir made quick work of her, lol 

    • 490 posts
    May 10, 2013 9:21 AM EDT

    I would say a pure warrior of sorts. Sometimes being devoid of magic can be interesting and having multiple offensive tactics can actually keep the game fresh.

  • May 10, 2013 11:11 AM EDT
    There are two solely thief style builds. The Burglar and the Summerset Shadow (a thief specialized in distracting enemies and pickpocketing them).
    • 59 posts
    May 10, 2013 11:17 AM EDT

    Shield+staff sounds good. I think there is only one build on the site.

    • 62 posts
    May 10, 2013 1:00 PM EDT

    A two handed weapon using assassin. 

  • May 10, 2013 1:22 PM EDT

    Yeah but that's not the point of a no-kill playthrough... no kills implies you role play a character who refuses to cause the death of other people. You pretty much play a healer or stealth character who avoids all combats except with draugr, dragons and wild beasts.

  • May 10, 2013 1:23 PM EDT

    I made a build for that actually, Dark Templar. Used it a lot.

    • 62 posts
    May 10, 2013 1:43 PM EDT

    I'll look it up now, thanks. 

    • 189 posts
    May 10, 2013 2:02 PM EDT

    I like an agility-based heavy armored stealth style.  Pick up the Steed and Muffle, and you can move and sneak very effectively even at level 1 in Banded Iron.  Pick up perks like SIlent Roll, rather than Backstab, and use normal swords or war axes, not bows and daggers.

    It's cool because if/when you are detected, you are prepared to fight head-on with heavy armor and a decent blade/axe.  And since you avoid those damage boosting stealth perks, and instead pick up the movement and agility perks, you have incentive to be aggressive while sneaking, without worrying about being detected.  Far more fast-paced and exhilarating stealth approach, while still allowing for a fully tactical style if desired.

    • 88 posts
    May 10, 2013 2:40 PM EDT

    What's the name of the build?