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Character Build: The Dragoon

Tags: #Character Build Shouts  #Character Build Knight  #Character Build Barbarian  #Rank:Legendary  #Hall of Fame Build  #Henson 
  • Member
    August 10, 2012

    Well, it's been a little over 3 months after I posted this build and after gaining legendary status (+50 likes) as well as the upcoming release of the Dragonborn DLC, I thought it would be appropriate to revamp this build to make it as efficient, as powerful, and as prepared to take on the brand new content that is going to be introduced. Here I will lay out the build as it was originally thought out to work and add/remove certain aspects to tweak it to fit the Dragoon name. Here we go!!!

     

    The Dragoon

    When reading about classic RPG titles such as Dragoon, you can find certain terms associated with the character class. Spears. Jumping. Charging. Monster hunter. Dragon slayer. All of these terms are what I wanted to incorporate into an unstoppable warrior. When I first came up with this build, I made sure to also revolve it around the reason I bought the game in the first place: Dragons! Devoting this build to hunting and slaying the biggest, meanest monsters and beasts makes for exciting gameplay with dragons being our most prized hunting game.

    Dragoons, in a broader sense, are knights who specialize in charging to achieve maximum damage. In history, dragoons were actually cavalry who used guns and charged the enemy, named after the type of firearm they used called a dragon. This build mixes a bit with fantasy and real world to achieve a dragon-armored knight that uses foot speed and Great Critical Charge to take down even the biggest of enemies as well as utilizing horseback combat to almost joust and charge at your foes. 

    In keeping with my original concept, Alteration still plays a huge role in the build. I will note that the master spell Dragonhide does no longer stack with your armor rating, so the goal for Alteration is for buffing magical defense. Battle axes are still the main weapon of this build ... for now! They act as "halberds". plus they look awesome and hit for a lot of damage. Let's take a look at the details...

     

    Build

    Race: Breton

    Stone: The Atronach

    Major Skills: Two Handed, Block, Alteration

    Minor Skills: Light Armor, Smithing, Restoration

    Gear: Dragonscale - cuirass, gauntlets, boots, and helmet.

    Blessing: Blessing of Talos + Amulet of Talos = -40% shout cool down

    Weapons:

    Headsman's Axe

    Elven -> Glass -> Dragonbone Battle Axe

    Spears:

    ***With evidence of spears being introduced into the upcoming Dragonborn DLC, this will be the Dragoon's main weapon. This section will be updated when more details are brought forth containing associated perks and available smithing options/materials.***

    Shouts:

    • Heavy use: Become Ethereal, Call Dragon, Disarm, Dragonrend, Elemental Fury, Fire Breath, Ice Breath, Ice Form, Marked for Death, Slow Time, Summon Durnehviir, Unrelenting Force, Whirlwind Sprint
    • Medium use: Animal Allegiance, Dismay, Drain Vitality, Kyne's Peace, Storm Call
    • Light use: Aura Whisper, Call of Valor, Clear Skies, Soul Tear, Throw Voice

    I will also be using any and all shouts that will be added in the upcoming DLC. With a name like "Dragonborn", it is bound to include some pretty ridiculously awesome dragon shouts.

     

    Preparing for Dragons

    With hunting giant monsters and ferocious dragons, a Dragoon has to prepare him/herself for harsh conditions that come along with such dangerous undertakings. High skill in both Smithing and Alteration provide a superior defense which stack on top of the Breton's natural magic resistance and Dragonskin racial power amounting to a formidable warrior that can take on anyone and anything.

    • Atronach Stone 50% + Atronach perk 30% = 80% constant spell absorption, yet we can achieve over 100% absorption with another 50% from the Breton's Dragonskin for 60s.
    • 80% reduction from armor cap

    A constant strong resistance to both physical and magic attacks make The Dragoon an absolute powerhouse. 

    Another quick note - dragon breath attacks and shouts are considered "magic", and thus are negated, but you do not absorb magicka since they are not magicka sourced spells, which makes sense. It is also cool to note that a giant's stomp attack that has an AoE will be negated as well.

     

     

    Skills and Perks

    Two Handed: Barbarian 5/5, Champion's Stance, Great Critical Charge, Devastating Blow, Sweep, Warmaster

    Block: Shield Wall 5/5, Quick Reflexes, Power Bash, Deadly Bash, Disarming Bash, Shield Charge

    Alteration: Novice - Expert, Stability, Magic Resistance 3/3, Atronach

    Light Armor: Agile Defender 5/5, Custom Fit, Unhindered, Matching Set, Wind Walker, Deft Movement

    Smithing: Steel, Elven, Advanced, Glass, Dragon

    Restoration: Novice - Adept, Regeneration, Respite, Recovery 2/2, Avoid Death

    Perk layout here

     

    Gameplay

    The Dragoon is primarily a melee focused build. Two handed weapons provide devastating attacks that can level most enemies in one or two hits. The perk Sweep is invaluable to this build as it allows sideways power attacks to cleave multiple enemies at once, sometimes leveling the playing field in a matter of seconds when overrun. Great Critical Charge is the main attack of the build, charging (or "bouncing") from target to target. This perk allows the player to close the gap since no ranged attack is available.

    Block is the best skill in this game in my opinion. Using the allocated skills listed, the Dragoon has superior defenses when blocking as well as the ability to bash his enemies which comes in handy when facing extremely strong dragons and large beasts. With my playthrough of my Ka Po' Tun, I had the pleasure of finding out Shield Charge is possible with a two handed weapon! The greatness of this perk with a two handed axe, or soon to be spear, lets the Dragoon be even more of a charging, powerful warrior.

    Alteration is where the Dragoon gains most of his powers. Magic Resistance and Atronach provide great amounts of magicka defense, letting the player to tank any and all mage spells, shouts, and elemental dragon attacks. Flesh spells provide extra defense early on and a chance to level up the skill along the way. Paralyze may also be used, but I do not rely on the spell as it is well known to be overpowered. I usually only bring out the paralyze spell in a desperate situation. Restoration, the only other magic school the Dragoon specializes in, lets the player heal both health and stamina quickly as well as defend against the undead rather effectively. The sun damage spells offered from Dawnguard provide a unique ranged attack against draugr and unholy enemies, extending our "dragon's fire" to a broader range of bad guys.

    Lastly, Light Armor and Smithing combined together allow the Dragoon to easily reach the armor cap, giving the player an 80% physical resistance ... more than enough to go toe to toe with even the strongest monsters throughout Skyrim. Dragonborn should offer some new enemies and surprises, so the Dragoon having a superior set up both offensively and defensively will make for a fun experience.

     

    New gameplay elements seem to be introduced in the upcoming DLC:

    Dragon riding
    New shouts
    Spears
    All of these can and will be implemented smoothly into the build. Shouts are the Dragoon's "spell book", requiring a strategy for every battle. Every shout can provide a unique approach to different areas of the game. The Dragoon can increase his weapon attack speed, speed by a group of enemies to gain a better footing, expel elemental attacks like a dragon, and even call dragons to his aid. 
     
    The Dragoon's overall character concept can be adapted by the player of course. Archery or One Handed+Shield is possible, but sticking with two handed spears will be the true path of a dragon hunter.
    Special Moves
     
    I would not feel right speculating about new content TOO much for the new DLC, so I will save special moves and combat tactics for when we know more ... COMING SOON. I hope you enjoy my revamp of the build. This has been one of my favorites and the most appropriate to take on any new content in Dragonborn. Please let me know if anything should be added. A special thanks to Ben C and Mason for helping me flesh out ideas and refine the build. Sage advise is always a good thing! Mason has suggested a "Dragon Bestiary" in which I explain how each type of dragon can be approached, but will be saving that for release. New dragons might be coming!
  • August 11, 2012

    Very nice build, very nice indeed! I love the idea of charging against dragons and completely absorbing their attacks. Just one thing I`d like to mention:

    I don`t really think you need that much magica really. You only need enough to actually cast the spell to begin with, as your magica will be almost instantly restored from any attacks involving magic, dragon breath, poison, or disease. Dragonhide costs 248 magica with the relevant perk in the alteration tree, so with the extra 50 you get from the atronach stone you only need to either invest a little bit in magica, or put some cost reduction enchantments on your armor.

  • Member
    August 11, 2012

    I love this concept.  I honestly think you could completely drop Alteration and still be more or less as effective.  80% AR is nothing to sneeze at, and 50% constant Spell Absorption should be sufficient for "normal" enemies; when you fight dragons, you can just ramp it up to 100% with the Breton's Dragonskin greater power.  Then you can invest more points in health and stamina as well, and pick up the rest of your perks sooner.  I hope spears get added, because they are absolutely perfect for this build.  Oh, and thanks for linking to my build!  Your execution is a lot more focused and practical than mine. :)

  • Member
    August 11, 2012
    Agree about dropping alteration. I always play warriors that focus on shouts, and become ethereal is just awesome. Especially when combined with greater critical charge. All you need is the first word. Shout, wait a a second and then charge. Makes short work of mages.
  • August 11, 2012
    Love the build, I seem to be on of the only people who likes the use of Alteration, keep it up!
  • August 11, 2012

    I don't remember if it still has the same problem as the ebony blade but, the headman's axe kinda looks like a halbred. 

  • August 11, 2012

    Oops sorry  my eyes skipped over the parentheses where you mentioned it :O.

  • Member
    August 11, 2012
    Yeah the ratio for stats is just for starting out. Should have put a disclaimer to stop one stat when you feel comfortable. I only put that in because people ask for it, I never like to tell people too much detail. Glad you like it though!
  • Member
    August 11, 2012
    This is true, as I could drop alteration. The magic resist perks are a plus, so I could of stopped there, but Dragonhide is too cool. I guess I did it for both roleplaying and the actual numbers, as attaining near 100% damage reduction was just too awesome to pass up. 80% is great at all times with the armor, and personally I perked out alteration last, so I got most of my combat necessary skills up first. Should have switched smithing and alteration as main and minor skills!
  • Member
    August 11, 2012
    Haha yeah. I am crossing my fingers for spears!!