They stared at the massacre in front of them, thoughts and questions racing through their head. So many good men and all of them slaughtered like they were nothing. A voice broke through the silence of the dead, a long groan of pain and suffering. The soldiers approached the sound to find a man, alive. As they stared down at the man, his body torn and disfigured, they wondered how he could possibly still be alive. The man looked up at them; he knew what they were thinking.
“Im already dead” He said to them with a smirk. They checked his vital signs; it was true, no pulse or heartbeat, no breath or movement. He was dead.
“How?” the soldiers asked, a whimper in their voice.
“Ares”. At that time a wind rushed through the battlefield blowing sand and dust and blinding the Soldiers. As the dust settles a shadow of a figure is beginning to appear. The soldiers ready their swords and shields and the wounded man just laughs.
“You cannot defeat him with regular steel, He has the strength of thousands of men, He is faster than the wind and even if you do manage to get a strike in before he has ripped your head from your body, You sword will merely shatter into a million pieces.” Fear replaces the soldiers’ courage as the man talks and the dust settles. The man standing there is like no man they had ever seen before.
The wounded solider begins to draw his last breath; he looks up at the soldiers and simply says “run”.
Ares, God of War
Race:
Any race can really be used with this build, it’s a very versatile build and any racial power is sure to benefit it in some way. However, these are some suggestions.
Nord
Playing a Nord I really felt like I was Ares, I was 6ft tall, built like a tower and I was fighting for my land. It was a beautiful mix of role playing and an actually useful racial ability.
Orc
Playing an Orc was a different experience. Simply by having an absolutely amazing racial power, I was a much stronger character. It also suited the idea of Superhuman Strength and Invulnerability. The look of the actual race itself however, did not suit the idea of a Greek God.
Stone:
Atronach
Using the Atronach stone was a way of sticking to the story of Ares, He is invulnerable, to a degree, to physical and magical attacks, but also giving myself a much appreciated defense against spells. The increase to magicka was also nice as it gave me some access to nice spells earlier in the game. The Atronach stone still lives up to its reputation of arguably the best stone in Skyrim.
Lord
The lord works much like the Atronach. It gives a nice defensive boost, only this is across all the boards, physical and magical.
Shouts
Shouts are very important to this build, they continue to round of the super natural powers Ares has. I have not mentioned dragonrend, but this build has no ranged powers, making dragon fighting difficult so dragonrend can be very useful.
Unrelenting Force
This shout was used to justify Ares superhuman strength. Of course, three words are needed for this shout to be fully effective but those can be easily grabbed within the first few quests of the main storyline. This was my trigger shout, but play style is a big factor. Regardless, this shout is infinitely useful.
Whirlwind Sprint
This shout was used to justify Ares superhuman speed. This shout was used against those pesky mages that can really hurt if you leave them alive too long. As a melee only build, getting in close was hugely important, and whirlwind sprint was a great way to keep up combat speed, while still reaching the target.
Become Ethereal
This shout was used to justify Ares Invulnerability. This may come as a shock to you all, but making a character that is totally invincible is kinda tricky, and by kinda trick i mean impossible (without the use of console commands). This shout, however, was a nice way of getting close to it. Become Ethereal was used when I needed a break from combat, to get away and heal. This shout wasn’t used particularly often, but I’m still very thankful it was there.
Stat Distribution (per 5 levels)
1 Magicka
This is almost purely used for Alteration but it is still very nice to have. Only putting 1 point in every 5 levels gives us enough magicka to work with, without sacrificing too much health and stamina.
3 Health
Health is easily the most important stat of this build. You will be getting in close to your enemies so you want to be living some hits because your shield can only take so many. Although it may seem kind of low, you will be improving this with enchantments, are hopefully, you won’t be taking to many hard hits anyway.
1 Stamina
This is used mostly for shield bashing. I find shield bashing incredibly useful this gives spread gives enough to bash a couple times and maybe throw in a power attack every now and again.
While we are looking at stat distribution, I want to mention how Food can really change your game. The two meals that I think matter the most with this build are:
-Elsweyr fondue
Ingredients: Ale, eidar cheese wheel and moon sugar
Effect: Magicka regenerates 25% faster for 12 minutes.
Magicka is increased by 100 for 12 minutes.
The 25% magika regenerating is very good early game and the 100 extra magika really helps you out. The ingredients are more expensive since moon sugar is needed for the recipe but, overall it's worth the cost.
- Vegetable Soup
Ingredients: cabbage, potato, leek and tomato.
Effect: Restore 1 points of Health per second for 12 minutes. Restore 1 points of Stamina per second for 12 minutes.
A very useful food which I use a lot for melee/archery type characters. It's easy to get and very cheap.
More food information can be sound right here on the Skyrim Blog in ‘Tips and Tricks’
Major Skills
One Handed
An obvious choice for a sword and board character. Pretty simple with this one, key perks here are Armsman, Fighting stance and savage strike.
Alteration
This is a very important Skill for Ares. It is to give him that boost to defense that light armor lacks, while still allowing movement around targets. This tree also has magical resistance perks that are extremely useful. Key perks here are up to adept alteration and magic resistance.
Block
Block is the third and final major skill for Ares. He is never seen without his trusty shield and this build will not be any exception. Shield bashing is a great way to gain an advantage over an enemy and this build uses it to its full potential. Key perks here are Shield Wall, Power Bash and Deadly Bash.
Minor Skills
Smithing
Smithing is a useful skill for any build and can really help you live some hits and deal out some serious damage. Improving your armor can prove invaluable in Skyrim and can easily make you a force to be reckoned with. Key perks are up the left of the tree to Advanced Armors.
Enchanting
Enchanting works much like smithing. It is there to make your character, better. Ares was known to use magical armor and weapons that gave him his super human powers. Key perks here are up the center tree to Extra Effect.
Restoration
Although Ares is practically invincible, everybody needs a little healing and the restoration tree also holds some nice perks like Respite. Key perks are up to Apprentice Casting, Regeneration and Respite.
Light Armor
Ares likes to be fast, Moving, Working and Killing, So light armor is a perfect fit! Key perks are everything up the right side of the tree.
Notes
Combat
Flesh spells should be used before battle followed by equipping a shield. This gives Ares his ‘super human durability’ (or rather, a decent armor stat when using light armor) and can help him tank some hits that he doesn’t exactly dodge.
Equipment
Shouts are very important with this build so an Amulet of Talos is highly recommended as it can and will save your butt many times. Combined with Blessing of Talos and you can shout with very little downtime. Penitus Oculatus Armor looks the part fantastically and isn’t the worst armor out there. Grabbing a set however can be rather difficult. A fully enchanted suit works wonders. Targe of the Blooded is a great shield for this build. As we are shield bashing often, some bleeding is much appreciated. A quick few bashes followed by some slicing makes quick work of enemies.
Special Abilities
Ares Shield
Requirements: Unrelenting Force, Shield
Your super human strength causes you to bash your enemy with your shield and send him flying. The sheer force of the blow can even take out more than one enemy. Simply Shield Bash an enemy then releases a fully powered unrelenting force.
Super Human Speed
Requirements: Whirlwind Sprint
You send yourself flying at your enemy at over whelming speeds. Followed by a powerful strike, destroying your opponent with ease.
Strength of the Gods
Requirements: Orc, Berserker Rage
You call on your true power and reveal it to your enemy. You strike down anyone who looks at you funny and laugh at anyone who fights back.
Lightning Wrath
Requirements: Storm Call
You call on your good buddy Zeus and get him to deal with yours problems. After all, that’s what Gods do for each other.
Message from the Creator
This is my first build and I have really enjoyed making it, i know its not perfect so any comments telling me howi could make it better would be much appreciated!
They stared at the massacre in front of them, thoughts and questions racing through their head. So many good men and all of them slaughtered like they were nothing. A voice broke through the silence of the dead, a long groan of pain and suffering. The soldiers approached the sound to find a man, alive. As they stared down at the man, his body torn and disfigured, they wondered how he could possibly still be alive. The man looked up at them; he knew what they were thinking.
“Im already dead” He said to them with a smirk. They checked his vital signs; it was true, no pulse or heartbeat, no breath or movement. He was dead.
“How?” the soldiers asked, a whimper in their voice.
“Ares”. At that time a wind rushed through the battlefield blowing sand and dust and blinding the Soldiers. As the dust settles a shadow of a figure is beginning to appear. The soldiers ready their swords and shields and the wounded man just laughs.
“You cannot defeat him with regular steel, He has the strength of thousands of men, He is faster than the wind and even if you do manage to get a strike in before he has ripped your head from your body, You sword will merely shatter into a million pieces.” Fear replaces the soldiers’ courage as the man talks and the dust settles. The man standing there is like no man they had ever seen before.
The wounded solider begins to draw his last breath; he looks up at the soldiers and simply says “run”.
Ares, God of War
Race:
Any race can really be used with this build, it’s a very versatile build and any racial power is sure to benefit it in some way. However, these are some suggestions.
Nord
Playing a Nord I really felt like I was Ares, I was 6ft tall, built like a tower and I was fighting for my land. It was a beautiful mix of role playing and an actually useful racial ability.
Orc
Playing an Orc was a different experience. Simply by having an absolutely amazing racial power, I was a much stronger character. It also suited the idea of Superhuman Strength and Invulnerability. The look of the actual race itself however, did not suit the idea of a Greek God.
Stone:
Atronach
Using the Atronach stone was a way of sticking to the story of Ares, He is invulnerable, to a degree, to physical and magical attacks, but also giving myself a much appreciated defense against spells. The increase to magicka was also nice as it gave me some access to nice spells earlier in the game. The Atronach stone still lives up to its reputation of arguably the best stone in Skyrim.
Lord
The lord works much like the Atronach. It gives a nice defensive boost, only this is across all the boards, physical and magical.
Shouts
Shouts are very important to this build, they continue to round of the super natural powers Ares has. I have not mentioned dragonrend, but this build has no ranged powers, making dragon fighting difficult so dragonrend can be very useful.
Unrelenting Force
This shout was used to justify Ares superhuman strength. Of course, three words are needed for this shout to be fully effective but those can be easily grabbed within the first few quests of the main storyline. This was my trigger shout, but play style is a big factor. Regardless, this shout is infinitely useful.
Whirlwind Sprint
This shout was used to justify Ares superhuman speed. This shout was used against those pesky mages that can really hurt if you leave them alive too long. As a melee only build, getting in close was hugely important, and whirlwind sprint was a great way to keep up combat speed, while still reaching the target.
Become Ethereal
This shout was used to justify Ares Invulnerability. This may come as a shock to you all, but making a character that is totally invincible is kinda tricky, and by kinda trick i mean impossible (without the use of console commands). This shout, however, was a nice way of getting close to it. Become Ethereal was used when I needed a break from combat, to get away and heal. This shout wasn’t used particularly often, but I’m still very thankful it was there.
Stat Distribution (per 5 levels)
1 Magicka
This is almost purely used for Alteration but it is still very nice to have. Only putting 1 point in every 5 levels gives us enough magicka to work with, without sacrificing too much health and stamina.
3 Health
Health is easily the most important stat of this build. You will be getting in close to your enemies so you want to be living some hits because your shield can only take so many. Although it may seem kind of low, you will be improving this with enchantments, are hopefully, you won’t be taking to many hard hits anyway.
1 Stamina
This is used mostly for shield bashing. I find shield bashing incredibly useful this gives spread gives enough to bash a couple times and maybe throw in a power attack every now and again.
While we are looking at stat distribution, I want to mention how Food can really change your game. The two meals that I think matter the most with this build are:
-Elsweyr fondue
Ingredients: Ale, eidar cheese wheel and moon sugar
Effect: Magicka regenerates 25% faster for 12 minutes.
Magicka is increased by 100 for 12 minutes.
The 25% magika regenerating is very good early game and the 100 extra magika really helps you out. The ingredients are more expensive since moon sugar is needed for the recipe but, overall it's worth the cost.
- Vegetable Soup
Ingredients: cabbage, potato, leek and tomato.
Effect: Restore 1 points of Health per second for 12 minutes. Restore 1 points of Stamina per second for 12 minutes.
A very useful food which I use a lot for melee/archery type characters. It's easy to get and very cheap.
More food information can be sound right here on the Skyrim Blog in ‘Tips and Tricks’
Major Skills
One Handed
An obvious choice for a sword and board character. Pretty simple with this one, key perks here are Armsman, Fighting stance and savage strike.
Alteration
This is a very important Skill for Ares. It is to give him that boost to defense that light armor lacks, while still allowing movement around targets. This tree also has magical resistance perks that are extremely useful. Key perks here are up to adept alteration and magic resistance.
Block
Block is the third and final major skill for Ares. He is never seen without his trusty shield and this build will not be any exception. Shield bashing is a great way to gain an advantage over an enemy and this build uses it to its full potential. Key perks here are Shield Wall, Power Bash and Deadly Bash.
Minor Skills
Smithing
Smithing is a useful skill for any build and can really help you live some hits and deal out some serious damage. Improving your armor can prove invaluable in Skyrim and can easily make you a force to be reckoned with. Key perks are up the left of the tree to Advanced Armors.
Enchanting
Enchanting works much like smithing. It is there to make your character, better. Ares was known to use magical armor and weapons that gave him his super human powers. Key perks here are up the center tree to Extra Effect.
Restoration
Although Ares is practically invincible, everybody needs a little healing and the restoration tree also holds some nice perks like Respite. Key perks are up to Apprentice Casting, Regeneration and Respite.
Light Armor
Ares likes to be fast, Moving, Working and Killing, So light armor is a perfect fit! Key perks are everything up the right side of the tree.
Notes
Combat
Flesh spells should be used before battle followed by equipping a shield. This gives Ares his ‘super human durability’ (or rather, a decent armor stat when using light armor) and can help him tank some hits that he doesn’t exactly dodge.
Equipment
Shouts are very important with this build so an Amulet of Talos is highly recommended as it can and will save your butt many times. Combined with Blessing of Talos and you can shout with very little downtime. Penitus Oculatus Armor looks the part fantastically and isn’t the worst armor out there. Grabbing a set however can be rather difficult. A fully enchanted suit works wonders. Targe of the Blooded is a great shield for this build. As we are shield bashing often, some bleeding is much appreciated. A quick few bashes followed by some slicing makes quick work of enemies.
Special Abilities
Ares Shield
Requirements: Unrelenting Force, Shield
Your super human strength causes you to bash your enemy with your shield and send him flying. The sheer force of the blow can even take out more than one enemy. Simply Shield Bash an enemy then releases a fully powered unrelenting force.
Super Human Speed
Requirements: Whirlwind Sprint
You send yourself flying at your enemy at over whelming speeds. Followed by a powerful strike, destroying your opponent with ease.
Strength of the Gods
Requirements: Orc, Berserker Rage
You call on your true power and reveal it to your enemy. You strike down anyone who looks at you funny and laugh at anyone who fights back.
Lightning Wrath
Requirements: Storm Call
You call on your good buddy Zeus and get him to deal with yours problems. After all, that’s what Gods do for each other.
Message from the Creator
This is my first build and I have really enjoyed making it, i know its not perfect so any comments telling me howi could make it better would be much appreciated!
