The idea for this build came from Henson's Old Orc build. When I discovered the Old Orc build, I liked the mechanics, but had recently played an Orc build. I decided to go for a relatively lore-friendly Nord build. The basic mechanics have some confluence with Nord skills and are generally a pretty straightfoward Two-Handed / Heavy Armor build, but the roleplay introduces a number of constraints on skill selection, tactics, and even item selection. I've tried to make it as lore-neutral as possible, given the invention of an entirely new (and now dead) Nord Clan.
This is my first posted build. I would love feedback, to improve this and future builds.
Amalia Proud-Hammer begins the process of rebuilding in Eastmarch.
BACKGROUND
Amalia Proud-Hammer was the matron of the Proud-Hammer Clan, a long line of smiths from the coldest reaches of Eastmarch. The Proud-Hammers had the respect of many for their unrivaled steel and their unwavering honor. They followed the old ways and worshiped the old gods.
But the old ways came under attack. The Empire sold its people to the Thalmor under the White-Gold Concordat. Mages perverted the ways of the old gods and pillaged Skyrim's resources. Those who did not bend to the will of the Thalmor and the Empire were enslaved.
So the Proud-Hammers did what they had always done – laid down their hammers on their anvils to pick up the weapons they forged. They fought bravely and honorably to protect their way of life, but the Thalmor were too many and too crafty. Soon the Proud-Hammer Clan was annihilated, and those who were not slain on the battlefield were executed by puppets of Skyrim's enemies. The Thalmor plundered the family's lands and burned everything they didn't steal.
Every one of Amalia's children, brothers, cousins, and other blood was murdered by the Thalmor's agents – Legionnaires, mages, and the like. Amalia is the only of her family left, and her execution date is swiftly approaching …
BUILD
Race: Nord (You are the head of a fallen Clan. This is a must.)
Sex: Female (You could play this build as a male and change the name, but I find the idea more satisfying as the Clan matron.)
Features: Amalia should be relatively old, and weathered by the years. Scars are a must.
Stones: Steed (especially before getting the Conditioning perk) or Lord
Stat Distribution: 2/1 or 3/2 Health/Stamina (we won't be using Magicka at all)
Primary Skills:
Two-Handed - Perks: Barbarian (5/5), Champion's Stance, Great Critical Charge, Devastating Blow, Sweep
Heavy Armor - Perks: all
Smithing - Perks: heavy armor side, including Dragon Smithing
Secondary Skills:
Block - Perks: Shield Wall (1/5), Quick Reflexes, Power Bash, Deadly Bash, Disarming Bash
Enchanting - Perks: Enchanter (5/5), Insightful Enchanter, Corpus Enchanter, Extra Effect, Soul Squeezer, Soul Siphon
Speech - Perks: Haggling (1/5), Bribery, Persuasion, Intimidation
(Total: 47)
Armor: Use the best armor and weapons you can smith yourself. You will target steel, Stahlrim (if you have Dragonborn, otherwise Orcish), and Dragonplate in the early, mid, and late levels.
Weapon: battleaxes and warhammers
Unique: Aegisbane, Drainblood Battleaxe
Shouts: Elemental Fury, Marked for Death, Unrelenting Force, Call of Valor
(Note: Call of Valor is appropriate to the build, but you are likely to largely avoid the main quest with this build and therefore gain this shout quite late.)
ROLEPLAY
You escaped your execution, but you have lost everything. Your family is gone, your lands are gone. The family name is the only thing you still have – but that too has been disgraced by failure. To ensure a place in Sovngarde, you must rebuild your family's honor from the ground up.
This means two things. First, you must build your own family's name through trade, craft, and service. Second, you must fight the forces of oppression and support all those who oppose it.
But the trials and failures of your family have left you full of rage. Hatred for the Thalmor and the Empire have grown thick and heavy upon you. Every step of your journey carries the risk that you will fall again from your path of honor and succumb to blind bloodlust. There is a thin line between revenge and dishonor. Walk that line carefully. Spill the blood of your enemies, and use it to paint your legacy, but be careful that you do not forget yourself and die a coward or a hypocrite.
Goals and Quests:
-
Oppose the outside forces of the Thalmor and the Empire (join the Stormcloaks and liberate Skyrim; destroy the Dark Brotherhood).
-
Give support and friendship to those victimized by the Thalmor and the Empire (pursue Orc Stronghold quests; join the Blades; prefer “help quests” of oppressed people).
-
Rally the people of Skyrim to oppose the Thalmor (collect followers and use them in battle).
GAMEPLAY
The “Hammer” in Amalia's name refers to the hammer and anvil. Proud-Hammer arms and armor are second to none (or at least the vain Proud-Hammers believe so). A true Proud-Hammer, therefore, will never purchase weapons from another (inferior) craftsman. A Proud-Hammer should always be wearing and wielding her own work. Arms and armor taken as trophies from fallen foes may be acceptable, but should be tempered where possible. Prefer gear that honors your heritage (the Nord equivalent armors) or the heritage of those who share your struggles (Orcish in particular). In the late-game, prefer Dragonplate over Daedric to show off your accomplishments.
Take out your vengeance on the enemies of Skyrim. Kill Thalmor and Legionnaires whenever you find them, at all costs. A soldier may be killed at any time. A citizen may only be killed if he has consented to combat (see below).
It is honorless to steal. You must win everything you take. When a foe forfeits his life to you, he forfeits all of his belongings to you as well. You take ownership of all that is his. Never sneak: it is honorless to skulk about in the darkness. You must own all your actions, and never do in private something you would not do in public. (Note that this means that, if you are willing to kill an NPC, you can take his items. If you are willing to pay the bounty or go to jail, you can commit a crime. These should all be roleplay-friendly -- keep the peace in cities held by friends, and be willing to make sacrifices in cities dominated by enemies.)
Respect Skyrim, and its flora and fauna, for everything you have comes from there. When you kill an animal, take everything and use it. The inverse of this is that you should not attack an animal or harvest a plant unless it you need something from it (or to defend yourself from hostile animals).
Magic is suspect. It is the province of the elves, and modern magics are a tool of the oppressor. Destroy mages and their holdings where you can. Avoid them where you cannot. (This does not extend to Enchanting, which is a gift from the gods in the Old Way.) Eschew potions for the familiar heartiness of Nord food.
BATTLE TACTICS
Bring the weight of vengeance upon your foes. Use battleaxes and warhammers with high damage output and enter combat with power attacks to maximize the chance that you can dispatch enemies in only a few brutal swings. Charge into battle, catching your opponents off guard and splitting their skulls before they have an opportunity to strike. Relish in the blood of your enemies and abandon all hesitation. Missile weapons are for cowards; you do not know your foe until you have waded in his blood.
Furious Charge: Marked for Death + Great Critical Charge
You scream the curses of your ancestors at your foes as you throw yourself into battle, bringing your weapon to bear with the full weight of your anger.
Execution: Disarming Bash + Unrelenting Force (1 or 2 words) + Devastating Blow
Traitors are entitled to no trial. Tear the weapons from their hands, force them to their knees, and send them to their maker.
Legionkiller: Elemental Fury + Sweep
Defeating the enemy's legions will require a swift brutality. Gather a group of Legionnaires (or mages or bandits or the undead) and surround them with blows as quick and terrible as the winter wind.
Challenge in the Old Way: Unrelenting Force (1 word)
Any true warrior will respond to a properly issued challenge. To challenge a warrior, shout your challenge to him (use “Fus”), wait for him to respond (wait for him to recover from stagger and draw a weapon), and dispatch him in single combat. The fact that many of the Old Ways, including ritual combat, are illegal these days may or may not stop you. (Note that, for roleplay purposes, it may not be appropriate to use this tactic on some kinds of NPCs, such as elves, cowardly NPCs, or mages.)
This build is based around "the weight of vengeance" – maximizing damage per blow. Killing an enemy is victory, but crushing an enemy is justice. Typically you will enter combat with the "Furious Charge" tactic. Against a single opponent of significant strength, you will likely suffer a lot of retaliation. Blocks and a good set of armor should keep you alive (you will likely be too weighed down for most fancy footwork) until you can pull of a Devastating Blow – or, even better, an "Execution". Against a group of less powerful enemies, you will often be able to kill your first target outright with "Furious Charge". If that's the case, follow the charge through and continue to run. The enemy group should collapse behind you, allowing you to encircle them with Sweeps and, if the battle lasts long enough, the "Legionkiller". Don't conserve your Stamina; dish out as much hurt as quickly as possible to thin their numbers, and then let your superior strength and equipment protect you as you pick off the stragglers.
OTHER NOTES
Recommended Mods: I recommend hothtrooper44's Immersive Armors and Immersive Weapons for any smithing build. They really make smithing a lot more satisfying and allow for more customization. Headbomb's Weapon and Armor Fixes and Smithing Perks Overhaul do not add any content, but fix a number of bugs that make smithing frustrating and suboptimal. If you find the added options and fixes unbalance the game, just crank up the difficulty – I play this build on the highest difficulty.
Arc versus Mechanics: Your Two-Handed skill may level very fast with this build in the early game, to the point where it seems as if you're underleveled for the amount of damage you're dealing. That's okay – in fact, it's working as intended. In the early game, Amalia can get carried away, fueled by anger and vengeance, and turn into a brutal killing machine. But you will eventually hit wall, and you will need to grind out some levels of Enchanting and Smithing to properly equip yourself. This is when Amalia's rage cools and she turns to the rebuilding of her family's name.
Ouch: With no Restoration, no potions, and no shield, you will frequently find yourself short on health. Amalia's wounds fuel her anger. Any fight where you are reduced to the “heart-pounding” effect and emerge victorious is one to be proud of.
Foreclosed Options: With the total prohibition on sneaking, some quest lines will effectively be impossible, notably the Thieves Guild quests and the Dark Brotherhood. This is fine, as roleplaying Amalia's honor requires ignoring the Thieves Guild and destroying the Dark Brotherhood anyway.
Supernaturals and DLC: With the addition of Werewolf perks in the DLC, it might be an interesting roleplay choice to have Amalia fail in her quest for redemption and fall to lycanthropy.
RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS
On unowned chests: For roleplay reasons, I use the Breaking and Entering mod, allowing you to bash locks. It's a crime like lockpicking, but it will level your weapon score. I left it out of the build description because some people consider the mod game-breaking. I think that, since it levels your weapon score, it will still keep you from being underleveled. Additionally, with the ban on buying equipment, money is much less useful to this build. Essentially, the B&E mod makes getting the money for improving Hjerim a bit quicker, but doesn't give a significant advantage beyond that. I would probably pick the locks on unowned chests if I didn't use the B&E mod, but you could go either way.
On Nordic ruins: I view entering Nordic ruins and killing the Draugr as part of "liberating" Skyrim. The restless dead are a symptom of the corruption of Skyrim, and maybe even the direct work of necromancers and dragons. Putting the dead back to rest is an honorable thing. It may be dishonorable, though, to search burial urns and Draugr who haven't been raised.
Check out my other builds:
The Bargainer, an antihero build who protects Skyrim from daedra ... by embracing them himself.
The Dread Dragon, Smaug come to Skyrim!
The idea for this build came from Henson's Old Orc build. When I discovered the Old Orc build, I liked the mechanics, but had recently played an Orc build. I decided to go for a relatively lore-friendly Nord build. The basic mechanics have some confluence with Nord skills and are generally a pretty straightfoward Two-Handed / Heavy Armor build, but the roleplay introduces a number of constraints on skill selection, tactics, and even item selection. I've tried to make it as lore-neutral as possible, given the invention of an entirely new (and now dead) Nord Clan.
This is my first posted build. I would love feedback, to improve this and future builds.
Amalia Proud-Hammer begins the process of rebuilding in Eastmarch.
BACKGROUND
Amalia Proud-Hammer was the matron of the Proud-Hammer Clan, a long line of smiths from the coldest reaches of Eastmarch. The Proud-Hammers had the respect of many for their unrivaled steel and their unwavering honor. They followed the old ways and worshiped the old gods.
But the old ways came under attack. The Empire sold its people to the Thalmor under the White-Gold Concordat. Mages perverted the ways of the old gods and pillaged Skyrim's resources. Those who did not bend to the will of the Thalmor and the Empire were enslaved.
So the Proud-Hammers did what they had always done – laid down their hammers on their anvils to pick up the weapons they forged. They fought bravely and honorably to protect their way of life, but the Thalmor were too many and too crafty. Soon the Proud-Hammer Clan was annihilated, and those who were not slain on the battlefield were executed by puppets of Skyrim's enemies. The Thalmor plundered the family's lands and burned everything they didn't steal.
Every one of Amalia's children, brothers, cousins, and other blood was murdered by the Thalmor's agents – Legionnaires, mages, and the like. Amalia is the only of her family left, and her execution date is swiftly approaching …
BUILD
Race: Nord (You are the head of a fallen Clan. This is a must.)
Sex: Female (You could play this build as a male and change the name, but I find the idea more satisfying as the Clan matron.)
Features: Amalia should be relatively old, and weathered by the years. Scars are a must.
Stones: Steed (especially before getting the Conditioning perk) or Lord
Stat Distribution: 2/1 or 3/2 Health/Stamina (we won't be using Magicka at all)
Primary Skills:
Two-Handed - Perks: Barbarian (5/5), Champion's Stance, Great Critical Charge, Devastating Blow, Sweep
Heavy Armor - Perks: all
Smithing - Perks: heavy armor side, including Dragon Smithing
Secondary Skills:
Block - Perks: Shield Wall (1/5), Quick Reflexes, Power Bash, Deadly Bash, Disarming Bash
Enchanting - Perks: Enchanter (5/5), Insightful Enchanter, Corpus Enchanter, Extra Effect, Soul Squeezer, Soul Siphon
Speech - Perks: Haggling (1/5), Bribery, Persuasion, Intimidation
(Total: 47)
Armor: Use the best armor and weapons you can smith yourself. You will target steel, Stahlrim (if you have Dragonborn, otherwise Orcish), and Dragonplate in the early, mid, and late levels.
Weapon: battleaxes and warhammers
Unique: Aegisbane, Drainblood Battleaxe
Shouts: Elemental Fury, Marked for Death, Unrelenting Force, Call of Valor
(Note: Call of Valor is appropriate to the build, but you are likely to largely avoid the main quest with this build and therefore gain this shout quite late.)
ROLEPLAY
You escaped your execution, but you have lost everything. Your family is gone, your lands are gone. The family name is the only thing you still have – but that too has been disgraced by failure. To ensure a place in Sovngarde, you must rebuild your family's honor from the ground up.
This means two things. First, you must build your own family's name through trade, craft, and service. Second, you must fight the forces of oppression and support all those who oppose it.
But the trials and failures of your family have left you full of rage. Hatred for the Thalmor and the Empire have grown thick and heavy upon you. Every step of your journey carries the risk that you will fall again from your path of honor and succumb to blind bloodlust. There is a thin line between revenge and dishonor. Walk that line carefully. Spill the blood of your enemies, and use it to paint your legacy, but be careful that you do not forget yourself and die a coward or a hypocrite.
Goals and Quests:
-
Oppose the outside forces of the Thalmor and the Empire (join the Stormcloaks and liberate Skyrim; destroy the Dark Brotherhood).
-
Give support and friendship to those victimized by the Thalmor and the Empire (pursue Orc Stronghold quests; join the Blades; prefer “help quests” of oppressed people).
-
Rally the people of Skyrim to oppose the Thalmor (collect followers and use them in battle).
GAMEPLAY
The “Hammer” in Amalia's name refers to the hammer and anvil. Proud-Hammer arms and armor are second to none (or at least the vain Proud-Hammers believe so). A true Proud-Hammer, therefore, will never purchase weapons from another (inferior) craftsman. A Proud-Hammer should always be wearing and wielding her own work. Arms and armor taken as trophies from fallen foes may be acceptable, but should be tempered where possible. Prefer gear that honors your heritage (the Nord equivalent armors) or the heritage of those who share your struggles (Orcish in particular). In the late-game, prefer Dragonplate over Daedric to show off your accomplishments.
Take out your vengeance on the enemies of Skyrim. Kill Thalmor and Legionnaires whenever you find them, at all costs. A soldier may be killed at any time. A citizen may only be killed if he has consented to combat (see below).
It is honorless to steal. You must win everything you take. When a foe forfeits his life to you, he forfeits all of his belongings to you as well. You take ownership of all that is his. Never sneak: it is honorless to skulk about in the darkness. You must own all your actions, and never do in private something you would not do in public. (Note that this means that, if you are willing to kill an NPC, you can take his items. If you are willing to pay the bounty or go to jail, you can commit a crime. These should all be roleplay-friendly -- keep the peace in cities held by friends, and be willing to make sacrifices in cities dominated by enemies.)
Respect Skyrim, and its flora and fauna, for everything you have comes from there. When you kill an animal, take everything and use it. The inverse of this is that you should not attack an animal or harvest a plant unless it you need something from it (or to defend yourself from hostile animals).
Magic is suspect. It is the province of the elves, and modern magics are a tool of the oppressor. Destroy mages and their holdings where you can. Avoid them where you cannot. (This does not extend to Enchanting, which is a gift from the gods in the Old Way.) Eschew potions for the familiar heartiness of Nord food.
BATTLE TACTICS
Bring the weight of vengeance upon your foes. Use battleaxes and warhammers with high damage output and enter combat with power attacks to maximize the chance that you can dispatch enemies in only a few brutal swings. Charge into battle, catching your opponents off guard and splitting their skulls before they have an opportunity to strike. Relish in the blood of your enemies and abandon all hesitation. Missile weapons are for cowards; you do not know your foe until you have waded in his blood.
Furious Charge: Marked for Death + Great Critical Charge
You scream the curses of your ancestors at your foes as you throw yourself into battle, bringing your weapon to bear with the full weight of your anger.
Execution: Disarming Bash + Unrelenting Force (1 or 2 words) + Devastating Blow
Traitors are entitled to no trial. Tear the weapons from their hands, force them to their knees, and send them to their maker.
Legionkiller: Elemental Fury + Sweep
Defeating the enemy's legions will require a swift brutality. Gather a group of Legionnaires (or mages or bandits or the undead) and surround them with blows as quick and terrible as the winter wind.
Challenge in the Old Way: Unrelenting Force (1 word)
Any true warrior will respond to a properly issued challenge. To challenge a warrior, shout your challenge to him (use “Fus”), wait for him to respond (wait for him to recover from stagger and draw a weapon), and dispatch him in single combat. The fact that many of the Old Ways, including ritual combat, are illegal these days may or may not stop you. (Note that, for roleplay purposes, it may not be appropriate to use this tactic on some kinds of NPCs, such as elves, cowardly NPCs, or mages.)
This build is based around "the weight of vengeance" – maximizing damage per blow. Killing an enemy is victory, but crushing an enemy is justice. Typically you will enter combat with the "Furious Charge" tactic. Against a single opponent of significant strength, you will likely suffer a lot of retaliation. Blocks and a good set of armor should keep you alive (you will likely be too weighed down for most fancy footwork) until you can pull of a Devastating Blow – or, even better, an "Execution". Against a group of less powerful enemies, you will often be able to kill your first target outright with "Furious Charge". If that's the case, follow the charge through and continue to run. The enemy group should collapse behind you, allowing you to encircle them with Sweeps and, if the battle lasts long enough, the "Legionkiller". Don't conserve your Stamina; dish out as much hurt as quickly as possible to thin their numbers, and then let your superior strength and equipment protect you as you pick off the stragglers.
OTHER NOTES
Recommended Mods: I recommend hothtrooper44's Immersive Armors and Immersive Weapons for any smithing build. They really make smithing a lot more satisfying and allow for more customization. Headbomb's Weapon and Armor Fixes and Smithing Perks Overhaul do not add any content, but fix a number of bugs that make smithing frustrating and suboptimal. If you find the added options and fixes unbalance the game, just crank up the difficulty – I play this build on the highest difficulty.
Arc versus Mechanics: Your Two-Handed skill may level very fast with this build in the early game, to the point where it seems as if you're underleveled for the amount of damage you're dealing. That's okay – in fact, it's working as intended. In the early game, Amalia can get carried away, fueled by anger and vengeance, and turn into a brutal killing machine. But you will eventually hit wall, and you will need to grind out some levels of Enchanting and Smithing to properly equip yourself. This is when Amalia's rage cools and she turns to the rebuilding of her family's name.
Ouch: With no Restoration, no potions, and no shield, you will frequently find yourself short on health. Amalia's wounds fuel her anger. Any fight where you are reduced to the “heart-pounding” effect and emerge victorious is one to be proud of.
Foreclosed Options: With the total prohibition on sneaking, some quest lines will effectively be impossible, notably the Thieves Guild quests and the Dark Brotherhood. This is fine, as roleplaying Amalia's honor requires ignoring the Thieves Guild and destroying the Dark Brotherhood anyway.
Supernaturals and DLC: With the addition of Werewolf perks in the DLC, it might be an interesting roleplay choice to have Amalia fail in her quest for redemption and fall to lycanthropy.
RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS
On unowned chests: For roleplay reasons, I use the Breaking and Entering mod, allowing you to bash locks. It's a crime like lockpicking, but it will level your weapon score. I left it out of the build description because some people consider the mod game-breaking. I think that, since it levels your weapon score, it will still keep you from being underleveled. Additionally, with the ban on buying equipment, money is much less useful to this build. Essentially, the B&E mod makes getting the money for improving Hjerim a bit quicker, but doesn't give a significant advantage beyond that. I would probably pick the locks on unowned chests if I didn't use the B&E mod, but you could go either way.
On Nordic ruins: I view entering Nordic ruins and killing the Draugr as part of "liberating" Skyrim. The restless dead are a symptom of the corruption of Skyrim, and maybe even the direct work of necromancers and dragons. Putting the dead back to rest is an honorable thing. It may be dishonorable, though, to search burial urns and Draugr who haven't been raised.
Check out my other builds:
The Bargainer, an antihero build who protects Skyrim from daedra ... by embracing them himself.
The Dread Dragon, Smaug come to Skyrim!
