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Character Build: The Warmaiden

Tags: #Character Build Spellsword  #Character Build Healer  #Character Build Illusionist  #Rank:Mythic  #Hall of Fame Build 
  • Member
    May 20, 2013


     THE WARMAIDEN 

    "Older men declare war, but it is the youth that must fight and die."

    The Warmaiden is a young soldier ready to prove herself on the battlefield. Against her family's wishes, she sets off for Skyrim to join the battle that has divided the land. Descending from a long line of healers, she is also proficient with a blade, but prefers to stay in the back line and support her allies in battle, although she will dispatch enemies if they get too close. Quick and nimble, she manuvers aptly across the battlefield, in spite of her clunky armor, as her role requires.

    She dreams of glory and recognition and has a strong sense of honor, although she has no practical experience. Her dreams are cut short, however, when she is caught trying to cross the border and is thrown together with Ulfric's men for execution. She manages to make a risky escape and, flanked by her faithful adjutant, she resumes her original plan, that of joining the fray and retaking Skyrim for whatever side she deems worthy.

     The Warmaiden is a retake on the spellsword that forsakes the usual damage dealer role for a supportive one. She relies on Restoration and supportive Illusion spells, her Heavy Armor and the help of her adjutant (follower) becoming a very persistent survivalist. If enemies get too close, however, she can make use of her blade to quickly finish them off, adapting easily to any situation.

    BUILD

    ●Race: Depending on the side you pick on the Civil War, either Nord for the Stormcloaks or Imperial for the Legion.

    ●Standing Stone: Lover for the overall skill boost.

    ●Stat Distribution: 3/3/1. Add your points to Magicka in order to be able to sustain your spells, coupled with Health for survivability and a dust of Stamina for extra mobility.

    ●Vampirism: No. A Warmaiden is pure and innocent, and she has little interest for undeath. Dawnguard is appropriate, however.

    SKILLS

    Major

    Restoration: Your main skill, Restoration ensures that both you and your allies will stay alive during your treks in Skyrim, regardless of what man or wilderness throw at you. Focus on obtaining Regeneration and Respite first, then get everything except Master since Bane of the Undead and Guardian Circle aren't very useful.

    Illusion: Another very useful skill because of Courage and, later on, Rally. Call to Arms could be useful but it takes way too long to charge up, and it buffs enemies as well. Take the rank perks up to Adept and, of course, Kindred Mage for the extra buffs.

    Heavy Armor: Your healing spells will usually keep you alive, but even then, a little extra protection can't hurt. Juggernaut and then Conditioning are your main target, after which you can add extra perks as you see fit.

     

    Minor

    One Handed: If enemies get too close for comfort, whack'em hard with your pointy stick until they go away. Armsman, Bladesman and Savage Strike coupled with Respite will allow you to defend yourself and even jump into battle if you feel like it.

    Enchanting: Although the Warmaiden is repulsed by the idea of using souls as fuel, dabbing a little in Enchanting can help for applying helpful boosts to your adjutant's equipment and yours as well. Enchanter, Insightful Enchanter and an element of your choosing should be enough to get the most out of your enchants.

     

     

    Perk Spread

    Level 20 | Level 40

     

    SHOUTS

    Whirlwind Sprint: Useful for getting near your adjutant for a quick buff, or away or toward the fight.

    Elemental Fury: Get rid of enemies quickly so you can focus on healing and buffing everyone else.

    Call of Valor: If your adjutant is having a hard time, summon reinforcements from Sovngarde to come to his aid.

    Slow Time: Useful for big battles where you need to get around and buff fast.

    SPECIAL MOVES


    Rejuvenation: Courage + Healing + Respite

    The Warmaiden gathers a soothing magical energy that closes wounds and replenishes stamina at the same time.

    Buff your adjutant, then keep behind him, healing him with Respite so he gets to use power attacks more often.

    Guardian Aura: Grand Healing + Rally

    The Warmaiden summons a wave of healing power that greatly ameliorates the state of the wounded and boosts their morale.

    This is great for large scale battles where you can't be bothered to heal every single one of the soldiers. Pop out this baby to save time and lives.

    Relentless: Respite + Savage Strike

    Using her powerful restorative skills, the Warmaiden does not allow herself to tire, delivering a deadly barrage of heavy blows

    Respite= Infinite power attacks for a short while. Abuse for high ammounts of damage.

    Resurrection: Avoid Death + Grand Healing

    As the Warmaiden is close to death, her devotion to her allies echoes deeply into her soul and unleashes an explosion of healing energy that rejuvenates both her and those that fight along her.

    What's better than coming back right when the enemy thinks you're down? Bringing your friends back for the counterattack as well.

    EQUIPMENT

    ●Armor - Ebony Set with relevant enchantments.

    No Smithing means no Daedric or Dragonplate, except if you're lucky. Ebony ensures you adequate protection, and it looks great. For enchantments, go for Fortify Restoration and Magicka Regeneration on the plate, and a mix of fortify Illusion/ One Handed for the rest.

    ●Weapon - Enchanted Ebony Sword

    An Ebony Sword with added elemental damage should do the trick for an endgame weapon. If you play your Warmaiden right, you shouldn't even use it that often.

    ●Ring/ Amulet - Fortify Restoration/ Illusion

    Fortify Restoration and Illusion are the best enchanments on your jewelery for obvious reasons.

     

    TACTICS

    When entering battle, try to stay behind your adjutant or other troops, if any are present, and cast Courage or Rally to buff their attacking potential. Once you get Respite, follow them around and heal them to replenish stamina so they get more power attacks in. If enemies get in your personal space, switch to self healing and slash away with your sword. They should be down before they get to cut through your armor.

     

     

    ROLEPLAY

    The Warmaiden comes from an family of farmers. An unusual element is her mother, who possessed considerable healing skills, a trait that's been passed down for generations on her maternal line. As such, her mother was the town healer, with the Warmaiden supposed to replace her once she gets too old for the job. However, the Warmaiden definitely had other plans, and not even the determination of her mother could convince her otherwise. Having heard all about the Civil War, she had convinced herself that it's her duty to help her brothers and sisters that were risking their life on the battlefield. Therefore, she snuck out one late night and headed for the border. Things did not go out as planned, however, as being young and unexperienced, she was captured while trying to cross, but managed to narrowly avoid being executed after the Helgen dragon attack.

    During her stay in Skyrim, she bonded with one of the locals, whom she jokingly calls her adjutant and which follows her faithfully throughout her journey. Also, having discovered the dragon blood in her veins, she is unsure of what cause to use it for, deciding to keep her original goal, that of helping her brethren retake Skyrim.


    In short, to act the character well during this playthrough, here's what you need to do:

    Pick out an adjutant ASAP. It can be any follower you like, really, but select them soon, since most of this build's experience is centered around supporting other characters.

    Enroll for the Civil War immediately. This is the main reason the Warmaiden came to Skyrim, so be sure to jump into the fray as soon as you can. You'll also get to use your skill a lot more often and on a lot more people, which is great.

    If you come across any Stormcloak - Legion conflicts, be sure to help your side. You're a soldier, after all. It's your duty to help your comrades.

    Don't attack without provocation. There is no honor nor glory in petty quarrels, and the Warmaiden knows it. She won't jump into unnecessary battles if she can help it. This means that you should refrain from clearing out random dungeons you come across, for the sake of roleplay.

    Don't kill innocents. Civilians, harmless animals, bugs, the Warmaiden will not touch any of these. You shouldn't either.

    If you own Hearthfire, build yourself a nice home in the Falkreath hold and save the poor children living in the streets. They deserve better than begging in the cold. 

    Complete the "Book of Love' quest for the Agent of Mara ability, and pay a visit to the Temple of Mara every now and then. Mara is the patron of love and kindness, so it makes sense that the Warmaiden would worship her.

    Donate to the temples, and give coins to beggars.  The divines smile on a charitable soul, and a few coins are a measly price for helping others.

    Avoid undead. Draugr are scary stuff, dude, even moreso for a healer. When necessary, eliminate them, although you won't like it.

     

    CONCLUSION

    As my third build overall, I can definitely recommend the Warmaiden for people looking for a different experience. Restoration and support Illusion spells are often overlooked in favor of offensive potential, but this build makes use of both turning this class into a unique support that can also hold its own in battle. If you're looking for something unique, give the Warmaiden a spin. She'll have you hooked right away. Enjoy!

    MORE BUILDS

     The Crepuscular 

     The Scholar 

     The Anti-Paladin 

     

     

     

  • Member
    May 20, 2013

    Vlad, you're not allowed to like your own builds. You can remove the like by clicking on the like button again. I'm sure this build doesn't need that! +1

    Support characters are usually overlooked, and I can say this is a very fun playstyle.

  • Member
    May 20, 2013

    I think you're officially one of my favorite presenters....+1

  • Member
    May 20, 2013

    Yeah, I honestly really enjoy your presentation style. Now, normally, creating multiple builds and posting them frequently is frowned upon, but these are all good quality! Continue this, and I'm fairly sure you can become one of the better builders! +1

  • Member
    May 20, 2013

    Mine gods... How did you do that to those pictures???

    Also, love the support/leader types. Also might I recommend adding Battle Fury? It's like Elemental Fury for but cast onto NPCs like a buff.

    +1

  • Member
    May 20, 2013

    Yeah, but I'm a newb to photoshop... -_-

  • May 20, 2013
    This build has an air of familiarity about it (hell, it even reminds me most of one of my own builds, the War-Priest), but it's presented in such a fresh way as to entice anyone to try it as if it was some brand new breakthrough concept. And it's all the more stronger for reminding us that sometimes new takes on tried and true concepts are just as exciting as new concepts themselves. A definite +1 for a play style I know damn well is a fun one, with its own unique spin!
  • May 20, 2013
    Quick reread and I love it even more. I really like that there's more of a focus on support than even most other builds of a similar nature. That really separates it from the pack and provides a new gameplay opportunity to those of us who have made a million different builds and tried out every type of combat under the sun ourselves already. Time to let the AI take care of the bulk of the combat to switch things up! I know it's our choice but I love getting the insight of the build-maker his-or-herself when it comes to major decisions: you go Imperial or Nord? Myself, I'm thinking Imperial is the perfect fit with Voice of the Emperor, though I can see supporting the rebellion fitting the roleplay of this eager young heroine more so than supporting the Empire. Tough call! Oh and one more: gotta tell us who your adjutant was!
  • May 20, 2013

    +1.  I'd at least mention the original Warmaiden, Adrianne Avenicci.

  • Member
    May 21, 2013

    I remember acidentally liking it ( I was trying to check out the replies) but I unliked it immediately. Guess I wasn't fast enough for your eyes, though, haha. Thanks for your like!