Hello everyone, hope this first build of mine is well received. Any constructive criticism is welcomed to help me become a better character builder. This build was partly inspired by Tae-Rai‘s Stormcloak soldier build. A special thanks needs to go to Samjt for his support and suggestions, and Zimbu for his great screenshots.
The Stormcloak Archer
Raised in the forest of Falkreath Hold, her father Haakon was a popular hunter, skilled at killing even the most dangerous bear. Ever since she was a young girl, she was trained how to stalk and how to use a bow. But she had a special skill, one that she shared with her mother Thora. Thora was once a student at the College of Winterhold, which she left behind to marry Haakon. The magical talent continued through the bloodline, which was discovered after finding her mother’s old books. The spells she was most talented with were frost spells.
Years past, and the daughter herself married Duncan, a handsome worker from the Half-Moon Mill. Trouble reared its ugly head in Skyrim, as the civil war broke out. Duncan felt the call of the Stormcloaks, and enlisted to fight for the rebellion. The two would share moments together whenever she visited her husband’s camp. It was one such time that the Imperials launched an ambush, killing Duncan and capturing Ulfric. She tried to save her husband, but was captured instead with several other soldiers.
Awakening in the back of a cart, all she could think about was her husband. A rage began to well up within her, a hunger for revenge that she longed to satisfy. But what could she do, bounded and heading for a destination unknown….
The Build
I do swear my blood and
honor to the service of Ulfric Stormcloak,
Jarl of Windhelm and true High King of Skyrim.
As Talos is my witness, may this oath bind me
to death and beyond.
Even to my lord as to my fellow brothers
and sisters in arms.
All hail the Stormcloaks, the true sons
and daughters of Skyrim!
She is a hunter turned soldier, using her bow to strike when the Imperial dogs least expect it. Rage at her loss has turned her into an Empire hater, adding the already present Thalmor hatred. She use frost spells to let cold death embrace her enemies. And if it calls for it, she will not hesitate to butcher her enemies with her Skyforge Steel War Axe, a weapon she received when she joined the companions. Except for missions with the Dawnguard (If you so choose to play) she will always wear her Stormcloak armor and smith it to any length. Since she is already magically inclined, she will have no qualms enchanting her armor to give her an edge.
Race: Nord
Recommended Quest: Civil War (Stormcloaks), Main Quest, The Companions, and Missing in Action.
Standing Stone: The Lord Stone
Shouts: Frost Breath, Ice Form, Slow Time and Unrelenting Force
Stat Spread: Magicka 2 Health 2 Stamina 1
Major Skills
Archery – What can I say about this skill; it’s one of the main focuses of the build. All the perks are useful, so fill up as much as you can or want.
Light Armor – Wear your Stormcloak armor proudly. Perk as much as you can, except Matching Set, as your armor would be slightly mismatched.
Destruction – Frost cloaks, Frost runes and Frost walls would be useful for this build. Perk at most to expert, and increase the damage of your frost spells.
One-handed – Your punishment for whoever gets too close, perk up whenever you can. You would only be using one war axe, so any dual-wielding perks won’t be needed.
Minor Skills
Smithing – Perk this only up to Advanced Armor and to Enchanted Smithing, as that will give you everything you need.
Enchanting – Add whichever enchantments you want to increase your combat effectiveness. I would suggest anything that increases archery damage or the cost for spells.
Sneak – It’s not sneaking, thieves sneak, and warriors stalk. That being said don’t just sneak the entire time, actually be a warrior and stand tall. Go up the right side up to Deadly Aim, then Muffled Movement on the left side of the tree.
Perk Spread
Level 25
Archery; Overdraw 3/5, Critical Shot 1/3, Eagle Eye, Steady Hand ½, Power Shot
Light Armor; Agile Defender 3/5, Custom Fit
Destruction; Novice-Adept, Augmented Frost ½
One-handed; Armsman 3/5, Fighting Stance
Sneak; Stealth 1/5
Smithing; Steel, Elven, Advanced
Enchanting; Enchantar 1/5
Level 50
Archery; Overdraw 5/5, Critical Shot 3/3, Eagle Eye, Steady Hand ½, Power Shot, Quick Shot, Bull’s Eye
Light Armor; Agile Defender 5/5, Custom Fit
Destruction; Novice-Expert, Augmented Frost 2/2, Deep Freeze
One-handed; Armsman 4/5, Fighting Stance, Hack and Slash 2/3, Savage Strike
Sneak; Stealth 2/5, Muffled Movement, Backstab, Deadly Aim
Smithing; Steel, Elven, Advanced, Arcane
Enchanting; Enchanter 4/5, Insightful Enchanter, Corpus Enchanter
Equipment
Head: Scaled Helmet of Fortify Archery
Body: Stormcloak Armor of Fortify Destruction
Hands: Scaled Gauntlets of Fortify Archery
Feet: Scaled Boots of Fortify One-Handed
Jewelry: Ahzidal’s Ring with the Dragonborn DLC
Primary Weapon: Nord Hero Bow and Steel Arrows (For those with the Dragonborn DLC, the Nordic Bow and Nordic Arrows is an option)
Secondary Weapon: Skyforge Steel War Axe
Alternative Armor option: You can use the Stormcloak Officers Armor, but I just felt it was too ornate for a simple archer
Gameplay
Enter battle in sneak, stalking those who you are about to kill. Kill as many as you can before they even know your there. Often times, someone will notice you before you’re able to kill everyone, use your bow until the last moment. When too close for a bow, take out your war axe and frost spell, which early in the game would be Frostbite, but later on use Frost Wall instead. Freeze your enemies and get in an axe strike every so often. Also cloak yourself with a Frost Cloak to give an added threat.
In battles taking a fort, make your way to the best spot where you can shoot arrows at any imperial you see, and during the battle for Whiterun and Solitude, become the powerful Stormcloak Spellsword you are. With the Companions, let your shield-siblings take on enemy’s head off, while you support with your bow. If any turn their attention to you, use your axe to make them regret it.
Hello everyone, hope this first build of mine is well received. Any constructive criticism is welcomed to help me become a better character builder. This build was partly inspired by Tae-Rai‘s Stormcloak soldier build. A special thanks needs to go to Samjt for his support and suggestions, and Zimbu for his great screenshots.
The Stormcloak Archer
Raised in the forest of Falkreath Hold, her father Haakon was a popular hunter, skilled at killing even the most dangerous bear. Ever since she was a young girl, she was trained how to stalk and how to use a bow. But she had a special skill, one that she shared with her mother Thora. Thora was once a student at the College of Winterhold, which she left behind to marry Haakon. The magical talent continued through the bloodline, which was discovered after finding her mother’s old books. The spells she was most talented with were frost spells.
Years past, and the daughter herself married Duncan, a handsome worker from the Half-Moon Mill. Trouble reared its ugly head in Skyrim, as the civil war broke out. Duncan felt the call of the Stormcloaks, and enlisted to fight for the rebellion. The two would share moments together whenever she visited her husband’s camp. It was one such time that the Imperials launched an ambush, killing Duncan and capturing Ulfric. She tried to save her husband, but was captured instead with several other soldiers.
Awakening in the back of a cart, all she could think about was her husband. A rage began to well up within her, a hunger for revenge that she longed to satisfy. But what could she do, bounded and heading for a destination unknown….
The Build
I do swear my blood and
honor to the service of Ulfric Stormcloak,
Jarl of Windhelm and true High King of Skyrim.
As Talos is my witness, may this oath bind me
to death and beyond.
Even to my lord as to my fellow brothers
and sisters in arms.
All hail the Stormcloaks, the true sons
and daughters of Skyrim!
She is a hunter turned soldier, using her bow to strike when the Imperial dogs least expect it. Rage at her loss has turned her into an Empire hater, adding the already present Thalmor hatred. She use frost spells to let cold death embrace her enemies. And if it calls for it, she will not hesitate to butcher her enemies with her Skyforge Steel War Axe, a weapon she received when she joined the companions. Except for missions with the Dawnguard (If you so choose to play) she will always wear her Stormcloak armor and smith it to any length. Since she is already magically inclined, she will have no qualms enchanting her armor to give her an edge.
Race: Nord
Recommended Quest: Civil War (Stormcloaks), Main Quest, The Companions, and Missing in Action.
Standing Stone: The Lord Stone
Shouts: Frost Breath, Ice Form, Slow Time and Unrelenting Force
Stat Spread: Magicka 2 Health 2 Stamina 1
Major Skills
Archery – What can I say about this skill; it’s one of the main focuses of the build. All the perks are useful, so fill up as much as you can or want.
Light Armor – Wear your Stormcloak armor proudly. Perk as much as you can, except Matching Set, as your armor would be slightly mismatched.
Destruction – Frost cloaks, Frost runes and Frost walls would be useful for this build. Perk at most to expert, and increase the damage of your frost spells.
One-handed – Your punishment for whoever gets too close, perk up whenever you can. You would only be using one war axe, so any dual-wielding perks won’t be needed.
Minor Skills
Smithing – Perk this only up to Advanced Armor and to Enchanted Smithing, as that will give you everything you need.
Enchanting – Add whichever enchantments you want to increase your combat effectiveness. I would suggest anything that increases archery damage or the cost for spells.
Sneak – It’s not sneaking, thieves sneak, and warriors stalk. That being said don’t just sneak the entire time, actually be a warrior and stand tall. Go up the right side up to Deadly Aim, then Muffled Movement on the left side of the tree.
Perk Spread
Level 25
Archery; Overdraw 3/5, Critical Shot 1/3, Eagle Eye, Steady Hand ½, Power Shot
Light Armor; Agile Defender 3/5, Custom Fit
Destruction; Novice-Adept, Augmented Frost ½
One-handed; Armsman 3/5, Fighting Stance
Sneak; Stealth 1/5
Smithing; Steel, Elven, Advanced
Enchanting; Enchantar 1/5
Level 50
Archery; Overdraw 5/5, Critical Shot 3/3, Eagle Eye, Steady Hand ½, Power Shot, Quick Shot, Bull’s Eye
Light Armor; Agile Defender 5/5, Custom Fit
Destruction; Novice-Expert, Augmented Frost 2/2, Deep Freeze
One-handed; Armsman 4/5, Fighting Stance, Hack and Slash 2/3, Savage Strike
Sneak; Stealth 2/5, Muffled Movement, Backstab, Deadly Aim
Smithing; Steel, Elven, Advanced, Arcane
Enchanting; Enchanter 4/5, Insightful Enchanter, Corpus Enchanter
Equipment
Head: Scaled Helmet of Fortify Archery
Body: Stormcloak Armor of Fortify Destruction
Hands: Scaled Gauntlets of Fortify Archery
Feet: Scaled Boots of Fortify One-Handed
Jewelry: Ahzidal’s Ring with the Dragonborn DLC
Primary Weapon: Nord Hero Bow and Steel Arrows (For those with the Dragonborn DLC, the Nordic Bow and Nordic Arrows is an option)
Secondary Weapon: Skyforge Steel War Axe
Alternative Armor option: You can use the Stormcloak Officers Armor, but I just felt it was too ornate for a simple archer
Gameplay
Enter battle in sneak, stalking those who you are about to kill. Kill as many as you can before they even know your there. Often times, someone will notice you before you’re able to kill everyone, use your bow until the last moment. When too close for a bow, take out your war axe and frost spell, which early in the game would be Frostbite, but later on use Frost Wall instead. Freeze your enemies and get in an axe strike every so often. Also cloak yourself with a Frost Cloak to give an added threat.
In battles taking a fort, make your way to the best spot where you can shoot arrows at any imperial you see, and during the battle for Whiterun and Solitude, become the powerful Stormcloak Spellsword you are. With the Companions, let your shield-siblings take on enemy’s head off, while you support with your bow. If any turn their attention to you, use your axe to make them regret it.
