Premise
This Build came from a Curiousity of Mine, to a Challenge, to a raging Obsession:
Is it Possible to always have the "Ahzidal's Genius" Buff, yet still make use of all 9 of his Relics?
THAT'S RIGHT, ALL 9! How? Wait and see.
It seems Everything is being reborn these Days. . .
The Dragons, of course. The Dragonborn, to be sure.
Who could be surprised that You, a Dragon Priest,
followed Suit? So what will You do with your new Life?
Start anew, or go down the same, corrupting Path?
You served the 500 faithfully, but also infiltrated the Mer.
Will you be a reborn Savior, or a embittered Destroyer?
Mods
Since there are so many Ways to achieve the same Things, and now 3 different Platforms to worry about, I'll just list the required Effects.
-Any Mod that applies the Spellbreaker Effect to other Shields, specifically the Shield of Ysgramor
-Any Mod that provides the Waterwalking Enchantment
-Any "Circlet Under Helmets" Mod
The Build
Race: Male Nord; Ahzidal was born in a Nordic City, and is always given a Male Prefix, so It is Safe to assume, but an easy Argument could be made for either Gender or any non-Mer Race.
Standing Stone: The Atronach; We'll be getting our Magicka back in other Ways. For One of the Stances below, also have the Ritual Stone inside the Atherial Crown.
Stat Distribution: 2 / 2 / 1; Both Magic and Might will be equally necessary, with less Need for Power Attacks.
Shouts: Dragon Aspect and Fire Breath. I recommend the "Immersive Fire and Frost Breath Shouts" Mod to make you feel more like your Power comes from the Dragons Themselves.
Skills; Level 50 Perk Spread:
Block: Ahzidal forged the tremendous Shield of Ysgramor (probably) with the Secrets thieved from the Elves.
-Perks: Shield Wall (5/5), Deflect Arrows, Elemental Protection
Conjuration: You didn't stay Dead, why should They? Just use Dread Zombies; Thralls get in the way of a Stance.
-Perks: Novice through Expert Conjuration, Necromancy, Dark Souls, Twin Souls
Destruction: The Elements are Tools; use them. Plant Traps, and burn your Foes to a Crisp.
-Perks: Novice through Adept Destruction, Augmented Flames (2/2), Intense Flames, Rune Master
Enchanting: Your innate Gift, that which makes You a Clever Man. Reshape the World.
-Perks: Enchanter (5/5), Insightful Enchanter, Corpus Enchanter, Extra Effect
Heavy Armor: You gave up your Robes when You stood with Ysgramor's 500, and protect yourself like Them.
-Perks: Juggernaut (5/5), Well Fitted
Restoration: Your Wards are not just to stop Spells, but to consume Them, feeding your own.
-Perks: Novice Restoration, Ward Absorb
Two-Handed: In order to craft your Masterpiece, Wuuthrad, You had to master Its use.
-Perks: Barbarian (5/5), Limbsplitter (3/3), Champion's Stance, Great Critical Charge, Devastating Blow, Sweep
Required Quests
Unearthed, Glory of the Dead, Lost to the Ages
The Gear
-Ahzidal's Helm of Vision (Relic)
-The Aetherial Crown
>Lore says that You studied with the Dwemer. Besides, You need It for a Stance.
-Ahzidal (Mask; Relic)
>This obviously should be a Relic
-Ahzidal's Armor of Retibution (Relic)
-Ahzidal's Gauntlets of Warding (Relic)
-A Companion's Wristguards
>Ancient Nord Gauntlets enchanted with Fortify Heavy Armor and Fortify Two Handing
-Ahzidal's Boots of Waterwalking (Relic)
-Maormer Throat Stompers
>Ancient Nord Boots enchanted with Waterwalking and Fortify Two-Handing
-Wuuthrad and the Shield of Ysgramor (Relics)
>Ahzidal was a Master of Enchanting. Ahzidal allied with Ysgramor. Ysgramor had two Relics. Seems obvious.
-A Clever Man's Amulet
>A Silver Necklace enchanted with Fortify Alteration and Fortify Two Handing
-Ahzidal's Ring of Arcana (Relic)
-Ahzidal's Ring of Necromancy (Relic)
Stances
I've been teasing This since the Beginning; Behold your Power.
Gear: Helm of Vision, Armor of Retribution, Gauntlets of Warding, Maormer Throat Stompers,
Shield of Ysgramor, Clever Man's Amulet, and Ring of Arcana.
Gameplay: This Stance is about holding defensive Postitions against large Groups of Enemies, like when Dungeon crawling or taking Bandit Camps. Scan your Environment, find a place Choke Point. A Hallway that You just passed through, a Gate, etc. Cast your best Flesh Spell and place a Fire Rune down, and back up; You don't want to be near it when it blows. Block spells and arrows with your Shield, and repeatedly throw Ignite Spells. They'll only cost about 10 Magicka, which is good considering the heafty cost of Flesh Spells without any Perks. Prioritize Melee Opponents, as Archers and Spellcasters will bounce off your Shield. After the Fight, ressurect two Melee Dread Zombies, and get ready to repeat. You should expect to use this Stance most of the Time.
Gear: Helm of Vision, Aetherial Crown, Armor of Retribution, Companion's Wristguards,
Maormer Throat Stompers, Wuuthrad, Clever Man's Amulet, and Ring of Necromancy.
Gameplay: You've slogged through an entire Dungeon of Draugr, and finally You reach the final Room. In the Center stands a large Coffin. Before You can react, a Horde of the Undead burst forth, and You know that once You defeat them, some bigger Beast is going to crawl out of Its Tomb. We both know that You've been through this Situation before. You probably pictured a specific Dungeon or Mission. The Perdition Stance is designed to punish. You should already have a Pair of Dread Zombies from the previous Room, just swap your Gear as soon as You take out at least the first Wave. Use the Ritual Stone power, and again, BACK UP. As soon as one of your Zombies gets hit, They explode in Frost. This damages all the other Zombies, causing a Chain Reaction. Mop up any Remainders with Wuuthrad, remove and equip the Crown, and repeat as necessary.
Gear: Ahzidal Mask, Armor of Retribution, Gauntlets of Warding,
Boots of Waterwalking, Clever Man's Amulet, and Ring of Arcana
Gameplay: Even more so than Perdition, this Stance is for when Something absolutely, completely, 110% needs to die, even if It puts Yourself at risk. Fire's so paradoxical, yet majestic, is It not? The raw, surging Power can consume your Foes, but is fickle, and will turn on You if disrespected. This Stance uses Shouts, to blast Flesh from Bone. Use your best Flesh Spell and Dragon Aspect. Switch to Fire Breath, and cast Ignite from each Hand while waiting on your Shout Cooldown. Note that with Ignite's "Damage Over Time" (DOT) Effect, It is more potent to rapidly cast Ignite individually from each Hand than to dualcast, which is why We aren't going to take the Perk. With Our Perks and the Effect of Ahzidal's Mask, the Fire Resistance of Dragons, Dunmer, and even Ash Spawn becomes irrelevant. Go hunting Giants or something; this Stance both kills and dies quickest.
You already died once, what'd be so surprising about a Touch of the Grave to still linger within your Heart? Be it through Vampirism, or something more exotic added by a Mod, the Necromage Perk would make You very powerful indeed. This is entirely optional, but definitely Something to consider.
Roleplay
Ahzidal had a very rich Life before becoming obsessed with Hermaeus Mora, having more Lore written about Him than any of the other Dragon Priests, even Miraak or Vahlok. This allows for a Lot of Opportunity for Roleplaying, but It can vary depending on You. Ahzidal's Wife and Child were slain in the ransack of Saarthal by the Snow Elves. So will You remain devoted to your old Family and never forget, or will You move on? You're from Saarthal, so you would react to the Eye of Magnus with familiarity. You'd slay the Falmer viciously and at every Opportunity. You gave your Magic to Ysgramor and his 500 Companions, so You'd rise through their Ranks again. If You decide to end the Civil War, You would most likely side with the Stormcloaks, as in your previous Life, You would've supported Anything that opposed the Elves and marked Skyrim as a separate Entity. Go Nuts. Wreak Havoc. Enjoy Yourself.
Please stay posted for more Builds; I'm not going Anywhere.
Premise
This Build came from a Curiousity of Mine, to a Challenge, to a raging Obsession:
Is it Possible to always have the "Ahzidal's Genius" Buff, yet still make use of all 9 of his Relics?
THAT'S RIGHT, ALL 9! How? Wait and see.
It seems Everything is being reborn these Days. . .
The Dragons, of course. The Dragonborn, to be sure.
Who could be surprised that You, a Dragon Priest,
followed Suit? So what will You do with your new Life?
Start anew, or go down the same, corrupting Path?
You served the 500 faithfully, but also infiltrated the Mer.
Will you be a reborn Savior, or a embittered Destroyer?
Mods
Since there are so many Ways to achieve the same Things, and now 3 different Platforms to worry about, I'll just list the required Effects.
-Any Mod that applies the Spellbreaker Effect to other Shields, specifically the Shield of Ysgramor
-Any Mod that provides the Waterwalking Enchantment
-Any "Circlet Under Helmets" Mod
The Build
Race: Male Nord; Ahzidal was born in a Nordic City, and is always given a Male Prefix, so It is Safe to assume, but an easy Argument could be made for either Gender or any non-Mer Race.
Standing Stone: The Atronach; We'll be getting our Magicka back in other Ways. For One of the Stances below, also have the Ritual Stone inside the Atherial Crown.
Stat Distribution: 2 / 2 / 1; Both Magic and Might will be equally necessary, with less Need for Power Attacks.
Shouts: Dragon Aspect and Fire Breath. I recommend the "Immersive Fire and Frost Breath Shouts" Mod to make you feel more like your Power comes from the Dragons Themselves.
Skills; Level 50 Perk Spread:
Block: Ahzidal forged the tremendous Shield of Ysgramor (probably) with the Secrets thieved from the Elves.
-Perks: Shield Wall (5/5), Deflect Arrows, Elemental Protection
Conjuration: You didn't stay Dead, why should They? Just use Dread Zombies; Thralls get in the way of a Stance.
-Perks: Novice through Expert Conjuration, Necromancy, Dark Souls, Twin Souls
Destruction: The Elements are Tools; use them. Plant Traps, and burn your Foes to a Crisp.
-Perks: Novice through Adept Destruction, Augmented Flames (2/2), Intense Flames, Rune Master
Enchanting: Your innate Gift, that which makes You a Clever Man. Reshape the World.
-Perks: Enchanter (5/5), Insightful Enchanter, Corpus Enchanter, Extra Effect
Heavy Armor: You gave up your Robes when You stood with Ysgramor's 500, and protect yourself like Them.
-Perks: Juggernaut (5/5), Well Fitted
Restoration: Your Wards are not just to stop Spells, but to consume Them, feeding your own.
-Perks: Novice Restoration, Ward Absorb
Two-Handed: In order to craft your Masterpiece, Wuuthrad, You had to master Its use.
-Perks: Barbarian (5/5), Limbsplitter (3/3), Champion's Stance, Great Critical Charge, Devastating Blow, Sweep
Required Quests
Unearthed, Glory of the Dead, Lost to the Ages
The Gear
-Ahzidal's Helm of Vision (Relic)
-The Aetherial Crown
>Lore says that You studied with the Dwemer. Besides, You need It for a Stance.
-Ahzidal (Mask; Relic)
>This obviously should be a Relic
-Ahzidal's Armor of Retibution (Relic)
-Ahzidal's Gauntlets of Warding (Relic)
-A Companion's Wristguards
>Ancient Nord Gauntlets enchanted with Fortify Heavy Armor and Fortify Two Handing
-Ahzidal's Boots of Waterwalking (Relic)
-Maormer Throat Stompers
>Ancient Nord Boots enchanted with Waterwalking and Fortify Two-Handing
-Wuuthrad and the Shield of Ysgramor (Relics)
>Ahzidal was a Master of Enchanting. Ahzidal allied with Ysgramor. Ysgramor had two Relics. Seems obvious.
-A Clever Man's Amulet
>A Silver Necklace enchanted with Fortify Alteration and Fortify Two Handing
-Ahzidal's Ring of Arcana (Relic)
-Ahzidal's Ring of Necromancy (Relic)
Stances
I've been teasing This since the Beginning; Behold your Power.
Gear: Helm of Vision, Armor of Retribution, Gauntlets of Warding, Maormer Throat Stompers,
Shield of Ysgramor, Clever Man's Amulet, and Ring of Arcana.
Gameplay: This Stance is about holding defensive Postitions against large Groups of Enemies, like when Dungeon crawling or taking Bandit Camps. Scan your Environment, find a place Choke Point. A Hallway that You just passed through, a Gate, etc. Cast your best Flesh Spell and place a Fire Rune down, and back up; You don't want to be near it when it blows. Block spells and arrows with your Shield, and repeatedly throw Ignite Spells. They'll only cost about 10 Magicka, which is good considering the heafty cost of Flesh Spells without any Perks. Prioritize Melee Opponents, as Archers and Spellcasters will bounce off your Shield. After the Fight, ressurect two Melee Dread Zombies, and get ready to repeat. You should expect to use this Stance most of the Time.
Gear: Helm of Vision, Aetherial Crown, Armor of Retribution, Companion's Wristguards,
Maormer Throat Stompers, Wuuthrad, Clever Man's Amulet, and Ring of Necromancy.
Gameplay: You've slogged through an entire Dungeon of Draugr, and finally You reach the final Room. In the Center stands a large Coffin. Before You can react, a Horde of the Undead burst forth, and You know that once You defeat them, some bigger Beast is going to crawl out of Its Tomb. We both know that You've been through this Situation before. You probably pictured a specific Dungeon or Mission. The Perdition Stance is designed to punish. You should already have a Pair of Dread Zombies from the previous Room, just swap your Gear as soon as You take out at least the first Wave. Use the Ritual Stone power, and again, BACK UP. As soon as one of your Zombies gets hit, They explode in Frost. This damages all the other Zombies, causing a Chain Reaction. Mop up any Remainders with Wuuthrad, remove and equip the Crown, and repeat as necessary.
Gear: Ahzidal Mask, Armor of Retribution, Gauntlets of Warding,
Boots of Waterwalking, Clever Man's Amulet, and Ring of Arcana
Gameplay: Even more so than Perdition, this Stance is for when Something absolutely, completely, 110% needs to die, even if It puts Yourself at risk. Fire's so paradoxical, yet majestic, is It not? The raw, surging Power can consume your Foes, but is fickle, and will turn on You if disrespected. This Stance uses Shouts, to blast Flesh from Bone. Use your best Flesh Spell and Dragon Aspect. Switch to Fire Breath, and cast Ignite from each Hand while waiting on your Shout Cooldown. Note that with Ignite's "Damage Over Time" (DOT) Effect, It is more potent to rapidly cast Ignite individually from each Hand than to dualcast, which is why We aren't going to take the Perk. With Our Perks and the Effect of Ahzidal's Mask, the Fire Resistance of Dragons, Dunmer, and even Ash Spawn becomes irrelevant. Go hunting Giants or something; this Stance both kills and dies quickest.
You already died once, what'd be so surprising about a Touch of the Grave to still linger within your Heart? Be it through Vampirism, or something more exotic added by a Mod, the Necromage Perk would make You very powerful indeed. This is entirely optional, but definitely Something to consider.
Roleplay
Ahzidal had a very rich Life before becoming obsessed with Hermaeus Mora, having more Lore written about Him than any of the other Dragon Priests, even Miraak or Vahlok. This allows for a Lot of Opportunity for Roleplaying, but It can vary depending on You. Ahzidal's Wife and Child were slain in the ransack of Saarthal by the Snow Elves. So will You remain devoted to your old Family and never forget, or will You move on? You're from Saarthal, so you would react to the Eye of Magnus with familiarity. You'd slay the Falmer viciously and at every Opportunity. You gave your Magic to Ysgramor and his 500 Companions, so You'd rise through their Ranks again. If You decide to end the Civil War, You would most likely side with the Stormcloaks, as in your previous Life, You would've supported Anything that opposed the Elves and marked Skyrim as a separate Entity. Go Nuts. Wreak Havoc. Enjoy Yourself.
Please stay posted for more Builds; I'm not going Anywhere.
