Forums » Elder Scrolls

• Lolindir

  

  • 7 posts
   

  August 15, 2013 12:49 AM EDT

  I'm not sure if anyone has already started a discussion like this but I figured I'd go ahead and throw my version of it out there.
  
  I've probably played through Skyrim on the upper end of 20 times with more character builds and archetypes than you can shake a stick at and countless times getting a few hours in and scrapping the character all together.
  But a few days ago I stumbled upon an archetype by accident, really. I started playing as a typical run-at-the-mill Nord. You know, light armor, two handed, Braveheart war paint, so on and so forth. I just scratched the surface in play time. Up to the point where I'm l fetching the Dragonstone for Farengar.
  Well I kill the Bandit Marauder and pass the first puzzle and having played 300+ something hours, I know every nook and cranny in Skyrim and I known Im about to face 3 pesky Skeevers. As I get ready for my decent into the spiral staircase I decide that a two-handed great sword is not the tool for the job. So I grab my trust-dusty Iron shield and go to pair it with a one-handed ax. (Because what else would a Nord carry?) Huston, we have a problem; no ax. Fearing I would catch some god-awful disease, I decide to keep the shield and pair it with the only one-handed option I had; a spell.
  And that's when the light came on. I have finally found a play style I've never used before; a (defensive) Battlemage that uses a shield. Now, I know it doesn't sound particularly interesting so I had to do some trial and error to see if it was indeed as much fun for the length of the game as it was for roasting a few Skeevers.
  So I make an Imperial Battlemage, give him heavy armor, enchanted hood to boost Magicka, an Iron Shield, basic spells, and a Fire Staff. Much to my surprise, this play style is the most fun I've had with a character (with the exception of the first initial play through).
  Playing as a defensive character has proven to be much more difficult than I originally expected. However the challenge is proving to be very rewarding and fun.
  So my question to everyone is this; Is there a play style or archetype that you've played as that has just completely shocked you and turned out to be much for enjoyable/effective than you had first thought?
• Shimazu

  

  • 209 posts
   

  August 15, 2013 3:11 AM EDT

  I've done this and enjoyed it, although I called it a Spell Shield :P. It'd be fun as a Conjurer as well.

• Slamance

  

  • 41 posts
   

  August 15, 2013 4:54 PM EDT

  This playstyle sounds like a lot of fun. I can imagine shield stunning someone and then letting them have it with a fire spell. I tried a complete sneak no combat character once, just snook past everyone. It was very difficult at first, but when I got my sneak skill up, it was a lot of fun. 

• Slashy McSplatter

  

  • 39 posts
   

  August 15, 2013 6:03 PM EDT

  The second playthrough I ever did was a Shield Mage type with heavy armor, block, destruction, conjuration, restoration and enchanting.  It was a blast.

• Calo

  

  • 116 posts
   

  August 15, 2013 7:22 PM EDT

  This play style is my second favorite!! The only play style i enjoy more is the pure archer (no sneak) 

• James

  

  • 118 posts
   

  August 16, 2013 12:28 AM EDT

  Ya know i keep thinking of trying this style out, original interest was in a destruction shield mage using spellbreaker...seems extremely viable and block is a skill i've never really used.
  
  If i ever get back into playing i may give it a go
• Slamance

  

  • 41 posts
   

  August 16, 2013 9:29 AM EDT

  You should definitely try some sort of character that uses a shield then, block is one of the best skill trees in the game in my opinion, it's a lot of fun,

• shane

  

  • 1 posts
   

  October 2, 2013 3:07 AM EDT

  I tried that a while ago. I used a High Elf in Thalmor Robes and carved Nordic Gauntlets/Boots. With the Targe of the blooded shield and Lightning spells only Looked badass. He had a back story that as a Shield sergeant in the Thalmor army's branch of the Shield Brethren a feared black ops type organization known for being the first wave of attack. With Shield charge to knock down all that stand before him then spraying the ground with Lightning wall. Any who survived would be cut down with his razor sharp Carved Nordic sword or Bashed to death with his shield depending on how he felt.Was a totally enjoyable playthrough. No sneak just charge everything down even frost trolls could not stand up to this Power house

• Berecio Escobar

  

  • 6 posts
   

  October 2, 2013 12:55 PM EDT

  I don't remember the whole build and for whatever reason I didn't keep playing the character, but Fire Magic is so fun.  I loved making people run around saying, "ah, I'm on fire, I'm on fire!"  I keep meaning to mage some sort of fire mage but never seem to get back to it.  Maybe I'll try it today.

• Quincy Des Lamarde

  

  • 8 posts
   

  October 2, 2013 1:24 PM EDT

  I've never played a battlemage using a shield... Actually, I've only ever even played one Battlemage. Two-handed casting is just kind of a necessity for most spells in Skyrim to be effective; it goes double for Destruction, because Impact is the only thing that makes that school an efficient use of Magicka.

  Probably the most surprisingly fun play style I've found is the Summerset Shadows approach that I started somewhat recently. Basically, focused on sneakery and using staffs for summons so you can flank people with sneak attacks. Flanking strategies are actually a LOT of fun, because it's really hard to get the timing right and not be seen in the chaos.

• Curse Never Dying

  

  • 485 posts
   

  October 2, 2013 3:09 PM EDT

  You should look up the spellshield and salamander character builds