Skyrim Character Building » Discussions


Character Build: The Arcane Archer

Tags: #Character Build Archer  #Character Build Elementalist  #Character Build Enchanter  #Rank:Legendary 
  • December 18, 2013

    As long as it's the offensive skills that are leveling you'll be fine. This is meant to be a fairly fragile character...

    Get a frost atronach to play with alongside that bound bow and I doubt you'll have a problem, I specialised in soul cairn summons at later levels...

    Merchant perk ----> Grelka for defense if you're really worried. I've been at level 30+ with only about 200AR with this character though...

  • Member
    December 18, 2013

    Gotcha, thanks.  Another question if you don't mind, since I'll be using the bound bow, isn't enchating a bit useless since you can't enchant it? Or I'm going to swap to another bow at some point?

  • December 18, 2013

    I took the Soul Stealer perk so that I could fill gems as I played and enjoy the mystic bow but eventually you will want to upgrade to the builds main bows. That frost/fear bow is just too good, I like that one...

    Sorry it's not very clear, I used the Nightstalker perk spread for Dawnguard so it was customised more for a vampire playthrough. The mystic bow/soul cairn summons playstyle is more than viable though if you want to skip enchanting and destruction...

  • Member
    December 18, 2013

    Alright I'll head in that direction... last question I promess, how do you heal?  I'm creating basic potions but since we're not leveling restoration (I love that part) is there a nice way to heal up after a big fight since there's also no alchemy...

  • December 18, 2013

    What I found is that you come out of most encounters completely unscathed and you end up with a pretty healthy stock of healing potions that you simply find as you play...

    Once the hard hitters start appearing at later levels you can start running the 'cruel heart' bow to balance out the damage...

    You've selected the Nightstalker for your playthrough though and she's practically untouchable once you have a Frost Atronach/Wraithman.

    If you decide to make her a vampire (I advise this) your frost/fear bow will get a 25% illusion boost and is capable or sending a mammoth running...

  • Member
    January 8, 2014

    I registered just so I could wax lyrical about this build. I've always approached the archer style unimaginatively, as a pure physical damage dealer, just because of the apparent lack of synergy with magic beyond the odd buff or heal.This build is a great way to add lots of the flavour of a mage to the archer class.

    And it's such an effective play style too. At master difficulty with the Nightstalker setup I'm a walking blitzkrieg, a necromantic terminator who makes full frontal assaults on fortresses jammed with mixed enemy units and just remorselessly lays waste. I can still go down to a couple of well placed crits so it's proper glass cannon, but even so, wow!

    Bravo, not just for coming up with a build that's so potent, but for giving the archer so much rp goodness in the form of swirly magic cloaks, elemental configurations to suit any challenge, undead meatpuppetry, and not a single moment of skulking in the shadows.

  • January 8, 2014

    Thanks very much!

    It is a very fun playstyle!

  • Member
    January 14, 2014

    Any recommendations for armour enchants on the Nightstalker?

  • Member
    January 22, 2014

    How did you level up your speech skill easily??

  • Member
    January 22, 2014

    Reyvn Sadri is a Speech trainer as well as being a general merchant. So you sell your things to him pay for the training, repeat.