They came for you in the night. You, who used to be the wizard of their troop … but apparently necromancy was “going too far” – pah! And so they drove you out under the cover of darkness with only their spells of pain to light the way. They forced you to flee and now you have to hide here, in this frozen forest, dressed in this ridiculous garb! But maybe you have been granted a blessing in disguise, for who would suspect the raving lunatic woodsman of being capable of such wicked revenge? Grab the forgotten bow that was left behind in this shack (and speaking of this shack, why exactly is it covered in blood..?) and head on out again – it’s hunting time…

 

The Witch-Hunter of the Woods is the answer to a question that plagued me since starting to create an evolved witch-hunter build: why would a character ‘dedicated to rooting out and destroying the perverted practices of dark cults and profane sorcery’ be using magic..? Add to that the official image of an Oblivion witch-hunter looks more like Robin Hood than anything else, and you get to this: a scorned Thalmor wizard, cast out of his army and sheltering in the woods, biding his time until he can unleash his revenge upon the world of sorcerers, vampires and (most of all) his former associates. I shan’t lie: there’s a bit of levelling to do before he’s ready to go – about twenty levels of it – but when you get him, oh boy! A mystical bow here, some poison there, add a Canon-Fodder Zombie and it’s time to go. This build does require Dawnguard for a particular item… Happy hunting.

 

RACE: Altmer – the Witch-Hunter of the Woods uses a lot of magicka. An awful lot of it, so the extra 50 magicka that an Altmer is granted is invaluable. The magicka isn’t constantly used, so there should be plenty of time for the magicka to regenerate (along with some help…) – the Highborn power is nice, but not the main draw.

 

STATS: Like I said, we need a lot of magicka. In fact, it’s almost all-in on magicka, but a little bit of stamina is also used. No adding to health – the best defence is a good offence, after all. 3/0/1, I would say.

 

SKILLS:

Archery: The bread of the Witch-Hunter of the Woods is his archery skill. He has three uses for it, in fact: as a poison delivery system, a method of killing and a soul capturing mechanism. Oh, and it can banish and turn to boot. Very useful, that archery…

 

Conjuration: If Archery is the bread, Conjuration is the butter – making archery palatable and pleasant enough to digest. Use it to conjure the bound (and later mystic) bow, and of course it’s vital for forming the Canon-Fodder Zombie...

 

Alchemy: It’s not perked very highly, but I would consider Alchemy to be a major skill for this build. It’s how I choose to deliver the ‘paralyse’ step needed to create the Canon-Fodder Zombie, plus it can be used to helpfully buff other skills too.

 

Other skills:

Alteration: The Witch-Hunter of the Woods is a very squishy character. He needs all the help he can get from flesh spells.

Destruction: To create the Canon-Fodder Zombie, you need to kill … and quickly. I prefer to use lightning spells to kill and save my physical bow for paralysis only (and conjuring a bound bow only to almost immediately sheathe it for a raising spell before conjuring it again is just a waste of magicka.)

Enchanting: It’s another way to increase the magicka available during battle, and provide some other very useful enchantments too.

Block: A very minor skill, but there is one protective item used that is enhanced by a few perks.

Restoration: (Almost) purely used to off-set the disadvantages of the Atronach Stone.

 

GAMEPLAY

 

Stage 1: The Woodsman

 

As I warned, you do need to do a bit of setting up for this character – he doesn’t simply leave that almost laughably pathetic attempt by his former colleagues to kill him in Helgen ready to go. Revenge is a dish best served … prepared.

 

“You’re not with the Thalmor Embassy, are you?”

 

And so he escapes to the woods, assuming the clothes of the locals (i.e., no armour – just clothing) in an attempt to blend in. Biding his time and gathering his forces.

 

The end aim of this part is: to be able to conjure a bound bow and be reasonably proficient in Archery to make use of it; to be able to raise most enemies as zombies; have the ability to swiftly kill with lightning magick; possess the Aetherial Crown with the Shadow Stone stored; also possess Klimmek’s Supplies and Angi’s Practice Arrows.

 

Particular quests and objectives to achieve:

1. Get to a decent level in Archery (about 40).
2. Do the Main Quest until A Blade in the Dark – leave Delphine in Kynesgrove for now, it unlocks necessary dragons but means that surprise attacks are frozen.
3. On the way up to High Hrothgar, take Klimmek’s supplies up for him. Return, take his money, then go back and retrieve them. We’ll need that knapsack later.
4. Head on over to Riften and take the Shadow Stone.
5. Complete Lost to the Ages, choosing the Aetherial Crown.
6. Equip the Aetherial Crown and take the Atronach Stone, forcing the Shadow Stone into the Crown.
7. Find Angi’s Shack and start Composure, Speed and Precision … but DO NOT complete it. Instead, keep dropping the Practice Arrows and get her to give you more. Build up a stockpile of them (you can return later.)

 

Along the way you’ll also want to…

Level Conjuration to 50.Obtain the Bound Bow spell and reanimation spells up to Revenant. Level Alteration to 50.

- Obtain flesh spells, Oak through to Iron.

Level Destruction to 30.

- Obtain Lightning Bolt and Lightning Rune spells.

Level Restoration to 60.
- We don’t actually use Restoration spells much, just a particular perk, so this is one skill you will most likely need to grind. I stood in the storm wall of High Hrothgar and healed myself on Apprentice level.

Start Enchanting. Mostly just practice items for now, although make the Bow of Paralysis at this stage – a long bow with a 4 second soul trap enchantment on it.

 

Perks for the Woodsman

 

Stage 2: The Alchemist and the Enchanter

 

You leave Stage 1 almost ready. You could certainly hold your own against an enemy now, at least. But you’re not quite the Witch-Hunter of the Woods yet. There’s one more vital skill you need, and a few more items to collect before you’re fully there.

 

ALCHEMY!

 

 

It’s here that you do all of your Alchemy levelling – or at least, all of the necessary Alchemy levelling, I daresay that through continual creation you will level more during the game. But all you need to get to is level 40. And what potions will you be creating..?

 

Well, poison is more the name of the game. Paralysis poison, to be precise. It’s going to become an incredibly important tool for the Witch-Hunter of the Woods. Below is a table giving ingredients to be on the lookout for, and what combinations make a decent poison.

 

 

ENCHANTING!

 

 

It’s not like you’re making end-game gear yet, but it’s time to start making some items for your own personal use. You’ve already got your Bow of Paralysis; I’d suggest enchanting some items with the ‘skill’ halves of the end-game enchantments. Keep a good supply of soul gems around, you’ll be capturing a few souls with your Bow of Paralysis; I’d also suggest unlocking the Soul Stealer perk as soon as possible, it makes good use of the Mystic Bow (and in fact, the more you use it the better – it levels Conjuration when cast.) In fact, when you start using the Mystic Bow, I’d drop the Bow of Paralysis in favour of any old long bow.

 

And, last but by no means least, the last few items to gather:

The Black Star, obtained from the quest of the same name. Make sure you co-operate with Nelacar and not Aranea Ienith.
 

Spellbreaker, obtained from the quest The Only Cure. Your only shield for the game and it’s worth spending some time using a weak enemy to level Block at this stage, although it won’t be perked just yet.

 

Staff of the Storm Wall, as a back-up weapon/shepherding technique (more later…) Obtain from Otar the Mad in Ragnvald.

 

The Alchemist and The Enchanter is a time of metamorphosis, of changing from a woodsman capable of holding his own to a man ready to enter the world as the Witch-Hunter of the Woods.

 

Perks for the Alchemist and the Enchanter

 

Stage 3: The Witch-Hunter of the Woods

 

The Witch-Hunter of the Woods possesses two abilities we have previously seen little of … but don’t worry, I didn’t lie above: we really do have everything we already need (although add Dread Zombie to his conjuration repertoire when at expert level)...

 

The power to disappear: You’ve possibly been wondering quite when the Shadow Stone that we stored in the Aetherial Crown allllll the way back as the Woodsman would be used. This is it. I didn’t want to give any ability to Sneak, as if I do I know it’s going to become another sniper character, sneak-shooting everyone in sight. So he can’t sneak. He can just hide, and infinitely too with the Shadow Stone. Equip it, use it, then the invisibility will break with the onset of battle so unequip and use more battle-orientated gear … then repeat as needed.

 

The power over death: It was your necromancy that was your undoing. It is your necromancy that will be their undoing. But the Witch-Hunter of the Woods derives little pleasure from reanimating fallen foes to fight for him. He wants to kill his enemies! And so he prefers to use his necromantic creations in a different way: as a diversionary tactic. He kills one of his foes whilst they are still reeling from his paralysis poison and then raises them. They rise, living and turned, but unable to move. And unable to die again. An immobilised target, in the middle of his enemies. What powers will that grant him..?

 

So, what is the battle strategy of the Witch-Hunter of the Woods? It’s a stealthy one, but not a sneaky one – he is no coward! His lack of armour makes him naturally silent, and he dons his Crown of Invisibility to render himself unseen too. He seeks out an advantageous position over the enemies he faces, climbing with his ‘stepladders’ (aka, Klimmek’s Supplies) if needed (either to reach something else or just to get a height advantage if no other exists.) He picks up his Long Bow and doses a Practice Arrow with Paralysis poison. A shot through the dark and the target is down. The invisibility is broken now and he doesn’t have much time: rapid firing of Lightning Bolt quickly kills the paralysed victim, who is then swiftly raised from the dead – she is now the sponge in the crowd of foes, the Canon-Fodder Zombie. He places a Lightning Rune in the direct path between them and him … and now conjures his Mystic Bow, picking off the enemies as they stay focused on the Canon-Fodder Zombie in their midst. If they lose interest in her, he switches to his Staff of the Storm Wall, shepherding them back towards their former ally. A few corpses littering the battlefield, a few more souls captured, the Canon-Fodder Zombie fizzles and he moves on. Ad infinitum.

 

It’s here that I would pick up the Main Quest again; assuming you left it where I suggested earlier – Delphine in Kynesgrove – a quest in the very near future will be to infiltrate the Thalmor. You don’t simply want to infiltrate them. You want to make. Them. Pay. Kill them all. If you have Dawnguard, this would also be a good time to start Dawnguard Main Quest (joining The Dawnguard, naturally – those vampires don’t exist too far away from wicked magic-users.) Keep on making better versions on your clothing, stronger enchantments.

 

Perks for the Witch-Hunter of the Woods

 

Stage 4: The Purge on the Mages

 

The Purge on the Mages is almost entirely a time of consolidation, very few new abilities are added here. I’d prioritise increasing your Enchanting skill. It’s the only one that benefits from getting to the maximum level,

 

Now, on to the one new ‘skill’ that will be used, now that we have started to kill dragons again: shouting. I never intended for it to be a big part of this build, but there is one shout that is particularly helpful, and another which I quite liked for a bit of extra bite during fights outside…

Particularly helpful: Become Ethereal. There are times when jumping from height is needed, and you might want to actually survive it. You don’t actually want to have too many words of it, though, otherwise you’re useless when back on the ground; some experimentation favoured just one word, in fact, and seeing as you have to visit Ustengrav for the Main Quest, you’re guaranteed to get one.

Extra bite: Storm Call. The Witch-Hunter of the Woods is a character based around planning. You can’t always plan, and the Purge on the Mages recognises this. So call upon the natural lightning of this world, and use it to strike your enemies instead.

 

End-Game Equipment:

This is what you’ll want to make when Enchanting is the highest you’re going to get it.

1.      Hat of Fortify Magicka and Fortify Archery (swapped for Aetherial Crown in battle)
2.      Necklace of Fortify Magicka and Fortify Conjuration
3.      Gloves of Fortify Magicka and Fortify Alchemy
4.      Ring of Fortify Magicka and Fortify Magicka Regeneration
5.      Clothing of Fortify Alteration/Magicka Regeneration and Fortify Destruction/Magicka Regeneration
6.      Boots (non-armour) of Muffle and Resist Shock

You’ll also be after these spells; indeed, you may already have them by this point.

1.      Alteration: Oak-Ebonyflesh.
2.      Conjuration: Bound Bow; Raise Zombie, Reanimate Corpse, Revenant and Dread Zombie.
3.      Destruction: Lightning Bolt and Lightning Rune.
4.      Restoration: Healing (comes with the game, only really used to level.

 

Perks for the Purge on the Mages

 

End Notes

Hopefully for a first build it’s not too bad! Constructive criticism is welcome, and I hope anyone who plays it has fun.

Nice build, especially for a first one. 

I will say though that I think you've broken it up way to much. I like the idea but breaking up a single character into four parts that could be covered in a paragraph or two each don't need this much information, an interesting idea but in the end a lot of the information has been hidden between these great chunks of each part of the character which aren't really needed and I didn't even fully get them all until reading through a few times.

Other then that I'm still a little confused on why you mention a Long Bow so often, picking up the Bound Bow at the end of the first act would outclass nearly any other Bow in the game. Considering you say use a Long Bow and Practice Arrows that are poisoned which could be done with the Bound Bow doesn't make a huge amount of sense to me personally.

Anyway regardless of that long wall of text I did enjoy the build, an interesting take on the Witch-hunter and that Zombie-Cannon Fodder trick seems pretty cool.  It's a +1 from me and congrats on a good first build.

I really like this take on a Witchhunter, one of my favorite classes, and your progression in how you went about it. Most of the time we don't see that much detail so it is nice. I would say you may not need to go into so much breakdown in the long run, but that is only to save yourself some time. I think the way you presented this is pretty cool and makes the build quite clear in many ways.

Can't go wrong with a Bound Bow!

I think the reasoning behind the long bow is a magicka cost issue. The strategy is to paralyze the target, then kill it, and then raise zombie. You could do this with a poisoned bound bow but would have to have enough magicka to cast bound bow, then raise zombie, then bound bow again. At least I think that's why.

I guess that would make sense. Although the Bound Bow would be fairly cheap and with 4 items increasing Magicka for about 65 extra points each (for 260 all up) plus 50 for Altmer (310) plus whatever stats were invested. Which is something else to add, I can't see a Health/Stamina/Magicka spread anywhere. And the %25 Conjuration Cost Reduction from the enchantment and I don't think that Bound Bow is going to be costing much. 

Though that would make sense if you throw in the Lightning Bolts and Flesh Spells, they do cost a fair bit of Magicka..

For a first character build, this is very very good! Keep at it and you'll one day be quite the pro! 

In addition to Flagon Tamer's explanation, the use of the long bow is to limit initial damage - you need to poison/paralyse before you kill, I found the Bound Bow could kill at the same time and therefore ruin the strategy. And there is a stats spread, but it lost my pretty colours somewhere in the posting; I'll edit and make it more obvious. 

Thanks for the feedback, and support. 

Yes, I'm getting the impression it was perhaps a bit excessive; it just comes from playing it and getting all excited - I'll attempt to trim it down a bit. 

Thank you.  There have been a few I started but kind of gave up on, it was good to have this challenge to spur me on, and it's encouraged me to return to my half-written ones too (I think that's good..?)

Bound weapons, witchhunters, dark witchhunters that use the weapons of the enemy, weapons that are even too dark for the enemy to use... man, I love that stuff! And the Klimmek's Supplies glitch is the perfect little tool for stealthy, witchhunter-y types that want to get a drop on the bad guys :D

I quite like the character progression, though I do see where Dragonborn is coming from... there is a lot there. My only suggestion for when you get ready to take on your second build is to try to eliminate some of the empty spaces... scrolling through the white breaks the rhythm of the build for readers. Some things that might help:

• Reduce the size of your skill icons to the same size as your gear icons
• Moving your skill and gear icons to either the left or right, and then include your writing to the side of said icons
• Look for any large spaces between paragraphs and delete them--you usually only need a single blank space (like the spaces between the paragraphs I'm writing now

Other than little aesthetic-y space management stuff, this is a fantastic first build... congratulations! :D