Skyrim Character Building » Discussions


Character Build: Strong-Scale

Tags: #Character Build Barbarian  #Character Build Assassin  #Race:Argonian  #Rank:Bloodworks 
  • Member
    August 7, 2015

    Strong-Scale

    An awesome representation I found! Made by DjCoulz at deviantart.

    Introduction:

    Born a Shadowscale, his fate seemed set in stone. His skills as an assassin were unsurpassed by those in your sanctuary, and his weapon unorthodox. Favoring a War-axe over a short-sword or dagger, Strong-Scale was a threat in both the shadows and open combat. Those unfortunate enough to to see Strong-Scale were instilled with fear, and chose to run rather than fight. There is only one target that has gotten close to escaping


    Backstory:

    It was a simple assassination. Some no name scum causing trouble for the locals. I could have killed him in plain sight without much problem, a guard or bystander maybe. Literally nothing to it... Or so I though. The air filled with smoke, trees scorched and burning. Chaos erupted, and my mark ran. I could barely keep track of him in the crowd. It never occurred to me that I should be worried, the distraction was more than welcome. The poor fool didn't have time to feel my axe hit him before a bolt of lightning flung him off.

     

    I turned to see an army of dunmer, armed to the teeth and chanting their spells. Slave traders, outlawed, but not that enforced it seemed. I turned to run, all I had to do was get into the shadows. It was like nothing I had felt before, I had no control over my body. My very soul was no longer under my control.

     

    I woke up in some sort of cage, no locks for me to pick. In the very corner, a frightened khajiit. "Khajiit wants no trouble friend! Khajiit is friend, yes?" I was quite confused. Why was he scared of me? I then saw three bodies lying around me. Two slave traders, and a young khajiit boy. I have never had a problem killing, but I cannot forgive myself for this.

     


    The Build:

    Race: Argonian

    Stats: 2/1/2

    Major Skills: Two handed, Sneak, Light Armor

    Minor Skills: Block, Illusion, Pickpocket

    Stone: Warrior to start. Shadow is great if you have to escape and heal. Use The Serpent Stone if you want to make killing your target easier. If it can't move you have already won! 

    Weapon: Wuuthrad

    Armor: Nightingale Hood and Gloves, Guild Master's Armor, and Shrouded Boots.

    Perks:

    Two-Handed: The bread and butter of the build. Strong-Scale is well trained when it comes to battle-axes, using them in even the stealthiest of situations.

    Light Armor: Light armor allows Strong-Scale too move with ease. The low weight counters the weight of his large battle-axe. The base armor rating will be more than enough, as you will be in stealth during combat.

    Sneak: You can't really play a shadowscale assassin without hiding in the shadows...can you?

    Pickpocket: Sometimes you have to do a public killing. While we do not use any crafting, found poisons can be useful to kill your targets. Others aren't able to be killed directly, or are unnecessary to kill outright due to invincibility, or required quests. Instead "frame" them for something. Prime example is Brand-shai during the TG questions, more information in the gameplay section. Note: If you tend to be a hoarder like me, drop poisoner or shadow warrior for deeper pockets.

     

    Block: Strong-scale is well-trained with his axe. In rough situations he can disarm, or even knock down his opponents, clearing a path to escape. His reflexes also allow him to outmaneuver his enemies, dodge their attacks, and then land his killing blow.

    Illusion: Strong-scale is very intimidating when he is found. Only use fear spells to make your targets run in terror. Great for escaping public assassinations, or failed pickpocket attempts.


    Combat:

    You are an assassin by trade, even if your weapon doesn't quite reflect it. You should have the upper hand in every situation, whether you are hiding in the shadows, or facing a group of bandits head on!  Just remember what the Dark Elves have done to you. Your goal is to eliminate them from Skyrim. Help Argonians or Khajiit when you get the opportunity.

    Starting a Battle: Start off your assault from the shadows. A well placed (or poorly placed for that matter) battle-axe can drop just about any foe, especially with the great critical charge and silent roll combo. (More on that later).

    Open Combat: At some point you're going to be found. A giant axe won't keep you hidden forever. Blocking is a life-saver here, you won't have any skills besides hist-skin to heal you. Quick Reflexes allows you to roll away from power-attacks, offering some awesome kill animations! There is literally nothing better than dropping a heavily-armored bandit chief before he realizes you are gone.

    Public Assassinations: Arguably the best part of the gameplay right here. Hidden assassinations are fun, but killing in plain sight makes a statement. Follow your target into a semi-crowded area, and unsheathe your weapon. As long as your target doesn't see you, your solid. Your axe should be more than enough, but changing it up with reverse pick-pocketed poisons and the shadow stone should keep everything fresh. Don't be afraid to challenge the guards when they come. Show them you mean business.

    Escape: Sometimes you just need to get away. Sometimes to heal, other times to leave the sight of a murder. Fear spells will take care of any civilians or guards that you don't want to kill. The shadow stone can also be used immediately after an assassination to prevent unnecessary deaths.


    Dragons: I chose not to do the main questline, but I would say rely on a follower and shouts.


    Factions:

    The Dark Brotherhood: You are a shadowscale, and this is your true home. Even though there is a Dunmer member you can not, under any circumstances, kill a fellow shadowscale (Veezara). This problem will solve itself eventually.

    The Companions: Joining the companions is necessary. You will need to get Wuuthrad. Becoming Harbinger and curing your lycanthropy is just icing on the cake.

    The Thieves Guild: A great match for a stealthy pickpocket. Plus you get to frame a Dunmer! The Nightingale Hood also has an illusion enchantment which comes in handy.

    The College of Winterhold: You will have to join up to buy your illusion spells, and possibly get your master spells. 

     


    Roleplay:

    • Kill Dunmer when you get the chance, either immediately, or at a planned time.
    • Help khajiit and argonians whenever possible.
    • Strong-Scale rewards himself for good work. Only loot bodies if...


                       - You kill with an animation

                       - You kill while in stealth

                       - You pick someone's pocket

                       - It is a quest or named item

    Moral Turning Point

    After eradicating a majority of the Dunmer in Skyrim, you travel to Solstheim to continue your job. You scout the town for exits and hiding places, aandyou notice the stone. The Dunmer are enslaved just as you once were.

    Has your character changed? After killing off an entire race in Skyrim does he realize his mistakes, or does he continue his path of destruction?

    If you chose to continue your path of destruction don't be afraid to take the town on head on. You should be a decent level by now, and shouldn't have much trouble. Maybe you could have the rieklings help you exterminate them, and then have Solstheim filled with riekkings.

    If you choose to change your ways, hire the mercenary at the Retching Netch and begin your new journey. Reavers are still fair game and you should turn your attention to eliminating them to further help the people. 

     


    Skills:

    Not so much an actual skill set, but is includes some heavily used tactics. These would not be possible without The Advanced Melee Corner! Be sure to go check it out if you haven't already. I will not be naming them differently as I do not take any credit for them. I will just post the ones used for quick reference.

    Silent Critical Charge/Great Critical Charge

    Requires either Critical Charge or Great Critical Charge and Silent Roll from the sneak tree. By holding the attack button while on the Silent Roll animation you will activate a silent power attack, effectively allowing you to lunge on your opponent, pulling off an attack with both the Critical Charge bonus and the sneak multiplier.

    Speed Charge

    This allows you to overwhelm any enemy with lighting fast attacks, moving with an accelerated pace and doing massive damage. By using Elemental Fury and Dual Wielding perks this becomes even more deadly.

    • Simply hold sprint while repeatedly pressing the attack button. This will allow you to move at insane speeds while dealing fast DPS to everything in front of you. Can be done until Stamina runs out.

    Shield Charge

    This is a fun one, and unlike the name suggests it’s not limited to those using a shield. By holding block and then sprinting with your shield you will be able to enter a charge animation that will knock down most of the enemies in the game. You can also activate this ability by tapping the block button while sprinting with a two handed weapon, or a one handed weapon with nothing in the off-hand. If you find yourself in a desperate situation you can combo this skill with either Become Ethereal or the Slow Time shouts.


    Thank You!

    Thank you so much for bearing with me through all of this. This is my first build, and it might stay that way for awhile. Please be brutally honest in the comments, I have kept most of my work right in the workshop  and may have missed something.

  • Member
    August 7, 2015

    Great biuld, might try it sometime, only I would repalace armour with alteration, but this is more of personal choice.

  • Member
    August 7, 2015

    That could work out nicely, especially since quiet casting is already perked.

  • Member
    August 7, 2015
    Very good build, love the whole Dark Elf hatred vibe.
  • Member
    August 8, 2015

    Oh, you forgot, that you like one dark elf, merchant in riften, on raised by argonians

  • Member
    August 8, 2015

    I still framed him for the thieves guild. I forgot a chunk of the Rp in my eagerness, it will make sense once I fit it in there.

  • Member
    August 8, 2015

    Alright, I new I was missing something. RP section fixed.

  • September 16, 2015

    Interesting take on two classic play styles (assassin and brute).  I like the RP of using Wuthrad against Dunmer, I always associate it with slaying Thalmor, but Argonians have plenty of reasons to hate dark elves.

    Your tags need fixing, currently only the rank tag is correct.

  • Member
    October 17, 2015

    Thanks for the response, and sorry for the late response.  I rarely have time to check this anymore, and I rushed this build a bit. Maybe sometime I will polish it up to become what I had envisioned.

  • Member
    October 17, 2015
    This is a pretty good build i don't think I've seen anything focused on exterminating an entire race before