The Stealth Archer Reigns Supreme for Most Fun Skyrim Build
If you ask any longtime Skyrim player what the most enjoyable build is, many will undoubtedly point to the stealth archer. While it may be an obvious or clichéd choice, there is a good reason this classic build has remained popular for over a decade. Simply put, the combination of high damage, stealth gameplay, and great versatility makes raining down arrows from the shadows an absolute blast.
Top 3 Most Fun Skyrim Builds
#1 Stealth Archer
The stealth archer, or “sneak bow” build, relies on stealth skills like light armor, sneak, and archery to take down enemies from range while avoiding detection. According to data from UESP, it makes up over 20% of documented builds [1]. With the ability to one-shot most enemies once your damage output is high enough, this is an extremely powerful build. But the sheer thrill of landing an unseen headshot or clearing out a fort without being detected is what makes it so much fun.
Maxing out the Sneak and Archery trees allows you to get x15 to x30 damage multipliers on sneak attacks with bows [2]. If you enhance this further through blacksmithing, alchemy, and enchanting, you can vaporize nearly anything that stands in your way. Such high damage also means challenging fights with powerful foes always come down to the wire as you pop out of the shadows.
#2 Battlemage
The ideal battlemage combines heavy armor and melee skills with devastating offensive magic. While riskier than a stealth archer, nothing compares to the feeling of charging into crowds of foes clad in daedric mail, blasting away with expert level destruction spells like firestorm in one hand and soul trapping greatsword in the other.
Battlemage builds have the highest overall damage output in the game according to calculations by Gamepedia users [3]. By stacking fortify destruction enchantments, you can eventually cast master spells for zero magicka. This essentially gives you an infinite supply of what are ostensibly magical nuke spells, capable of wiping out any enemy with ease.
#3 Shout Warrior
While less powerful offensively than a stealth archer or battlemage, the shout warrior is possibly the most fun from a thematic perspective. Unlocking dragon shouts through the main questline gives you access to fantastical abilities like slowing down time, blasting foes with fire or frost, becoming ethereal to avoid damage, calling down lightning storms, and more.
Charging into the thick of battle while unleashing epic shouts only adds to the mythical Dragonborn experience. And creatively chaining certain shouts together brings an entirely new dynamic to combat – like using Ice Form to freeze a foe then battering them with elemental fury powered attacks.
Great Supporting Builds
The following all make for enjoyable playthroughs as well:
The Paladin – Block and restoration abilities allow you to outlast enemies in combat while bashing them with buffed maces and axes. Plus, restoration gives you extra tools like wards and healing hands to support allies.
The Spellsword – Blend weapon skills like one-handed or two-handed with spell casting. Great middle ground between stealth archer and battlemage in terms of offense and risk.
The Bard – Shout enemies to their doom then boast about your conquests while playing the lute!
The Craftsman – Skyrim’s crafting system is deep enough to fully specialize in if you enjoy watching stats tick up while flexing your smithing, alchemy, and enchanting muscles.
Offensive vs Defensive Playstyles
| Playstyle | Offense | Defense | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stealth Archer | High | Low | Low |
| Battlemage | Very High | Moderate | Moderate |
| Shout Warrior | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| The Paladin | Moderate | Very High | Low |
| Spellsword | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| Bard | Low | Low | High |
| Craftsman | Low | High | Low |
Gameplay Elements For Added Fun
While builds make up the core of your gameplay style, Skyrim offers many additional elements that greatly improve immersion and enjoyment:
Install graphics mods – Visual overhauls like Skyrim Flora Overhaul and Static Mesh Improvement Mod make the world more beautiful and lush. You’ll actually want to stop and smell the tundra cotton.
Adopt a companion – Having a loyal companion by your side not only helps in combat but makes the adventure feel less lonely. I recommend Mjoll the Lioness or everyone’s favorite mercenary, Inigo.
Purchase property – Player homes provide tangible evidence of your adventuring fortune while giving you trophies to show off hard-fought victors. Deck out Proudspire Manor or build your own with Hearthfire.
Collect artifacts – Pieces like the Elder Scroll or Staff of Magnus are cool reminders of quests you’ve completed over hundreds of hours. Display them proudly!
Conclusion
After analyzing all of Skyrim’s best builds, I firmly believe that if you seek pure, thrilling fun, the stealth archer reigns supreme. One-shotting foes from the darkness brings gameplay highs unmatched by any other style. Still, experimenting across different skills unlocks new facets of combat. Don’t be afraid to mix it up! With so many possibilities at your fingertips, destiny awaits around every corner of Tamriel’s northern province. Now get out there and seize that epic dragonborn life!
Sources
[1] "Skyrim player character builds overview" UESP[2] "How to Manage Sneak and Detection in Skyrim" LevelSkip
[3] "Character Build: Supreme Battlemage" Gamepedia
