Warriors and Mages get to straight up fight. They're built to handle all situations. If there weren't sneak/assassin elements to each encounter there would be no point to that style of play.

Naw, man. I'm a Conjurer Battlemage Swordsman guy. And he is oh sooooo fly.

Another sword-n-board Nord (rhyme time ftw), paladin type with restoration magic...its been a cakewalk so far. Level 33, ~100 hours in, playing on master difficulty. Even with resists being broken, Spellbreaker usually protects me well enough. Having over 400 stamina with the Steed stone is kinda nuts. I can run faster and farther than the horse, restore my stamina with a few fast heals, and shield-bash every enemy back to Oblivion.

Only thing I would change is getting the slow-motion perk in the block tree. After getting that perk, I've never been hit with a power attack. Also takes the fun out of the game when it glitches out and stays in slow-mo for 20 seconds.

I played as thief, and it was really too easy. I made it more fun by trying to sneak past everything and kill as little as possible. Simply rely on pickpocket and such to grab keys and loot chests behind their backs, as well as using bow to make noise so enemies run over to investigate then sneak-roll past them.

That was alot more fun than the constant x30 damage backstabs.

I tried all sorts of styles, from 2H melee to bows, backstabbing, shields and spells.

After trying all different playstyles I finally restarted as the playstyle I enjoyed the most;

Nord, using sword + shield, heavy armour, as well as restoration spells and some destruction and bow for long range hits.

I like the combat with shields, timing your attacks and bashing spellcasters. Combined with the wards from restoration you get nice defense against casters, and dragons doing flyby attacks. Also really nice to have healing, and healing hands as well. Alot of times I stay in cover and heal Lydia while she is tanking some nasty caster boss.

I think of it as a paladin type of class. The versatility is awesome. My perk investments are going to be in block, 1H, heavy armor and restoration. But having played alot of different roles I know where not to put in perks at least, which means I'll have alot of perks to spread out into more trees ad I gain levels.

The only thing I'm somewhat torn about is the armor choice, as I both like the protection from the heavy armor, but I really like the mobility of light. Might have to plan out perks so I can use both

But, on topic, thief is fun, but the fun factor wore off fast once you can oneshot everything.

So no, not a thief, assassin or sneaky archer

was my first build... then i started a mage... its.. challenging to say the least,... sneak-archer and viable dual wielder was a bit too bland for me, parked my first toon at level 36, having discovered most of the locations on the map, my mage though, levels ridicoulously fast, been through the Mages guild an already level 20, i m doing ok so far... i will teach him sneak for a few levels and take sneak perks... also working towards silent casting... could be an interresting build, i sneak in dungeons anyway, might as well do it with my mage

Characters aside the actual majority of the game feels much more comfortable using sneak skills. Also sneak skills work as a whole without touching magic or warrior skills whereas mages and warriors cant help but use sneak skills, speech, lockpick and either alchemy or healing for health (food is a pleasant sight). And mages can fend for themselves with magic skills alone if adept in gameplay but warriors will have more trouble against the toughies.

sword/board along with staves since i can use them nonstop until they drain and recharge them later one. its actually a fun playstyle although you have to pick up and buy every soulgem you encounter and have soutrap weapons as well. i have high destruction skill so my staves actually last a good amount of time between refills. the pain in the ass part is that when i equip staves with hotkeys it keeps going into the wrong hand. i stopped using dual wield when i was murdering everything on master with normal smithing and normal enchantments.

I play the two-handed heavy armor warrior, with some skills in conjuring. Works pretty well.

Axe-and-shield jeweler alchemist healing lizard. With a little archery thrown in, mainly to deal with dragons and soften up bosses before they can close the gap.

If I can't run up to any and everything and kill it faster then I get killed by hacking away while forgetting to block, I'm doing it wrong.

I actually thought it was cool how they were talented enough to handcraft every dungeon AND make sure they were fully compatible with thieves as well as the oft played warrior and mage classes.

Anyway Sneak is easy mode so maybe that's why you're having so much "fun"

Nord Barbarian Battle Hammer that I smithed, not enchanted. Sneaks some and uses a bow to get their attention. When they do spot me I close the gap by sprinting, get in their personal space and crunch their brittle little bones into splintering shards. Great fun! :thumbsup:

Me too. I've had both, and the 2H Paladin is what I end up going back to every time.

I've played on my two-handed Orc warlord and my Bosmer warrior more than my Nord thief. Well, not the Bosmer. I've had just as much fun on each character as the other. And I never joined any guilds on my Orc, which is testament to the fun the build can bring.

Then there's my Imperial Cleric I just started, who's pretty fun.

I'm not a Theif and Ive been getting by pretty well. I don't have any lockpick skills or perks, yet I've been able to open every lock without breaking a single lock pick (no cheats or exploits either).

I'm sure you guys know how I did it.


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I'm a thief in Skyrim because frankly I couldn't imagine anything else, it's who I am. As a tactician through and through, I could not fathom playing a human battering slackjaw ouphe (warrior) or a christmas-tree mage turret, just for letting everyone in the dungeon know I'm there. The three "S"es (Strategy, speed and stealth) are in my blood. When I play games like these, I don't pride myself in killing millions or getting a triple-digit level, but dying as little as possible. (I've died 5 times at level 49)

Of course it is easy mode, the reason to seek a tactical edge is always to get an advantage over your enemy.

Simply makes it so much more rewarding/punishing to make a mistake.

Me, I got a full warrior, 2-handed, heavy armor. Although it gets boring once in a while, so I became a thief/archer sometimes. lol

I play a, now level 40, Destruction/Conjuror Mage. I waltz through dungeons destroying everything in my way. I kill Dragons, sometimes two at once in very little time. I am a beast now. It took a while and it's tough in the middle levels but with my very powerful pets and my evolved combat style I clear forts in minutes. Dragons seem to flee quite a bit now too. Had an Elder just fly away after bringing him down to half health while helping the Imperials clear some fort. Usually if you hurt them they stay.

I built a set of DragonScale Armor but I never really use it. Kinda wasted some time and ran up smithing although I do like my Flawless Ebony bow. Enchanted with a fire spell it's pretty nice for sniping and stealth. I mainly run around in Arch Mage robes with a clutch of enhancements, mask, ring, pendants etc as I don't usually expose my self to fire and it's rare I take damage. I can not use companions, they just get killed. Largely because my pets are so OP and violent and the battles they get in are instant death for mere mortals.

Just finished dominating a Dremora Lord, heh, used two Dremora Lords to do that. Now I can have one full time but I doubt I'll bother. I can cast them for very little manna now. Same with a Flame Atronach I have but if they are around full time it frightens the citizens.

I'm kind of a jack-of-all-trades at level 39 on normal difficulty. I can 1h/shield, dualcast Destruction, some Restoration (really just Healing and Fast Healing)... along with mad lockpicking and sneak skills. I'm working on Archery, but haven't gotten up to the 3x multiplier yet. All this while also wearing Heavy Armor.

I first played a 2handed barbarian kind of guy... but the main quest really is geared to a much more sneaky kind of play. Even the companion quests were "sneakable".

I am a non dual-dagger archer thief. I use swords.

The rest of this post is dead-on, though. This game is most definitely the most fun played with a stealthy bent.

Axe & shield here with my light armored orc. Having a blast lopping heads off shoulders and running in and getting in everyones face.

I got bored of my assassin character after about level 30. He had a good run.

Ever heard of the old saying, "the slow and steady wins the race?" That's the thief. If everything goes to plan, you will get through without a scraqe, mind you at a snail's pace. Screw up, and you are toast. Light armor/clothing, plus daggers? Yeah, not the best combo to be stuck with fighting a dragon.

Worked up 1h, shield, restoration, and armor so I could handle myself if stuff hits the fan. After bringing those skills up to 50-65 I started sneaking more and using the bow. I enjoy sneaking around and rolling into a backstab but other times I go in 1h and shield. I took the perk to gain stamina with healing so I can say in longer battles without using potions. Also managed to keep alteration in the 50's for a little extra armor.

Recently I worked up smithing and enchanting which required me to bump up the difficulty as a sharper weapon (at just 60ish smithing) does a lot more damage. I'm not even stacking 1h enchants. I do have a number of bow enchants but I didn't bump the difficulty up for that. The 1h weapons just become very powerful.

I think its only sneak is what makes you really a rogue, lockpicking, speech and pickpocketing doesn't really aid you much in combat but they give you inconsequential benefits. Lockpicking just seems like a crappy tree that should not exist, its not that hard with 0 perks in it, and yield no combat advantage except finding some extra treasure and vendor worthy trash