Well, that's why I said "depending on build and development." It isn't difficult in the game as long as the character is built and developed accordingly. That is, there's nothing lacking in the game itself, that's all.
Nowhere to hide... Invisibility, problem solved. Cast, shoot, cast, shoot... ad nauseum.
Or of course, you want high Acrobatics and using perches to shoot stuff, at least until you get Invisibility.
Or you can use 100% Chameleon... and then you are completely undetectable no matter what you do (the ultimate stealth, so to speak).
Also, poisons can help, as can spell effects like Drain Fatigue. If they're on the ground, or dead, they can't chase you.
My build for all my characters is below, regardless of whether I develop her as a mage or archer.
Blunt (or sometimes Blade... I don't develop Strength until late)
Heavy Armor
Alteration
Mysticism
Light Armor
Security
Speechcraft
That's my suggestion, anyway.
Develop Speed, Endurance, and Willpower/Personality/Agility for the first 4-6 levels (5-5-5 pts for +20 to +30 on each attribute). If desired, switch development on the third attribute after 4 levels so that you do 4 levels for one (Willpower, for example) and then 2 levels for another (Personality, for example). Yes, most people disregard/ignore Personality, but I have actually found it useful to develop it early due to Speechcraft and Mercantile leveling slowly, and so that I can use Illusion and Mercantile as I wish once it is maxed. No matter, though, as you can choose differently according to your own preference. Any of the three would be good.
You may want to waste some points in other skills just to develop them to about 25 (Apprentice) or so. Depends on your own choice of how to play and develop the character, and whether or not you'll use those skills. One skill that I would do this with, though, is Marksman. Get it to 25, waste the points (unless you are focused on Agility from levels 1-5 or 7, of course). You can max Agility with Sneak alone, pretty much... maybe a couple levels from Security may be needed, but anyway, it's an easy max either way and you have plenty of extra points.
Once you hit level 7, change to 5-5-1 strategy (unless you want to ignore developing Luck, of course, but I choose to develop it, now). By level 7, you should have completed the Mage's Guild recommendation quests and have access to the Arcane University. Once there, you can make your own spells and enchantments to suit your character and really begin developing them in earnest.
Don't bother with the main quest and Kvatch until level 17 to get max sigil stones. You can go ahead and see Jauffre and get rid of the Amulet of Kings, of course, as well as do the Chorrol recommendation quest, but don't go to Kvatch, or at least do not go into the gate, until level 17. There's no point in doing gates prior to gaining max sigil stones, and that happens at level 17. Instead, it's best to simply develop the character during the first 16 levels. That way you'll be more than prepared for Oblivion gates.
Make training spells to make training much easier (drain skill 100 for 1 sec). Make a negotiation/barter spell to maximize gain from merchants (charm for 1 sec, fortify mercantile 100 1 sec, fortify personality 100 for 1 sec). To get fortify skill ability, access the Apprentice birthsign Doomstone outside Skingrad at night. Buy a fortify attribute spell as well as fortify magicka; you'll need both for good custom spells.
You may want to make training access spells, too (fortify skill 100 for 2 secs). These allow you to appear to trainers as an expert so that they will give you the master trainer quests. This is especially good for both Marksman and Light Armor master trainer quests so that you can activate them about level 10 or so and begin to search for the items needed to complete the quests (Elven Bow and Elven Cuirass).
These are some suggestions, anyway.
» Sat May 28, 2011 7:23 am 
