I decided to playthrough a sneaky archer ahead of the SE release.

I tend to play as a mage, but I am thoroughly enjoying this build, even if it is painfully slow at times... fire, roll away, hide, fire.....

I have recently maxed out enchanting, enabling me to customize my equipment how I want them. Well, not quite:

I remember reading on UESP about the sneak skill rolling over or something like that, well I think that's happened to me.

I have a full sneak tree and fortify sneak 50% on my greaves, I also [silent] cast muffle when I approach an enemy.

Where am I going wrong?! (oh, I'm wearing all light armour)

Thanks.

I tried doing an archer character but can play it properly. After my first or if I am lucky second shot, they are chasing me and I start casting magic power or using my swords to kill them off. I haven't played in a few years now. Will try this build again when the Special Edition comes out.

Any tips on how to play a better archer?

Sneak archer, yes. DPS archer, not really.

Sneak archer:

• Slow Time shout


• High damaging (slow if necessary) bow - aim for the dragonbone, then upgrade


• High damaging arrows - again, dragonbone


• Bow enchantments: Extra damage (chaos, fire etc) & I like paralyse too, for stronger enemies


• Stats - I raise health to 200 max, but focus the vast majority on stamina for the archery zoom in perk & for sprinting /silent rolling


• Light armor - yes, clothes may be better, but in a pinch, due to your lack of health you will need some protection before you can hide.


• Boots enchantment: Muffle/Fortify Sneak & Fortify Stamina regen


• Gloves enchantment: Fortify Archery & ?


• Helmet enchantment: Fortify Archery & ?


• Ring enchantment: Fortify Archery & ?


• Necklace enchantment: Foritfy Archery & ?


• The ?'s are depending on secondary build, if you're also a thief etc.


• Those enchantments are the main ones IMO, but I would also recommend Fortify Magicka Resist (for dragons) - they're hard to run and hide from.


• You can always introduce some illusion magick if you wish, muffle and invisibility, but Invisibility really does make it too easy, even on Legendary.


• Detect Life - this can be a lifesaver in a room full of enemies, helping you to plan an attack and identify where to hide away from enemies.


• Arrows are easy to come by, just steal them from every guard, imperial and stormcloak you come across - easy too.


• Arrows can also be crafted. Even if you have loads of a better arrow, still craft a load of iron, good way to increase smithing skill.


• I keep all my arrows in my favourites menu, so I can quickly change and not waste good arrows on wolves etc. or if an enemy has minimal health remaining.

DPS Archer, as I say I've only played around with this, but I would recommend the Zephyr bow, if upgraded to Legendary, then it can pack quite a punch. The majority of heavy damaging bows (Daedric, ebony etc) are heavy, so they're slow. Again, light armour for speed and of course as many Fortify Archery enchantments as possible. If you want to really play an archer, then try to make good use of the bow bash, rather than melee weapons, or if you're wanting to play more of a rogue, then dual daggers maybe? This is hard build, DPS archers need to be very aware, dodging incoming arrows whilst keeping and eye on advancing melee enemies.

Maybe someone else can recommend a good DPS Acher build?

& shoot everything you can, the more animals you kill at long distance, the better YOU will be at getting the first shot in with enemies. Running bunnies are particularly challenging at first.

Hmm, I play with only vanilla thieves armor with no other sneak gear and can sneak up on deathlords to dagger them in the back. Are you always running? Sometimes you need to 'walk'.


I have only invested in the right side of Sneak tree and only have 35% in base perk. I am almost OP now. I have had NPCs walk right into me and not break stealth. I roll my eyes at these instances and let them walk away before I attack.


I think my skill is at 97.


Also with archery, its actually best to shoot a distraction arrow first. Fire at a wall or something behind your targets to draw them further away before you shoot them. If you shoot them first they will follow the direction of the shot right to you.

Unless you one shot them. I tend to fire a distracting shot only when they're not in my firing line.

I'm constantly in sneak. I can roll right up to them, but if I then try to crouch away, they spot me! this didn't happen when I had had max sneak and Fortify Sneak 20%. It's all very strange, It's only when I get too roll happy, I end up at the enemies feet anyway.

Unless you one shot them. I tend to fire a distracting shot only when they're not in my firing line.

For me, it was: Shooting an arrow. Enemy runs into the direction of my char. Shooting another arrow, in hope that the enemy goes down before he reaches my char. Enemy runs to my char. In the moment I thing: Now he should start attacking, the enemy just stops.

Funny about this:

http://tompreston.deviantart.com/art/Skyrim-Crotch-Shot-414038649

Assumption: If you move, you make a noise, depending of the weight of your armor. As long as you only shoot, there is not big distracting noise, so they don't find you such easily if you just stand and fire, as if you're try to move away and fire.

Of course, a high level of sneaking is necessary.

Le't not forget the three ways to improve your bow-damage except for the pure bow-skill-tree.

Enchanting for bow-damage.

Alchemy for portions of bow-damage and poision.

Smithing to improve the bow and create better arrows.

Illusion makes fun, but personally I would yous it with the spell in the left, and a dagger in the right hand.

To simply level bow-damage, you can play a Mammut-hunter or go to Solstheim and join the Netch-hunters.

To simply level sneak, just follow the advice of SickSix...

That makes no sense. My current fortify sneak is 50%, this didn't happen when it was 30% - same armour, same perks.

My bow does a total of 481 damage, without true-shot potions. It's quite overpowered, which is why I don't recharge the chaos damage enchantment. This is why I didn't include alchemy in my build above, it's a skill tree really not needed, you won't need to craft restoration potions, it's a waste of time as a sneaky archer, really.

DPS archer, maybe not, I've just tried maximising the improvement of the Zephyr (not using exploits) and it can only reach 66, plus 25 for dragonbone arrows - still packs quite a punch considering the speed, with full marksman tree & 4 x 40% fortify archery enchantment it reaches a total of 197. You can make it over 200 if you have Blessings of Auriel too.

For full-time sneaky characters, I always insist on putting both fortify sneak and muffle enchantments on my boots, and I try to put fortify sneak as one of the 2 allowed enchantments on the other items as well. Once you get over 90 in sneak, enemies should be bumping into you when you're hidden, and you can go pretty much anywhere without ever being seen. I don't use the silent roll when I'm within an enemies detection area, and I've never once used the spell version of muffle.. so I've no idea if it's the same or as effective as the enchantment version.

Here in the forum is was claimed, that the spell is stronger than the enchantment. At least the one at the boots of the dark-brotherhood or the Nightingale-Armor.

But who cares, as long as the enemy don't find you...

In that case, you're probably right with the over-roll-theory...

From the mentioned three ways, one is always enough to become overpowered.

The only essential things I've found for archery are two archery perks the one that gives 3x damage in sneak mode and the other being the one that slows time when you draw a bow. Those are so useful its untrue. Putting some points into stamina as the more you have the longer you can aim without running out of puff

There are also enchanted items you can pick up gauntlets of fortify archery etc that'll up to 27% increased damage iirc. Or make your own if you're into enchanting.

Did you try improve it with smithing? Mines at Legendary and does 164 damage that should be plenty. Also Zephyr can't have extra enchantments added as it has one already (faster draw speed and no, it can't be disenchanted)

Yes:

The 168, must be the same as my 197 total, taking into consideration other arrows, perks etc. There is no way smithing alone can improve it to 168 dmg.

Yes, fortify archery can't be placed on a bow anyway, only on gloves, rings, necklaces and helmets/circlets

Greatly appreciated, thank you very much. Will try and keep these in mind.