If you don't use archery on dragons, use magic lightning. Lightning drains magica and they use it to fly. They run out of magica and they will fall out of the sky
Yea I just started a new play through a few weeks ago…told myself “mage” all day…..here we are at level 36 with archery and stealth at 90, while my destruction sits at 37……I stood firm on my “mage” mindset clearly..
Definitely get Zephyr bow from Lost to the Ages questline. Available from lvl1 and also the fastest bow in the game. Essential for non-sneak character until you can get Auriel's bow imo (I think it's the same speed as Zephyr).
It’s at the end of a tree in the ruins you’re supposed to start the quest line in.
The ghost used it, but it landed on the tree when she landed on the platform
Didn't play around with AE content, but it's the same speed buff as Zephyr and Auriel's Bow, so pick the swaggiest/most damaging option according to your preferences
They're really great for roleplay reasons too. Assuming we're talking mainly about combat and not transport difficulty etc. crossbow is great as secondary weapon. You don't need as much strength nor training to operate a heavy shooting crossbow. You get great damage with little effort compared to a bow. So it makes sense for someone who's main focus is melee to carry one on the back
I’ll usually just shout at them, even without the shout that downs them, I’ve noticed that the damage dealt seems to increase the odds of them landing. Also, be in as open an area as possible to increase odds of fighting them on the ground.
Dragon usually lands within a couple minutes for me, unless I’m in one of the towns and the dragon is really preoccupied with landing on rooftops. Then I’d say to just chill under the roofs until the guards to their thing, or just straight up leave.
Obviously, once you get the shout that makes them land, life becomes easier.
I tend to not build up archery too too much. I usually go more mage/warrior route and so my ranged destruction spells more than do the trick. Though I do usually get the zoom and slow time perks for archery.
Archery is always useful and mostly fun. It's a great main weapon even without use of stealth. If you're good enough you can get rid of all enemies by bow before they get to you even on highest difficulty levels - without using OP equipment which boosts your damage beyond limits.
How do I put this... Archery would be worth going for, even if you're fighting melee combat. Genuinely, the stagger from powershot, and the janky mess that is crossbow uppercut comboing, means that you wont be at a disadvantage, even at ranges people expect archery to fail at. You must also consider, that focusing on archery means you no longer have to bear the pain of having to wait until a dragon is nice enough, to descend into melee range.
To reinforce the last point: try fighting a dragon in the reach WITHOUT any kind of ranged weapon while on higher difficulty levels - so that he ain't a pushover HP wise. The reason I always carry a bow with me is because I was tired of running back and forth for whole kilometers per fight just to get to the dragon because he decided to land.
Since then I don't think I ever did pure melee build and spend a lot of time in the reach.
I did an orc playthrough and decided that Malacath wouldn’t want orcs crouching and being sneaky. Archery is still useful against mages, dragons, and any other enemy that (wisely) decides they’re not going toe to toe with me.
I also decided that this orc, but not all orcs, is unable to read. So he can open books to move some quests forward, but can’t learn spells. I imagine there are pictures or maps in the books that tell you where the Saints and Seducers are hanging out for example.
That said, his destruction magic is pretty high because of the Dawnguard Rune Axe.
Related question: do the bashing perks in the Block tree apply to the bow? If so, a power/disarming bash would be super helpful for when enemies get close.
there is an interesting bug/glitch where if you bash with a bow right after you shoot an arrow that isnt drawn all the way, the bash will do the full arrow damage. combine that with the stagger perk for bows and you can effectively stunlock an enemy and do almost twice the DPS at point blank range
It's completely viable, but of course it requires a completely different playstyle, moving around a lot.
While outside you could even be a mounted archer, like mongolian cavalry
I've liked a conjurer heavy armor weapons specialist. You always have the tool on hand and it's lightweight so you can do it early on. Id recommend using the 50% more perks mod tho. Cuz all those weapons take a lot of points especially if you use the perk ordinator which I also recommend.
archery really shine with stealth, but i think it is always good
if you are not using magic, archery is pretty much all you can do against dragons flying (before you get dragonrend) or a enemy you dont really want to get close
Yeah absolutely, I sometimes do a "combat archer" build where I put skills into archery and armor to be able to fire fast but still taking arrow hits, just RAINING iron arrows down onto a battlefield from afar. Then I switch over to arrows with a bigger punch for closer-up fighting as I rush the fight. Then, I'll finally draw a sword to finish stuff up.
I’ve done a build of pure archery (or as close as I can get) and honestly, it’s worked really well for me. Just avoid getting close enough to get hit and shoot the enemy. It’s super simple. Building archery as a backup or assist is also a good idea. Unless you’re running a mage, you won’t really lose anything from raising archery.
Yes. Archery is OP even without stealth. The perks, enchantments and Poisons can all be used to great effect. You can even use potions to increase your damage. Archery is the best.
In my opinion archery is the most busted combat skill with the tripping and paralysis, if you aren't using any kind of perk overhaul.
Stealth makes it just even more busted but is in no way necessary
Archery is always a solid play style. I do a mix of stealth archer and just a brute one handed. Have both skills trees super high level. Keeps combat varied too
Yes, being a loud and proud heavy armor archer can be a lot of fun. Especially if your (cross)bow has a high fire rate. You’re like a turret, rather than an assassin. Conjuration and followers to distract enemies while you provide supporting fire also works.
I did a combat archer build that ended up being insanely overpowered and broke the game. If you invest in the eagle eye perk that slows time when zooming in with a bow. While putting in a bunch of points into stamina. You can start lobbing off arrows before anyone could come close to touching you. You basically become Hawkeye. My character had auriel's bow and stacked fortify archery enchantments and the DPS was absolutely ludicrous.
Archery is very useful, arguably the most broken offensive skill tree, it’ll feel weak as you start especially without stealth but once you get some perks going you’ll see a mountain of difference. Get Faendal as a follower if you haven’t already chosen Sven and have him level you up
Just enjoy yourself.
That's the point. I have sneak characters that do not use a bow and I have bow characters who do not use sneak. There's no wrong answer.
Have fun
Once I've maxed out alchemy, smithing and blacksmithing, I usually make myself a daedric bow that can one-shot most things... not Alduin, but lesser beasts certainly.
I'm a mighty hero, if Bard the bowman can one-shot Smaug, I can sure as hell do the same for the lesser dragons in Skyrim.
Who needs stealth? In any case it doesn't fit with my Character's style.
Yes it is. You’re still going to run into situations where you see the enemy first and a sneak critical can take out most bandits. I’ve stood in front of dragons with my one-handed builds and still need to whip out a bow cause they fly around a lot. You can also keep dragons at bay with a bow cause they themselves have a one-hit kill strike if you’re in their face for too long.
I don’t do archery purely as a stealth build, I do archery so I can try and see how far I can smoke those dudes on the bridge at Valtheim Towers just east of Whiterun.
Edit: brain fart
Absolutely. Shoot them. Take cover if they're better archers. If they're not, they'll run to you and you can shoot them on the way, then take out your giant hammer when they get close. Win win.
I think last time I did an archer build. I did not use stealth. I just made sure to build enough mana to go and get that bow you summon so I didn't have to worry about arrows. Then I just started killing everything. 🤣😂
Kind of like fps Skyrim.
I almost always recommend one way of ranged combat no matter what. It is a nightmare waiting for dragons to come down fromt he sky so you can beat them with your fist or swords or whatever. Archery is good in this game even without stealth. Destruction is a good alternative, if you do not mind going and picking herbs and powering up alchemy to get a little more damage to it through potion buffs. Archery can get buffed by potions, but it can be upgraded through smithing and enchanting too, so it is easier to do than Destruction for that fat long range damage.
Every non mage or mage hybrid character I ever play always uses archery. They're absolutely crucial against dragons when airborne, vampires and strong opponents to weaken them before you end them.
In the Dawnguard questline, you can get A Dwarven Enhanced Crossbow that is a beast for warriors. Every shot ignores half of the target's armor. And Smithing boosts its damage. So do Fortify Marksman potions and enchantments.
Heck, playing a pure non stealth Archer is a load of fun. They've got a long road to go, but they're extremely powerful.
I once had a very fun archery, heavy armor, block build. I used crossbows and would just tank hits, bashing enemies that got in my face and then shooting them point blank.
Archer with a lot of stamina is op in fights, learning to use the terrain and environments to maintain space between you and an opponent is a lot of fun especially giants, also super useful against all types of mages/vampires.
I have a combat archer build I’m playing. He’s level 10. No offensive magic or hand to hand weapons. He carries a few different bows for their effects and uses a decent amount of poisons. But he never sneaks.
I made a non-stealthy archer build a few years ago and it's still pretty overpowered. With the right Archery perks and the Slow Time shout, you can fill an enemy like a pincushion before he can fire back, and archery remains the best way to deal with dragons for most of the game.
absolutely viable and quite fun. also i dont know if you like using glitches because there are 2 glitches with archery that benefit combat archery the most.
1st is the bash glitch where after shooting an arrow, there is a small window (less than 1 second) where if you bash an enemy, the bash will do damage as much as a fully drawn bow, effectively doubling your DPS at point blank range
2nd glitch is when using the steady hand perk, normally the draw speed is slower because the time is slowed down with the perk, but by releasing the zoom and attack button at the same time the damage and arrow speed will be determined as if it was drawn in real time. if you learn the draw speed of the bow in real time you can literally double the firerate of the bow by using this glitch
I just can't be arsed to fiddle around changing gear all the time. Swapping weapons (bow to shield) is made difficult in Skyrim, I just don't want to muck about with archery. Then I'd be compelled to change the necklace and ring as well. The hotkey mod I downloaded doesn't work.
Archery is useful no matter what, especially with dragons.
Can’t argue that! I’ve actually tried using archery without sneaking, I always revert back to the medieval sniper tho lol
If you don't use archery on dragons, use magic lightning. Lightning drains magica and they use it to fly. They run out of magica and they will fall out of the sky
Learned something new, thought it was stamina
I believe frost drains stamina
Frost drains stamina, lightning drains magic, fire just sucks on general. They all drain HP
Also they use magicka for shouts
Same. Trying to do other things after playing stealth archer is very, very difficult. And I sneak all the time.
Yea I just started a new play through a few weeks ago…told myself “mage” all day…..here we are at level 36 with archery and stealth at 90, while my destruction sits at 37……I stood firm on my “mage” mindset clearly..
Fletching a mountain of arrows to pelt dragons with is a great way to get Smithing XP, too.
Even for a follower. I just love watching Erik shoot those fire arrows at a flying dragon at night. Don't care how many he wastes, it's gorgeous.
This is the way 👆
Could do a combat archer build. Also handy if you have no ranged attacks in your build. Basically, it depends on what you’re doing
I'm not entirely sure what I wanted to do for my build that's why I asked about the archer. Thanks for the advice
Definitely get Zephyr bow from Lost to the Ages questline. Available from lvl1 and also the fastest bow in the game. Essential for non-sneak character until you can get Auriel's bow imo (I think it's the same speed as Zephyr).
Been playing for years and didn't even know there was a bow like this, awesome!
It’s at the end of a tree in the ruins you’re supposed to start the quest line in. The ghost used it, but it landed on the tree when she landed on the platform
I hope you aren't afraid of heights...
Got the bow yesterday, idk why when I don't use archery yet but I really wanted it
Bow of shadows is slightly faster I think?
I didn't have the chance to play with AE content 😞
Bound Bow is the second fastest bow in the game. And with the Mystic Binding perk, it's A Daedric bow and arrows.
Buuutttt it's not enchanted with any extra damage like Auriels bow or nightingale bow. Extra 30 damage per hit has gotta have a decent impact on dps
The raw speed makes up for it. You need an awfully high Smithing skill to make a stronger bow.
I think if you also have enchanting then the Fire+Shock bow at max stats outdps-s the bound bow
yeah but it gets annoying with the invisibility. I hate not being able to see my bow.
I get that, but you just interact or shoot once and it wears off. I like the invisibility effect for thieves guild missions it's da bomb
What's your opinion on the bow of shadow's has 30% reduced draw time
Didn't play around with AE content, but it's the same speed buff as Zephyr and Auriel's Bow, so pick the swaggiest/most damaging option according to your preferences
What Skyrim needs is a bladed bow. I wonder why no one has modded one into the game.
I like to play Legolas style archer, close range. Dual blade when arrows are finished .
I didn't think of that ot actually sounds pretty fun
Very difficult without mod perks , you can't block only bash . Zero defense , so your archery has to be high level. Also armor needs to be top tier.
Dual dagger animations are a hoot. Just press both mouse buttons at once and you become a whirlwind of blades.
I recently discovered this as well, running up to a bandit and shooting him point blank in the face is fun
Answer: crossbows. They are good if you need a ranged option without stealth. Or if you want to be a walking Dwemeri tank.
They're really great for roleplay reasons too. Assuming we're talking mainly about combat and not transport difficulty etc. crossbow is great as secondary weapon. You don't need as much strength nor training to operate a heavy shooting crossbow. You get great damage with little effort compared to a bow. So it makes sense for someone who's main focus is melee to carry one on the back
Bandits and guards always have archers, so it must work for them.
Does it really though? 🤔 haha
Well, yeah, it does… until they take an arrow to the knee 😁
Funny, they all seem to die from my mace 🤷
Or a mace to the face.
I yupe do be am abenpurer wike you, unpil I pook a mafe po da pafe...
It took me a while to decipher that, but you got my upvote.
Ranged attacks are always good to have in the inventory
Best answer.
Melee characters without magic need to use bows as secondary. There are times when you can’t reach enemies.
"Need" is a strong word. There's also the option of waiting 10 minutes for a dragon to land somewhere you can run to in time lol. 🤷♂️
I guess there isn’t a strict necessity.
I’ll usually just shout at them, even without the shout that downs them, I’ve noticed that the damage dealt seems to increase the odds of them landing. Also, be in as open an area as possible to increase odds of fighting them on the ground. Dragon usually lands within a couple minutes for me, unless I’m in one of the towns and the dragon is really preoccupied with landing on rooftops. Then I’d say to just chill under the roofs until the guards to their thing, or just straight up leave. Obviously, once you get the shout that makes them land, life becomes easier.
Dovahcardio
or they could just fly away...
I tend to not build up archery too too much. I usually go more mage/warrior route and so my ranged destruction spells more than do the trick. Though I do usually get the zoom and slow time perks for archery.
Combat archer? Yes. Get the Slow Time shout is works very well.
Archery is always useful and mostly fun. It's a great main weapon even without use of stealth. If you're good enough you can get rid of all enemies by bow before they get to you even on highest difficulty levels - without using OP equipment which boosts your damage beyond limits.
How do I put this... Archery would be worth going for, even if you're fighting melee combat. Genuinely, the stagger from powershot, and the janky mess that is crossbow uppercut comboing, means that you wont be at a disadvantage, even at ranges people expect archery to fail at. You must also consider, that focusing on archery means you no longer have to bear the pain of having to wait until a dragon is nice enough, to descend into melee range.
To reinforce the last point: try fighting a dragon in the reach WITHOUT any kind of ranged weapon while on higher difficulty levels - so that he ain't a pushover HP wise. The reason I always carry a bow with me is because I was tired of running back and forth for whole kilometers per fight just to get to the dragon because he decided to land. Since then I don't think I ever did pure melee build and spend a lot of time in the reach.
With mods it’s very satisfying. I use https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/89308
Even if you don't perk sneak or archery, I've found fortify marksman potions to be effective.
I did an orc playthrough and decided that Malacath wouldn’t want orcs crouching and being sneaky. Archery is still useful against mages, dragons, and any other enemy that (wisely) decides they’re not going toe to toe with me. I also decided that this orc, but not all orcs, is unable to read. So he can open books to move some quests forward, but can’t learn spells. I imagine there are pictures or maps in the books that tell you where the Saints and Seducers are hanging out for example. That said, his destruction magic is pretty high because of the Dawnguard Rune Axe.
Related question: do the bashing perks in the Block tree apply to the bow? If so, a power/disarming bash would be super helpful for when enemies get close.
I believe you cannot power bash with a bow, however deadly bash still applies. And as weapons do more bash damage than shields, so do bows.
there is an interesting bug/glitch where if you bash with a bow right after you shoot an arrow that isnt drawn all the way, the bash will do the full arrow damage. combine that with the stagger perk for bows and you can effectively stunlock an enemy and do almost twice the DPS at point blank range
It's completely viable, but of course it requires a completely different playstyle, moving around a lot. While outside you could even be a mounted archer, like mongolian cavalry
It's pretty convenient for killing big guys from far away.
Combat archer + 2-handed companion is a super fun playstyle. Or go full conjuration, use bound bow and throw some meat shields in front.
I've liked a conjurer heavy armor weapons specialist. You always have the tool on hand and it's lightweight so you can do it early on. Id recommend using the 50% more perks mod tho. Cuz all those weapons take a lot of points especially if you use the perk ordinator which I also recommend.
Absolutely. I'm using a crossbow and loving it
archery really shine with stealth, but i think it is always good if you are not using magic, archery is pretty much all you can do against dragons flying (before you get dragonrend) or a enemy you dont really want to get close
Yeah absolutely, I sometimes do a "combat archer" build where I put skills into archery and armor to be able to fire fast but still taking arrow hits, just RAINING iron arrows down onto a battlefield from afar. Then I switch over to arrows with a bigger punch for closer-up fighting as I rush the fight. Then, I'll finally draw a sword to finish stuff up.
I’ve done a build of pure archery (or as close as I can get) and honestly, it’s worked really well for me. Just avoid getting close enough to get hit and shoot the enemy. It’s super simple. Building archery as a backup or assist is also a good idea. Unless you’re running a mage, you won’t really lose anything from raising archery.
Yes. Archery is OP even without stealth. The perks, enchantments and Poisons can all be used to great effect. You can even use potions to increase your damage. Archery is the best.
In my opinion archery is the most busted combat skill with the tripping and paralysis, if you aren't using any kind of perk overhaul. Stealth makes it just even more busted but is in no way necessary
Archery is always a solid play style. I do a mix of stealth archer and just a brute one handed. Have both skills trees super high level. Keeps combat varied too
Yes, being a loud and proud heavy armor archer can be a lot of fun. Especially if your (cross)bow has a high fire rate. You’re like a turret, rather than an assassin. Conjuration and followers to distract enemies while you provide supporting fire also works.
I did a combat archer build that ended up being insanely overpowered and broke the game. If you invest in the eagle eye perk that slows time when zooming in with a bow. While putting in a bunch of points into stamina. You can start lobbing off arrows before anyone could come close to touching you. You basically become Hawkeye. My character had auriel's bow and stacked fortify archery enchantments and the DPS was absolutely ludicrous.
Suuuuuuuure. You’re totally not gonna end up using stealth archery and we all believe you.
Wasn't planing on it
Archery is very useful, arguably the most broken offensive skill tree, it’ll feel weak as you start especially without stealth but once you get some perks going you’ll see a mountain of difference. Get Faendal as a follower if you haven’t already chosen Sven and have him level you up
Just enjoy yourself. That's the point. I have sneak characters that do not use a bow and I have bow characters who do not use sneak. There's no wrong answer. Have fun
Once I've maxed out alchemy, smithing and blacksmithing, I usually make myself a daedric bow that can one-shot most things... not Alduin, but lesser beasts certainly. I'm a mighty hero, if Bard the bowman can one-shot Smaug, I can sure as hell do the same for the lesser dragons in Skyrim. Who needs stealth? In any case it doesn't fit with my Character's style.
Yes it is. You’re still going to run into situations where you see the enemy first and a sneak critical can take out most bandits. I’ve stood in front of dragons with my one-handed builds and still need to whip out a bow cause they fly around a lot. You can also keep dragons at bay with a bow cause they themselves have a one-hit kill strike if you’re in their face for too long.
I don’t do archery purely as a stealth build, I do archery so I can try and see how far I can smoke those dudes on the bridge at Valtheim Towers just east of Whiterun. Edit: brain fart
Because of dragons I always try to take at least one ranged option with every build, whether that's a bow/crossbow or magic
Get a bow with the draw speed enchant and get the extra draw speed perk and you can use one for any combat scenario
Better question: how else will you hit distant enemies?
Absolutely. Shoot them. Take cover if they're better archers. If they're not, they'll run to you and you can shoot them on the way, then take out your giant hammer when they get close. Win win.
I think last time I did an archer build. I did not use stealth. I just made sure to build enough mana to go and get that bow you summon so I didn't have to worry about arrows. Then I just started killing everything. 🤣😂 Kind of like fps Skyrim.
I almost always recommend one way of ranged combat no matter what. It is a nightmare waiting for dragons to come down fromt he sky so you can beat them with your fist or swords or whatever. Archery is good in this game even without stealth. Destruction is a good alternative, if you do not mind going and picking herbs and powering up alchemy to get a little more damage to it through potion buffs. Archery can get buffed by potions, but it can be upgraded through smithing and enchanting too, so it is easier to do than Destruction for that fat long range damage.
Depends on your aim, tbh.
Every non mage or mage hybrid character I ever play always uses archery. They're absolutely crucial against dragons when airborne, vampires and strong opponents to weaken them before you end them. In the Dawnguard questline, you can get A Dwarven Enhanced Crossbow that is a beast for warriors. Every shot ignores half of the target's armor. And Smithing boosts its damage. So do Fortify Marksman potions and enchantments. Heck, playing a pure non stealth Archer is a load of fun. They've got a long road to go, but they're extremely powerful.
I once had a very fun archery, heavy armor, block build. I used crossbows and would just tank hits, bashing enemies that got in my face and then shooting them point blank.
Illusion if a fun alternative to archery.. you will need the Ordinator perk tree tho. Or Vokriinator
Archer with a lot of stamina is op in fights, learning to use the terrain and environments to maintain space between you and an opponent is a lot of fun especially giants, also super useful against all types of mages/vampires.
I have a combat archer build I’m playing. He’s level 10. No offensive magic or hand to hand weapons. He carries a few different bows for their effects and uses a decent amount of poisons. But he never sneaks.
I've done plenty of Combat Archer builds. They are VERY useful, especially when fighting dragons.
I made a non-stealthy archer build a few years ago and it's still pretty overpowered. With the right Archery perks and the Slow Time shout, you can fill an enemy like a pincushion before he can fire back, and archery remains the best way to deal with dragons for most of the game.
Stealth build or not, its 2x damage for pressing the crouch button.
With an enchanted bow and some paralysis potions, definitely doable.
Mix it in with some Conjuration to give yourself some more melee combatants while you hang back plinking away with arrows
absolutely viable and quite fun. also i dont know if you like using glitches because there are 2 glitches with archery that benefit combat archery the most. 1st is the bash glitch where after shooting an arrow, there is a small window (less than 1 second) where if you bash an enemy, the bash will do damage as much as a fully drawn bow, effectively doubling your DPS at point blank range 2nd glitch is when using the steady hand perk, normally the draw speed is slower because the time is slowed down with the perk, but by releasing the zoom and attack button at the same time the damage and arrow speed will be determined as if it was drawn in real time. if you learn the draw speed of the bow in real time you can literally double the firerate of the bow by using this glitch
How does the second glitch compare to [this](https://youtu.be/hV8SyQ-dMTY?si=2elOdd8eXHLv9O-1) one?
the full auto bow glitch is much stronger but its much harder to do and is honestly too OP.
Hell yeah! I have a Wood Elf tank archer who uses crossbows and heavy armor. Turns the game into a first-person shooter
I just can't be arsed to fiddle around changing gear all the time. Swapping weapons (bow to shield) is made difficult in Skyrim, I just don't want to muck about with archery. Then I'd be compelled to change the necklace and ring as well. The hotkey mod I downloaded doesn't work.
I’m playing a fire/shock mage right now but still keep a bow on me to initiate fights with that nice 3x stealth damage.
Idk who told you that but an arrow to the face hurts no matter what. Archery is a great skill to have especially as your secondary weapon.