The Elder Scrolls series has always given fans a degree of freedom when it comes to creating and playing characters, as there are multiple builds that can elevate role-playing elements. Despite all the options available to players, many seem to fall back on archery builds for their characters, often starting with another build before eventually switching to focus on combat using a bow. This has led some to wonder why archery in Skyrim is a skill that seems to attract players and why so many change their character’s build and play style to accomodate for ranged weapons.
There are many reasons why Archery is such a popular build, from its versatility within the factions of Skyrim to the seemingly over-powered nature of the Stealth Archer build. However, one of the biggest reasons for archery’s popularity is just how accessible it is for beginners, as newcomers will quickly find that an archery build is one of the easiest play styles in the game. However, even for more experienced players, an Archery build can be both enjoyable and challenging, providing exciting gameplay alongside a skill tree that needs to be well-thought-out when it comes to picking perks.
Archery Skills
The archery skill tree in Skyrim is one of the few trees where nearly every skill can greatly improve the overall ability of the character. Unlike skill trees like one-handed or destruction, there are no branching segments that players need to unlock based on their weapon of choice; for example, the one-handed tree offers skills that can boost the damage to either swords, axes, or maces. Instead, every skill in Skyrim's archery tree is equally important for a well-rounded archer, with certain skills assisting stealth combat while others improve battle archery.
For beginners, this makes the archery tree even more attractive, as there is no wrong way to allocate skill points. Whether it be the base improvements to damage or the chance to stagger enemies with each shot, the skills offer a lot of versatility and can make harder enemies easier to handle. Certain skills also make Survival Mode in Skyrim easier, such as the Hunter’s Discipline perk that allows players to recover twice as many arrows from bodies.
Best Weapon in Survival Mode
With the release of Skyrim: Anniversary Edition, Bethesda introduced a new Survival game mode where players will be affected by weather, hunger, and fatigue at a much higher level. Furthermore, characters will no longer heal automatically, and with many status effects rising from levels of fatigue and hunger, players would rather keep their distance from enemies. This, coupled with the fact that hunting becomes an essential activity for players to get food without having to purchase it, immediately made archery the best play style for Survival Mode.
With the increased reliance on hunting, archery has turned into one of the most essential Survival Mode skills, and with the high risk of death due to no natural healing, players rely on the skill to maintain distance from heavy-hitting enemies. To further improve the player’s chances in Survival Mode, pairing archery with the sneak skill ensures that players can take out enemies without being detected. However, even outside of Survival Mode, the stealth archer build is one of the most effective builds in Skyrim for both beginners and more experienced players.
Stealth Archers
Stealth Archers are probably the most popular build in Skyrim due to the high damage numbers and the ability to stay out of combat. While the Archery skills are extremely useful during the late game, the stealth combat skills give significant boosts to damage, with the base sneak skill giving archery a two multiplier, and further skills increasing this to three times the bow’s damage. The entirety of the sneak skill tree is solid, making it one of the most versatile and powerful options, and some of the best perks can make players invisible or increase sneak dagger attacks to fifteen times the normal damage.
The play style of a Stealth Archer also makes it the ideal build for beginners since it requires less focus on battling tough enemies and most players can sneak their way to a kill. Further, it is one of the few builds that allows players to easily join three factions without having to change their play style. Both the Dark Brotherhood and the Thieves Guild rely on stealth and the Companions require a weapon, making it a versatile build that will allow players to experience most of Skyrim’s missions without having to focus on skills that are not necessary for Stealth Archers.
Though there are numerous options available for players in Skyrim looking to create unique and interesting builds, archery seems to be one that many always fall back on. From a safer combat style thanks to range and stealth to its importance in Survival Mode, archery builds deserve to be one of the most popular choices. From beginners to experts, every player can find a way to utilize archery, helping them defeat the many enemies of Skyrim while ensuring that they can still complete most of the factions' quests without having to teach their characters an entirely new skillset.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.