Fans and players of Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls would admire the game series for its sheer level of freedom it offers to players. After all, characters "enhance" their Skills through practice - something people already do in real-life. In turn, players slowly help their characters grow based on exactly how they "behave" in the game. Thankfully, games like Skyrim further improved on this experience with more activities and options that make their iteration of Skyrim almost a living and breathing world.
However, players who want to maximize their character builds might not want to use Skills willy-nilly. In fact, players can actually optimize their character builds by focusing on essential Skills that matter to them. For instance, here are some Skills players might want to pay attention to if they're aiming to make certain builds:
10 One-Handed
Regardless of builds, most players of any Elder Scrolls game would depend on the trusty sword to get the job done. Moreover, one-handeed (1H) weapons offer quite a lot of versatile options for a non-magical skillset. For instance, the One-Handed skill has Perks that benefit playstyles relying on swords, maces, war axes, and even dual-wielding.
Moreover, One-Handed can easily be integrated into other builds that aren't focused on direct combat. For instance, stealth builds greatly benefit from One-Handed especially due to the sheer attack speed of daggers. When combined with the Dual Flurry Perk, dual-wielding daggers can eliminate even strong enemies. Likewise, spellcasters and archers could use points in One-Handed should they need a reliable backup weapon.
9 Sneak
Players who wanted to try a stealthier approach to dungeon-delving would appreciate the Sneak Skill. In essence, each point in Sneak reduces the ability of nearby NPCs to detect players. In turn, players can capitalize on Sneak to dish out devastating attacks, move faster while sprinting, or become completely silent.
As such, Sneak complements builds created for indirect confrontation or assassinations. For instance, Sneak sees easy application with the Backstab Perk that gives sneak attacks with 1H weapons a 6-times damage boost. Likewise, the Deadly Aim Perk confers a 3-times damage boost for bow-based sneak attacks. Lastly, the Assassin's Blade Perk gives daggers a whopping 15-times damage boost when sneak attacking.
Of course, players who want a challenge can simply improve Sneak and try to go into a dungeon and loot it undetected.
8 Block
Interestingly, despite being an overlooked Skill, Block can actually become a useful asset to most adventurers. For instance, players can actually Block not just with a shield, but also 1H and two-handed (2H) weapons, torches, and even bows.
In fact, certain events can happen depending on Block Perks used. For instance, the Deflect Arrows and Elemental Protection will now block projectiles and halve the damage of shock, frost, and fire damage, respectively. Meanwhile, Power Bash lets players attack with the shield while blocking.
Bashing can further be improved by certain Perks. For instance, Disarming Bash may disarm attacking opponents, Shield Charge can cause knock-downs when shield-sprinting, while Quick Reflexes slows down player time when blocking power attacks.
7 Restoration
Players who enjoyed Skyrim's thrilling combat would likely depend on the ever-reliable sword-and-spellcasting combo in combat. However, players should always remember that healing with Magicka is much more efficient than combing through the inventory for a potion. Thankfully, the Restoration Skill also offers useful Perks that further make spellcasting convenient as a whole.
For instance, players can eventually cast Master-level Restoration spells with just half the Magicka cost. Moreover, the Recovery Perk significantly boosts their Magicka recover, while the Respite Perk makes Restoration spells also heal Stamina.
Interestingly, Restoration also has the Necromage Perk that boosts damage against undead enemies, making it a perfect companion for most dungeons.
6 Archery
Fans of the Elder Scrolls series know that it's fun hitting opponents with swords before blasting them with a mean fireball. However, newbies to Skyrim should at least invest a bit in Archery to ensure they have a ranged physical attack option in encounters where they want to conserve Magicka.
Moreover, Archery Perks are also extremely straightforward and helpful for ranged physical builds. For instance, even the basic Overdraw Perk can boost bow damage up to 2-times, which can be much deadlier with Sneak.
Likewise, other Archery Perks make long-ranged combat much more optimized. These Perks include Eagle Eye that can let players zoom while aiming, Quick Shot that makes drawing bows 30-percent faster, and even Steady Hand that slows down the player's time while zooming in with a bow.
5 Pickpocket
Players who see NPCs rocking awesome gear know they can get those gear in two ways: murder and looting, or good ol' fashioned pickpocketing. Thanks to the Pickpocket Skill, players with itchy fingers can steal from virtually anyone. Moreover, Perks significantly improve pickpocketing chances for players.
For instance, while ranks in Light Fingers grants pickpocketing bonus, other Perks enhance the possibility of stealing other things. These include Cutpurse (for gold), Misdirection (for equipped weapons), and Perfect Touch (for equipped items). Additionally, Extra Pockets can add much-needed inventory space for prolonged dungeons. Moreover, Night Thief improves stealing chances when pickpocketing sleeping targets.
Lastly, Poisoned can actually poison or damage enemies if players put poison in their inventory while in Pickpocket mode.
4 Light Armor
Players might wonder why to invest in Light Armor when Heavy Armor obviously offers a better defense rating. Thing is, the endgame might find more value in light armor given its lighter weight compared to the more cumbersome heavy armor. After all, wearing light armor not only lessens the movement penalty, it also enhances a player's sneaking ability. Moreover, light armor reduces Stamina cost when sprinting.
Additionally, Light Armor Perks grant various benefits that take advantage of its lightweight properties. For instance, Agile Defender increases the armor rating for light armor in general, while Custom Fit grants a 25-percent armor boost if players are wearing all light armor. Matching Set enhances this for matched sets.
Perhaps more useful is Unhindered, which removes weight from light armor when worn, while Wind Walker increases Stamina regeneration when wearing light armor.
3 Destruction
Destruction is easily one of the best Skills in the game due to its vast arsenal of spells. Moreover, the various Perks and elemental types can further diversify a spellcaster's range of combat abilities. For instance, Fire-based spells cost the least Magicka but can deal damage over time. Meanwhile, Frost-based spells can slow down opponents and deal damage to both Health and Stamina. Lastly, Shock-based spells have the highest Magicka cost but can deal high damage to Health and Magicka, often one-shotting opponents.
Moreover, Destruction Perks also improve the potency of spell types. Aside from decreasing Magicka cost, various Destruction Perks improve the damage of certain elements (Augmented) and increase the distance of runes (Rune Master).
2 Two-Handed
Players who want to wreak havoc on the battlefield could opt for a trusty two-handed (2H) greatsword, battleaxe, or even Warhammer. Thanks to the Two-Handed Skill, players can take full advantage of the weight these weapons hold. As such, Two-Handed increases the ability of 2H weapons to stagger opponents and deal more damage with power attacks.
These benefits get reflected in Perks as well. Sweep takes the cake, as players can make a sideways power attack that can hit groups of opponents. Moreover, specific Perks exist to deal more damage with certain 2H weapons. If players find that certain spot where 2H weapons retain reach but can't get hit by 1H weapons, then players can maximize damage with Two-Handed.
1 Lockpicking
Fans of stealth games would appreciate Skyrim for its intuitive lockpicking mechanic. In the game, players who encounter locked items that can be picked will prompt a lockpicking minigame. While others question the minigame's importance, this Skill will matter in higher-level dungeons where Master-difficulty chests with treasure are abundant. Moreover, the Lockpicking Skill's various Perks do help players feel more of a master thief as they progress.
For instance, Quick Hands enables players to lockpick without getting attention. Moreover, Wax Key gives players a copy of the picked lock's original key, Golden Touch gives players more gold in picked chests, while Treasure Hunter increases the odds of finding special items in picked containers.