There’s a running joke amongSkyrimplayers that every Dragonborn eventually becomes a stealth archer. This is because of the viability of the build at early levels, and how powerful it becomes at higher levels. Stealth archers avoid most damage, take out enemies one by one, and don’t need anything special to do it. Stealth archery inOblivion, on the other hand, isn’t as viable. Archery was more clunky in the originalOblivion, whileOblivion Remasteredhas a bug that limits damage on archery stealth attacks.
Obliviondoes have its own version of the stealth archer, however, in the form of the spellsword. Magic is particularly powerful inOblivion, and the variety of unique weapons and enchantment effects make the spellsword one of the most potent builds inOblivionwith a relatively straightforward learning curve.
Oblivion’s Stealth Archer is the Spellsword
Oblivion’s Greatest Strength is its Magic System
Spellswords are characters who balance martial gameplay, such as Archery, Blade, and Block, with magic. Thanks toOblivion’s spellcasting mechanic, being a spellsword is incredibly easy and rewarding. While it’s possible to get by without magic inOblivion, its presence alone makes it a temptation for most players. Paired with unique and iconic equipment, such as Chillrend, Spellbreaker, and the Akavari Sunderblade, a spellblade build becomes one of the most viable inOblivion.
One ofOblivion’s strengths is its magic system. WhileOblivion’s spell creation featureand wide range of spell effects are obvious strengths, its magic also excels because its spellcasting key is bound separately to the player’s equipped weapons. This means that players who have a shield and sword, heavy weapon, or a bow equipped are still able to cast spells.
Casting spells as a martial character is incredibly convenient. Aside from the high damage spells can do in combat, there are so manysupport spells inOblivionthat complement a warrior or thief’s skillset. Spells with the Light effect eliminate the need to carry a torch for night or when exploring dungeons, the Restoration school has many support spells that upgrade different attributes and skills, thieves can cast spells to make themselves invisible, and the Alteration school has spells that eliminates the need for lockpicking and can make the player character breathe underwater, while Clairvoyance is essential when leaving maze-like dungeons.
Why the Spellsword Didn’t Survive in Skyrim
Despite the popularity ofOblivion’s spellsword, even when it was first released in 2006, the build didn’t survive inSkyrim. The two games are a part of the same series and have fairly similar systems.Skyrimincluded a range of support spells, but had nowhere near the same diversity asOblivion’s. However, this isn’t the main reason that the spellsword became less popular fromObliviontoSkyrim. What killed the spellsword in favor of the stealth archer was afundamental change toSkyrim’s key bindings.
Skyrimdoes support spellswords, but spells can only really be used with one hand free. Characters who use bows, two-handed weapons, a sword and shield, or dual-wield need to unequip their weapons to cast spells, which requires navigating through menus, casting the spell, and then reequipping the weapons. This makes spellcasting incredibly cumbersome, and essentially makes a spellsword build unviable.
Stealth archery, on the other hand, took the lead in builds that were easy to master, effective, and potent. Stealth remains one of theeasiest skills to level inSkyrim, and has a skill tree that maximizes damage. Archery is also effective, with plentiful arrows and enchanted bows that deal high damage while keeping players at a distance from enemies with lethal melee abilities and Shouts.
