Through your choices, you’ll be able to craft a story that is uniquely yours in every playthrough.
Of those choices, the first one you’ll be asked to make is thecreation of your character.
By choosing awood elf, you’ll have certain privileges no other race has access to.
Naturally, you’ll have certain edges in your beginning skills that are unique to your race.
Their starting skills are certainly balanced in a way to suggesta natural inclination towardthe stealthier arts likethieving and assassination.
They are:
The wood elfpassive abilityis one of themost useful in general gameplaywhen compared to other races.
Itsusefulness is especially felt in Survival mode, available with the Anniversary Edition update.
Wood elf culture is a deeply complex topic with several unique nuances that can definitely spice up your gameplay.
Unlike your typical hacking-n-slashing Nord,roleplaying a Bosmer calls for finesse and underhanded tactics.
Given the nature of theGreen Pact, they arecarnivorous peoplethatdo not harvest, use, or consume plants.
Such holds true for what many consider to bethe “vanilla class"for wood elves.
Forperk trees, you’ll want to focus on the following:
Invest inall perks.
Invest inall ranks of Stealth, take theright tree up to Deadly Aim, andcomplete the left branch.
Takeall ranks and perks of the left branchof Alchemy upuntil Concentrated Poison.
Invest in theleft branch with Unhindered and Wind Walker prioritizedover Matching Set.
Invest injewelry and gauntlets increasing your damage output for arrows.
Alwayskeep a store of poisonson hand.
This style of combat is laid back, cold, and calculating.
It’s easilyone of the most effective and popular buildsof Skyrim.
Theease of masterymakes itaccessible to all types of players,new and old.
However, it’s not suggested for those who wish for more engaging or exciting combat.
Instead offollowing theAlchemytree,substitutethe skill forRestorationinstead.
Thusly, yourshouts and effects from amulets will be empowered.
With this, you’ll be able topoison several arrows at a time as opposed to one per vial.
For perks,you’ll want to follow these trees:
Smithing
Heavy Armor
Completeall Heavy Armor perks.
Alternatively, choosing the Lady Stone can make your health effects regenerate an additional 25 percent faster.
As far as enchantments go, having theRing of Namirawill be of great benefit to you.
Otherwise, youramulet or any other equippable accessoriesshould be focused on increasingarmor rating or health regeneration.
A similar effect happens if you use the console command to add all spells to your character.
Wash, rinse, and repeat.
Using theRing of Hircine, then, will bea good second optionto replace Namira’s ring.
This makes moving as a werewolf far more viable.
Takeall perkson both sides.
Takeall perks on the right side to Ebony Smithingand thenArcane Blacksmith.
Enchanting
Completeall mainline perks up to Extra Effect.
For yourStanding Stone, theAtronarch Stoneis recommended for its spell absorption.
Alternatively, you might try theRitual Stonewhich allows you the ability to reanimate nearby corpses without using Magicka.
It will suffer, however, if you don’t invest a little into Two-Handed perks.
Keep in mind, however, that this will alsoincrease any debuffs against you.
Mod Suggestions
As always with any archery build, theArchery Gameplay Overhaul is a strong recommendation.
Beyond this, however, there is also theApocalypse - Magic of Skyrimmod.
For yourperk trees:
One-Handed
Invest in everything except for Matching Set.
Fill the branch on the left side to Advanced Armors and then take Arcane Smithing.
Take all perks in the middle branch to Extra Effect.
Restoration
Invest in Restoration just enough to learn Necromage.
Naturally, your set might be eventually outclassed by the enchantments you’ll be able to do yourself.
When that happens,tempering light armorslike theDawnguard and Vampire armorswith your own powerful enchantments will be best.
Keeping a bow on hand for emergencies is useful too.
The Aura Whisper and Become Ethereal shouts are also useful to the Vampire Assassin.
For any vampire build, the use oftheSacrosanct Modis always heavily recommended.
