The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Character Building Guide: Archery

With so many customization option given by the game, creating your character is not going to be too hard. We have taken a good look at each of the races available and understood that each one of them comes with its own strengths and weaknesses: some are better suited at being warriors while others are better at magic or stealth.

In creating your character and getting him or her ready for battle and adventure you’ll probably need some good understanding on how skills work. Skills determine your proficiency at everything that can be done in the world of Skyrim. Unlike previous The Elder Scrolls game, skills aren’t determined by the character class: the specialization of skills comes with the Perks system.

All Skills improve depending on the action you do: improving some of them can be somewhat tedious. There are other ways to improve skills without having to repeat some actions over and over: you can improve them by getting your hand on a Skill Book or find some Trainers who will help you improve specific skills.

Trainers can only train you five times per level: to get them to train you again you will have to raise you level. This limit doesn’t apply to a single trainer but to all: if you have already trained three times with a single trainer, you can only train two more times with another trainer. To start training again you will have to level up.

Some followers will also be able to train you: this actually comes with an advantage since you can get your money back by going through their inventory.

There’s also another trick to earn some good XP if you have the horse Shadowmere: this horse cannot be damaged by magic, direct and ranged attacks. Keep attacking him to earn some easy XP.

Archery

Archery is, quite obviously, the skill and training needed to handle bows. Improving this skill tree will allow you to become better in ranged attacks with a bow. Gaining some good perks in this skill tree is actually essential if you’re looking to create a hybrid build or a character who’s able in giving both direct and indirect damage. Stealthy types of characters also benefit greatly from this skill tree.

• Perks

Overdraw (Rank 1-5)
Bows do 20% more damage.(+20% per additional rank)

Eagle Eye
30
Pressing Block while aiming will zoom in your view.
Power Shot
50
Arrows stagger all but the largest opponents 50% of the time.

Quick Shot
70

Can draw a bow 30% faster.

Bullseye
100
15% chance of paralyzing the target for a few seconds.

Steady Hand (Rank 1-2)
40
Zooming in with a bow slows time by 25%. (50% at Rank 2)

Critical Shot (Rank 1-3)
30
10% chance of a critical hit that does extra damage.

Hunter’s Discipline
50
Recover twice as many arrows from dead bodies.

Ranger
60
Able to move faster with a drawn bow.