Summary
What’s great aboutBethesda’s premier role-playing franchisesThe Elder ScrollsandFalloutis that they don’t box the player into one class.The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimplayers can use a sword on one hand and a spell on another, whileFallout 4players can quickly swap from a pistol to a missile launcher in a jiff. However, players who want to have a more structured build can look to the perks system in both games. Some liked creating zany builds, like Unarmed inSkyrimand Heavy Weapons Demolitionist inFallout 4. However, players who wanted to optimize their gameplay often used the Stealth Archer and Infiltrator inSkyrimand Fallout 4, respectively. These builds, despite being from two different games, work similarly and share one important trait.
The perks system inBethesda’s RPG franchises is easy to understand and operates similarly. InSkyrim, the player chooses from 18 different skills, with corresponding perks. The game has over 251 perks in total. One can choose to level up seven individualSPECIAL skills inFallout 4and choose from over 70 perks overall. SPECIAL stands for strength, perception, endurance, charisma, intelligence, agility, and luck. With such diverse perk systems, players can create characters that truly represent their playstyles. For a lot of players, however, that playstyle involves picking off their enemies from the shadows.
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The Strongest Builds in Skyrim and Fallout 4 Are All About Stealth
When one searches for the strongest ormost broken builds inSkyrimandFallout 4, they’ll probably see the Stealth Archer and Infiltrator. These builds have one important element in common: they optimize each game’s sneak attack mechanics. The games share the same sneak attack systems, albeit with a few minor differences. If a player lands a hit against an enemy while in stealth, they get a sneak attack bonus multiplier. The base ranged sneak attack forFallout 4is 3.3x, whileSkyrim’s is 3x. That’s a ton of damage packed in a single shot.
These builds perform best using ranged weapons to limit the chances of the player being detected while launching their attack. The endgame Dragon Bow is the optimal choice inSkyrim, while the Railroad faction’s Deliverer is best forFallout 4. This is because both weapon types can dole out huge damage without making a lot of noise. Plus, the Deliverer also offersVault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (VATS)accuracy and action point cost bonuses for easy multi-kills. With armor enchanted/modded with stealth bonuses, the player can clear almost any dungeon without being seen by enemies.
The Stealth Archer and Infiltrator Playstyle and its Weaknesses
The play style forSkyrim’s Stealth ArcherandFallout 4’s Infiltrator is simple: go into stealth and shoot the enemy to trigger the sneak attack multiplier. If one is against multiple enemies, it’s only natural that the other opponents get alarmed and start looking for the culprit. The player can shake these enemies off by dodging the opponent’s line of sight until they’re hidden again. They can then rinse and repeat, picking off enemies one by one in a single shot with their massive sneak attack bonus.
While both builds are quite overpowered, they have a few downfalls. The first is that the playstyle can get boring for a while because of its repetitive nature. It also involves a lot of waiting, as players need to stay in stealth to guarantee that their sneak attack hits properly. This build isn’t great for larger enemies, too. Stealth Archer players can do away with a bow againstDragons inSkyrimbecause of its immense damage even outside of stealth. On the other hand, Infiltrator mains inFallout 4may find it hard to bring down Deathclaws with a silenced pistol alone. Thankfully, such encounters are few and far between and can often be avoided.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimis available now on the Nintendo Switch, PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
