The 5 Best Builds In Skyrim [Our Tips and Tricks]

This article enlists some of the most powerful characters builds for Skyrim that you should definitely try out!

By Hammad Ijaz

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June 5, 2023

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Builds are an integral part of the gameplay experience in Skyrim. Having unique builds in each playthrough gives a new experience to enjoy the game and allows you to engage in combat with a fresh perspective. If you’re to play Skyrim in 2024, you must learn about these nine best Skyrim builds & take the gameplay experience to a whole new level.

Key Takeaways

Builds are character creations that focus on specific skills and playstyles to excel in certain game areas.
Builds in Skyrim are important because they allow players to tailor their character to their preferred playstyle, making the game more enjoyable and personalized.
To create a build, players should consider their desired playstyle, whether stealthy or combat-focused, and choose skills and gear that support that playstyle.
Some of the best builds for Skyrim include the Arcane Dynamo, Bound Bow Assassin, and Dark Knight Of Death.
Other strong builds include the Master Of Shadows, Artisan God, and Khajiit Fists Of Steel.

Author’s Note: You can trust and rely on my expertise since I’ve gone through Skyrim for well over 55 hours.

Best Skyrim Builds In 2024

Skyrim allows players to create unique character builds. These builds combine skills and abilities in customized ways. The freedom to experiment with builds has kept the game popular. This article shares some of the strongest and most fun builds tested by the community.

Here’s a summarized look at all of our Best Builds from Skyrim:

Build	Best For	Race	Skills	Spells	Shouts
The Nord Monk	The Potential Best Skyrim Build	Nords (Atmorans)	- Restoration Magic - Archery - Alchemy - Enchanting - Proficiency in Speech - Destruction Magic	-	-
The Imperial Emperor	Top Summoner Skyrim Build for Battle Support.	Imperial (Cyrods)	- One-Handed Weapons - Heavy Armor - Enchanting	-	- Soul Tear - Battle Fury
The Stealthy Archer	The Best Build For Stealth Enthusiasts In Skyrim.	Bosmer (Wood Elf)	- Overdraw - Critical Shot - Stealth - Backstab - Deadly Aim - Assassin’s Blade	- Bound Bow - Muffle - Invisibility - Calm - Aura Whisper -Throw Voice	-
The Holy Knight	The Best Skyrim Build For Fighting Undeads.	Bretons (Manmer)	- Any One-Handed weapon - Heavy Armor - Fortify Restoration	- Close Wounds - Vampire’s Bane - Bane of the Undead	- Dismay
The Shadow Archer	The Best Build For Archers In Skyrim.	Nords (Atmorans)	- Archery - Conjuration - Restoration - Alteration - Illusion - Sneak	- Bound Bow - Frenzy Rune - Invisibility	- Slow Time - Become Ethereal - Marked for Death

These builds range from magic-based to archery builds. Whether you’re new to the game or an experienced player, these builds have something for you. Try them out to experience the game from a different angle or dominate your enemies.

The Nord Monk

The Potential Best Skyrim Build.

Race	Nords (Atmorans)
Skills	Restoration Magic Archery Alchemy Enchanting Proficiency in Speech Destruction Magic
Stones	The Mage Stone (Early game) Seed Stone (End game)

Why I Chose This: This build is an overall great build and can become the best build in Skyrim in the right hands.

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The Nord monk is a unique character build that combines a range of skills to create a versatile and formidable character. While it may not be the strongest build in the game, it still has the potential to be highly effective in the hands of a skilled player.

Skills

The primary skills for this build encompass restoration magic for healing, archery for ranged attacks, alchemy, and enchanting potion and gear crafting. Proficiency in speech aids in negotiation and persuasion with NPCs. Additionally, destruction magic is crucial for dealing elemental damage to enemies.

Stones

The Nord race excels in combat-focused monk builds, boasting strength and cold resistance. Start with the Mage stone for enhanced magic and transition to the Seed stone for improved stealth. This versatile build suits diverse playstyles, making the Nord monk formidable in battle, ranking among Skyrim’s best builds.

Restoration magic allows the healing of self as well as allies.
Proficient speech allows better negotiations.
Great versatility.

Doesn’t suit every player’s taste.
Requires high skill for it to truly shine.

The Imperial Emperor

Top Summoner Skyrim Build for Battle Support.

Race	Imperial (Cyrods)
Stone	Ritual Stone
Shouts	Soul Tear Battle Fury
Ability	Voice Of The Emperor

Why I Chose This: I saw how summoning allies can change the tides of a battle so I had to put this build in this list.

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As the ruler of a great empire, you command the battlefield with wisdom and strategy. The “Imperial Emperor” build in Skyrim allows you to do just that. It utilizes conjuration magic to summon powerful allies and illusion spells to manipulate your enemies.

Stone

With the Ritual Stone as your stone of choice, you can harness the power of the deceased to fight on your behalf. This playstyle allows you to dictate the flow of battle, using summoned allies and enemy confusion to your advantage.

Skills And Shouts

Despite its deceptive nature, the “Imperial Emperor” build excels in combat with proficiency in one-handed weapons, heavy armor, and enchanting. Utilize shouts like Soul Tear to drain enemy life and Battle Fury to enhance attack power and speed, ensuring victory in battles.

Voice Of The Emperor

The “Imperial Emperor” build is tailored for players who prefer a blend of strategy and direct combat. With access to the Voice of the Emperor ability, Imperials can calm NPCs and diffuse tense situations. When equipped with the right skills and gear, this build can dominate the battlefield, earning its place among the most powerful Skyrim builds of 2024.

Can summon allies for your aid in battle.
Use the voice of the emperor to calm down tense situations.

Only for players who enjoy strategic plus direct combat.

The Stealthy Archer

The Best Build For Stealth Enthusiasts In Skyrim.

Race	Bosmer (Wood Elf)
Skills	Overdraw Critical Shot Stealth Backstab Deadly Aim Assassin’s Blade
Gear	Bow of Shadows Mehrunes Razor Dagger Muffled Boots
Spells	Bound Bow Muffle Invisibility Calm Aura Whisper Throw Voice

Why I Chose This: The combination of stealth plus dealing heavy damage from a range made it hard to not put up on this list.

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From my personal experience, the “Stealthy Archer” build is a favored choice for Skyrim players who prefer stealth and ranged combat. The Bosmer (Wood Elf) race is particularly fitting due to its thematic alignment, but any race can excel in this build.

Skills

The “Stealthy Archer” build prioritizes the sneak skill tree, utilizing perks like Overdraw, Critical Shot, Stealth, Backstab, Deadly Aim, and Assassin’s Blade for stealthy takedowns. Archery skill is also crucial for dealing heavy damage from a distance. Though vulnerable to dragons, this weakness can be countered with conjuration summons or companions in combat.

Gear

The “Stealthy Archer” build focuses on stealth and ranged combat. Gear includes bows like the Bow of Shadows and Nightingale Bow, with the Mehrunes Razor dagger for close combat. Muffled boots and fortified sneak armor enhance stealth. Spells like Bound Bow and Invisibility aid in stealth. It’s a top Skyrim build, blending stealth gameplay, archery, and conjuration for success in combat.

Great ranged damage.
Allows killing enemies without getting noticed.
Amazing stealth capabilities.

Weak against dragons.

The Holy Knight

The Best Skyrim Build For Fighting Undeads.

Holy Knight build in Skyrim — Skyrim Best Builds 2024: The Holy Knight (image credit: eXputer)

Race	Bretons (Manmer)
Skills	Any one-handed weapon Dawnbreaker & Mace of Molag Bal are recommended Heavy Armor Fortify Restoration
Spells	Close Wounds Vampire’s Bane Bane of the Undead
Shout	Dismay

Why I Chose This: Great for fighting undead enemies because of the specific perks and skills this build has.

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A classic character archetype, combining heavy armor, one-handed weapons, and restoration magic to create a formidable melee-spellcasting hybrid is what the “Holy Knight” build is all about. The Breton race is well-suited for this build. This is thanks to their innate racial bonus that provides a +5 boost to a variety of skills.

Skills

Any one-handed weapon can be used for gear, although the Dawnbreaker and Mace of Molag Bal offer a thematic and roleplaying-friendly option. Heavy armor is also recommended, with fortify restoration enchantments providing added support in combat.

Spells

The “Holy Knight” build combines healing spells like Close Wounds with offensive spells like Vampire’s Bane and Bane of the Undead for combat against undead foes. The Dismay shout can force enemies to flee. This build suits players who enjoy righteous warrior roleplay and offers versatility in combat, making it a top choice for Skyrim in 2024.

Great for fighting against undead enemies.
Shout can be used to make enemies run away in combat.

Limited to only using the Breton race for it to truly shine.

The Shadow Archer

The Best Build For Archers In Skyrim.

Shadow Archer build in Skyrim. — Skyrim Best Builds Of All Time: The Shadow Archer (image credit: eXputer)

Race	Nords (Atmorans)
Skills	Archery Conjuration Restoration Alteration Illusion Sneak
Spells	Bound Bow Frenzy Rune Invisibility
Shout	Slow Time Become Ethereal Marked for Death
Stones	Ritual Atronach

Why I Chose This: This has to be one of the coolest builds in the game. Overall a great versatile build with high damage-dealing potential.

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For players who favor archery, the “Shadow Archer” build is an ideal pick. The combination of the Nord race and Vampire condition offers thematic cohesion. This versatile build caters to classic archery playstyles with additional tools, making it a formidable choice in the game.

Stones

The Ritual and Atronach stones can be useful for boosting your magical abilities. In addition, the Slow Time, Become Ethereal, and Marked for Death shouts can provide added utility in combat.

Skills And Spells

The “Shadow Archer” build focuses on archery, conjuration, restoration, alteration, illusion, and sneaking skills. This allows for heavy damage from range, summoning allies, healing, altering surroundings, manipulating enemies, and stealth movement. Spells like Bound Bow, Frenzy Rune, and Invisibility enhance versatility. With proper gear and perks, it becomes a formidable force, making it a standout choice in Skyrim for 2024.

Great ranged damage.
Can summon powerful allies for your aid.
Ability to heal yourself as well as your allies.

Can be overwhelming for players with a lower skill level.

In summary, the best Skyrim builds cater to diverse playstyles and character concepts. Whether you favor stealth, magic, or heavy combat, there’s a build to suit you. By honing specific skills and abilities, you can craft a formidable character tailored to your preferences. With endless customization options, Skyrim offers boundless opportunities for creating unique and powerful characters.

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Community Feedback

Useful info about every aspect of each build, thanks for all of it!