Magic and Archery?

[ActOfGod]

So I'm going to make an archery focused character. I'm going to focus on Sneak, Archery(obviously), Smithing, and Enchanting. I don't plan on melee-combat. But what I want to know is what goes well with Archery? I heard Conjuration ends up just becoming too easy because you don't even fight half the time, your minions do. That, and I don't count on conjuring up weaponry. I was thinking Illusion for Muffle, the Invisiblity one, and possibly spells like Calm. I won't be putting into any of these Magic schools, just enough to get by and use my spells. So just give some info/feedback/personal experience on what magic schoolswould go well with Archery.

Thanks a ton, ActOfGod

 

[Oblo]

I personally think that magic just doesn't go well with archery. Bows are two handed. It gives you no free hands for magic unless you put away your bow and risk getting destroyed.

 

[dragonkilla]

How will u do for those close quarter combat, that is my question, becauses in later lvls u will face undead in tight corridors, u need a powerful weapon for that my friend.

 

[Oblo]

How will u do for those close quarter combat, that is my question, becauses in later lvls u will face undead in tight corridors, u need a powerful weapon for that my friend.

You can shoot people with bows at short range...

 

[dragonkilla]

You can shoot people with bows at short range...

Not when they are hackling at u

 

[ActOfGod]

I made it through most of the game already as an assassin that uses both daggers and bows, but I'm looking to increase my bow damage while playing around with some magic. I just sneak and shoot them before they can kill me

 

[Teritus]

I play mainly as a pure mage, but I sometimes use arhcery at long range to one-shot people. This build sound fine though.

 

[Dagmar]

Don't put too much stock in Illusion spells helping you much as an archer.

Invisibility doesn't work in Skyrim like it did in Oblivion. If your Sneak skill is not high your footfalls will give away your position and it will only give you a marginal advantage at best after you attack as it becomes highly probable that your opponents will detect your location after that.

Muffle helps but you should be aware that casting the spell generates sound that can be detected by your opponents if you are too close to them.

The non-magic aspects of your build sound good. Note that you can enchant a bow with paralysis which will give you an obvious advantage in dictating the distance of combat in one on one engagements.

 

[Oblo]

Muffle helps but you should be aware that casting the spell generates sound that can be detected by your opponents if you are too close to them.

There is a perk (I believe it is in illusion) that gives you silent casting.

 

[Jeff31]

im a archer with damadge maxed also max one handed max sneak with shawdow warrior and some perks in magic witch i shouldt have done i rarley use magic

 

[Notmy420]

Don't put too much stock in Illusion spells helping you much as an archer.

Invisibility doesn't work in Skyrim like it did in Oblivion. If your Sneak skill is not high your footfalls will give away your position and it will only give you a marginal advantage at best after you attack as it becomes highly probable that your opponents will detect your location after that.

Muffle helps but you should be aware that casting the spell generates sound that can be detected by your opponents if you are too close to them.

The non-magic aspects of your build sound good. Note that you can enchant a bow with paralysis which will give you an obvious advantage in dictating the distance of combat in one on one engagements.

^I think I love her.

 

[Nightmare Shadow]

If you are playing a pure stealthy archer, then forget the illusion skills! Get your sneak up as high as possible and just walk slowly (there is a perk in the sneak tree that grants muffle). Once you get the power of your bow up (also don't forget to enchant the bow with soul trap) then you can basically ohko everything you see (aside from higher level enemies). Two things I would suggest for you: first, don't spec into your armor, if you get smithing high then your armor rating at legendary will be fine; second, at least spec into the "armsman" part of the one handed skill because there will be a situation where you're caught off guard and need to swing a mace or sword.

 

[Dagmar]

There is a perk (I believe it is in illusion) that gives you silent casting.

Yep. Quiet Casting. It requires pathing up through 3 other perks though which aren't very useful for an archer build. I always find it painful to take perks that I am never going to use just to get to a perk I might use, but I guess that's just the stingy perk-meister in me talking. I would rather only eat one perk (which I might use at some point) and go up the Sneak perk tree past the Deadly Aim perk to get the Muffled Movement perk.

 

[Kablewee]

way off topic but wish they made it so you can at least cast spell with one hand while holding on the bow. Since youre holding the with just one hand when not drawn why can't I use the other hand to cast magelight or something else

Back to topic. When you level up on archery, you can slow down time bit (one of the perk in archery) and somewhat help in close quarters. I like to have destruction magic as a quick backup.

 

[ActOfGod]

Alright thanks a ton for all the feedback. I think for now I will ignore Illusion. I'm going to focus on Archery and Sneak, and Enchanting and Smithing. My philosophy is that I won't ever NEED to fight hand to hand. Between using Paralysis potions/enchants, the slow time perk, sprinting, Fus Ro Dah'ing enemies 30ft+, and Whirlwind Sprint, I don't count on it coming that close.
I'm going to rock a Khajiit for the sneak bonus, as I'm using the Warrior Stone for Archery and Smithing. I will use soul trap on my bow at first, then add on probably a fire damage enchant once I reach 100 Enchanting.

If you have any suggestions to my plan, please feel free to tell me. I'm accepting any and all advice

 

[Jaeger]

Not when they are hackling at u

Spend some perks on the right hand side of Block (you can block with a bow) and with having pump a lot into stamina for long slo-mo... stun, disarm, shoot again while they're stun lock.

 

[Jaeger]

The two animal control shouts would be good too - a beastmaster.

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Dragon_Shouts

And the slow time shout - you move so fast...