Axes have a limit of a few feet. Fireballs have a limit of a few yards. But a well-placed arrow in Skyrim can hit targets for as far as your gaming device can render them. And if you can do it without being seen, you're doing it in style.
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It's the basis of the popular Stealth Archer build, one of the most powerful setups in the most popular WRPG of all time - but equally daunting for newcomers. Is it truly so complicated to create? Nah. And we'll prove it to you.
Updated on May 6, 2023, by Gabrielle Huston: We've reviewed this guide and polished it to make sure you have all the essential information needed to really excel as a Stealth Archer. Good luck!
You'll need to choose a race for your Stealth Archer right out of the gate, so, if you're going into a brand-new playthrough with this build in mind, you'll have the opportunity to perfect it! Of course, you can make a viable stealth archer of any race, but, since the races receive different bonuses and abilities, there are a few that will give you a headstart.
We've isolated three races with the most prominent capabilities for this role: two traditional picks (Bosmer and Khajit) and one less common pick (Orc). Let's take a look at why; it all boils down to racially-related bonuses.
You should also consider playing as a female rather than a male. Completing 'The Heart of Dibella' quest, located in Markarth, grants a permanent 10 percent damage bonus to members of the opposite sex. Simply put, the men you'll fight outnumber the women by a not-inconsiderable margin.
Our Criteria For Race Selection, Explained
Aspect
Explanation
Usefulness
Racial Power
A selectable ability unique to a given race, often powerful but typically available only once per day.
High. Some of these will flavor your game in ways that no other ability can, lending significance to your choice in race.
Racial Effect
In most cases, these influence stats, providing bonuses to particular play styles or resistance to specific types of damage. (Imperials and Orcs are the exceptions; the former earn more gold, while the latter are given permission to enter Orsimer strongholds whereas every other race must complete quests to do so.)
High. Resistances and damage upticks can change your approach to gameplay. An Argonian's resistance to diseases, for example, will prevent you from having to be careful around enemies that spread infections.
Ten-Point Skill Bonus
A fairly substantial ten-point bonus is given to one skill per each race at the start of the game, meaning you're somewhat more proficient at it right off the bat, and can thus spend slightly less time building toward it.
Moderate. It's useful, don't get us wrong, but it's nothing that can't be rectified over time. That said, it ought to factor into your consideration, if only because it will make the early game easier and more befitting your approach.
Five-Point Skill Bonus
A less substantial five-point bonus is awarded to five (!) skills.
Moderate. If it were merely a matter of one skill getting this small bonus, we'd even call it low. But a quintet of bonuses does add up to help forge a gameplay identity for your character in the initial phase.
Special Abilities
Command Animal (Make an animal an ally for 60 seconds)
Resist Disease and Poison (Your Bosmer blood gives you 50% resistance to poison and disease)
Starting Spells
Flames (Destruction)
Healing (Restoration)
Skill Bonuses
+10 Archery
+5 Alchemy
+5 Light Armor
+5 Lockpicking
+5 Pickpocket
+5 Sneak
Bosmer are the go-to for Stealth Archers in the eyes of the majority of Skyrim aficionados, though perhaps the winds have shifted a bit more against their immediate assumption in recent years. The rationale is remarkably simple: the Bosmer ten-point skill bonus is Archery, giving players an instant edge over the competition and reducing the time necessary to boost the skill to its loftiest heights. This is fair. We've included it for a reason. But is it truly so grand in the final telling? Every race can reach the maximum level, 100, for every skill.
Taking a gander at what else the Bosmer have to offer, it's a mixed bag. Command Animal does exactly as it sounds like. Cool, and maybe you can send one forward to distract the enemy. That's fun and fitting, right? Plus, Disease and Poison resistance feels apt for a Stealth Archer. Neither of these traits, however, are going to win any archer-centric awards.
Special Abilities
Night Eye (See in the dark for 60 seconds for an unlimited number of times per day)
Claws (Unarmed attacks do 22 points of damage (incorrectly listed as 12))
Starting Spells
Flames (Destruction)
Healing (Restoration)
Skill Bonuses
+10 Sneak
+5 Alchemy
+5 Archery
+5 Lockpicking
+5 Pickpocket
+5 One-Handed
That brings us to Khajit, the other traditional choice for Skyrim Stealth Archers. Sneak is their ten-point bonus, whilst Archery still gets a head start with five. (This is, in fact, the inverse of the Bosmer's order.) Arguably, it's better to be a bit quieter than especially prominent with your bow in the early hours. Every other race is notably clunkier in this regard, which kind of ruins the idea. But still, point bonuses are temporary aspects, and trainers throughout the world (including a certain archer in the very first town!) slowly but surely negate their relevance.
What else do the Khajit have on tap? A bonus to damage when unarmed is completely unhelpful for our build, but Night Eye, which boosts visibility in darkness (and, contrary to other racial abilities, can be used multiple times per day), is much handier to have. This bonus remains handy throughout the game, since the Stealth Archer's optimal environment is darkness, concealing their presence. Not being able to see your enemy, of course, rather destroys that advantage. Not so for Khajit.
We prefer Khajit over Bosmer, then, except perhaps if role-playing is taken into account. Even so, there's a strong argument to be made for any rogue-centric Khajit.
Special Abilities
Berserker Rage (Take half damage and do double damage for 60 seconds (does not apply to spells))
Starting Spells
Flames (Destruction)
Healing (Restoration)
Skill Bonuses
+10 Heavy Armor
+5 Block
+5 Enchanting
+5 One-Handed
+5 Smithing
+5 Two-Handed
Last but not least, the less loved but potentially most beneficial race is Orc, or Orsimer. To be clear, Orcs have zero starting skill bonuses of relevance to Stealth Archers, nor is their trait, the ability to enter Orc strongholds without needing to quest for the opportunity, remotely helpful to the build. That combination understandably scares the idea wayward of most players.
Here's the thing. The Orc once-per-day power, Berserker, boosts damage output twofold and reduces damage taken by half for a full minute. We tend to think of warhammers and claymores for this kind of thing, but Berserker works for bows as well. The thing about Stealth Archers is that their primary source of strength rests in perks that provide stunningly effective damage bonuses. Being able to couple those with another massive increase for especially tough encounters is, in a word, spectacular. And yes, we checked: these bonuses do stack.
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At the start of the game, you're faced with three signs on Standing Stones to choose from: Warrior, Mage, and Thief. They give the buffs that you'd expect for each of those classes in a typical fantasy game. You should, unsurprisingly, choose Thief. Though the text in-game says that the Warrior sign will help with your Archery skill, that's actually been assigned to the Thief sign.
The Unofficial Skyrim Patch fixes this mistake! If you are running with that, you should choose the Warrior sign instead of the Thief sign. If you happen to be playing Skyrim on Xbox 360 or PS3 all these years later, you can't download the patch. If you're playing on PS4, Xbox One, or their equivalent successor consoles, you can. And, probably needless to say, PC users can also download it.
However, there are many more signs to pick from in the game once you begin to explore the world! The Thief (or Warrior, with the Unofficial Skyrim Patch) will serve you well throughout your experience, but check out the list below for a few alternate recommendations if you get bored leveling up all the same skills.
Sign
Buff
Standing Stone Location
The Lady
Regenerate Health and Stamina 25% faster
Found on an island in Lake Illinalta in Falkreath Hold, north of the city of Falkreath
The Serpent
Paralyze the target for 5 seconds and do 25 points of poison damage once per day
Found on an island in the Sea of Ghosts, east of the College of Winterhold
The Shadow
Invisibility for 60 seconds once per day
Found in the Rift Hold, south of Riften near Nightingale Hall
The Steed
Carry weight +100
Found west by northwest of Solitude in Haafingar Hold, north of the Statue of Meridia
Equipped armor has no weight and causes no movement penalty
The Tower
Unlock any expert level lock (or lower) once per day
Found on a mountain in Winterhold, equidistant between the cities of Winterhold and Dawnstar
The lovely thing about the Stealth Archer build is that your choice in primary skills is right there on the label: Sneak and Archery. Your damage is dictated by the excellent combination of these two skill trees; they're symbiotic, really, as they each offer massive offensive bonuses whilst keeping you safely tucked away from your foes.
Skill
Key Perk
Details
Required Skill Level
Archery
Eagle Eye
Pressing Block while aiming will zoom in your view.
30
Ranger
Able to move faster with a drawn bow.
60
Quick Shot
Can draw a bow 30% faster.
70
Sneak
Muffled Movement
Noise from armor is reduced by 50%.
30
Backstab
Sneak attacks with one-handed weapons now do six times damage.
30
Silence
Walking and running does not affect detection.
70
Shadow Warrior
Crouching stops combat for a moment and forces distant opponents to search for a target.
100
Light Armor makes less noise than its heavier counterpart, so it's your defensive must-grab.
Skill
Key Perk
Details
Required Skill Level
Light Armor
Custom Fit
25% armor bonus if wearing all Light Armor: head, chest, hands, feet.
30
Unhindered
Light Armor weighs nothing and doesn't slow you down when worn.
50
Wind Walker
Stamina regenerates 50% faster in all Light Armor: head, chest, hands, feet.
60
Deft Movement
10% chance of avoiding all damage from a melee attack while wearing all Light Armor: head, chest, hands, feet.
100
Illusion can enhance your silent tomfoolery, though it'll require some attribute-leveling in Magicka, which can take away valuable Health-raising opportunities for when the going gets rough and you're handling a crowd of enemies who are very much alerted to your presence. It's up to you.
Skill
Key Perk
Details
Required Skill Level
Illusion
Kindred Mage
All Illusion spells work on higher level people (+10 levels).
40
Rage
Frenzy spells work on higher level opponents (+12 levels).
70
Master of the Mind
Illusion spells work on undead, daedra and automatons.
90
Pickpocketing and Speech are good for role-playing. A silver tongue and deft hands are right at home with the concept of a Stealth Archer. Consider these as secondary concerns.
Skill
Key Perk
Details
Required Skill Level
Pickpocket
Poisoned
Silently harm enemies by placing poisons in their pockets
40
Extra Pockets
Carrying capacity is increased by 100
50
Perfect Touch
Can pickpocket equipped items, clothes, and armor (when hidden)
100
Speech
Bribery
Can bribe guards to ignore crimes
30
Merchant
Can sell any type of item to any kind of merchant
50
Persuasion
Persuasion attempts are 30% easier
50
Master Trader
Every merchant in the world gains 1000 gold for bartering
100
We recommend that you increase your Health almost every time you level up. As previously mentioned, there will be times when too many enemies are involved, and your odds of remaining hidden plummet, especially before you've made significant advances in your skills and perks. Light Armor doesn't provide the greatest defense, so a decent HP pool is necessary.
Your second priority will be Stamina. You don't need a ton, but you will want it for some of the Archery skills and for running away if things get sticky.
Magicka is only of concern if you're working on Illusion magic.
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If you have the Dawnguard expansion (or Skyrim Special Edition), you'll gain access to crossbows in addition to regular longbows. We've made a handy pros-and-cons list below so that you can weigh your options and decide which one you might prefer:
Crossbows
Bows
Pros
Cons
If you choose to wield a crossbow, the best you can get is the Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow. You'll have to side with the Dawnguard, but the reward is worth it. It's somehow available as a straight-up purchase from Sorine Jurard at Fort Dawnguard (and you can also ask her to teach you how to craft it). It has the highest base damage of any crossbow, and higher damage than the best longbow. This device also ignores 50 percent of armor, so just in case your blast isn't of the one-shot variety, you'll be able to finish the job against big bosses quickly. Dwarven bolts are the best ammo, and made even better if they're enchanted.
If you choose to wield a longbow, you'll want to craft yourself a Dragonbone Bow. This is the best bow in the game! You'll need to have Smithing level 100 and the Dragon Armor perk to make it, though, which requires a lot of time grinding. However, there is once chance to loot it. If your character is at least level 45, one of the Keepers in the Soul Cairn during the Dawnguard quest Chasing Echoes will be using a Dragonbone Bow, and you can take it off their corpse. The associated Dragonbone Arrows are the best option for ammo.
There is one bow in the game that is better than the Dragonbone Bow and even has a higher base damage than the Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow: Karliah's Bow. It's called that because it's literally the bow that Karliah, a character from the Thieves' Guild plotline, carries. However, the only way to get it is through console commands. Do with that information what you will.
As we've detailed above, you're going to be wearing light armor for this build to keep you quick on your feet and quiet as a mouse. However, the armor you should be working towards is the Ancient Shrouded Armor Set. It will give you immunity to poison, automatically muffle your footsteps, and increase your bow damage by 35 percent.
During the Dark Brotherhood quest line, if you've done the Breaching Security bonus requirement, you'll be rewarded this armor after finishing the Locate the Assassins of Old quest. Alternatively, after you've visited Olava the Feeble, you can find this set on a corpse behind the throne in a secret room at Hag's End.
The set of Nightingale Armor (earned by working through the Thieves' Guild quest line) is another viable choice. We don't recommend it as our first pick because the skills it boosts aren't so much of a priority. However, if you really value lockpicking, and/or have included a lot of illusionary magic in your build, consider this set instead!
It's hard to recommend potions because you can kind of make any potion combination you want, provided you have the right ingredients! Alternatively, you can buy premade potions from a merchant, and those will be simpler than the combinations you could invent on your own.
Instead, we'll note which effects might be useful for you, and note a couple of the ingredients that provide that effect:
Effect
Ingredients
Fortify Light Armor
Aster Bloom Core
Withering Moon
Ash Hopper Jelly
Hawk Feathers
Honeycomb
Skeever Tail
Fortify Marksman
Juniper Berries
Spider Egg
Canis Root
Elves Ear
Angelfish
Fortify Sneak
Hawk Feathers
Human Flesh
Purple Mountain Flower
Beehive Husk
Abecean Longfin
Ashen Grass Pod
Invisibility
Chaurus Eggs
Crimson Nirnroot
Ice Wraith Teeth
Nirnroot
Vampire Dust
Luna Moth Wing
Ravage Health
Eye of Sabre Cat
Jazbay Grapes
Skeever Tail
Silverside Perch
Giant Lichen
Damage Health
Nirnroot
Falmer Ear
Deathbell
Red Mountain Flower
Skeever Tail
Small Antlers
Void Salts
Damage Magicka
Butterfly Wing
Eye of Sabre Cat
Glow Dust
Hagraven Feathers
Luna Moth Wing
Jarrin Root
Hanging Moss
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As a stealth archer, you may not even want a follower alongside you! While they're great for lugging around crap you've picked up and being an extra hand in battle, but they can also be a real annoyance. They may object to going to certain places, or yell at you for the arguably immoral things you do, like theft, lockpicking, etc., or they may just clumsily set off traps and alert others to your presence.
However, if you do want a helper (or just some company), these are some of the best followers to choose:
Name
Class
Morality
Max Level
Aranea Ienith
Mage
Will commit any crime
30
Eola
Nightblade
Will commit any crime
30
Mjoll the Lioness
Warrior
Will commit any crime
40
Jenassa
Ranger
Will commit any crime
40
Teldryn Sero
Spellsword
Will commit any crime
60
Aela the Huntress
Ranger
Will refuse to commit crimes, but will not report crimes you commit unless you steal from her
50
Initiate
Assassin
Will commit any crime
100
NEXT: Skyrim: Best Builds For High Elves