Elder Scrolls Oblivion: Best Beginner Build

Discover everything you need to know about the best Beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion including some valuable tips and tricks to run this build.

beginner build oblivion
Elder Scrolls Oblivion: Best Beginner Build (Source: Bethesda Studios)

A beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion focuses on creating a character that is tough, versatile, and can tackle tough situations. Breton Knight class provides you a strong foundation while focusing on core skills like Blade, Block, and Restoration. Focusing on the attributes that complement your playstyle and build is crucial. Light armor can defend your character from deadly incoming attacks, so choose the best one with better stats. Choosing the best race, attribute, and skills is crucial for the beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion as your gameplay mostly depends on it. With the right combination of skills, race, and weapon choices, you can easily become a powerful character in combat. In this guide, we’ll discuss the best beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion and the best skills, along with weapons and armor to choose from.

Everything About Beginner Build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion

Our best beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion is a hybrid playstyle that includes weapons like Elven Shortsword and Fine Iron Battle Axe. These weapons are the best ones to use because they deal massive damage, especially in the early stages. Your race will determine your starting stats, abilities, and special powers. However, some races, like Breton, are better for beginners due to their starting bonuses and special abilities.

Assassin is our best class for the beginner build as it determines your character’s starting skills. Blades, athletics, blunt weapons, light armor, marksman, and sneak are the best skills for beginners to build in ESO. Strength, Endurance, and Agility are the best stats to invest in as they enhance your combat effectiveness. As a beginner, focus on melee combat in the early game and use the Ebony Bow to deal damage from a safe distance. You gain the opportunity to level up when you increase a major skill by 10 points each time.

Beginner Build ProsBeginner Build Cons
VersatilityVulnerable later in the game
Decent DamageLimited against high-level enemies
Hybrid playstyle 

Build Key Aspect

Below are all the essential aspects of the Beginner Build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion:

  • Class: Assassin
  • Race: Breton
  • Birthsign: The Shadow
  • Specialization: Combat
  • Attributes:  Strength, Endurance, Agility
  • Major Skills
    • Blades
    • Athletics
    • Blunt Weapon
    • Light Armor
    • Marksman 
    • Sneak
  • Minor Skills
    • Alteration
    • Illusion
    • Restoration
    • Armorer
  • Weapons: Elven Shortshowrd, Fine iron Battle Axe, Ebony Bow
  • Armor: Leather Armor, Elven Armor
  • Faction: Dark Brotherhood
  • Trainer: Astrid

Class

stealth specialization oblivion

Assassin is the best class for the Beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion. Assassin is the best class to choose for the Assassin build in Oblivion. They move in darkness to strike at the unsuspecting. Assassin class is a good starting point, you can customize your build by focusing on other skills as well. You start with skills like Sneak, Blades, and Marksman to deal additional damage in combat. Assassins depend on stealth and mobility to approach the target undetected. Daggers and Shortswords are weapons that a hybrid player can use in combat to eliminate enemies.

Best Race

breton race oblivion
breton race oblivion

Breton is the best race for the Beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion. This race offers innate magic resistance and high magicka, making it beneficial for spellcasting and enchanting. Breton is a good choice for players who rely on magic and combat, as it significantly reduces damage from enemy spells. Bretons start with a higher base magicka pool. This allows them to cast more spells and use more powerful enchantments. Use this race for this build for defensive strategies. It’s worth mentioning that high Magicka allows them to survive longer in combat, making your progression very smooth. Bretons have bonuses to skills like Conjuration and Restoration that make it easy to learn utility spells.

Best Birthsign

shadow birthsign oblivion
shadow birthsign oblivion

The Shadow is the best Birthsign for the beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion. It provides the Moonshadow that grants a single daily use of Invisibility for 60 seconds. Brithsign is a constellation that grants players unique magical bonuses or powers that complement their playstyle. They have lasting effects on your character, so it’s crucial to choose the best one that works well with your initial build. This allows you to make stealth attacks or reposition yourself in tougher combat. Invisibility for a duration is extremely useful for sneaking past enemies, ambushing them, or escaping difficult situations. The Shadow can complement these skills as well, making them even more effective in combat.

Best Specialization

combat specialization oblivion
combat specialization oblivion

Combat is the best specialization for the beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion. It focuses on skills like Blade, Blunt, Heavy Armor, Block, and Athletic. These skills are crucial for a tanky, melee-focused character. You must excel in melee combat, and choosing the Combat will increase your skills in weapons, armor, and combat areas. However, you can also consider stealth if you want to focus on sneak attacks. You choose a specialization while creating a character. It heavily impacts how your skill progresses, so choose the best one according to your playstyle and build. You also choose the Major Skills that increase quickly regardless of the specialization you choose.

Best Attributes

Strength, Endurance, and Agility are the best attributes to invest in as they enhance your combat effectiveness. Strength and Endurance are crucial for a melee-focused character. Endurance in ESO determines your health, and Agility affects fatigue. Consider investing in other starts like Willpower, Personality, and Speed as they also affect your character’s performance. You can increase three attributes by a total of 5 points at each level and Luck by 1 point. Keep in mind that the attributes are capped at 100. We recommend you invest more attribute points in Strength, as it directly impacts the performance of your equipped weapon.

Major Skills

skills oblivion
skills oblivion

Blades, Athletics, Blunt Weapons, Light Armor, Marksman, and Sneak are the best Major Skills to include for a beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion. Major Skills in Elder Scrolls Oblivion is a set of seven skills that you choose at character creation. These skills are initiated at the higher base level. These skills level up faster than the Minor Skills and impact your attribute bonuses along with the character’s leveling. Blades is one of the best skills that we recommend you use and level up as they increase the damage output of your melee weapon. Skills are unlocked by repeatedly using them, training with NPCs, and reading special books. The primary way to level up skills is by actively using them.

  • Blades- Grants a solid melee option for close-quarters combat. This is more effective when combined with sneak attacks.
  • Athletics- allows you to increase your fatigue regeneration, making it easy to move around the battlefield.
  • Blunt Weapon- It allows you to wield powerful maces, axes, and warhammers, making it important for primary damage output.
  • Light Armor- Choose the light armor to protect your character from incoming damage in combat.
  • Sneak- Allows you to take down enemies without revealing yourself.
  • Marksman- It allows you to deal massive damage from a safe distance while using a long-ranged weapon.

Minor Skills

Alteration, Illusion, Restoration, and Armorer are the best Minor Skills for beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion. Minor skills are not that effective but they support your character with other aspects. Choose the minor skills wisely as they can make your character internally stronger. Prefer leveling minor skills to gain attribute bonuses.

  • Alteration- allows you to increase your armor and weapons effectiveness in combat.
  • Illusion- A powerful skill that is used for controlling enemies in tough encounters.
  • Restoration- Useful for healing yourself and your allies.
  • Armorer- You can repair and improve your armor, making it crucial for staying durable on a battlefield.

Equipment

Equipment in Elder Scrolls Oblivion consists of weapons, armor, clothing, and various other items. Players can equip them to increase their character’s abilities and stats. Weapons are crafted from different items and each has different stats and appearances. You can even enchant the weapons with magical effects like damage, debuff, or health regen. Use the soul gems to recharge the enchanted weapons. An armor is a piece of equipment that protects you from incoming attacks from enemies. Each piece of armor has an armor rating, which determines how much damage it can absorb. You can equip up to 9 pieces at one time. Light Armor is the best option to choose as it increases your survivability by reducing the effectiveness of incoming attacks.

Best Weapons

elven shortsword weapon oblivion
elven shortsword weapon oblivion

Here are the best weapons for the Beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion.

Elven Shortsword

  • Damage: 15
  • Value: 800
  • Health: 330
  • Weight: 14

Elven Shortsword is a one-handed weapon that can deal absolutely devastating damage in the early stages. We recommend you pair it with the Daggers to deal high damage in tough encounters. This unique setup provides you with more versatility in fights. This weapon has high base damage and a relatively fast swing speed, allowing you to use stealth approaches and quick attacks. Enchanting an Elven shortsword can significantly enhance its effectiveness. Shortswords are faster and lighter than longswords, making it a good option for the beginner build.

Fine iron Battle Axe

  • Damage: 13
  • Value: 70
  • Health: 185
  • Weight: 24.3

Fine Iron Battle Axe is the best weapon to choose while running the beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion. This two-handed weapon has the capability to deal massive damage to enemies while battling in the early stages. It can be advantageous for dealing high damage in a single swing, especially against weaker enemies. However, the Fine Iron Battle Axe’s damage output will become less effective as you level up in the game.

Ebony Bow

  • Damage: 20
  • Value: 3200
  • Health: 420
  • Weight: 22

The Ebony Bow is a good weapon if you want to eliminate the enemies from a safe distance. Offers a decent base damage and the potential for powerful enchantments. You can enchant the bow with powerful effects like Drain Health, Fire, Shock, and Frost to make it more effective in tougher combat. You can find Ebony Bows from various sources, including merchants and random loot. Use this bow for sneak attacks to deal massive damage. Use Ebony Arrows to deal decent damage in tough encounters.

Best Armor

elven armor oblivion
elven armor oblivion

Here is the best armor for the Beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion.

Leather Armor

  • Armor Health: 640
  • Class: Light Armor
  • Base Value: 105
  • Weight: 19.5

Leather Armor is a good starting armor, especially for rogues and stealth characters. It offers light protection and allows for agility. This is not a durable or powerful option compared to heavier armor types. The appearance of leather armor can suit a rogue or thief character. This makes it a good choice for players who want to look inconspicuous. The armor can be found early on and starts appearing in the leveled lists at level three.

Elven Armor

  • Armor Health: 3520
  • Class: Light Armor
  • Base Value: 1740
  • Weight: 35.1

This is also another good armor option because it can protect your player from any incoming attacks. It grants you a good balance of protection and stealth, especially the cuirass and boots. It can be looted from Azani Blackheart through the Fighters Guild questline. Elven armor is a good option for early to mid-game characters. Elven armor has a distinctive appearance, with a metallic sheen and red cloth under the armor. There are variants of Elven armor, such as the Light Elven Armor and Gilded Elven Armor.

Leveling Strategy

Focus on skills like Sneak, Blade, Light Armor, Marksman, and Illusion to level up effectively as an assassin in ESO. Invest attribute points in Speed, Luck, and Agility. You can level up in the game by gaining experience in major skills. Each 10-point major skill increase results in a level-up. Leveling up is based on Skill Increases and the Attributes you assign. Every time you level up, you will get to increase three attributes.

Focus on attributes that align with your playstyle. Your Birthsign gives a significant bonus to your stats. You must sleep in a bed to level up. Leveling in Oblivion can take time, so try to balance your activities between exploring, combat, and practicing skills. Each attribute can only be increased by a maximum of five points, except Luck, as it increases by one point. The skills you choose at character creation are the ones that highly influence your character’s progression.

Factions

factions oblivion
factions oblivion

The Dark Brotherhood is the best faction for the beginner build in ESO. It provides access to unique quests, rewards, and a gameplay style, aligning your assassin playstyle. Completing quests for the Dark Brotherhood can unlock powerful weapons, armor, and other items. Joining a faction unlocks a series of quests specific to that organization. Keep in mind that your actions and choices in the game influence your standing with different factions. Each faction offers a unique gameplay experience, so choose the one that complements your playstyle.

Trainers

Astrid is the best trainer for the beginner build, as she helps train Sneak, but she isn’t as commonly available early in the game. She is the leader of the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim. Trainers allow you to spend gold to increase your skill levels, which can help you level up your skills.  Different types of trainers allow you to reach different skill level caps. These trainers can train a specific skill for a set number of times per character level.

How to Play the Beginner Build

Choose Breton as your race for the Beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion for the magic and spellcasting capability. Use the Shortsword to deal massive damage in combat or choose the battle axe for heavy blunt damage. You can also use the dagger for the stealth takedown without exposing yourself. Use skills like Sneak, Marksman, Light Armor, and Blade to increase your effectiveness in the game. It’s always best to take advantage of your environment.

You can stay in the shadows and crouch for the sneak attack. Upgrade your weapon regularly to make it more effective in combat where you want to deal high damage. Use potions that are crucial during long fights, so always be prepared. While fighting the enemies in ranged combat, use the spells to deal magic damage or use a bow to deal heavy damage.

Best Gameplay Tips and Tricks for the Beginner Build

Here are the best tips and tricks for the Beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion.

  • Use potions to heal your character from time to time in combat, so carry them in your inventory.
  • Include Light Armor in your build to protect your character from several different threats in the area.
  • You need to use stamina wisely or else you can become vulnerable in most combat situations.
  • Consider light armor and weapons for a mobile combat style.
  • Use the Dark Brotherhood to your advantage as it provides you training in assassination skills.
  • Use run and tactics to dominate the enemies with your dagger. This gives you an opening where you can use your sword to defeat the enemy.
  • Use your weapons wisely, as equipping a lower damage-dealing weapon gives room for the enemies to attack you.

FAQs about Beginner build in The Elder Scrolls Oblivion

What is a Beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion?

A beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion focuses on creating a character that is tough, versatile, and can tackle tough situations.          

Which is the best weapon for a Beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion?

Elven Shortshowrd, Fine iron Battle Axe, and Ebony Bow are the best weapons for the beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion due to their ability to deal massive damage against weaker enemies in early stages.

Which is the best race for a Beginner build in ESO?

Breton is the best race for the Beginner build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion. This race offers innate magic resistance and high magicka, making it beneficial for spellcasting and enchanting.

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