Discover everything you need to know about the best Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion, including some valuable tips and tricks for running this build.

The Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion is a well-rounded, tanky character capable of taking on tough enemies. They excel in using blunt weapons or swords in melee combat and can deal with a wide variety of enemies using high physical damage. Investing points in attributes like Strength, Endurance, and Agility is crucial to becoming a powerful Crusader. With the right combination of skills, race, and weapon choices, you can easily become an absolute resilient Crusader. Choosing the best race, attribute, and skills is crucial for the Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion as your gameplay mostly depends on it. In this guide, we’ll discuss the best Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion and the best skills, along with weapons and armor to choose from.
Everything About Crusader Build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion
The Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion is a unique setup that uses heavy armor, wielding powerful weapons, and using restoration and healing spells. Our build includes heavy blunt weapons like Daedric Warhammer to deal massive damage in melee range combat. Heavy Armor provides excellent defense, but it can also reduce your speed and agility. Crusaders are often slower than other builds, making it difficult to dodge attacks. This setup highly depends on melee combat and is vulnerable in ranged combat with enemies. Heavy Armor, Block, Blunt Weapon, Restoration, Blade, Athletics, and Destruction are the best skills included in this build to become a powerful character. While Nords is the best race for this build, Combat is your go-to specialization that complements your playstyle. However, this damage-dealing build lacks magic and has limited range. This can leave you vulnerable in long-range combat while running this build.
Crusader Build Pros | Crusader Build Cons |
---|---|
High Defense | Limited Magical Power |
Massive Melee Damage | Heavy Armor Plenty |
Healing Abilities |
Build Key Aspect
Below are all the essential aspects of the Crusader Build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion:
- Class: Crusader
- Race: Nords
- Birthsign: Lady
- Specialization: Comat
- Attributes: Strength, Endurance, Agility
- Major Skills
- Heavy Armor
- Block
- Blunt Weapon
- Restoration
- Blade
- Athletics
- Destruction
- Minor Skills
- Illusion
- Alchemy
- Mercantile
- Security
- Sneak
- Weapons: Daedric Warhammer, Daedric Shortsword
- Armor: Steel Armor, Shrouded Armor
- Faction: Knight of the Nine
- Trainer: Irene Metrick
Class

The Crusader is the best class for the Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion. This class excels in heavy armor and blunt weapons and has a good mix of skills for combat and defense. The Major skills for the Crusader class are Athletics, Blade, Blunt, Heavy Armor, Restoration, and Destruction. They provide solid attribute bonuses every time you level up. Most of these skills are melee-type, allowing you to enhance your Strength attribute further. Illusion and Speechcraft, on the other hand, allow you to enhance the Personality attribute. You can also choose and make a Custom Class and select the 2 attributes yourself.
Best Race

Nords is the best race for the Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion. The players from this race receive a +10 bonus to Strength and Endurance for males and +10 to Strength for females. This is crucial for a Crusader build focused on physical strength and stamina. Nords are well-suited for heavy armor builds. They have 50% frost resistance, which can be useful against specific enemies in certain areas. Redguards and Orcs are also strong options for Crusader builds, as Redguards have a good spread across Strength, Endurance, and Agility, and Orcs have a strong focus on combat abilities. The male Redguards have 50 Strength, 50 Endurance, and 40 Agility. They start with a 20 Long Blade skill, making it perfect for a Crusader character.
Best Birthsign

The Lady is the best Birthsign for the Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivions because it provides a significant boost to your character’s defense and survivability. 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 build. It provides a 25% resistance to magic, making it crucial for dealing with enemy spellcasters and magic-based attacks. The Lady doesn’t have any downside, which makes it a solid choice for most builds. Durability and magic usage are the two major reasons why Lady is the best Birthsign for this build. The increased health and fatigue from Endurance make you more resilient in combat. Willpower boosts magicka regeneration, which is useful for healing and defensive spells.
Best Specialization

Combat is the best specialization for the Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion because it focuses on skills like Blade, Blunt, Heavy Armor, Block, and Athletic. These skills are crucial for a tanky, melee-focused character. Crusaders 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. Skills associated with your chosen specialization level up than the skills that are not in the specialization. You also get the opportunity to pick the Major Skills that increase very 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, making you a powerful Crusader. Strength and Endurance are crucial for a melee-focused character. Endurance in Elder Scrolls Oblivion 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. Agility can still be useful for improving combat skills. 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. The more you invest in these attributes, the more your character becomes a Crusader.
Major Skills

Heavy Armor, Block, Blunt Weapon, Restoration, Blade, Athletics, and Destruction are the best major skills for the Crusader build in ESO. 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.
- Destruction- deal with enemies from a distance or in situations where melee combat is not ideal.
- Heavy Armor- Provide high defense against physical damage in combat.
- Block- You can parry the attacks and counterattack the enemy with a powerful strike.
- Blunt Weapon- It allows you to wield powerful maces, axes, and warhammers, making it important for primary damage output.
- Restoration- Useful for healing yourself and your allies.
- Blades- grant 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.
Minor Skills
Illusion, Alchemy, Mercantile, Security, and Sneak are the best Minor skills for the Crusader 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.
- Sneak- Allows you to take down enemies silently in combat.
- Illusion- Allows you to cast various spells that can help you in avoiding combat or paralyzing an enemy for additional hits.
- Alchemy- Potions can provide temporary boosts to your stats and abilities.
- Mercantile- Get better deals when buying or selling goods.
- Security- Use lockpicks to open locked doors and containers.
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. Armor is another 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. Heavy Armor is the best option available for the Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion.
Best Weapons

Here are the best weapons for the Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion.
Daedric Warhammer
- Damage: 28
- Health: 784
- Base Value: 5000
- Weight: 93
The Daedric Warhammer is another good weapon to use while running the Crusader build. Daedric weapons are among the strongest in the game, offering high base damage. This weapon works well with the Crusader build due to its capability to shatter the enemies in melee range combat. This two-handed weapon can be incredibly effective against enemies with high health or armored enemies. The Daedric Warhammer can also be found in high-level dungeons. You need to invest points in Endurance and Strength if you want to wield this heavy weapon in the game. Pair it with the skills to make it more effective. Reduce its weight by upgrading this weapon using the required materials.
Daedric Shortsword
- Damage: 21
- Health: 508
- Base Value: 1500
- Weight: 22
Daedric Shortsword is the best one-handed melee weapon after the dagger to use for this build due to its massive damage capability. This unique setup provides you with more versatility in fights. Daedric shortswords are often carried by Zealots in the Shivering Isles. This weapon has high base damage and a relatively fast swing speed, allowing you to use stealth approaches and quick attacks. Enchanting a Daedric shortsword can significantly enhance its effectiveness. Shortswords are faster and lighter than longswords, making it a good option for this build.
Best Armor

Here is the best armor for the Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion.
Steel Armor
- Armor Health: 2000
- Class: Heavy Armor
- Base Value: 520
- Weight: 94.5
Steel Armor is the best armor for the Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion because it provides maximum protection to your character in combat. It offers a good balance between cost and effectiveness. Steel armor is a good starting point for your build and offers a significant boost in protection compared to lower-tier armor. Upgrade your armor to make it more effective, especially in tough encounters. It also has unleveled stats and enchantments, meaning the effectiveness increases as you level up in the game.
Shrouded Armor
- Armor Health: 520
- Base Armor: 17.5
- Base Value: 0
- Class: Light Armor
Shrouded Armor is another good option to use while running a Crusader build during the early game in Elder Scrolls Oblivion. This armor set consists of two parts, the Shrouded Armor and the Shrouded Hood. It offers several enhancements that favor stealth-oriented characters. The Ancient Shrouded Armor is relatively easy to acquire. Shrouded armor is a single piece of equipment that covers the whole body except the head. It also has unleveled stats and enchantments, meaning the effectiveness increases as you level up in the game. This armor includes the enchantment that boosts backstab damage and poison resistance.
Leveling Strategy
Focus on skills like Blades, Block, Armorer, Athletics, and Heavy Armor to boost Strength, Endurance, and Agility. You need to level up Blades, Block, and Armorer through combat and repairs. 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. 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. The skills you choose for character creation are the ones that highly influence your character’s progression. Keep in mind that enemies also scale when you level up, meaning they become more powerful.
Factions

The Knights of the Nine is the best faction for the Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion because it provides a compelling storyline and powerful Crusader Relics. The Crusader Relics are some of the best weapons and armor in the game. The Knights of the Nine offers a unique and engaging questline focused on the Nine Divines. 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 offensive playstyle. Factions also have guild halls where you can interact with members.
Trainers
Irene Metrick is the best trainer for the Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion because it teaches you various Blunt weapon skills and perks as you progress. You need to kill at least 50 people before she will agree to train you. 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 Crusader Build
Focus on melee combat, particularly with heavy armor and blunt weapons. The Crusader class is a good starting point, or you can create a custom class with the Major skills. The Crusader build excels in close-quarters combat, so using heavy armor along with the blunt weapon is essential. Restoration magic is crucial for healing yourself and your allies. You need to focus on staying alive and using Restoration spells. We recommend you experiment with different weapons and armor to find the one that works well with you.
Equip Daedric Warhammer while fighting the enemies if your primary weapon isn’t bringing any outcome. Focus on getting close to the enemies and using heavy blunt weapons to eliminate them. Equip your character with heavy armor to protect your character from incoming damage. You can wear light armor in the beginning, as heavy armor is hard to find. Pair your weapon with skills like Block, Blade, Blunt, and Athletic to make it more effective on a battlefield.
Best Gameplay Tips and Tricks for the Crusader Build
Here are the best gameplay tips and tricks for the Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion.
- Focus on leveling your Destruction, Alteration, Restoration, Conjuration, and Mysticism for casting higher-level magic spells.
- Keep a keen eye on your stamina bar, as blocking consumes more stamina.
- You need to use tight corners and hallways to attack enemies with your Daedric Mace or Warhammer.
- Use potions to heal your character from time to time in combat, so carry them in your inventory.
- Include Heavy Armor in your build to protect your character from several different threats in the area.
- It’s best to maximize your carrying capacity as a Crusader; you have more strength, so you can carry a lot of items.
- Use Alteration spells to increase the armor rating for enhanced defense.
- Choose the faction, race, and specialization that complements your playstyle and synergizes with the build.
FAQs about Crusader build in The Elder Scrolls Oblivion
What is a Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion?
The Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion is a unique setup that uses heavy armor, wielding powerful weapons, and using restoration and healing spells.
Which is the best weapon for a Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion?
Daedric Warhammer and Daedric Shortsword are the best weapons for the Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivions due to their capability to deal high physical damage.
Which is the best race for a Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion?
Nords is the best race for the Crusader build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion. The players from this race receive a +10 bonus to Strength and Endurance for males and +10 to Strength for females.
Looking For More About Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remake?
Thank you for reading the Elder Scrolls Oblivion: Best Crusader x Build Guide. We provide the latest news and create guides for Baldur’s Gate 3, Starfield, ARK Survival Ascended, and more. Also, watch Deltia play games on Twitch or visit his YouTube channel!