Discover everything you need to know about the best Rogue build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered, including some tips and tricks to optimize this build.

The Rogue build in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is a swift combat class build with some charm. Embarking on a journey and exploring Cyrodiil, the Imperial Province, will let you meet numerous NPCs and engage in a fight with a wide variety of enemies. As the Rogue class possesses attributes of Personality and Speed, it allows you to both charm NPCs for various benefits and eliminate targets swiftly rather than by brute force.
However, it all depends on how you choose to play the Rogue class, as there are a lot of systems in the background that enhance the effectiveness of a Rogue. From faction and specialization to weapons and armor, everything is crucial for a Rogue build. Choosing the right race for your Rogue build is important to maximizing your effectiveness. Choosing the best race, attribute, and skills are crucial for the Rogue 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 confident Rogue with no fear. In this guide, we’ll discuss the best Rogue build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion, including the best skills, weapons, and armor to choose from.
This Oblivion build is getting a full update for the remastered version of the game! We’ll revamp everything you need to start – how to create your character, what gear and weapons to use, the best skills to focus on, and the most useful spells.
Everything About Rogue Build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered
The Rogue Build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion focuses on attacking in quick succession with Daggers, Shortswords, and sometimes with Longswords. This build includes all major weapons that a Rogue class can effectively use to deal high damage. You can use a Shortsword with a shield to further enhance your defense and block any incoming hits and arrows. Or you can go for an aggressive playstyle by wielding a Dagger and Shortsword to demolish the enemies. Lastly, the Rogue class has a major skill of Illusion that you can utilize to cast various spells. It will allow you to easily charm NPCs for your benefit.
Now, playing a Rogue build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion highly depends on your initial decisions of choosing the effective Race and Birthsign. The Imperial stands out as the best race for the Rogue class due to its high personality and strength attributes. As you level up your skills, the overall personality, luck, and strength of your character will increase, making you more effective in the core play style. For the Birthsign, the Warrior stands out the best as you will be engaging with enemies directly rather than stealthily with this build. The Warrior Birthsign grants 10 points to Endurance and Strength, which increases the overall health, damage output, and carrying capacity.
Last but not least, choosing the best Major Skills, Minor Skills, Specialization, and armor is crucial for this build, as picking the wrong one can negatively impact your build.
Rogue Build Pros | Rogue Build Cons |
---|---|
Decent Damage Output with High Speed | Low Durability |
High Survivability | Overall Low Strength |
Ability to Charm NPCs |
Build Key Aspect
Below are all the essential aspects of the Rogue Build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered.
- Class: Rogue
- Race: Imperial
- Origin: Nibenay
- Birthsign: The Warrior
- Specialization: Combat
- Attributes: Speed and Personality
- Major Skills
- Blade
- Light Armor
- Athletics
- Minor Skills
- Acrobatics
- Security
- Speechcraft
- Weapons: Daedric Dagger and Daedric Shortsword
- Armor: Glass Armor
- Faction: Dark Brotherhood
- Trainer: Astrid
Class
Rogue is the best class for a cunning diplomat and melee sword build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered. Speechcraft and persuasiveness are very important for a Rogue, and their skill means they don’t have to dominate with brute strength. Their weapon fighting style is based more on agility than strength, and they can throw in a bit of magic to confuse opponents.
Best Race

Imperial is the best race for a Rogue build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered because they have very high base Personality stat. Being an Imperial in Cyrodiil will let you have a lot of benefits, such as selling goods for more and purchasing for less, persuading NPCs, and wearing light/heavy armor. Furthermore, you have a decent boost to Blade combat.
The Imperial race comes with two exclusive traits, including Star of the West and Voice of the Emperor. Both of these are the Greater Powers in Elder Scrolls Oblivion. The Star of the West trait provides the Absorb Fatigue spell, allowing you to gain 100 Fatigue on touch once per day. The Voice of the Emperor provides the Charm spell, increasing the disposition of a target for 30 points for 30 seconds. It is greatly effective during conversations and helps you drastically in persuasions.
However, there are some negative effects of this race. The major negative impact is that you have lower Agility. It also means you will have low Marksman, Security, and Sneak skills.
Best Origin

Nibenay is the best Origin selection for a Rogue build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered because it avoids a penalty to speed. The Nibenay background will give you a -10 to Willpower, but not affect your base Speed. However, if you make the Colovia choice, those stat buffs and debuffs are reversed. Consequently, you want the Nibenay origin so that your Rogue retains that movement speed.
Significantly, in ESOR, your background is not just for roleplay, but will increase one set of stats versus others. In the original Oblivion, choosing to play as either male or female gave boosts to different stats on different races. In the Remaster, your choice of gender no longer has this effect. Therefore, you can play as either ‘Body Type 1’ (female) or ‘Body Type 2’ (male), and then get those stat alterations in the Origin selection.
Best Birthsign

The Thief Birthsign is the best choice for a Rogue build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered because you boost several stats that help your mobility. With the Thief in your corner, you’ll receive a +10 bonus to Agility, Luck, and Speed. Agility and Speed will greatly help you stay mobile on the battlefield and keep you out of an opponent’s reach.
Luck is a stat that influences events in your favor. It starts out for all characters at a base of 50, which is neutral. The Thief is the best way in ESOR to boost this stat, immediately getting your character to 60 points. Luck will play into your Speechcraft, helping NPCs view you more favorably.
Best Attributes

Speed, Personality, and Endurance, are the best attributes for the Rogue build because they increase your Magicka regeneration, damage, and fatigue regeneration.
- Speed: Boosts your overall movement speed over land and while swimming.
- Personality: Get more information from NPCs, better prices from merchants, avoid combat.
- Endurance: increases your max health and how much health you gain with each level. Also, determines your health regeneration.
Major Skills

Light Armor, Blade, and Athletics are the best major skills for the Rogue build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered because it increases defense, damage, and speed. Destruction and Blade are the most important for combat. Prioritize either physical or magical skill depending on which you use most in fights.
- Light Armor: determines how much protection you receive from light weight armor.
- Blade: Increases attack with short-handled bladed weapons.
- Athletics: Increases the speed at which you run and swim.
Minor Skills

Acrobatics, Security, and Speechcraft are the best minor skills for the Rogue build in Oblivion Remastered because they increase movement speed, help with healing, and survivability.
- Acrobatics: Jump longer distances and avoid damage when falling great distances.
- Security: Use lockpicks to open locked doors and containers.
- Speechcraft: Allows you to lower the disposition of the target and helps you persuade them easily.
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. Light Armor or Robe is the best option available for the Rogue build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion.
Best Weapons

For the weapons of a Rogue character, we recommend using lightweight sharp weapons. Daggers and Shortswrds are the best weapons that you can use in close-range combat, as well as while sneaking.
1 Daedric Dagger
- Damage: 19
- Health: 532
- Base Value: 2700
- Weight: 10
The Daedric Dagger is a one-handed weapon that has the highest base damage among any other dagger in the game. Daggers are the fastest melee weapons, allowing you to deliver their enchantments faster. Use this dagger to take down enemies in melee range or for stealth take down. You can enchant the Daedric Dagger with effects like Poison, damage, or fatigue. Daggers are lightweight but deal less damage than swords or maces. Pair it with skills like Blades to enhance the effectiveness of this weapon.
2 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 the Rogue build due to its massive damage capability. We recommend you pair it with the Daedric Dagger to deal high damage in tough encounters. 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 the Rogue build.
Best Armor

Here are a couple of best Light Armor to use for the Rogue Build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered.
1 Glass Armor
- Armor Health: 5275
- Base Armor: 50
- Base Value: 5300
- Class: Light Armor
Glass Armor is the best armor to choose for the Rogue build. It offers excellent protection while remaining light, allowing for agility and stealth. You want to prioritize light armor as an Rogue to benefit stealth and movement speed. Glass armor provides a high armor rating, which is crucial for surviving encounters with enemies. You will be fighting the enemies in close range, and having this armor equipped increases your survivability. It reduces the effectiveness of the incoming attacks from the enemies. This amor also helps you level up your light armor skill, which is important for increasing your armor rating. Enchant your Glass Armor with powerful spells, allowing you to reduce the penalties of wearing armor.
2 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 Rogue build 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 for Rogue Build
Focus on skills like Blades, Block, Acrobatics, Athletics, Illusion, and Speechcraft to boost Speed, Endurance, and Personality. You need to level up Blades, Block, and Armorer through combat and repairs. A Rogue needs to be tough and quick, so focus on Speed, Endurance, and maybe Strength-boosting 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 for character creation are the ones that highly influence your character’s progression.
Faction

The Dark Brotherhood is the best faction for the Rogue build in ESOR. It provides access to unique quests, rewards, and a gameplay style, aligning your Rogue 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 the Rogue playstyle. Factions also have guild halls where you can interact with members.
Trainers
Astrid is the best trainer for the Rogue 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 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 Rogue Build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered
Playing the Rogue build is all about moving quickly, attacking in quick successions, and using your personality to charm others. Choose the best race that complements your playstyle along with the build in tough encounters. The Warrior Birthsign is valuable for the Rogue build as it provides you +10 for Strength and Endurance. Speed, Personality, and Endurance are the best attributes to invest your points in. Utilize the Illusion spells and Speechcraft to make enemies yield or leave combat and persuade NPCs. You can easily get more information from NPCs with high Personality.
Equip Daedric Shortsword while fighting the enemies if your primary weapon isn’t bringing any outcome. Focus on getting close to the enemies and use quick weapon attacks to eliminate them. Equip your character with light armor to protect your character from incoming damage. You can wear low-tier light armor in the beginning. Pair your weapon with skills like Block, Blade, and Athletic to make it more effective on a battlefield. Carry enough supply of consumables in your inventory to restore health when required.
Best Gameplay Tips and Tricks for the Rogue Build
Here are the best tips and tricks for the Rogue build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered.
- You need to use stamina wisely, or else you can become vulnerable in most combat situations.
- You must learn the Art of blocking as you need to block the incoming attacks while dishing out damage.
- 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 primary weapon or Daedric Warhammer.
- Use potions to heal your character from time to time in combat, so carry them in your inventory.
- Wear Light 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 Rogue; you have more strength, so you can carry a lot of items.
- Use Speechcraft to gain valuable information regarding quests and hidden items.
- Make use of Illusion spells to paralyze enemies during combat. Use this advantage to strike additional hits on the target.
- Level up the Mercantile (Major Skill) to get better prices for purchasing and selling goods.
FAQs about Rogue build in The Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered
What is Rogue build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered?
Rogue build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion is a decent damage dealing build with quick attacks. It mainly focuses on using fast movement, sneak, poison, and charm.
Which is the best weapon for a Rogue build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered?
Daedric Dagger and Daedric Shortsword are the best weapons for a Rogue build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion to eliminate enemies.
Which is the best race for a Rogue build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered?
The Imperial is the best race for the Rogue build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion because it provides starting bonuses in Strength and Endurance. It allows you to have increased damage, more carrying capacity, and more health.
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