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Discover everything you need to know about the best Thief build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion including some valuable tips and tricks to run this build.
The Thief build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion is a unique setup that is centered around stealth approaches, leaving past the enemies undetected and lockpicking. This build offers a rewarding and challenging playthrough for players who prefer sneaking through dungeons, picking locks, and solving problems without fighting. This unique build uses bows and arrows for ranged combat, often combined with stealth to maximize damage and survivability. Choosing the best race, attribute, and skills is crucial for the Thief build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion as your gameplay mostly depends on it. In this guide, we’ll discuss the best Thief build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion, the best skills, and weapons and armor.
Everything About Thief Build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion
The Thief build in The Elder Scrolls Oblivion focuses on stealth, agility, and dexterity. This unique setup excels in avoiding direct combat, relying on stealth, pickpocketing, and lockpicking. Our Thief build includes weapons like Daedric Dagger and Daedric Bow to deal damage without taking damage in combat. Dagger allows for stealth takedown, making it easy to eliminate enemies from behind. Sneak, Security, Marksman, Acrobatics, Lockpicking, Light Armor, and Mercantile are the best skills that we add for this build.
These skills ensure that they complement your thievery playstyle and build. Light Armor is more suitable for Thieves since it provides mobility and agility. Marksman is essential if you want to rely on ranged attacks in combat. The Thief is the best Birthsign because it increases your stealth and gives you a higher chance of critical hits with your bow. However, this build is weak while fighting the enemies in direct combat.
| Thief Build Pros | Thief Build Cons |
|---|---|
| Stealthy Playstyle | Weak in Direct Combat |
| High Damage | Limited Armor Options |
| Lockpicking and Pickpocketing |
Build Key Aspect
Below are all the essential aspects of the Thief Build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion:
- Class: Thief
- Race: Wood Elf
- Birthsign: Thief
- Specialization: Stealth
- Attributes: Agility, Speed, Luck
- Major Skills
- Sneak
- Security
- Marksman
- Acrobatics
- Lockpicking
- Light Armor
- Mercantile
- Minor Skills
- Armorer
- Restoration
- Illusion
- Alchemy
- Weapons: Daedric Bow, Daedric Dagger
- Armor: Leather Armor, Shrouded Armor
- Faction: Thieves Guild
- Trainer: Astrid
Class
The Thief is the best class for Thief build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion because it offers major skills in Security, Sneak, Light Armor, and Acrobatics. You can also get a solid foundation for a thief build, complementing your stealth approaches. Sneaking lets thieves avoid the attention of guards and house owners. Use the combination of Archery and stealth for devastating sneak attacks. Use Archer as your secondary class in the game to enjoy ranged combat and tactical gameplay. You can combine the Thief and Archer classes for a hybrid playstyle, allowing you to take down enemies from a distance using a bow and eliminate them using a dagger at close range. However, the major class for this build remains The Thief.
Best Race
Wood Elf is the best race for the best Thief build in Elder Scroll Oblivion. This race offers you bonuses to both Sneak and Marksman, making them a strong choice for Thief. Wood Elf starts with a +5 bonus to Marksman and +5 to Sneak. Their starting skills make them suited for a stealth thievery playstyle. This allows you to become highly effective in the early and mid-game. Bosmer also has a +10 in Acrobatics. You can use it for mobility and reaching high places. However, they have lower Endurance and Strength. Illusion, Destruction, Alteration, and Mysticism are the best skills for a Wood Elf.
Best Birthsign
Thief Birthsign is the best choice for the Thief build in Elder Scroll Oblivion. The reason is pretty simple: its bonuses to skills like Sneak, Luck, and Speed benefit Thief builds. Thief’s Birthsign affects the values of most skills. This makes it easier to level up and be successful in most cases. +25 Speed increases movement speed and jump distance. This is crucial for stealth and quick escapes. +25 Agility is a key attribute for Thieves because it enhances their Marksman skill and overall combat effectiveness. This Brithsign grants a solid foundation for a versatile Thief build that can excel in different combat situations and stealth.
Best Specialization
Stealth is the best specialization for the Thief build in Elder Scroll Oblivion. The Stealth specialization emphasizes skills related to stealth and evasion like Sneak and Light Armor. You select the specialization at character creation, and it affects how your skills level up. They are a set of associated skills that are considered more important than any other skills. Focusing on skills like Sneak, Light Armor, and Marksman, or using Illusion spells for invisibility and stealth, allows you to specialize in stealth. Sneak is the core skill for a stealthy approach, allowing you to move silently and use your bow effectively.
Best Attributes
Agility, Speed, and Luck are the best attributes for the Thief build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion. Speed is essential for increasing movement speed and evasion, which is vital for a Thief build. Agility, on the other hand, is important for improving sneak, acrobatics, and weapon skills. Investing points in Luck enhances the chance of finding better loot and crafting better items. These attributes ensure that your character is a powerful Thief who can dominate enemies from a safe distance without taking any damage and being detected. 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 other attributes that you can invest in are intelligence, Strength, Endurance, and Willpower. However, these attributes don’t affect your thievery playstyle more.
Major Skills
Sneak, Security, Marksman, Acrobatics, Lockpicking, Light Armor, and Mercantile are the best Major Skills for the Thief 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.
- Mercantile- Get better deals when buying or selling goods.
- Sneak- Allows you to take down enemies silently in combat.
- Security- Use lockpicks to open locked doors and containers.
- Lockpicking- Allows you to access locked chests and doors.
- Marksman- This skill allows you to deal damage from a safe distance with more accuracy and precision.
- Acrobatics- It grants agility and evasion, making you harder to hit.
- Light Armor- Provides defense without hindering your agility.
Minor Skills
Armorer, Restoration, Illusion, and Alchemy are the best Minor Skills for the Thief 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.
- Alchemy- Use this skill to create powerful poisons and other helpful potions.
- Armorer- Use this skill for repairing enchanted gear and improving your armor.
- Restoration- Use this skill to gain healing, and it can be useful for survival.
- Illusion- It provides powerful spells like Invisibility and Chameleon to boost your stealth and combat approaches.
Equipment
Equipment in Elder Scrolls Oblivion encompasses 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 is the best option available for the Thief build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion.
Best Weapons
Here are the best weapons for the Thief build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion.
Daedric Bow
- Damage: 20
- Value: 3200
- Health: 420
- Weight: 22
Daedric Bow is the best bow to include in your Thief build. This weapon offers the highest base damage in the game, making it a perfect choice for Thieves. It’s even better when enchanted with powerful effects, like draining health or damage. This weapon is found in higher-level locations but can also be obtained through quests. Although the weight of this bow is more, it deals significant damage with the right approach. Use the Daedric Arrow with this weapon to deal high damage in combat. These arrows can be found as loot from certain enemies, particularly in bandit dungeons.
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, allowing it to complement your Thief build. Upgrading this weapon regularly is essential to increase its damage potential.
Best Armor
Here is the best armor for the Thief 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. Use this armor for stealth and agility-focused builds. The armor can be found early on and starts appearing in the leveled lists at level three. It’s worth mentioning that you need to increase your mobility for fast movement, allowing you to complement the thievery playstyle.
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 Thief 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 with dagger and poison resistance.
Leveling Strategy
Focus on skills like Sneak, Armored, Security, and Light Armor to effectively level a thief build in Oblivion. You can also level up other skills like Alchemy and Alteration for utility. You must focus on leveling your Major Skills when you level up to get the most out of your character. Jump around to raise your Athletics skill. It’s best to sneak around to level up your Sneak skill, making it even more effective. 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. Keep in mind that enemies also scale when you level up, meaning they become more powerful. Every time you level up, you will get to increase three attributes. Focus on attributes that align with your playstyle. Complete all the available side quests to level up your character. Leveling up is based on Skill Increases and the Attributes you assign.
Factions
Thieves Guild is considered as one of the best factions to choose for the Thief build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion. It provides opportunities to practice stealth, lockpicking, and pickpocketing. This faction complements a stealthy Thief in dangerous scenarios in the game. You can even use Dark Brotherhood, as it offers opportunities for Thievery and marksmen practice. This allows you to hone your skills with a bow from a distance. The Thieves Guild rewards players for their stealth skills. The Thieves Guild provides access to fences, who are essential for selling stolen goods. Each faction offers a unique gameplay experience, so choose the one that complements the Thief playstyle. Factions also have guild halls where you can interact with members.
Trainers
Astrid is the best trainer for the Thief 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 Thief Build
Focus on skills like Sneak, Lockpicking, Marksman, Light Armor, and Illusion to enhance the effectiveness of your Thief build in ESO. Use a Dagger to deal melee damage in close-quarter combats and a bow for dealing damage from a distance. You can hide behind a wall or any obstacle when enemies approach. 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.
You can even use spells like Invisibility that allow you to reposition and deal massive damage without being detected. Use Light Armor like Shrouded Armor and Leather Armor that boosts your Agility and Endurance, increasing your survivability. Join the faction to support your playstyle, making you an unstoppable thief in the game. Upgrade your weapon regularly to make it more effective in combat where you want to deal high damage.
Best Gameplay Tips and Tricks for the Thief Build
Here are the best gameplay tips and tricks for the Thief build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion.
- The Thieves Guild questline offers valuable rewards and skills that complement a thief build.
- Focus on light armor for stealth, as it increases your movement speed.
- Use a lightweight weapon as a backup while fighting the enemies in close range.
- Use Stealth to get the jump on enemies and deal increased damage with sneak attacks.
- All races cannot be a successful Thief, so choose the one that complements your playstyle.
- 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.
- Practice your lockpicking skills to access valuable loot and secrets.
Use invisibility and paralysis spells to your advantage in combat and stealth situations.
FAQs about Thief build in The Elder Scrolls Oblivion
What is a Thief build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion?
The Thief build in The Elder Scrolls Oblivion focuses on stealth, agility, and dexterity. This unique setup excels in avoiding direct combat, relying on stealth, pickpocketing, and lockpicking.
Which is the best weapon for a Thief build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion?
Daedric Dagger and Daedric Bow are the best weapons for a Thief build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion because they allow you to take down enemies without fully exposing yourself if used strategically.
Which is the best race for a Thief build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion?
Wood Elf is the best race for the best Thief build in Elder Scroll Oblivion. This race offers you bonuses to both Sneak and Marksman, making them a strong choice for Thief.
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