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Discover everything you need to know about the best Hand to Hand build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered, including some valuable tips and tricks to optimize the build.
The Hand to Hand build in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a unique build using fists and magic. As the Hand to Hand role possesses attributes of Agility and Willpower, it allows you to deal significant damage with fists and cast various types of spells to damage, absorb, cure, and heal on the battleground. Using fist combos with heavy punches and the best spells from different magic schools can allow you to eliminate enemies easily. The Hand to Hand build mainly utilizes fist combos in close quarters and spells from a distance to dominate the battlefield. Balance your Magicka and Health, use defensive skills, and heal to keep yourself alive in battle.
However, it all depends on how you choose to play the Hand to Hand role, as there are a lot of systems in the background that enhance the effectiveness of a Hand to Hand. From faction and specialization to weapons and armor, everything is crucial for a Hand to Hand build. Choosing the right class and race for your Hand to Hand build is important to maximizing your effectiveness. Choosing the best race, attribute, and skills is crucial for the Hand to Hand 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 Hand to Hand with no fear. In this guide, we’ll discuss the best Hand to Hand build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion, including the best skills, weapons, and armor to choose from.
Everything About Hand to Hand Build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion
The Hand to Hand Build is all about taking out enemies while standing on the frontline by either using fist combos or damaging spells. Due to Willpower being one of the prioritized attributes for the Hand to Hand, it is essential to use spells to outmaneuver the enemies. Leveling up the main skills will let you unlock the powerful spells that you can utilize accordingly to destroy the enemies. The Destruction spells will be your bread and butter to cast different elemental spells on enemies. Furthermore, Restoration spells will help you in healing yourself and your allies. Moreover, you can absorb utilities from enemies, cure diseases/poisons, resist elemental effects, fortify certain attributes, and more. Furthermore, if you want to be more creative and let others fight for you, you can learn and enhance Conjuration.
Playing a Hand to Hand build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion highly depends on your initial decisions of choosing the effective Race and Birthsign. The Khajiit stands out as the best race for the Hand to Hand role due to the bonus of high Agility and proficiency in Hand to Hand combat. Moreover, this race grants bonuses for all the major skills, making you more effective in the core play style. For the Birthsign, the Warrior or Lady stand out the best, as you will be able to deal more damage with fists or cast more spells right from the beginning.
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.
| Hand to Hand Build Pros | Hand to Hand Build Cons |
|---|---|
| High Agility | Lower Damage Output |
| Versatile | Limited Weapon Options |
| Ability to Heal and Buff | Slight Resource Management |
Build Key Aspect
Below are all the important and essential aspects of the Hand to Hand Build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion:
- Class: Monk
- Race: Khajiit
- Origin: Anequina
- Birthsign: Lady
- Specialization: Stealth
- Attributes: Agility, Willpower, Strength
- Major Skills
- Athletics
- Acrobatics
- Alteration
- Hand to Hand
- Sneak
- Minor Skills
- Block
- Conjuration
- Destruction
- Light Armor
- Mercantile
- Restoration
- Weapons: Daedric Dagger
- Armor: Glass Armor, Elven Armor
- Faction: Arena Guild
- Trainer: Helvius Cecia
Class
Making a Hand to Hand Build will require you to select a number of things in the initial hour of the game. Before you can reach Cyrodiil, you will have to select and confirm your race, birthsign, and class. The class plays a major role in defining your character in Cyrodiil. The best Class for the Hand to Hand Build is the “Monk” class. You can choose and make a Custom Class and select the 2 attributes yourself, but the Monk class offers the attributes of Agility and Willpower by default. These attributes make it a perfect defining class with the potential to be quick on the feet and cast spells at the same time. So, overall, it is the best class to pursue right from the beginning to make a strong Hand to Hand build.
The Monk class excels in Hand to Hand combat, and has a good potential for using damaging and restoration spells. The Major skills for the Monk class are Athletics, Acrobatics, Alteration, Hand to Hand, Marksman, Security, and Sneak. They provide solid attribute bonuses every time you level up. Most of these skills are related to stealth, allowing you to enhance your Agility attribute further. Alteration, on the other hand, allows you to cast shield, make yourself light, and more spells. The Destruction magic school includes several hard-hitting spells that will help you cast elemental spells. With Restoration, you can heal your allies and yourself during fights to stay alive. So, it is essential that you learn these spells and improve your Willpower for more effectiveness.
In addition to the major skill, you will also have to utilize the minor skills to enhance other attributes, especially Strength and Intelligence. We have explained more about the Minor Skills in the respective section below.
Best Race
Choosing a potential race for your character is necessary to optimize a build. For the Hand to Hand Build, we recommend you select the “Khajiit” race. It is one of the best races under the Beast race options in Elder Scrolls Oblivion, especially for fighters. This race is like cat-people with great Agility and Intelligence, which makes them swift and decent spellcasters. Acquiring this race will provide you with bonuses for all the major skills of the Hand to Hand. Furthermore, this race provides great stats for the Agility, Intelligence, and Speed attributes. All of these are essential for a Hand to Hand build.
Khajiit race comes with four bonuses. The first couple of bonuses directly impact certain skills. It grants +10 Acrobatics and Hand to Hand skills, making them the best race for the Hand to Hand combat. Moreover, Athletics, Blade, Light Armor, Security, and Sneak skills gain +5 points. In addition to these bonuses, there are two unique traits. The first one is Eye of Fear, a greater power that Demoralizes a target for 30 seconds, once per day. The second one is Eye of Night, a lesser power that grants Night-Eye spell, allowing you to see in the dark for 30 seconds with no Magicka cost.
However, there are some negative effects of this race. The major negative impact is that you have lower Willpower. It means your major spells will have low effectiveness. Moreover, the male form of Khajiit also has a lower Endurance attribute. The female form of Khajiit has a lower Strength. We recommend you go for the Male form of Khajiit to have a bit more strength right from the beginning.
Khajiit Race Origin
In addition to choosing the Body Type for the Khajiit Race, the stats do not allocate until you select the respective Origin. As we told you that Male is better for Hand to Hand, due to the Strength attribute, you must also choose the respective background for the stats to actually allocate. Now, each race has two different Origins, determining the background of the character. So, Origin of the Khajiit Race for the Male character is “Anequina”.
“The harsh region where you lived and trained hardened your body and taught you how to defend yourself, with your bare fists or any weapon you could find.”
With such a background, the male body type of the Khajiit Race will have 10 points worth of more Strength than the female. As we will be fighting with fists in close quarters, it is essential for the build to have more Strength.
Best Birthsign
The final major choice for effective optimization of the Hand to Hand Build is choosing a potential Birthsign. You will get to make this choice earlier in the game and before leaving the sewer to explore the world. The best Birthsign that is effective for the Hand to Hand build is Lady. As the Hand to Hand lacks Endurance, the Lady Birthsign will enhance the Endurance and Willpower attributes. Moreover, since we have selected the Khajiit race, which lacks Willpower, this Birthsign will make up for it. Both of these attributes will increase further by 10 points. By having more Endurance, your overall health will increase, and health will replenish faster outside of combat. So, it is more of a safe side Birthsign, especially for those who are just starting as a Hand to Hand character. Moreover, this will help you increase the Endurance attribute a bit quicker.
Alternatively, you can choose the Warrior Birthsign. Choosing the Warrior Birthsign grants Fortify Endurance and Fortify Strength. The Fortify Endurance bonus boosts the Endurance by 10, and the Fortify Strength bonus boosts the Strength by 10. With more Strength, you will be able to deal more damage with your fist attacks. However, you will still lack Willpower, making the spells’ effectiveness lower.
So, if you want to focus more on Hand to Hand combat, then choose the Warrior birthsign. If you want the things to balance out, then choose the Lady to have equal attributes of Strength, Endurance, and Willpower.
Best Attributes
Agility, Willpower, and Strength are the best attributes for the Hand to Hand Build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion. The more you invest in these attributes, the more effective your build becomes. Investing in Agility results in an increase in overall Fatigue. Moreover, you have a high chance of avoiding being staggered by the enemy attacks. This helps you greatly while fighting the enemies and gives you a chance to fight back. Increasing Agility also improves the overall damage with the bow weapons. Major skills like Marksman, Security, and Sneak improve with Agility. Investing in Strength increases your overall damage. You will deal more damage with every melee weapon. Moreover, the capacity to carry items will increase, allowing you to carry heavier items easily. Moreover, it governs the Skills of Blade, Blunt, and Hand to Hand.
The Willpower affects how quickly you regenerate Magicka. As a Hand to Hand, you must regenerate Magicka quickly to cast spells repeatedly. Running out of Magicka can be bad for you, especially during tougher fights. The Willpower also increases the overall Fatigue. Moreover, it governs the Skills of Destruction, Alteration, and Restoration. Enhancing Willpower will improve the use of magic for the corresponding spells.
In addition to these attributes, you can also choose to enhance Speed, Endurance and Luck. However, these attributes are not associated with the Hand to Hand. The only way to increase the additional attributes is to level up and spend virtue points.
Major Skills
Selecting the Monk class will grant you seven Major Skills that are crucial for the Hand to Hand build. Out of those seven, the five best major skills to improve for the Hand to Hand Build are Athletics, Acrobatics, Alteration, Hand to Hand, and Sneak. Athletics is crucial for increasing running and swimming speed. As a Hand to Hand, you must be swift, so Athletics will help you greatly in this regard. Moreover, enhancing Athletics will regenerate Fatigue faster while running. Acrobatics increases the overall height of jumping and falling from great distances. As you level up Acrobatics, you will be able to perform weapon attacks while jumping and falling. Using sharp weapons like daggers and swords will help you increase the Blade skill.
Alteration is helpful both in exploration and combat. You can utilize the Feather spell to become lightweight if your Strength is low. Moreover, you can use various Shield spells to negate the incoming damage. Hand to Hand will be your bread and butter for potential damage in close quarters. As your Hand to Hand skill improves, the overall damage of punches will increase. Upon reaching Apprentice Level (25), you will unlock the ability to Dodge. This will further improve your chances of evading incoming attacks and outmaneuvering the enemies.
Lastly, the Sneak skill is crucial to move stealthily and perform takedowns for enhanced damage. Moreover, this skill helps you greatly in pickpocketing. As the Hand to Hand character relies on Stealth, improving your Sneak from the beginning will help you greatly in familiarizing yourself with the stealth play style.
You must utilize the major skills to enhance them. The Major Skills are enhanced easily than the Minor Skills. Moreover, sleep every time you reach a new level to put points into the major Attributes.
All Major Skills for a Hand to Hand Build
Here is a brief overview of all the Major Skills for a Hand to Hand Build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion.
- Athletics: Allows you to run and swim faster. Moreover, it regenerates Fatigue faster while running.
- Acrobatics: Allows you to jump higher and fall from great heights without taking any damage.
- Alteration: Allows you to alter the physical world. Gain a shield to negate incoming damage.
- Hand to Hand: Increases the overall damage for attacking with fists. Each punch will drain more health and fatigue from the opponent.
- Marksman: Use the bow and arrow ranged weapons to damage enemies from a distance.
- Security: Use lockpicks to open locked doors and containers.
- Sneak: Allows you to move around undetected, pick pockets, and do more damage to targets while sneaking.
Minor Skills
Minor Skills play a small role in the overall effectiveness of the Hand to Hand Build. Unlike Major Skills, these skills are harder to level up and are usually associated with attributes other than your main attributes. However, there are still some crucial Minor Skills that you can utilize to optimize the Hand to Hand Build. The best Minor Skills that we recommend you improve and level up are the following.
- Block: Reduce the incoming damage using a shield, weapon, or hands.
- Conjuration: Allows you to summon various minions to assist you in combat.
- Destruction: Use it to deal direct damage to the enemies with various elemental spells.
- Light Armor: Wearing Light Armor grants you decent defensive stats.
- Mercantile: Get better deals when buying or selling goods.
- Restoration: Use it to restore health, fatigue, and magicka and boost other attributes.
Best Spells
Here are the best spells to use as a Hand to Hand in Elder Scrolls Oblivion.
- Detect Life: Reveals all visible and invisible creatures with a soft purple glow.
- Soul Trap: Trap the soul of a creature in an empty soul gem.
- Summon Skeleton: Summon a Skeleton for 40 seconds to fight beside you.
- Guard: Shield 30% for 30 seconds on self, reducing the incoming damage.
- Flash Bolt: Deals 20 Fire Damage to a target on impact.
- Lightning Bolt: Deals 35 Shock Damage to a target on impact.
- Weakness to Fire: Makes a target weaker to Fire by 25% for 30 seconds.
- Weakness to Shock: Makes a target weaker to Shock by 25% for 30 seconds.
- Fortify Magicka: Fortify Magicka 30 points for 60 seconds.
- Night Mother’s Caress: Restore health for 10 points for 2 seconds.
Feel free to change the spells according to your playstyle. Moreover, enhancing the major skills will let you unlock a better version of these spells. If you have enough Magicka at your disposal, acquire the latest spells for more effectiveness.
Equipment
Equipment in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered 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 Hand to Hand build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered.
Best Weapons
Hand to Hand build does not really need weapons, but to stay on the safe side, it is better to keep at least a dagger with you. It is a lightweight blade weapon that matches perfectly with a high agility attribute. Moreover, as the Hand to Hand character has a Sneak skill, you can deal extensive damage with a dagger by attacking from behind.
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 a 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.
Best Armor
As the Hand to Hand build does not possess any armor skill, it is essential to wear Light Armor or Robe. The main reason for this is that wearing Heavy Armor has a negative impact on magic in Oblivion. In order to negate the negative impact on your magic, it is best to stick with the Light Armor. Moreover, you will still have high survivability as you can increase the armor rating and gain a shield with your spells.
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 Hand to Hand build. It offers excellent protection while remaining light, allowing for agility and stealth. You want to prioritize light armor 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 armor also helps you level up your light armor skill, which is important for increasing your armor rating.
2. Elven Armor
- Armor Health: 3520
- Class: Light Armor
- Base Value: 1740
- Weight: 35.1
Another great armor to equip for a Hand to Hand is an Elven Armor 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.
Unique Items
1. Bands of Kwang Lao
- Armor Health: 80
- Base Value: 2005
- Weight: 1.5
- Class: Light Armor (Bracers)
- Effect: Fortify Hand to Hand for 20 Points.
Bands of Kwang Lao is a unique armor in Oblivion Remastered that specifically increases the Hand to Hand skill by 20 points. It is a massive boost to this skill, and it can make the character reach a new level for Hand to Hand to unlock new moves. Fortunately, it is easy to get the Bands of Kwang Lao, as they can be looted from the chest in the Arena District. You can either pickpocket Branwen and open the chest or pick the lock yourself to loot it. It is the best item to get as soon as possible to enhance the potential of your fist attacks.
2. Shrouded Armor
- Armor Health: 520
- Base Armor: 17.5
- Base Value: 0
- Class: Light Armor
Shrouded Armor is one of the best Armors to use while running the Hand to Hand 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.
Best Potions
Potion of Absorption, Potion of Endurance, and Potion of Agility are the best potions to include in your Hand to Hand build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered.
- Potion of Absorption: The Spell Absorption 15 points for 15 seconds.
- Potion of Endurance: Fortify Endurance 10 points for 30 seconds.
- Potion of Agility: Fortify Agility 10 points for 30 seconds.
Best Sigil Stones
Damage Health, Shock Damage, and Fortify Strength are the best Sigil Stone’s effects in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered. Sigil Stones are magical items obtained by closing Oblivion gates, which are portals that connect Nirn to the plane of Oblivion. You can use them to enchant weapons, armor, and jewelry with a variety of effects. This offers powerful and unique enchantments that can be more potent than those created using Soul Gems. You can obtain the Sigil Stone after defeating the Daedra, who inhabits an Oblivion gate.
- Damage Health: It mitigates the value of the target’s health for a specific point for 1 second.
- Shock Damage: Use shock to damage the target’s health for a few seconds.
- Fortify Strength: It increases the Strength attribute for a short duration.
Leveling Strategy
Focus on using magic skills to level a Hand to Hand effectively in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered. Use skills like Hand to Hand, Athletics, Acrobatics, Alteration, and Sneak to gain +5 bonuses at each level. Use Alteration spells to make yourself light and explore the environment, or gain a shield to mitigate incoming damage. You need to heal yourself and others with Restoration spells to keep your skills active. Explore on foot and jump around to enhance the Athletics and Acrobatics skills. Invest in attributes that will enhance your major skills.
Most of all, enhance the Hand to Hand skill to increase the overall damage with fist combos, The easiest way to increase the Hand to Hand skill quickly is to partake in Arena fights. Do not use any melee or blunt weapon, instead fight unarmed. You start at the Pit Dog rank and will gradually make your way up to the Grand Champion. While you are fighting and winning fights at the lower ranks, your Hand to Hand skill will increase rapidly.
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.
Factions
The Arena stands out as the best faction to pick for the Hand to Hand build. It is located in the east district of the Imperial City. You can join the Arena by speaking with Owyn, the Blademaster in Bloodworks. He will put you in the Blue Team and will give you a choice to choose either Light or Heavy Raiment. Choose the Light Raiment and start your fighting journey at the Arena. It is also the best way to farm the Hand to Hand skill. Simply, beat the Yellow Team in every fight and gain experience for Hand to Hand. Moreover, Owyn will also reward you with Gold for every fight you win.
Another great choice for the Hand to Hand build is the Mage Guild. If you want a Hand to Hand character to excel with skills like Destruction, Conjuration, and Mysticism, then consider choosing the Mage guild. You will be able to cast more powerful spells by completing the Mage Guild. Moreover, it will unlock new possibilities for the build.
Trainers
The best trainer for the Hand to Hand build is Helvius Cecia. He is a Hand to Hand combat Master, who can boost your potential of Hand to Hand to the final stretch. He is a member of the Thieves Guild in Bruma, and before you can gain any lessons from him, you will have to beat him with bare knuckles until half of his health. Moreover, getting training from Helvius Cecia will require 70+ points in Hand to Hand skill.
The best way to enhance the Hand to Hand skill swiftly is to complete the Arena and become the Grand Champion, and get the Bands of Kwang Lao, unique bracers.
How to Play the Hand to Hand Build
Focus on Hand-to-Hand, Alteration, Acrobatics, and Athletics as major skills. Khajit is a good choice for their bonuses, and you’ll rely on dodging and varying combat techniques. Consider Illusion, Alteration, and Restoration for spells and buffs, enhancing the effectiveness of the build. Master the art of dodging and blocking to survive encounters. 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 player in the game. Use potions that are crucial during long fights, so always be prepared.
Best Gameplay Tips and Tricks for the Hand to Hand Build
Here are the best gameplay tips and tricks for Hand to Hand build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered.
- Use potions to heal your character from time to time in combat, so carry them in your inventory.
- Practice your lockpicking skills to access valuable loot and secrets.
- Use invisibility and paralysis spells to your advantage in combat and stealth situations.
- Focus on light armor for stealth, as it increases your movement speed.
- All races cannot succeed in Hand to Hand combat, so choose the one that complements your playstyle.
- You need to use stamina wisely or else you can become vulnerable in most combat situations.
- Focus on leveling your Destruction, Alteration, Restoration, and Conjuration for casting higher-level magic spells.
- Use magic to weaken the enemies from a distance, then use fists when closer to them.
- Choose the faction, race, and specialization that complements your playstyle and synergizes with the build.
- Always Dodge against the tougher enemies rather than blocking.
- Strike a heavy punch to have a chance of disarming the enemy.
FAQs about Hand to Hand build in The Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered
What is a Hand to Hand build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered?
The Hand to Hand build in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a unique build using fists and magic. it possesses attributes of Agility and Willpower, allowing you to deal significant damage with fists and cast various types of spells to damage, absorb, cure, and heal on the battleground.
Which is the best weapon for a Hand to Hand build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered?
There is no certain weapon that you will use as the Hand to Hand character in Oblivion Remastered, as you will be fighting unarmed. However, you can get the Bands of Kwang Lao, a unique item. This unique item enhances the Hand to Hand skill by 20 points.
Which is the best race for a Hand to Hand build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered?
Khajiit is the best race for the Hand to Hand build in Elder Scrolls Oblivion Remastered. This is due to their innate bonus to Hand-to-Hand, Athletics, and Acrobatics, which are all skills a Hand to Hand build heavily relies on.
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