Hello, GamersDecide, my name is Ember and today I’m going to list the 10 best builds of all time (in my opinion) for TES IV: Oblivion. Let’s get into it!
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10. The Dark Mage
Dark mages are precisely what their name implies. They’re, well, dark mages. The most common race to play as a dark mage is Altmer due to their magicka bonus. Don’t let that stop you from using a different race though, with enough time and determination, any race can become just as good of a dark mage as an Altmer can. Their main schools of magic are Destruction, Conjuration, Illusion, Alteration, Mysticism, and Restoration. Combat is pretty simple, you just unleash the fury of Oblivion on whoever or whatever you’re fighting.
Now, this build can become pretty OP if you’re taking advantage of glitches within the game, but it's still probably one of the coolest builds out there. I personally love playing as a dark mage, it was actually the first build I ever used in Oblivion. It’s incredibly fun to just let loose on enemies with fire, frost, sparks, and any other destruction spell. Summoning Dremora and being able to make yourself invisible is also really cool and useful. All that being said, there are some drawbacks. For instance, the magicka system in Oblivion. In Oblivion, unless you have an insanely high amount of magicka and/or magicka potions, you’re going to run out after only a few spells. It’s pretty difficult in the beginning, especially if you’re like me and don’t really like to exploit glitches. But, once you level up a bit and get a good amount of magicka, it gets a whole lot better and it becomes easier to fight enemies. I’d highly recommend this build to anyone that likes roleplaying evil characters or anyone who just wants a really OP character.
This build excels at:
Magic based quests
Magic based combat
Dark mage full details: https://tamrielvault.com/groups/topic/view/group_id/11/topic_id/8920
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9. Rogue/Thief
Thieves/rogues are super fun to play if you’re someone who enjoys strategic and sneaky characters. If you’re someone who likes to just charge into a room or battle, this build probably won’t be one you’ll commonly use. Common races for this build are Khajiit, Bosmer, and Argonians (specifically male). Thieves and rogues specialize in Sneak, Security, Illusion, Marksman, Blade or Hand-To-Hand, and sometimes Alchemy. Combat for this build isn’t usually close range. Instead, you get to snipe people with bows and arrows.
I really like using this build because of the sneaky aspect. I think it’s really cool to sneak around breaking into places and stealing things without getting caught. This build is really useful for situations where you *really* don’t want to fight an enemy for some reason or another because you can just easily slip by! This build isn’t insanely difficult at any point in the game, so I’d recommend it for people playing Oblivion for the first time. Another cool thing about this build is being able to do the Thieves Guild questline without having to justify why your character is doing it if you enjoy roleplaying like that.
This build excels at:
Long-range combat
Stealth attacks
Thievery
Thief/Rogue full details: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/924363-the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion/60407724
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8. Pure Mage
Once again, we have yet another magic build. This one, though, is definitely less chaotic and dark than the last. Pure Mages are mages that use strictly magic, no physical weapons at all. Common races for this build are Altmer and Bretons. The schools of magic they major in are Restoration, Alteration, Illusion, Destruction, Conjuration, Mysticism and sometimes Alchemy.
Pure Mages are a very good build for anyone who wants to roleplay any sort of “Good” alignment character. I personally haven't done many playthroughs with this build, I prefer darker characters who can do the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild questline. I have, however, done this build enough to know what all I like and don’t like about it. The only gripe I have about this build (other than my preference for darker characters) is having to rely on the magic system in Oblivion. As I stated before with the Dark Mage build, I don't like the magic leveling system in Oblivion. I find it really difficult (especially in early game) to level up the way I want to. Other than that, this build is a pretty good one that I would recommend trying at some point.
This build excels at:
Magic based quests
Magic based combat
Magic of any sort
Pure Mage full details: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/927345-the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion/76144983
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7. Warlock
Warlocks are pretty cool in my opinion. They’re basically just Orc mages, but, we don’t see a lot of that so this build is pretty unique. Warlocks specialize in Destruction, Alchemy, Conjuration, Mysticism, Ilusion, Heavy Amor, and sometimes Block.
Warlocks make for a fun roleplay experience. This is especially true if you’d like to roleplay a character that wants an immense amount of power. While playing a Warlock, you’ll want to do the Mages Guild questline to get your hands on spells and enchantment stuff. I honestly don’t really have any qualms about this build other than having to rely on Oblivion’s magic system. It’s just a really cool build.
This build excels at:
Magic based quests
Magic based combat
Alchemy
Full Warlock details: https://tamrielvault.com/groups/topic/view/group_id/11/topic_id/6186
The Ronin build provides a fun roleplay experience. It’s not a traditional build, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. Ronins specialize in Blade, Block, Marksman, Alchemy Acrobatics, Athletics, and Sneak.
This build, much like the Rogue/Thief is very much a build for people who want to play a strategic character. In battle, you’ll want to scout ahead and avoid getting in the middle of all the action, instead helping from the sidelines. This build is great for first-time players because you don’t have to immediately charge into a big fight with enemies you’re unfamiliar with. I don’t have any gripes about this build personally, I think it’s a very well-balanced, not OP build.
This build excels at:
Mid to long-range combat
Sneaking past enemies
Potion making
Ronin full details: https://tamrielvault.com/groups/topic/view/group_id/11/topic_id/6186
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5. Antimage
Antimages are great to play in Oblivion, since a good amount of enemies use magic. The most common race for Antimages is Altmer due to their magicka boost. They specialize in Blade, Block, Athletics, Light Armor, Alchemy, Mysticism, and Destruction.
Like I stated above, this is an amazing build to play in Oblivion. If you’re in combat against an enemy that uses magic, you’re going to walk away victorious. Antimages can absolutely wreck Mages in combat and I find it so fun to do. This is a pretty good build for beginners since it makes gameplay a little easier. It’s honestly just a really nice build that I thoroughly enjoy.
This build excels at:
Fighting enemies that use magic
Close range combat
Antimage full details: https://tamrielvault.com/groups/topic/view/group_id/11/topic_id/4809
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4. Sneak Archer
What? Did you think you’d get through a build list without seeing Sneak Archer? Despite all the memes out there about how overused this build is, it’s still a good one. Sneak Archers are often either Bosmer or Khajiits that specialize in Marksman, Light Armor, Mercantile, Acrobatics, Security, Stealth, Speechcraft, and sometimes blade if you’re using a dagger for close-range combat.
The Sneak Archer is a good build for many reasons, one of which being that it’s incredibly versatile for roleplaying. Want an assassin character? Snipe people for the Dark Brotherhood. Want to do the Mages Guild questline without giving up your build? Use enchanted bows and arrows. The possibilities with this build are literally endless. Another great thing about this build is how fun it is. Sniping people from a balcony or the roof of a house is so fun and satisfying, especially when you get a one hit kill. This build is good for beginners all the way up to people who have been playing Oblivion since the day it was released. This build is by all means, a classic.
This build excels at:
Long-range combat
Sneak attacks
Assassination
Sneak Archer full details: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/927345-the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion/44742322
Monks are already cool, but they get even cooler when they become an assassin. This build is by no means a classic, but that doesn’t stop it from being fun. Marsh Monks are Argonians that specialize in Hand-to-Hand, Athletics, Acrobatics, Destruction, Alteration, Restoration, and Sneak.
Marsh Monks are really good for roleplaying an assassin, since that’s the whole point of the build. They are absolutely amazing with Hand-to-Hand combat, they can demolish their enemy with their bare hands (maybe a few destruction spells mixed in). I think this is a really fun build to play, I enjoy playing it because I normally don’t play characters that use the Hand-to-hand fighting style, so I like the diversity from my main builds. I’d recommend this build to anyone wanting to play an epic assassin character.
This build excels at:
Hand-to-Hand combat
Sneak attacks
Close range combat
Marsh Monk full details: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/927345-the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion/44742322
Soulbound Warriors are very similar to normal warriors or archers in the sense that you need to pay attention to your footwork and use your environment to your advantage. Unlike most warriors and archers, though, Soulbound Warriors use bound weapons. Recommended races for this build are Redguard, Nord, Orc, and Imperial. They specialize in Blade, Block, Conjuration, and Acrobatics.
This is a really nice build to use if you want to go the traditional warrior route while adding some extra magical flair. It’s also good if you want to do the Mages Guild questline without actually being some sort of mage. Using conjured weapons is super cool to me and is something I like doing, so that’s a huge plus about this build. Combat is pretty simple, just fight as a warrior would, but you get to break out your conjured weapons. I’d recommend this build to people who pretty much exclusively play Mages. It’ll add a little variety to your playthroughs while still allowing you to use magic.
This build excels at:
Close to mid-range combat
Conjuration, of course
Being a great fighting build
Soulbound Warrior full details: https://tamrielvault.com/groups/topic/view/group_id/11/topic_id/5854
It took me a ridiculously long time to find a picture for this that wasn’t an anime waifu… Anyways, here we have the Priestess. Imperial, Breton, and Altmer are going to be the best races for you to pick for this build. Priestesses specialize in Alteration, Conjuration, Restoration, Destruction, Illusion, Mysticism, Speechcraft, and Marksman.
The Priestess build is good for anyone who wants to primarily use magic in their playthrough. The fighting style is similar to that of a mage, just let loose with your magic, unless you’re using your bow, that is. Priestesses are primarily a Lawful Good type of character, so be aware that if you want to roleplay, you couldn’t do the Thieves Guild or Dark Brotherhood quest lines with this build. Although, if you want to go for the Mages Guild or are looking to do some Aedric quests, this is a good build for you.
This build excels at:
Close and mid-range combat
Magic
Priestess full details: https://tamrielvault.com/groups/topic/view/group_id/11/topic_id/9325
You made it to the end, hooray! I hope you liked this top 10 list and gained some valuable insight from it as well as inspiration for your next playthrough. I’ll see you soon with my next list, go have fun!
