My approach was to think about the character I wanted to try first: a warrior that can heal himself and can make potions, magic armor, and magic weapons.

As the other answers indicate, there are many variables at work there and no one has played long enough to really say what's best or not, although the David B's answer is very good and demonstrates how experienced players can approach the mini-game of skill and perk selection. not on the first go-through in the first week after release. Skyrim is not a game you have to 'win', esp. It's fun to leave the obvious paths, but it's not fun to feel ineffective. Do you have ways to compensate for those problems? Are you prepared to trade away armor rating to solve those problems instead?Ī good player can see the three paths (caster, light, heavy), see how the perks lead into those paths, and discern the tradeoffs when straying from those paths. How much armor rating do you lose by that choice? Does the weight reduction (and magic bonus) make up for that? Can you compensate for the armor rating loss with an alteration spell?Ĭonsider the secondary effects of armor: reduced movement, increased staggering, increased noise. If you go without a helmet, you don't get armor rating from that slot. Weight is a big obstacle (less loot, less weapons, less potions). To make a good armor selection decision, there is much to consider:Ĭonsider the primary attributes of armor: armor rating and weight. By choosing one side of the tree, you're choosing which armors you want to be better at improving. It's more point-efficient to go up one side of the tree or the other. This additional armor can be very significant. You run a small risk of out-leveling your ability to survive (but there are many mechanisms in the game to counter this possibility).Īrmorsmithing perks - These perks increase the amount of addition armor rating you get when improving your gear at the workbench. However, it's questionable whether these extra points help you survive fights better. These skill points can help you level faster.

Levels - when wearing mixed armor types, you'll get skill points toward both. It's more point-efficient to focus on one tree instead of two. If you are wearing armor pieces for armor rating - you'll probably get some of these perks. Some perks farther up these trees require full four-piece sets (head, chest, hands, feet). Heavy armor perks only apply to heavy armor. While it is perfectly fine to mix armor types, there are some elements in the game intented to make you identify with one type over the other.Īrmor perks - Light armor perks only apply to light armor.

Oblivion light armor sets