Skyrim: Blocking and you, or This is why you keep dying.

[Altorin]

I'll get around to training block when I make my Breton shieldmage. As it stands now, I'll just play the characters I have that rarely engage in melee combat, or who frequently kill enemies in 1 hit because a few perks in 2h weapons and some sure grip gauntlets and Berserker racial for Orcs mean that I do roughly infinity damage.

 

[Eacaraxe_v1legacy]

I wouldn't recommend an illusion build. At level 35 or so (Forget the exact level), EVERY SINGLE enemy becomes immune to all illusion spells. Basically, it's a waste of time.

I've done a bit of research on it myself, and that's without perks.

The level-increase perks add 22 levels onto the 25-cap of the master-level illusion spells (allowing you to affect level 47 targets), and apparently dual casting doubles that level cap on top of that.

 

[DrTobiasWho]

All of these people who are saying that other options are for attacking. I've rolled a redguard warrior with smithing @ 100, one handed @ 100, Blocking @ 60odd and light armour @ 70 odd.

Fully upgraded dragon armour with lightning and fire reduction rolling in the armour rating at >400 and I can take anything on up close and personal without using shouts. DeathLord's? Easy peasy. I haven't found anything that can scratch me for a while.

Blocking = attacking.

 

[teebeeohh]

i have those rather useful spells in my left hand and besides, i just wouldn't have the skill point to put into blocking.

 

[Snowalker]

Who needs block when you have a time-pausing inventory and health potions?

The only excuses anyone has for dying in Skyrim are, "I didn't hit the inventory button fast enough" and, "I ran out of health potions."

Or you can just grab a bow and take advantage of the fact that you're the only being on the planet who can jump. One tall rock and you're all set.

Or use the "stealth" mechanic to effectively become invisible and get one-hit kills on almost anything.

Given the alternatives, I conclude that blocking is for boring people.

Well, werewolves don't have such luxuries as health potions...

 

[Nazulu]

I was thinking about spending points on blocking, I use it sometimes to save some life and energy (if I get the timing right). It's just, I kill almost every stupid bandit and animal I come up against in 1 to 3 shots, but it would be good to have some extra strateges just incase I run into some over powered enemy's like that giant robot.

 

[godofallu]

Blocking isn't bad it's just comparatively bad.

You take damage even when you block, you move slower while blocking, you must give up one of your hands, you must give up a lot of perk points, you must trade other levels for block levels.

Frankly having a 2 handed weapon, or two one handed weapons, or a weapon + spell (like fast healing/destruction) is much better.

It's much easier to sidestep in this game avoiding all damage, then to put up the shield in order to resist some damage.

 

[Kopikatsu]

I wouldn't recommend an illusion build. At level 35 or so (Forget the exact level), EVERY SINGLE enemy becomes immune to all illusion spells. Basically, it's a waste of time.

I've done a bit of research on it myself, and that's without perks.

The level-increase perks add 22 levels onto the 25-cap of the master-level illusion spells (allowing you to affect level 47 targets), and apparently dual casting doubles that level cap on top of that.

Ah...I didn't know that about dual casting.

I suppose I should start using Illusion magic, considering a couple casts of Muffle gives me a level in it at level 32 or something.

 

[Montezuma's Lawyer]

Blocking isn't bad it's just comparatively bad.

You take damage even when you block, you move slower while blocking, you must give up one of your hands, you must give up a lot of perk points, you must trade other levels for block levels.

Frankly having a 2 handed weapon, or two one handed weapons, or a weapon + spell (like fast healing/destruction) is much better.

It's much easier to sidestep in this game avoiding all damage, then to put up the shield in order to resist some damage.

Speccing block makes you run faster, gives you great dodge skills with Quick Reflexes, makes the shield into a viable weapon capable of killing things all on its own, so.... yep

 

[Souplex]

I am awesome at block.
That is one of the many reasons why I'm the best.

 

[godofallu]

Blocking isn't bad it's just comparatively bad.

You take damage even when you block, you move slower while blocking, you must give up one of your hands, you must give up a lot of perk points, you must trade other levels for block levels.

Frankly having a 2 handed weapon, or two one handed weapons, or a weapon + spell (like fast healing/destruction) is much better.

It's much easier to sidestep in this game avoiding all damage, then to put up the shield in order to resist some damage.

Speccing block makes you run faster, gives you great dodge skills with Quick Reflexes, makes the shield into a viable weapon capable of killing things all on its own, so.... yep

It doesn't make you run faster, it makes you less slow while holding block. As to the lethality of a shield, it will never be as good as a legendary double enchanted weapon.

 

[MultiElford]

I was going for a magic-warrior hybrid, meaning I wanted to wield a one-handed sword and destruction magic or just go for illusion magic once and bash with sword and shield after that.

I am having real trouble beating undead though as they are resistant to illusion magic (or so it seems), and I can't block attacks due to my current setup. Unfortunately, I feel like I am forced to switch to magic-only with some marksman/sneak for combat initiation...

A few examples would be Divinity 2 and Gothic 3 with all patches, both a million times harder and also open world. I mean i gave up playing even on the easiest difficulty just because of the sheer stupifying 2 shots of some spell you dead.

Not undermining your opinion, but I believe that Gothic 3's combat was considered broken even after the patch, and combat was very easy in Gothic 1 and 2.
Also, I wouldn't compare a third-person RPG with The Elder Scrolls..
Fallout shouldn't be compared to it either due to the Vats and attribute distribution which Skyrim lacks.

 

[Keewa]

Looks like just about everyone's gone for the typical rogue character.

Loving warrior myself, running up to a dragon and hitting him in the face with a shield.
Plus, staggering is very useful.

 

[Cid Silverwing]

Everything here is for the same reason you don't tank while dual-wielding in World of Warcraft. Or any RPG for that matter.

 

[Virmire]

It works well. Shield bumping coupled with flames has been decimating any Frost troll I've found so far.
Though until today I have been using fail armor and weapons. Now I have full Daedric armor, Ebony waraxe, Daedric bow, and Dragonplate shield to use (shameless bragging). :3

The game can be quite hard if you're a mixed class. I've been alternating between Bows, Destruction, and Sword and Shield, and I've had my ass handed to me on a number of occasions. I stooped to cheap shotting with my bow a few bosses whos movement mapping wasn't working correctly.

 

[Frankster]

It's good to know going my usual 1 handed sword+shield route won't penalize me in skyrim when i eventually get it ^^

Cheers op, with everyone ranting on about duale wielding and spells, i thought the humble art of being a footman had died out in skyrim, clearly not.

 

[Thistlehart]

I find shield-bashing a dragon while it's trying to chomp or shout at me immensely satisfying. Especially when they complain about it and I follow up with a heavy-mace power attack to the jaw. That really pisses them off.

 

[Montezuma's Lawyer]

Blocking isn't bad it's just comparatively bad.

You take damage even when you block, you move slower while blocking, you must give up one of your hands, you must give up a lot of perk points, you must trade other levels for block levels.

Frankly having a 2 handed weapon, or two one handed weapons, or a weapon + spell (like fast healing/destruction) is much better.

It's much easier to sidestep in this game avoiding all damage, then to put up the shield in order to resist some damage.

Speccing block makes you run faster, gives you great dodge skills with Quick Reflexes, makes the shield into a viable weapon capable of killing things all on its own, so.... yep

It doesn't make you run faster, it makes you less slow while holding block. As to the lethality of a shield, it will never be as good as a legendary double enchanted weapon.

You lose absolutely no running speed when you spec it, and with the 100 perk, you can sprint with a shield up, and yes, yes it will be as good, because it can be a legendary double enchanted shield, combine that with the ludicrously overpowered shield enchants, shields are very very good for all sorts of combat.