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

[Scars Unseen]

Am I the only person whose internal filters autotranslate 'like a boss' into 'like a douche?' Maybe I've just had some lousy bosses.

 

[JWRosser]

I don't really need to block.

I'm going with a "weapons master" archetype - I'm dual wielding one enchanted sword (usually) and one conjured sword and wearing heavy armour. To be honest, my main weakness is magic: arrows and melee attacks don't do a tremendous amount of damage, and by the time I reach them I can dispatch them in a few hits. However magic seems to go straight through my armour - although frost is the worst, as it slows me down, so it takes even longer to get to my target. Again, once I get there, I kill them easily...but it's the journey!

 

[Baresark]

I sunk a point into dual wielding, and found it pretty useless. Traditional Sword/Shield is how I play. Though, I haven't looked up the block tree because I have been spending time smithing. That will change now. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Gluzzbung]

I second this point. I love block (especially since you can farm it by getting a bandit with a sword to hit you repeatedly and then mix it with restoration in your other hand to heal whatever damage the bandit does)

Dual wield is completely useless at lower levels so why put points into something you have to wait to use when you can increase the awesomeness of the thing you're already using and with magic, while I appreciate the 2 handed spell thing, those robes don't do you any favours.

Archery would be my second thing if I trained with block and one hand, which I do.

 

[Private Custard]

Block? Bleurgh! Here's how I roll!

 

[Kron_the_mad wants to be deleted]

I find that if my electric bow and enchanted legendary axes don't kill it before I take damage, then turning into a werewolf and eating their face is the best solution.
Seriously, just howl at them to scatter the fools and then chase down the tastiest looking one first.
If the prey is running, it's not attacking.

 

[Ramare]

I like blocking. I think shields are for rusty iron cans and pussies (Metaphorical on both accounts; and not literal in either sense for that last one either, mind you), though.

Me? In RPG games[footnote]Department of Redundancy Department. I left it in because I genuinely didn't notice it the first time around, and I find it hilarious. So stop your eye from twitching, you Grammar Nazi.[/footnote] I always play a blademaster-type character. You know the one. That guy who chooses the warrior/soldier/crusader/whathaveyou class, but adamantly refuses to tank, doesn't use two-handed swords, also doesn't use two swords, and also doesn't use a shield? That's me. Generally works, too. I just focus on a combination of damage resistance, dodging, countering, blocking, parrying, and attacking, in no particular order of focus, use, or importance.
Offense is my defense, but not my only defense. I play a character a-la Ezio; funnily enough with just as much standing there waiting for them to attack me before ruining them with a viscerally-executed counter-attack when I'm fighting groups. I also prefer a single longsword to graves or whatever the hell there is for those who don't use a shield; and I usually switch between two-handed and one-handed use of my sword (Cue dick jokes) if I can, depending on the situation.

On a note not really related to blocking or describing my method of blocking/defense, I find this tactic works best when you're wearing plate gauntlets, greaves[footnote]That's what they call the boots, right? I'm not up on my armor terminology...That might actually be the term for what I'd call "leggings".[/footnote], pauldrons, and breast/chestplate; with a lighter material like ring or chain for everything else. Also helps to have one of the aforementioned tin cans around to cover you, so that if the medieval/fantasy equivalent of a T-90 MBT[footnote]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-90[/footnote] rolls up so you don't get your comparatively scrawny arse ruined. Ok, so maybe that does have something to do with defense. Still comparatively off-topic.

On a more on-topic note, since it's relevant to Skyrim, I plan on doing the same when I get it. Chose race X, choose class X, focus on a mix of light and heavy armor, use a single blade, both attack and block with it, using a combination of healing magic and stealth to keep me romping along at a healthful pace, and pretty much, in the following order: dodge, block, counter, parry, or absorb all the attacks that come my way.

We'll see just how well that works out, though...

 

[AngloDoom]

Charging toward a dragon's roaring maw as you part fire-storms and raging blizzards with your trusty shield is indeed very badass.

However, running up to a dragon and stabbing it with a pair of tiny daggers to the point that it falls over and dies is so emasculating for it that I really have to go with daggers.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I play with stealth and a bow so I don't really need block. Most things die before they even see me, literally.

I think I played the game for about an hour before I turned the difficulty to max. feels the same sort of level as Fallout 3 difficulty wise. ie. Normal = Easy and so on.

 

[CowboyfromHell666]

I use shields/Block all the time, after I realized how much more survivable I became instead of running around with a spell in one hand that I can only use like 3 times and it's as if the enemy got poked in the side by a feather.

 

[omicron1]

There is one wrong way to play:
Play a crafting build.

By the time you've levelled Smithing and Enchanting to 100 or thereabouts, you're at a high enough level that the fancy dragon armor you just made is pretty much useless. Bandits can one-shot you with iron arrows, for crying out loud.

Oh, well. I can think of worse fates than starting over with a different build.

My enchanting is only 40, but my smithing is 100, and frankly I can't be stopped. Seriously, a bandit is a one hit kill from my Legendary Ebony Sword, two if it's an Outlaw or Thug, A chief is two double power attacks (Ebony Sword and Skyforge Steel Sword both Legendary), and I can literally just sit in the middle of three bandits and soak up their stupid arrows for an hour with my Legendary Dragon Scaleplate Amor and necklace of health regen.

Just levelling Smithing and Enchanting doesn't make you weak

I'm wearing full Legendary gear, wielding a legendary Daedric sword... and level 33-ish. Perhaps I passed a level-gate at 30; perhaps not. All I know is that the levels put into Smithing and Enchanting, which could well have gone into combat skills, have rendered me nigh-impotent in a wide variety of circumstances, ranging from average enemy mages (I can die in under 1 second, while buffed with flame retardation, magic retardation, and frost retardation potions) to bandits with iron arrows (one-shotted at least three times trying to assault a fort).

 

[AshtonF]

If i do my job right they wont see me before they get my DUAL DAGGERS in the back

 

[masticina]

It would work counter for Magic users!

Having a high shield value in Oblivion for instance meant losses in your magical ability. Not to mention lets be fair.. dual magic wielding. Better yet if combined with the perk that ups the power of the spell if you put both the same in your hands.

So yeah for a fighter blocking helps even for a thief it might offer something. But one thing is sure not for everything.

I rather sneak around with bow an arrow. Funny last night I had to clean out a cave full of trouble. One was that there was a Captain. Yup one of those leveled jerks! No matter how good YOU are they are also freaking good. So after sniping using my bow and arrow most of them away I did go in for the kill of the actual target not the captain. I did get so [hey 7 reloads..freaking captain] and guess what Mr Captain was stuck further away.

Hehehe I left him alive all alone after all I did get what I came for. Even with the Jabbawak I now own he would be probably able to withstand that.

 

[w00tage]

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.

now see, I hate doing those things, it breaks the immersion for me and feels like I'm exploiting my way to victory. Sure, I can do those and win like everyone else ('cause a free insuperable advantage for the player is almost de rigeur now in games ), but it's hella more fun to me to fight in character and win.

 

[w00tage]

Question, can't you block with a two-handed weapon like in Oblivion? That was my fun char, a lightly-armored fighter with a whompin' two handed weapon. If you can't do that in Skyrim, well I probably still will pick it up at some point, but not as soon.

 

[Zhukov]

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.

now see, I hate doing those things, it breaks the immersion for me and feels like I'm exploiting my way to victory. Sure, I can do those and win like everyone else ('cause a free insuperable advantage for the player is almost de rigeur now in games ), but it's hella more fun to me to fight in character and win.

Huh?

But none of those are exploits. Just the basic game mechanics being used as they were intended.

 

[Kopikatsu]

...You're silly. I can cast Master-level spells for 0 Magicka. Can I laugh at your 500 Magicka now?

Don't be mean. I'm only level 22 -_-

'

I was like...level 18 when I got the potential for 0 Magicka Master-level spells. (Right now, I'm almost to Expert level).

Enchantment is broken. 100% reduction in Magicka cost for Destruction and Restoration magic.

 

[w00tage]

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.

now see, I hate doing those things, it breaks the immersion for me and feels like I'm exploiting my way to victory. Sure, I can do those and win like everyone else ('cause a free insuperable advantage for the player is almost de rigeur now in games ), but it's hella more fun to me to fight in character and win.

Huh?

But none of those are exploits. Just the basic game mechanics being used as they were intended.

I would argue that jumping to a place NPC pathing can't reach is one of the oldest exploits there is. Re the other two, they may not technically be "exploits" but only because the developers launched it like that. If the NPC's can't do those things, then they give the same advantage to the player as exploits, and "because the developers built it that way" doesn't change the effect on gameplay to me. Can NPC's use their inventory items like potions, wands and such via the AI? Can NPC's reach any place that you can? Can NPCs become invisible through stealth and backwhack you?

If the answer to any question is "nope", then the respective mechanic gives the player a meta-game advantage equivalent to that provided by an exploit. To me, that's either the devs saying I'm not a good enough player to win against an NPC on equal terms, or admitting that they couldn't design the game so the playing field would be level. Either way, it's not as much fun.

FYI, I'm revisiting an old game right now, and the NPCs can do everything the player can. They can go invisible and attack unexpectedly (and do). Nobody can jump, so that's not an issue. And they use inventory items via the AI, which gives them the same advantage as Pause does for me.

YMMV, but to me, the only way to play is on a level playing field

 

[dan10981]

I'm going with illusion being useless for none stealth character after 30. The perks only raise the level 35 or 37, I forget off the top of my head. Also as far as I can tell from experience, you can't dual cast master spells. So as a pure faster illusion was a complete waste to me.

 

[Garethp]

There is one wrong way to play:
Play a crafting build.

By the time you've levelled Smithing and Enchanting to 100 or thereabouts, you're at a high enough level that the fancy dragon armor you just made is pretty much useless. Bandits can one-shot you with iron arrows, for crying out loud.

Oh, well. I can think of worse fates than starting over with a different build.

My enchanting is only 40, but my smithing is 100, and frankly I can't be stopped. Seriously, a bandit is a one hit kill from my Legendary Ebony Sword, two if it's an Outlaw or Thug, A chief is two double power attacks (Ebony Sword and Skyforge Steel Sword both Legendary), and I can literally just sit in the middle of three bandits and soak up their stupid arrows for an hour with my Legendary Dragon Scaleplate Amor and necklace of health regen.

Just levelling Smithing and Enchanting doesn't make you weak

I'm wearing full Legendary gear, wielding a legendary Daedric sword... and level 33-ish. Perhaps I passed a level-gate at 30; perhaps not. All I know is that the levels put into Smithing and Enchanting, which could well have gone into combat skills, have rendered me nigh-impotent in a wide variety of circumstances, ranging from average enemy mages (I can die in under 1 second, while buffed with flame retardation, magic retardation, and frost retardation potions) to bandits with iron arrows (one-shotted at least three times trying to assault a fort).

Wow, after lvl 23, with 100 smithing, I just smash through anything in my way, from Dragons to Giants to Master Mages and Bandit Chiefs. Legendary Dragonscale and Dual-Wielding Glass and Ebony swords