One of the first big decisions you'll have to make The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim It's the type of character you're going to play. After your ride to Helgen as a prisoner, you're sent to character creation, where you choose your race and customize your appearance. Generally, the races are within Skyrim Very balanced. You're not heavily penalized for choosing whatever you like based on cosmetic reasons, so if you want to make a magic-wielding Nord or a tanky Bosmer who wears heavy armor and fights completely two-handed with swords and such, you absolutely can, and it's not a big deal.
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That said, the whole point of this list is nitpicking, and we're going to dive a little deeper into what the most powerful races in the game actually have to offer. Because yes, there are some races that have traits that could be considered a tad OP. We'll discuss these features in depth as we rank five of the most OP races to choose from, and we'll also talk about some of the options and why they didn't make the cut this time. Let's jump into it.
the nerd
Massive frost resistance covers most enemies
There is a case to be made for Nords, which may surprise some players. Canonically, this is the choice that makes sense, and it's probably what's featured on the box art. Skyrim. However, Nords also come with some pretty interesting traits, abilities, and passives. For one, they have a 50% resistance to Frost, and that's the type of damage you'll be dealing with a lot in Skyrim. You can pretty much assume you have a static passive 50% damage resistance, of course, depending on enemy type. Against Frost Dragons, this is especially useful.
You also get a nice racial ability once per day that can stun enemies for about 30 seconds. If you're overwhelmed and stuck in a dungeon, this can be a good ability to keep in your back pocket, though far from perfect. Skill-wise, you'll lean more towards melee weapons, with two-handed having the highest starting value. The only downside and unique feature of the type is that Nords specialize in light armor rather than heavy, so keep that in mind when building your ideal Nord.
Bosmer
A fast track option for stealth archers
The Stealth Archer build is the strongest build in Skyrim, no doubt about it, and if you're looking to get into archery and have a powerful start, the Bosmer is your pick. But what about Khajiit? Skyrim's cat race is also a really solid choice, but I'd argue that having a higher starting skill rating for light armor is better in the long run than what the Khajits have to offer (which would mostly be 60-second night vision once per day as their racial ability). So, Bosmer it is.
Your starting proficiencies all hit the sweet spots, with 25 being the highest Archery proficiency in the game at the start, and 20 in Light Armor, Sneak, Lockpicking, Alchemy, and Pickpocket. This gives you a huge boost right off the bat to start building your stealth archer compared to all other races. You also have a natural 50% resistance against toxins and diseases, which isn't the best trait around, but it's better than nothing. A unique racial ability is Command Animal: Once per day, you can turn a wild animal into your ally for 60 seconds. This is a very niche skill, and granted, worse than the Khajiit one, but as I said, the light armor bonus is too good to ignore in my opinion.
Alter
An incredibly powerful option for Mage builds
If you instead lean more towards magic and want to create magic, one of the most powerful races to choose from is the Altmer. An alternative option would be the Dunmer, especially if you really want to crank everything up on destruction magic, as it starts at 25 versus the 20 that the Altmer starts with, and also gains Light Armor points. That can be useful if you're not used to playing glass cannon characters recently. However, Altmer has a consistent 20 across all magical schools save for 25 in Illusion, so it's a very balanced blank slate if you haven't decided what kind of trait to take yet.
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As an Altmer, you get a nice +50 boost to your Magicka, giving you a huge starting advantage for your magic pool. The racial ability is where things get really exciting, if you can only use it once per day. You'll recover 25% of your maximum Magicka every second for a full minute, which essentially makes it the perfect emergency ability to use if you're in the middle of a tough fight and need to replenish your Magicka without actually using any potions. Overall, it's an unremarkable choice for anyone who wants a powerful Magic character from the get-go, but expect to get squished if someone engages you in close quarters. You need a summon or tank mate to protect you.
Breton
Enchanting high magic resistance once per day
Bretons are very similar to Altmers in terms of their skills and utility, but are much easier to use in higher difficulty games, or even better if you want to have a Tanker Mage at your disposal and don't want to settle for a Dunmer. Bretons start with a bonus to Conjuration, which is very useful for mages, as you usually want to pull aggro with allies or summons so you can deal free damage to enemies without getting hit yourself. Destruction may be less here, but considering the racial abilities and passive effects the Bretons have, it's all right.
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Many players may not know this, but Bretons gain 75% magic resistance for a full minute once per day. This is due to their passive 25% magic resistance they always have, and when stacked with their racial ability, which can only be cast once per day, which absorbs 50% magicka from any spell that targets you, it really turns you into a tank against other spellcasters and magic-wielding enemies. Some of the game's toughest enemies use quite a bit of magic, so it's no surprise that many lean towards Breton to get the most bang for their buck.
Orcimer
Double the damage, double the fun
It is pretty much universally agreed that the Orcimer is the strongest race Skyrim. If you dream of building the toughest, tankiest, bloodiest air ever known in the world of Skyrim, choosing an orc is a must. They're better at what they do in Nords, and although there's something to be said for the endurance of Redguards, orcs remain the kings of bonk-melee gameplay. Their passive skill lets you freely enter any orc stronghold, which isn't revolutionary at all, but the racial ability is where it gets really interesting.
Once per day, for 60 seconds, you take 50% less damage and deal double damage. It is absolutely hostage. Pair this with some really cool armor and powerful weapons, and you have the most monstrous final dragonborn ever created on your hands. Orcs are by far the best choice for any melee-oriented pick, with a solid 20 points for all things two-handed, one-handed, and block. Their highest score is in heavy armor at 25, so the real question is really, do you want to carry a shield, or would you rather hack with a big ax or sword?
- issued
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November 11, 2011
- ESRB
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M for Mature 17+ due to blood and gore, intense violence, sexual content, use of alcohol
- developer(s)
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Bethesda Game Studio
- publisher(s)
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Bethesda Softworks
