Sneaky thief with 2-handed weapons, viable?

[Excaliburp]

I'm testing out a new character using Two Handed, Light Armor, and Sneak, with a little in Restoration for the sweet stamina heals. Are the high base damage of two handers enough to 1 hit most things (as in your run of the mill bandits, for example) with basic 2x damage sneak attacks through the game? Not being able to kill bandit chiefs in 1 sneak attack is fine with me.

 

Also, do the Shrouded Gloves give its boost to sneak attacks in general, or just with one handers?

 

I'm playing on Adept.

[HoovesDerpy]

I think that's a pretty good idea actually. If you don't finish them off with the initial sneak attack then you can quickly mop them up with a constant barrage of two handed bladed glory. I'm not so sure about the actual numbers of it all though.

[Susurruss]

The biggest drawback of two-handed weapons is how slow they are. Sneak attacks make that irrelevant.

[JimboUK]

That's what I'm doing at the moment, it's working quite well. I've thrown in some archery too, I'm using potions for health rather than restoration.

[ottomoebill]

This is known as the Conan build. A greatsword wielding sneak thief that has lots of sexy lady friends >:-D (I'm referencing the books... have not seen the new movie)

[JimboUK]

I didn't set out the create this kind of character, I thought it would probably be the best way of minimising interaction with the U.I of doom. 1. Healing Potions 2. Restoration (rarely used) 3.Melee weapon 4. Bow. It means I can spend more time fighting the enemy and less fighting the U.I. It does work well though, something oddly satifying about doing a sneak attack with a massive warhammer that sends the victim halfway across Skyrim. :thumbsup:

[agno]

mass doesn't make weapons noisier :D

 

a 45 lb daedric warhammer is just as quiet as a dagger until you swing it. :D

after which your sneak skills are the same as with a dagger or bow so hide the same way

and then sneak on a target the same way as a dagger.

 

you wont get 15x damage but you will get about the same overall better or worse,

only difference is that out in the open, you can maul a guy brutally where your

dagger is useless :/

[El`derina]

mass doesn't make weapons noisier :D

 

a 45 lb daedric warhammer is just as quiet as a dagger until you swing it. :D

after which your sneak skills are the same as with a dagger or bow so hide the same way

and then sneak on a target the same way as a dagger.

 

you wont get 15x damage but you will get about the same overall better or worse,

only difference is that out in the open, you can maul a guy brutally where your

dagger is useless :/

 

get smithing up really high with enchanted smithing bonuses and a grinding stone could improve a dagger pretty nicely... along with that 15x damage, the damage is huge I would imagine.

i cant remember for sure but I smithed a daedric dagger to 100 damage about I think it was.... factor in sneak attack= ouch... that was on a 100 one handed skill with all perks character tho... havent seen what a 100 skill two hander daedric weapon would look like- I doubt it would touch the 15x(30x gloved?), fully smithed/improved daedric damage, but it should be enough to kill anything in one blow with the 2x(or 4x with gloves)

 

actually is one of the things I hate about this game... melee "easily" outstrips magic damage wise. No contest, destruction magic is near useless unless 100% geared towards it.

It makes sense that sneak attacks would outstrip it,.. but those are usually one shot deals anyhow. But nearly any melee build works, stealth or no.

 

my conjuration/destruction mage simply melee's everything instead because she just does that much better despite being a mage skilled character.

Edited December 4, 2011 by El`derina

[Vindekarr]

I've heard some pretty funny stories involving Daedric Daggers, 100 level blacksmiths, and one or several huge enemies getting their bums handed to them in a single swipe, including Alduin.

[Excaliburp]

I'm now around level 7 or so, smashing my way through Dustman's Cairn with Farkas. So far, I've been unable to sneak attack more than 1 guy before going into an open fight, but I'd expect that to change with higher levels of sneak. That said, I'm pretty satisfied with the character right now. He demolishes any bandit outside of chiefs in 1 sneak attack, and is pretty durable in an open group fight too, thanks to Restoration. Seeing guys get smashed across the room with a huge hammer as a sneak attack has yet to get old. Looking forward to eventually getting Volendrung or any of the later warhammers, because if smacking people around with a warhammer is fun, smacking people around with a warhammer with a huge head has to be even more fun. :laugh:

 

...but it should be enough to kill anything in one blow with the 2x(or 4x with gloves)

Pardon me for asking, but have you confirmed this? As in whether the DB gloves work with sneak attacks from any melee weapon? It would widen my range of targets a lot more if it were. Thanks.

Edited December 4, 2011 by Excaliburp