I'd like to be able to block, please

[DasFlo]

Hey guys,

 

I can't seem to find a good way to get rid of whatever spell is active in my characters left hand after using it (Pc version). I'm exclusively using one handed weapons. As you probably know, pressing the spell's hotkey again only equips the spell in both hands. That means that whenever I use magic, if I want to be able to block again afterwards I have to go through the magic menu, find the spell and disable it manually from there. This is extremely tedious and really disturbs the flow of the game. Is there any way or mod that I can use to solve this?

 

Best

Flo

[stars2heaven]

I suppose you aren't using a shield? If so you could just use a hotkey to equip it the same for any weapon. But if you want to use your hands afterwards then you will need a mod to get it done via hotkeys, the only other way is to unequip in the favorites menu. Or you could equip a weapon/shield and then unequip it via hotkey. That is the easiest and fastest way without a mod.

[thesapien]

Does blocking with a one-handed weapon do much?

If you're not using a heavy weapon, nor shield, I think you're supposed to evade melee attacks. I could be wrong.

My favorite build is a light armor, light weapons character who wields like your character, often using a spell in one hand and short sword in the other, interchanging daggers in either hand (often caught carrying a bow, too, but not relevant here). So I learn to move like a fly and sting like a bee. Instead of trying to block with a one-handed weapon, try things like moving towards a melee attacker so they think you're coming at them, which will cause them to swing at where you should be the next second, but then either sprint past them and turn to attack or simply/suddenly reverse and watch them swing at the air in front of you, then do your attack, and move again. Always be moving. When they are attacking, be using your spell. After each of their missed attacks, you attack. Well, that's what I do. It feels like playing. It's harder to do if you're a short Breton or going against a fast saber cat.

 

Edit/PS:

The worst "tactic" when going against melee attackers, especially tougher ones, is to keep backing up while casting and swinging and hoping or blocking with a small weapon. Always pretend you're not afraid and charge them or at least stand your ground until just before they swing.

Edited January 26, 2012 by thesapien

[GoldenBlossom]

Best solution I can think of is to right-click and then left-click the weapon in the item menu (or favorites menu). Ergo, you'll equip the weapon in your left hand first so that it will be cleared when you switch to the right hand. Ought to be a little faster than going through the magic sub-menus every time.

 

Alternatively, equip the weapon in your right hand and then open the favorites menu, right-clicking a one-handed weapon or spell twice once to equip it in the left hand and then again to clear it.

[chanchan05]

Best solution I can think of is to right-click and then left-click the weapon in the item menu (or favorites menu). Ergo, you'll equip the weapon in your left hand first so that it will be cleared when you switch to the right hand. Ought to be a little faster than going through the magic sub-menus every time.

 

Alternatively, equip the weapon in your right hand and then open the favorites menu, right-clicking a one-handed weapon or spell twice once to equip it in the left hand and then again to clear it.

 

That's slower than just using a shield and hotkey-ing that to any 1-8 button.

[sergiobor]

In Skyrim unlike in Oblivion can not have the chance to use block or magicka with separated keys, and we can't use magicka with a twohanded weapon, or use magicka with one hand without a weapon draw, or even use a weapon when you are swimming to kill the bastards of the slaughterfish. we lose some advantages in the fight we have in Oblivion, so that we have dual wielding combat.

Its realy anoying when you try to heal someone you need to draw your weapon like you go to kill him. and that just happened to me. I put the spell in left hand with menu and accidentally press the right button and kill the guy.

You need to use another fighting techniques like:

selects with the menu one onehanded weapon, and then assigns one hotkey for a twohanded weapon, now you have the chance to block with a twohanded weapon and press again the same hotkey and turns to have on hand the weapon you select with the menu.

This is a good way to combat against melee and magick opponents at the same time. using a ward ( or some other destruction or paralyse spell ) and onehanded weapon and with a single hotkey change to a twohanded weapon and block.

Edited January 27, 2012 by sergiobor

[GoldenBlossom]

That's slower than just using a shield and hotkey-ing that to any 1-8 button.

That's certainly true, assuming you carry a shield with you at all times. But doing so would kinda kill the purpose of clearing the left hand - why choose to block with your one-handed weapon if you have a shield?

[nosisab]

enjoying the opportunity, I want a mod to allow bards to play the lute, while drumming while playing the flute and if possible singing too.

 

Jokes off, the real problem is due to the extremely poor UI. Skyrim is by far worse than Oblivion and Morrowind in this aspect. No hope to get "PC" like mechanics and hotkeying other than someday SKSE intercepts the whole s(word) and implements a decent UI replacing the hardcoded one.

 

I mean, don't expect even CK will suffice to give what you want, OP.

 

PS: On the other hand, designing and implementing a good UI is far from trivial, must be carefully integrated in each feature and yes, suggestions are high desirable to bring and help putting together the ideas.

Edited January 27, 2012 by nosisab

[QuickFox]

Sorry DasFlo, you cant do the thing you want using only hotkeys. You either have to go to the spell menu and manually un-equip the spell, or you can set the spells you use regularly to as favorites, which you can then access by pressing Q, which although inelegant, does pause your game so it is perfectly safe in the middle of combat, and is easier than going to the spell menu every time. I played a spell & single-handed weapon character for a fair bit, and found no issue with unequipping spells that way to allow my weapon to be used to block & interrupt.

 

I can hardly call this limitation enough of a flaw to start negatively comparing Skyrim to Oblivion or Morrowind, since you couldn't duel-wield spells or weapons in those games which to me gives this criticism a distinct air of rose-tinted glasses.

[Krawll]

The way i did it when i was a rogue type was to have torches in my list of favorite items and then hotkey the torches to whatever number you want.

 

Let's say for example you hotkey your 1h weapon to number 1

 

You hotkey your torch to number 2

 

and then all your spells to the other numbers.

 

If you don't want to always go back to the spells menu, just use your torch's hotkey and it will automaticly come up in your left hand, replacing any spells you had in that hand. Now you can eihter use your torch to block which is pretty much the same as using a 1h weapons to block. The torch can also set ennemies on fire if you press the attack button while blocking . But if you want to leave your left hand empty, just press the hotkey again and he will put the torch back in your inventory. That way if you realy don't want to use a shield at all , carrying torches is a lot better than carrying a shield if all you're gonna use it for is to cancel the spells you have in your left hand whitout accessing the spells menu .

 

You can carry 10 toches and it will still weight less than a shield.

 

Another good thing about torches is that they stack so even when a torch is completly burnt out, simply press the hotkey again and he will take out the next one. You don't have to reset the hotkey after every torches that burn out.

 

Last thing is that a shield cannot help you see better in a dark cave , a torch can :P hehe !!

 

Hope this helps , now go kill some bandits and loot some torches.

 

Krawll