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Stealthy feeling Bow Build For PVP content

Tornaad
Tornaad
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I've been playing stealthy bow builds in Elder Scrolls games since Morrowind. The only Elder Scrolls game I've yet to get a good stealthy bow build going in is Elder Scrolls Online.
Does anyone know of one already made, or can you give me an idea of how I could make one? Or do you think I should just wait until they finish redoing the classes?

Edit:
I'm specifically looking for one that can solo most content in the game.

Edit 2:
@Soarora made a really good point, and now that I think about it, one of the few times I've played PVP, I remember feeling it was the ultimate stealth game, because if I got found, I went pop.
So with that in mind, if you can't beat them join them. So instead of a PVE focused stealthy bow build, I want a PVP focused stealthy bow build.
Edited by Tornaad on December 17, 2025 2:58PM
  • Soarora
    Soarora
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    You can’t do stealth and solo most content in the game simultaneously; older enemies will be confused as to where you went if you go invisible but iirc newer ones will just see you anyways. Mechanically, stealth only really matters in PvP and while doing thieving/murdering. THAT SAID, I’m hoping that nightblade rework will make better use of going invisible to proc buffs and passives in PvE. My suggestion would ofc be to go nightblade.

    Pick up grim focus (merciless resolve is better but the other one might be more fun if you’re bad at weaving).

    Impale would be good to have too, it’s ranged and a very strong execute ability. I know it’s magicka but you don’t have to spam it for all that long, I use it on my stam bow/bow for overland and it’s fine.

    Of course, you’ll want shadowy disguise. Weave it in before big hitting direct damage abilities (like grim focus and some ultimates) for guaranteed critical strikes.

    Shadowy disguise will also proc a vampirism passive for even more damage! (You only need to be stage 1, don’t do higher than stage 1, you’d be nerfing yourself for no reason.)

    Twisting path and dark shade are nightblade abilities you’ll want for damage. Shadow image instead of dark shade might help with soloing some things.

    From there, you can choose to pick up a different class for a third line or stay pure nightblade. I’ve been enjoying dark magic on my sorc with crystal fragments, only using the ability when the instant-cast version of it pops up. The way my build works is that I use my bow and do my rotation and then I get to do fun bursts where I hit an enemy with: a light attack, snipe, light attack, grim focus, light attack, crystal fragments, light attack, grim focus. Feels like I’m making them explode before they even know what hit them. Bonus points that you can make it red to match nightblade (if you have the skill style).

    Daedric summoning also has a skill like grim focus but its summoning 4 daggers.

    I like streak for overlanding but unfortunately that’s not in either of those lines… you can get something similar from vampire, though. And I think that skill (mist form) also procs the “coming out of invisibility” passives.

    If you’re talking soloing dungeons too, you’ll need undo on one bar for some mechanics. It’s from psijic.

    Talking bows, I’d do focused aim as your spammable. It’s very easy to weave with, I think I figured out how to weave with it before I knew weaving existed. If you’re doing bow/bow, you’ll want arrow barrage on your backbar with maelstrom infused bow enchanted with beserker (weapon/spell damage). This will proc the backbar enchant even if you’re on your frontbar.

    For fun, you can use vault (scribed bow skill), there’s some scripts there that may be beneficial for buffing your bow damage.

    Personally, I use vateshran bow on my frontbar with ansuul and macabre vintage. I’m not sure how good it is in the grand scheme of things but I find the build fun.

    Hope this gave you some inspiration!
    Edited by Soarora on December 17, 2025 7:05AM
    [PC/NA] Dungeoneer (Tank/DPS), Retired Trialist, and amateur Battlegrounder (DPS) with a passion for The Elder Scrolls lore.
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  • Tornaad
    Tornaad
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    Soarora wrote: »
    You can’t do stealth and solo most content in the game simultaneously; older enemies will be confused as to where you went if you go invisible but iirc newer ones will just see you anyways. Mechanically, stealth only really matters in PvP and while doing thieving/murdering. THAT SAID, I’m hoping that nightblade rework will make better use of going invisible to proc buffs and passives in PvE. My suggestion would ofc be to go nightblade.

    It sounds like for a PVE focused stealthy bow build I will be waiting for the rework and hoping that lets me create it. But given what you pointed out for PVP, I will go ahead and give that a try. I think those builds might even be easier to find. I vaguely remember seeing gank blade builds in my searching over the years. They were just PVP, so I ignored them.
  • Cundu_Ertur
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    i have a pve stealth build i use most of the time overland, infinite archives, and to solo many group dungeons (I think I've done all of the 1 dungeons from the base game, starting to run the 2's). Night Silence/Night Mother Embrace sets, bow/bow, iirc I have mismatched monster sets that add additional weapon damage. 1/5/1 armor, pure NB; honestly, it's kind of meh. Not OP by any stretch. But I enjoy it, so it's my main. Sometimes in the dungeons or delves I'll sneak past alot of the mooks to get to the bosses/objectives just to save time. Admittedly I can only get part way through arc 2 in the archives, but that's mostly my inability to avoid standing in stupid.
    Taking stealth away from the Bosmer is like taking magic away from the Altmer, making Nords allergic to mead, or making Orcs pretty.
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