Part of Skyrim's appeal, and indeed the appeal of The Elder Scrolls games in general, is in the nigh-limitless ways in which players can craft highly specific character builds for custom-tailored role-playing experiences. You don't need to abide by the melee-savvy, bearded Nord build seen in marketing.
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PostsAmong the many alternative archetypes made popular in Skyrim fandom is the summoner. This build emphasizes, well, summoning. You might engage in combat yourself alongside your otherworldly apparitions, or perhaps you'll stand back and watch the mayhem from afar.
1 The Necromancer
The Necromancer is great for overwhelming foes with sheer numbers, as your undead horde swarms the battlefield. But they won't truly be a swarm until you acquire the Aetherial Crown from 'Lost to the Ages' quest, at which point you'll have the power at your disposal to summon a hundred.
In the meantime, you're still a force to be reckoned with. Or rather, your undead friends are. Call them forth to do your bidding up to two at a time (with Double Summon).
Invest in both Destruction and Illusion to back yourself up with mighty magic when possible, and invisibility when it's best to hang back instead.
We'll say this here so we don't have to keep making you read it in every entry, but downloading the Ordinator and Apocalypse mods will enhance your enjoyment of every summoner build with a sweeping host of new perks and spells.
2 The Oblivion Walker
Pledge your allegiance to the Daedric Princes - and to J.R. from Tamriel Vault. Their Oblivion Walker build has stood the test of time. Starting off with Bound Battleaxe and Conjure Flame Atronach, these will gradually become old standbys rather than constant companions.
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PostsInstead, you'll shift into making prodigious use of Bound Bow once your Archery skill is suitably heightened. A Frost Atronach will soak up plenty of damage among large groups of enemy, and you'll pick them off one by one from afar. When the going gets tough, your Bound Battleaxe will return.
The coolest thing about the Oblivion Walker is its tie-in with one of Skyrim's achievements. You'll earn this for collecting all 15 Daedric artifacts - and you'll use as many of them as you like along the way, because if anyone should, it's you.
3 The Beast Summoner
Why summon Daedra or undead when Skyrim has so many animals to choose from? With the Animal Allegiance shout, you'll bring them to your side wherever they may lurk. Your enemies will be fighting a battle on two fronts.
With the Arcane Accessories Creation Club content, use Pride of Hirstaang to summon a bear by your side once you've reached Expert in Conjuration.
If you become a Werewolf, you'll really live up to the name Beast Summoner; not only can you call forth packmates, but you're quite the raging creature, yourself.
4 The Elemental Conjurer
Unleash the power of the elements as an Elemental Conjurer. With the ability to conjure flame, frost, and storm atronachs, you become a master of destruction. Rain fireballs upon your enemies, freeze them with icy spells or electrocute them with bolts of lightning.
The Elemental Conjurer is the archetypal Skyrim summoner. Flame, Frost, and Storm Atronachs are the build's bread and butter, and very much what many of us envision when we give conscious thought to invoking otherworldly powers to fight by our side.
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PostsSupplement whichever Atronach you call to combat with a slew of Destruction spells all your own.
Spells like Wall of Storms will keep foes suffering significant damage-over-time shenanigans, while Fire Storm's somewhat lengthy casting time before it unleashes incredible damage is hardly a problem when your steadfast Atronachs are on the scene.
5 The Dark Knight
You'll live and breathe the essence of a Dark Knight build once you're given the chance to summon two Dremora Lords to your side via Conjuration. The brilliant bit about all this is that you're not akin to anything else on this list; you are, after all, tanky.
Investing in Heavy Armor is a must for the Dark Knight, who shall fight side-by-side with their vicious thralls. (Go for Daedric Armor once you can. It just works.) Tap into Blocking for further protection, and rely upon Bound Sword to really sell the niche.
6 The Witchdoctor
Blend the arts of Alchemy, Restoration, and Conjuration to become a master of healing and summoning. The Witchdoctor build focuses on supporting your allies while commanding spirits and creatures.
Utilizing alchemical concoctions to heal, buff, and create potent poisons, you'll call upon ancestral spirits to aid you in battle. You're what happens when a cleric, a chemist, and a summon-savvy priest all get together for lunch.
7 The Elfbringer
Pardon our Elder Scrolls Online screenshot, but it felt so fitting. The Elfbringer summons an Ayleid Lich at the Atronach Forge - all of that is to say that you'll need Skyrim's Anniversary Edition for this, since you'll need the Creation Club content called "The Cause."
You'll also need to reach at least level 46 before you can even do the mod's new quest, so it's no small task. When all is said and done, however, you get two spiffy rewards.
First, you can summon that aforementioned Ayleich Lich, which has a whopping 1500 Health, casts Destruction spells aplenty, and even summons Atronachs on its own behalf. Arguably just as importantly, you just summoned an Ayleid. How cool is that?
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