Introduction
The realm of Cyrodiil in Oblivion offers a vast tapestry of choices. From the moment you emerge from the Imperial Prison, you’re confronted with countless paths. Will you become a master mage, weaving spells of destruction and illusion? A cunning thief, lurking in the shadows and pilfering treasures? Or perhaps… a mighty warrior, clad in steel, wielding a devastating weapon? Understanding the core attributes, like Strength, is key to crafting the character of your dreams. Strength is more than just swinging a sword harder; it’s a fundamental pillar upon which many successful character builds are founded.
This guide is your comprehensive roadmap to understanding everything Strength does in Oblivion. We will delve into its direct effects on your character, its synergistic relationships with other attributes and skills, and how to optimize Strength to create a formidable force in Cyrodiil. Prepare to unleash your inner gladiator!
The Power Within: Direct Effects of Strength
At its core, Strength governs two crucial aspects of your character’s capabilities: carry weight and melee damage. Let’s explore each of these in detail.
Bearing the Burden: Understanding Carry Weight
Perhaps the most immediately noticeable effect of Strength is its influence on your character’s maximum carry weight. In Oblivion, every item, from the humblest apple to the most magnificent suit of armor, has a weight value. Exceeding your character’s carry capacity will severely hamper your progress.
When overburdened, your character’s movement speed is drastically reduced. You’ll find yourself lumbering across the landscape, becoming an easy target for predators and enemies. Furthermore, you won’t be able to fast travel, forcing you to painstakingly trudge from location to location. This can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you’re trying to complete quests or escape from a dangerous situation.
The formula for calculating your base carry weight is straightforward: your Strength score multiplied by five. Therefore, a character with a Strength of fifty can carry up to two hundred and fifty units of weight. This underscores the importance of investing in Strength, especially if you intend to hoard valuable items or specialize in heavy armor. Many players find themselves constantly managing their inventory, making Strength an invaluable asset for convenience alone.
The Art of War: Strength and Melee Damage
Beyond mere portability, Strength also directly impacts the amount of damage you inflict with melee weapons. Whether you wield a finely crafted sword, a brutal axe, or a crushing mace, your Strength score plays a significant role in determining the force of your blows.
While your weapon skill (Blade or Blunt) is the primary driver of your attack effectiveness, Strength acts as a multiplier, amplifying the damage output. A skilled warrior with low Strength will still be effective, but a skilled warrior with high Strength will become a truly devastating force.
Furthermore, it’s crucial to remember that Fortify Strength spells and potions can provide a temporary boost to your melee damage. These can be incredibly useful in challenging combat encounters, allowing you to unleash a flurry of powerful attacks and quickly dispatch your foes. Experimenting with different combinations of weapons, skills, and Strength buffs is key to finding the most effective combat style for your character.
Beyond the Basics: Indirect Effects and Synergies
The influence of Strength extends beyond its immediate effects. It forms crucial synergistic relationships with other attributes and skills, shaping your character’s overall effectiveness.
A Symbiotic Relationship: Strength and Endurance
One of the most important indirect benefits of Strength is its connection to Endurance. Endurance determines the amount of health you gain each time you level up. Therefore, a character with high Strength, who is likely to invest heavily in Endurance as well, will become significantly more resilient over time.
This is especially important for melee-focused characters, who are more likely to take damage in combat. The combination of high Strength and high Endurance creates a durable and powerful warrior, capable of weathering even the most intense assaults. Prioritizing Endurance early in the game is vital for long-term survivability, making Strength indirectly beneficial for building a robust character.
The Steel Embrace: Strength and Heavy Armor
If you dream of becoming a heavily armored juggernaut, wading into the fray and absorbing countless blows, then Strength is absolutely essential. Wearing heavy armor provides excellent protection, but it also imposes significant penalties to your movement speed and stamina.
However, a high Strength score mitigates these penalties, allowing you to wear heavy armor without becoming encumbered or exhausted. This enables you to move freely and effectively in combat, maintaining your offensive and defensive capabilities. Without sufficient Strength, wearing heavy armor can become a liability, leaving you slow and vulnerable. Therefore, Strength is a cornerstone of any successful heavy armor build.
Mastering the Art of Combat: Strength, Blade, and Blunt Skills
While Strength doesn’t directly increase your Blade or Blunt skill, it enhances the effectiveness of those skills in combat. A skilled warrior needs the physical power to deliver the killing blow.
Consider it this way: your Blade/Blunt skill determines your accuracy and technique, while Strength determines the force behind each strike. The combination of both allows you to make your hits devastating.
Speed and Stamina: Strength and Athletics
As stated before, an encumbered character is a slow character, and having a high Strength score will make that character a speedy one. However, even for unencumbered characters, a high Athletics skill is beneficial.
This is because Athletics determines your character’s base speed, so a Strength character can take full advantage of this by carrying more items or armor without slowing down.
Strategic Development: Optimizing Strength
Now that we understand the multifaceted benefits of Strength, let’s discuss how to optimize it to create a truly powerful character.
Choosing Wisely: Race Selection
Certain races in Oblivion possess inherent advantages in Strength. Orcs, with their natural inclination towards combat, receive a bonus to Strength. Nords, the hardy warriors of Skyrim, also benefit from a Strength bonus.
While racial bonuses are important, remember to consider other factors as well. Each race has its own unique set of skills and abilities, and the best choice will depend on your overall character concept. Don’t feel compelled to play a specific race just for the Strength bonus if it doesn’t align with your preferred playstyle.
Stars Align: Birthsigns and Strength
Birthsigns are another crucial element in character creation, providing permanent bonuses to certain attributes and abilities. The Warrior birthsign grants a bonus to Strength, making it an excellent choice for Strength-focused characters.
The Lady is another possible choice, offering a boost to Endurance.
The Path to Power: Leveling Strategies
Efficiently increasing Strength during level-ups is key to maximizing your character’s potential. Oblivion uses a skill-based leveling system, which can be complex. The level up system revolves around improving the skills your class prioritizes in order to level up your overall character. However, increasing the skills that govern the attributes you want to improve is what will result in an overall stronger character.
For Strength, this means focusing on Blade, Blunt, and Hand to Hand skills.
It’s important to plan your skill usage carefully to ensure that you are leveling the skills that contribute to your desired attribute bonuses.
Temporary Enhancement: Fortification Techniques
As mentioned earlier, spells, potions, and enchanted items can provide temporary boosts to your Strength score. These can be incredibly useful in challenging combat encounters, allowing you to carry more equipment, inflict more damage, and overcome otherwise insurmountable obstacles.
Explore alchemy to create your own Fortify Strength potions, or seek out enchanted items that provide this benefit. Experimenting with different fortification methods is key to maximizing your combat effectiveness.
Dispelling Myths: Common Misconceptions
It’s important to address some common misconceptions about Strength in Oblivion. Many players incorrectly believe that Strength directly affects movement speed when unencumbered. This is not the case; your base speed is determined by your race and Athletics skill. Strength only affects your speed when you are carrying too much weight.
Another misconception is that Strength is the only attribute that matters for melee combat. While Strength is important, your weapon skill, agility, and stamina also play crucial roles in determining your overall combat effectiveness.
Exemplary Warriors: Strength-Based Builds
Let’s explore a few example character builds that showcase the versatility of Strength in Oblivion.
The Immovable Object: The Tank Build
The tank is a classic heavy armor build that focuses on absorbing damage and protecting allies. This build prioritizes Strength, Endurance, and Heavy Armor skill. The goal is to become an almost unkillable force, drawing enemy attention and allowing your companions to deal damage from a safe distance.
The Raging Storm: The Two-Handed Warrior
This build focuses on dealing massive damage with two-handed weapons. Strength is the primary attribute, complemented by Blade/Blunt skill and Athletics. The two-handed warrior sacrifices defense for raw offensive power, capable of cleaving through enemies with devastating blows.
The Versatile Fighter: The Hybrid Character
Strength can also be incorporated into hybrid builds, such as a stealth archer who also utilizes melee weapons for close-quarters combat. This requires a more balanced approach to skill development, but it can create a highly versatile and adaptable character.
Embrace the Power: Conclusion
Strength is a fundamental attribute in Oblivion, influencing your carry weight, melee damage, and overall resilience. By understanding its direct and indirect effects, you can create a formidable character capable of conquering any challenge that Cyrodiil throws your way. Whether you choose to become a heavily armored tank, a raging two-handed warrior, or a versatile hybrid fighter, Strength will be a valuable asset on your journey.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different builds and playstyles to find what works best for you. The world of Oblivion is vast and full of possibilities. Now, go forth and unleash your inner gladiator! Share your own experiences with Strength-based builds in the comments below. We want to know what skills you like to pair with Strength, and what builds you find work best!
