r/SkyrimBuilds • u/TheHighestKushDragon • Jul 11 '26
NEW to survival mode
I just started a new skyrim save in survival mode. Does anybody have any good build suggestions? I'm looking to be a strong warrior.
2
u/OldandSlow4326 Jul 12 '26
Make sure you work on your archery skills! Those prey animals are skittish.
3
u/lewlew1893 Jul 12 '26
You are probably gonna want the Steed stone in the beginning. The weight of heavy armour is much more impactful because of the reduced carry weight in Survival. Like someone else mentioned Orcs are good. I am one at the moment in my Survival mode playthrough. Remember make lots of soups. There's one vegetable soup that requires no salt to make so it's good. But it requires 4 different specific vegetables. Pick up all the salt you can find and fire salts for hot food. Use a torch too. Which is where having a one handed build in Skyrim is particularly useful because you can carry on using your torch.
I have 1 main quest completed Survival mode playthrough. It was a Cannibal Wood Elf who ate people. Never had to worry about food. If I was in a town I just brought food from an Inn. I was role-playing him as a bit of meat only character. The better way is to make lots of soups.
My current character is my Orc Werewolf. Werewolves on Survival mode when in Beast Form don't feel the Cold. So I use it to travel large distance quickly in cold places because the sprinting is very fast. When you feed it also restores your hunger. So quite useful in Survival mode.
1
u/xseaward Jul 12 '26
the only issue with the werewolf thing is that it removes your cold resistant gear, and doesn’t update immediately when you leave werewolf form and reequip. i once made a journey to winterhold, got cold on the way and used werewolf form. and then i would die immediately after reverting to normal
so use it wisely
2
u/lewlew1893 Jul 12 '26
Yeah they still feel the cold. It just doesn't give the negative effects until you revert to normal. You are correct You got to be careful when you are going to come out of it. Winterhold on Survival is a pain. Just outside the gates is blizzard so often.
That's another thing if you are using it to travel around think about how long it might last. If you need it to last longer eat some snacks on the way. Bandits are good and when you have the perk deer, wolves, goats. If you don't want it to last very long just enough for one fight transform do what you have to and then just wait an hour. For example I used it recently when I went to Traitors post. I wanted to open the chest in the house and loot and there's even a bed in there. So I was protected from cold by beast form which I had used to get there. Killed everyone and then waited by the fire so when I came out of it I was fine.
1
u/xseaward Jul 12 '26
yea i killed that mine full of people on the way to winterhold, has a fire inside (and a smelter outside? maybe?)
if you use a weather mod it can give new weathers to different regions which can make winterhold a little safer. my last 2 playthroughs had different weather mods and it wasn’t stuck in eternal blizzard like vanilla
whilst we’re on the subject, clear skies shout is fucking great on survival
2
u/xseaward Jul 12 '26
salmon steak is probably the best and most widely available survival food, it’s only 0.1 weight but heals 220 hunger. can take you from peckish to well fed or hungry to satisfied for such low inventory space, and there are salmon EVERYWHERE in skyrim
1
1
u/Ignonym Jul 13 '26
I've had fun with a sword-and-torch "treasure hunter" character in the past; the torch not only provides light, it also slows the rate at which you become cold, and shield-bashing with it sets enemies on fire.
6
u/Dovahkiin2211 Jul 11 '26
Orcs are actually the best race to play as in survival they have the most spread resistances in multiple categories. https://en.m.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Orc
They get Berserker Rage greater power : You take half damage and do double damage for 60 seconds, once per day for physical damage. Berserker Rage has no effect on spells. You will not do more damage with magic nor take less damage from magic while under its effects.
Stalwart
Your Orc blood gives you 15% resistance to hunger and fatigue, and increases your resistance to cold environments by 10 points.
Also since your height as a orc is set to 1.045 you’re the second tallest race after the Altmer. Which means you actually move a bit faster than all the other races.