Are you ready to become the night itself in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered? The art of assassination has never been more refined than in Bethesda’s polished classic, where stealth mechanics shine brighter than ever before. In the remastered version, sneaking through shadows and delivering critical strikes feels incredibly satisfying, with improved visuals and mechanics making every silent takedown more rewarding.
Whether you’re planning to join the Dark Brotherhood or simply prefer the thrill of ghosting through enemy territory, the assassin archetype offers one of the most engaging playstyles in the entire game. This comprehensive guide will walk you through crafting the perfect assassin – a character built for speed, stealth, and striking with deadly precision before melting back into darkness. From racial bonuses to weapon selection, we’ve analyzed every aspect to help you become Cyrodiil’s most feared shadow.
Table of Contents
Choosing Oblivion Your Birthsign: The Stars That Guide Your Stealth
The foundation of any effective assassin begins with selecting the right birthsign. In Oblivion Remastered, two celestial patterns stand out as particularly advantageous for those who prefer to strike from the shadows.
The Shadow: Your Ultimate Escape Plan
The Shadow birthsign grants you an incredible 60-second invisibility power that can be used once per day. This supernatural ability is perfect for those high-stakes situations when you’re surrounded by guards or need to infiltrate a heavily guarded location.
Think of this power as your emergency escape button – when detection seems inevitable or you need to reposition for the perfect kill, vanishing into thin air gives you the ultimate advantage. The remastered graphics make this power especially satisfying, with improved visual effects that enhance the feeling of truly becoming one with the darkness.
The Thief: Consistent Stealth Enhancement
If you prefer passive benefits that continuously improve your sneaking capabilities, The Thief birthsign offers excellent constant bonuses. With +10 to Agility, Speed, and Luck, this birthsign enhances all the attributes critical to stealth gameplay.
These bonuses translate to better movement while sneaking, improved combat effectiveness with stealth weapons, and even better chances of landing critical hits. The Thief is perfect for players who want their character to be naturally predisposed to the assassin lifestyle rather than relying on a once-per-day power.
Racial Selection: Born for the Shadows
Your choice of race significantly impacts your assassin’s natural abilities from the moment you step into Cyrodiil. Two races stand out as particularly well-suited for the assassin’s path.
Khajiit: Masters of Stealth
The cat-like Khajiit are born with stealth in their blood. With significant bonuses to Sneak, Security, and Acrobatics, and natural Night-Eye ability, they’re perfectly designed for nocturnal activities.
What makes Khajiit exceptional is their unmatched starting Sneak skill and their Night-Eye power, allowing them to see clearly in darkness without carrying a torch that might give away their position. In Oblivion Remastered, the improved lighting effects make this racial ability even more valuable, highlighting the predatory advantage these feline assassins have in the shadows.
Bosmer: The Archer’s Choice
Wood Elves (Bosmer) offer a different approach to assassination, specializing in ranged takedowns with their +10 bonus to Marksman. They also receive bonuses to Light Armor and Sneak, making them well-rounded assassins who excel at distance kills.
Their Resist Disease and Command Creature powers provide additional utility that can prove useful during various assassination contracts. If you envision your assassin as a silent archer who eliminates targets before they even know you’re there, Bosmer is your ideal choice.
Critical Attributes: Building Your Assassin’s Foundation
Focusing on the right attributes ensures your assassin performs optimally in all stealth situations. In Oblivion Remastered, three attributes stand out as particularly important for the silent predator.
Agility: The Assassin’s Grace
Agility should be your primary focus, as it directly impacts your Sneak and Marksman skills. High Agility makes your movements quieter and your attacks more accurate – both essential qualities for an effective assassin.
In the remastered version, the improved animation system makes the benefits of high Agility visually apparent, with smoother sneaking animations and more fluid combat movements when performing sneak attacks.
Speed: Swift as the Night Wind
Speed determines how quickly you can move while remaining undetected – crucial for repositioning during combat or making a hasty escape. The faster you can move while sneaking, the more efficiently you can navigate through enemy-filled areas.
In Oblivion Remastered, the enhanced draw distance means you’ll need to close gaps quickly before distant NPCs can spot you, making Speed more valuable than ever for the aspiring assassin.
Endurance: Surviving the Unexpected
While stealth is your primary strategy, sometimes plans go awry. Endurance provides the health pool and stamina you need to survive when detection forces you into direct combat. Consider this your backup plan attribute – not your primary focus, but important enough to warrant some investment.
Class Selection: Customizing Your Approach
Oblivion offers the choice between pre-made classes and custom creations, giving you control over how specialized your assassin becomes.
Pre-made Assassin: Ready to Strike
The game’s default Assassin class is surprisingly well-crafted, featuring the Stealth specialization and most of the skills you’ll need. It’s an excellent choice if you want to jump right into gameplay without spending time on character creation.
Custom Class: Perfecting Your Predator
Creating a custom class with Stealth specialization allows you to fine-tune your assassin to match your exact playstyle. When building your custom class, ensure you select the most advantageous favored attributes and the perfect combination of major skills.
Essential Skills: The Assassin’s Toolkit
Your skill selection determines what your assassin excels at. For the most effective build, prioritize these seven skills as your Major Skills.
Skill Priority Table
| Skill | Priority | Why It’s Essential |
|---|---|---|
| Sneak | Highest | Enables critical strikes and undetected movement |
| Blade | Very High | For deadly dagger and shortsword strikes |
| Marksman | Very High | Silent ranged eliminations |
| Light Armor | High | Protection without sacrificing stealth |
| Alchemy | Medium-High | Create poisons to enhance weapon damage |
| Security | Medium-High | Access to locked areas and containers |
| Acrobatics | Medium | Enhanced mobility and escape options |
Sneak is the defining skill of any assassin, allowing you to move undetected and land devastating critical hits. In Oblivion Remastered, the improved lighting system creates more realistic shadow areas, making Sneak even more engaging as you strategically use environmental darkness to your advantage.
At higher levels, you’ll be able to walk directly in front of NPCs without being detected, opening up countless opportunities for creative assassinations and infiltrations.
Blade and Marksman: Your Means of Elimination
These complementary combat skills give you options for both close-quarters eliminations and distant takedowns. The remastered version brings enhanced weapon animations, making both dagger strikes and arrow shots more satisfying than ever.
A high Blade skill is essential for the 6x damage multiplier on sneak attacks with daggers, while Marksman allows you to eliminate targets before they can raise an alarm.
Supporting Skills: Rounding Out Your Predator
Light Armor provides protection without sacrificing stealth, while Alchemy lets you craft deadly poisons to enhance your already lethal weapons. Security ensures no door or chest remains closed to you, and Acrobatics gives you the mobility to reach advantageous positions or escape quickly when needed.
Deadly Arsenal: Weapons of the Shadow
Your choice of weapons defines how you eliminate targets, and certain options stand far above the rest for an assassin build.
Melee Weapons: Silent and Deadly
For close-quarters assassination, the Daedric Dagger reigns supreme with its high base damage and light weight. The Blade of Woe, acquired during the Dark Brotherhood questline, offers an excellent early-game alternative with its weight-to-damage ratio and unique appearance.
In Oblivion Remastered, the improved weapon models and textures make these deadly implements look appropriately menacing, enhancing the satisfaction of each silent kill.
Ranged Options: Death from Afar
The Daedric Bow represents the pinnacle of archery equipment, but requires high-level play to acquire. More readily available is the Shadowhunt Bow from the Dark Brotherhood questline, offering excellent damage and a lightweight design perfect for the mobile assassin.
Pair these weapons with poisoned arrows for truly devastating ranged eliminations that leave no trace of your presence.
Dark Brotherhood Armor: Purpose-Built for Killing
The Shrouded Armor set, acquired early in the Dark Brotherhood questline, provides the perfect balance of protection, weight, and stealth enhancement. Its unique enchantments boost your Sneak skill and provide a chameleon effect that partially conceals you even when moving.
In the remastered version, this iconic black and red armor set features enhanced textures and models, making you look every bit the professional assassin you’re becoming.
Late-Game Options: Customized Protection
As you progress, you may want to mix and match enchanted Light Armor pieces to maximize specific bonuses. The Gray Fox’s Cowl, acquired through the Thieves Guild questline, pairs excellently with Dark Brotherhood armor pieces for an optimized stealth setup.
Always prioritize enchantments that boost Sneak, Agility, and weapon skills over pure armor rating – for an assassin, not being hit is always better than absorbing damage.
Playing the Build: Embracing the Assassin’s Creed
The assassin build in Oblivion Remastered rewards patience and strategy. Always scout locations before entering, use shadows to your advantage, and remember that your first strike should ideally be your only strike.
With the enhanced graphics of the remastered version, hiding in shadows and timing your movements between guard patrols becomes an immersive experience that truly makes you feel like a master of stealth.
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FAQs
Q: Is it better to join the Dark Brotherhood or the Thieves Guild first for an assassin character?
A: Join the Dark Brotherhood first. While both guilds offer excellent stealth-focused questlines, the Dark Brotherhood provides the Shrouded Armor set very early, giving your assassin an immediate boost to stealth capabilities. The Thieves Guild quests can be tackled after you’ve established yourself as a competent killer, providing complementary skills and equipment to round out your character.
Q: How can I level up my Sneak skill quickly in Oblivion Remastered?
A: The fastest way to level Sneak is to find an NPC in an isolated location (innkeepers work well) and sneak behind them while they’re seated. Move back and forth while remaining undetected to continuously gain experience. For even faster progression, find a sleeping NPC and sneak-attack them repeatedly with your fists – this will level both Sneak and Hand-to-Hand skills without killing the NPC or acquiring a bounty.
