How to build my character throughout the game?

Does anybody have any recommendations on how I should spend my learning points at each level? I want to play a Melee fighter. Also I am going to follow the rebel path, which I assume would lead me to Nordmar and helping them out, will this mean I wont be able to learn dual Wielding from the Hashins (spelling?)

A few general tips. (1) Do not be shy to spend learning points on health or endurance. Health makes you stick around for longer and helps against animals (which seem to rip right through armor). Endurance is drained in fight and you absolutely need it to parry without loosing health (when your endurance is drained parrying does not have any effect). (2) On the other hand do not waste any learning points on shield parry. In the current version of the game this ability is completely useless. It slows you down too much, and the armor bonus is deceiving. On top of that animals bite you right through it! Next patch might increase it's usefulness, but somehow I doubt it. (3) Stick to one-handed weapons. They allow for faster attack and this is important with animals. Some say a longer two-handed weapon helps you keep your enemies at bay, but this is irrelevant in my experience. And the hero doesn't really know how to use these heavier weapons properly. It's like the developers assumed the only two-handed weapon is an axe, so if you try to equip a sword the hero doesn't hold it properly or use it effectively. Besides, once you fight an opponent that uses a two-hander (in an arena for example) you will soon realize for yourself how inferior and slow he is.

A general tip when fighting is always hold your parry button. It locks your opponent, channels damage to endurance and allows for much, much quicker counter-attacks.

These are my personal tips. Others might not agree…

Regardless of the path you will follow, concentrate on your physical attributes; life energy, endurance and strength.

Life energy, apart from making you able to withstand more punishment, will prevent you from being stunned or knocked down.

To be able to block and perform some fancy combos, you need endurance.

With high strength you can deliver powerful blows and yield better weapons.

If you are playing a pure melee character, then learn at least 2 weapon styles. Learning a weapon style makes you strike harder and faster and increases the chance of a critical hit. In some cases also new moves are unlocked.

The reason that you should learn at least 2 weapon styles is that some enemies are best being dealt with a particular kind of weapon. In the beginning of the game you will find spears most effective against boars and shields make some arena fights a lot easier. Eventually you will develop your own fighting style and a preference for some weapons over other.

Smithing will allow you to make better weapons and enhance the damage of existing ones.

I will also advise playing on hard difficulty, as some fights are too easy otherwise, especially for a melee character.

Good luck!

is there any general tactic when going against Ogres with 1-handed weapon+shield? I'm level 30 (222str, 400hitpoints, mastersword, strongparryshield, 65 melee resist) with sharpened bastard sword and find their attacks too fast and hard. Havent killed any of them yet. its a bit odd actually: they attack with their two hander morning star faster than i attack with 1h weapon.

Use range, always have some sort of ranged weapon.

As for builds, I suggest getting some magic, regardless of build, enough to cast healing, light, cure weakness and so on to avoid using scrolls/potions like mad. Also get fireball, lightning or ice lance as a ranged weapon, they do their job good. If you are a fighter, ice lance is perfect because it can freeze enemies, letting you go near them and start the attack instead of being on the defensive.

Originally Posted by Maylander
As for builds, I suggest getting some magic, regardless of build, enough to cast healing, light, cure weakness and so on to avoid using scrolls/potions like mad.

Actually having decent Alchemy skill and be able to brew health potions will give you so many potions that you won't be able to use them all and provided that they cure in % no in HP (so it doesn't matter how many HP you have, you still need only 5 health potions to get full health), there is really no need for magic if it doesn't suit your path. I have more than 200 health potions in my inventory.

You mean two potions for full health, of course.