Playing with a stealthy character is a nice way of having a fun time while exploring Tamriel. With enough points into the Sneak skill tree, you can get to travel around most places unnoticed, which is useful to plan a preemptive strike or to experience the world of Skyrim as a silent watcher. This skill tree also offers bonuses for stealth attacks, and quick escapes to reposition yourself. So, do you want to know which is the best race for stealth in Skyrim? Just keep reading!
Due to the freedom of choice that Skyrim offers, there are loads of effective stealth-based builds. They range from the classical pick-pocket thief to the deadly stealth archer. You can play any of these builds with any race you want, but if you want to min-max you’ll have to pick certain races. Keep in mind that we picked the races below according to their special abilities and late-game potential, as starting skill points do not matter later in the game.
Also, if you want to check out the best races in general check out our best races in Skyrim list!
Redguard: Best Race for Assassins
If you’re planning on playing a no-nonsense physical damage dealer, then look no further. Redguards start with bonuses on One-Handed and Archery skills, which are pretty much the bread-n-butter of assassins. They also have the Adrenaline Rush racial ability, which lets them regenerate stamina for 60 seconds.
Adrenaline Rush lets them dish out strong physical attacks without tiring themselves, which is awesome to clear rooms quickly. It’s also a nice ability if you’re planning on using bows as that weapon can be very stamina-intensive. You can pick this race if you’re looking to play a stealth character that relies in daggers or swords, as Redguards are built for close combat situations. Sure, this race doesn’t get starting points in thieving skills like Sneak or Pickpocket, but you will get to level up those abilities soon enough.
Khajiit: Best Race for Thieves
The cat people of Tamriel start with bonus points in Sneak, Lockpicking, and Pickpocket. This makes them the best race for stealth in Skyrim if you want to play a thief since the early game. Their extra points in One-Armed, Archery, and Alchemy also make them formidable physical fighters. Khajiit also has a unique racial bonus in unarmed combat, which makes them do extra damage when they’re not wielding weapons.
While their racial bonus in unarmed combat might seem funny at first, some builds can make it a fearsome ability. The only problem with these builds is that they don’t give you much room for experimentation. You will also have to choose between becoming a Vampire or a Werewolf at some point, as both give bonuses to unarmed damage. They also get Night Vision, which while it isn’t that powerful, is a nice tool to have when you feel like sneaking around dark places.
Dunmer: Best Race for a Stealth Mage
The dark elves might be the most powerful race to play if you’re aiming to become a stealth-based mage. The reason for this is that they’re the best race to become a vampire and make use of the Necromage perk. Vampires are 25% harder to detect while sneaking, and their Illusion spells are 25% more powerful. Being strong in the Illusion skill tree can help you sneak your way around with the use of magic, as you get access to spells and effects like Invisibility and Quiet Casting.
And if you decide to become a vampire, then you better level up your Restoration skills and grab the Necromage perk. If you do this, every active buff and debuff that you have will be 25% more powerful. The reason why this happens is due to the Necromage perk enhancing all spells and effects used against undead characters, vampires included. While this perk also enhances some debuffs, the benefits that it brings to your character are so many that it’s worth the few cons it has.
And if you’re looking for the best mage armor to go with your stealth mage check out our best mage gear list!
Orsimer: Best Stealth Archer Race
Okay, this might sound crazy at first, but Orcs are the best stealth archer race for late-game players. Their Berserker Rage is so strong that it breaks the game, which is the reason why it’s their only racial ability. Once activated, this skill will let you deal double physical damage, and when you couple that with the bonus triple damage from surprise attacks you will get 6x bonus damage.
6x bonus damage during 60 seconds is a lot. Using Berserker Rage with sneak attacks will help you clear camps and cheese bosses before they even see you. And while Orcs don’t start with points in thieving skills or archery, they get starting points in Alchemy and Blacksmithing. These are powerful skills late in the game, as they will help you maximize your damage output and survival.
