DexertoYou’ve booted up Elden Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered and you’re staring at that race selection screen, overwhelmed by all these options.
You think: “Should I be a lizard? A cat? What even is a Khajiit?” You want to look cool, maybe edgy, maybe noble. But here’s the thing – your race in Oblivion matters. Not in a “deep lore and culture” way (though yes, that’s neat), but in a “this literally changes your stats, resistances, and how badly you get owned by the first bandit” kind of way.
Sure, every race can become great with time. But in the early game, some are gods and others are imperials. Here are the best classes to pick.
Best All-Rounder: Dark Elf
DexertoIf you’re indecisive or just greedy and want a taste of everything – melee, magic, and sneak attacks – the Dark Elf are your dream come true.
They come loaded with +15 to Destruction and Blade, and +10 to Blunt and Marksman. Want to nuke your enemies, stab them in the face, or fill them with arrows? Dunmer says yes to all.
They’ve also got +10 to Athletics and Light Armor (nice survivability boost), plus +10 Mysticism for some utility magic (hello, soul trap and spell reflection).
Stats-wise, they get a boost to Speed and Intelligence, which keeps them zippy and clever. And 75% resistance to fire is basically your highway to heaven.
Their Greater Power, Ancestor Guardian, summons a ghost that scales with your level. That means it’s always useful.
Subraces comparison
| Vvanderfell | Mainland |
|---|---|
| 40 Strength 40 Intelligence 30 Willpower 40 Agility 50 Speed 40 Endurance 30 Personality 50 Luck | 40 Strength 40 Intelligence 30 Willpower 40 Agility 50 Speed 30 Endurance 40 Personality 50 Luck |
You’re picking the best race to win fights, not avoid them with your charm. Go for the Vvanderfell subrace and get that extra Endurance.
Related
Best Stealth Class: Khajiit
DexertoKhajiit are the stealth ninja-cats of Oblivion. They start with +10 in Sneak, Security, Blade, Athletics, and Light Armor, plus another +15 in Acrobatics. The only thing missing is Marksman.
They get +10 Agility too – perfect for sneak attacks and dodging. No resistances though. Just pure sneak-and-stab goodness.
Their Eye of Night lesser power gives them unlimited Night Vision – seriously useful in dark dungeons. Their Greater Power, Eye of Fear, makes enemies flee in terror. It’s more situational but handy.
Subraces comparison
| Anequina | Pellitine |
|---|---|
| 40 Strength 40 Intelligence 30 Willpower 50 Agility 40 Speed 30 Endurance 40 Personality 50 Luck | 30 Strength 40 Intelligence 30 Willpower 50 Agility 40 Speed 40 Endurance 40 Personality 50 Luck |
If you’re willing to sacrifice 10 points of speed, go for Pellitine. At the end of the day, having 10 extra Strength isn’t worth losing the Endurance boost.
Best Magic User: High Elf
DexertoIf you want to go full glass cannon, you pick the High Elf.
They come with +15 bonuses in Destruction, Alteration, and Mysticism, along with +10 in Illusion, Conjuration, and Alchemy.
That’s almost every school of magic except Restoration. Combine that with +10 Intelligence and +100 bonus Magicka, and you’re bound to be unstoppable.
But here’s the trade-off: High Elves are allergic to everything. They suffer a 25% weakness to fire, frost, and shock. That’s… bad. They also get no Greater Power. It’s embarrassing.
Still, if you’re careful (or just use summoned minions to fight for you), no race slings spells better.
Subraces comparison
| Auridon | Summerset Isle |
|---|---|
| 30 Strength 50 Intelligence 40 Willpower 40 Agility 30 Speed 40 Endurance 40 Personality 50 Luck Magicka Bonus 100 | 30 Strength 50 Intelligence 40 Willpower 40 Agility 40 Speed 30 Endurance 40 Personality 50 Luck Magicka Bonus 100 |
If you’re going for a spellcaster, which you should, the Summerset Isle High Elf is the best for that extra 10 Speed.
Best Warrior Race: Redguards
DexertoWant to break things with swords and axes while looking like an absolute unit? Pick a Redguard.
They get +15 to Blade, Blunt, and +10 to Light Armor, and Heavy Armor. So, whether you want to be nimble or tanky, you’re covered.
Bonuses to Athletics and Restoration add mobility and healing – solid picks for melee fighters. They also start with 50 points in Strength and Endurance, which are exactly the traits you want.
Redguards have a hardy constitution, and you won’t have to worry about being inflicted with negative status ailments like disease and poison.
Subraces comparison
| Dragontail Mount | Alik’r Desert |
|---|---|
| 50 Strength 30 Intelligence 30 Willpower 40 Agility 40 Speed 50 Endurance 30 Personality 50 Luck | 40 Strength 30 Intelligence 30 Willpower 40 Agility 40 Speed 50 Endurance 40 Personality 50 Luck |
If you mind the Personality penalty, go for the Dragontail Mount subrace.
Best Tank: Orcs
DexertoOrcs don’t care about your feelings. They care about smashing your face in.
Starting skills include Heavy Armor, Blunt, Armorer, Block, and Hand-to-Hand – basically the full tank/berserker combo. Add +10 Strength and Willpower for Stronghold (+5 for Orsinium), and you’ve got stamina to swing and health to soak punishment.
They also rock a permanent 25% resistance to magic, which is huge – especially when mages start flinging fireballs like confetti.
Their Greater Power, Berserk, makes them walking siege engines: +50 Strength and 200 Fatigue for 60 seconds. The downside is -100 Agility during that time. You’ll hit like a freight train but stagger like you’re drunk.
Subrace comparison
| Stronghold | Orsinium |
|---|---|
| 45 Strength 30 Intelligence 50 Willpower 35 Agility 30 Speed 50 Endurance 30 Personality 50 Luck | 45 Strength 40 Intelligence 45 Willpower 35 Agility 30 Speed 50 Endurance 25 Personality 50 Luck |
Having 30 intelligence is a bit too low, whereas 25 Personality won’t hit as hard. Go for an Orsinium Orc.
That’s everything you need to know about Elden Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered’s best races and subraces. If you want to know more about the game, check out the game’s file size.