If you’re diving into The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and want to beef up your warrior build, you gotta grind those skills tied to it—Blade, Blunt, Hand-to-Hand, Armorer, Heavy Armor, Athletics, and Block. Strength goes up when you level these skills, and each one’s got a straightforward way to grind.
1. Blade and Blunt
Keep smacking weak enemies with your weapon of choice.
Grinding Tips
Hunt down easy targets like rats or mudcrabs in spots like sewers or caves. Grab a junky weapon (like an iron dagger for Blade or a rusty mace for Blunt) so you can hit more before killing. You can also wail on summoned creatures (like a skeleton you conjure up) to avoid getting in trouble.
Efficient Spot: Imperial City sewers or Fort Ash near Chorrol are crawling with rats and crabs.
Note: Every hit boosts your skill, so go for tons of swings over big damage.
2. Hand-to-Hand
Punch the heck out of enemies or summoned critters.
Grinding Tips
Throw fists at weak stuff like rats or summon a scamp to beat on. Stack some Endurance to take hits while you’re at it. Practice in safe spots like the Imperial City Arena before signing up for fights.
Efficient Spot: Your house (like the cheap Imperial City shack) works great for punching summoned creatures.
Note: This skill takes longer to level than weapons, so hang in there.
3. Armorer
Fix up busted armor and weapons with repair hammers.
Grinding Tips
Stock up on repair hammers from shops (check out Varnado at The Best Defense in the Imperial City). Mess up cheap gear like iron armor by letting enemies smack you or hitting tough foes (like a summoned zombie).
Keep repairing the same piece—every fix adds experience. Use a weak weapon to lightly damage gear, then patch it up.
Once you hit Journeyman Armorer or higher, hammers last longer, so it gets quicker.
Efficient Spot: Stash gear in your house (like the Imperial City Waterfront shack) for safe fixing. Or head to Vilverin, let bandits rough up your gear, and repair it.
Note: Grab a bunch of hammers (20-30) so you don’t run dry mid-grind.
4. Heavy Armor
Let enemies hit you while you’re decked out in heavy armor.
Grinding Tips
Throw on a full set of heavy armor (iron or steel works). Stand there while weak enemies like rats or goblins swing at you. Heal up with spells or potions to keep going.
You can also chill in a trap (like those blade traps in Ayleid ruins) for steady damage.
Efficient Spot: Vilverin near the Imperial City has traps and weak enemies to farm.
Note: Every hit to your armor counts, so let enemies keep swinging.
5. Athletics
Run or swim nonstop.
Grinding Tips
- Running: Set auto-run (bind a key or prop something on your keyboard) and spin in circles or bump a wall in a safe spot like your house.
- Swimming: Jam yourself in a corner of a lake or river and swim in place—it levels faster than running.
Make sure you’re not carrying too much weight, or you won’t get running experience.
Efficient Spot: Swim in Rumare Lake by the Imperial City or run in open fields or your house.
Note: This is perfect for leaving the game on while you do something else—just keep it safe.
6. Block
Hold up a shield or weapon to block enemy hits.
Grinding Tips
Use a shield (like an iron one) since it levels Block faster than a weapon. Let weak enemies (rats, mudcrabs) or summoned creatures (like a scamp) swing at you while you block.
Crank the difficulty down so you don’t take too much damage. Heal up with spells or potions to keep grinding. Don’t hit back so enemies stay alive longer.
Efficient Spot: Imperial City sewers for rats or Fort Ash for mudcrabs. Or summon something in your house for a no-risk grind.
Note: Every block you pull off adds experience; shields make it go quicker.
General Tips for Grinding
- Slide the difficulty to the lowest so you can tank hits longer while grinding Block, Heavy Armor, or fighting skills.
- Grinding can get messy with random deaths or bugs, so save often.
- Combine skills—like blocking in heavy armor while getting hit, then fixing your gear—to grind faster.
Efficient Grinding Routine
- Slap on heavy armor, a shield, and a weak weapon.
- Roll into Vilverin or the Imperial City sewers.
- Block hits (Block), take damage (Heavy Armor), smack enemies (Blade/Blunt/Hand-to-Hand), and fix your gear (Armorer).
- Swim in place or auto-run somewhere safe (Athletics).
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