Summary
There are five weapon types inThe Elder Scrolls: Castles, and each of them excels in something slightly different. Having this few weapon types means they can all balance against each other fairly well, and all come into their own in a certain situation, or against certain enemy types.
Because of this, there’s a use case for more or less every weapon in the game. But, there are definitely certain weapon combinations that you should keep in mind in order to keep your adventurers well-balanced with each other. Always keep an eye on what the enemies you’re facing are going to have, and plan accordingly.
5Bows
Strong Against Battleaxe, Weak Against Daggers
Bows are not bad weapons by any stretch of the imagination. It’s just that, when it comes to ranged weapons, the Stave has more versatility. But the bow can be great for a few different reasons, even if some aspects of it are detrimental.
The primary benefit of the bow is that, ideally, it keeps whoever has the bow out of harm’s way. This can keep too much attention on another character, but that character should be decked out with enough defense that they can deal with it.
The bow can have varying types of abilities, some of which hit multiple targets and some that are single target. Either way, these can deal some significant damage, and hopefully wipe enemies out before they cause your tank any significant problems.
4Daggers
Strong Against Bows, Weak Against Swords
The bane of the bow, daggers are great up-close-and-personal weapons that are ideal for characters intended to deal heavy damage without becoming the main character in the enemy’s eyes. Without a tank around to absorb damage, those with daggers are likely going to be attacked by those with swords, and that’s going to lead to a bad day to the dagger-wielder.
But in an ideal situation, the tank has aggro, and the dagger can go take care of anyone out there with a bow, before getting behind whoever is latched onto the tank. They’ll be skirting the edge of the battlefield until it’s ideal to get more involved, dealing heavy damage the whole way.
While many of the dagger abilities are melee, there are some that include throwing the dagger, too. This can be a good way to have a versatile dagger-wielder that can do a little bit of ranged when the occasion calls for it, as opposed to being a one-trick-pony.
3Battleaxes
Strong Against Staves, Weak Against Bows
Those with a battleaxe are happy to see mages and unhappy to see archers, meaning any ranged character they come up against is either going to be no problem at all, or pose a significant one. That said, battleaxes are capable of dealing a ton of damage, and doing so to huge groups of enemies at the same time.
Much like their dagger compatriots, axe-wielders are going to be melee damage-dealers that don’t thrive on being the center of attention. They can and should be in the thick of things, sure; they thrive on that. But if there’s not someone around able to absorb a ton of damage, they’re going to get hit by too many people at the same time and fall.
Paired with a shield-bearer, the one with the battleaxe can wade into the middle of the battle and activate their whirlwind ability, dealing heavy damage to any enemy in their vicinity. This can often wipe a room, and is an incredible ability when enemies are huddled together. While not always ideal, having two battleaxe characters together can wipe waves of enemies with ease by both making use of whirlwind.
2Staves
Strong Against Swords, Weak Against Battleaxes
Those with a stave are going to be the primary problem for anyone with a sword. They’re capable of dealing with enemy tanks without issue, provided an enemy with a battleaxe doesn’t come charging towards them.
What makes staves so strong is their versatility. They can come with a variety of different abilities, some aggressive and some protective, meaning whatever stave you decide to bring in with you is going to dramatically change how the battle unfolds.
Keep a significant focus on what elemental type enemies are wielding when using a stave, because the stave primarily deals with elemental effects. An enemy strong against your particular element is going to cause you big problems, but if you counter them correctly, they’re not going to stand in your way.
1Swords
Strong Against Daggers, Weak Against Staves
Swords are the best weapon in TES: Castles not necessarily because of the sword itself, but because of the fact that bringing a sword means you’re able to bring a shield. And bring a shield you should, because that shield is going to allow the rest of your squad to perform much better than they otherwise would.
With the shield, enemies are going to deal significantly less damage to you. They’ll bang against your shield all day, and provided they don’t have a stave, you aren’t likely to notice too much. Sit there, take the damage, and keep their focus on you.
That’s not to say that the character with the shield isn’t going to be dealing any damage at all, because they are. They’ll be able to deal very consistent chunks of damage with their sword swings, while the rest of their team operators around them and deals the majority of it, unimpeded by the enemy.
