This is the original Oblivion, running on Bethesda's own Gamebryo engine, not the 2025 Unreal Engine remaster built by Virtuos. The Game of the Year Edition bundles the 2006 base game with the Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles expansions, and the Deluxe variant adds Fighter's Stronghold, Spell Tome Treasures, Vile Lair and the Mehrunes' Razor add on. What you get is the version with the notorious level scaling, the major and minor skill system that punishes players who level naturally, and a difficulty slider that only multiplies damage in both directions. It is also the version with two decades of mods behind it, including Oblivion Script Extender tools and total conversions the remaster cannot load. If you want prettier faces and reworked levelling, buy the remaster. If you want the moddable original that runs on a laptop, this is the one.
Picking the right build determines how your experience plays out. These builds are ranked by overall effectiveness, factoring in damage, survivability, gear requirements, and how well they scale into endgame. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Rankings
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knight | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Battlemage | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Nightblade | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Spellsword | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Assassin | A | Balanced | Best available |
For detailed meta rankings, see our The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) tier list.
A-Tier: Knight
Knight is a top-performing option in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009).
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Umbra | A soul trapping sword carried by the Umbra of the same name, who is far above the level curve when you first find her at Vindasel. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Major skills and the level up trap | You pick 7 major skills out of 21 at character creation, and raising them by 10 points in total triggers a level up. |
How to Play Knight
Knight focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Umbra does the damage and Major skills and the level up trap keeps it running, which is why this sits at the top of the list. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Battlemage
Battlemage is a strong option in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009).
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Goldbrand | Boethiah's Daedric artifact, a katana with a fire enchantment, awarded for the shrine quest. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Attribute multipliers | On level up you choose 3 of the 8 attributes to raise, and the size of each bonus, from plus 1 to plus 5, depends on how many skill increases fed that attribute since the last level. |
How to Play Battlemage
Battlemage focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Pair Goldbrand with Attribute multipliers and the build stops depending on a good start, so it holds up across most content. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Nightblade
Nightblade is a strong option in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009).
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Mehrunes' Razor | The Daedric artifact from the Mehrunes Dagon shrine quest, carrying a chance to kill outright regardless of the target's health. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Level scaled world | Most enemies, loot and even bandit equipment scale to your character level. |
How to Play Nightblade
Nightblade focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Level scaled world covers the gap Mehrunes' Razor leaves open, so the build stays usable even when a fight goes badly. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Spellsword
Spellsword is a specialized option in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009).
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Volendrung | Malacath's warhammer, granted by his shrine quest. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | The difficulty slider | One slider changes how much damage you deal and take, and nothing else. |
How to Play Spellsword
Spellsword focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: This one leans on The difficulty slider rather than raw numbers, and Volendrung is what makes that trade pay off. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
A-Tier: Assassin
Assassin is a specialized option in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009).
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Wabbajack | Sheogorath's staff, which transforms whatever it hits into a random creature. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Oblivion Gates and Sigil Stones | Gates open across Cyrodiil during the main quest and drop you into the Deadlands, where the goal is climbing a tower to take the Sigil Stone. |
How to Play Assassin
Assassin focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Wabbajack and Oblivion Gates and Sigil Stones pull in the same direction here, which separates this from the safer picks above. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Battlemage: the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Knight once you understand core mechanics and have access to Umbra
- Keep a Nightblade setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Assassin for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Follow our walkthrough for the optimal progression path through each area.
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first, since it gives the biggest power spike. See our weapons guide for rankings.
- Put skills you never intend to use into your 7 major skills. Because the world scales to character level, a character who levels slowly while training real skills is always ahead of the curve.
- Endurance raises health permanently each level, and past levels do not retroactively benefit, so raising Endurance early is worth more than raising it late.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
More The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Guides
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Overview
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Tier List
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Walkthrough
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Beginner's Guide
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Tips & Tricks
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Weapons Guide
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Combat Guide
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Boss Guide
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Maps & Locations
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Crafting Guide
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Classes & Characters
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