Skyrim Wood Elf race guide
The best natural archers, with a head start in stealth skills and alchemy.
- Also called
- Bosmer
- +10 skill
- Archery (starts at 25)
- +5 skills
- Alchemy, Light Armor, Lockpicking, Pickpocket, Sneak (start at 20)
- Power
- Command Animal — Make an animal your ally for 60 seconds, once a day
- Passive
- 50% poison resistance, 50% disease resistance
- Starting attributes
- 100 health · 100 magicka · 100 stamina
Best builds for a Wood Elf
Looking at the starting bonuses, the Wood Elf gets 10 points of bonuses in warrior skills, 0 in mage skills and 25 in thief skills. That makes it a natural fit for a thief build, with Archery as its strongest early skill.
Remember that the starting bonuses fade in importance as you level. A skill that starts at 25 instead of 15 saves you only a few hours of play. The racial power, Command Animal, stays with you for the whole game, so pick a race whose power you will actually use.
Comparing the Wood Elf with other races
See the race comparison table for every race's bonuses side by side, or try the Wood Elf in the build planner to see how its bonuses change the level your build needs.
Wood Elf FAQ
What skills does the Wood Elf start with?
Wood Elfs start with Archery at 25, Alchemy, Light Armor, Lockpicking, Pickpocket, Sneak at 20, and every other skill at 15.
What is the Wood Elf racial power?
Command Animal: Make an animal your ally for 60 seconds, once a day.
What build is the Wood Elf best for?
The Wood Elf's bonuses lean toward thief skills, so it suits thief builds best, but any race can play any build in Skyrim.
What passive abilities do Wood Elfs have?
50% poison resistance. 50% disease resistance.