The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, released on April 22, 2025, has reignited the passion of RPG fans with its stunning Unreal Engine 5 visuals, revamped mechanics, and the same open-world freedom that made the 2006 original a classic. At the heart of this epic adventure lies the skill system, a complex web of 21 abilities that define your hero’s journey through Cyrodiil. Choosing the right skills—especially your seven Major Skills—can make or break your experience, whether you’re slashing through Daedra, sneaking past guards, or casting spells to reshape reality. With a new leveling system blending Oblivion’s depth with Skyrim’s flexibility, picking the best skills is more crucial than ever. So, how do you craft the ultimate build? This guide reveals the top skills to prioritize in Oblivion Remastered, why they dominate, and insider tips to maximize your power, drawing from community insights and expert analyses. Let’s dive into the secrets that will make you a legend in Tamriel!

Understanding the Skill System

Oblivion Remastered features 21 skills divided into three specializations: Combat, Magic, and Stealth. Each skill levels from 0 to 100, unlocking perks at Novice (0-24), Apprentice (25-49), Journeyman (50-74), Expert (75-99), and Master (100) tiers. You choose seven Major Skills during character creation, which start at 25 (with racial and specialization bonuses) and level faster, contributing more XP toward your character’s overall level. Minor Skills, the remaining 14, start at 5-15 and level slower, but both now add to your level-up progress, unlike the original Oblivion where only Major Skills counted. Upon leveling, you gain 12 Virtue Points to distribute across eight Attributes (Strength, Intelligence, etc.), with a cap of +5 per Attribute, making skill choices critical for optimizing stats like Endurance for health or Intelligence for magicka.

The remaster’s leveling overhaul, inspired by Skyrim, removes the original’s punishing requirement to micromanage skill increases for Attribute bonuses, offering more freedom to pick skills that match your playstyle. However, choosing poorly—like selecting slow-leveling or niche skills as Majors—can stall progress or leave you underpowered against Cyrodiil’s scaling enemies. Community discussions on X and Reddit, like @Jeanmarclouis79’s guide shared on April 24, 2025, emphasize versatile, high-impact skills for beginners and veterans alike. Below, we rank the best skills to prioritize, explain their perks, and offer tips to dominate, whether you’re building a warrior, mage, or thief.

Top Skills to Choose in Oblivion Remastered

S-Tier: Essential Major Skills for Any Build

1. Blade or Blunt (Combat)

Why It’s Great: Blade (swords, daggers) and Blunt (maces, axes) govern melee damage, making them vital for warriors and hybrid builds. Their high damage output counters Oblivion’s aggressive level-scaling, where enemies like bandits wear glass armor at higher levels. Blade is faster, ideal for quick strikes, while Blunt delivers heavier hits, stunning foes. Perks include disarming attacks (Journeyman) and power attacks with knockback (Expert).

Why Choose as Major: As Major Skills, they level quickly through combat, ensuring steady XP. They boost Strength, increasing melee damage and carry weight. X users like @BalouBAYC (April 22, 2025) recommend specializing in one for efficiency, as dual-wielding both spreads XP thin.

Tip: Pair with Heavy Armor for a tanky Crusader or Light Armor for a nimble Warrior. Enchant weapons with Soul Trap for endgame power.

2. Destruction (Magic)

Why It’s Great: Destruction delivers ranged and close-combat spells (fire, frost, shock), offering versatile damage for mages and Spellswords. Perks include area-of-effect spells (Journeyman) and stagger effects (Expert), making it a primary damage source for magic builds. It’s essential for countering scaling enemies without relying on weapons.

Why Choose as Major: Levels quickly by spamming spells, especially high-cost ones in combat, and boosts Intelligence for magicka. Its synergy with Illusion and Conjuration makes it a mage’s cornerstone. Reddit users praise its early-game utility for kiting enemies.

Tip: Use weak spells like Flare to level early, then craft custom spells for efficiency. The Mage Birthsign (+50 magicka) enhances its power.

3. Restoration (Magic)

Why It’s Great: Restoration’s healing spells (e.g., Heal Minor Wounds) are a lifeline for all builds, restoring health without potions. Perks include faster casting (Journeyman) and Fortify Attribute spells (Expert), boosting stats like Strength temporarily. It’s a must for surviving tough fights, especially on Adept difficulty where damage is balanced.

Why Choose as Major: Levels steadily through healing in combat, boosting Willpower for magicka regeneration. Even melee builds benefit, as @Jeanmarclouis79 notes, making Crusaders and Spellswords durable.

Tip: Cast low-cost heals repeatedly to level early. Pair with Heavy Armor for a tanky Crusader or Alteration for a versatile mage.

4. Marksman (Stealth)

Why It’s Great: Marksman governs bows, offering ranged damage for stealth archers and rangers. Perks eliminate stamina cost when drawing (Apprentice), add zoom (Journeyman), and grant paralyze chances (Expert/Master), making it lethal. It’s ideal for picking off enemies before they close in.

Why Choose as Major: Levels quickly by landing shots, boosting Agility for bow damage and stagger resistance. X users recommend it for Assassins, with The Thief Birthsign enhancing stealth synergy.

Tip: Sneak for bonus damage multipliers. Use poisoned arrows or enchant bows for endgame dominance.

A-Tier: High-Value Skills for Specific Builds

5. Sneak (Stealth)

Why It’s Great: Sneak enables stealth attacks (up to 6x damage with bows/melee) and pickpocketing, perfect for Assassins and Thieves. Perks include silent movement (Journeyman) and ignoring enemy armor (Expert), making it a stealth build’s backbone. It’s less essential for pure warriors or mages.

Why Choose as Major: Levels fast by sneaking near unaware NPCs or enemies, boosting Agility. Reddit users note its synergy with Marksman for stealth archers, dominating early-game encounters.

Tip: Practice in crowded areas like the Imperial City Market. Pair with Illusion’s Invisibility for untouchable stealth.

6. Conjuration (Magic)

Why It’s Great: Conjuration summons creatures (skeletons, Daedra) or bound weapons/armor, drawing aggro or boosting melee. Perks include stronger summons (Journeyman) and permanent bindings (Master). It’s a mage’s best friend and viable for hybrid builds.

Why Choose as Major: Levels quickly by casting summons in combat, boosting Intelligence. @IndieFalco64 (April 24, 2025) highlights summons’ immunity to Expert/Master difficulty damage penalties, making it a strategic pick.

Tip: Spam low-cost summons like Ghost to level early. Use bound weapons for melee hybrids.

7. Heavy Armor (Combat)

Why It’s Great: Heavy Armor increases durability, reducing damage taken. Perks slow degradation (Journeyman), reduce encumbrance (Expert), and eliminate weight penalties (Master), making it ideal for tanks. It’s crucial for melee builds facing scaling enemies.

Why Choose as Major: Levels by taking hits, boosting Endurance for health. X users like @BalouBAYC praise it for “longevity” in combat-heavy builds like Knights.

Tip: Wear full heavy armor early and fight low-level enemies to level safely. Enchant with Resist Magic for endgame.

B-Tier: Situational but Powerful

8. Illusion (Magic)

Why It’s Great: Illusion offers utility spells like Invisibility, Paralyze, and Charm, enhancing stealth or crowd control. Perks include affecting higher-level enemies (Journeyman) and longer durations (Expert). It’s a game-changer for stealth mages or Bards.

Why Choose as Major: Levels by casting spells like Light or Charm, boosting Personality. Less essential as a Major due to slower leveling, but Reddit users love its synergy with Sneak.

Tip: Cast Starlight repeatedly in safe areas to level. Use Paralyze with Marksman for devastating combos.

9. Athletics (Stealth)

Why It’s Great: Athletics boosts running speed and stamina regeneration, vital for exploration and kiting. The remaster’s new sprint mechanic consumes stamina, making Athletics key. Perks reduce sprint cost (Journeyman) and improve stamina regen (Master).

Why Choose as Major: Levels slowly by running/swimming, so as a Major, it speeds progress. @PlayerAuctions (April 25, 2025) suggests it for mobile builds, but warns it can slow overall leveling if overused.

Tip: Run everywhere early, but balance with combat skills to avoid stalling. Pair with Light Armor for agility.

10. Mercantile (Stealth)

Why It’s Great: Mercantile improves buying/selling prices and unlocks perks like investing in shops (Journeyman) and selling any item to any merchant (Master). It’s a wealth-building tool for all builds.

Why Choose as Major: Levels quickly by selling high-value items, boosting Personality. The remaster ties XP to item value, per IGN, making it faster than before.

Tip: Sell loot in bulk to level. Use Charm spells to boost merchant disposition for better deals.

Skills to Avoid as Major Skills

Hand-to-Hand (Combat): Weakest damage option, lacking weapon enchantments. Hard to level and underpowered endgame.Speechcraft (Stealth): Minimal impact on persuasion, redundant with high Fame. Slow to level and situational.Mysticism (Magic): Limited utility beyond Soul Trap, which can be enchanted. Clairvoyance in the remaster adds flavor but not power.

Building Your Character: Tips and Strategies

Choose a Specialization: Pick Combat, Magic, or Stealth to gain a +10 bonus to related skills. Custom Classes let you tailor this, as Eurogamer recommends Spellsword for hybrid melee-magic builds.

Balance Major Skills: Mix offensive (Blade, Destruction), defensive (Heavy Armor, Restoration), and utility (Sneak, Mercantile) skills. Avoid three skills under one Attribute (e.g., Athletics, Acrobatics, Light Armor for Speed) to prevent over-leveling one stat.

Optimize Attributes: Prioritize Endurance for health (retroactive in the remaster) and Intelligence for magicka, per IGN. Allocate Virtue Points flexibly (e.g., 5/5/2 or 4/4/4) to avoid weak stats.

Leverage Birthsigns: The Mage (+50 magicka) boosts Destruction/Conjuration, while The Thief (+10 Agility/Speed/Luck) enhances Marksman/Sneak. @PlayerAuctions ranks these among the best.

Level Efficiently: Focus on Major Skills for faster XP, but use Minor Skills like Alchemy or Security to round out builds. Read skill books for free boosts, as @PlayerAuctions advises.

Modding Considerations: Despite no official mod support, over 85 mods exist, including UI tweaks. The gender mod controversy, sparked by “CHUDS” restoring “male” and “female” labels, shows modding’s impact, but core skills remain unaffected.

Why These Skills Matter

The S-Tier skills—Blade/Blunt, Destruction, Restoration, Marksman—are your primary damage and survival tools, countering Oblivion’s scaling enemies. A-Tier skills like Sneak, Conjuration, and Heavy Armor add versatility, while B-Tier skills like Illusion and Mercantile enhance specific playstyles. The remaster’s leveling system, blending Oblivion’s depth with Skyrim’s freedom, makes skill choice less punishing but still critical, as noted by PC Gamer. Reddit and X communities, including @IndieFalco64’s Conjuration tip, highlight how these skills shine on higher difficulties like Expert or Master, where strategic builds are essential.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the best skills in Oblivion Remastered is about aligning your playstyle with Cyrodiil’s challenges. Whether you’re a Spellsword weaving Destruction and Blade, a stealth archer mastering Marksman and Sneak, or a tanky Crusader with Heavy Armor and Restoration, these skills ensure you thrive. The remaster’s 182,298 concurrent Steam players and vibrant modding scene prove its enduring appeal, but mastering skills is the key to ruling Tamriel. As you craft your hero, experiment with these picks, explore the 119.2GB world, and let your legend unfold.