Which Standing Stones in Skyrim have you all used? Which is your favorite? Do you switch regularly, or do you generally take just one and keep it?



To answer my own questions, I've used very few of them. I start with one of the Guardian Stones that you pass on the way to Riverwood at the beginning of the game, and then switch it out when I find the one I want.

I've used only two of the other Stones in game: Atronach and Lord. My favorite is the Lord Stone because my primary character is a light armor, dual sword Khajiit. Its bonus to armor and resistance to magic without any negative effects is invaluable. Aravi has only switched once, and that was to replace the Warrior Stone with the Lord Stone.

Shockingly enough, all mine have only ever used the Steed Stone...

With its +100 to carry weight and armour weight when running nullifier, it's perfect for the knight-y types...

I've used all of the standing stones at one point or another, but I usually stick to the shadow and warrior stone. My character is stealthy yet a strong warrior at the same time.

Depends, but I generally go for the one of the Guardian Stones if I'm playing a character specialising in either magery, wariorness or thieftacular deeds (those are all real words), and if I'm going for a character who's generally spreading their skills across many classes, such as a spellsword or something similar, I'll pick up the Lover stone if I can get to it. Never really bothered with the other stones, though.

I typically start with whichever guardian stone suits my character best. Then like KC, I switch out to another when the opportunity arises. I never used very many of the vanilla stones though. Just the Lord stone, and the Steed stone.

After I modded the game to make the stones more useful (to me at least), I started using a lot more of them. For example, I changed the Mage stone to give you a bonus of +50 magicka, the Warrior stone to give you a +20% damage with one and two handed, and the Thief stone to give a 50% muffle and a +20% damage with bows. Almost all the others got changed too. After doing that, I have used nearly all the stones in the game.

I’ve started skipping the Guardian Stones in the beginning so that my characters level a little more slowly. I’ve gone back to get the Mage stone for battlemages whose weapon skills are outpacing their magical ones (especially Destruction). Then switch back to whatever they were using after a while. I think Allek the Breton went back for the Warrior when his thieving skills left him weak in combat. There was a time before his Sneak and Illusion got high enough when he got his backside handed to him a lot.

I use the Lord Stone for my lightly armored and unarmored characters, especially early on. Rowan (dual-wielder) used that one until she found some enchanted heavy armor she couldn’t pass up, then she switched to the Steed.

My favorite has to be the Atronach. Zuuri, Asrael, Jensa, Big D, Mikke, and of course Jerric have all taken the Atronach’s blessing. I love the unpredictability for spellswords and battlemages. Just when they run out of magicka and switch to weapons they can get hit with something enchanted and have the option to go for spells again. Lots of fun to change plans in the middle of a fight. Especially when they are also balancing offense with the need to heal. Woo hoo! Plus they absorb a lot of diseases with the Atronach, so they feel like especially healthy and robust people. A nice touch for Redguards, orcs, and Nords in my opinion.

I have some character ideas for the Lady Stone, though. The loading screen says that the enhanced health and stamina regeneration is just for a short time, but isn’t it really a constant effect? Anyway, my future zombie and blood-starved day walking vampire characters will no doubt go for the Lady. The zombie won’t be able to use potions or spells to heal because he is dead, and I think that a stage four vampire fighting a fire dragon in daylight might need all the help she can get.

Wow, I had no idea we can switch from stone to stone. No idea. Jeez.

Most of my characters seem to just pick one of the main 3 stones just outside of Riverwood, especially if they've tagged along with the Nord or Imperial who leads them out of Helgen. I don't think Skankee Krahk-ho ever chose a stone, since she never officially did the Tutorial.

I haven't really used any other stones than Warrior, Mage or the Stealth one.

You are correct. The Lady Stone is a constant +25% to health and stamina recovery. So it is always on.

Since I always set the automated health regen to zero, I never used the Lady until I modded the stones. That one I changed to give a constant 20 point fortify health, and a constant 20% bonus to regenerating magicka and stamina.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Dec 22 2012, 04:33 AM

Your stones sound much better, SubRosa. I would choose a bonus to magicka regeneration over health.

Now that I know I can use Argis the Bulwark as a stand-in for Jerric, Darnand will eventually get his own game. That's when I'll try out the Apprentice Stone.

I've used all the stones at this point, and have a pretty good default at this point.

I've only ever used the Apprentice to combine with a Breton, and only because the amount of time I'm fighting dragons means that magic weakness needs to be offset somehow.

I'll use the Steed for warriors and spellswords that use heavy armor, but if I end up with a fully improved and enchanted set of heavy armor, the weightless perk is pretty much a given.

The Lord Stone I'll use for thieves and rangers. Nothing sucks worse than losing one's concealment and being unable to either run away or defend myself. The Lord is good for soaking damage while I concentrate on 'advancing in a different direction.'

I don't use the Ritual Stone much. It's a rather hit-or-miss power, and is great in emergency situations. I like to avoid emergency situations. If I need to raise some dead, I'll go back, grab the Mage Stone, and level my Conjuration.

Same for the Tower. I don't usually play straight up thieves, and barely used the daily power when I had it. More worthwhile to simply level my lockpicking with the Thief Stone.

The Shadow and the Serpent Stones: a little magic is always good. But spells are better than Powers, and Ice Form shouts and Throw Voice shouts recharge. I used them each, not anymore.

I will use the Lover Stone when training cross-class skills, but only if I'm also currently a werewolf. Otherwise, it's easier to just head to Helgen, grab one Guardian Stone, visit my spouse, and then do some appropriate training. Back to Helgen to switch stones, rinse, repeat. I do this whenever I need levels to collect perks but have maxed my current skills.

I do like the Lady, another great one for warriors and rangers. The health to keep fighting, and the stamina to keep running, are great when I don't have spells to throw into the mix. Extra stamina to swing weapons, hold a bow steady, and shield bash is nothing to sneeze at.

As for the Atronach Stone: without a doubt, my all-time favorite. This, combined with the Atronach perk, the quicker magicka=regen perks in Restoartion, and Ward Absorb with Spellbreaker means I'm soaking spells like Superman absorbs solar radiation to power him, and then I'm laying down the law, Dragon-Style.

There is nothing more hilarious than watching a nearly out-of-magicka Breton Spellsword take a full blast of whatever a Thalmor Justicar can throw down, then responding with a Lightning Storm to send him back to the Mythic Age.

This post has been edited by Captain Hammer: Dec 26 2012, 07:13 AM