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The Elder Scrolls series has been a mainstay in gaming for decades, with its main titles becoming definitive entries into the fantasy RPG genre. Although you’ve likely already visited the cold and harsh lands of Skyrim or the breathtaking swamplands of Morrowind, you may be yet to discover the Battlespire.
An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire is an old spinoff that is set in the Battlespire, where young hopefuls such as yourself must complete a final test in order to become Imperial battlemages. With the game being released on the Xbox Game Pass, new players may take on the battlespire’s challenges, and face Mehrunes Dagon’s Daedric shenanigans. Using some handy beginner tips, you may have an easier time getting back to Tamriel in one piece.
10 Check Out Existing Classes Before Your First Run
It may seem like a lot, but you’ll want to look through the 18 existing classes before you make your choice. This will introduce you to many of the skills, advantages, and disadvantages that will come into play when you start the game. Once you get a feel for things and see which matches your playstyle, you can either pick one (and tweak it as you please), or create your own class.
Finding the build you like is essential for gameplay, and classes don’t work the same way they do in later titles like Elder Scrolls Online. The manual will recommend spellsword or battlemage as an easy starting point, although you can always branch out if there are certain attributes you want to focus on or leave to the side.
9 Take Your Time With Point And Skill Distribution
When creating your class, you start with a base of 4,700 free points, 50 points in wounds, and 50 points in every category (Strength, Endurance, Luck, etc.) Wounds must always have a minimum of 50, but you can actually lower everything else to zero if you want to prioritize certain aspects.
Although this initially seems like an overwhelming number, it is extremely useful in making a very personalized build. For your first run, it’s best to be liberal with your point allocation to Wounds, especially as you won’t be able to rest or buy potions in the game. Stealth is also not well-implemented here, so you’ll want to focus on other styles.
Finally, be decisive about the points you’ll put into skills, especially if you are making a custom class where you pick every major and minor skill bonus on top of your primary skills.
8 Focus On Attributes Over Skills
It may feel natural to want to put all your points into your skills, as those are literally your tools of the trade. However, the effectiveness of your skills is directly tied to the number of points you have in the relevant attributes.
Sure, you’ll want to put enough points on skills and advantages, but the main focus should be your attributes. Your skills will naturally increase as you play, so they will level up the more you use them. Attributes are static until you add points, so you’ll want to start strong and continue padding them every time you finish a level. Doing so will inherently increase the power of your skills.
7 Save A Few Points From Character Creation
Although this isn’t necessary, you may find some benefit in leaving just a few unspent points after character creation. Despite the game’s unforgiving nature, the first level is pretty survivable, so you'll have room to figure out what attributes you’ll really want to pour more points into. Don’t feel the need to use up everything when making your character.
More than simply giving yourself some leeway, this technique will also help you boost your most-used skills easily. This way, you have a bigger pool of points you can spend on “upgrades” before taking on the next level. Do note that points no longer carry over after the first level, so you’ll want to use up all your points here, and any subsequent points every time you finish a stage.
6 Don't Be Afraid Of Disadvantages
You may think that it's unwise to give your character any limitations that ultimately affect their overall strength, but giving yourself disadvantages in the character creation stage will actually help you gain way more points to start with. The game basically allows you to pick strengths and weaknesses that can turn the tide of gameplay.
It's not actually a major sacrifice if you already have a specific build in mind. The game is pretty generous with the number of points you receive for choosing disadvantages, especially if you add forbidden weapons that your character can't use. In return, you get thousands of points that can really buff up your character's attributes and Wounds early on. You can also spend the extra points on helpful advantages, like health regeneration and immunity. Considering how punishing the game can be once you're actually in the dungeons, you'll want as many points as you can get in the beginning.
5 Rebind Your Controls
Battlespire is more than two decades old, so it’s going to feel dated in many ways. Even though many old games stand the test of time, controls can feel very janky.
The camera leaves something to be desired, and the key bindings for movement and actions are, to put it lightly, messy. Even if you want the “vanilla” experience, you’ll want to rebind the character movement and view buttons for a more comfortable time. This way, you can focus on other gameplay elements, like holding the jump button to determine how far forward you will leap, using mouse movement to swing weapons, and using quick slots.
4 Hunt Those Sigils and Potions
As you make your way through seemingly endless dungeons, you will be faced with the horrific fact that there are no merchants, or ways to rest and regain your health and magicka. So, whenever you get the chance, get those sigils and potions.
Hoarding isn’t the best route here, so it’s best to use sigils and potions even just to level up your skills. The minute you find a restorative potion, use it to get as much health as you can. Many dangers lurk in every corner.
3 Remember That Time Won't Pause While Checking Your Inventory
If you’re used to being able to check out your inventory in peace, knowing that the whole world will stand still while you’re rummaging in there, then you must know that the clock will keep running in the Battlespire. Its inhabitants, friendly and otherwise, will stop in their tracks, but other factors will not.
Any time-based effects you may be banking on will continue to run, even if you’re just in the inventory screen. Make sure you are really pausing the game if that’s what you want to do. Buffs or debuffs will continue counting down otherwise.
2 Consider Talking To Your Enemies
This game can be difficult, especially when your character is still in the early stages of protagonist power. Even as you beef up your skills and attributes, harder challenges await. The good thing is that you can speak to any enemy you encounter and get a truce of sorts.
Although you may be itching to hack and slash, the diplomatic route can save your skin in dire moments. The various enemy dialogues can be funny, interesting, and helpful, especially since you can get some enemies to fight other tough ones if you use the right words. Just don’t expect talking to be a surefire hit each time, especially as you come across more dangerous beings down the line.
1 Watch Out For Bugs!
It wouldn’t be an Elder Scrolls game without its mystifying magic, wondrous lore, and, well, infuriating bugs. Remember all those fun bugs that made Skyrim more memorable? Be ready to encounter tons of different issues when you play this game.
Checking your inventory, jumping at a wall, saving in certain spots, and many other random triggers can cause your game to freeze. Pressing escape will sometimes fix this. Other bugs are less bothersome, like clipping NPCs and enemies harming themselves. Sometimes, the game will crash or glitch on you. For these, you may want to lower the resolution — yes, even if your PC is far from a potato.
If you’re just starting out, you must understand that you will definitely come across at least one bug. Think of it as another trick from that pesky Mehrunes Dagon.