What is the best Oblivion Remastered race? The denizens of Cyrodiil, and by extension, Tamriel, are a varied bunch. From your standard Bretons to the more fantastical Argonians, each race has innate strengths that separate it from its peers. What’s more, each race comes with two different origins, each of which provides its own attribute bonuses.
Needless to say, figuring out the best race in Oblivion Remastered is easier said than done. As we maintain in our best Oblivion Remastered birthsign guide, the best option is typically tied to your intended build path. With this in mind, we’ll be breaking down our race (and origin) recommendations based on the standard RPG combat triangle: melee, ranged, and magic. We’ll also be offering up the best race for stealth builds – the Bethesda special – as well as the best all-rounder if you like to do a bit of everything.
The best race in Oblivion Remastered for each build path is as follows:
- Melee: Orc (Stronghold)
- Ranged: Wood Elf (Reaper’s March)
- Magic: High Elf (Summerset Isle)
- Stealth: Khajiit (Anequina)
- All-rounder: Dark Elf (Vvardenfell)
Best Oblivion Remastered race for melee – Orc (Stronghold)
- Attributes: 45 Strength, 30 Intelligence, 55 Willpower, 35 Agility, 30 Speed, 55 Endurance, 30 Personality, 50 Luck
- Notes: Excellent armor craftsmanship (Armorer +15), Magic Resistance (25%), Berserker Rage ability (simultaneously casts Fortify Fatigue 200 points, Fortify Health 20 points, Fortify Strength 50 points, and Drain Agility 100 points, lasting 60 seconds once per day), Augmented Willpower (55 Willpower)
- Alternatives: Redguard (Dragontail Mountains), Nord (Western)
Boasting incredible innate strength and endurance stats alongside passive magic resistance, the Stronghold Orc is an absolute unit out in the field. The beastly brawlers also boast 55 Willpower, which is more significant than you may think. Though Willpower typically governs passive Magicka regen, it also contributes handsomely to Fatigue regen – something you’re going to need for dishing out the big hits.
The cherry on top of this is the Orc’s Berserker Rage ability, which provides a chunk of durability stats upon cast. Sure, it can only be used once per day, but when popped in a pinch, you will never die.
There are two solid alternatives to the Orc for melee builds. The first is the dextrous Dragontail Mountains Redguard, which is even stronger at 50 Strength, while maintaining that meaty 55 Endurance. Redguards also have natural disease and poison resistance (75%), and can access the Adrenaline Rush ability, which provides excellent melee combat bonuses. The big point of separation here is that Redguards gain bonuses to Athletics and Light Armor, making them much more nimble fighters than straight-up destroyers.
Then there’s the Western Nord. Again, we’re looking at 50 Strength and 55 Endurance, though this race comes complete with Frost Resistance (50%) and the ability to shield themselves once per day. They’re much more defensively-minded than the other two options, but if pure tankiness is your thing, there you go.
Best Oblivion Remastered race for ranged – Wood Elf (Reaper’s March)
- Attributes: 30 Strength, 40 Intelligence, 35 Willpower, 50 Agility, 50 Speed, 35 Endurance, 40 Personality, 50 Luck
- Notes: Nimble and quick (50 Agility and 50 Speed), Disease Resistance (75%), Can command simple creatures (commands creatures up to level five for 60 seconds once per day), Improved Personality (40 Personality)
- Alternatives: Khaajiit (Pellitine), Dark Elf (Vvardenfell)
Bringing unparalleled nimbleness to the fore, it’s unsurprising that the Reaper’s March Wood Elf gets the nod from us when it comes to ranged proficiency. Their flavor text specifies “there are no finer archers in all of Tamriel,” and we’re inclined to agree.
Sacrificing sturdiness for a very respectable 50 Agility and 50 Speed, zipping around Cyrodiil while picking off Daedric threats is a breeze. This is further accentuated by the massive +15 Marksman bonus Wood Elves receive – the highest in the game. While the Wood Elf’s ability to command creatures quickly falls off in usefulness as you progress, this is far from the end of the world.
Considering alternative races to the Wood Elf for ranged builds, you have two options: the Khajiit and the Dark Elf. Khajiits provide the same nimbleness as Wood Elves, albeit with a measly +5 Marksman bonus. Dark Elves, meanwhile, gain a solid +10 Marksman bonus, though they only offer up 40 points of Agility. Neither is as good, but if RP’ing is your thing, they’ll prove sufficient.
Best Oblivion Remastered race for magic – High Elf (Summerset Isle)
- Attributes: 30 Strength, 50 Intelligence, 45 Willpower, 40 Agility, 40 Speed, 35 Endurance, 40 Personality, 50 Luck, 100 Magicka Bonus
- Notes: Greatly gifted in the Arcane Arts (50 Intelligence, 100 Magicka Bonus, +40 Destruction), Disease Resistance (75%), Elemental Weakness (25% to Fire, Frost, and Shock), Enhanced Speed (40 Speed)
- Alternatives: Breton (Systres)
While Elemental Weakness is the last thing you need if you’re a flimsy mage, the Summerset Isle High Elf is still the best option if you want to build the most diabolically powerful mage you can. Not only do these arcane attuned elves come with 50 Intelligence and 45 Willpower – the bread and butter attributes for any mage – but you also get a magical 100 Magicka Bonus to boot.
Should you combine the Summerset Isle High Elf with The Atronach birthsign, you’ll not only end up with the highest possible base Magicka in the game, but The Atronach’s Magicka Absorption passive essentially grants you a 50% chance to ignore those pesky weaknesses altogether – dreams. Wrap this all up in a +40 Destruction bonus-shaped bow, and you’ve got the hardest spell-slinger possible.
If you’re after more of a battlemage than a pure glass cannon, then we’d recommend making a Systres Breton. You’re still getting a 50 Magicka Bonus, 50 Intelligence, and more regen at 55 Willpower, but with plenty of durability built in. Bretons aren’t only Magicka Resistant (50%), but they can also use the Dragon Skin ability to shield themselves once per day.
Best Oblivion Remastered race for stealth – Khajiit (Anequina)
- Attributes: 40 Strength, 40 Intelligence, 35 Willpower, 50 Agility, 40 Speed, 35 Endurance, 40 Personality, 50 Luck
- Notes: Intelligent, quick, and agile (40 Intelligence, 40 Speed, 50 Agility), Can scare opponents (Demoralize ability), Sees in the dark (Can cast Night-Eye for 30 seconds unlimited times daily), Higher Strength (40 Strength)
- Alternatives: Wood Elf (Reaper’s March)
Forget the phrase ‘health is wealth,’ because in Oblivion Remastered, ‘stealth is wealth.’ Providing a tantalizing damage modifier among other boons at higher levels, sneaking around and securing stealthy takedowns has long been the preferred method for many players out in the field.
Bringing to the table plenty of Speed and Agility, a +10 Sneak bonus, the ability to see in the dark, and the means to scare opponents who spot you, if you’re after a race for a melee Sneak-based build, Khajiit has everything you need. We’ve opted for the Anequina origin over Pellitine here for the extra Strength, as you’ll want plenty of that for some hefty multiplicative Sneak damage if you prefer using heavier weaponry.
The best alternative race, and easily the better option if you’re yearning for the ol’ faithful stealth archer experience, is the Wood Elf. These roving rangers not only have the aforementioned +15 Marksman bonus, but also pack a +15 Sneak bonus – the highest in the game. The Wood Elf is the prime candidate for the notorious stealth archer build.
Best Oblivion Remastered race for all-rounders – Dark Elf (Vvardenfell)
- Attributes: 40 Strength, 40 Intelligence, 35 Willpower, 40 Agility, 50 Speed, 45 Endurance, 30 Personality, 50 Luck
- Notes: Skilled with both the sword and bow (40 Strength and 40 Agility), Fire Resistance (75%), Aided by an ancestral ghost (Summon Ghost ability, lasts 60 seconds once per day), Improved Endurance (45 Endurance)
- Alternatives: Nord (Eastern)
The Dunmer of all trades, master of all equally, the Vvardenfell Dark Elf is the best Oblivion Remastered race if you want to tap into every combat element the RPG offers.
Putting up impressively balanced numbers across the board, alongside strong bonuses to Blade (+35), Destruction (+40), and Marksman (+10), Dark Elves are the most versatile race in the game. This makes them the prime candidate for the fabled Spellsword build – one of the best Oblivion Remastered classes around.
Dark Elves also have access to one of the coolest innate spells out of all the races, as they can summon an ancestral guardian to fight alongside them once per day. A top-tier spec sheet and a spooky friend? Perfection. Dark Elves also come with a whopping 75% Fire Resistance, which is ideal when trawling through the blazing hellscape of Oblivion.
There aren’t any truly great alternatives to the Dark Elf when it comes to a balanced build, but we will at least offer up the Nords. They’re not fabulous rangers (you only get a measly +5 Marksman bonus), but they have a decent stat spread elsewhere and lack innate weaknesses that could hamper their performance.
And those are the options for the best race in Oblivion Remastered for each build path. If you’ve got a demonic build to showcase, come and do so over in the PCGamesN Discord. Otherwise, go and check out all the best Oblivion Remastered console commands and cheats available.
