The Elder Scrolls: Blades is a free-to-play game from Bethesda Game Studios. Bethesda is the renowned publisher behind franchises like Doom, Fallout, Rage, and more. While the game is a radical departure for the series, there are still many similarities. Unfortunately, you don't have an open-world to explore, but you do have a town to build and dungeons to master.
If you're just starting out in The Elder Scrolls: Blades, you'll want to make sure you master the combat and use other tips and tricks to ensure a smooth transition into the experience. We've compiled a list of them to give you a deeper understanding of the game.
Trigger critical hits
In order to quickly dispatch enemies like bandits and goblins, you have to hold down your finger until the circle is full. If you miss the timing, you won't land a critical hit. This technique will take a while to master so don't give up after your first few battles.
Use tap movement
The Elder Scrolls: Blades offers two options for movement. Either you can use on-screen thumbsticks to move around, or tap where you want to go. The on-screen thumbsticks are quite clunky, so you should tap to move.
Explore your surroundings
Almost every level has a secret area which contains a chest. In order to find this, you have to thoroughly explore every level and click on an object — usually a level — that opens up a door that contains even more loot.
Remember to heal
Whenever you embark on a quest, you'll find that each level is dotted with a lot of items. Most of these are cabbages, carrots, meat, and other delicious treats. After every battle, remember to top off your health by tapping these foods. This action will allow you to consume the item and get ready for the next battle.
Collect chests
Chests give you gear and each mission contains two to three or them. Collect them and open them. Opening wooden chests require no time, but if you find a silver one, you'll have to wait a few hours before you can see what's inside. There's always the option to use gems, but it's best to use gems to upgrade your inventory instead.
Pick up loot
Defeating every enemy drops a lot of items like coin purses or crystals. Unfortunately, loot isn't automatically added to your inventory. You have to tap on it after each battle to pick it up. This is similar to what happened in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim where you would have to loot an opponent's corpse to acquire items.
Observe difficulty levels
If you won't have great gear, don't attempt quests that have four or five skulls next to them. This is foolhardy because you can always go back and complete them after you've found a better weapon.
Remember to block
While defeating a goblin is easy, some enemies do a lot of damage. If you're using a shield, remember to block because some enemies do quite a lot of damage and you risk failing the mission.
Don't use gems to open chests or build faster
Gems are a precious commodity and Bethesda is even selling them through microtransactions ranging from $2 to $100. Instead of using them to open chests or build faster, you should use them to buy chests or upgrade your inventory space.
Revive only when an enemy is weak
Don't waste scrolls reviving all the time. If an enemy is too challenging, do some lower-level quests until you acquire better gear. Only revive if you know you can defeat an enemy, not when you're frustrated and want to keep on hacking away.
Upgrade your town
Remember, the end-goal of The Elder Scrolls: Blades is to upgrade your town and restore it to its former glory. Whenever you earn enough coin, you should build a house or two on the ruins. This will raise your town's prestige, which in turn, will allow you to build even more structures.
Upgrade inventory space
Initially, your inventory space is quite limited. Instead of using gems for other pursuits, upgrade your inventory space so that you can carry even more items. This will help you in the future because you won't have to abandon loot.
Hopefully, these tips and tricks will help you enjoy The Elder Scrolls: Blades even more. In order to make the most of it, you don't have to purchase the gem crates. Being careful about how you spend them is the key to success.
Which one of these did you find most useful? Are there some you employ that we didn't mention here? Let us know.
Return to Tamriel
The Elder Scrolls: Blades is a free-to-play game from Bethesda. Bethesda is the renowned publisher behind franchises like Doom, Fallout, Rage, and more. While the game is a radical departure for the series, there are still many similarities.
