Orsimer (Skyrim)



The Orsimer (more commonly known as Orcs), are the sophisticated barbarian peoples of the Wrothgarian and Dragontail Mountains.

They are common in the walking city of Bosmer kings, Falinesti, and in other great cities throughout Tamriel. They are, in fact, elves or mer, hence the name Orsimer, meaning "Pariah Ones."

They are noted for their unshakable courage in war and their unflinching endurance of hardships. In the past, Orcs have been widely feared and hated by the other nations and races of Tamriel, but they have slowly won acceptance in the Empire, in particular for their distinguished service in the Imperial Legion. Most of the Nords in Skyrim don't appreciate the Orsimer, thus they create strongholds in the wilderness, most of which worship the daedric lord, Malacath. Many blacksmiths try to impress the Orcs for access to the Ebony mine they own. Orcish armorers are prized for their craftsmanship, and Orc warriors in heavy armor are among the finest front-line troops in the Empire and fearsome when using their Berserker Rage. Most Imperial citizens regard Orc society as rough and cruel, but there is much to admire in their fierce tribal loyalties and generous equality of rank and respect among the sexes. The Orsimer (Orcs) are the tallest race in the The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, perfectly standing on equal ground as The Altmer (High Elves), both standing at a scale of 1.10. However, in First Person mode, height will always remain at a scale of 1.00, the height of the Nords. Most orcs are found in strongholds throughout Skyrim. Though that said, some are seen in major cities such as Morthal and Markarth.

Skill Bonuses

 * +10 Heavy Armor (Level 25)
 * +5 Block (Level 20)
 * +5 Enchanting (Level 20)
 * +5 One-Handed (Level 20)
 * +5 Smithing (Level 20)
 * +5 Two-Handed (Level 20)

Starting Spells

 * Flames (Destruction)
 * Healing (Restoration)

Special Abilities

 * Berserker Rage : The player takes half damage and does double damage for 60 seconds. This does not apply to damage dealt by spells; however, it does stack with other physical damage buffs. While Berserker Rage is active, the screen turns red and a little blurry while sound dulls a bit.

Popular Usage & Unique Gameplay Styles
The Orsimer have several interesting and unique gameplay styles:

The Orsimer are arguably the best race to choose for a pure warrior which adds value and weight to the widely known phrase "No one bests an Orc."

Blademaster:
The Orc is a good race when trying to dual wield weapons; for one they have a great bonus to heavy armor which you will need to provide extra defense; secondly, their racial power gives you an advantage with high damage and/or tanky opponents allowing you to dish a high amount of damage quickly while not sacrificing much of your defense. Their bonus to Enchanting can also give the player a powerful advantage by making up for the lack of speed and defense when using two-handed weapons.

The Tank:
Since Orcs have bonuses for heavy armor and blocking as well as smithing, they are natural candidates for a tank-style character. Combine these natural bonuses with their racial ability of Berserker Rage (which allows the player to take half damage and deal double damage for 60 seconds), and they become even more of a tanking powerhouse.

Using a shield and a one-handed weapon, an Orc can easily block incoming damage and stagger his/her target with a shield bash. Using a two-handed weapon, their defense is lowered, but they are able to dish out a greater amount of damage.

As a tank, your primary objective is to withstand as much damage as possible while dishing out maximum damage. Good Heavy Armor skill benefits greatly with this in mind, and high One-Handed/Two-Handed and Block all contribute to the offensive component of tanking. The Berserker Rage ability is possibly the most compelling property of Orcs lending t a tanking style, causing the damage received to be halved while damage dealt is doubled for 60 seconds.

With each level, characters can either improve their magicka, health or stamina. Since power attacks and shield bashes require a good amount of stamina, it would be wise to definitely invest in this statistic. Also, since your character will be in the thick of battle, taking the health bonus is advisable as well. Unless you aren't going to improve your magicka skills (such as Restoration for a quick heal), taking magicka couldn't hurt, but your main priorities should be health and stamina. Also, consider that your character will have access to the Dragon Shouts to augment their fighting capabilities. As for Perks, focusing in One-Handed and Block are important. If you're looking into making your own armor through Smithing, placing points there would not be a bad idea. Also, Heavy Armor is important as it lessens the damage you take while fighting.

Smithing is a great help for this type of character as it lets you make your own armor and weaponry. While the materials for it are sometimes difficult to come across, it is an easier way to gear yourself up than spending exorbitant amounts of gold on armor and weapons.

Orcs are useful when fighting harder enemies at lower levels. Their Berserker Rage ability allows you to take on enemies four times their strength. Newly made Orc characters can even kill giants with this ability, provided that the player is of sufficient skill.

In previous games, Orcs have rarely, if ever, delved into the magical arts. However, as an Orc is head of the Arcanium at the College of Winterhold, it wouldn't be far-fetched to make an Orsimer Destruction-mastery Mage. Also, in many of the Orc Strongholds, you will find female orc magicians who can sell you magic items and alchemy related items.

Easter Eggs
In a random loading screen a player can see an orc that has blood on his body this may be a reference to God Of War. The blood on the orc repersents the markings on Kratos (God of War). The hide bracers represent the chains on Kratos. And the Orc represents being strong like Kratos.

Related Pages

 * Skills - Skills in Skyrim
 * Spells - Spells in Skyrim
 * Perks - Perks in Skyrim