General:The Elder Scrolls: Legends – Exploring the Races

This page exists to preserve the race descriptions provided on The Elder Scrolls: Legends – Exploring the Races, which was written by Anne Lewis (Senior Content Manager at Bethesda) and originally published May 26, 2016 on Bethesda.net. The original article can be found here.

Tamriel is home to an array of peoples: fierce warriors from the mountains of Skyrim, magically inclined inhabitants of the Summerset Isles, stealthy dwellers of the Black Marsh and more.

Each race has its own unique strengths and weakness, and each is represented in The Elder Scrolls: Legends. "We set out to make a big game filled with strategic possibilities, and the depth of The Elder Scrolls lore provided us with a huge world to explore,” says Paul Dennen, Creative Director at Dire Wolf Digital. “When we began to bring that world to life, the first place we looked was to the people of Tamriel." Decks built around specific races can benefit from the general “strength in numbers” philosophy, as many creatures will buff and compliment their kin. Before we explore this topic in even more detail in our upcoming Legendary Races series, let’s meet the inhabitants of Tamriel and uncover some of the ways in which they might fit your playstyle.

Nords

These incredibly hardy warriors prefer face-to-face combat over magic and trickery. If you’re looking to craft a deck around these fierce men and women, check through the Strength and Willpower attributes. Many Nords are buffed by the loss of an enemy rune, gaining strength or even granting you health.

Khajiit

Khajiit is definitely not innocent. Khajiit undoubtedly stole something.

With agility and grace on their side, the Khajiit are the most capable thieves in Tamriel. Khajiit fall under both the Agility attribute and the Willpower attribute, and can commonly be found with the Pilfer ability, a sneaky skill with a variety of bonuses. Some, like the Daring Cutpurse, gain a boost to their damage and health every time they attack their opponent directly. Others draw a card or even steal another creature’s items.

High Elves

The Altmer have been around for a very long time, and they’ve picked up a few tricks in that time. They are highly intelligent and skilled in the ways of magic, specializing in spellcasting. When you build a deck around High Elves (who have Intelligence and Willpower attributes), you’ll gather a lot of magical action cards and creatures that apply damage or health bonuses to the other cards around them.

Bretons

The Bretons are skilled spellcasters, thanks to their elven ancestors, but they are also skilled soldiers. Able to summon powerful Wards and even more powerful creatures in battle, the Bretons are more than capable of standing their ground against even the fiercest of opponents. You’ll find these warrior mages in the Intelligence and Endurance attributes.

Redguards

The Redguard are naturally gifted warriors, skilled in all weapon-based forms of combat, as well as some Destruction magic, which is why they can be seen in the Strength and Intelligence attributes. When you build a Redguard-themed deck, be sure to pack it with plenty of items, as many Redguard creatures receive an added boost when they are equipped with an item.

Argonians

Hailing from the swampy Black Marshes, the Argonians have grown skilled in the art of guerilla warfare – striking quickly, and lethally. Though not the strongest race, these clever Hist-descendants can draw upon their roots to grant you extra magicka. Build your deck using the Agility and Endurance attributes to make the most of the Argonians.

Dark Elves

Intelligent and distrustful, the Dunmer are masters of magic and stealth, making them excellent assassins. The Dark Elves of Morrowind are masters of death in The Elder Scrolls: Legends, and many of the Dark Elf creatures you’ll find in the Intelligence and Agility attributes possess the Last Gasp ability, which allows them to take a final action when they are destroyed.

Imperials

From the heart of Tamriel, Imperials are educated and wealthy. Since they can afford to build and outfit vast, powerful armies, Imperials like to strike in force. These Willpower- and Endurance-based cards are designed to fill lanes, and though some of their creatures are low-cost and weak, many Imperial cards act as buffs, which can turn a few grunt cards into something much more dangerous.

Orcs

Orcs are typically not big fans of any creature that isn’t an Orc; while other races are strong when paired with their own kind, none of them benefit as highly as the Orcs. They prefer to fight alongside each other, and when you play them on the battlefield together you’ll create an incredibly strong berserker army. You’ll find these brutal warriors in the Strength and Endurance attributes.

Wood Elves

Unlike their other elven kin, the Bosmer of the Valenwood are hunters. Skilled at stalking their prey and catching foes by surprise, Wood Elves are excellent at destroying their enemies while they’re weak. Found in the Strength and Agility attributes, Wood Elf creatures are a mix of brawn and stealth. Take advantage of many of the Wood Elves’ Summons, which allow them to deal damage as soon as they are placed on the battlefield. Unlike the Charge ability – which lets the creature move but still trade damage with the card it’s attacking – Wood Elves can fire a volley of arrows, wounding (or even destroying) enemy creatures, without stepping into the fray and taking damage themselves.