Archery in Skyrim: Elder Scrolls V is a finicky thing; it’s far less rewarding than using magic or close-combat weapons, and it can be extremely difficult to maneuver if you lack many perks in your Archery Skill. Archery becomes even less manageable once players realize they’ll need to keep a steady supply of arrows on them and won’t ever be able to hold a shield or dual-wield as an archer.
Archery, however, can be an extremely useful combat skill to have when mastered. Archery can be great for those in the Thieves Guild as well, as it goes hand in hand with stealth and light armor. Getting good at archery through training can be a hassle though, which is a solid reason why many people don’t pursue it. There is a way to get good at archery without ever having to spend hours practicing, however, and that’s by getting lessons. Many NPCs in Skyrim offer archery lessons, though they do come at steep prices. Use this guide to max out your Archery Skill through lessons in Skyrim: Elder Scrolls V without ever paying a dime!
How to Gain Free Archery Lessons in Skyrim: Elder Scrolls V
Archery lessons are a great way to level up your Archery Skill, but the NPCs who offer them charge a lot more than what’s necessary. There are, however, a few ways to avoid these costly fees.
Gaining Faendal as a Follower
Faendal is a wood elf and can be found very early in the game in Riverwood. Faendal is an archer and will offer to train the player up to level 50, but charges thousands of gold in exchange for lessons. Gaining him as a follower, however, will grant the player access to his inventory, including his stash of gold.
If Faendal is gained as a follower, any gold that is given to him will be accessible in his inventory, including gold he’s been given in exchange for archery lessons. Gaining a follower for the sole purpose of free archery lessons seems unnecessarily complicated, but it’s definitely worth it. If you’re unsure how to execute this process, here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Travel to Riverwood and locate Faendal.
- Complete “A Lovely Letter” quest in Faendal’s favor.
- Ask Faendal to follow you.
- Talk to Faendal and ask if he can train you to be better at archery.
- Faendal will allow you to train up to five levels at a time, per character level.
- Once the training has been completed, talk to Faendal again and ask him to trade some things with you.
- Once access to Faendal’s inventory has been gained, you will then be able to take back all the gold he was just paid for the archery lessons.
- You may keep Faendal as a follower, or you can dismiss him by talking to him and telling him it’s time for you two to part ways.
Gaining Aela the Huntress as a Follower
Aela the Huntress is a member of the Companions and can be found in Jorrvaskr in Whiterun. Aela is an accomplished archer and will train the player up to level 75. Players will need to join the Companions and play along their questline to be trained by Aela and gain her as a follower, however. This may seem needlessly complex for free archery lessons, but it’s perfect for fans of the Companion questline and truly dedicated archers.
Even after joining the Companions, Aela will still charge the player outrageous amounts of gold for her archery lessons. You don’t need to necessarily gain her as a follower to get free archery lessons, but it does make it easier to get your gold back. If you only want the free lessons and not the follower, you can always pickpocket the money back from Aela. After joining the Companions, here’s what you need to do to get your free archery lessons:
- Locate Aela, she’s normally wandering around Jorrvaskr or training with the other Companion members.
- Talk to her and ask her to train you to be better at archery.
- Aela will train you five levels at a time, per character level.
- If you’re not far enough in the Companions questline to gain Aela as a follower, merely get out of her sight once training has been completed.
- Crouch to hide and make certain no other Companion members are watching.
- Pickpocket Aela and transfer all the gold she was given for the archery lessons back into your inventory.
- Getting caught stealing in the Companions can mean trouble, so drinking a Fortify Pickpocket potion or leveling up your Pickpocket Skill would be beneficial beforehand.
- If you are far enough into the Companions questline, you will be able to gain Aela as a follower.
- Once Aela is an active follower, her inventory and all her gold will be accessible.
- Talk to Aela and ask her to trade some things with you.
- Once her inventory has been accessed, simply transfer all the gold she was given for the lessons back into your own inventory.
- You may keep Aela as a follower, or you may dismiss her by talking to her and telling her it’s time for you two to part ways.
Train with Niruin in the Thieves Guild
Niruin is an elf and a skilled archer within the Thieves Guild. Niruin’s odd choice of guilds becomes apparent when the player is presented with the bill for his archery lessons; even after joining the same faction, Niruin will rob the player blind with his archery training.
Leveling up with Niruin is a bit trickier, as he cannot be made a follower. However, he can train players up to Archery level 90, and all players need to do is join the Thieves Guild to find him. Once you’ve joined the Thieves Guild, Niruin can be found wandering around either the Ragged Flagon or the Ragged Flagon Cistern. To get your free lessons from Niruin, here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Talk to Niruin and ask him to train you to be better at archery.
- Niruin will train you up to five levels at a time, per character level.
- Once training has been completed, you’ll need to get out of Niruin’s line of sight.
- Crouch and make sure you’re hidden from Niruin and other Thieves Guild members.
- Once hidden, pickpocket Niruin.
- You’ll find all the gold you just paid him in his inventory, and you’ll be able to pickpocket the gold back from Niruin.
- Niruin is a tricky NPC to pickpocket, try leveling up your Pickpocket Skill or drink a Fortify Pickpocket potion before attempting to steal back your gold.
Train with Angi in Angi’s Camp
Angi is the simplest NPC to gain free archery lessons from because she doesn’t charge any gold! However, you will need to do some actual shooting for this one. Angi can be found in Angi’s Camp, a small, secluded camp nestled in the mountains just south of Falkreath.
Angi is unable to be gained as a follower, but thankfully, she doesn’t need to be to get her archery lessons. To get the Archery Skill points, Angi will give the player four rounds of archery practice. Completing all four rounds will grant the player a total of six Archery Skill points. If you’re unsure how to execute this process, here’s what you need to do to gain Angi’s free archery lessons:
- Locate Angi’s Camp by traveling south through the mountains by Falkreath.
- Go into Angi’s house and locate her bedroom. There will be a book on her bedside table that, when read, gives a free Archery Skill point.
- Locate Angi, she will likely be in her home, by a campfire outside her home, or using her shooting range nearby.
- Talk to Angi and ask her about the archery targets set up nearby. This will prompt her to offer free archery lessons at your leisure.
- Talk to her again and tell her you’re ready to begin archery lessons with her.
- She will offer the player a bow to practice with and will then lead the player toward her personal archery range nearby, where she will also offer free practice arrows to use.
- Angi will give the player a practice session, where the player must hit each of the three targets in her shooting range.
- After this, you can talk to her again and ask her for more lessons, where she will give the player a series of exponentially difficult archery challenges.
- The player’s Archery Skill should significantly increase by the end of these challenges, and if all are completed accordingly, Angi will then gift the player with her bow (Angi’s Bow).
With all these skilled archers at your disposal, maxing out your Archery Skill shouldn’t be too difficult, especially when all the lessons were gained for free. A good archer doesn’t need to be rich or masochistic (spending hours out in the woods or in battle trying to hit speeding targets) to max out their level.
Related: How to Become a Master Alchemist in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Being an Archer in Skyrim doesn’t need to be painful, or expensive. If played correctly, archery can be one of the most straightforward, beneficial combat types in the game!
If you love Skyrim: Elder Scrolls V and want to fill your time playing games just like it, try playing The Forgotten City, or Elder Scrolls Online!
