'Elder Scrolls: Blades' Race Guide: On Bonuses, How to Change Race and Which is Best

The Elder Scrolls: Blades has 10 unique races for players to choose from, but which is best? Find out everything you need to know about races' perks, abilities, plus how to change race, here.​

On Friday, Elder Scrolls: Blades opened its early access to all players on PC, Android and iOS. One of the earliest tasks in Elder Scrolls: Blades has to do with choosing a race and customizing your character. The game boasts 10 different races players can choose from — each with its own unique background story. The races also include different perks or abilities that may give it an advantage in various gameplay scenarios. If you're wondering which race it best, it really depends on what your goals are in the game and your specific gameplay style. In order to help you make an informed decision, we've put together a guide of every race in Elder Scrolls: Blades, along with its individual bonuses. We've also included instructions for how to change your race later if you decide you don't like the one you picked.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades Races Guide - Perks and Bonuses for All 10 Races

No matter which race you choose in Elder Scrolls: Blades, all share the same skills, spells and perks upgrade tree. Everytime you level up, you'll be given 1-2 skill points which you can use to unlock new perks or abilities on your skill tree. What makes each race special, however, are the specific bonuses each has associated with it. Below are all the starting bonuses for each Elder Scrolls: Blades race.

Argonian

• 5 percent increase in Health Regen
• 5 percent increase in Damage with Daggers , Hand Axes, Light Hammers

Breton

• 10 percent increase in Spell Resistance
• 5 percent increase in Damage with Longswords, War Axes and Maces

Dark Elf

• 15 percent increase in Fire Resistance
• 5 percent increase in Damage with Spells

High Elf

• 15 percent increase in Shock Resistance
• 5 percent increase in Magicka Regeneration

Imperial

• 5 percent increase in Health restored from Healing Effects
• 5 percent increase in Damage with Longswords, War Axes and Maces

Khajit

• 5 percent increase in Armor Rating
• 10 percent increase in Poison Damage

Nord

• 15 percent increase in Frost Resistance
• 5 percent increase in Damage with Greatswords , Battle Axes and Warhammers

Orc

• 5 percent increase in Armor Rating
• 5 percent increase in Damage with Abilities

Redguard

• 15 percent increase in Poison Resistance
• 5 percent increase in Stamina Regeneration

Wood Elf

• 15 percent increase in Poison Resistance
• 5 percent increase in Damage with Abilities

How To Change Race & Appearance In The Elder Scrolls Blades

In order to change your race, you'll need to get to the point in the story where rebuilding takes place. You will need to rebuild both the Town Hall and the Blacksmith. Once you have, a new NPC named Theodor Gorlash will be unlocked. Go talk to him — he should be found standing near the entrance of your town. You can ask him about changing your character. From there he'll take you to a customization menu where you can change your character's race and appearance.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades Tier List - Which Race is Best?

So far an official tier list hasn't been developed. While in most Elder Scrolls games, training a magical race like a High Elf has been most advantageous during late gameplay, Elder Scrolls Blades seems to operate a bit differently. Players can't make ranged attacks so this can hamper some of the skills of races that rely heavily on spells and ranged attacks. While we can't speak for everyone, personally we prefer playing as Breton or Imperial. Breton's powerful Spell resistance comes in handy during later gameplay, while the Imperial Healing bonus can take you pretty far as well.

Which race do you think is best in Elder Scrolls: Blades? Share your thoughts in the comments below.