Conjuration magic inThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredis used to call upon summons, or unique entities that are among some of the strongest allies your character can have. Summons come in all shapes and sizes, from volatile elemental Atronachs to resilient undead Skeletons and Zombies called forth from necromancy. However, some conjured creatures are better to use in battle compared to others, as some summons have fewer weaknesses.
To access the best summons in the game, you first have tolevel up your Conjuration skill inOblivion Remastered. Doing so allows you to progress from Apprentice-level Conjuration magic to Journeyman, Expert, and Master-level spells for much stronger summons.Not every summon is gained from learning specific spells through an NPC, so you may have to track down some magic before you can conjure up powerful creatures.
Apprentice
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Arguably, the best low-level summon inOblivion Remasteredis theZombie, a sturdy undead withfar more health than other Apprentice summons. When compared to the Scamp, Skeleton, or Ghost, Zombies can last much longer in fights, especially against multiple enemies at once. The strongest summons are the ones who can take the pressure off your character the most, so the Zombie fulfills that purpose well.
For the intents of this list, summons created using Greater Powers inThe Shivering IslesDLC forOblivion Remasteredwill not be included. This includes strong allies like the Dark Seducer or Golden Saint, who are unique compared to normal summons.
Despite not having ranged attacks, the Zombiedeals above-average melee damageto your enemies, making it a useful ally in the early game. As you start learning how to best use Conjuration magic, the Zombie is a low-cost summon that you may use often.
Journeyman
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TheFlame Atronachis the first type of elemental summon you can create once you reach Journeyman level in your Conjuration. While this summon doesn’t last for nearly as long as undead or demons, it packs quite a punch.The fire attacks of a Flame Atronach deal a lot of damage, especially to enemies who are vulnerable to the flaming attacks it uses.
One of the reasons why this summon stands out is that ituses ranged attacks to strike enemies, making it similar to the Scamp at Apprentice-level. Unlike other undead though, the Flame Atronach resists fire while providing covering flames for your character. Certain builds can use Flame Atronachs to double down on ranged strikes or have the summon as a supportive ally behind them as they charge into enemies.
Another Journeyman-level Conjuration summon is theSkeleton Guardian, a stronger version of the normal Skeleton undead.This creature is conjured with a shield, giving it more defensive abilities than most of the aggressive summons at this level. Even through limitedcombat AI inOblivion Remastered, the Skeleton Guardian will still block plenty of damage, allowing it to survive against more enemy attacks.
Thedamage output of the Skeleton Guardian is fairly highas well, giving it the offensive might to deal with even high-level enemies. While the Guardian does get overwhelmed against too many foes, its shield gives it more longevity compared to other summons.
TheHeadless Zombieis an upgraded version of the normal Zombie, featuring all the same strengths as that starting undead at a higher scale. Thisdecapitated Zombie has a much larger health poolwhen cast from the appropriate Journeyman-level spell, with stronger melee damage too.
As you get into the higher Journeyman, Expert, and Master-level Conjuration spells, it costs far more Magicka to summon different creatures. Make sure you are upgrade your Magicka pool so you’re able to conjure certain summons multiple times before the resource runs out.
Too many enemies might be a struggle for the Headless Zombie, but its health at least distracts foes for a long enough time to help your character. TheHeadless Zombie is best used against bossesand other single-target enemies, drawing attention away while dealing good damage. Since this summon is unlikely to disappear quickly, you’ll have its support for far longer.
Expert
The next elemental summon you can get at the Expert Conjuration level is theFrost Atronach, who functions very differently from its Flame counterpart. Frost Atronachs are slow, lumbering creatures made entirely of ice,dealing Frost damage with devastating melee strikes. Despite their lack of mobility, Frost Atronachs hit extremely hard when they do reach opponents, making them perfect for clearing crowds.
A singleFrost Atronach uses its icy skin as armor, making it resist a majority of non-magical attacks. When you combine the absurd damage of a Frost Atronach with devastatingDestruction spells inOblivion Remastered, you can easily wipe out groups of lower-level enemies in one sweep. The only weaknesses of the Frost Atronach is a vulnerability to certain magic types, making it hard for them to win 1v1 fights against high-level spellcasters.
Likely the most powerful Expert-level summon inOblivion Remasteredis theDaedroth, a massive crocodile-like creature that takes inspiration from the Deathclaws in theFalloutseries. Daedroths are massive allies whose damage is on par, and often better, than Frost Atronachs. Furthermore,Daedroths possess surprising mobility for such a bulky creature, allowing them to hunt down enemies within seconds.
While lacking any ranged attacks,Daedroths have some of the highest health pools among any summons, allowing them to contend with nearly any foe. Coming from an Expert-level spell, Daedroths don’t cost as much Magicka to conjure as the remaining summons on this list. Similar to the Frost Atronach, one Daedroth is more than enough to wipe out groups of enemies and contend with even some higher level opponents.
Master
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TheLichis the strongest undead summon you can create, with enough autonomy to almost be another character alongside your own. ALich is a master spellcaster, using a myriad of magic to take down any foe you draw aggro onfrom a distance. With a decent health pool and lasting a long time in battle, Liches are excellent support summons for anymagic-focused build inOblivion Remastered.
The Lich summon does not appear with a weapon, shield, or armor, prioritizing magic as its only form of attack. Since you can only have one summon active at a time, be careful when and where you create a Lich to use its skills effectively.
The magic that a Lich uses depends on what staff it spawns withwhen you conjure it. If your RNG is good, your Lich will use relentless AoE or single-target damage spells to obliterate your enemies on the battlefield. While there is a level of chance to a Lich summon working out, it can always be a powerful ally if your character doesn’t have access to the same high-level magic it does.
Summon Storm Atronach
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The strongest of the Atronach summons is theStorm Atronach, a golem of stones merged together from pure lightning. Similar to the Frost Atronach, Storm Atronachs are bulky and slow creatures who take some time to reach opponents. However,Storm Atronachs have both melee and ranged attacks, giving them the best benefits from the Flame and Frost Atronachs that precede them.
The melee damage of a Storm Atronach is incredibly high, while the ranged damage is decent enough to contend against most enemies. With the same level of bulk as a Frost Atronach,Storm Atronachs deal high Shock damage, which is rarely resisted against the various enemies you face inOblivion Remastered. This type of Atronach is perfect against bosses, where you may split aggro between your character and the summon.
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Crowds, single-targets, and nearly any type of enemy fall to theDremora Lordsummon, which has thehighest defense among any other conjured creatures. This animated suit of Daedric armor from Oblivion itself is the embodiment of a tank, resisting nearly all types of damage. Dremora Lords are extremely dangerous enemies, but they are among the best allies to call to your side.
Although it doesn’t deal as much damage as the Storm Atronach, aDremora Lord uses its bulk to win wars of attritionagainst its enemies. Drawn-out battles against one or more high-level enemies is where a Dremora Lord thrives, as it will usually outlast enemies with weaker defenses.
The strongest summon you can use is theXivilai, a champion Daedra who has thehighest damage and health compared to any other conjured creaturein the game. Even when wielding powerfulDaedric artifacts inOblivion Remastered,Xivilai are almost impossible to kill easily, with very few weaknesses to exploit. Despite not having the defense of a Dremora Lord, the Xivilai can endure almost any attack with its massive health pool alone.
As one of the strongest creatures from Oblivion itself, the Xivilai resists most types of damage, making it hard for any enemy to reduce its health fast. Xivilai can take on bosses and enemy groups in equal measure, drawing attention away from your character. Those who have enough Magicka to conjure the Xivilai as their summon inThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, they’ll have one of the strongest companions the game has to offer.
