Think Gaming Blog: posts tagged Chip Theory Games

Top 10 True Solo Builds for The Elder Scrolls: BotSE (Base Game & Valenwood)

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 18:26:22 +0100

In this video, I rank my top 10 true solo builds for The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, using content from the base game and the Valenwood expansion. Each build is based on my own experience after many solo campaigns and takes into account consistency, survivability, versatility, and overall performance. Whether you’re looking for your next character to play or simply curious how different combinations compare, I hope this list gives you a few new ideas to try in your own adventures.

Shadow Skill Line Explained • The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 19:00:00 +0100

In this video, I break down how the Shadow skill line works in The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era. I go through each of the dice, explain how the abilities work, highlight common rules points, and share practical tips on how to use Shadow effectively for your characters. Whether you’re considering building around it or just want to better understand how the skill line functions, this guide should help clarify how it plays at the table.

Cyrodiil Explained • Endgame Setup & Rules • The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:55:16 +0100

In this new series for The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, I take a closer look at one province at a time and break down what makes it unique. In this video, we’re covering Cyrodiil – including its overland mechanic, delve feature, Native enemy skill, noteworthy towns, and Endgame setup and rules. The goal of this series is to help players better understand how each province works, what to watch out for, and how to approach them more confidently during campaigns.

Helsang • Dragons of Etchinstone Playthrough & Strategy (Hard Difficulty)

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 14:10:04 +0100

In this playthrough of Dragons of Etchinstone, the solo card game by Joe Klipfel and Chip Theory Games, I’m taking on Hard difficulty with Helsang. Throughout the run, I explain my decisions, strategy, and action choices as the game unfolds. If you’re learning the game, looking for strategy ideas, or curious how the game plays on Hard difficulty, I hope you’ll find the playthrough useful!

Templar in Black Marsh • Full Solo Campaign Playthrough (Expert) • The Elder Scrolls: BotSE

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 13:44:21 +0100

In this full solo Expert campaign playthrough of The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, I’m taking the Templar through Black Marsh while attempting something a little unusual – completing the entire campaign without using any damage-dealing skill lines.

Throughout the playthrough, I explain my decisions, strategy, character progression, and how the build evolves as the campaign unfolds. If you enjoy long-form gameplay, thoughtful decision-making, and seeing unconventional builds put to the test, I hope you’ll find this run interesting.

How to Play Rogue: Full Class Guide • Gameplay Tips & Strategy • The Elder Scrolls: BotSE

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:00:43 +0100

In this video, I walk through how to play the Rogue in The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, covering class abilities, how to upgrade to master, stat allocation, racial synergy, starting and additional skill lines, and practical gameplay strategy. I also share how I approach Rogue in solo Expert campaigns, including survivability, positioning, and how to make the most of the class’s strengths.

Black Marsh Explained • Endgame Setup & Rules • The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:32:15 +0100

In this new series “Province Explained” for The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, I take a closer look at one province at a time and break down what makes it unique. In this video, we’re covering Black Marsh – including its overland mechanic, delve feature, Native enemy skill, noteworthy towns, and Endgame setup and rules. The goal of this series is to help players better understand how each province works, what to watch out for, and how to approach them more confidently during campaigns.

The Elder Scrolls vs Too Many Bones – Which Game Is Right for You? (In-Depth Comparison)

Tue, 26 May 2026 15:02:06 +0100

In this in-depth comparison, I put The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era and Too Many Bones side by side across 11 different categories to see how they really compare. From art, theme, adventure, character building, combat, complexity, and more, I break down where each game shines and which one I personally think comes out ahead in each category. I tried my best to keep the comparison as objective and grounded as possible, while still sharing my own perspective after spending a lot of time with both games. If you’ve been trying to decide which of these massive Chip Theory Games titles is the better fit for you, hopefully this video helps.

Light Armor Explained • The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era

Mon, 18 May 2026 10:00:00 +0100

In this video, I break down how the Light Armor skill line works in The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, introduced in the Valenwood expansion. I go through each of the dice, explain how the abilities work, highlight common rules points, and share practical tips on how to use Light Armor effectively for your characters. Whether you’re considering building around it or just want to better understand how the skill line functions, this guide should help clarify how it plays at the table

How to Play Arcanist: Full Class Guide • Gameplay Tips & Strategy • The Elder Scrolls: BotSE

Mon, 11 May 2026 09:52:00 +0100

In this video, I walk through how to play the Arcanist in The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, introduced in the Valenwood expansion. I cover class abilities, how to upgrade to master, stat allocation, racial synergy, starting and additional skill lines, and practical gameplay strategy. This isn’t meant to be the only way to build the class, but rather a guide to help you understand how Arcanist functions and what makes it effective at the table.

Assassin in Cyrodiil • Full Solo Campaign Playthrough (Expert) • The Elder Scrolls: BotSE

Mon, 04 May 2026 09:45:00 +0100

In this video, I play a full solo campaign of The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era in Cyrodiil, using the Assassin class from the upcoming Summerset expansion and the new Wood Elf race sheet from the upcoming Heroes of Tamriel expansion. I talk through my decisions, explain key moments, and share my overall approach throughout the run. This is a full Expert playthrough with plenty of commentary, strategy discussion, and real-time thought process as the build comes together. If you’re curious how the new class and race perform in a full campaign, I hope you enjoy this one!

Acrobatics Explained • The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 13:43:33 +0100

In this video, I break down how the Acrobatics skill line works in The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era. I go through each of the dice, explain how the abilities work, highlight common rules points, and share practical tips on how to use Acrobatics effectively in your campaigns. Whether you’re thinking about building around it or just want to better understand its utility, this guide should help clarify how the skill line functions at the table

How to Play Knight: Full Class Guide • Gameplay Tips & Strategy • The Elder Scrolls: BotSE

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:40:09 +0100

In this video, I walk through how to play the Knight in The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, covering class abilities, how to upgrade to master, stat allocation, racial synergy, starting and additional skill lines, and practical gameplay strategy. I also share how I approach Knight in solo Expert campaigns, including survivability, positioning, and how to make the most of the class’s strengths.

How to play Too Many Bones (Official Video)

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:43:03 +0100

Really happy to finally share this one – I recently had the chance to produce an official how-to-play video for Too Many Bones, now live on Chip Theory Games’ YouTube channel.

This was my first commissioned educational video for a publisher, and a project I put a lot of care into. The goal was to create something clear, beginner-friendly, and genuinely helpful for anyone getting into the game for the first time.

If you’ve been curious about Too Many Bones, or know someone trying to learn it, hopefully this makes that first step into Daelore a bit easier 🙂

Illusion Explained • The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0100

In this video, I break down how the Illusion skill line works in The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, introduced in the Valenwood expansion. I go through each of the dice, explain how the abilities work, highlight common rules points, and share some practical tips on how to use Illusion effectively in your campaigns. Whether you’re looking to build around it or just want to better understand how it functions, this guide should help clarify how the skill line plays at the table.

20 Strong: Tainted Grail • Full Playthrough & First Impressions

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:12:38 +0100

In this video, I take a look at 20 Strong: Tainted Grail, a new game in the 20 Strong system by Chip Theory Games, set in the world of Awaken Realms’ Tainted Grail. I play through a full run, explaining the core mechanics and my thought process behind each decision along the way, and then share my first impressions. Hopefully it gives you a good sense of how the game plays and whether it might be something you’d enjoy

Dragonknight in Valenwood • Full Solo Campaign Playthrough (Expert+++) • The Elder Scrolls: BotSE

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:04:20 +0100

In this video, I play a full true solo campaign in The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, set in Valenwood. To spice things up, this playthrough is played on Expert+++, using 9 official difficulty modifiers from Arvan’s Adventurous Achievements, which significantly increase the challenge and change how the game feels. Throughout the playthrough, I talk through my decisions, explain key moments, and share how I approach the game under these conditions. If you’re curious how a full campaign looks at higher difficulty, I hope you enjoy this one!

Augmentations Guide: Difficulty Modifiers Explained • The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:04:45 +0100

In this video, I go over Arvan’s Adventurous Achievements, the official list of difficulty modifiers released by Chip Theory Games for The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era. I break down each augmentation, explain how it works, share some reasoning behind the design where relevant, and give my overall thoughts on how these modifiers might change the feel and challenge of the game. Whether you’re looking for a tougher experience or just curious how these official variants work, I hope this guide helps.

Speech Skill Line Explained • The Elder Scrolls Betrayal of the Second Era

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:32:06 +0100

In this video, I break down how the Speech skill line works in The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era. I go over each of the dice, explain how they work, and highlight common rules on how to play them correctly and efficiently. Whether you’re considering building around it or just want to better understand its utility, this guide should help clarify how the skill line functions at the table.

Nightblade Class Guide • The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 14:43:46 +0100

n this video, I walk through how to play the Nightblade in The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era, covering class abilities, how to upgrade to master, stat allocation, racial synergy, starting and additional skill lines, and practical gameplay strategy. I also share how I approach Nightblade in solo Expert campaigns, including positioning, Stealth management, and more. This isn’t meant to be the only way to build the class, but rather a guide to help you understand how Nightblade functions and what makes it effective at the table.