Anybody think some sort of bandit alliance would help destroy the thalmor? Seeing as criminals outnumber the good folk of Tamriel by about 10 to 1 I think it could prove invaluable to gain bandits.

They could pluck some delicious loot from the cold dead hands of thalmor troops too.

Why would somebody out in the wilds care about some elves?

Bandits care about gold. You give them enough gold, they'll do whatever you want. I wouldn't trust them further than the length of a sword though.

It's more of a gameplay thing or it could easily be suggested that the bandits were outcasts, legion and stormcloak defectors, people who have no choice but to turn to crime to make a living also the reason they have gained so much men is because in the east you have the Stormcloaks who only keep nord settlements and caravans protected and everyone else is open game and to the west you have the Imperials who don't have the forces to focus on both the bandits and the forsworn forces.

I tend to consider the bandit population a scaling issue. In "real" Skyrim, there would be far far far more ordinary people milling about doing their thing, and groups of bandits would probably be fewer and further between. But for the purposes of gameplay, towns and villages have to be limited, whereas caves full of outlaws have to be expanded, so the player has something to kill.

Skyrim could benefit from some bear-tamers too.

It's the thug life up in the cold north.


Skyrim is just one big giant 'hood.

Bandits would not be disciplined enough to fight a trained and determined enemy.


Agreed they'd do to fine for pre-battle maneuvers, but the day of battle they'd break. It wouldn't even be like the Battle of Camden (were poor morale/ill-trained militia led to defeat) it would be more like the Battle of Plassey (French Indian allies were bribed to be netural by the British).