i watched your video dude, and i was thinking for a bit...that axe is a pretty slow weapon, maybe you would do better with a weapon with a longer reach? like a longsword and shield? it might suit your play style better..idk, just try out some new stuff, if that doesn't work though..maybe start a fresh character?

1. They are higher level than you
2. There are two of them or more
3. They are using two-handed weapons
4. You are wearing heavy armor and are moving slow

You need to get yourself out of that situation. It would help immensely if you had a meat shield or guards. Compared to you, these guys are BOSSES and I'm quite sure that they can take you with an immediate third person finisher, which is unavoidable. Look in your inventory and see what you can throw at them, because you are not going to win by playing this like Oblivion combat.

Well, my example would be my orc warrior types experience.

Going through a dungeon, 1 hitting all and sundry with my upgraded (no enchanting) ebony warhammer and full upgraded ebony armor. Rolling over all the undead in the dungeon, not at issue at all. I had about 300 health or so (can't remember exactly, but a good amount). Enemies are chipping slivers off my heath with hits, probably less than 5% at a time.

Then he gets to a pretty big room sloping down hill, see some mushrooms or something like that off the the left and walk over to harvest them, do so and check the top left to see what it was that I harvested then....


BANG. Dead. One hit. Shot in the ass with a single arrow. Dead from full health in one shot. On the reload I spot a patrolling death lord I had missed before.

To recap: one hit killing everything on the way there, get to one (non boss) guy and I die in one hit, in full legendary ebony plate and full health.


It was on adept too (first playthrough and new to series)

I thought it was hilarious, but that's a perfect example of what I and the person I quoted are experiencing.

ps: the 3 hired thugs are VERY hard...its because you stole from riverwood...i'd recommend wheter running away from them - or use as many high lvl scrolls you found...for example 1 fire storm scroll is enough to kill all 3

Hmm... I ran into them too at level 3-5 (can't quite remember, sorry). I had the compass off so they kinda came up behind me... Yikes! The first 5 times I tried to kill them, they killed me, almost instantly. So, I got creative and decided to fight, run, heal (using potions and/or food), fight, run, heal, etc. That worked! 3 dead thugs! Also, save every time you run away from them and have healed. Then if you die, you can reload from there.

Edit: Here's another tip: Keep on hitting the thugs with your sword -- repeatedly (no stamina attack). You will level up quickly like that and kill them faster. It worked for me.

Edit 2: Yet another tip: If you have a shield, USE IT. Block when they're about to attack you and then click the attack button to stagger them with your shield, then release the block and attack with your sword.

Had those hired thugs come after me yesterday as well. You can pick them out one by one with your bow, your target will attack you back, but the other two will just keep walking towards you like nothing is happening...

Yes, fully aware that they can be beaten, I just want to know why anyone in town thought it was worth sending thugs after me, and why the game is insisting that I've assaulted so many people! Is there a bug, or is it just useless at distinguishing actual assault in a town from a companion getting in the way out in some remote dungeon. Even if it is, surely the companion would be the first to have a grievance, and they still happily follow me around carrying my junk and taking my orders!

its a hard game, especially dungeons...you have to use a lot of strategies, i play on easy and its still challenging.

The game counts you hitting any friendly NPC as an assault, this includes you smacking a quest NPC that dives in front of your weapon. As far as I know if you beat them you can find out who hired them from a note they will be carrying.
There are times you will run into things that are too hard to take on, learn from it, learn how to 'tactically retreat at speed' (or bring so many potions you can barely move ).

I have done all the guilds and the main quest in addition to a whole lot of lesser quests and in my opinion the game is way too easy. I'm playing as pure mage on expert difficulty.

Dont stand there when they are power attacking?

Hi,

I too got jumped fairly early in the game by a group of three thugs - they were way above my level. I'd ironically just returned to Riverwood in time for it to be attacked by a Dragon. I'd taken the dragon down after quite a lengthy battle (low level me) and it'd crashed just out the back. The usual crowds gathered, I looted the dragon and started walking back into the middle of town. It was then I got jumped by the three thugs. They incapacitated Lydia in about 5 seconds then came after me.

I was a MUCH harder fight than the dragon! I had to run, shoot, potions, run...well you get it. I looted their bodies to find that some shop owner or something wanted revenge on me for something. I'm Mr. Nice Guy in this game and I even later visited said shop and all was well. A bug methinks.

Anyway, tips, when first entering Riverwood I'd already encountered a couple of wolves and had their pelts. Using these I upgraded my armour which gave me a slight edge at this level. I did the same with my sword and my bow. A small improvement but it all helped.

Really, a small amount of smithing early game can really give you a slight edge, as long as you don't wander too far off the beaten track into a high-level area. I have, during my current play-through, encountered foes that are too much for me - noteably those Drauger Lord chaps whatever they are called. One guy would one-shot me with a bow - so well over 100 damage per shot he was dealing! I re-visted him a few levels late, I had sorta forgotten about him and had leveled quite a lot. He could still hurt me, but I could hurt him back now & my sneaking had improved sufficiently that I got the first shot in and it was a good one.

The thing with this game is that we may be the hero, but we're not the toughest thing in Skyrim - nor are the Dragons sadly. Hopefully though we're the smartest thing in Skyrim and know how to pick our fights and adopt appropriate tactics to survive.

As a stealthy archer type, who tried to be a mage early on and failed - wasting some perk points, my first shot is my best. With the various perks I've taken I give myself the opportunity to take down several foes rushing me at once. Last night I was rushed by six bandits at once - each one got taken out before they got close. If they do get close I can shout (a few options there) or switch to sword and shield. Though I'm not good at melee, smithing has given me good armour and decent weapons so I can survive - usually.

I hope to dabble with Enchanting next to give my smithed armour a further boost. My enchanting is still low-level though - using soul gems has upped me a bit, but it's deminishing returns, unlike the bugged smithing perk. I mean, I'm 100 smithing now just from upgrading my gear and making the odd armour set for my companion. Hope that's fixed by my next playthrough.

Anyway to OP: I feel your pain, being jumped by high-level "boss" type NPC's early game can be a pain. It happened to me with those thugs and I'd not committed any offence - unless I knocked something off a table or something! Some people are just overly sensitive. If you cannot win, put your weapon away, run (sprint) and hide! lol.

Btw: the note I found on the corpse of one of the Thugs who attacked me specifically said NOT to kill me, just rough me up a bit...they DO try to kill you however.

Best of luck, stick at it the game is worth it.

Scoob.

I met those Hired Thugs in Ivarstead, I still have no clue why, I cannot remember to have stolen from anyone at that time. Those guys were really hard. My girl died around 4 times and needed her firebreath shout and the help of some villagers to get those idiots down, and there was a lot of luck involved. Met them at lvl. 9, if I recall right. She is a battlemage with light armor, Skyforge sword in one hand and spell in the other ... Playing on Adept, btw.

I had this problem early on and almost went for one handed and a shield. Luckily I never did bec now I can block just as fine with my great sword and also do a tremendous amount of damage not possible with lesser weapons. The best defense is a good offense, am I right? Kill them off as quickly as possible. Don't invest too much in shields or block. Try poisoning your weapons. Also, sneak up on them and take out at least one enemy with a bow before running in wielding your axes like crazy. Mixed combat tactics works the best.

Maybe a spoiler here but..

I did the staff of Magnus quest and the swords you can pick up there with the stealing stamina enchantment is really awesome for quick kills bec you don't run out of stamina so fast and can power attack, dual wielding continuously. Epic.

I think thug ambushes are worse for stealth type characters as your major skill (can I use that? lol) has already been totally negated by a scripted action. I.e. the Thugs just appear, they know where you are and attack you.

I'd like to have heard one of the villagers (for example) tell me that some guys are looking for me in a bad way. After all, the whole village LOVE me plus I just saved them from a Dragon. In my case I don't recall getting any help other than from my companion - thanks guys! lol.

Scoob.

your level 5 dude.

your suppose to die easy.

lol.

things should be hitting you for over half your health if you dont block. (Bandit cheifs, dragons, or any higher then normal Npc)

I was also very surprised that the guards stand only looking. At least they didn′t arrest her afterwards! The help from the villagers was nice (the old guy I did the supply quest just before), but I had to be very careful not to fry them with the shout ... ^^

Could try sprinting for a giant area, they like to smash trespassers skulls in.

I'm level 25 and still get one hit killed sometimes, but I can take on blood dragons in single combat (mostly smack it with magic, then duck for cover). I have all three words to the fire shout and a fully upgraded fire damage perk. I also chug potions during battle, some resist fire/ice/shock/magic potions in addition to healing and magicka. They come in handy, but when all else fails. Run. I ended up having to run throughout a dungeon during a fight with a dragon priest while Farkas whined in the corner. I kept having to redo it because Farkas kept getting killed by my spells (he's my pack mule...and my husband)

So I bottle-necked the priest's flunkies at certain points and picked them off until only the priest was left. Then I just ice stormed his butt until he died.

Archery and stealth are my backups. And runes. I always try to sneak attack when possible and use the environment: oil on the floor, traps, enemy conflicts with each other etc.. And on that note, dragons are so easily distracted, lol. I think one time it stopped fighting me to kill a goat.

Edit 2: Yet another tip: If you have a shield, USE IT. Block when they're about to attack you and then click the attack button to stagger them with your shield, then release the block and attack with your sword.

Thanks Seeker

OP read veteran's battle tips and take your time to work out how to use sword and shield effectively. Like you I've been flailing around mistiming my swipes - and now I see how I can use the shield-stagger tip quoted above by Seeker. I've been playing for a week, level 16 and I did not know that you can stagger the enemy by cleverly using the shield. I mean, I 'knew' about it - but I have not been using it in combat. It all kicks off so quickly and then mass panic and the flailing

Those three contract- thugs in Riverwood killed me in one second the first time too... I never run away though I am a Nord! - I fall back to a defensible position

Block/Parry is critical for melee combat. I'm playing a level 33 light armor 1h + shield combo right now with 88 1h, 65 block, 62 LA, and 77 enchanting and 74 smithing.

My enchants are very modest at this point, saving a bunch of grand soul gems for when i eventually craft dragonscale, but i am wrecking most everything on Master level. The only things that give me a run are Dragon Priests and equal level magic using NPCs like the wandering breton's that attack on sight and the boss level bandit mages. Good shout usage makes them pretty easy fights in their own right. I split health/stamina 1:1 until i hit 200 hp and 200 sta, now i'm just pumping health since i recently got the Wind Walker perk in light armor so stamina is not really a issue anymore. Stamina for the most part i use for bashing power attacks with the Quick Reflexes perk in the block tree. Makes it very very easy to counter enemy power attacks so your damage intake is very minimal when you can very easily get two shot by boss level bandits with 2handers. Combine good bashing with smart movement and you pretty much conquer all melee combatants. This is also important for 2handed combat as well, blocking is less effective, but bashing is that much more critical to you limiting how much damage you take in.

With this build i literally take out frost dragons (appear at level 30+) without using a single potion or any magic. Elemental Protection in the block tree makes dragon breaths very easy to manage when there is no LoS available, also you can bash a dragon's breath in melee so that it stops breathing fiery or icy death on you. I also took deadly bash because i bash so often that the extra damage really adds up on the tougher combatants. You can essentially "Bash Lock" if your stamina and its regen are high enough, though there is really never any need to do this to anything other than a mage that will blow you away in a few casts. I personally use this tactic on Dragon Priests but not much else.

The thing is though, you won't be a god from level 5, i had my share of potion quaffing in the early levels, especially before i unlocked quick reflexes. Your damage, at least early will be rather low, so all the more need to make effect use of your stamina and bashing. The game really didn't start getting easy for me till i got element protection and 3/5 in blocking effectiveness. At that point i don't think i even had a single point in light armor, light armor has been one of the last skills i invested perks in. So throughout most of my early levels i just had the very minor smithing upgrades to boost my armor rating. It all goes back to effective bashing and smart movement in so much that if you can't bash the power attack you at least back out of it.

edit: The one hander i use isn't even enchanted. Its a epic quality upgraded glass sword. I have no problems killing things and quickly with this build, so don't think you'd be making some huge sacrifice in damage output for what is essentially a very defensive play style.

Same here...Im Level 25 Thief (Khajit). Bandit Chieftans, Falmer (on the last thieves guild mission) all seem to kick my buttocks!!! I have the NIghtengale armor (Exquiset), elven Bow and arrows (Superiror), Childred and Nightengale blade. I frequently get critted by big bosses, and if there are more than 2 bandits I have to down potions and move around a lot to live.

I think the main problem, at least with me, is while I have leveled to 25...Im having a hard time leveling my perks in one hand, leather, and stealth. All three of these are only at around 50-60 which means Im still at the first level of perks.

I'm loving the difficulty in this game. Separating the men from the babbys.

Your doing fine. You just need to level your smithing. Smithing helps A LOT. Create some iron daggers to level your smithing a bit, then try and create dwarven armor and weapons. Then upgrade them.

I got three thugs sent after me for stealing three silver ingot from a house while on a quest. They even had a contract letter on them. Also had two or three assassination attempts on my life while just exploring out in the wilderness.

Something is definately wrong with that since I only had that happen while I was still low level. Now that I'm stronger and am actively doing Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild quests, everything has stopped.