If you haven't done the MQ, what does Ulfric say in the moment when he normally would ask the Dragonborn to deliver the final blow in Battle for Solitude/Windhelm?

impossible..

you have to start the MQ up to the point you kill the first dragon at the watchtower near whiterun to get very far in the CW..

meaning to get to the point where you fight Ulfric, you have already fought the first Dragon and been aknowledged as Dragonborn (or at least, aknowledged by those Guards who fought it with you)..


If you try to do the CW without doing the MQ, you get to the point you bring the message to Balgruuf in Whiterun and he will say "I won't accept the message till you do me some favors", those favors being what starts the MQ

Unfortunately, this is true. I would love to do the CW questline without having to at least start the main quest.