While beginning to train up *XXX* earlier today I ran across a terrific use of the "magelight" spell. It seems that any spell cast at a potential hostile is treated by Faendal as the same thing as shooting an arrow. THUS: to cast magelight at, and successfully hit, a belligerent - it serves as a target designator for any NPC that you have as a follower.

What happened was that I decided to begin building Alteration up towards level 50, and since I had just gone to Whiterun to empty my pockets of trade goods I chose to go cast magelights at the Giants in their nearby camp.

It can be cast at a much greater distance than a bowshot, and all was going well when all of a sudden Faendal strung an arrow and began to move forward...

"YOU CAN'T BEAT ME!" he cried...

"Oh crap, there it goes..." I thought, and began a retreat up towards the town

Bear in mind - that from the start I have set the GAMEPLAY DIFFICULTY at LEGENDARY

What came of all of this was absolutely stunning - I ended up on the roof of the stable, with two dead giants to loot, lots of Archery skill-ups, and Faendal remarkably still alive - after luring not just one, but TWO giants right up to the front gate of the city!!!

One of the keys to this is that your followers only get "KILLED DOWN" to a certain point - and if you don't accidentally KILL THEM YOURSELF they will get back up and continue fighting

*I SAW Faendal get blasted up into low Tamriel orbit - and then fall back down around thirty seconds later after a Giant clobbered him. But he came back from even THAT...

*In addition - you can get trained in archery MANY TIMES by Faendal - don't be too quick to dismiss him! Get trained, get your gold back (I need to trade some items with you...) and then build up your archery skill for a bit.

~ then ask him again, and again, and again...

SO far he has upgraded me five levels three times!

If he wasn't an Elf - I'd say he was a proud Welshman

"I'll show you what I know..."