Forelhorst

Twilight sepulcher

Hag rock redoubt-briarheart there near the water is very tough for my mage and rogues

I've succeeded there with a lowish-levelled archer who was able to kill him over the heads of his own minions. He doesn't throw the ice storms while they're in the way. The shade is less of a problem.

Come on everyone - nobody thinks Liar's Retreat is tough? That's the crucible for my builds ...

Yeah Liars Retreat is tough. I'd even say harder than Forelhorst. I can do the latter with much tactical gymnastics at 16-17 level with the right type of character. But in the former, you enter smack dab in the midst of a tough room and there is no way to retreat tactically and lure one enemy at a time like in Forelhorst. I have been able to use really sneaky powerful archers to keep entering sniping then leaving but it is a long process which sometimes doesn't work too well. Then later on it is still tough. Though the sneaky powerful archers is way OP and eventually works anywhere....

And high level Falmer are much harder to melee with one and two on one than high level Draugr as the former have that jump attack that is hard to avoid. It is easy to feint in on Draugr, entice a clumsy swing that is easily dodged, than dart in, strike and retreat, rinse, repeat.

I had one character that found a fun use of the "Conjure Exploding Familiar" spell we get from helping Anska in High Gate Ruins! Just send one familiar after another into that room and soon the shade is all that is left

Morvunskar at low levels... Those shock spells are a killer.


Forelhost is a challenge regardless of level, just due to the amount of Draugr Deathlords in there, plus Rahgot giving you a nice tanning to top it all off at the end.


It's a good job I don't play DID, otherwise a lot of my PC's gravestones would read about how they met their end in Liar's Retreat...


For me, an honourable mention goes to Blackreach. Had my fair share of Rodeo's in there as well...

Oooooh Black reach....just been there. If you're new to it you can soon get lost and set upon. Fortunately if all you are there for is the item you are sent to get, then following Dorothy's lead in the Wizard of Oz will do the trick

But get chased off course and its a nightmare....not helped by the incomprehensible map and is "fog of war" obscuring.


At high level (well armoured) though its immense fun hunting Falmer....we will go back soon for sport!

All the different buildings are cool as well, along with the certain humans that inhabit the place. Almost makes you think if there is more to it... A cut quest possibly?

Yes...that city place with all its extra inside areas begs to be part of something.....maybe a sepparate interesecting questline to get something for the CoW...well whatever.....shame its not utilised. Even so as a curio on its own it adds to the mystery of place.


Maybe a good pretend quest would be collecting things from Falmer.....a good reason to hunt them

Yes, I agree Blackreach is a rough one. The map makes it so much more difficult. As you mentioned, the size and fog of war are terrible. But worse is that you can't place a marker on the map. I wanted to place a marker on one of the lifts that go out to "Skyrim" and could not place a marker for reference!

I've not really played a character who made much use of conjuration yet, but that's truly an awesome technique that also sounds fun. I kind of want to try that now!

Bthardamz can be quite difficult if you take on the quest it's involved in as soon as it become available and you're not prepared for just how long of a dungeon crawl it is.

Sightless Pit takes some courage just to enter it, give what you have to do.

Cronvangr Cave is very difficult if you are afraid of spiders.

Never done sightless pit in five years....its one of those that I put on the "to do list" but forget about with everything else going on.

Forelhost. It is the one that has consistently been the most difficult dungeon for all of my builds.

Honorable mentions: Deepwood Redoubt, Skuldafn at higher levels, Lost Valley Redoubt

Well for me oddly, Skuldafn is a fun romp because I seldom get there before level 45.....so although I'm facing all Deathlords and scourges, I normally have well smithed armour and weapons by then.


I mostly get to do it in competitions....so therefore on Dead is Dead, and I play legendary (and normally do it each time with no healing spells or potions). This is only possible because of having a really good armour rating (600 ish) and shield block by the time I get there.


I have not attempted it as a squishy mage....Deathlords don't hold back! I find it a challenge still, but a fun one that is quite do'able.


Lost valley and Deepwood redoubt....ugh! Tougher than Skuldafn I think. Forsworn are like fifty percent tougher than their bandit counterparts!


Forelhost yes....mobbed by Deathlords in narrow passages and they get you trapped pretty quick.

Sorry for asking, but why do you play on legendary and use crafting skills a lot? You could play on master without crafting skills for the same difficulty without spending ages bent over enchantment tables and anvils.

No need to be sorry for asking


Well...

Because it does not work out the same gameplay!


Its not a simple trade off (as some would have it believed)

Such as.....Adept in rags = Master in unsmithed gear = Legendary in highly smithed gear


This does not hold true.


For one thing, on Legendary spells and dragon breath do three times adept damage....but armour provides no defence!


Plus if you are not simply trading blows one for one, the much smaller damage you do to enemies (one quarter of Adept) means stopping or evading a Sabrecat becomes a real nail biting long chase. Plus....If a Deathlord disarms you in combat, and you lose your high smithed weapon you can not beat him with any old junk weapon you find lying around!


All I can say is try it.....its easy to see. Save before a big battle...drop to Adept and dump armour. Reload on Master and keep only enough highly smithed armour on to equate to a full unsmithed set (Armour Rating 120) then reload again and wear full highly smithed armour on Legendary.


For me Legendary with very good armour feels like a good balance in melee whilst making magical attacks on me much much more deadly. Dragon fire becomes properly deadly.


Remember I am talking vanilla Skyrim on console......I can't get the same effects through mods (like Deadly Dragons)

Same here! I think this current playthrough will go there. (Like I've never said that before! )

Yep Forelhost is tough but I expect it to be. Two dungeons that most often beat me down are Hilgrund's Tomb for the double dipping horde at the end while taking care of Mr "I let my aunt go in alone" and Treva's Watch for all the high level bandits and chiefs within easy hearing distance of each other

Oooh Treva's watch...yeah....very bad. Narrow corridors. Very high level bandits each side of you....bad news

I think I did Hilgrund's Tomb once. I don't recall much of it. Looks like I need to venture there again

Good call on Treva's Watch, too! I've only done that a few times and that first "stack" of bandits once entered is a tough time, for sure

They're a shocker at high levels too without any kind of magic resistance. Ouch.