So what's the best way to fight Vampires?

[Daelon DuLac]

Original Skyrim: No DLCs

While I enjoy taking out nests of vampires, I often wonder at the best methodology for it, particularly time of day.

I am under the assumption that, if I arrive in the morning (after daybreak), even if they're underground (in a cave say), that they would be at their weakest and thus, easiest to kill. While I normally use sneek and arrows, I have found that they seem surprisingly spry in the middle of the morning.

Now I can understand the thralls being out and about, but the Vampires? Whenever I contract that "vampire virus" (and I have repeatedly and cured myself), I am let known that I am feeling weak at sunrise. I would assume that full vampires suffer even more severly from it, but, as I said, they certainly don't seem to show any signs of weakness. I'm confused.

Am I right that they would be more powerful at night?

Also: as I am about to download all 3 DLCs, am wondering how the vampires (I think it's Dawnguard) differ from those in Skyrim standard.

Any advise on werewolves would also be greatly appreciated. Although I haven't confronted one yet, I know where there are some.

 

[Kal]

When you are notified that your blood boils in the sunlight, do you ever actually notice any decrease in strength/stamina? I haven't.

I would say that archery is your best bet, as long as you have it high enough. Also, having a flame-enchanted bow is helpful for the extra damage, as they are weak to fire.

 

[Ritterkreuz]

My advice, join the Companions and become a werewolf, giving you 100% immunity to becoming a vampire. Alternatively play the game as an Argonian, and you'll start off with 50% disease immunity.

 

[Daelon DuLac]

Now if I can just find a Glass Bow of Fireballs. All I have is one of Thunderbolts. damn... Of course I love that I can soul suck a vampire with my sword. I find it confusing as I would assume that a dead person wouldn't still have their soul, but, hey, whatja gonna do. I'm gonna go look for a flame bow and, if I can't find one, I'll just make one with one of my spare bows.

Thanks much for the thoughts!

 

[Daelon DuLac]

My advice, join the Companions and become a werewolf, giving you 100% immunity to becoming a vampire. Alternatively play the game as an Argonian, and you'll start off with 50% disease immunity.

Already wearing a dragon mask that gives me +100% for both disease and poison. Don't wanna play a lizard though. Every one I run in to is a complete sleezeball. Nothin' personal, but, if I'm gonna be cold blooded, it'll be 'cause of my moral compass, not my biology.

A werewolf? Really? The Companions have made me an offer, but I thought werewolves had serious anger management issues. I already go around destroying folks with a rather marked lack of morality. Do I really want to add carnage to that... hmmmm.... I think I start the Companions quest tonight!

 

[orca45]

My advice, join the Companions and become a werewolf, giving you 100% immunity to becoming a vampire. Alternatively play the game as an Argonian, and you'll start off with 50% disease immunity.

I don’t think that is quite true. I contracted vampirism being a werewolf. That’s why I opened a thread long ago regarding that issue because it did not make any sense to me that if you are a werewolf, you can contract vampirism but it did happen to me twice. So, in those occasions I had to reload my game to avoid dealing with the cure. It was ridiculous and out of sense to me.
So, from that moment on, I was not facing vampires in an open fight as I was doing before but using my own strategy :
> Use Slow Time
> Use Stendar’s Aura / Cloak protection
> Sneak and kill with bow from distance or with sword while sneaking ( why a sword ? Because before I had a dagger and bc the dagger is small, you need to get closer to the enemy to hit and kill; with a sword, you reach your enemy from a longer distance in compare allowing you to keep more distance and avoid being bitten. I did my Dawnguard faction with a dragonbone sword and once I killed the freaking Harkon, I switched to my dragonbone dagger. I do prefer daggers than swords. )

The above technique proved right to me and from that moment on, I’ve never contracted vampirism ever again. I thought their drain life spell was the cause but I think I was bitten while in open combat bc that is the only explanation that I came up. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Daelon DuLac]

I don’t think that is quite true. I contracted vampirism being a werewolf. That’s why I opened a thread long ago regarding that issue because it did not make any sense to me that if you are a werewolf, you can contract vampirism but it did happen to me twice. So, in those occasions I had to reload my game to avoid dealing with the cure. It was ridiculous and out of sense to me.
So, from that moment on, I was not facing vampires in an open fight as I was doing before but using my own strategy :
> Use Slow Time
> Use Stendar’s Aura / Cloak protection
> Sneak and kill with bow from distance or with sword while sneaking ( why a sword ? Because before I had a dagger and bc the dagger is small, you need to get closer to the enemy to hit and kill; with a sword, you reach your enemy from a longer distance in compare allowing you to keep more distance and avoid being bitten. I did my Dawnguard faction with a dragonbone sword and once I killed the freaking Harkon, I switched to my dragonbone dagger. I do prefer daggers than swords. )

The above technique proved right to me and from that moment on, I’ve never contracted vampirism ever again. I thought their drain life spell was the cause but I think I was bitten while in open combat bc that is the only explanation that I came up. Just my 2 cents.

Still - somehow a werewolf vampire appeals to me. hmmm... I suppose you get weaknesses from both though. Haven't downloaded Dawnguard DLC yet, but am doing so tomorrow. We'll see!

 

[orca45]

Daelon DuLac, I don’t think you can be both at the same time. I was walking at night with freaking Serana ( I think she was the one who bitten me ) when the screen turn red and said : you are feeling thirsty !!! ... what the hell ... I am a freaking vamp ? No plops and no way, that’s impossible ... so I decided to reload and open the thread regarding this issue. I do believe my original thread was posted in the Dawnguard section on this forum. Be careful and don’t take any chances.

 

[Daelon DuLac]

Daelon DuLac, I don’t think you can be both at the same time. I was walking at night with freaking Serana ( I think she was the one who bitten me ) when the screen turn red and said : you are feeling thirsty !!! ... what the hell ... I am a freaking vamp ? No pl*** and no way, that’s impossible ... so I decided to reload and open the thread regarding this issue. I do believe my original thread was posted in the Dawnguard section on this forum. Be careful and don’t take any chances.

Since I'm kind of avoiding being either on my first run through (Only been in Skyrim for about a month now), hoping to avoid it. Haven't done the Dawnguard, Dragonborn or Hearthfire but will be shortly. Haven't had any issues with the vamps I've been fighting so far (and their "disease" is easily curable). Hoping the new stuff will toughen them up. I just find it kind of sad that the Thralls are more of a challenge than the vamps.

 

[Tyer032392]

When you are notified that your blood boils in the sunlight, do you ever actually notice any decrease in strength/stamina? I haven't.

It effects your health by thirty or so points. I just noticed it myself when I noticed that I was loosing more health than I should. Just check under "active affects" to see any affects that are present on you.

I would say that archery is your best bet, as long as you have it high enough. Also, having a flame-enchanted bow is helpful for the extra damage, as they are weak to fire.

Actually, the Dawnbreaker is the best weapon I have used against Vampires. It does extra sun damage against the undead and if the undead falls in battle has a chance to explode and the explosion affects the nearby undead causing them to flee from combat for about a minute. I believe the sword does around ten to fifteen fire damage as well.

 

[orca45]

You are very clever Tyer032392 ...

 

[Daelon DuLac]

It effects your health by thirty or so points. I just noticed it myself when I noticed that I was loosing more health than I should. Just check under "active affects" to see any affects that are present on you.



Actually, the Dawnbreaker is the best weapon I have used against Vampires. It does extra sun damage against the undead and if the undead falls in battle has a chance to explode and the explosion affects the nearby undead causing them to flee from combat for about a minute. I believe the sword does around ten to fifteen fire damage as well.

Dawnbreaker is kinda weak though. Is it possible to up it? Just wondering.

 

[Kal]

Dawnbreaker is kinda weak though. Is it possible to up it? Just wondering.

Absolutely, if you have the Smithing perk to upgrade enchanted items.

 

[Daelon DuLac]

Cool! I'm almost there. I'm only level 32 and have been building up my sneek, heavy armor, archery and two handed, but I'm close to the smithing as well. That's what I get for smithing at every single forge I run in to! Of course I think I'll have to take up mining in order to get all the raw materials...

 

[Tyer032392]

Dawnbreaker is kinda weak though. Is it possible to up it? Just wondering.

You can upgrade it, but to where it peaks out at I am not sure. If you have the proper stats for armsmen I believe, it's attack damage should be forty-ish, and the explosion that will affect any and every undead nearby makes it a force to be reckoned with. I do however agree that it needs a stat boost as it is a very weak daedric artifact.

 

[Daelon DuLac]

You can upgrade it, but to where it peaks out at I am not sure. If you have the proper stats for armsmen I believe, it's attack damage should be forty-ish, and the explosion that will affect any and every undead nearby makes it a force to be reckoned with. I do however agree that it needs a stat boost as it is a very weak daedric artifact.

It actually strikes me that most Daedric weapons are pretty weak damage wise. They have some cool properties, but are basically unusable for most higher level fare without a boost.

 

[Tyer032392]

It actually strikes me that most Daedric weapons are pretty weak damage wise. They have some cool properties, but are basically unusable for most higher level fare without a boost.

Dawnbreaker is the best sword for dungeon clearing as you can also affect the undead that have as of yet woke up from their slumber. I suppose because of how devastating Dawnbreaker is compared to a normal sword with a fire enchantment on it, they decided to make it weaker damage wise, but makes up for it with the area of affect damage bonus.

 

[AS88]

Sneak bonuses from archery, preferably with a fire-enchanted bow. I also say sneak for another reason - if they can't see you, then they can't use their Drain Life spell, which can be very powerful at higher levels rendering your attacks almost useless.

Range is also key, with consideration to the Drain Life effect. Again, if they can't get to you, they can't drain you!

So basically, fire-enchanted bows and crossbows Fire runes also help, as well as summons - particularly Flame Atronachs or Dremora Lords.

Also, if you're a Nord, you're more resistant to frost magic - vampire's element of choice in terms of magic. And like it's been said, Argonians are good for disease resist, but you've got it covered with the DP Mask.

If you happen to get into melee range, then being able to cast Flame Cloak would be helpful (Dunmer get this as their once a day racial ability), and warding magic from Restoration will block their spells if you use it properly.

 

[Sheuneux]

Well Vampires after Dawnguard installation are awesome, other than a Stage 4 vampire in sunlight, but best way to kill vampires completely differs depending on what skills are major to you, if your a warrior or anything related with 1h and 2h weapons, best is to bash them to death, archery may be the best to sneak attack them, and take them out from range. Keeping range also helps because vampires will use absorb life spells, and if you have low health in the first place they can kill you quickly, while at the same time be healing themselves.

 

[Daelon DuLac]

Sneak bonuses from archery, preferably with a fire-enchanted bow. I also say sneak for another reason - if they can't see you, then they can't use their Drain Life spell, which can be very powerful at higher levels rendering your attacks almost useless.

Range is also key, with consideration to the Drain Life effect. Again, if they can't get to you, they can't drain you!

So basically, fire-enchanted bows and crossbows Fire runes also help, as well as summons - particularly Flame Atronachs or Dremora Lords.

Also, if you're a Nord, you're more resistant to frost magic - vampire's element of choice in terms of magic. And like it's been said, Argonians are good for disease resist, but you've got it covered with the DP Mask.

If you happen to get into melee range, then being able to cast Flame Cloak would be helpful (Dunmer get this as their once a day racial ability), and warding magic from Restoration will block their spells if you use it properly.

I often use the firestorm scroll. That seems pretty effective and I bet it would work great on vampires. The main issue, I suppose is that it takes time to activate.