Cooking doesn't really count as crafting IMO. You get no XP or skill increases for cooking- it's just something that transforms the various foodstuffs in your inventory at that time to some that heals and restores endurance, as well as a few other effects for a period of time. It's kinda like alchemy lite.

Just so everyone is clear here: there are Briarhearts, and then there are BRIARHEARTS!!!1!1!!1

The OP is clearly referring to the latter. These are level 51 Briarhearts that dual-wield and are an absolute force of nature. From http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/615805-/61362081


ETA: This is the one that killed me in 2 power attacks when I had 350 health and about 75% damage mitigation (adept difficulty). There is pretty clearly some hidden damage modifier that allows him to wreck stuff so easily, because a lot of enemies have 100 one-handed skill and they can't do what he does.

lol wow, I've never had that much trouble with a briarhearts. I can usually dodge their power attacks and smash them with volundrung.

When all else fails put up a shield, drop to the floor, steal hear = profit

These guys are nasty. Even on my stealth archer they somehow could detect me no matter how dark or far I was. I just had to quickly run and hide from a distance before the arrow hits them to kill the guy.

Briarhearts are the single hardest hitting enemy, although not the most dangerous one. Brairhearts can be dispatched from range. Ebony bow wielding death overlords do less damage, (1500 before armor reduction on master) but are more offen the cause of player death.

I really didn't know what the Briarhearts were really about. They actually have a briarheart in there chest cavity, and were ressurected by a Hagraven. I never noticed the mark on there chest. InTeReSTING,

brier hearts have increased stats. almost impossible to sneak past, and hit like a god-damn truck on steroids.

that being said they can be shield bash stunned just as easily as the next humanoid.

Actually you don't.
What you need to do is be very good at running away and hiding and then firing arrows at them.
And then repeating that, whilst hoping that they don't find you.

The skeleton at the top of the big stairs in the Privateers' hold, and the Orc in the nearby room. At least you don't meet a Briarheart 10 minutes into the game.

Everyone talks about how bad-ass a certain creature is in the game. But then I go to face one and I take it down with my Nightingale Bow and Daedric arrows in two hits. And at the same time wonder what everyone is afraid of. I dunno maybe because I have the full Nightingale armor set and 100 in Sneak plus the Shadowcloak of Nocturnal and am at level 43.

Strangely enough, whenever Whiterun guards encounter enemies (e.g. when I lured bandits down to Honningbrew Meadery and uses frenzy to get the guard there to engage) he yelled "WEREWOLF! WEREWOLF!"

The guard yelled "werewolf"....? That *is* strange. I don't know why he'd think it was a werewolf. Back to Briarhearts... Briarhearts are tough but I guess I don't have too much of a problem because I don't take them on alone. I'm not a great fighter so I have great fighters to help me. Argis and the Dremora Lord just kick butt and I'm happy with that. When I want to go it alone, I can do that too; that adjusts my level of play...my own little balance system.

The only characters that should be afraid of them are mages that get too close and Warriors that have whimpy gear. For anyone else Briarhearts are no more difficult than any of the tougher creatures in the game. Ranged attackers may not even know they are hard because unless a Briarheart hits you with one of their power attacks they really don't seem all that special. Sneak characters have it the easiest especially if they have a high pickpocket skill. ha ha

I find that they are overly agressive and you can use this to your advantage, it is a guaranteed that they will make the first move so you have two choices while face-face with one.
1. Take the first hit and then lour them to where you want them
2. Shield bash and stagger them
From my experience these are the best two options ( next to running ) and even then they still best me from time to time, as of late I have chosen to keep a good bit of distance between them and myself and will pick em off ( soften them up ) with my bow before engaging in face to face combat.

Don't gimp yourself. As you start gimping yourself from smithing, enchanting etc. you'll find that you either lose interest in your characters quickly, or they just sort of 'end' quickly(as in you're bored of them, done with them etc.). Use everything Skyrim has to offer for you, play it the way Bethesda wanted people to play it, but just don't go too far and start using your capability of being able to do everything and break the game, and everything seems easier all of sudden, then bump up your difficulty to master. Don't play on adept, it's so easy. My character's not a power horse, but I still play on expert because adept is just too damn easy. I'll switch to master in my higher levels.

Old post since it's been forever since I've played the game but I remembered having this issue as well and making a post about it.
http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1326861-forsworn-briarhearts-bugged-or-very-odd-scaling/page__fromsearch__1

The game never really felt balanced regardless of briarhearts though for me, the combat system and movement just make it a very awkward hack and slash with random also-awkward kill animations thrown in, bows and magic being only a bit better than melee. Most enemies are trivial if you build an effective enough character or just abuse certain spells, briarhearts stand out just because of their bizarrely high damage relative to all other enemies.