I don't use magic on my warrior at all and am playing on expert difficulty.

I often times have to spam restore health potions to stay alive against bandit chiefs or multiple enemies. It seems cheap. As long as I have health potions, I should win. At the same time, how would you ever clear out some of these bandit caves/strongholds without this tactic?

Any ideas/input? Is this how most warrior type players have to do it on here or am I missing something?

Hah.. yeah, it is cheap. I have tactics for certain types of encounters, but health potions are definitely necessary. I ended up training in alchemy too. It's still "realistic" for my warrior. A warrior who's a sort of survivalist/outdoorsman. Like a viking Bear Grylllz or something.

I try to rely on some shouts as well. Might as well. This game is supposed to be about dragonborn. It seems like some people don't even use shouts. I like them. Unrelenting Force is good crowd control. Elemental Fury is my "oh sh*t, I underestimated these guys!" shout.

(( Depnds on what weapons / tactics you use? One or Two handed? Shield or Dual wield? Bow? ))

1H Sword + Shield. Your standard warrior.

I have not done anything with the MQ so I have no shouts. I don't want to do the MQ until the end, mostly because random dragon encounters annoy me.

Any suggestions on tactics with 1H+shield would be appreciated.

Hi Baelor,
Good for you, playing Expert.
Anyone 'experienced' (Fallout... Oblivion... Morrowind...) should get maximum fun on this setting, but it can be tough if you're not yet Level 10+.

The biggest difference is when they smack you.
Bandit Chiefs will svck like 50% of your health with one smack... right?
But as the game progresses this will no longer happen.
Your armor will rise, and your armor skill and your health of course...

Meanwhile, yes, potions!
And maybe stealth. And a good bow (Nightingale Bow?)
Hit and Run. (Emphasis on the 'run', heheh...)
Seriously, with good endurance, RUN right through a place, and all around - SPRINT!
You'll give the bad guys fits; they'll all run around too and get in each other's faces...

If things go 'south' on you, run your way right back outta there!
But you're doing it right, brother.
Some good health potions and a plan, keep your wits about you, and the outcome not guaranteed...
Beautiful.

Well, generally speaking, I'd say not to waste too much stam on power attacks. Keep it for bashing and just using power attacks to break their blocks. Rely on quick swings the rest of the time. With mages, obviously the elemental perk in blocking helps a lot. Best to keep up block, then bumrush them with critical charge.

I don't know if this will help but definitely make sure you have 'quick reflexes' and as stated above save your stamina for bashing. when fighting the chieftain stay in block and whenever he power attacks, which will be early and often since they have about 1000 stamina, it will go slow mo so you then give them a quick bash, then quick strike once or twice and get back in block before he starts his next attack. of course to do this you really need to be mano a mano with them so if at all possible find a way to maneuver around where you can kill the rest of the bandits first. if possible use the environment to force them to come at you one or two at a time, run out of a cell wait a sec an run back in stuff like that. never let yourself get surrounded.

oh, one more thing. if the bandit chief is sitting in block, personally i just rapidly strike them with reg strikes about two three times. i found that if you power attack them, apparently some have quick reflexes themselves and you get bashed before can complete a power attack. however you gotta be careful not to let them get a free power attack of their own while you are striking. generally it seems they only wait in block for about two-three strikes then they launch a PA on you. so i will just strike a cupla times then go in block myself. sometimes we will stalk each other in a circle for several moments while in block mode, which makes for a quite a picturesque duel.

oh, and it you can find one a shield with a block enchantment on it is one of the best for reg melee fights like this. the shield of solitude is like the best shield in the game i think for a fighter, hi mag resist and high fort block.

Yes, really enjoying playing on Expert. So you admit you have to spam health potions to survive? I think I will try more hit and run. I HATE drinking 10 health potions during a fight.

Seems common that people say save your stamina for bash. I really need to start doing this. Thanks! Will need to invest in critical charge.

Thanks. I skipped that perk because it seemed cheap. I will invest in it.I was trying to make this build as realistic as possible, hence me not using magic, smithing, or enchanting.

Yeah, generally speaking, I'd say that. You can still power attack and all that, but I'd say it works better to not go too crazy with it. Keep fights under control first. The other perk next to crtical charge (the beheading one) makes power striking more efficient, but it's for standing power attacks.

Marked for death is amazing against tough enemies.

I to play the warrior, 2nd time around our main adversary I think is the mage and Ihave stayed away from MQ, only 150 in health and NO more, 500 in stam and growing, 100 in magic, just for the self healing, and even this is to slow at times Potions are a must Theres one thing I wanted from my first compleation of the game and that's a Staff that gives you a deadric lord for 60 sec's He's owsome along with lydia, (WHO NEEDS LOOKING AFTER )SHE CAN GET IN THE WAY. THATS 3 OF US so I feel confident but still die easy.( lots of saves.lol)
The best thing for me 2nd time around is living as a smithy, making both our weapons I dont use the Nighting Gale Bow anymore Imake a better BOW. we walk every where and always come back to house at the end of play. slip into a soft gown and sit by my fire making plans for next session. I have not stopped playing since its release NOV2011...and Blizzard (WOW) rembersed my ￡24.00 they took FEB 2012 as they could see I never went back to play WOW..and never will. I am about to make a glass BOW tonight.

Have a companion along during the early stages when you are weakest. Either a mage to stand back and offer ranged support or another warrior who can tank one of the other mobs.

I can see that. it was a long time before I started using it, at first cuz I didn't know what it did exactly. but if it seems unrealistic you can skip and quick bashes will still stop a power attack. it is definitely more challenging without it and is a better test of player agility, which could be more rewarding for you. i if find it quite fun to try to use the same tactic on charadters that have not got the perk yet.

Well not exactly...
I sell or give away all my health potions except Ultimate.
So I might need maybe one in a fight, otherwise not doing a very good job. But I remember your situation!

I can do crazy alchemy, but never really made any health potions...
After all you can't beat Ultimate so, I just never tried.
But maybe you need stronger potions.
Or if they're just wimpy potions (and you have to take lots of them) don't feel bad.
You'll become uber-powerful, and be longing to die, soon enough...
L8R

That's my problem, I hard EVER use a normal attack. For some reason I've actually developed a habit of doing standing power attacks. Not sure why. I am going to focus more on shield usage and quick strikes. Seems more realistic anyway for this type of fighting.

The way I do it now, I sap my stamina early, then can't bash or anything and just get waylayed by the bandit chiefs.

It's a shame you don't like the random dragon fights, because shouts are one effective way of avoiding the need for health potions. A quick Fus to break a power attack is like a stamina-free bash. Ice Form, Ethereal Form, and WW Sprint are also all useful for avoiding damage.

Learn to Shield Bash properly and backpedal attacks. Once you get the hang of it, combat in Skyrim is trivial. I never even get touched ever. I don't even bother putting points into my health and just stack Stamina as offense is a MUCH better defense in Skyrim. If everything is locked down or dead, you don't take any damage so for all intents and purposes you could be wearing just Enchanted clothing.

I also use a sword & board and character. These are some of my tactics:

Against ranged opponents, DON'T play fair!! These are tricks that have served me well:

1) Even with 'deflect arrows' archers are very dangerous (there is no guarantee the arrow will hit your shield). To neutralize them, use the shout called 'disarm'. Without their bows, archers will be forced to engage you in a melee fight, which is what you want.

2) Before getting 'elemental protection' mages are a nightmere. Even with the perk, mages are still dangerous (specially ice mages since they eat up your precious stamina). I always use cheap tricks against them: either poissoned sneak attack with a bow or, if they have detected me, a bow + the 'steady hand' perk (to make sure they don't dodge the my arrow). If for some reason you face a group of them at once, bow + steady hand may still work but I'd recommend the shout 'ice form' (which will paralyze them for a while while doing frost damage)

Against melee opponents, you can go all honorable and engage in challenging but rewarding fights. Some tricks:

1) ONLY use powerattacks when a) your opponent is blocking (guaranteed stagger) or b ) when your opponent is not facing you (because even if the attack doesn't stagger him, he won't be able to retaliate immediately)
2) Opponents tend to retaliate quickly when you attack them. Therefore, do one or two quick attacks and then inmediately raise your shield just in case. Normally, it will pay off.
3 ) Only bash to interrupt an opponent's powerattack or, if you have stamina to spare, just after having block an opponent's normal attack.
4) Get the quick reflexes perk, but careful! don't use it to give you time to bash an incoming powerattack. Instead, use it to circle the enemy and get behind him. Byt doing this you'll be able to score a couple of free hits.
5) If fighting Falmer or chaurus, an amulet of 100% posion resistance is unvaluable. GET ONE!
6) When being greatly outnumbered there is no time to be honorable. Environmental traps are there to be used. Shouts are there to be used. In particular, my favourite shouts for a melee character are: disarm, marked for death, ice form and fire breath.

Hope this helps.

Let me switch up the discussion a bit and ask about armor. Can a sword and shield warrior be successful wearing light armor? I am heavy armor right now but I ALWAYS play heavy armor, and kind of want to switch it up. You move quicker. IS this playstyle possible? 1H Sword + Shield + Light Armor?

I would not be using magic, smithing, or enchanting.

I am a warrior type, but I always carry a bow. It`s really very unwise to try and do everything just by the sword. Sometimes it`s smarter to pick off one or two from a distance.

As for actual fighting, I`m afraid you have to pop heal potions. yes, it`s dumb, but that`s the way the game plays for a warrior. Bethesda never really gave much indepth thought to pure warrior characters. They seem to just take the view that `everyone wants to be everything` so you`ll be a `Mage Warrior and cast heal spells and use astronachs all the time`.

I don`t touch light armour- never have.

Not only is it viable, it is preferred. The Stamina regeneration comes in quite handy and you shouldn't be relying on armor getting hit anyways. Also, you can use Smithing and not upset the game balance. Enchanting is really what throws everything off.

My latest master play through character is a Nord Greatsword Warrior, he has no qualms about using magic for healing, really because I hate using potions, I did have to use one health potion and one stamina potion when I had to fight an Ancient Dragon, taking on an Ancient Dragon at level 29 with a sword is not easy, damn thing chomped me loads of times.

I keep at 100 magic and 250 stamina, rest goes in health. I don't do smithing, enchanting or alchemy, my Dawrven Greatsword feels way powerful at 80 dam plus 25 fire damage, that's 185 damage for a power attack so it certainly doesn't need smithing up. I keep finding better greatswords but none of them are enchanted, hopefully I'll find an enchanted Daedric one eventually.

I can't really offer you any strategy as I've not needed any with this character, he has stacks of health over 400 (one bit of Orchish armour has a +60 health enchant) so he just charges in I press the right trigger as fast as I can till everything is dead, no thinking needed.

Cool. I am going to re create my character then. I am only lvl 21. Will stick with light armor.

I also would like to wear only leather armor. It is the coolest looking imo. We will see. I guess I can play however I want to be honest. That's why I love this game.