NOTE: NOT A TROLL

I think I may be the only one that thinks this, but as a werewolf in enclosed spaces, I am unstoppable.

I have been testing the beast form on Master difficulty and found that its more then enough to handle many monsters and NPCs. I am a level 34 Nord Barbarian.

My latest test took place at a silverhand leader hideout. Enemies inlcuded two heavy armor wearers, most were two handers, and several very OP mages. During the battle I shifted and cleared the entire place while in beast form healing myself with corpses and lengthing the bloodlust. The kicker was the wolf howl which made everything in the place run from me. My order of attack is as follows:

1. Sprint lunge at weak target, usually one hit kill.
2. Howl making everything run.
3. Hunt down the weakest first.
4. Howl again if necessary.
5. Sprint lunge the heavy targets and while they are on the floor you can keep them either fear/or knockdown locked giving you ample time to hit them with a barrage of attacks.

I tried the level several times purposefully hitting traps to see what I could take, and letting archers and mages hit me. I found That mages rocked me hard, archers were hit and miss, and all melee was vulnerable and weak. Using the terrain and structure I could funnel archers out of LOS and focus on the melees, same with mages.

I do agree, survivability need a boost, but not much to make it OP. Maybe make feeding quicker with a larger heal, perhaps add bleed effects to werewolfs claws too. But really, over all I do not agree with most statements made about how weak the werewolf is, I found the beast form very powerful albiet more a melee glass cannon.

Next I need to try open areas as well, but what I am seeing is that hit-and-run tactics would be the key here.

My two-cents.

with my character i use the Lord Stone just for the added 50 points of armor (even if unarmard as in wolf form) and 25% magicka resistance just because i RP and i use the wolf form alot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLrpBLDWyCI

Sorry couldn't help it, but I really don't find the Lycanthropy system terribly unbalance, maybe underpowered.

Yes OP, divide and conquer is the only strategy viable for a werewolf.
Later on though it turns from fun, to anoyying, then to a grind just to clear a room since you have to continually lunge enemies off their feet and scratch their health away ever so slowly.
Later still, werewolf's are completely outclassed.

Hm, from what I have heard the issue is the scaling of it. On lower levels it's fine, but the higher the level the more weaker it becomes.
Last time I tried it out on my level 60 thief I ended up dropping the difficulty down to the very lowest since I kept on dying. I only wanted to do it for some roleplaying so...

But what do I know, maybe I'm just bad at the whole werewolf gameplay? I have to admit that I never really got that much into it on that character.

I think its good early game when you still need an "oh crap" button before you become developed enough to take on everything the games has. I think there is a reason why the companions are in the first major town you walk into and give you a power that is great for low level characters and people who are new to the game. Werewolf = training wheels and im fine with that. I don't know about anyone else but i usually make the same decision as a certain character in the end anyway and no longer have access to beast form.

Level up. After 40 or so you might change your mind.

At lvl50, I find it useless. A group of simple thugs (totally ungeared) was more than I could take.

I agree with you that if you can use a werewolf right it is still fairly powerful at high levels. The problem I have with it, is how weak they are when it comes to taking damage because when I am getting killed in one or two hits by a two handed weapon bandit something is wrong. So the only change that needs to happen is their durability, and make your melee damage scale with you. I also would like them to add normal Lycanthropy to the game along with the Companions strand of Lycanthropy.

It does become under powered as you gain Lv.'s, I find the trick is in the hunting style like thew OP said, hit and run. I'll use the " fear howl " to scare the lower Lv. mobs that I face and then I switch to a hunting wolf tactic, I'll run circles around the group and will randomly make 90degree turns into the group taking swipes at everyone. I will continue this until one or more of them break away from the group and then hunt them down and finish em off while the group is dazed and confused, rinse and repeat.
The biggest group that I have faced on my own as a werewolf is 10-12, I cleared the outside walls of a fort and if you use my hunting tactic along with the "fear howl" you can be unstoppable for those lower Lv. mobs, higher Lv. mobs you need to think and plan your attack before charging in. Like Bromance said the Lord stone is an added benifit to werewolves, it still effects you as a werewolf, alteration magic works as well, if you cast ebony flesh( or what ever it is ) before changing it carries over to your transformed form, so if you have the highest spell( dragon scale I think it's called ) you will have 50%resistance melee from the lord stone, 80% from the spell( for 30-60 seconds I think ) and 25% magic resistance from the lord stone. You can also cast a cloak spell to give added protection, me and Bromance there put our heads together in a similar topic I started along with some advice from who ever dropped a line.

link to my topic http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1369690-a-call-to-the-wolfpack/page__fromsearch__1

I have tested it, on master it takes 5-6 hits from a battle axe(steel) to kill me in werewolf form, with the lord stone it went up to 7-8 hits from a steel battle axe to kill me while transformed and like I said alteration can add up to 80% more resistance for 30-60seconds( I don't remember how long the spell lasts) depending on your skill in alteration, then you can add a cloak spell on top to give both defensive and offensive benefits for another 30-60seconds( I think ). So for about 1.5 minutes you can be a monster of a werewolf.

link to my topic http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1369690-a-call-to-the-wolfpack/page__fromsearch__1

At least the disease immunity remains useful.

"Hunt down the weakest first"? Wha?

You hunt down whoever resisted the demoralize effect of your howl first. The rest are too busy dropping loads in their pants. You utterly ravage them. Powerswipe or sprint swipe them to bowl them over, and then mercilessly shred them. THEN you move on to everyone else.

And keep howling. There's no cooldown, just the time it takes for the animation to play. New enemies will probably hear the commotion and come to investigate, and will need to be demoralized too. And it keeps the effect applied to everyone else too.

But the "weak first"? No. Kill whoever resisted the howl first, which would most undoubtedly be the strongest. Everyone else can be dealt with pretty much at your leisure.

Master difficulty and lv40-50+

^^ Then come back to us.

Werewolves would be a ton better if their power were to scale with the character,and the model would be race-unique.
Its a bit of a letdown to have each character,no matter race,build or looks end up the same dull wolf.
I'd be more interested if the Were-form were to reflect the character.
Argonian Were-lizards,Khajiit Werecats,Big burly Nord Werewolves and quick,nimble Wood Elf Were's.
And if my character has white hair,i want it to be a White Wolf.
Crimson red were's for those foxy readheads out there?

There's a myriad of options that would make Lycantrophy so much more appealing.

Now,low level theyre fun,but late lvl i simply keep it for the disease immunity,and because i prefer a wolf over a Vamp,who need a makeover too.
Proof that beth hasnt learned a thing about Vamp's since Oblivion:you still change when u become one.
Given,u no longer become a fugly horrid creature as in Oblivion,but still,i didnt spend hours finetuning my character's looks only for him/her to suddenly morph into something else over a transmitted disease...

Master difficulty, level 81.5, can kill 10-12 NPC's in about 30min( in game ) using the tactics outlined here and in my topic

i agree, and i was going to ask because i thought i read somewhere the the appearance varies slightly depending on race and six like the tint of the fur but i guess i was mistaken but it would be nice for a wolf perk tree in the upcoming DLC will there be one...who knows but we can hope

Level 34 is not high level, go get 50+ then get back to us. It becomes utterly pointless.

Once again, level 81.5, master difficulty, can kill 10-12 NPC's using the hunting tactic,and defensive tactics outlined. Now I use it like my weapons, I will change at midnight( thanks Bromance) and will hunt to my hearts content(ring of hircine) it is very viable if you think before you act.

link to my topic http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1369690-a-call-to-the-wolfpack/page__fromsearch__1 have a read it may change your mind

Sorry, simply don't believe it, considering my experience is completely contrary to what you're saying. I get TWO shot by almost all enemies as a Werewolf at level 56 on Expert, not even Master.

Record a session and youtube it, else your claims are hollow.

Well my werewolf can clear a fort of Imperial soldiers on expert difficulty at lvl 70 plus, granted i have that restoration perk that heals you once a day if your health drops below 10% and i use the Lord Stone

Please explain to me how a pure nord warrior with all points put into health can get 2 shot on expert and you can supposedly clear out entire forts? That makes no sense, and everyone making those claims never gives any evidence.

Transforming for me is a DEATH sentence, I will die.

You say your at Lv. 56, that's the point at which you need to Lv. a couple more times to out class the NPC's, other wise they are a couple Lv.'s above you ( scaling and all ) and are quite able to school you, just like being Lv. 19 but the NPC's are like Lv.20-22 I think. I play on 360 so I cannot record a bit of game play to back up what I've said, but I don't have any reason to lie either, take my word if you use your noodle and think a bit and strategize a little bit before you make your attack you can do quite a bit of damage as a werewolf. I'm not saying I never die as a wolf, I do a lot, I just learn from my mistakes and adjust my plan to fit the bill ( as it where)

same here im on 360. when your in your high levels, im talking 65+ you get that advantage over other NPCs again because they then are in there 40s to 50s

edit and when i go raiding forts i walk around in them for a bit first in puppet form to learn all the exits and whatnot then i leave transform into beast mode and conquer then when im done, i decorate all the dead bodies

i may be wrong on this,but i thought Lycantrophy stopped scaling with the character after a certain point,wich is the reason its so flawed on high levels.
So no matter how many skill points or health u have,in Were-form u have a set health and damage.Wether ur a burly nord warrior or a frail elf thief,in wereform its all the same.At least,that is what i was informed of,once again,i may be wrong there.

Anyone else wish you could become a werewolf without doing the companion quests?