I honestly cannot decide which one to join. There are things that I like about both of them and things that I do not like about both of them.

I need more information on each of them. If there's an article about this, I'd gladly read it.

Thanks in advance.

In all honesty, threads like this usually end up being split pretty evenly. There are diehard Stormcloaks, and staunch defenders of the Empire. Theres also a few people who say "why not create two characters and try both?"

Personally, I am going for the Stormcloaks first, even as a Dunmer. Ulfric's conversation with Galmar when you first enter the Palace of the Kings is very stirring. Plus, I despise the Thalmor. Tullius, well I just dont have much to say about him. I don't like him, I don't dislike him. I'm just indifferent to him. I'll get arond to doing the questline from the Imperial side, though.

The Stormcloaks are Racist fascists, the Empire has become weak and the Nords no longer respect them, The empire now kiss High elf butt. However Ulfric would create a Nazi like state given the chance. In my oppinion the Empires cooler but then again i dont like the new emporer.

Godwin says hi.


I've yet to see a single credible source for the whole "Stormclocks ar teh nazi!!1" argument beyond two non-stormcloaks harassing a dark elf in Windhelm.

I don't really see systematic like nazi behavior either. There are hints of redneck like persecution - which could escalate into redneck like lynchings. And officially speaking, there is neglect on Ulfric's part, according to that Freewinter guy. Despite Freewinter being the new Jarl if you side with the empire, I think he's a mostly objective, old warrior, who's kind of sensitive and has problems with small injustices and war. Maybe Ulfric doesn't intend the neglect though, because he's busy. Freewinter is able to think about the small things more.

I respect the Imperials too much (oblivion) to let the empire die. The Stormcloaks are only weakening skyrim by engaging in a civil war. If the true enemy is the Thalmor then it makes no sense to be wasting lives in a civil war that will only delay the inevitable Thalmor conflict.

If you ask me, crush the rebellion, then focus on the major threat at hand.

A united empire is better for all. Plus I think Tullius is a boss. Ulfic is cool too, and his motives are genuine but he is going about it the wrong way.

The Nords inherent prejudice is a turnoff for me, especially for my altmer.

Well he makes them live in a slum.

You don't have to side with either. I recommend you try them both on different characters but perhaps Legion for your main character since it's the status quo.
Agreed. I don't like Stormcloaks at all but calling them - or even the Thalmor - Nazis is incredibly childish, stupid, and only thing it shows that you know absolutely nothing about Nazism.

It comes from the fact that the Nords are germanic.

Germanic is just an umbrella term that applies to Swedes (most definitely not Nazi), Norway (occupied by Nazis), Denmark (occupied by Nazis), depending on who you ask Britons (fought Nazis), and a truckload of ancient Germans.

Ulfric's racial policies are more 50's USA than 40's Germany. Dark Elves may be disliked but they have the same rights as everyone else and are not systematically murdered by the Nords.

But they act alot like Roman time Germans as well they have a strong germanic culture so when they commit acts of oppresion we all remember the Nazi's, even if its no where near as bad.

Germanic is more of an anthropological term...nothing to do with Germany. I think I've had this conversation before around here. Swedes, Danes, and Norwegians are better referred to as Scandinavian. It is what we all know as Norse culture. Germans have more roots in Celtic culture.

edit: Sorry if that's a derail.

stormcloaks=racists to darkelves legion= old dying crumpled [ i picked legion but then again i did kill the empereor]

They should start locking these & leaving a notice to use the search function more often.

Once again. Each side has equal pros & cons when viewed from a non-biased view point. It is up to you to decide which one you want to side up with. You will get the same responses from every other thread you will find on this matter. So for future reference, use the search bar.

I say flip a coin in order to decide the issue. Heads Legion, tails Stromcloaks

If you can′t decide I say go with this

That's incredibly bigoted, even if it applied to the game story- which it doesn't. Germanic tribes have millennia of history and you're going to refer to them in the terms of one blink of an eye, historically speaking?

Secondly, educate yourself a bit on the background of the game story. For instance, the Vvardenfell disaster and its aftermath, including the Decree of Monument. The Stormcloaks are no more N*zi than the imperials are.

I say go for the Empire, I still believe there is reason to believe in it. Though I must say that the Stormcloak-Dunmer "racism" is a bit justified. The Dark Elves had nowhere to go after the Red Mountain erupted. Their century long enemy, Skyrim, gave them the right to live on Solstheim and in Skyrim without being taxed or required to re-compensate the Nords. What did the Empire do (lol Heimskr) for the Dunmer? Nothing. And now the Dark Elves are just going to sit around and let the ones who gave them free land die against the Empire. Sounds totally ungrateful to me. I know there are many dumb ignorant Nords, but the "It's not our fight" excuse is such a massive cop-out.

Let your heart be the decider, not your head.

Tried the Stormcloaks, pretty cool but I like the Legion more.

Why must a certain group of people call stormcloaks, or Ulfric a Nazi? Do you even know what Nazi Germany did to the Jewish and the rest of the targeted countries? That is just flat out childish. Why don't you spend a bit more time in windhelm and tell me how much of a nazi Ulfric and his stormcloak group are.

The empire svcks and so does the imperial legion. General telluis was going to allow you to be wrongfully executed when your name wasn't even on the list., and yet you want to join them knowing that they were going to wrongfully execute you? I don't know about the staunch legionnaire supporters here but I take no kindly to that. If you threaten my life you become my enemy.

Why not role-play it? With my first character,a Khajiit thief/assassin, I ignored the whole civil war because I couldn't see how there was anything in it for me (though given the conduct of that lady-dog imperial in the opening sequence I was tempted). Now in my second play through, as a none too-bright Nord sword-slinger, I shall line up with my compatriots when the time comes and I shall be fortified in my resolve by the fact that the Imperials wanted to cut my head off for no good reason (its just too bad that I won't see that lady-dog of an Imperial Captain again).

I've done several playthroughs so far. I joined the Legion in my first Dunmer, before I scrapped it. I joined the Legion on my Argonian. I stayed out of it on my Altmer. And I joined the Stormcloaks with my second Dunmer, but I'm roleplaying it as him infilitrating the Stormcloaks and guiding them to victory so that he can kill Ulfric and use his control of Skyrim, the Empire's destabilization (he also plans to kill the Emperor as DB), his status as a dovahkiin and savior of the world to become Emperor and rebuild Morrowind.

The easiest thing to do OP is just do both.

Play a Nord "Son of Skyrim" and join the Stormcloaks.

Then plan an Imperial "Son of the Empire" and join the Empire.

Honestly the quests are nearly identical. Which really svcks when you think about it. About the only real difference is Whiterun's battle.

Tullius is secretly collaborating with Thalmor. See Imperial Missive.
Ulfric is considered to be an uncooperative asset. See Thalmor dossier: Ulfric Stormcloak.