I thought I'd share an epic fight I had last night that was most unexpected! I arrived home from a hard day at work, so I wanted to to take it easy playing Skyrim, so I admittedly adjusted the level from Expert to Adept. I'm a level 43 pure mage and was, for the most part, easily handling most enemies on expert since most of the magic trees, with the exception of Resto, were pretty stacked. And no... I don't have zero cost reduction on any magic, just about ~60 percent for destruction since I think it's pretty weak to begin with, especially on higher difficulties.

So I'm walking along on my way to Whiterun with my newly reanimated Ascendant Necromancer Thrall. I was actually having fun just watching him wipe out bandits with aplomb with nary any help from yours truly. On the road to Whiterun, I see a battle taking place between two Vigilants of Stendarr and what looked to be a single mage in black robes. I was itching for another fight, but I was afraid the Vigilants were going to finish it off before I get there. That assumption couldn't be further from the truth.

Halfway there the two Vigilants drop like flies. I'm like, "Ooooh, this could be interesting...". I've seen Vigilants take down all sorts of Daedra and beasts, so this piqued my curiosity. I get close enough to hear her say, "... And you thought I was just another pretty face." On my HUD, I see the description... Volkihar Vampire. To be honest, I wasn't all that initially impressed because this isn't the first time I've dealt with high level vampires. I just beat a Master Vampire in a Morthal quest. It was a challenge, but not terribly difficult and it was on Expert. However, this was the first time I've seen a Volkihar Vampre. So, right off the bat, I get complacent, which usually doesn't end well. So the fight ensues...

Off the bat she revives one of the Vigilants to do her bidding. Getting cocky, I figure, it's only fair for her since I have a powerful reanimated zombie myself, so I initially didn't pay much attention to her thrall. BIG MISTAKE!!! Not only was her VIgilant attacking me, but she used him as a healing potion of sorts by using the absorb health spell with one hand while casting Ice Storm on me with the other. It was actually quite an impressive display. While artfully dodging her slow Ice Storm attack, I missed with my first few dual casted Thunderbolts because that freakin' Ice Storm attack turns half your screen white making it hard to aim! Well, needless, to say, she caught on and switched to using faster Ice spikes to slow me down before swtiching back to her Ice Storm attack to inflict massive damage on me... CLEVER GIRL!

Since my character was getting pretty powerful, I decided to leave the healing and mana potions home to make the game a little more tactically challenging. BOY, DID I MISS THEM NOW! So I dual casted healing and ran around like a headless chicken for a bit while my Necro distracted her and the Vigilant. I hopped back into the fight and dual casted chain lightning. I mis-timed my second cast, so I didn't get to stun her again but I took out her Vigilant. By this time my mana was running real low, so I figure I wait a couple seconds and cast my "SAVE ME NOW" magic... Pacify! I had enough to cast dual handed, so I did, but just like I dodged her attacks, she dodged mine and landed in the river behind her. "I'M SCREWED!!!" I thought, but in the heat of battle I totally forgot I had a power that turns the tide of battle... HIGHBORN!

I quickly cast it and healed myself with Resto since I was dangerously low on health as my Necro distracted her. In a few seconds, however, she demolishes him with an Ice Storm Spell and it's just mano y mano. Usually with Highborn, I can end fights pretty quickly, but not the case here. I resorted to chain stunning her as much as I can just to end the fight. With a sliver of health, I was amped to finish her off. Then, out of nowhere, she heals herself with what I'm thinking is a potion and restores more than half of her life!!! "YOU GOTTA BE FREAKIN' KIDDING ME!" I said to myself. Damn, did I regret not having a potion now!!!

Noticing my mana bar regressing, I realized my Highborn power had been used up. So, with both of us at around the halfway mark of our health, it became a pirouette of dodging, attacking, dodging, attacking... ice vs lightning... her Ice Storm vs my Thunderbolt. My lightning spells must have drained a lot of magicka, because she wasn't attacking me as much with her magic and charged at me on occasion, so I feel like we were both waiting for our mana to recharge before dealing the final blow! With depleted health on both my opponent and myself, I initially casted the healing magic, but in the back of my head, I realized if she healed herself to the degree like she did last time, then I'm screwed! I switched my tactics to offensive. With my mana nearly depleted, I knew if I missed this time I'm DEAD! With all the focus and concentration I could muster, I unleashed all my remaining electric fury on my foe and with sheer and utter epicosity, my dual casted thunderbolt lands on her, sending her body tumbling down the cliff onto the riverbed below!

After my initial victory celebration, I paused to think about the situation and kinda laughed because I just had my most epic battle with a lone vampire... on ADEPT! Maybe I just wasn't sharp and that made the fight harder than it should be, but it was fun nonetheless. But after 200 hrs of playing time (120 hrs with my previous melee character and 90 with my current mage), I never had a battle quite this hard that lasted as long as this one, and this is after countless dragons, dragon priests, briarhearts, and bandit chiefs that I faced. So, since my goal was actually to RELAX tonight, I decided to end the game there and pour me a nice glass of single malt scotch whiskey.

I know this was quite a long read, but I hoped it entertained at least some. I hope you find your next epic battle in Skyrim soon.

Good story!

I had a similiar fight except it was against a Master Volkihar Vampire with a Bandit Highwayman thrall. I was also playing on master difficulty.

I was in the 40s too and had decided to "nerf" myself because I feared I was getting too powerful. I stopped buying and picking up healing potions as well. Well I entered a cave and boom. A vampire I hadn't seen before. Good luck against my breton warrior I thought. Yeah that dodgy bastard was hard to hit and teamed up with frost and drain spells made it even harder. I spent most the fight in the menu look for whatever potion I could. I thought I was done when he went into invisibility not once but twice and healed where I couldn't see him. Basically a fight reset, except I was still low on health and magic. I won't go into anymore details but I ended up winning. I also ran like a bat out of hell for the exit, deciding to clear the cave out later. After that I decided there wasn't such a thing as too powerful (without glitches).

you managed to entertain me atleast, it sounds like a really epic battle, I havent had one in a while, but this story makes me wanna go out and find one

This is why I hate the [censored]es and whiners and sulkers. Because in the end...THIS GAME IS AMAZING!! With all it's flaws and what not...AMAZING!

Great story bro, enjoyed it. Havnt come across those vampires yet. Bricking it for when I do (unless I catch her on sneak, then my bows gonna tear her a new one)

Coincidence. I just found my first volkihar tonight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ7NVjZ-Eyg

Thanks guys! Was initially hesitant putting this up since I knew it was going to be long, but your positive comments made it worth it!

Yeah now with my Two Handed Nord Character i already crushed some of those Vampires there,s no better weapon than a Big Giant Hammer against these...Mostly a nice finishing move on the Skull is so much fun.

I did make the mistake also too not take healing potions it was the last mistake i made since then i alway,s carry them

Nice! I'm sure your experience was more harrowing than mine. I'm getting older and my gaming reflexes are starting to fail me, so master is a little out of my league. I'm glad you survived your encounter!



Thanks! And good luck!

Thanks! Good luck with that!



I wish I encountered one with my board and sword melee character. I almost want to go back and play with that character to see if I can find one!

You probably would have died without the Breton 25% resistance.
Love this game

I can take those guys out with a single shot with my Daedric bow and enchanted armor. I sneak up aim and poof! Dead before they even knew I was there.

Nice! I'm gonna try a sneak character next. Honestly though, I'm not sure I want to be that powerful. One-shotting boss level enemies wouldn't be that much fun for me, but to each their own.

I havnt encountered a vampire yet....looking forward to these types now on my ranger-assasian

Had I known that this specific vampire was going to be this much of a challenge on a night I wanted to mainly just relax and explore, I would have done the same! Haha

trust me never be afraid to post a good story, thats what alot of here are lookign for. to exchange ideas and experiences. great story, ive had quite a few myself soem epic....alot funny as in sad lol.

like for a short one, im running whiterun after ive had a couple of beers and got a new mod that basically gives the Fus ro dah sound like in the trailer....so im go to the market getting rdy tio have a serious drunken brawl with soem essentials when i shouted.......

and it wasnt the fus ro dah one and i unleash a storm shout. so im like whatever and chuckling as the town people are getting zapped by lightning bolts when all of a sudden i see a lil girl running for her life across the screen and get zapped... Now my drunken self that has been chuckling at the misfortune of the townsfolk i see the little girl and im all like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saC13RJ8CUs. so im sitting htere staring at the computer screen almost losing my buzz when all of a sudden the girls gets up and brushes herself off and runs up to me..im all like "im sorry lil girl..sooo sorry i didnt mean it" when she interupts me and tells me thats she not scared of me and so forth....im shaking my head and shrug my shoulders and go off on an adventure