Need help with Storm Atros

[Chicken Slayer]

I'm looking for a way to efficiently kill storm atronachs at maximum difficulty. I'm at level 19 now and testing things out. After many fails, my most recent "invention" is Wabbajack followed by touch spell [paralyze 1s, weakness to poison 100%, weakness to magic 100%) followed by enchanted sword [weakness to poison 100%, weakness to magic 100%] poisoned with [Paralyze, drain speed, damage health, frost damage.] I only want to use one dose of poison if I can get away with it, but I am willing to use two if needed.

The drain speed and paralyze are in anticipation of the Battle for Bruma and the Imperial City battle at level 25-30 (with so many bad guys to fight at one time, I want to conserve poisons). My plan is to drink chameleon potions to 100% or fortify+restore health and run around incapacitating bad guys as quickly as possible in hopes of saving some good guy NPCs. I would also like a way that lets my conjured Dremora lord kill them faster.

The problem I'm encountering is that when the Stormy turns into something with a lot of health points, when the wobbajack effect wears off they either resist the poison or are brand new beings (I can't tell which, but the poison doesn't keep working).

I'm playing a Breton game mage character with apprentice birthsign (around 340 magicka) and have my Conjure and Alchemy to 100, and my Illusion to 75. With six levels to go, I can get my Destruction up to 75 if needed and put together a magic suit (I have around 100 welkynd stones for recharge). But I would rather find a submax magic method I can use in the future with a Nord with Mage birthsign.

Only vanilla game by-the-rules ideas please.

Thanks.

[PrinceJonathan]

Well for starters Dremora Lord is a terrible summon.

It only has 172 HP a weak as [&@%!] physical and several lame ass spells.

Xivilai would likely make a better Summon to pit against a Storm Atronach. It's got 240 HP. And while it may have 20% Weakness to Shock, it also has 50% Spell Absorbtion meaning at least half of the Atronach's Shock spells won't do anything.

Or better yet, pit a Storm Atronach against a Storm Atronach. They'll be immune to the other's Shock Spells and the Summon Storm Atronach has 350 HP and a melee of 26 as opposed to Dremora Lord and Xivilai's 15 melee attack.

Storm Atronachs also have 15% Reflect Damage. So attacking one head on will also injure you. Best keep your distance and fight with spells or arrows.

They have no real elemental weakness, so it's best to just stick to Fire or Frost as those are cheaper than non-elemental Damage Health spells.

Of course on Hard, your spells aren't really going to do much.

Hmm...there is a weapon called Hatred's Soul. It's a powerful bow with a Fire Damage and Drain Speed effect. You can find it in Oblivion:Random Oblivion World 2

Not sure how the damage slider will affect the Drain Speed effect, but it should come in handy for slowing down Storm Atronachs.

Since I'd be trying to keep my distance from them, I'd probably custom enchant a bow with Weakness to Poison and Weakness to Magic and then shoot them two or three times before applying poison to my next shot while my Summons distract it.

[Chicken Slayer]

I've tried Xivilai and was dissapointed. I like the way the Dremora lord runs to the fight and keeps after an enemy so I can stand back in safety, and they seem to hit more often to make up for their weaker attack.

Poison doesn't seem to work on stormies, even with weakness to poison and weakness to magic applied multiple times (touch spell and 2-4 hits with the sword). I'm not sure, but I don't think that weakness spells are reduced to 1/6 at max. diff., so it must be a true immunity or I am not seeing something.

[Chicken Slayer]

The Hatreds bow worked pretty well to stop stormies. I then had Frost Atronachs toss frostballs at them from a distance. The fights were nicely controlled, but not quick enough.

I ended up taking my Destruction skill to 50 and making a Weakness to Poison plus Weakness to Magic range spell (both 5 seconds) and a 100 Drain Health sword with a similar poison and magic weakness added. I can fire off three or four reps of the spell and then attack with the sword to finish them off. The cost to the sword charge is acceptable.

The Weakness to Poison is on spell and sword for taking out spider daedra and goons. The spell also boosts the duration of my paralyze staff.

I have high health and several pieces of resist/shield for shock so I can take a couple of hits in the face and not be in too much danger. I tacked invisibility onto my health potions to save the day.

I pitted summoned Xivilai against a Daedroth and the gator killed three before being killed. Usually two Dremore lords can take care of one daedroth, with some health to spare on the second one. They swing their swords quickly.

[PrinceJonathan]

I'll have to reevaluate my opinion of Summon Dremora Lord then.