Fighter's Stronghold

A place to discuss and ask questions about the fourth part of The Elder Scrolls series and its expansions
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Stan RedGuard
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Fighter's Stronghold

Post by Stan RedGuard »

What are your thoughts, feelings, complaints and raves about the last DLC for Oblivion, Fighter's Stronghold?

Here is my review:
Upon getting the quest update, I got to Battlehorn Castle as quick as I could. Located west of Chorrol where the road ends, I found it under attack by multiple bandits. To my knowledge, I attacked four of them: Two regular Marauders, a Marauder Archer, and the Marauder Warlord. You are aided by Battlehorn Troops but, except for the Warlord who drops a great sword, there is nothing noteworthy about the actual battle. A let-down? A little. Mehrune's razor had an lengthy and extended battle, and while I wasn't expecting something of that scale, I did wish to find the battle for the last DLC, and one called Fighter's Stronghold, in a castle called Battlehorn, to be far more bitter and hard fought. You will note one really stupid thing: The body of the former lord of the Castle on the field of battle in the castle courtyard, yet a really badass shield of his is left in his personal chest at the foot of his bed. Why the hell didn't he use it? It is quite possibly one of the three best shields in the game. He would have lived!
Anywho, you go to the Merchants Inn to purchase your stuff, and all the upgrades are reasonably priced. Is the palce expensive? Sure, but not nearly as much as some houses and this one is a freakin' castle that has many uses.
So, now for a break-down of the upgrades I care about:

Battlehorn Wine Cellar: Gives you a large wine cellar, you also gain the services of a former alchemist who can use ingredients to make brews to improve combat performance. Seems very well done, though you can't create your own brew. Nice upgrade, and if you collect ingredients anyway, this is a boon.
Training Room: Your Orc sparring partner will spar with you. While I don't know if you could accidentaly kill him(Common sense no during sparring sessions, but I didn't take any chances so I just blocked.:P) this is still an excellent time to train all your major combat skills.
Dwemer Forge: Dissapointment personified. I thought you could train your Armorer skill here, or receive a permanent boost to your skill rating. However, all that happens is your skill is raised by 15 while you are close to the forge. I'm sure lower-armorer skilled players will find this useful for short-range training, but I was expecting something different.

Indeed, there are many more upgrades. All in all, Battlehorn Castle is the best 'house' in the game, with the only other thing coming close is the Priory of the Nine. That one is because you can place Crusader's relics and take them back and have them leveled.

As for the Men-At-Arms...well, kinda pathetic. They wear steel armor and probably have steel weapons. All you'll find in the castle are Iron and Steel weapons, not even sure about Steel. This means that they aren't prime candidates to actually go off and fight by your side, as your foes will likely outclass them in ever level.
Items of note:

Borea:(Warlord's Sword) A good sword. While it may not crack people's list if they Umbra, Goldbrand, or the Crusader's Sword, it is still a good weapon that could make you a nice bundle. The merchant that gets added that you buy the upgrades from will uy it and any other weapon/armor you have, and he does have 2000 gold.

Various armor worn by the Warlord: None of it is too bad, and some of it is actually quite good. I had a debate when it came to the Helmet and one other piece of armor, and that's when I have the whole set of Crusader's Relics at their peak(Better even, thanks to 125 health!) Still, you can make some nice coin or improve yourself here.

Lord K. Bulwark: Incredible shield. Fortifies Health by 40 points, aids Endurance, and does something else. It's defense is the same as the Esc. of Chorrol. Currently, I have this, the Esc. of Chorrol, and the Crusader's Shield. The Crusader's Shield gives me a Def. of 27, but the Esc. reflects much damage, so that was my number one. However, the amount of health the Bulwark fortifies creates a confict. The player can't go wrong.

I just DL'ed the thing an hour ago, so much of this information may prove to be half-truths, I will have misnamed things, and this is by no account a complete review of everything in the castle.
However, it is my honest opinion that while this castle does deliver in most ways, it also falls flat on it's face in others. Why did Lord K. go into battle without his awesome shield? Why are the Men-At-Arms SO poorly armed? How could you be besieged by a handful of Marauders? Why does the Forge suck?
But these are mostly minor gripes. I spent around 14,000 septims and I have a freakin' castle. Honestly, I can't complain that much. Those at low levels will find the armor and weapons found in some places to be a major boon. The Men-At-Arms do at least follow you.


But, most of all, the smith is named Niels and so is a friend of mine. :lol:

If you get this for free, then this is an incredible deal. If you pay for it, it is a good deal.

It should also be the location of like four hundred Mods. Honestly; It's massive and has lots of room for improvement.
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Post by weka »

Thanks Stan, interesting reading. I've downloaded it, but it will be a while before I get to look at it.
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Post by vhfw »

i want it so bad, especially since it's free for a couple of days, but I don't have the PC version :cry: i also saw a cool utility for making your own buildings and stuff, has anyone used that? it sucks... theres nothing cool on this game for PS3 :x
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Post by Codex »

vhfw wrote:i want it so bad, especially since it's free for a couple of days, but I don't have the PC version :cry: i also saw a cool utility for making your own buildings and stuff, has anyone used that? it sucks... theres nothing cool on this game for PS3 :x
You must be refeering to the construction set. Oh yeah, I have used it. If you browse through the files at www.tesnexus.com you'll find lots of "homemade" mods for oblivion. Pity it's just for PC though.

And I downloaded the Fighter's Stronghold (it rocks), but I used the CS to add some more storage space in the master bedroom. I felt it was a certain need for it, as I try to collect a peice of every weapon and armor in the game. ATM I have all the standard unenchanted ones, and a LOT of enchanted ones.
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Re: Fighter's Stronghold

Post by Adam »

Stan RedGuard wrote: Borea:(Warlord's Sword) A good sword. While it may not crack people's list if they Umbra, Goldbrand, or the Crusader's Sword, it is still a good weapon that could make you a nice bundle. The merchant that gets added that you buy the upgrades from will uy it and any other weapon/armor you have, and he does have 2000 gold.

Various armor worn by the Warlord: None of it is too bad, and some of it is actually quite good. I had a debate when it came to the Helmet and one other piece of armor, and that's when I have the whole set of Crusader's Relics at their peak(Better even, thanks to 125 heal
Warlord? Didn't notice any of that, and I've been playing with it for a few hours. I killed the Lich and the Skeleton (No good with names) and I haven't noticed no new armour (Apart from the shields).

Have I overlooked it?
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Post by Guten Tag the Argonian »

Training Room: Your Orc sparring partner will spar with you. While I don't know if you could accidentaly kill him(Common sense no during sparring sessions, but I didn't take any chances so I just blocked.) this is still an excellent time to train all your major combat skills.
The orc is essential, so you don't have to worry about killing him.
Why are the Men-At-Arms SO poorly armed?
The reason the men-at-arms are not well equiped was in the will, it says that they focused all their money on maintaing the castle so it would not fall into ruin.
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Post by Stan RedGuard »

Guten Tag the Argonian wrote:
Training Room: Your Orc sparring partner will spar with you. While I don't know if you could accidentaly kill him(Common sense no during sparring sessions, but I didn't take any chances so I just blocked.) this is still an excellent time to train all your major combat skills.
The orc is essential, so you don't have to worry about killing him.
Why are the Men-At-Arms SO poorly armed?
The reason the men-at-arms are not well equiped was in the will, it says that they focused all their money on maintaing the castle so it would not fall into ruin.
What's the point of having a strong castle if the people who are defending it either fight hand to hand or with craptastic weapons?:P


@Adam- Really? I didn't even run into skeletons or liches. Remember the battle near the front of the castle, where most of the people are? One of them has is called the Marauder Warlord. Maybe it has something to do with your level? :?

@Codex- I have all my extra armor at the Priory of the Nine in a barrel. I have Ebony, Daedric, Dragon, and many enchanted armor and weapons. 'Course, Crusader armor at my level>That stuff, and Umbra-Goldbrand-Crusader's Sword make for a nice three combo.
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Post by Butterknife »

Stan RedGuard wrote:
Guten Tag the Argonian wrote:
Training Room: Your Orc sparring partner will spar with you. While I don't know if you could accidentaly kill him(Common sense no during sparring sessions, but I didn't take any chances so I just blocked.) this is still an excellent time to train all your major combat skills.
The orc is essential, so you don't have to worry about killing him.
Why are the Men-At-Arms SO poorly armed?
The reason the men-at-arms are not well equiped was in the will, it says that they focused all their money on maintaing the castle so it would not fall into ruin.
What's the point of having a strong castle if the people who are defending it either fight hand to hand or with craptastic weapons?:P


@Adam- Really? I didn't even run into skeletons or liches. Remember the battle near the front of the castle, where most of the people are? One of them has is called the Marauder Warlord. Maybe it has something to do with your level? :?

@Codex- I have all my extra armor at the Priory of the Nine in a barrel. I have Ebony, Daedric, Dragon, and many enchanted armor and weapons. 'Course, Crusader armor at my level>That stuff, and Umbra-Goldbrand-Crusader's Sword make for a nice three combo.
It's no fun if anyone tells you. Just go search the castle for secret passages. The one in your bedroom will help add some back story.
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Post by Stan RedGuard »

Cool, there's a passage in my room? I played the DLC for an hour then I slept.(I sleep from 8AM to 5:30PM...vampire?:O)

Update: Found the passage, killed Lord Kain and the Breton Battlemage/Lich. Still, didn't explain why everyone had such [&@%!] poor arms.XD If weapons and armor were one of the things sold to maintain the castle, then the merchant would have them. Perhaps the Knights of the True Horn just sucked.:p They certainly need my character to revitalize them. His plan is to unite the Redguards of Hammerfell under his banner(Taking care of his father's foes in the process) then use half Nord blood and high popularity to unite Skyrim and Hammerfell under his flag. After he has the Redguards and Nords united and working cohesively, no force could stop him from making the Fourth Era the Era of the Empire of Marsh! Also, a change in my character's story: What he believes to be what happened to his father and Lord Kain is just the official story- No one knew until he bought the castle. Now my character is even more determined to destroy his father's foes, because noe he isn't sure if his father is even dead.

Here is an updated list of weapons and arms:

Boreal: Warlord's sword. Two-handed, quite good, but not good enough to crack your list. Has a damage of 26 for me. Frost damage of 10 pts in 15 feet on strike. Worth 2,370.

Dragonsword of Lainlyn: Lord Kain drops this. One handed sword that is worth almost three times as much as Boreal. Decent sword, but not good enough to crack my list. Damage of 25. Fire damage of 25 pts on strike, absorb fatigue 23 pts for 5 seconds on self. Worth 6,471.

Warhammer of Storms: Found in the grotto underwater, needs the Lich key to open the chest. I guess it's a good Warhammer, but I'm not an expert. Damage of 10, shock damage of 20 points on strike. Worth 8,158.

Greater Staff of Ruin: It was dropped, but I didn't pick it up.:P

Flamewalker Greaves: Armor dropped by the Warlord. Heavy Armor with a defense of 13. Not bad at all, resists fire 30%. Worth 5,771.

Helmet of the Mage: Armor dropped by the Warlord. Rating of seven, fortifies magicka 20 pts and spell absorbtion 14 pts on self. Worth 11,759.

Inquisitor's Gauntlets: Armor dropped by the Warlord. Rating of eight, and detects life 105 feet on self. Worth 4,221.

Lord Keylvyn's Bulwark: Found in his private chest at the foot of your bed. Excellent shield: Rating of 22, Fortifies Health 40 pts, Endurances 8 points, and Block 15 points. It also makes for a superb back-up for either the Shield of the Crusader or the Esc. of Chorrol, depending on your total defense. No matter which one I equip, I have 85, so it depends on the situation. I use the Esc. of Chorrol for now because it reflects damage, but the Bulwark is almost as good. Worth 10,800.

Everything here is AFTER I sold it to the merchant, except for the Bulwark. There are also other shields: Knights of the True Horn shield found near Lord Kelvyn's body, and Lord Kain drops his shield. I didn't pick them up as their defense was too low for me, but they would do well for a low-level character. Their value is in the hundreds of septims each.
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Post by Butterknife »

Someone should put a spoiler notice on this thread.
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Stan RedGuard
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Post by Stan RedGuard »

The thread is called Fighter's Stronghold. If people don't know that the discussion is going to be about it, and they see that there are posts after it was reeased, then they need to have better decision making. :lol:
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Post by Jeff »

Actually, this is a message board about the game. Every topic is a spoiler of some sort... :P
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Post by Adam »

Stan RedGuard wrote:@Adam- Remember the battle near the front of the castle, where most of the people are? One of them has is called the Marauder Warlord. Maybe it has something to do with your level? :?
I found the Warlord, she had iron armour and an iron longsword, none of it was enchanted. Maybe it was my level. I made a new character to play KotN, and he's still only level 5 :P

I'll take a look with a better char later.

Edit: I came back with a level 43, and she had a "Claymore of Fracturing" (Glass), and the only piece of enchanted armour were greaves called "Magebane Greaves" (Daedric).
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Post by Bear »

I would think that the Warlords' equipment is affected not only by level, but luck as well.
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Stan RedGuard
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Post by Stan RedGuard »

Hmm, well, I have a Luck of 56 and I'm at level 26.
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Post by Undead(-)Necro »

jeff wrote:Actually, this is a message board about the game. Every topic is a spoiler of some sort... :P
was it free for a couple of days? Why doesn't anybody say this on the wiki:'(
Guard: Taste my sword!!!
Bandit: Hmm. Tastes like chocolat, is that right?
Guard: Unbelievable! How did you do that?:|
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Post by nicholasenj »

ok, where is the passage? I give up. I've found two but neither had an enemy inside, one led to the wine cellar and one led to a broom closet.
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Post by nicholasenj »

on second thought, pm me as most people won't like that kind of spoiler.
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Post by ganna »

Undead(-)Necro wrote:
jeff wrote:Actually, this is a message board about the game. Every topic is a spoiler of some sort... :P
was it free for a couple of days? Why doesn't anybody say this on the wiki:'(
It's free for this week as it says on the front page (Latest News section) of the wiki . . .
I'm NOT serious. Never ever. If you happen to be please don't be seriously annoyed. This is just a pastime and some of us have a weird sense called sense of humour.
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Post by Butterknife »

Nicholas, the diary tells you where the grotto is located. The lever is cleverly hidden though.
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Post by nicholasenj »

oh, I don't actually read those things. :oops:
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Post by Jeff »

nicholasenj wrote:I'll pretend you didn't ask that.
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Post by nicholasenj »

why do you hate me?
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Post by Jeff »

What do you mean? :roll:
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Post by nicholasenj »

did that sound at all familar? :wink: not to bring up old wounds, but I always found that conversation sort of funny in a cosmic way.
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