why is the imperial army so weak

[Derp53]

I managed to get 6 thalmor justiciars on my tail then booked it to the nearest imperial fort, i didn't a thing but hide and watch as SIX thalmor killed THIRTY imperial soldiers, how does that even work, i mean the imperial isn't that weak is it?

[ZeRoc]

Well, the Imperials lost the war, didn't they?

But more seriously, it's because the Thalmor are the elites of the Altmeri Dominion's army. They are trained to be the strongest mages, and the forts are filled with either recruits, or tired soldiers. I'm not sure my explanation is 100% accurate, but it's what makes it make sense to me.

[Derp53]

accurate statement but there were only six thalmor and and only two were decent mages, against 30 impy's i would think the the empire would be stronger than that but seriously my main character is an nord legate and imperial's spit on me, i'm a veteran of every civil war battle and some snobby imperial noble spits on me, i'm not just a legate either, i'm thane of all nine holds, and guards call me traveler, it's just rather frustrating saving the world and reuniting an empire and getting no respect for it, i felt like i should've joined the stormcloaks

[cypruss11]

I would think 6 on 30 would be an equal fight, for thalmor mages. Te equivalent of 1 on 5. I think just about any mage could take out a couple infantry units.

[Redguard_Master]

Probably from levelling them to fight you. I mean remember in oblivion when at high levels the baddies were running around in daedric and glass and could walk over guards in rows? They were leveled to fight you, not each other. The thalmor are probably tougher because you fight them in smaller numbers than fort clearing which can be a lot. They'd probably blow through stormcloaks just as easy.

[11Justin93]

I highly doubt you found an Imperial fort with 30 soldiers patrolling the walls. The most I've ever seen in one fort was about 16 and a few of them were inside the fort. It was probably more like 12 on 6. The previous responses are pretty accurate too; the Thalmor mages are really strong. With that said, it kind of makes sense that the Imperials lost this particular fight.

[Lotet]

the Imperial Legion ain't what it used to be. back in Oblivion they were a proffesional fighting force but nowadays the need for more soldiers on the field has forced them to lower thier standards and try to get troops out of training faster. hear how every legionaire (though I don't think they're worthy of that title) asks you to join the Legion? a shame really. I've seen Imperial Legion Soldiers in Oblivion take on Trolls and Minotaurs, now I can take out half a dozen with a single Shout.

[Derp53]

now i wish i had joined the stormcloaks.....

[Dark Spark]

Thing about humans is one redneck family could recover the quantative loss of those thirty dead humans ten years before a high house of the Altmer could settle upon a politically beneficial arrangement to see the replacement of those dead six Thalmor. A plan which would take another forty years to finish.

[Gideon Dragontongue]

True. The scholars who predict the outcome of the next war fail to take into account all those Nord and Imperial hillbillies merrily churning out new recruits, while the Thalmor produce a new soldier at a rate of three per five centuries.

[Da_BossMaN69]

Don't over analyze this, it's purely a gameplay mechanic.

I mean a guard can kill the the thalmor easy, I've seen it happen so clearly the Lore doesn't come into play there.

Real reason, thalmor aren't mass troops for the battles, we've never had to battle them to the scale you do against the Imperials/Storm Cloaks in the questline. The soldiers were kept at low levels so lower levelled players wouldn't get slaughtered every battle (although that should be how it goes). Basically it was quantity over quailty, Beth decided to make more soldiers on the field rather than less soldiers with higher levels. Had this been a Great-War centered game, the thalmor would be just as easy to beat.

Bad design choice too in my point of view, the armies should have levelled with you or at the very least they should've had different levels of soldiers.

[Redguard_Master]

Don't over analyze this, it's purely a gameplay mechanic.

I mean a guard can kill the the thalmor easy, I've seen it happen so clearly the Lore doesn't come into play there.

Real reason, thalmor aren't mass troops for the battles, we've never had to battle them to the scale you do against the Imperials/Storm Cloaks in the questline. The soldiers were kept at low levels so lower levelled players wouldn't get slaughtered every battle (although that should be how it goes). Basically it was quantity over quailty, Beth decided to make more soldiers on the field rather than less soldiers with higher levels. Had this been a Great-War centered game, the thalmor would be just as easy to beat.

Bad design choice too in my point of view, the armies should have levelled with you or at the very least they should've had different levels of soldiers.

indeed.

[11Justin93]

Don't over analyze this, it's purely a gameplay mechanic.

Bad design choice too in my point of view, the armies should have levelled with you or at the very least they should've had different levels of soldiers.

Different levels of soldiers would be cool. It would be nice to see some more Imperials in the Imperial heavy armor too, perhaps as a sergeant level soldier. A little bit stronger than the average legionnaire, just not quite as strong as a legate. Battlemages are absent from the Imperial Legion. There were a few at Helgen at the start of the game, but I haven't seen any since then.

[House of the Wolf]

Just to note, Imperial guards are able to take out justiciars quite well.

The "soldiers", however, are very weak compared to their guard counterparts. It's so you, as the PC, aren't faced with the daunting task of having to take on dozens of guard-strength soldiers at one time. I don't agree with it, but it is what it is.

I'd be interested to see if Bethy would create a leveled Thalmor army balanced to the Stormcloaks and Imperials. Would they still be a little bit stronger, or would they be shown as comparable?

[MaKo]

Don't over analyze this, it's purely a gameplay mechanic.

Yes, right, that's the reason.

Bad design choice too in my point of view, the armies should have levelled with you or at the very least they should've had different levels of soldiers.

Now this is an interesting question. I have taken civil war quests as very first ones, and very last ones. It is not surprising, that at higher levels civil war quests are easy, and at the same time, if you take them early, they are much harder (*). All this because soldiers do not level, at least at the same rate as PC does.

(*)

Spoiler:

Joining to either side at level 3 is very difficult task. Either you need to clear a fort, or beat an ice wraith. Both can be very time consuming task for low level characters. Luckily in the battles, you can a little bit avoid taking damage, by hiding behind your fellow soldiers.

But what if they would level with you? Now, all the complaints against leveling is that if you are experienced, high level elite specialist, you should feel like one against your enemies, right? You have walked through nordic ruins, killed Draugr Death Overlords, Ancient Dragons, Dragon Priests and similar, and when you go against rookie soldiers, they kick your ass? That is why I just can't easily say that unlevelled soldiers are bad design choice.

Anyways, take civil war quests early, and you don't have to complain

[Mattbott]

yeah, soldiers seem to be on a par with 'bandits'

imo there should be low level soldiers throughout the game, but when you get to high level there should be more higher level officers.. ideally, an officer with three or four solid friends to help to make any assault a challenge (eg when you are 50th level in a camp you can expect to find a 50th lvl commander, four 25th level sarges and a load of low level troops, one or more of the sarges could also have magic, i find it silly that no one in the army can heal, don't these guys watch M*a*s*h ?)

in fact a few mid level military doctors who just basically ran around healing the troops could turn a slaughter into quite a tough fight at high level

[Archea47]

You said it was a fort? As I understand it, when you enter a location the characters that spawn there from now on are at the level you were when you first visited. Like when I go back to a cave that I cleared out on my own at level 12, now at level 40 when returning to said cave even the *boss* I blow away with just 1 dual cast lightning bolt. So it's possible that it was 6 lvl 50 Thalmor vs 30 or however-many level 10 imperials.

Also, yes. Imperials come in different shapes and sizes. At my current level when I dual cast against a town guard they stagger, then pull their sword out. If I meet a random imperial in the bush and dual cast him he goes flying and I have to look for the body

[HatofMadness]

Everybody knows Imperials are pussies.

[Evil-i]

There's a reason a brand of margarine is named for Imperials. They're so easy to spread.

[Lyn1964]

Has anyone mentioned their propensity for drinking bovine mammary secretions? No? Okay, then consider it done.

[Shelbydeth]

There's a reason a brand of margarine is named for Imperials. They're so easy to spread.

Thank you. I lulzed hard at this.

[Derp53]

You said it was a fort? As I understand it, when you enter a location the characters that spawn there from now on are at the level you were when you first visited. Like when I go back to a cave that I cleared out on my own at level 12, now at level 40 when returning to said cave even the *boss* I blow away with just 1 dual cast lightning bolt. So it's possible that it was 6 lvl 50 Thalmor vs 30 or however-many level 10 imperials.

Also, yes. Imperials come in different shapes and sizes. At my current level when I dual cast against a town guard they stagger, then pull their sword out. If I meet a random imperial in the bush and dual cast him he goes flying and I have to look for the body

Actually it was the first time i found this fort and i was level 45 so i wasn't very weak not to mention i had finished the imperial questline so stormcloaks didn't show up very often

I highly doubt you found an Imperial fort with 30 soldiers patrolling the walls. The most I've ever seen in one fort was about 16 and a few of them were inside the fort. It was probably more like 12 on 6. The previous responses are pretty accurate too; the Thalmor mages are really strong. With that said, it kind of makes sense that the Imperials lost this particular fight.

Also i made a rough estimate i never counted i just saw ALOT of impy's running around