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Much of the game of Daggerfall relies on successfully surviving through a combat situation. This page will hopefully help you survive longer than you thought possible by providing hints and tips on fighting. Feel free to make suggestions and contributions to this page by contacting the WebMaster.

Fighting Strategies
7 February 1999

1. I prefer using the 'view interface'. This allows one to back up while fighting which prevents one from being hit at all. What happens is I swing, usually hit the monster, and back up before the monster has a chance to attack. By the time the monster has caught up to me, I can swing again, back up...etc... Very handy. Just make sure you have enough room (small rooms can prevent this tactic) or don't step off a large drop. (I can see me doing this...'Ah-ha...I have you noo...ooo...www.....splat').
2. The spells 'spell absorption' and 'spell reflection' can make one virtually indestructable. Note that spell absorption can also absorp your own spells. Handy for taking out that monster at really close range with fireballs or what not.
3. Arrows can be shot through doors (and walls if in the void).
4. Switching from weapon to bow/arrow takes forever unfortunately. I assume the speed attribute will help this...but still I think it should be faster. I usually only use my bow when the enemy is isolated from my. I attack and then retreat to wait for my bow to reload which prevents the creature from attacking me with its ranged weapon, if any.
5. Its often possible to position yourself behind an object such that you can hit your opponent but your opponent cannot hit you (both using melee weapons). For instance if you hide behind a shelf in a store, the guards can't hit you but you can hit them.
6. While most of your fighting will most likely take place in dungeons, the wilderness does also offer combat if you look for it. The best method is to merely rest for a while and something will come along, usually with some pretty good loot if you manage to kill it. Remember that spells that work on a Target-At Range are difficult or impossible to land while outside so stick to regular weapons or area effect spells.
7. Although poisoned weapons were intially intended, they are not present in the game, no matter what you may read or see in the game.

More General Combat Strategies
7 March 1997

The first thing you want to do is determine whether or not you want to kill the sucker. If you don't have to or don't want to, let it chase you into a room with a hole. Run around to the other side of it and the idiot will walk and fall right into it! Or, position it between you and the hole, take a few whacks at it and it just may go flying back into the hole. Just remember that it'll still be down there when you get to the room it fell into. They don't seem to take any damage from the fall either. They don't die from drowing if there's water at the bottom of the shaft too. Go figure! Also, if you have open and lock spells, run away, close the door, and cast the lock spell. Be sure you have either open or recall or you'll be screwed if you want to go back. You CANNOT pick a magically held lock.

If you're on a quest for a guild, let's say you're after some mummy wrappings or werewolf blood, 99 times out of 100 you're looking for the only monster in the dungeon of that type. I was crawling thru this maze that had bears, tigers, and bats looking for werewolf's blood for the mage's guild. I came across a lone werewolf, slayed it, and found the blood I needed. When you find the beasty and slay it, search the body and pick up the item. Don't forget to do this, especially with werewolves because I tend to ignore searching them as they never have any loot. As with most quests, a message will appear confirming that you found the item you needed. As a side note, if you're on a quest to slay monster X, make sure you slay monsters Y and Z as well along the way. One time I was supposed to slay a werewolf and this bear got in my way. I whacked him and to my surprise the message appeared "This looks like the beast everyone thought was a werewolf...".

Take advantage of the Xngine's problem with corners and stairways! You know that annoying problem in the game when you round a corner and can't move as if you're "stuck" on it? Well, the monsters can have that problem too. The only exception is that they are usually so intent on you that they want to walk a straight line to get at you and don't try to move off the corner. Some monsters can't even climb stairways! I can't tell you how many times my weak little elf has picked off giants with a bow. This works with zombies too. I just see it as they're too big to get up the stairs (then how'd they get down there in the first place?!?). Hey, you powerful guys just remember that you had to start somewhere too!

OK. Another thing you can do if you're up against something that's too powerful is let it chase you until it gets "stuck" like I mentioned, or until you backtrack into a large chamber. Make sure the path is clear, because if you ran away from something prior to it'll get a crack at backstabbing you! I'm using a custom class, so I have a natural spell absorbtion ability. Just for that little extra, I cast reflection if I'm up against something really nasty. In the large room/chamber I save the game just in case, swing, take a step back, swing, take a step back. As most of you know, that usually works, but not against a real tough one. One time my level 4 (at the time) character was up against an Ancient Vampire. Ooh boy! With absorbtion/reflection cast, I just pummled the jerk by casting fireballs down at my feet! Burn, baby, burn! Invisibility works well too. Sometimes if you back away about 5 to 10 paces it forgets about you completely. You can tell by watching it and waiting for it to start dawdling around and it'll turn it's back to you. Then you can sneak up and backstab. If you run away far enough after the backstab and the spell is still in effect, you can do this repeatedly!

Which reminds me. One time I was in a room where there was a mummy and a wereboar in on their own cage. I backed away just out of harms reach and PICKED THEIR POCKETS! Yes, you can actually pick a monster's pocket. So now, I go into steal mode and slam the space bar as I'm fighting any monster. My pickpocket skill has skyrocketed. Sure beats training for it or ticking off town guards by going after the peasants.

Strategies Against Tough Monsters
7 March 1997

I have collected a small set of strategies on how to cope with some of the tough spell casting monsters/enemies. Note that the fact that I'm using a standard warrior (level 13) means that I cannot rely too much to spell casting myself, but on the other hand I'm quite good in close combat.

A *very* nice thing to have (almost a prerequisite) when fighting these guys is some means to cope with their paralysis spell: immunity , an 'Unrestrainable' (sp?) magic item (I have at least five of these), etc.

Vampire, Ancient Vampire

As long as there is space to retreat into they seem to be quite easy since they seldom (never?) use ranged attacks. Currently it takes me 2-3 swings to kill a vampire and 5-10 swings to kill an ancient vampire with a daedric Dai-Katana.

Lich, Ancient Lich, Mage, Battlemage

Basically these are tough since they use ranged attacks (especially the former two), but using one or of more of the following strategies I'm usually able to handle them (I do save the game before engaging, though - just in case!).

General Fighting Strategies

1. Let it live!
   If the bug is not coming at you, it is not in your way, and you don't *want* to loot it, this might be the option for you!
2. Stab it
   If it hasn't seen you (has anyone noticed any difference in awareness depending on which way the bug is headed?) a single good blow may finish off a lich/ancient lich; at least it won't be able to use ranged area attacks without hitting itself. An invisibility potion is very handy here.
3. Lure it
   If the bug is just blocking your way you may try to get it to follow you to a place you don't need to go later and then leave it at a corner, a staircase, or a jump (they seem to have problem on these 'obstacles'). Even if you want to kill it this might be a good idea; if it is stuck behind something it sometimes cast san area attack spell into the wall, etc. killing itself right away.
4. Shoot it
   With a good bow, 5-10 arrows might do the trick. While waiting for the next arrow to become ready you should hide behind a corner, box, etc. It seems to me that the bug takes longer to see you/get to you if you are kneeling (can anyone else confirm this?).
5. Run up next to it and start fighting it!
   If all else fails you might try this; with a bit of luck you get sufficiently close to it before you are hit by the first area attack spell which then often will take out the bug. If not just start swinging your sword - I think I have killed a dozen ancient liches this way loosing between a third and half of my health in the initial blast.

Ancient Lich/Vampire Strategies
November 1996

I'm sure most of us have had the unfortunate luck of encountering an ancient lich or ancient vampire in a dark dungeon hall. If one is well prepared, these monsters can pose little threat. If caught off guard however, the encounter can be deadly (most of the time involving your character's death). The following is the best strategy I have evolved so far against these enemies. Please post any improvements you may have.

Currently against Ancient Vampires I am using a custom Continuous Damage fire based single target ranged spell that does

   50(HP) X 9(mylevel) = 450(HP) damage per round for
	                 5(rounds) X 9(mylevel) = 45 rounds

The Vampire Ancients seem to be handicapped with a lack of ranged spells, fortunately for us all. However, and this is a big however, they move fast and if they reach you and you have no magical protection, YOU ARE DEAD. Count on it. I have rather potent magical protections and I too have seen much floor. Therefore I have for you the following recommendations.

1. Switch to visual style combat interface for Quake style reflex levels.
2. RUN LIKE HELL.

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