Oblivion:Guard Uniforms
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This is a guide on how to acquire City Guard uniforms without receiving a large bounty.
Contents |
[edit] General Tips
The simplest, most straight forward method is simply to kill a guard and relieve him of his uniform. This may be somewhat undesirable, due to the direct repercussions of starting a fight in a city.
One easy, yet time-consuming, way of getting all Guard Uniforms is to head to the castle (or in the Imperial City, guard tower), and steal the guard armor, as several cities' barracks have spare pieces of guard armor, either in containers or in plain sight. This may entail waiting for the guards to either leave or fall asleep. You can also pickpocket their armor while they sleep.
An alternative to killing a guard yourself is to let something else kill them. Viable candidates include:
- The Unicorn: Simply bring some enemies into close proximity to a guard and the Unicorn, prompting the Unicorn to attack everyone with a weapon. Remove the enemies from the picture, leaving only the guard and Unicorn to fight it out.
- Oblivion Gates: Bring a guard to an Oblivion gate. This can be accomplished by either striking the guard, resisting arrest or initiating dialogue and retreating to the gate before the guard can reach you. The daedra outside the gate should be able to handle the guard, providing they don't attempt to kill you first. This tactic is also viable for any location where enemies spawn outside, such as Ayleid Ruins, Forts, Caves, and Bandit Camps.
- Mythic Dawn Members; All of them can easily be guided into the dangerous hands of a city guard. The trick is keeping them alive. To do this you'll need to make sure of a few things:
- You have completed the Dagon Shrine portion of the main quest.
- The particular Mythic Dawn Agent you're planning on sacrificing is still alive. (If you haven't killed him/her yet, then they will be alive.)
- You own a Convalescence spell to heal others (can be purchased from healers in chapels or you can make your own). A Major Heal Other scroll is available free of charge in the Bruma Mages Guild if you are a member, but you will need quite a few scrolls.
Cursed Enchantments can also be used to kill guards. Note however, that guards generally wear a full suit of armor; as such, they will generally not equip a cursed item unless their corresponding piece of armor is stolen beforehand.
Poisoned Apples are an alternative, and slightly time consuming, method of separating the armor from the guard wearing it. Guards typically eat in their respective guard barracks, or watch tower in the Imperial City.
Yet another way is using Frenzy spell and summoning magic (You need to be an Apprentice or higher in Conjuration). Due to the unique nature of guards' AI, Frenzy alone won't set them off; there must be something hostile nearby for them to go into combat. Short of luring a hostile NPC or creature, you can summon a creature to get them into combat. As long as one or more guards are frenzied, there's a fair chance they will fight and kill each other. You can also try using frenzy on any guard captains marked essential.
You can also loot their armor if they die during the Defense of Bruma portion of the main quest. The guards present will depend on your success with the Allies for Bruma quest. From this, it is possible to obtain a complete set of guard armor from all the cities except for Bravil; Viera Lerus opts to bring a claymore to battle in light of a Bravil shield.
If you have completed the Thieves Guild quest line, you can use The Gray Cowl and simply kill the first guard you meet, and remove the Cowl to escape arrest. It is not advised to try this in the presence of other Thieves Guild members, as they will come to your aid, and will not leave combat with the guards when you remove the Cowl.
It is also possible to drown guards, with Water Breathing and a relatively small bounty. To accomplish this, it is important to find a body of water with an obstruction directly above it, such as a dock in the Bravil Canals, or the Mage's Guild Well in Cheydinhal. Strike a guard, prompting them to follow you underwater. When the guard runs out of Breath, he will be unable to surface due to the obstruction directly above him, and will drown.
[edit] Imperial Legion Uniform
There are multiple ways to acquire an Imperial Legion uniform. The most straight forward is simply to kill a patrolling Legion horseman, either through direct methods, or by surreptitiously luring monsters back to them. There are also various quests where Imperial Legionaries may die, leaving their armor free to loot. These include:
- The Battle for Castle Kvatch. Three legionaries will assist you in this quest, and are generally quite good at getting themselves killed.
- The Attack on Fort Sutch. Again, Legionaries fighting Daedra. Like their compatriots, they are equally capable of getting themselves killed.
- Whodunit?. The former soldier Neville keeps a suit of legion armor in a chest in his room.
- Light the Dragonfires. Several dead Legionaries can be found during this quest, as well as several living Legionaries.
The pirate ship in the harbor, with its aggressive pirate crew, may be used to obtain Legion armor. Wait until a guard is walking past the ship, then jump onto it and run past the guard. The pirates will then ignore you and attack the guard who is attacking them, and usually, if they gang up on him, they can kill him. Save beforehand in case it doesn't work. Additionally Imperial Legion Foresters may be found at various locations in the wilderness, and they have a tendency to attack one another and fight to the death; one pair is frequently found fighting outside Bruma. All of the foresters wear at least one piece of legion armor, although which piece(s) depends upon the specific forester.
[edit] Anvil Uniform
Wait until about 9:00 AM to make sure the Anvil North Gate guard shows up at his post. From here, you're searching for a nearby creature capable of taking down a guard. Help is most easily found at a nearby Oblivion Gate directly west of Whitmond Farm, the stable just outside Anvil.
[edit] Bravil Uniform
This method uses a Mythic Dawn agent and requires completion of the Dagon Shrine quest. Before going too far into Bravil, wait until midnight. Now, travel to Castle Bravil. Immediately upon entering, ascend the stairs on the right side of the throne room. You should now be near the Wooden Door to Private Quarters East Wing, and two guards should be on the breezeway nearby. Go ahead and stuff yourself into the corner right next to that door and begin sneaking to ensure the guards cannot see you. Pick the lock, and the hard part's over! Now, you'll be in a long hallway with one guard. Exit sneak-mode and begin running straight down this hallway, continuing straight through two or three doors (the solitary guard should notice you and chase you). You'll end up in Hans Black-Nail's room. Now is a great time to save. Once you've done that, wake Hans up by speaking to him.
At this point, the goal is for Hans to get stuck between the table and cabinet of this room. While he dukes it out with the doomed guard you can hop onto the table and Convalesce him from there! As soon as the guard dies, finish Hans off, dust your shoulders off, and stroll out of the castle wearing your newly-acquired Bravil Guard's Uniform.
There is also an isolated guard just as you leave the city, over the bridge. Putting on the Gray Cowl of Nocturnal and killing him is quite easy and bears no complications since he is so isolated, at least at night. If you haven't finished the Main Quest, Daedra from the nearby gate can easily be led to him.
[edit] Bruma Uniform
This is one of the easiest to get. Just do the Two Sides of the Coin quest. When Tyrellius Logellus attacks you at the end, you can kill him freely without any risk of bounty. He also always carries an almost complete set of chainmail armor, useful if you are a lower level light armor character. You will not get the Bruma cuirass from this quest, however.
Of course, if you completed this quest long ago and don't have the uniform anymore, or if Tyrellius was a no-show at the loot, there is an alternative. First, make sure it's no later than noon. Now, just east of Bruma and the Silver Road is the Plundered Mine. Unless you've killed them recently, there should be two leveled goblins guarding the mine. Go ahead and lead these goblins back to the Bruma East Gate; even if you run into a civilian or two on the way these goblins may survive, depending on your level. Just make sure not to attack anything (including the goblins) because they won't forget it. With your help in the form of Convalescence the goblins should mow down the East Gate Guard quickly, and snag you both the Bruma Cuirass and Shield!
Another method can be utilized during the A Plot Revealed quest. Once inside the Mages Guild, you may exit the building with the undead in tow and lead them towards the nearest guards. Be careful with this approach though, as several citizens may also be killed.
[edit] Cheydinhal Uniform
The easiest method to gain a cuirass is from the body of Ulrich Leland at one of the possible conclusions of Corruption and Conscience. If you agree to Llevana Nedaren's scheme to lure Ulrich to his death by her hands, you can loot the corpse without a bounty or even a fair fight. Bear in mind, Ulrich doesn't carry a shield, though.
If you have completed the Cheydinhal Recommendation for the Mages Guild, you can get yourself a guard uniform by smacking a guard and then (making sure he is following you) running to the well where our friend Vidkun is at rest. The guard will keep trying to kill you for a bit before he drowns. Sometimes when you emerge with your shining new armor, you get fined for assault and other times no one even notices.
[edit] Chorrol Uniform
Chorrol's Uniform may be difficult to get. Eugal Belette, the only Mythic Dawn agent in Chorrol, is an old man who seems to stay exclusively right near the central statue of Chorrol during the night and in his bed at home during the day. Depending on the time of night you two meet up, you may actually get him to chase you, but in my experience he goes straight into a frenzied fight with the nearby Argonian and is abruptly put to rest by the incoming guard(s).
The South Gate guard is able to get Eugal's attention before the Argonian some of the time. This is followed by a frantic attempt to keep Eugal healed while many city guards and citizens flock him.
On the other hand, if you're interested in attempting a daytime shimmy, Eugal Belette's house is quite easy to get into. It's locked but not illegal to enter, so just walk upstairs and speak to Mr. Belette. He'll be glad to chase you out into the streets, but where to go from here? If you find a guard, the battle ends in almost the exact same way a nighttime shimmy does.
[edit] Kvatch Uniform
During the portion of the main quest Breaking the Siege of Kvatch, many guards can be found dead inside Oblivion, more will die in the city itself unless you work very hard to keep them alive. You can easily loot their bodies and take their armor. It is also possible to kill the man whom you meet upon entering the Oblivion Gate. There is no-one to report the murder, he has no escape, and he is also an easy way into the Dark Brotherhood. You also get a free (enchanted) Kvatch Cuirass as a reward for completing The Battle for Castle Kvatch quest. A Kvatch shield can also be found in Savlian Matius's tent. (Although taking it will count as stealing)
[edit] Skingrad Uniform
This is relatively easy, but it involves stealing. In the Skingrad guard house, there is a shelf near the bedroom with several Skingrad uniforms and Guard Helmets. Be sure no one sees you stealing it, because since its in a guardhouse, if someone sees you stealing, you'll immediately be confronted by a guard, and you'll either have your newly stolen uniform taken from you or end up being attacked by every guard in the guardhouse.
There is a way to get the uniform without stealing it, but it can only be done if you have completed the Dagon Shrine quest. Make your way to the door of the West Weald Inn, but don't enter just yet. First, make sure it is daytime, and that your Convalescence spell is set. Once you are ready, enter West Weald. Your target is Else God-Hater, a Nord female who will attack you before you get a chance to blink. Now, leave the Inn and save as soon as you exit. Else should follow you out and be attacked by the nearby guards immediately afterwards. She is strong enough to hold her own for a few seconds but she may require assistance if she is fighting more than one guard, just keep her healed for a good 40 seconds, one guard is guaranteed to be killed. Gather your new draperies and let the guards take care of Else.
[edit] Types of Guard Armor
| Armor Name | FormID | Type | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anvil Cuirass | 0002766D | 9 | 240 | 90 | 7.5 | Light | Worn by guards in Anvil |
| Anvil Shield | 000352C3 | 3.6 | 180 | 45 | 9 | Light | |
| Bravil Cuirass | 00027673 | 9 | 240 | 90 | 7.5 | Light | Worn by guards in Bravil |
| Bravil Shield | 000352C5 | 3.6 | 180 | 45 | 9 | Light | |
| Bruma Cuirass | 00027677 | 9 | 240 | 90 | 7.5 | Light | Worn by guards in Bruma |
| Bruma Shield | 000352C7 | 3.6 | 180 | 45 | 9 | Light | |
| Cheydinhal Cuirass | 00027678 | 9 | 240 | 90 | 7.5 | Light | Worn by guards in Cheydinhal |
| Cheydinhal Shield | 000352C9 | 3.6 | 180 | 45 | 9 | Light | |
| Chorrol Cuirass | 00027679 | 9 | 240 | 90 | 7.5 | Light | Worn by guards in Chorrol |
| Chorrol Shield | 000352CB | 3.6 | 180 | 45 | 9 | Light | |
| Guard Helmet | 0002767C | 1.8 | 120 | 25 | 3 | Light | Worn by guards in all major cities (except the Imperial City.) |
| Imperial Horseman Helmet | 0009416A | 7 | 200 | 60 | 4.5 | Heavy | NOT worn by horsemen. Only worn by the main guards in the Imperial City |
| Imperial Palace Cuirass | 00064F75 | 35 | 400 | 200 | 11.25 | Heavy | Worn only by the quest-specific Palace Guards seen during The Ultimate Heist and Light the Dragonfires quests. |
| Imperial Watch Boots | 0018AE4B | 10.5 | 200 | 60 | 4.5 | Heavy | Worn by all Imperial Palace Guards. Except for the shield, all of the Imperial Watch Armor is marked as not playable which means that the armor cannot be looted and cannot be equipped by the player. |
| Imperial Watch Cuirass | 0018AE4C | 35 | 400 | 200 | 11.25 | Heavy | |
| Imperial Watch Gauntlets | 0018AE4D | 7 | 200 | 60 | 4.5 | Heavy | |
| Imperial Watch Greaves | 0018AE4E | 21 | 300 | 120 | 6.75 | Heavy | |
| Imperial Watch Helmet | 0018AE4F | 7 | 200 | 60 | 4.5 | Heavy | |
| Imperial Watch Shield | 000653F7 | 14 | 300 | 120 | 13.5 | Heavy | |
| Kvatch Cuirass | 0002767A | 9 | 240 | 90 | 7.5 | Light | Worn by guards in Kvatch. Note: there is also an enchanted Kvatch Cuirass that can be obtained as a quest reward. |
| Kvatch Shield | 000352CD | 3.6 | 180 | 45 | 9 | Light | |
| Legion Boots | 00028ADE | 10.5 | 200 | 50 | 4.5 | Heavy | Worn by all Imperial soldiers, both in the Imperial City, and patrolling the main roads. |
| Legion Cuirass | 00028ADF | 35 | 400 | 180 | 11.25 | Heavy | |
| Legion Gauntlets | 00028AE0 | 7 | 200 | 50 | 4.5 | Heavy | |
| Legion Greaves | 00028AE1 | 21 | 300 | 95 | 6.75 | Heavy | |
| Legion Shield | 000352D3 | 14 | 300 | 95 | 13.5 | Heavy | |
| Legion Helmet | 00028AE2 | 7 | 200 | 50 | 4.5 | Heavy | Worn by all Imperial Legion soldiers except for those in the Imperial City |
| Leyawiin Cuirass | 0002767B | 9 | 240 | 90 | 7.5 | Light | Worn by guards in Leyawiin, Shield in Deepscorn Hollow |
| Leyawiin Shield | 000352CF | 3.6 | 180 | 45 | 9 | Light | |
| Skingrad Cuirass | 0001DC4B | 9 | 240 | 90 | 7.5 | Light | Worn by guards in Skingrad |
| Skingrad Shield | 000352D1 | 3.6 | 180 | 45 | 9 | Light |

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