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An Argument for 'Marked for Death'

Tags: #Tips and Tricks Showcases 
  • Member
    May 24, 2014

    Hey James, great stuff! 

    Would you mind unpacking some hypotheticals for me?  I'm curious about how Wuuthrad's "extra damage vs elves" is calculated, and how high it would be possible to push those numbers.  My guess is, it's just a straight-up extra 20% to the displayed damage of the weapon, which is modified by the player's 2-handed skill and perks (plus any worn enchantments and potions that fortify 2-handed - plus, I guess, any potions of Fortify Marksman, as per one of your other posts?).  How does this play with MFD? 

    I've been thinking about a Wuuthrad-centered build for quite some time, preferably one with no crafting.  I've been leaning toward Elemental Fury as the shout of choice, but MFD seems like it could be tipping the scales... 

  • Member
    May 25, 2014
    Wuuthrad's enchantment checks if the enemy you're hitting has a 'elvenrace' keyword (not exact name, but you get the idea) and if it does it applies a 1.2 multiplier to the outgoing damage. I'd have to check if it's an actual enchantment spell or if it adds a hidden perk to your character, you may not be able to use elemental fury...I'm unsure about that. It's been a long time since I looked at Wuuthraad but I believe it uses the same concept as the blood extractor you use for the daedric quest, checking if the target is an elf race. Falmer are affected As well I believe. The 1.2 modifier comes at the end of the damage equation so any perks, potions and enchantments should be enhanced. The only real negative with the weapon is that it can't be tempered (much like the ebony blade) so the damage is often considered to be too low for it to be of any real use. As you mention, though, 'Marked for Death' can be a way around that limitation.
  • Member
    May 25, 2014

    Elemental Fury does work with Wuuthrad (and Wuuthrad can be enchanted), so I'm guessing the weapon adds a perk to the PC. 

    Given cooldown times, I'll need to choose which shout makes the most sense in any given scenario.  EF can result in something like 3x damage for a few seconds; MFD seems to blow that out of the water, but the trick is waiting for it to kick in.  I guess in play, EF would be used when something needs to die right now; MFD for closing from a longer distance? 

    I think the only "elves" that are unaffected are Orcs (Orsimer) and vampire versions of the base elf races.  I did read that Falmer are included, which would be one of the main benefits of such a weapon. 

  • Member
    May 25, 2014

    It would be surprising if it didn't work against vampires, I always thought NPC's were given something like a "woodelfvampirerace" keyword so I assumed it would still work against them.  Though with Skyrim I'm never really surprised with how wonky things can get.

  • Member
    May 25, 2014

    Yeah, they do but the game treats it a different race. It treats woodelfracevampire and woodelfrace with the same regard as if woodelfrace and, say, argonianrace  That's why blood samling in Discerning the Transmundane doesn't work with vampires (at least without Unofficial Patch) 

  • Member
    May 25, 2014

    Well, this is just what I've read from various sources like the UESP.  Haven't actually tested anything myself.  I believe the frozen falmer in the forgotten vale are also not considered "elves" for the purpose of Wuuthrad.  

    Really, though, the weapon would be great for all those falmer you run across in caves or Dwemer ruins, not to mention all the Dunmer on Solstheim.  What I thought would be cool is if somehow that "extra damage" were counted separate from the physical damage, so it would really shine in those specific areas against those specific enemies.  MFD would just make it awesome against everything, and even more awesomer against elves, but of course it might just be considered unnecessary - I mean, if you're dealing a billion damage against one type of enemy, dealing 1.2x a billion damage against a different specific enemy doesn't really give you a benefit.  

    If that makes sense.  

  • Member
    May 25, 2014

    Always approach sources such as UESP with suspicion, a large amount of information there is either incorrect or incomplete.  A few people in particular have made YouTube videos giving incorrect information that still get cited as truth.

  • Member
    May 25, 2014

    "Punchcat", anyone? *shudder*

  • Member
    May 25, 2014

    Don't get me started on that one lol

  • Member
    May 25, 2014

    I have to force myself to open build recommendation threads on /r/skyrim. Literally every single one has at least one comment -- usually the top voted one -- suggesting PUNCHAT because it's "so cool" and "badass".

    Every single time, I'm just like ...