Skyrim: Here’s What Level You Should Be to Defeat Alduin
Alduin is the primary antagonist in Skyrim, and when the game first got released, before additional expansion packs, it was supposed to be the toughest fight in the game. Many players, however, considered the fight too difficult, and on the other spectrum, we have the players who considered the encounter too easy and unrewarding. Considering that Skyrim’s gameplay is open-ended and most quests don’t have level requirements, it can be difficult to estimate the best time to deal with Alduin and conclude the main storyline. This is why we’ve decided to create this guide. Let’s see what level you should be to defeat Alduin.
Technically, there are two fights against Alduin in Skyrim
Skyrim’s main story is not that long and not that complicated. It’s divided into 3 acts and consists of 19 quests. It should take around 30 hours to complete it, although the time decreases exponentially if you’re on your second or more replay.
During the course of the main story, you will face Alduin two times. The first time you get to fight him is atop the Throat of the World during the quest Alduin’s Bane when you are tasked with learning Dragonrend shout, the only shout capable of downing Dragons.
This fight against Alduin is nothing special in terms of its complexity, and he will not attack you with his full might. You will likewise not be able to defeat Alduin completely as he escapes to Sovngarde.
The second time you face Alduin is during the quest Dragonslayer in Sovnguarde. Sovngarde is the place where Alduin feeds on the souls of dead Nordic heroes, which means that he is at his full might. Luckily, you will not be fighting Alduin alone since there are three other deceased Dragonborn with you, Gormlaith Golden-Hilt, Hakon One-Eye, and Felldir the Old.
Even though the fight is generally considered unexciting and Alduin is (by subjective opinion) the worst boss The Elder Scroll’s franchise ever gave us, some players found the encounter difficult, sometimes even impossible to complete. Let’s see why and how to deal with this.
You should be at least level 24 to defeat Alduin
Skyrim’s gameplay is open-ended, meaning you can start the main story first without delaying or side-questing and finish it in a single breath by burning through the main quests. If you start and complete the main storyline too quickly, you might fall into a trap; Alduin might be too difficult to deal with because you are under-leveled or under-geared.
By focusing on the main story first and ignoring exploration in general, you’re missing out on valuable experience and gear that can greatly improve your odds when facing Alduin. Always take your time and explore every location you find yourself at.
The official Skyrim guide recommends that you be at least level 24 to defeat Alduin. However, players below this level will still be able to deal with him as long as they have quality and sufficient gear.
There’s one piece of gear you can easily miss if you’re not exploring the ruins enough, and it can greatly help your odds against any dragon, not just Alduin. I’m talking about Dragonbane, which can be found at Sky Haven Temple during the quest Alduin’s Wall. Dragonbane deals 20–40 points of extra damage to dragons, which can really turn the tide of battle in your favor.
Always make sure to explore the quest locations sufficiently since they are the primary source of premium loot at every level. Don’t rely on merchants too much. You will not be able to buy powerful artifacts like Dragonbane from them.
What to do if you are too weak and you keep losing to Alduin?
If you are not high enough level or don’t have good enough gear at the end of the main story, you will struggle against Alduin. No matter what lame mechanics he has, he will simply deal too much damage for you to tank. You can do several things to defeat Alduin, even when the numbers are not in your favor.
- Let Gormlaith Golden-Hilt, Hakon One-Eye, and Felldir the Old do all the work for you. Kite Alduin as long as you can and let them drain his health. You will still have to be the one to deal the killing blow to Alduin, as you are the only one who can kill him.
- Engage Tsun in battle by kiting Alduin near him and causing him to attack Tsun. Tsun will engage with Alduin if he is damaged, and he can be a valuable asset in terms of both tanking and dealing damage.
You shouldn’t delay the fight against Alduin too long
Some players like to delay the fight with Alduin too long, which leads to the fight being generally unrewarding and boring, and this is the worst thing that can happen in almost any game. The Official Skyrim guide recommends that you fight against Alduin no later than level 35.
Alduin scales up to level 100, but his mechanics do not. His level pretty much means that only his health gets higher. Even at level 100, Alduin is not difficult to deal with. He is simply boring to deal with, you will have to shave off a lot of health with no reward, and the fight will be terrible and too long.
As you can see from what we stated above, the ideal time to defeat Alduin is between levels 24 and 35. This leaves you plenty of time to explore, gear yourself, and enjoy the story without getting too strong for Alduin.
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