The final showdown

[Voodoochild7742]

So i'm close to finishing the game, only problem is that Mankar Camoran royally kicks my ***.

I also can't get past Mannimarco (last mission mage guild quests) so some help would be greatly appreciated.

I've already read the entries at uesp.net but some more precise info would be welcome.

 

Some information about my character:

I'm a level 29 custom battlemage and i'm an expert with blade and destruction and journeyman with alchemy and conjuration.

 

What level do you need to beat Mankar and what tricks can i use to level the playing field?

(Please note that i'm running OOO and don't have Shivering Isles.)

[AurianaValoria1]

You've got a pretty high level. :) You should be able to beat them both.

 

Mankar's robe has reflect damage and spell absorption, so your best bet is to just rush him with your blade. Don't bother with spells. Also, don't bother trying to defeat Ruma or Raven - they'll respawn constantly as long as Mankar is alive. Just hit him hard and keep swinging. Try not to let him weave and dodge around you (third person view may help). If you have poisons on you, use them. If you are well stocked with healing potions, keep knocking them back during the battle, as the reflect damage will throw some of your own attacks back at you.

 

As far as Mannimarco is concerned, treat him the same way. Don't give him an opportunity to cast spells. Ideally, you should have your weapon out when he initiates conversation. As soon as he tries to turn you into a thrall and fails, hit him and hit him hard.

 

What makes these guys difficult is their spells. Because of this, don't worry about casting anything yourself. You just give them time to summon aid that way.

 

Hope this helps! :)

[Faceshifter]

Battlemages, plenty of opportunities.

For Mankar Cameron, a (big) summon can be a good distriction for his two children if they bother you. A summon also serves as a good spell and arrow shield, if it is big enough ( and you small ;) ).

 

You could also try your luck knocking them down with the backwards power attack. Go in walking mode to not miss the attack, I always miss when trying to do a backwards power attack.

Remember that both mages are High Elves and are vulnerable to elemental damage. On touch spells have less chance of missing. Mankar might have reflect spell, the Necromancer sure doesn't. You could try to shock/freeze/flame him to death.

 

I once succeeded to knock him in the water, he is on an isle. This disables his on-target spells. A cool trick ;)

[Striker879]

For Mankar Camoran I used an bow enchanted with damage fatigue (poison the arrows the same, or if you have Thieves Den get some damage fatigue arrows from Melliwin). Mankar has reflect spell and reflect damage so you'll be killing yourself if you try to get him conventionally. Arrows don't reflect damage or spells. Once you have him down you can finish him with regular bows and arrows or however you choose (as you can pause and heal yourself if the reflect effects start getting you down). I used a custom damage fatigue spell on his two kids first so I didn't have them sniping at me while I worked over their old man (paralyse for 1 second and damage fatigue for as many seconds as you can manage). Don't forget to kill and loot the kids before you dispatch dear old Dad (but give him a little nappy time before you finish the kids).

[dcinroc]

Summoning is very useful in both battles.

 

 

Silence works very well against Mannimarco. He doesn't seem to have any great defenses, so just use your most powerful attacks and take him down. I pretty much just get in his face and beat him down. He can't block since he is using a staff. My summons can tangle with his summons or help me out against Mannimarco himself. I would hope that by lvl 29 you can at least summon a Clannfear, which should be plenty. If he starts running around, be patient and try to maneuver him into a corner where you can beat on him. I prefer to reserve my magicka for healing and summoning rather than damage in most boss battles.

 

Mankar has good defenses and two annoying helpers. Ignore the helpers as much as you can and maneuver to get in Mankar's face. Much like Mannimarco, use healing and summoning as needed. Concentrate on the boss and forget everyone else. His kids can pack a punch, so using a staff is not a good idea since you can't block. I finally beat him by backing him into a corner to the left of the throne and just wailing on him until he died. I found Storm Atronach to be the most helpful summoning in this battle.

[leirynot]

Instead of going straight into Mankar's ruin thing, when his children talk to you outside, kill his son, take the mundane ring, then once you enter after his son respawns again take the mundane ring again, put them both on and you are immune to magicka. This should make both Mankar and Mannimarco very easy.

Also, I'm not sure, but if you wait long enough his son might respawn and come outside if you do not enter Mankar's house.

[InAComaDial999]

I just finished the Mage's Guild quest earlier this week. I'm a pure spellcaster, level 21 at the time. Mannimarco was pretty disappointingly easy to kill. I summoned a Skeleton Champion to distract his summons, then hit him with Weakness to Magicka and Weakness to Fire, and then zapped him with a flurry of touch-range combined fire/frost/lightning spells. I have a "Dagger of the Leech", a plain old silver dagger that I enchanted with a 35-point Absorb Magicka at the Chironasium, so I hit him with that a few times in the process to keep up my Magicka. Down he went.

 

Spells are by far the best way to deal with Mannimarco; remember that he's an Altmer so he's already vulnerable to it.

 

As far as Mankar, last time I did that was over the summer with a paladin type character. I was wearing several enchanted armor bits (boots and gloves of the Atronach, etc) that helped with resisting / reflecting magic. And I had the Umbra sword. I'm afraid it wasn't very finesse heavy, I just went after the three of them and clobbered them, I probably had to quaff a few potions in the process. I remember it being fairly tough but not unbelievable.

Edited July 20, 2011 by InAComaDial999

[frakle]

Silence Mannimarco, and he cannot hurt you. His staff does "reanimate", and that just isn't very useful when whoever you're trying to reanimate is still animated and beating you up :thumbsup:

 

As for Mankar, I've only gotten that far once or twice, so I couldn't really help you there :(

Edited July 21, 2011 by frakle