Should You Join the Dawnguard or Become a Vampire Lord? A Data-Driven Guide for Skyrim

My fellow dragonborn, based on my deep analysis of the abilities, rewards, and storylines of the Dawnguard and Volkihar vampires, I strongly recommend joining the Dawnguard for your first playthrough. Their heroic adventure, unique gear, and flexible gameplay make them a great fit for nearly any character build. You can always experience vampirism later!

Now let me walk you through the key differences in more detail…

Gameplay Perks: Vampire Lord vs Werewolf Forms

At their core, the Volkihar and Dawnguard offer two distinct gameplay paths – the monstrous Vampire Lord form versus becoming a savage werewolf. Let‘s analyze their unique abilities and styles:

Vampire Lord

The Vampire Lord form available to the Volkihar grants you access to dark blood magic and "hemomancy" spells:

• Raise potent undead minions like Gargoyles to fight for you
• Vampiric Drain – a bloody ranged attack that heals you while damaging enemies
• Vampiric Grip – choke enemies and lift them helplessly into the air
• Summon swirling bats to attack foes
• Night Cloak – damages nearby enemies
• Detect Dead – highlights corpses to raise

In addition, Vampire Lords gain bonuses befitting their immortal blood:

• 100 extra health, magicka, and stamina
• Resistances to frost and disease
• Supernatural strength – barehanded damage increases
• Improved night vision
• Stealth bonuses

However, these great powers come with distinct weaknesses:

• No health, magicka, or stamina regeneration in sunlight
• -50% vulnerability to fire attacks
• Weakness to powerful necromancy spells

As you can see in the table below, Vampire Lords excel at blood magic, stealth, and controlling enemies, but need to avoid the sunlight:

	Vampire Lord
Magic	Destruction/Necromancy
Health	+100
Resistances	Frost, Disease
Weaknesses	Fire, Sunlight
Playstyle	Magic, Stealth

Werewolf

By contrast, members of the Dawnguard gain access to Lycanthropy – the ability to transform into a raging werewolf. The beast form grants:

• Massive bonuses to health, stamina, and speed
• Deadly claw attacks that cause bleeding damage
• Roar ability that panics enemies and causes them to flee
• Totem abilities like summoning werewolf spirits to attack
• Improved senses for detecting prey
• Rapid health regeneration during combat

However, werewolves also suffer from vulnerabilities:

• No bonus to armor or resistances – still vulnerable to attacks
• Limited control – risk of attacking allies
• No weapon use or magic in wolf form

As seen below, werewolves focus on brute force, speed, and physicality rather than magic:

	Werewolf
Health	+100
Speed	Greatly Improved
Resistances	None
Weaknesses	Magic, Ranged Attacks
Playstyle	Melee, Agility

Verdict: Vampires for Magic Users, Werewolves for Warriors

Based on this data, vampires align very well with magic-focused builds – particularly necromancers. The Vampire Lord‘s diverse dark spells and resistance to frost magic make it invaluable. Stealthy assassin builds also benefit from the vampiric bonuses.

However, for warrior or thief builds relying on raw damage and agility, the werewolf is likely the better option. Their improved speed and deadly physical attacks complement weapons and armor.

So weigh your playstyle – vampires suit mages, while warriors fare better as werewolves.

Rewards: Weapons, Armor, and Abilities

The unique gear you obtain throughout the faction questlines can also sway your decision:

Dawnguard Arsenal

If you crave unique new weapons and armor, the Dawnguard have you covered:

• Crossbows – devastating new ranged weapons, including exploding bolt variants
• Dawnguard Rune Axe/Hammer – enchanted dragonbone weapons, amongst the strongest in the game
• Dawnguard Armor – heavy variant with high armor rating and restorative bonuses
• Shields/Helmets – new variants with useful enchantments
• Huskies/Trolls – armored trolls and dogs as followers
• Fort Dawnguard – large fortress with crafting amenities

As a Dawnguard member, you can deck yourself and your followers out in some of Skyrim‘s most formidable equipment.

Vampiric Magic and Rings

The Volkihar vampires offer powerful blood magic abilities and useful enchanted rings:

• Vampire Lord form – access to hemomancy spells above
• Vampiric Drain – siphon life force from foes
• Reanimate Dead – reanimate level 90 undead vs Dawnguard‘s level 40
• Necromage Perk – all spells are more potent against undead
• Rings of Blood Magic – reduce spell costs by 15-20%
• Rings of the Erudite – massive magicka boosts

For mages, the ability to raise high-level undead and reduce spell costs stacks very nicely with the existing Necromage perk. The magicka from the Erudite rings also gives you tremendous staying power.

Verdict: Dawnguard for Gear, Vampires for Magic

The crafted and enchanted gear from the Dawnguard will interest collectors and warriors looking to maximize their capabilities. But the Volkihar‘s blood magic and necromancy offer huge advantages for aspiring mages.

Story and Roleplaying: Heroics vs Villainy

The storylines and motivations of the two factions provide very different roleplaying experiences as well.

Dawnguard – Heroes Saving Skyrim

By joining the Dawnguard under Isran, you take up the noble cause of protecting Skyrim from the growing vampire menace.

Throughout the storyline, you‘ll:

• Uncover vampire plots to block out the sun
• Investigate mysterious cases of vampirism
• Take the fight to the vampire‘s island strongholds
• Defeat terrifying vampire bosses like Durnehviir, the cursed undead dragon

Overall, you‘ll feel like a true vampire hunter cleansing Skyrim alongside brave warriors such as Celann, a descendant of one of the original Dawnguard. It‘s a heroic adventure defending the realm.

Volkihar – Villainous Vampire Supremacy

Alternatively, if you join the Volkihar vampires led by Lord Harkon, you‘ll experience the darker side of the DLC‘s narrative:

• Pledge loyalty to Molag Bal, Daedric Lord of Domination
• Uncover an ancient prophecy called Tyranny of the Sun
• Defile sacred temples to extinguish the sun
• Massacre villages and towns to feast on victims
• Employ stealth, seduction, and guile to infiltrate strongholds
• Wage open war on the "cattle" of Skyrim

Ruthlessly pursuing the vampire agenda provides a deliciously evil roleplaying experience as you fully embrace the powers of darkness.

Verdict: Dawnguard for Heroes, Volkihar for Villains

Do you see yourself as a noble champion defending Skyrim from the shadows? Or a cunning vampire infiltrating human society? Let your roleplaying preference steer you to the heroic Dawnguard or villainous Volkihar.

Romance: Marriage and Serana‘s Cure

Your relationship and potential marriage options can also influence which side you pick.

Unfortunately, you cannot marry Serana, even if you cure her vampirism. Yet she remains an essential follower and fascinating character no matter your alignment.

For marriage, it is possible to turn existing spouses into loyal vampire servants through a ritual. According to player reports, the most satisfying vampire spouses include:

• Aela the Huntress – already blessed by Hircine, she gains predatory animalistic abilities as a vampire
• Ysolda – her unique facial markings as a vampire are considered quite attractive
• Farkas – as a Companion and werewolf, he takes well to the added dark powers
• Argis the Bulwark – his fierce loyalty continues even in undeath

Curing your spouse also allows them to adventure in sunlight alongside you without penalty. So weigh whether you want a mortal or immortal partner!

Verdict: Vampire Spouses Provide Intriguing Romances

While marriage options are similar for both sides, vampiric spouses offer darker, more exotic romance opportunities that appeal to certain players.

Conclusion: Experience Both Sides!

While the heroic Dawnguard is likely the better starting experience for first-time players, I encourage you to replay the DLC and experience the seductive power of the Volkihar as well. Both factions deliver fascinating adventure and loot worthy of the Dragonborn, with ample opportunities for indulgent roleplaying.

So ready your crossbow or bare your fangs – it‘s time to fully explore the thrilling battle between the Dawnguard and the vampires of Skyrim! Which side will you choose?