How to kill Will-o-the-Wisp in Oblivion Remastered

Most enemies are easy enough to dispatch. A few proper whacks with something heavy or sharp is usually enough to do the trick. But what about when that’s not enough? That’s precisely the situation you’ll find yourself in if you go up against a Will-o-the-Wisp in Oblivion Remastered.

While there are plenty of foes in Oblivion Remastered, only a few require careful planning to take on. Specific enemies are resistant or entirely immune to certain types of damage, so you’ll have to build around these hurdles to take them down. The Will-o-the-Wisp is one such creature, bristling with immunities, but it’s not as tough a challenge as it initially appears.

Will-o-the-Wisp defenses

The Will-o-the-Wisp is completely immune to regular weapon damage, including bows and poisoned weapons. It can also sidestep paralysis effects from any source and cast its abilities without fear of being silenced.

How to damage a Will-o-the-Wisp

While a run-of-the-mill weapon won’t work against Will-o-the-Wisps, magic or Silver weapons will. Mages have the edge here, as any Destruction magic can get the job done. In a pinch, the right scroll could work just fine. Alternatively, non-spellcasters can also use a staff to take down the foe.

Silver is another great option to tackle a Will-o-the-Wisp, and has the added bonus of being super effective against the undead. Silver weapons can damage entities that are normally immune to physical damage, like ghosts.

An often overlooked alternative to tackle a Will-o-the-Wisp, or any physical damage-resistant foe, is the Hand-to-Hand skill. At higher levels, your fists work a lot like a Silver weapon, even damaging enemies completely immune to physical damage.

How to fight against a Will-o-the-Wisp

The Will-o-the-Wisp looks like a small glowing light that can be easy to miss during hectic combat. It moves fast and can reduce its visibility if desired, making it even harder to hit. You don’t want to let it get too close. The little buggers only have attacks that function within touch range, so as long as you stay out of its grasp, it can’t hurt you.

If you’re unlucky enough to get caught, it will attempt to absorb your health and mana. Savvy players may try to counter this with some Mysticism magic to reflect the spell effect. That does work, and the Will-o-the-Wisp will hilariously start giving you its own health and mana.

If the invisibility becomes a persistent issue, a spell like Detect Life can counter its effects. You can also get a similar effect by engaging the enemy near water. The Will-o-the-Wisp will still leave ripples in the water’s surface, working like a Detect Life spell even if that’s not an option.