Do you lose your house in the battle for Whiterun?

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Starting The Battle For Whiterun
Fighting The Battle For Whiterun With The Imperial Legion
Fighting The Battle For Whiterun With The Stormcloak Rebellion
What happens if you battle Whiterun?
Does Whiterun ever get repaired after the battle?
Does Whiterun get destroyed if you side with Imperials?
What happens to the companions after the battle of Whiterun?

The first major battle in the Civil War for Skyrim is the Battle for Whiterun. Unlike many of the province's other Hold Capitals, Jarl Balgruuf the Greater had yet to pick a side in the conflict. However, Ulfric Stormcloak forces the Jarl's hand, making Whiterun side with the Empire and the Legion.

The Imperials erect hasty fortifications and garrison the city just in time to meet the Stormcloak assault. You will take to the field alongside your faction, either attacking or defending the city. The battle itself is a contest of martial strength with enemy numbers being the greatest challenge for you.

Starting The Battle For Whiterun

A man approaches a seated lord's throne in a wooden throne room as advisers speak.

The quest starts immediately after completing Message To Whiterun. You will be ordered to go to Whiterun to deliver an item to Jarl Balgruuf. Jarl Balgruuf will speak with his advisers before deciding to side with the Empire. Complete the remaining quest objectives to begin the battle.

Imperials	Deliver a message from General Tullius. Jarl Balgruuf then asks you to give Ulfric Stormcloak an axe.
Stormcloaks	Give Jarl Balgruuf an axe and return to Ulfric Stormcloak

Fighting The Battle For Whiterun With The Imperial Legion

A man charges at an enemy at a city's gate

Siding with the Empire will have you manning the walls against the Stormcloaks. You will have two objectives.

Defend Whiterun
Kill all the Stormcloaks

You start at the gatehouse facing the Whiterun Stables. After a short speech from Legate Rikke, the assault begins. Stormcloaks will rush the barricades and attempt to destroy them. You can use ranged attacks against the attackers or jump in front of the barricades to defend them.

You will not fail the quest if either objective is lost. Don't worry if they destroy the barricades or lower the drawbridge

The Stormcloaks will attempt to lower the drawbridge next, running through the wooden structure directly across from the entrance to do so. Though with the fortifications on their side, the defenders will win.

The quest will automatically update as you thin out the Stormcloaks, letting you know how much longer you need to hold out for.

At the end of the battle, you can listen to Jarl Balgruuf give a speech to the defenders where he thanks them for their bravery. He will also grant you permission to buy a home in Whiterun if you have yet to earn the right.

To finish the battle, return to General Tullius who will promote you and give you a leveled weapon. With your new rank, you begin the quest Reunification of Skyrim and receive your orders, giving you the next province and camp to report to.

Fighting The Battle For Whiterun With The Stormcloak Rebellion

A catapult prepares to fire a flaming projectile at a burning city.

As the attackers, the Stormcloaks need to break through the barricades protecting the city to force Jarl Balgruuf to surrender. Starting at a Stormcloak Camp by city, you will be following the Stormcloaks through the city and all the way to Dragonsreach.

There will be wooden barricades preventing you from progressing. Attacking will destroy them and allow you to proceed.

The first barricades will be at the city gates, near the stables. Try to break through quickly; enemy combatants will shoot arrows at you as you climb up. You will need to lower the drawbridge once you're in. To do so, go across and onto the wooden platforms, following them into the gatehouse. The defenders will flee after you lower it.

Chase them into the city. From here, how you get to Dragonsreach is up to you. However, you may wish to follow the Stormcloaks through the market, taking the nearby stairs up to Gildergreen. Going straight ahead from here will allow you to reach Dragonsreach quickly.

You can break through barricades to make your own way through the Plains District on your way to Dragonsreach.

All that is left now is to defeat Jarl Balgruuf in combat. With his steel armor and Irileth backing him up, the Jarl will be a difficult opponent to fight. It's best to let him fight Galmar and Ralof as you pick off any allies he might have. Once you batter him down, he will surrender, ending the battle.

Vignar Gray-Mane arrives, having an argument with Balgruuf before he takes control of the city. You will be asked to return to Ulfric in Windhelm. He will promote you to Ice-Veins and give you a sword based on your level. The quest Liberation of Skyrim will begin, giving you the next province and camp to report to.

There is a common bug where you cannot report the victory to Ulfric and Whiterun will remain under attack even after you win. This is usually caused by fast traveling to Windhelm directly.

If you encounter this, reload a save prior to defeating Balgruuf and walk to Windhelm. Whiterun should return to the map as a fast-travel location, signaling that you are in the clear.

Next: Strongest Unique Swords In Skyrim, Ranked

What happens if you battle Whiterun?

Fighting in the Battle for Whiterun to finish the quest will return everything as they were before with additional debris from the battle. Upon arrival at the Whiterun Military Camp, Galmar will inspire the Stormcloak soldiers with a speech before running to attack the city: Galmar: "This is it men!

Does Whiterun ever get repaired after the battle?

Vanilla Skyrim, no. There are mods that will repair the cities affected by the civil war.

Does Whiterun get destroyed if you side with Imperials?

Along the city wall of the Plains District, the Imperial Legion will be returning fire with their own catapults. The streets will be busy with citizens running back to their houses and city guards making ready to fight the enemy. Whiterun will suffer great destruction during the battle.

What happens to the companions after the battle of Whiterun?

After attacking Whiterun with the Stormcloaks, all of the Companions will run towards the Dragonborn with their swords drawn like they are going to attack. Then a dialogue will be forced. They will do this until the area is left, similar to when running from the guard.