Homestead attacks are way more frequent than people admit

[RiftenWanderer]

I'm on my second playthrough and decided to actually live in Lakeview Manor this time instead of just using it as storage. I'm maybe level 22, been there for like two in-game weeks, and I've already had three bandit raids. Three. My steward keeps getting knocked around, my kids are hiding in the house, and I'm starting to wonder if I just got unlucky or if this is actually normal.

First time I played I barely noticed because I'd fast travel in, dump stuff, and leave. But now that I'm actually trying to use it as a home base it's kind of ridiculous. Is there something that triggers more attacks? I'm not doing anything special - no mods, just playing on Switch. Do certain homesteads get hit harder than others? I keep seeing people say Lakeview is the best location but nobody mentions that apparently it's under constant siege.

 

[NordOfSolitude]

Yeah, Lakeview does get hit pretty hard - I think it's partly just the location. It's closer to bandit camps and roads compared to Windstad Manor, which is kind of isolated up in the mountains. Three raids in two weeks is on the higher end but not crazy, especially if you're level 22 and the game's scaling attacks to match you.

The thing nobody really talks about is that homestead attacks scale with your level and progress through the game. Early on they're mostly bandits, but the longer you own it the more varied they get. If you're doing a lot of quests and leveling up, you're basically painting a target on your back. Plus if you've been near any bandit camps or done stuff that pisses off factions, that can make things worse too.

Windstad Manor is way quieter if you want an actual peaceful home base. Heljarchen Hall gets its own flavor of attacks depending on what's happening in that hold. But yeah, if you want to actually live somewhere on Lakeview you're signing up for constant combat. Some people love that, some people hate it. Sounds like you're in the hate camp lol. You could always just accept the chaos or move your stuff somewhere else and use Lakeview as a trophy home instead.