The Ash Guardian is a summoned Daedra of Solstheim, introduced in Skyrim’s Dragonborn expansion. You will usually meet one as a conjured enemy during quests on the island, but with the right spell and a Heart Stone you can also raise one yourself as a stationary bodyguard.
Its movement and melee work remind many players of a storm atronach, while its ranged ash blast plays a lot like the steam attack of a Dwarven Centurion. It is not a creature that knows when it is beaten: an Ash Guardian fights to the end, however badly it is hurt.
Where to find them
- From the Ashes – when you first meet Talvas Fathryon outside Tel Mithryn, he is trying to summon an Ash Guardian. You can choose to defeat it.
- Old Friends – Ildari Sarothril conjures an Ash Guardian against you inside Highpoint Tower.
Both encounters take place on Solstheim.
Summoning your own
The spell Conjure Ash Guardian works differently from ordinary conjuration. With a Heart Stone in your inventory, the Guardian is bound to a rune placed on the ground where you cast it. It does not follow you like other atronachs do, but it also has no time limit, much like a thrall: it stays until it is destroyed in combat.
Cast the spell without a Heart Stone and the result is an “unbound” Guardian that attacks everyone nearby, including you. Because an unbound Guardian is not counted as your summon, conjuring another creature will not banish it. On the bright side, an unbound Guardian holds a greater soul if you manage to soul trap it.
Notes
If you want a defensive post for a tough fight, place a bound Guardian at a chokepoint before the enemy arrives. Since it does not move with you, plan the spot carefully. Other ash creatures on the island, such as the Ash Hopper and the Ash Spawn, belong to the same volcanic landscape but are separate creatures.
