The Bristleback is Solstheim’s answer to the wild boar: a stocky, tusked animal roughly half the size of a horse, added to Skyrim with the Dragonborn expansion. Most of them root around the snowy woods and meadows in the north-east of the island, though now and then one wanders down to graze on the western beaches. Left alone, a Bristleback is happy to ignore you. Walk too close or start a fight, however, and those tusks become a real problem for anyone who arrives under-geared.
Bristlebacks usually turn up alone or in pairs. Their look has often been compared to a warthog, with a bristly back and a pair of tusks built for goring rather than grazing. They are a mid-level threat at worst, but their frost resistance makes them a little more stubborn than you might expect if you rely on ice spells.
Variants
- Wild Bristleback – the ordinary animal found grazing across the island.
- Tamed Bristleback – the Rieklings have learned to break these animals in, and a Riekling may ride one straight at you. In practice that means two enemies charging at once: the small rider and the beast beneath it.
- Bilgemuck – a unique, named Bristleback that lives north of Thirsk Mead Hall.
Where to find them
Wild Bristlebacks roam the snowy forests of north-eastern Solstheim and occasionally the beaches on the western side of the island. Tamed animals belong to Riekling camps, and the source lists these spots:
- Bristleback Cave
- Broken Tusk Mine
- Castle Karstaag Ruins
- Castle Karstaag Caverns
- Moesring Pass
- Frossel
- The area north of Thirsk Mead Hall, home of the unique Bilgemuck
Notes
Because Bristlebacks often appear as Riekling mounts, it pays to treat any Riekling camp as a potential stampede. If you hunt them for their meat and tusks, the open meadows of the north-east are the most reliable hunting ground. Players who know the horses of mainland Skyrim will notice the size difference immediately: a Bristleback is a compact animal, but it hits far above its weight.
