Although a rogue may prefer to stay hidden and kill their enemies while shrouded in darkness, they won't always be able to accomplish this, particularly when it comes to fighting dragons in Skyrim. With stealth out of the question, a rogue build will have to use their wits and various other skills in order to slay one of the most powerful creatures in Skyrim, the Legendary Dragon.
Armed with the Fire Breath, Frost Breath, and Drain Vitality shouts, Legendary Dragons are no joke and can easily tear through unprepared players. However, this is where a rogue build can shine as they have the breadth of skills necessary to tackle any task, so long as they are willing to employ them.
6 Collect And Prepare Useful Items
For the most part, a rogue build is going to be wielding a bow, daggers, or some combination of the two. Since daggers aren't necessarily the highest damage dealing weapons in Skyrim, rogues will have to rely on other items to help boost their damage output, with one of the more prevalent of these being poisons. While Paralysis Poisons are generally the best when it comes to melee combat, these won't work on any variety of dragons, so players using a rogue build will need to choose something else, such as general damage poison or Magicka poison.
Potions are also a helpful tool for a rogue, with Fortify One-Handed and Fortify Archery potions being able to increase the damage output, even without having to resort to using the Restoration Potion glitch. Potion of Resist Magic is also a handy potion to take before challenging a dragon, as their shouts can often melt through a player's health bar very quickly, especially at higher levels.
5 Equip The Right Armor For Your Build
For a rogue, the best armor available is either a full Glass or Dragonscale set enchanted to resist Fire and Frost Damage while enhancing the player's own damage output with bows and One-Handed weapons as well. That being said, the Ancient Shrouded Armor is also very good in terms of armor rating, being one of the few Light Armor sets that can reach the 80% damage reduction armor cap without the need for Smithing. The Ancient Shrouded Armor also has the advantage of the Hood being enchanted with Fortify Archery, making it a good choice for those using a bow of any kind.
If the player is able to enchant their gear, the Stalhrim Light Armor set is also very good at not only protecting the player from Frost damage but also increasing its efficiency on Stalhrim weapons. All Stalhrim gear has the innate quality of increasing Frost based enchantments by 25%. Considering one of the Legendary Dragon's main forms of attack is the Frost Breath shout, this might be the best option if it is available to the player.
4 Bring Some Backup Along
A rogue may want to tackle their tasks alone, but in this instance, that may not be such a good idea as they are generally lacking in the health department and can very easily lose large chunks of health thanks to their poor defensive capabilities. With this in mind, any follower that can take the heat off of the player while also dealing some damage is usually the best choice. Barbas and Katria can be useful companions if players haven't finished the side quests "A Daedra's Best Friend" or "Lost to the Ages" respectfully, with neither one being able to die while the quest is still active. Teldryn Sero, found in Raven Rock, is also a great choice if those aforementioned side quests have already been done, as he is good at both ranged and melee combat with his magical capabilities.
3 Select Appropriate Passive Effects and Powers
The best passive effects that a rogue can make use of are the ones that help them defend against magical attacks. The Atronach Standing Stone is possibly the best choice, particularly if the player is a Breton, as the Dragonskin racial power, combined with the Atronach Stone, will absorb 100% of any magic attack throw their way. The Agent of Mara power, obtained through the "Book of Love" side quest in Riften, is also a great choice when combined with the Lord Stone. It allows the player to resist a large amount of magical damage without sacrificing the use of some spells or magical regeneration.
If the player is an Argonian, the Histskin racial power is also incredibly useful and allows the player to remain healthy even while under heavy fire. However, they will not have an inherent resistance to magical attacks like many other races.
2 Don't Be Afraid To Collect And Use A Few Shouts
There are many shouts fit for a rogue, though one of the best is easily the Marked For Death shout. It not only lowers the target's armor rating into the negatives but also takes some of their health as well. While the damage output is minimal, armor rating at a negative value increases the damage done exponentially, even without the use of potions and poisons, so it is a good idea to lead with this shout. Become Ethereal is also a very useful shout even if only the first word is used, as it makes the user immortal for several seconds, long enough to avoid taking damage from a dragon shout. Finally, the Drain Vitality shout, which Legendary Dragons also use, is great for making sure the player remains healthy throughout the entire battle while also making it harder for the dragon to use shouts repeatedly.
1 Start From A Distance
As previously stated, the best approach for taking on a Legendary Dragon is to lead with the Marked For Death shout and begin the process of lowering its defenses. Before this, however, the player should attempt to get as many sneak attacks with their bow as they can, as this will take off a substantial amount of health from the dragon before the fight has even begun. Once the battle has been initiated, keep firing away whenever possible while avoiding damage with the Become Ethereal shout or by hiding behind large obstructions. Once the dragon touches down, this is where the real fight begins as the player is less able to protect themselves. Swinging away with a dagger can work, but it might be better off to simply keep the distance between the player and the dragon while still using the bow.