Help/advice re. "The Purification" (spoilers)

[Solitaire]

I'm after any help or advice you can offer me on the dark brotherhood mission "The Purification". (I'm playing on the PC version.) I've managed to eliminate 6 out of the 7 family members and only Vincent Valteri (sp?) remains. I've used rufio's ghost (it only seemed to serve as a distraction to the opponent I use fighting at the time - I got the impression it was some form of killing machine?)

Since Vincent doesn't eat, it makes the poisioned apple fairly useless, his claymore has an enchantment that floors me very quickly and his additional speed means hitting and running isn't really viable.

So, any tactics?

(I'm level 8 at the moment, using a dwarven long sword)

Oh, as an aside (and not that I'm complaining) but did anyone else find that once you attacked a family member - regardless of where you attacked them - only they fought back and any other family members in the room ignored you?

[ashes2233]

i would use a sneak attack with the sword (if apprentic sneak 6x damage) and the blade you use should be poisoned with a long lasting health drain which should cause him to not take many more hits

[Mr. Arrow]

If you are at the purification stage you should have a good sneak attack by now. (((and some bow skills)))
Use a sneak attack bow shot (poisoned) and then run backwards shooting as he chases you. when he catches you switch to your melee weapon. if you really can't take him out then...
use invisibility, run out of his view and set up for another shot.

and to your second question, they are the DB lol. they might just not care if thier distant cousin died.

[Faberge]

You can't sneak attack with two-handed melee weapons. It will do just 1x damage. But if you are using any of the one-handed melee weapons you will have that higher sneak attack bonus. Sufferthorn is the best sword you can have, especially if you have the plug-in that makes levelled items level with you. It is fast and deadly, and feeding it with souls is tolerable.

In addition Vicente Valtieri is allergic to garlic. When he is sleeping, go into the sneak mode and put some garlic in his inventory. It will weaken him, which will make him an easier target for your fast and furious dagger slashes.

Two-handed weapons have high damage and a long reach, but are slow. Daggers and short swords are fast and can out damage those bigger cousins of theirs.

[Belthan]

As a rule, vampires are vulnerable to fire magic, and the higher level they are the more vulnerable to it they are. So ranged spells that do fire damage should work pretty well. Or combine with other tactics previously described (e.g. a sneak attack with a bow or arrows enchanted with fire damage would be ideal).

[REal953]

i got him with a fire ball spell, hit and run.

works every time:laugh:

[Asher]

I personally used the Garlic tactic mentioned earlier then hit him while he selpt He started to get up and I continually hit him with my sword by the time he got his weapon out it only took an additional hit or two.