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Elder Scrolls

May the Best Thief Win is a quest in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The Hero will receive this quest upon finding Armand Christophe in the "Finding the Thieves Guild" quest. The Hero is tasked with proving their worth as a thief by stealing a diary from a house in the city. The twist is that there are two competitors, who also wish to join the Guild.

Walkthrough[]

The initiation quest begins in the Waterfront District, a district of the Imperial City. The Hero will be competing in this quest with Methredhel and Amusei. They are requested to go to Amantius Allectus' home, and steal his diary. To find Amantius Allectus' home, simply ask a nearby beggar, or one can follow Methredhel, as she knows where it is. His home is in the Temple District. Travel to the southeastern section of the city and beat Methredhel there. Once the Hero enters, immediately look to the right and run for the desk against the far wall near the stairs to basement. The diary is in the desk.

Some strategies[]

Getting the book before the competitors:

  • Attack them as they cannot die, but it will slow them down
  • Methredhel will get inside the house before the Hero. Once they get in, it will take her a minute to get the book. Move fast and they can easily beat her to it. It may also help to go to the Temple District first and find the house, so that fast travel and running to the house is more efficient.

If Methredhel gets the book before the Hero, one has a few options:

  • Pickpocket it off her
  • Go to her house and steal it from her (it will be in her chest near the door). She lives right next to where this quest started, in the Waterfront District.

Once the Hero is in possession of the book, wait until midnight, and turn the diary in to Armand Christophe.

Failure[]

If the Hero still failed to get the book to Christophe, a redemption chance is given to still join the guild. Christophe asks the Hero to steal Rohssan's Antique Cutlass. Rohssan is the merchant in charge of A Fighting Chance in the Imperial City Market District.

Gain unlawful entry to the shop at night. Only three locks (on the front door, the upstairs door, and the chest containing the sword) and a guard dog are in the way of joining the guild. Kill or sneak past the dog and retrieve the sword from the chest around the corner to the right in the upstairs bedroom, and return to Christophe to become a full member of the guild.

Journal[]

Journal Entry
  • Update: Upon speaking to Armand Christophe:

I spoke with Armand Christophe, who is a member of the Thieves Guild. He offered me a chance to join the guild, but I have to compete against two other thieves, Methredhel and Amusei. Which ever one of us steals Amantius Allectus' Diary first will be inducted into the Thieves Guild. It's somewhere in the Imperial City. He told me that the beggars might be able to tell me where to find him.

  • Update: After discovering where Amantius lives by talking to a beggar:

A beggar told me that Amantius Allectus lives in the Temple district, on the far east side.

  • Update: If the Hero is the first to find the diary:

I have beaten Methredhel and Amusei to Amantius Allectus' diary. Now to get back to Armand at Dareloth's garden by midnight.

  • Update: If Methredhel gets the diary first:

Methredhel has beaten me to Amantius Allectus' diary. If I can't get it from her somehow, she will get into the guild and I'll be left out in the cold. It's too bad the competition rules won't let me kill her. However, Armand didn't say anything about stealing from her!

  • Update: If Methredhel manages to hide the book in her house before finding her:

Methredhel has escaped. If I want that diary, I going to have to track her down. I wonder if the beggars can help me?

  • Update: Upon acquiring the diary:

I have stolen Amantius Allectus' diary from Methredhel. Now to get back to Armand at Dareloth's garden by midnight.

  • Update: Upon delivering the diary:

Armand Christophe has granted me a membership in the Thieves Guild. Methredhel is irritated, but I think she'll get over it. Amusei is threatening to become a freelance thief. Armand has given me the rules of the guild:

1. I can't kill anyone while I'm on the job. Animals and monsters are fair game though.
2. Never steal from anyone in the Thieves Guild.
3. Never steal from beggars and peasants, especially in the Waterfront. The Gray Fox protects them.
  • Update: If Methredhel gets the diary to Armand:

The word on the street is that Methredhel delivered Amantius Allectus diary to Armand. I hope Armand has something else I can do to get into the Thieves Guild. I should go see him at midnight in the Garden of Dareloth.

  • Update: After speaking to Armand the next night:

Methredhel delivered the diary to Armand before me. She has been accepted into the Thieves Guild.

  • Update: After Armand gives the next objective:

Armand is giving Amusei and I one more chance we have to steal Rohssan's sword from somewhere in the Imperial City and bring it back to him. The first one of us to do that will also be admitted into the Thieves Guild.

  • Update: Upon finding the cutlass:

I have Rohssan's Cutlass. Now to get back to Armand in the garden of Dareloth. I'll have to wait until midnight when he is there.

  • Update: After delivering the cutlass to Armand:

Armand Christophe has granted me a membership in the Thieves Guild. Amusei is threatening to become a freelance thief. Armand has given me the rules of the guild:

1. I can't kill anyone while I'm on the job. Animals and monsters are fair game though.
2. Never steal from anyone in the Thieves Guild.
3. Never steal from beggars and peasants, especially in the Waterfront. The Gray Fox protects them.
  • Quest complete

Trivia[]

  • Use the cheat player.additem 000355ED 1 to get the diary and give it to Armand to complete the quest and join the guild.

Bugs[]

This section contains bugs related to May the Best Thief Win. Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following:

  1. Please reload an old save to confirm if the bug is still happening.
  2. If the bug is still occurring, please post the bug report with the appropriate system template  360  /  XB1  ,  PS3  /  PS4  ,  PC  /  MAC  ,  NX  /  PS5  ,  XS  , depending on which platform(s) the bug has been encountered on.
  3. Be descriptive when listing the bug and fixes, but avoid having conversations in the description and/or using first-person anecdotes: such discussions belong on the appropriate forum board.
  •  PC   360   PS3   Methredhel may get to the diary almost immediately, and although the map indicates that the book is in her chest in her house, it does not appear in the chest when it is opened. It is not possible to pickpocket Methredhel for it since she is not carrying it. Even after 30 days Methredhel never takes the diary to Armand, and the secondary method of entering the Guild is never triggered. It is therefore impossible to join the Thieves Guild should this bug happen. Sleep a while outside her house. She will be asleep until noon and you can pickpocket her then.
  • Other bugs prevent you from pickpocketing her completely (the diary cannot be taken from her). Additionally, the diary may not appear in her chest.

Appearances[]


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