Hold Guard

Every Hold in Skyrim has its own Guard. These Guards protect the capital cities of each Hold and any other villages or settlements within.

All hold guards wear very similar armor sets, differences are normally just the color of the sash and material of the undershirt used, either scaled or quilted. They also wear the same model of helmet, however the colors vary depending on the Hold.

Hold guards also carry same type of shield (with the exception of Winterhold Hold) which varies in color and typically displays the symbol of the hold across the front.

Level
Hold's Guards level with the player until around level 50. This means that at level 50+, the Hold's Guards can become rather powerful, and have no problem fighting a Dragon. Only Stormcloak-controlled Holds have female guards.

Guards
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Falkreath Hold Guard
These guards partol Falkreath and Falkreath Hold.

They wear the dark blue version of the guard armor. This armor is a leather scaled vest with a silver chainmail shirt underneath. In addition, they also wear Fur Gauntlets and Fur Boots.

The guards also carry a blue, wooden, round shield with a painted motif of a deer's head on it.

During the course of the civil war, the Stormcloaks may occupy Falkreath and replace these guards. ! style="border-bottom:1px solid #4E4E4E;vertical-align: top;padding: 10px 0 20px 0;" |

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Hjaalmarch Hold Guard
These guards partol Hjaalmarch and Morthal

They wear a pale green version of the guard armor. The armor is a quilted vest with a chainmail shirt underneath. In addition, they also wear Fur Gauntlets and Fur Boots.

The guards also carry a green and gray wooden, round shield with a painted spiral motif.

During the course of the civil war, the Stormcloaks may occupy Morthal and replace these guards. ! style="border-bottom:1px solid #4E4E4E;vertical-align: top;padding: 10px 0 20px 0;" |

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The Reach Guard
These guards partol The Reach and Markarth.

They wear the green cloth version of the guard armor. The armor is a quilted vest with a chainmail shirt underneath. In addition, they also wear Fur Gauntlets and Fur Boots.

The guards also carry a green, wooden, round shield with a painted motif of a stylized ram's head

During the course of the civil war, the Stormcloaks may occupy Markarth and replace these guards. ! style="border-bottom:1px solid #4E4E4E;vertical-align: top;padding: 10px 0 20px 0;" |

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The Pale Guard
These guards partol The Pale and Dawnstar.

They wear a pale, cream cloth version of the guard armor. The armor is a scaled vest with a chainmail shirt underneath. In addition, they also wear Fur Gauntlets and Fur Boots.

The guards also carry a gray, wooden, round shield with a painted motif of a 4 point star.

During the course of the civil war, the Imperial Legion or Stormcloaks may occupy Dawnstar and replace these guards. ! style="border-bottom:1px solid #4E4E4E;vertical-align: top;padding: 10px 0 20px 0;" |

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The Rift Guard
These guards partol The Rift and Riften.

They wear a purple cloth version of the guard armor. The armor is a quilted vest with a chainmail shirt underneath. In addition, they also wear Fur Gauntlets and Fur Boots.

The guards also carry a lavender, wooden, round shield with a painted motif of 2 crossed swords.

Ivarstead is a part of The Rift, but their guard's are slightly different and are named "Ivarstead Guard".

During the course of the civil war, the Imperial Legion may occupy Riften and replace these guards.

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Haafingar Hold Guard
These guards partol Haafingar Hold and Solitude.

They wear a red cloth version of the guard armor. The armor is a scaled vest with a chainmail shirt underneath. In addition, as Solitude is the Capital of Skyrim and under Imperial Legion control, the guard also wear Imperial Bracers and Imperial Boots.

The guards also carry a red, wooden, round shield with a painted motif of a wolf.

During the course of the civil war, the Stormcloaks may occupy Solitude and replace these guards. ! style="border-bottom:1px solid #4E4E4E;vertical-align: top;padding: 10px 0 20px 0;" |

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Whiterun Hold Guard
These guards partol Whiterun Hold and Whiterun. Commander Caius serves as commander of the Whiterun Guard.

They wear a yellow cloth version of the guard armor. The armor is a scaled vest with a chainmail shirt underneath. In addition, they also wear Fur Boots, but most guards wear no gauntlets.

The guards also carry a yellow, wooden, round shield with a painted motif of a horse's head.

During the course of the civil war, the Stormcloaks may occupy Whiterun and replace these guards. Commander Caius will also be stipped from his title and replaced with Sinmir. ! style="border-bottom:1px solid #4E4E4E;vertical-align: top;padding: 10px 0 20px 0;" |

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Eastmarch Hold Guard
These guards partol Eastmarch and Windhelm. They are Stormcloak soldiers and share their speech options.

They wear a blue cloth version of the guard armor. The armor is a quilted vest with a chainmail shirt underneath. In addition, they also wear Fur Gauntlets and Fur Boots.

The guards also carry a blue, wooden, round shield with a painted motif of a bear's head

During the course of the civil war, the Imperial Legion may occupy Windhelm and replace these guards.

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Winterhold Guard
Only two guards patrol the city of Winterhold at any one time. Winterhold Hold guards cannot be found anywhere else in the Hold.

They wear a light blue cloth version of the guard armor. The armor is a quilted vest with a chainmail shirt underneath. In addition, they also wear Fur Gauntlets and Fur Boots.

During the course of the civil war, the Imperial Legion may occupy Winterhold and replace these guards. ! style="padding: 10px 0 20px 0;vertical-align: top;" |
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Bounties
Bounties in each hold are treated separately. This means one can obtain a bounty in Whiterun, and Riften will not recognize it.

Normally all guards can be bribed if the player is a member of the Thieves Guild with the exception of the guards of Markarth after the completion of The Forsworn Conspiracy and No One Escapes Chidna Mine. These guards will not accept bribes and the player will have no choice but to fight. There is the option to go to jail, and after selecting that option the guard will have dialogue. Cancel out the conversation and the guard will ignore the player.

It is possible to kill guards without gaining a bounty, as long as one is sneaking. Slain guards will respawn three days after their death.

Trivia

 * Guards saying "Let me guess, someone stole your sweetroll " is a reference. It is a staple in many Bethesda games where it is treated as an ongoing joke.
 * Another Easter Egg is the "Arrow to the knee" comment, which is a reference to the lack of Greaves in Skyrim.
 * Guards can arrest invisible players.
 * Guards are not fooled by non-guards wearing guard armor, regardless of reputation, skills, or armor faction.

Bugs

 * If all Solitude Guards are slain at once there is a possible bug where guards will not respawn.
 * There is a bug when the guards arrest the player, and the player says that he/she is the Thane of the Hold, the bounty will get cleared but the guards will still attack the player, without any choice but to fight, getting the player another bounty which makes the Thane dialogue useless.