Mage style tips?

[Kagemitsu]

My esteemed colleagues, I need your help.

I've always played stealthy characters, and I already beat the main storyline as a stealthy character.

I started a new game because I wanted to try something different, so I created a Breton guy and decided to walk the dangerous path of magic.

 

I'm getting r****d so hard it's not even funny. I'm level 8 and using mostly Conjuration and Destruction. I spent very few perks: I got dual casting for both schools of magic and novice and apprentice spells for both. I got 3 perks available as for now.

My average battle consists of running around like a madman while summoning Flame Atronachs or reanimating the corpses I find, while trying to avoid enemies, and shooting flames from my hands when I got the magicka.

Are there any tips or guide on playing a mage character you feel like sharing? Any perks or spells I should look forward to? Should I look into armors or just go for tunics?

 

Thank you very much for any info. :)

[HellsMaster]

use shield (it's a godsend for a mage). Wear heavy armor if you want. if you are a hard core RP I guess you won't wear heavy armor.

[Kagemitsu]

use shield (it's a godsend for a mage). Wear heavy armor if you want. if you are a hard core RP I guess you won't wear heavy armor.

 

Wow thanks for the quick reply! Do you mean Ward spells or Shield as in metal shield (Block skill)?

[PavelkCZ]

I am playing the mage in robe. You can have the robe which has for example 75% magica regen speed + 25% less magicka on destruction spells. Also, the perks which lower the magika cost are very usefull.

[LHammonds]

I started off playing as Conan the Barbarian and was investing everything into Smithing and fighting. However, I quickly found that spell-wielding was very powerful and alluring. So I began to invest in destruction as well as smithing.

 

I now have 100% perks in smithing and have forged dragonbone and daedric armor and maxed their stats out. At one point, I was fumbling around with a spell and kept messing it up and a single claymore-wielding enemy closed in and hit me 3 times killing my well-armored Nord character which exceptional health stats.

 

I went into a cave later and found 5 or 6 bears started to surround me with no hope of escape. Instead of relying on my armor and trying to deal damage fast enough, I took the time to case an Iron Flesh and a Fire Cloak spell which ultimately allowed me to live and defeat all of them. Guess what??? My health was barely dented (excuse the pun) even though they all got in several good swipes at me.

 

One particularly powerful spell I use to kill many of my foes is the Fire Bolt. It doesn't cost a lot but with the duel-wielding perk, you can cast it in both hands and quickly send out a blast that will not only hurt them but stun them. This stun ability allows me to easily take on 2 enemies at the same time, regardless of their abilities...I will not get hit by them because of the stun causing them to stagger. If timed well on a single enemy, you can stun and then get a 2nd shot in before they recover from the 1st stun, and the 3rd shot can stun them again immediately after recovering from the 1st stun. Works great for powerful foes such as the giants. Even though they can gain ground on you considerably fast, the repeated stun blasts from the Fire Bolt will make them completely ineffective.

 

I am currently abandoning all my cool armor in search of some decently-enchanted clothing. Wearing enough items to boost my magic recharge will allow me to keep the pressure on during a long engagement without the need to use any potions.

 

When going into a known big fight, I typically will be able to level up but I don't do it until I need my health / magic / stamina replenished. Using that trick along with the right spells at the right time, I simply do not need to use any potions or food.

 

EDIT: Oh, I'm currently level 39 and when I tried to use the "upgraded" Fireball spell as a potential replacement for the Fire Bolt, I found that it completely drains my magicka for a single shot. And that shot, even though it does a great damage area effect, it does not kill the target. Using the Fire Bolt, I am able to kill the target and have plenty of magicka left over. So therefore, the "upgraded" spell looks wonderful but is quite infective and wasteful.

:thumbsup:

[HellsMaster]

use shield (it's a godsend for a mage). Wear heavy armor if you want. if you are a hard core RP I guess you won't wear heavy armor.

 

Wow thanks for the quick reply! Do you mean Ward spells or Shield as in metal shield (Block skill)?

 

 

Ward spell is for spells and depends on your mana bar.

I am talking about physical shield.

 

 

A good idea on how to fight as a mage is: Wear mage robes when starting a fight, blast them with 2 hands of magic, then when they take the fight to you, switch to heavy armor (or just armor) and equip a shield with a spell that doesn't require an extensive ammount of mana. Then block as you get hit (shield bash if you can/wan) then zap them. It's all on you really.

 

 

 

Edit:

 

 

@LH: Yeah, it's mostly on how you play really: The OP doesn't have deadric and dragon armor at his disposal so I guess he is more casual. And he just started as a mage.

I personally play a level 30 Arch Mage Barbarian Nord. I have over 60 in destruction and specced toward lightning spells and have over 80 in 2 handed weapons. I wear heavy armor at all times (i occasionaly switch to different pieces [amulets/gloves ect] depending on the situation).

I was rather surprised when I entered a cave and 4 Ice Trolls assaulted me. they are fast and regen damn fast. I summoned my old buddy from Sovngrde and he gave me enough time to cast various defensive spells, I then switched to my Volendrug and fell the trolls in 3 blows. I invested perks in Heavy armor so when things get hairy I can sustain blows.

Edited November 22, 2011 by HellsMaster

[myrdred]

You can pretty much win any one on one fight with impact perk. Dual cast fire bolt (cheapest spell that has the effect I believe) and you have a combo of direct damage and stun. If you get your regen high enough to handle the drain you can just yawn, shoot them with a bolt, watch them fall back staggered, wait for them to recover, yawn while waiting, shoot again.

 

Pretty sure it works on dragons too, great way to keep them grounded if so.

 

Conjuration: Atronarchs are the only things worth using really, unless you get the perma thrall on something insanely good.

 

Also, if you're happy with a slower leveling, more power experience grab the lord stone. 50 damage resist and another 25% magic resist. Tankiest glass cannon you can make, those Bretons...

[Corakus]

If you're still using Flames by level 8 then your problem is that you need to upgrade your spells, preferably to Firebolt or Ice Spike.Also you should stick to robes as armor doesn't matter much too a mage since you should be investing most of your points into magicka anyways.

[Violentguy]

Lightning Bolt helped me until level 12 so get that asap. I get one spell for each school so I have FireBolt and LightningBolt and IceBolt.

[plass]

all you ever need is dual cast fireball, with the talent that stuns enemies.