Pure magic-users difficult to play

[Jackal2233]

So I decided to try out being a mage, only to find the spells available rather weak. I'm only at adept-level destruction spells at the moment but even then they REALLY eat up magicka for not much extra damage compared to apprentice spells, magicka that can be used for healing, shielding, warding, etc.

 

Am I just playing a mage wrong? Right now it's like...

 

1) Oooo, enemy!

2) ZAP ZAP! FIRE FIRE! FREEZE FREEZE!

3) Oh sh-t, out of magicka

4) Running around using equilibrium and healing at the same time to restore my magicka

5) Return to ZAP ZAP!

 

I'm playing a mage wrong aren't it?

[jy02521671]

this is what i do for my mage

 

1) never trust ward, heavy armor is way better, if you need sneaking, just cast muffle on yoruself

2) learn conjuration, summon an atronuch as a meat shield

3) get 'impact' perk from destruction asap, consider it a 2 sec stun when duel cast

[TimF]

Here're few advises. While you're still a weak mage, you should make a full use of staves. You can find any of your elemental preferences (elemental perks work on everything, staves included) in Winterhold and its college. You need to advance in enchantment as fast as possible - the black Asura star is very useful for that. You may easily powerlevel conjuration and alteration. (cast a stoneskin/bound weapon repeatedly with enemies at sight, retreat, rest,repeat). And when you get enchantment - you can forget about magica, and easily outperform any warrior or assassin.

 

I suppose, that just like in most RPGs, mages here are hard at the beginning, but become much more powerful at the end.

 

2jy02521671

 

never trust ward, heavy armor is way better, if you need sneaking, just cast muffle on yoruself

 

I would disagree on that - stoneskins and wards are much better for a mage - they offer much higher degree of protection (against magic, too), and allow him to carry multiple enchanted sets, also, to move faster. And a pure mage isn't the one who'd like a melee engagement.

Edited December 12, 2011 by TimF

[d3vo]

It could be your build. Mage seems pretty powerful to me. And I still use Mage as my backup if the enemies are too hard for my One-handed/shield build.

[Jackal2233]

Ah! I see what I'm doing wrong, I do not use conjuration! And I do not use staves! And I do not wear armor! And I do not even use bound weapons! (let alone my blade katana that I always carry around) :wallbash:

 

Guess one just can't rely on destruction only then it seems

 

Hell I have to stop playing this game drunk

Edited December 12, 2011 by Jackal2233

[jy02521671]

Here're few advises. While you're still a weak mage, you should make a full use of staves. You can find any of your elemental preferences (elemental perks work on everything, staves included) in Winterhold and its college. You need to advance in enchantment as fast as possible - the black Asura star is very useful for that. You may easily powerlevel conjuration and alteration. (cast a stoneskin/bound weapon repeatedly with enemies at sight, retreat, rest,repeat). And when you get enchantment - you can forget about magica, and easily outperform any warrior or assassin.

 

I suppose, that just like in most RPGs, mages here are hard at the beginning, but become much more powerful at the end.

 

talking about mage being powerful at the end, i have 3 characters, one mage, one stealth uses bows, one mellee uses sword and shield, all at level 50, which one do you think is most 'powerful'?

 

lets put them to the test

1) melee vs dragon, charge in, stab stab, and its dead, barely did any damage on my 800 rating armor

2) stealth vs dragon, use guards as meat shield and i snipe them from afar, but thats not fair,

ok stealth vs dungeon monsters, with 100 level in archery and 100 level in sneak, i can snipe most monsters and for those tough ones i can break agression with shadowwalk, and then snipe them one by one

3) mage vs dungeon monsters, OMG its a nightmare, master destruction spells take 5 sec to charge, and they are melee aoe, aggros everyone, i managed to get a set of orc armor, and they still do massive damage on me, so i summon a dremora lord as a tank, guess what happens when i use ice storm? it kills me, my companion and my dremora lord..... the only viable strategy is set my companion to use bow, and use dremora as tank, carefully use ice spear (adapt) make sure it doest kill my dremora lord

[zuggzugg]

You definitely need to mix things up a bit, especially while you're levelling, to compensate for comparatively expensive spells, low magicka pool and hitpoints. I had periods while levelling where I was having to rely on bows after few firebolts to finish them off. However with the mage you seem to hit a ceiling at certain points where one trait improvement like getting the double enchant trait or half magicka on a spell you use constantly suddenly turns things around. Things that make it a lot easier on you are definitely staves, conjured atronachs/zombies and half price traited destruction and restoration.

Keep in mind that if you want to keep going up in levels you're going to have to keep practising all those other skills as well, even heavy armour, shields, two handers, pickpocketing...

[jy02521671]

 

I would disagree on that - stoneskins and wards are much better for a mage - they offer much higher degree of protection (against magic, too), and allow him to carry multiple enchanted sets, also, to move faster. And a pure mage isn't the one who'd like a melee engagement.

 

try it out before you speak

 

1) ward and skin are two different spells, skin gives ONLY armor rating and you have to recast every 60 sec, ward is constant effect, takes one hand and 171 mana per sec. if you already running short on mana, you will have to carefully block attacks with ward at the right moment, not to mention it takes up one hand

2) stoneflesh gives 60 rating, while orc armor set gives 90 rating (not include heavy armor skill), and you can improve your armor with smithing later on and get over 1000 rating, how much armor can skin spell give? maximum 100, with ebonyflesh. unless you decide to give up on destruction or conjuration and train alteration to 100 and get dragonhide (567 rating) which only last 30 sec with 700 mana cost.

[TimF]

 

1) ward and skin are two different spells, skin gives ONLY armor rating and you have to recast every 60 sec, ward is constant effect, takes one hand and 171 mana per sec. if you already running short on mana, you will have to carefully block attacks with ward at the right moment, not to mention it takes up one hand

 

Warding is useful with enchanted gear, of course. Somewhat good against other magic users (so you put on your destruction/restoration gear), but not necessary, you can simply ignore restoration if you'd like to.

 

2) stoneflesh gives 60 rating, while orc armor set gives 90 rating (not include heavy armor skill), and you can improve your armor with smithing later on and get over 1000 rating, how much armor can skin spell give? maximum 100, with ebonyflesh. unless you decide to give up on destruction or conjuration and train alteration to 100 and get dragonhide (567 rating) which only last 30 sec with 700 mana cost.

 

Wrong. Ebonyflesh: 100*3(for magearmor)*2(for dualcasting)= hit the armorlimit. And you need just alteration, nothing else, unlike both smithing and armor skills for conventional armor. As for the time, once again, 1 min*1.5*2= 3 min Quite enough for casting before the battle. Also, for hitting alteration, you would get 30% magic resistance and 30% magic absorption for free, along with few other useful spells.

[CalibanX]

For my Mage I had different strategies for different opponents:

 

Enemy: Bandits/Necromancers/Soldiers: Use Fury from a distance while sneaking and giggle while your enemies kill each other.

 

Enemy: Dragurs/Monsters: Summon Atronachs and place Fire Runes under opponents repeatedly.

 

Enemy: Dragons: Atronachs again and regular, ranged Destruction spells

 

Enemy: Wilderness annoyances like Wolves & Mudcrabs: Hit with Calm once and go back to what you were doing.

 

:)