TobyTravis Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 I'm thinking of doing a new mage/ battlemage character, but I don't know whether or not to give him armor or to stick to the mage armor perks.What are the advantages and disadvantages of physical armor on a mage character? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghogiel Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 (edited) Is there really any disadvantages to heavy armor on a battlemage? it weights loads is about all I can think of. The advantage is that you will be armored up like a tank. It won't matter latter on either way, noting will ever be able to get a melee hit off on you once you can dual cast with the impact perk and have no mana cost to destruction, but early on I think armor will help in tough situations. If you do go with the idea of ever being good offensively with a weapon not not just pure casting, then heavy would definitely be my pick. Edited December 19, 2011 by Ghogiel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrknSoul Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 (edited) My character is sort of a Spellsword. I don't wear any armour, so I can take advantage of the Mage Armor perk in Alteration. My main trees are Destruction, Conjuration (primarily for Bound Sword, and cannon fodder), Enchanting. I'm also slowly working on One Handed and I have Smithing to 60 so I can upgrade gear for my followers. Since you'll putting most of your upgrades in Magicka, then Health, Stamina falls by the wayside, so I picked up the Steed Stone for the extra carry limit. Since I don't wear armour or wield weapons, my carry weight tends to be around 100 or so (clothes, scrolls, soul gems, books and other knick-knacks) that leaves me with a good 300 more weight, plus whatever my follower can carry. My main attack method is to use Destuction spells (I'm partial to fire) to get most mobs to low health, then conjure a sword for the kill. I grabbed the Soul Stealer perk, which 'enchants' all bound weapons with Soul Trap. Edited December 19, 2011 by BrknSoul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaycerX Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 Personally, I leveled up pickpocket so I could get the Extra Pockets perk. Sure, it technically costs 3 perk points to get +100 carry weight, but it worked wonders for my playstyle. That and I have that "Blackened light potions" mod that reduces all potion weight to .1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrknSoul Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 I've been thinking of grabbing the Extra Pockets perk, as I'm starting to hit heavier weapons/armor drops from monsters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimF Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 Technically, both alteration and traditional armor can provide maximum protection. Advantages of physical armor are that it grants you permanent protection that doesn't require to be casted nor exhaust mana, obviously, and doesn't restrict you from equipping some armor (like mage armor perk, which requires you to be completely unarmored). Disadvantages are that it slows you down, forces to go for both smithing and armor skills, and in the same time prevents you from enjoying beneficial perks and spells of alteration school. Also, you won't be using those helpful mage robes, and it'll be much harder carrying multiple enchanted sets for various occasions. Personally, I prefer magic armor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghogiel Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 (edited) Technically, both alteration and traditional armor can provide maximum protection. Advantages of physical armor are that it grants you permanent protection that doesn't require to be casted nor exhaust mana, obviously, and doesn't restrict you from equipping some armor (like mage armor perk, which requires you to be completely unarmored). Disadvantages are that it slows you down, forces to go for both smithing and armor skills, and in the same time prevents you from enjoying beneficial perks and spells of alteration school. Also, you won't be using those helpful mage robes, and it'll be much harder carrying multiple enchanted sets for various occasions. Personally, I prefer magic armor.To be fair, armor doesn't slow you down or weigh anything when you get the perks. You can't compare alteration perked out to non perked heavy armor. I use heavy armor and have bunch of alteration, mainly just for the magic resistance. It doesn't stop you getting the perks or the spells, you can even use the flesh spells and the AR stacks, which can be useful early on I suppose....Once you get Dragonhide, it ignores mage armor perks anyway, really I am not sure mage armor is really even worth it at all, at least not at all when you have high alteration level. I haven't found mage robes to be very good tbh. If it it's just for the magic regen, I suppose it is ok to have at the very beginning, but at about lvl 12 regen starts to not matter. Edited December 19, 2011 by Ghogiel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerseptim Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 I don't have a battlemage, since my magic based caster is purely spell. Anyway, if I had a battle mage, I'd probably put on leather or fur armor, then wear rings or any accessories that improve magicka. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimF Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 (edited) To be fair, armor doesn't slow you down or weigh anything when you get the perks. You can't compare alteration perked out to non perked heavy armor. I use heavy armor and have bunch of alteration, mainly just for the magic resistance. It doesn't stop you getting the perks or the spells, you can even use the flesh spells and the AR stacks, which can be useful early on I suppose....Once you get Dragonhide, it ignores mage armor perks anyway, really I am not sure mage armor is really even worth it at all, at least not at all when you have high alteration level. I haven't found mage robes to be very good tbh. If it it's just for the magic regen, I suppose it is ok to have at the very beginning, but at about lvl 12 regen starts to not matter. Well, I use dualcast ebonyflesh, which is somewhat more practical. And well, there is no question that both kinds of armor are better than either of them (or at least not worse). The running speed and robes are important during lower levels - so that you can simply run away out of danger, and that extra magica, regen and spell cost reduction are always useful. Edited December 19, 2011 by TimF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpestilence Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 I styled my character after the Battlemages of Oblivion. Full plate armor with a mage hood. I am actually using Morokai as my mage hood, and improved steel plate. A true Battlemage should not use alteration. Destruction, sword, heavy armor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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