If you’ve ever wanted to channel the raw power of the elements or summon powerful allies with a flick of your hand, then playing as a Skyrim mage is your calling. In this guide, we’re diving deep into everything you need to know about being a mage, from the best builds and armor to mastering spells and choosing mods. Buckle up, because by the end, you’ll know exactly how to dominate Skyrim’s magical arts.
Why Play a Mage in Skyrim?
Mages in Skyrim are versatile and capable of adapting to different situations. Whether you’re exploring dungeons, fighting dragons, or engaging with NPCs, magic provides diverse ways to interact with the world. Here are a few reasons why it’s good to be a mage in Skyrim:
- Range of Abilities: Mages can use offensive, defensive, and support spells. You can deal damage, heal, buff your allies, or even become invisible.
- High Damage Output: Certain spells, particularly those from the Destruction school, allow you to dish out significant damage, especially at higher levels.
- Customization: Skyrim offers a variety of spells and magical effects, allowing players to fine-tune their mage to fit any playstyle.
But how do you become the strongest mage in Skyrim? Let’s dive deeper into the details to ensure you’re on the path to mastering magic.
Also Read: Skyrim Rogue Build Guide: Best Race, Skills, and Gear for Maximum Stealth
Is it Good to Be a Mage in Skyrim?
Absolutely! The beauty of Skyrim’s open-world design is that you can shape your character in any way you see fit, and being a mage opens up a plethora of gameplay options. Whether you prefer to obliterate enemies from afar or conjure allies to fight alongside you, a mage can handle almost any challenge the game throws your way.
Getting Started: Choosing the Best Mage Class
When creating a mage character in Skyrim, the first step is choosing a race that complements magic. Certain races offer bonuses to magic skills, which can give you an edge early on.
Choosing the Right Race for Your Mage
Your character’s race plays an essential role in how your mage build unfolds. Some races are naturally attuned to magic, and choosing one of these will give you a powerful head start.
Best Races for Magic Users: High Elf vs. Breton
- High Elves (Altmer): The High Elves are the best race for pure mages, thanks to their racial bonus of extra Magicka and the ability to regenerate Magicka faster.
- Bretons: If you want a mix of magic and defense, Bretons are an excellent choice. They have a natural resistance to magic, which is extremely helpful in the late game.
Which Mage Class is Best in Skyrim?
When it comes to defining a mage class, the choice is yours. Do you want to go full mage, or do you want to blend in some combat or stealth abilities?
Pure Mage vs. Hybrid Builds (Spellblade, Battlemage, etc.)
- Pure Mage: This build focuses solely on magic, mastering every school from Destruction to Illusion.
- Hybrid Builds: Want to swing a sword while casting spells? The Spellblade or Battlemage combines melee combat with magic, offering a more versatile playstyle.
Once you’ve selected your race, it’s time to focus on your mage build.
Creating the Perfect Skyrim Mage Build
There’s no single “best” Skyrim mage build since it largely depends on your preferred playstyle. However, every great mage build should specialize in at least one magical school and have a plan for managing magicka.
Major Magic Schools for Mages
- Destruction: This school focuses on offensive spells that deal direct damage, such as fireballs, ice spikes, and lightning bolts. Destruction spells are useful for mages who want to focus on dealing high damage.
- Conjuration: Conjuration magic allows you to summon creatures, weapons, and even resurrect the dead. If you prefer a summoner playstyle, this school is essential. With powerful conjured allies, you can let others do the fighting for you.
- Restoration: This school is about healing, restoring magicka, and turning the undead. Restoration is crucial for support-based mages or those who prefer to heal themselves and their companions during combat.
- Illusion: Illusion spells manipulate the mind of your enemies. You can use spells like Fury to turn foes against each other or Invisibility to sneak past enemies. Illusion is great for stealth-based mages.
- Alteration: Alteration offers utility spells that can enhance your defense (e.g., Stoneflesh) or manipulate the environment (e.g., Telekinesis). This school is useful for mages who want a mix of defense and exploration capabilities.
Sample Skyrim Mage Build
Destruction & Conjuration Build
- Race: High Elf or Breton
- Main Skills: Destruction, Conjuration, Alteration
- Perks: Focus on Destruction for damage output, particularly fire or shock spells. Conjuration should be leveled for summoning powerful Atronachs or undead to assist you in combat. Invest in Alteration for additional defense via spells like Ebonyflesh.
- Playstyle: Use Destruction spells to deal damage from a distance while your conjured allies engage enemies up close. Alteration spells like Paralyze and Oakflesh will give you the needed survivability.
With your build sorted out, let’s talk about gear.
Skyrim Character Planner Guide: Tips for Building the Best Character
Best Armor for Mages
Although mages in Skyrim don’t typically wear heavy armor, some enchanted robes and light armor sets can drastically improve your effectiveness. Your choice of armor should reflect your build and playstyle.
Early-Game Armor Options for Mages
- Novice Robes of Destruction: Found early in the game, these robes reduce the cost of Destruction spells and provide additional magicka regeneration, which is vital for beginners.
- Mage Hood: Hoods give you a magicka boost, and you can often find them alongside robes. For example, the Novice Hood gives +30 magicka, which can be very helpful in the early game.
Late-Game Armor for Mages
- Archmage’s Robes: These are arguably the best robes for mages in Skyrim. They reduce the cost of all spells by 15% and significantly increase magicka regeneration by 100%. You can obtain these robes by completing the College of Winterhold questline.
- Master Robes: Depending on your specialization, you can find Master Robes that reduce the cost of a specific school of magic (e.g., Destruction, Conjuration, etc.) by 22%. These robes also offer 150% faster magicka regeneration.
- Morokei Mask: This Dragon Priest mask gives you a 100% boost to magicka regeneration. Combining this with robes that further reduce spell costs can make your character extremely powerful.
Enchanting Your Own Gear
Enchanting allows you to create custom gear with effects that suit your build. For mages, enchanting is particularly useful because you can enchant armor to reduce spell costs or increase magicka regeneration.
For example, enchanting a set of boots with Fortify Stamina or Fortify Carry Weight can help you move quickly or carry more items without needing a companion. Custom enchanted rings and amulets can also increase your magicka pool or boost your spell effectiveness.
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Top Spells Every Skyrim Mage Should Know
Now that you have the right build and armor, it’s time to focus on spells. The variety of Skyrim mage spells can be overwhelming, so here are some of the top spells for each school of magic.
Destruction Spells
- Fireball: A powerful mid-range spell that deals damage over time to all enemies caught in the blast radius.
- Chain Lightning: A great spell for hitting multiple enemies at once. This spell jumps from one target to another, dealing electrical damage.
- Incinerate: A high-damage fire spell for when you need to deal large amounts of damage quickly. It works well against most enemies and is a staple in any Destruction-based Skyrim mage build.
Conjuration Spells
- Conjure Flame Atronach: This is one of the first conjuration spells you’ll get and remains useful throughout the game. Summon this fiery ally to deal damage and absorb some hits for you.
- Conjure Dremora Lord: This is a powerful end-game conjuration spell. The Dremora Lord is strong and can tank damage while dealing heavy blows.
- Soul Trap: Essential for those who want to fill soul gems to use in enchanting. This spell lets you capture the souls of defeated enemies.
Restoration Spells
- Healing Hands: This spell allows you to heal an ally or companion. It’s useful for keeping your followers alive during tough battles.
- Close Wounds: A more advanced healing spell that restores a large amount of health. This is perfect for mages who need to quickly restore their health during combat.
- Turn Undead: A helpful spell when fighting Draugr and other undead enemies. It forces them to flee from you, giving you time to either heal or switch to more offensive tactics.
Illusion Spells
- Calm: This spell pacifies enemies, causing them to stop attacking. It’s great for crowd control in situations where you’re outnumbered.
- Fury: Causes low-level enemies to attack anything nearby. You can use this spell to create chaos among your enemies.
- Invisibility: One of the most powerful Illusion spells, it allows you to sneak through dangerous areas without being detected.
Alteration Spells
- Paralyze: Immobilizes your enemies for a few seconds, allowing you to either flee or attack them without resistance.
- Telekinesis: Lets you manipulate objects from a distance. It’s useful for puzzles or avoiding traps in dungeons.
- Dragonhide: Reduces all physical damage for a short period. This is one of the best defensive spells available to mages.
Skyrim Mage Mods: Enhancing Your Experience
If you’re playing Skyrim on PC, there are several mods that can enhance your mage experience. These mods offer new spells, mechanics, and visual improvements to magic.
Popular Skyrim Mage Mods
- Apocalypse – Magic of Skyrim: This mod adds 155 new spells to the game, significantly expanding the magic system. You’ll find new spells for all schools of magic, from Destruction to Restoration.
- Phenderix Magic Evolved: Adds over 400 new spells to the game, ranging from summoning spells to weather-changing magic. It also includes new magical weapons and equipment for mages.
- Mysticism – A Magic Overhaul: This mod overhauls the existing magic system, making it more balanced and immersive. It adds new spells, adjusts spell costs, and makes magic more intuitive.
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Which is Better: Warrior or Mage in Skyrim?
The age-old question: Which is better, warrior or mage in Skyrim? The answer depends on your playstyle. Mages are excellent for players who enjoy ranged combat, versatility, and controlling the battlefield with different spells. Warriors, on the other hand, offer straightforward, high-damage physical combat and can absorb more damage thanks to heavy armor.
That said, mages have a higher learning curve because managing magicka and selecting the right spells for the right situations can be challenging. If you enjoy strategy and having multiple tools at your disposal, a mage might be the better choice for you.
How Do You Become the Strongest Mage in Skyrim?
To become the strongest mage in Skyrim, you’ll need to invest time in mastering your chosen schools of magic, gather the best armor and weapons, and fine-tune your build. Here are a few tips:
- Level up your skills: Focus on leveling Destruction, Conjuration, or whatever magic school you specialize in. The more you use these spells, the stronger they become.
- Perks: Unlock perks that reduce magicka costs, increase spell effectiveness, and give you access to master-level spells.
- Enchanting: Enchant your gear to reduce spell costs, increase magicka regeneration, or add resistances.
- Alchemy: Use potions to boost your magicka or increase your spell power temporarily.
Conclusion
Mages in Skyrim offer an exciting and rewarding playstyle, with countless ways to customize your character. Whether you want to wield destructive fire spells, summon powerful allies, or manipulate the minds of your enemies, this Skyrim mage guide has provided the tools you need to become a powerful mage. With the right build, armor, and spells, you’ll be casting your way through Skyrim like a true master of magic.
References:
https://www.thegamer.com/skyrim-mage-build-guide/
https://gamerant.com/skyrim-mistakes-everyone-makes-mage-build/
