Skyrim is a game of huge possibility, providing players with all kinds of opportunities and a wide range of builds that can be tried and tested. Players looking for a cool way to play Skyrim either for a first-time run or a return to the game for veterans, will be shocked by the sheer number of ways that other players have found to test the limits of how the game can be completed.

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From sneak-archer builds to only using an enchanted wooden sword as a weapon, there are some hugely overpowered builds available in Skyrim. However, one of the best ways to play is as a sorcerer, and players have loved to unleash their inner Emperor Palpatine on occasion by focusing on destructive lightning magic.

8 Sparks

The most basic lightning-based spell that can be found in Skyrim is Sparks. A novice-level destruction spell, the capabilities of this one are low, but it is good to get and use frequently early-game if players are hoping to become powerful destruction-magic mages later in the game.

Sparks fires a blast of lightning-based energy at the target which will deal eight points of health damage and four points of magicka damage every second. Given that players won’t be able to use it for many seconds at the beginning of the game, this is unlikely to end up killing any but the most basic of enemies for them.

7 Lightning Rune

Runes are an interesting way to deal damage to enemies. One of the most popular skills in Skyrim is learning to sneak, as this provides players with capabilities using a number of weapons, especially daggers and bows. However, there are great options involving sneaking even for mages in the game.

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One of the best ideas is to create lightning runes, which will activate when somebody walks over them, dealing fifty points of shock damage to the victim. This can shock and disrupt opponents while the player uses other spells to finish them off, but usually won’t kill them, and the player needs to attract the enemies in that direction, making it a hard trap to pull off sometimes.

6 Lightning Cloak

Cloaks are another great spell that can be used in any of the three main destruction spell disciplines. The Lightning Cloak is a great option when fighting several enemies in a smaller area. Any enemies that come close to the player will suffer eight health damage and four magicka damage every second they stay within close range of the player.

Lightning Cloaks can be incredibly useful because they last sixty seconds, so players can cast the cloak and then focus on other spells while the cloak continues dealing damage, simply speeding up the impending death of whatever opponents are staying close to them, making for one of the best mage builds in the game.

5 Thunderbolt

Thunderbolt is an expert-level destruction spell in Skyrim, and it is one of the most high-damage destruction spells in the game. Thunderbolt fires a wave of electricity that deals sixty points of health and thirty points of magicka damage to the target.

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The problem with Thunderbolt which holds it back somewhat is the magicka cost. Every casting of Thunderbolt is expensive, so unless players have robes to reduce the magicka cost greatly or have a huge magicka bar, they might want to consider other options as their consistent lightning damage spells.

4 Chain Lightning

Chain Lightning is a much more commonly used lightning spell than Thunderbolt, despite being a lower-level spell in Skyrim, though fans continue to debate which is the best spell out of the options. Chain Lightning is an adept-level spell that allows players to deal forty points of health and twenty points of magicka damage to opponents, but for a greatly reduced magicka cost, making it more accessible than Thunderbolt.

In addition, Chain Lightning is a great tool for fighting groups of enemies, because damage from this spell will jump between targets if different enemies are standing near enough to each other. This makes Chain Lightning a viable constant-use spell from lower levels, which works against single or grouped enemies.

3 Wall Of Storms

Wall spells are hugely useful in many situations, though they are particularly great when it comes to enclosed areas against groups of enemies. Players at a high level, given the expert status of this spell, can create a wall of lightning which will inflict fifty points of damage per second to any characters that touch it.

Alerting a large group of enemies and then forcing them to come towards the player by entering Wall of Storms spells is an easy way to tear apart an entire field of foes quickly. Players will not regret learning this spell as soon as they can, especially for dungeon-diving against waves of draugr.

2 Lightning Bolt

Despite being one of the lowest-level lightning spells, Lightning Bolt is one of the very best in Skyrim. This apprentice-level spell still deals shock damage similar to sparks, hitting enemies with a constant stream that costs a certain level of magicka per second.

Lightning Bolt is a great go-to lightning damage spell, even later in the game. This spell deals a high level of constant damage to enemies as long as players can keep it up for long enough. Hitting for 25 health and 12 magicka points per second is extreme once players have a higher bar of magicka available to keep it up.

1 Lightning Storm

The strongest lightning-based spell in Skyrim, and maybe the best overall destruction spell in the game, is Lightning Storm. Only unlocked by purchasing a spell tome from Faralda following the completion of the destruction spell master quest at the College of Winterhold, this spell can demolish most enemies in the game.

Lightning Storm is a fantastic spell as it sends out a wave that takes away 75 health and 37 magicka points from enemies within a radius while insulating the Dragonborn and any allies from the effects. If players can unlock this spell and use it frequently, they can kill dragons and other huge creatures in swift blows with the power of lightning magic.

Skyrim is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch.

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