Magic is one of the least balanced aspects of Skyrim, but that doesn't mean it's an unpopular choice. In fact, increasingly, more and more players are choosing to experience Skyrim from the perspective of a pure mage, which makes matters significantly more difficult.
While the mage build isn't all that bad at the beginning of the game, it does make the player vulnerable against certain types of enemies and forces them to play in a much more strategic manner. It's definitely not for everyone, and like most builds has its pros and cons. Here's what to consider before starting a mage playthrough in Skyrim.
10 Best: Challenging
If you've grown tired of Skyrim and how easy and predictable the game feels, the mage build is probably one of the best ways to bring some spice and excitement back into it. It's quite different from any of the other build types, which force you to think creatively on your feet.
Mages aren't pure damage dealers, sneaky archers, or assassins who can get away with stealth or brute force. Most mages need to play both defensively and offensively, without relying solely on Destruction spells to blast their enemies into pieces. This is a really interesting challenge worth attempting, especially for seasoned players who know the game relatively well.
9 Worst: Requires Alchemy
Unless you feel confident going with just a few schools of magic, the mage build does require a few other additional skills and perks that enhance the player's capabilities. Some players like to opt for enchanting in order to make ridiculously powerful gear that assures their Magicka pool is almost bottomless.
However, other players recommend going for alchemy instead, which allows for the creation of unique potions that can boost your Magicka pool and the power of certain spells. This can actually be preferable to the enchanting path because there are so many unique, ready-made pieces of gear in the game that end up being just fine, which bypasses the need for the player to craft their own enchanted robes and accessories.
8 Best: Versatility
One of the best things about being a mage is the versatility it brings along. You don't need to be just a Destruction mage. You can specialize in a multitude of different schools, although choosing two or three is usually the recommended path rather than investing in every single one of them.
This means you can fully customize the type of mage you want to be. The variety of schools allows for some very interesting combinations, some of which are more niche and powerful than others. Just let your creativity run wild.
7 Worst: Weak And Niche Magic Schools
The flexibility and variety in the schools of magic are generally considered good things, but there's another side to the coin. Some of the schools and spells do tend to be more niche — and as a result, they're only useful in very specific cases. That can be a positive thing for players who want a bit more challenge to their game, but if you just want to go for a specific build for aesthetic purposes, niche schools can hold you back.
The Illusion school in particular is difficult to incorporate into mage builds and requires quite a bit of strategic and game knowledge to really nail. This is why niche schools should only be used as secondary skills, not primary spells.
6 Best: Great Counterplay Options
The Destruction school of magic is without a doubt the most powerful school of magic, and this isn't just because of the damage you can dish out. It's mainly because the Destruction school allows for immense amounts of counterplay against a wide variety of enemies.
With the three elements at your disposal, you'll never find yourself in a position where an enemy is annoyingly tough or hard to counter. You can switch between fire, frost, and spark spells smoothly, but remember to also invest in Alteration and Restoration spells to keep your defenses up.
5 Worst: Bad Scaling
Magic might initially feel like a pretty decent path to take in Skyrim, but that's because in the first few levels of the game it's easy to get value out of it. After a while, however, enemies will get stronger and you'll be forced to enter fights that are much tougher to win with just a few Destruction spells.
Even at higher levels, the spells on most magic schools are weak compared to some of the other perks in the thief or warrior builds. This is a major oversight by Bethesda's developers which will most likely see a fix in the future, once The Elder Scrolls 6 comes out.
4 Best: Area Of Effect Spells
Although the scaling of magic is among the worst, if not the worst in the game, that doesn't mean magic can't feel rewarding as the player unlocks more cool features. In particular, area of effect spells will serve the player wonderfully as the fights get tougher with more enemies.
There are tons of powerful Destruction spells that provide area of effect damage, but this feature is also found in schools like Restoration with spells like the Circle of Protection. Fights will still be challenging, but these area of effect spells will make them a bit more bearable.
3 Worst: Requires Summons Or Follower
Mages are known to be the ultimate glass cannons of the game, even more so than stealth archers or assassins, largely due to their preferred equipment — which generally offers little or no protection compared to more armored builds. Due to this, mages are often forced to get help for battles where they're greatly outnumbered.
Having a follower who can tank a ton of damage and still not die is sort of a necessity. Alternatively, if you want to keep things purely magical, you can invest perk points into the Conjuration tree and summon atronachs to fight by your side.
2 Best: High Damage
Despite the scaling being absolutely horrible for mages, they're still incredibly powerful somewhere around the beginning and early-middle part of the game. As a mage, you can dish out immense amounts of damage as long as you know how to prepare for each fight.
Casting Oakflesh first at the beginning is a must, and mastering protective Wards is a necessity as well. After that, high damage spells from the Destruction school will melt away most enemies with ease, especially when dual casting is used.
1 Worst: Low Armor
Though it's been touched on briefly, it bears iteration — the purest mages will usually suffer from one particular perpetual issue, and it's the lack of armor. You can definitely enchant some mage armor for yourself, but most of the unique robes and items found in the dungeons of Skyrim will usually trump any enchanted armor in terms of spellcasting benefits.
As such, you'll want to avoid direct engagement at all costs and keep your distance from any heavy hitters who can smack you down in just a few swings from an axe or warhammer. Those kill animations can get pretty disheartening if you're consistently on the receiving end.