Conjuration/alteration build............ viable ?

[MF]

I like this game because it lets you do whatever you like and it just leaves you alone.

I've always either rolled as melee types with a bow for ranged, or pure casters. I always up my smithing and enchanting as my end-goal is to eventually dominate on legendary difficulty. It's my thing you might say. I do like to keep it 'pure', so my archer will never cast a fireball and my caster will never whip out a sword or bow.

I'm wondering if maybe for something completely new I might try a Breton who wears heavy armor, but relies on conjured weapons and atronachs only. In the beginning I'll obviously need alteration to up my armor, but I'll eventually wind up wearing plate just for the aesthetics. Is this viable ? Can bound weapons and some summoned minions actually 'cut the mustard' out there in SKyrim ?

[Senor Cinco]

Conjuration plus... anything is viable.
Conjuration plus Illusion is arguably the strongest combination of skills in the game.

[RunForRest]

U should try Ordinator | https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/1137?tab=description, so many possible char builds there
throw Imperious | https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/1315
and Andromeda | https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/14910
on top
maybe even Summermyst | https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/6285
and u can really go wild with builds

Regarding Conjuration - Ordinator can let u have a Skeleton Army - problem is, as u know, theres many narrow spaces and tunnels in Skyrim and those skeletons will ALWAYS block u. Thats why i gave up on summoner builds, but there might be mods out there making it possible to walk through ur summons or sth, dunno

[alexander_dougherty]

Hmmm...... If you are wearing armour then Alteration becomes of dubious value for combat.
Restoration and Illusion would probably be a better idea, Restoration gives you healing spells, and later on a powerful undead killing spell, and Illusion gives you spells that allow you to calm down most enemies, and a perk that allows you to cast spells quietly in stealth.

[MF]

Originally posted by RunForRest:

U should try Ordinator | https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/1137?tab=description, so many possible char builds there
throw Imperious | https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/1315
and Andromeda | https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/14910
on top
maybe even Summermyst | https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/6285
and u can really go wild with builds

Regarding Conjuration - Ordinator can let u have a Skeleton Army - problem is, as u know, theres many narrow spaces and tunnels in Skyrim and those skeletons will ALWAYS block u. Thats why i gave up on summoner builds, but there might be mods out there making it possible to walk through ur summons or sth, dunno

I was hoping to keep the number of summons to a minimum. As you note, they get in the bloody way if they're melee. A casting atronach though........ that could be useful. Or one single melee type summon.

TBH I'm more curious to see what sortof damage I can do with a bound weapon.

Edit : Was lookintg at Summermyst enchants and wow boy a few of those would be game breaking. Right now I have a mage who switches out the different Dragonborn priest masks. Putting one amplify destruction enchant on a few pieces of gear........ hoo boy.

[MF]

Originally posted by alexander_dougherty:

Hmmm...... If you are wearing armour then Alteration becomes of dubious value for combat.
Restoration and Illusion would probably be a better idea, Restoration gives you healing spells, and later on a powerful undead killing spell, and Illusion gives you spells that allow you to calm down most enemies, and a perk that allows you to cast spells quietly in stealth.

Yeah I've already started to play and it doesn't look like I'll be wearing cloth except perhaps at first where I need a piece of gear with some mana and regen. Eventually I'll enchant that stuff but in the beginning...... a bit of magical armor won't hurt.

[th]

Conjuration is always viable. It's one of the most viable skills of all.

The moment you can conjure a flame atronach is the moment when everything is possible for you now.

Later in your walkthrough with 2 thralls or dremoras you can go to drink tea or do some other stuff while they are clearing the dungeon for you.

[MF]

Originally posted by th:

Conjuration is always viable. It's one of the most viable skills of all.

The moment you can conjure a flame atronach is the moment when everything is possible for you now.

Later in your walkthrough with 2 thralls or dremoras you can go to drink tea or do some other stuff while they are clearing the dungeon for you.

Hilarious....... I want to swing a 2-hander though.

I'm assuming that armor enchants that benefit 1h or 2h weapon skills also apply to bound weapons as well as the normal perks ??

[th]

Yes, if you also want to fight personally then those atronachs and dremoras will interfere with your aiming. Especially in melee.

In such case the good tactics is to be the main tank personally. Use two ranged atronachs - flame and/or storm.

[RunForRest]

With Ordinator Alteration is always viable, no matter what build, some nice perks there.
Regarding Atronarchs using spells i believe i have something installed to improve them, my Atronarchs also use all kinds of spells from Apocalypse.. lemme check...
got it: Enhanced Atronachs - With Levelling and Luminosity | https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/18913
Enemy Atronarchs might be effected by this as well (not 100% sure):
Enemy (R)Evolution of Skyrim - EEOS - Spell Perk Item Distributor Addon | https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/37228

Mihail Packs (undead, dwarfen automatons and liches) have some nice summon spells one can acquire from slaying them ( e.g. i can summon an armored skeletonmage that itself summons flame atronarchs :D (not sure if thats from Mihail, Immersive Creatures or Apocalypse or even a combination of those making that possible)). But beware those enemies from Mihail also gate some areas for lower level characters - they can be really hard to kill - i personally love that

[RunForRest]

Using 2 Hand Weapons and casting: i would give The Wizard Warrior | https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/14890?tab=description a look. I havent used it for quite some time now but i had lots of fun with it with many chars.
Looks complicated to setup at first, but its really not

[Eternie]

Also have a look at Forgotten Magic Redone SE https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/12711
As a new way of playing with magic ... making your spells from this mod level up and get extra abilities / perks allows you to play on harder difficulties as it levels your spells up from use. With seven different magic schools. I'm liking this quite a lot.

[MF]

Originally posted by Eternie:

Also have a look at Forgotten Magic Redone SE https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/12711
As a new way of playing with magic ... making your spells from this mod level up and get extra abilities / perks allows you to play on harder difficulties as it levels your spells up from use. With seven different magic schools. I'm liking this quite a lot.

I do use a mod that levels spells up as you go from novice to master, 25% at a time. By expert level they're doing double the vanilla. It only makes sense - compared to a melee toon with smithing, casters are gimped. It doesn't add any new spells though. I have a mage that uses this and he's playing on legendary difficulty. His armor rating is capped so he can take the hits while casting - and even while wearing a priest mask from Solstheim and Gauldur's Amulet, it can take a long time to mow down a high level enemy with magic. It is what it is though - still fun.

[MF]

Thanks a ton for all the feedback, people.

I'm playing it by ear as I go - I'm mid playthru and I have other characters active so I'm not going to start messing with the perk tree system.

I'm getting a fairly vague idea of where this character is headed. I'm franly fumbling in the dark here, but I'm 18 and already rolled past 50 in conjuration. I've discovered that there's huge giggles to be had in resurrecting bandits. It's simply hilarious good fun. When I get sick of their moaning I drive by bound axe thru their head and they thank me. Rinse and repeat.

Just to make this guy completely and utterly different I didn't do the vanilla start and have no plans to become 'dragon boy'. In fact I'm avoiding the usual haunts Riverwood, Whiterun and Falkreath as much as possible. Got a different player house up near Dawnstar and plan to scour the north for a change. I'm picking up quests I never knew even existed, and I'm over 1000 hours into this game....... which is frankly amazing.

[MF]

EDIT : This toon has become my all-time favorite. I just look absolutely bad-ass with a bound 2h axe, ebony armor and Vokun priest mask. It's the perfect blend of melee and magic.

[daveyfunk]

Originally posted by Señor Cinco:

Conjuration plus... anything is viable.
Conjuration plus Illusion is arguably the strongest combination of skills in the game.

2nd this. Takes a little to get there and you need to dedicate yourself to it, but nothing will touch you. Alteration has great spells in paralyse and the armour spells, but with illusion you get the calm, fear and rage spells, which are arguably best crowd control in the game and offers more utility. That along with conjuration OP summons and bound weapons (if you wanna use them) and the game becomes a cake walk. Conjuration is the best magic school in the game when thinking of just letting summons do the dirty work for you

There's a glitch that basically lets you become the Night King and have an army of undead, but although fun just ruins the game as you can just stomp cities and no challenge

As you've said above, alteration is useful early for a boost in armour but I personally think more fun to craft stuff late game

I generally play a sorta sneaky battlemage in heavy armour and cause havoc with illusion, conjuration summons to even the playing field and then mix it up with shield and one handed for myself. With veggie soup it's just fun to shield bash into oblivion :)