Ward spells, how come so few players use them?

[Shelt]

I have long advocated the use of ward spells, whether to block dragon's fire or an opposing shout from a drauger of higher level or even to negate the poisonous spit of a chaurus, and of course to cancel or even absorb an enemy mage spell. Ward spells also increase your armor rating, helping to negate a portion of damage from incoming melee or archery attacks. There is a very good reason a ward spell is the first lesson you learn when entering the college.

So then why is it, almost every playthrough on Youtube I see, even at higher levels, people do not use them? Do you prefer a shield instead? If so, tell me why.

[gnewna]

I've never been able to get the hang of ward spells, I'm not sure if you're supposed to time them with the enemy's attacks or hold them continuously, but I don't really find them useful. They sound like they *should* be awesome, though, any tips on using them more efficiently?

[𝕊𝕋𝕌ℝ𝕄-𝕂𝔸𝕋]

I guess it is the warrior in us...we seem to function on basic instinct to kill...therefore in combat, we don't think like a crew of a ship, performing multiple functions (like star trek's enterprise would: shields up, evasive maneuveures, weapons primed, navigation routes plotted, systems diverted to tactical combat power, engine/weapons/shields ratios calculated for optimum usage)

I guess it can be looked at in the same way for character combat in Skyrim: Magic shield ward activated, weapon slots primed, terrain layout mapped, escape routes noted, targets aquired, stamina potions taken, health potions taken, armour combinations selected, weapon and shield selected, secondary magic attack selected, enemy weaknessess calculated for weapon selection etc etc etc


My point is...that our brains calculate a lot of this stuff while not really thinking about it, however we have to make sure we are carrying out the functions with our hands on the mouse/keyboard (consoles for PC games are forbidden in my world) and we just find it easier to perform immediate instictual killing maneuveures like SLASH KILL SMASH MOVE KILL KILL GHAAAAH! (last one added for effect).


To use more tactics just requires a little more effort and I guess that there are some of us who enjoy employing that, but why do more when the game is easy enough to allow you to succeed with just an OP modded weapon? :3

[Shelt]

Originally posted by gnewna:

I've never been able to get the hang of ward spells, I'm not sure if you're supposed to time them with the enemy's attacks or hold them continuously, but I don't really find them useful. They sound like they *should* be awesome, though, any tips on using them more efficiently?

As Tolfdir says when you learn the first ward spell at the college, you can't charge your ward with a fireball coming at you. Ward spells, if timed properly, will completely negate any attack of a magical nature, even if your ward "breaks" upon collision with the magic attack. The difference between this and a shield, is that you will still take some damage with a shield.

A ward spell takes a second to cast and a second more to fully charge while you are holding down the button. Any magical attack which hits the ward before it is fully charged will "break" it, and stagger you for a split second. This is still better than not having it up at all. However, a fully charged ward will not break unless the amount of damage sustained is greater than the ward's base strength. Lesser ward having the least shield strength, greater having the most.

It just takes some practice, and as with any spell, the cost can be reduced through enchanting and perks so that it can be sustained longer.

[𝕊𝕋𝕌ℝ𝕄-𝕂𝔸𝕋]

I'm thinking of going mage next playthrough! :P

[gnewna]

Hmm, I'm still trying to work out whether my new Orc chap (who has some talent for both magic and fighting) will be more of a fighter or a spellsword, might give wards a proper try this playthrough, though.

[Shelt]

Originally posted by KL Master Dan StormCats:

I guess it is the warrior in us...we seem to function on basic instinct to kill...therefore in combat, we don't think like a crew of a ship, performing multiple functions (like star trek's enterprise would: shields up, evasive maneuveures, weapons primed, navigation routes plotted, systems diverted to tactical combat power, engine/weapons/shields ratios calculated for optimum usage)

I guess it can be looked at in the same way for character combat in Skyrim: Magic shield ward activated, weapon slots primed, terrain layout mapped, escape routes noted, targets aquired, stamina potions taken, health potions taken, armour combinations selected, weapon and shield selected, secondary magic attack selected, enemy weaknessess calculated for weapon selection etc etc etc


My point is...that our brains calculate a lot of this stuff while not really thinking about it, however we have to make sure we are carrying out the functions with our hands on the mouse/keyboard (consoles for PC games are forbidden in my world) and we just find it easier to perform immediate instictual killing maneuveures like SLASH KILL SMASH MOVE KILL KILL GHAAAAH! (last one added for effect).


To use more tactics just requires a little more effort and I guess that there are some of us who enjoy employing that, but why do more when the game is easy enough to allow you to succeed with just an OP modded weapon? :3

I understand what you're saying. It IS hard to resist the urge to grab the biggest meanest weapon you can find and charge into the fray. But can you really expect that to work every time? Against any enemy?

The payoff for a non-armored mage is manyfold. No armor means you move very quickly, it means you can carry more loot off the field and thus have to visit a town less often. It is the ultimate form of crowd control as well. My electromancer can stand in one spot against pretty much any number of foes and win. Ebonflesh and Ward up, storm call shout, lightning cloak, lightning spray in a circle around him, switch to chain lightning. Devestating!

[𝕊𝕋𝕌ℝ𝕄-𝕂𝔸𝕋]

I must admit, that with the brute doctrine, one does get bossed by a Thalmor Justicar's lightning bolt...

And yes! I am inspired to try more magic now! :D thanks

Poor Khajiit does not like magicky D:

[Shelt]

Khajiit like to sneak with the pads on their feets.

Perhaps a sneaky, quiet casting kitty? Purrrrrfect!

[𝕊𝕋𝕌ℝ𝕄-𝕂𝔸𝕋]

huehuehue, muffle taim!

>:3

[Brandybuck]

I've tried using wards, but the magicka cost is just too high. It's basically impossible to keep them up like the NPCs do, and then still have magicka left over for something else. At higher levels you'll have more magicka and even zero cost wards, but by that time you've never gotten into the habit of using wards so you don't bother. At least that's been my experience trying to use it.

[Shelt]

Originally posted by Brandybuck:

I've tried using wards, but the magicka cost is just too high. It's basically impossible to keep them up like the NPCs do, and then still have magicka left over for something else. At higher levels you'll have more magicka and even zero cost wards, but by that time you've never gotten into the habit of using wards so you don't bother. At least that's been my experience trying to use it.

Yes, I mostly agree with you about this, although I've always found it easy to mix up a huge batch of magicka pots and hotkey them. Still, it is no secret that ward progression is much less effecient (and thus backwards as you get stronger) as you go from one to the next.

The mod below remedies the backwards effectiveness of wards and increases the charge time, making it possible for you to catch more spells, at a lower cost, on reaction time.

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/22057/?

[Skyrimnut]

Spellbreaker + ward absorb perk + elemental protection perk = awesome. That's my ward spell. Now 'tis a bit more challenging to get than an actual ward spell and not as powerful as the more powerful ward ones, but it costs no magicka. And you can bash with it, the all important bashing. Wards do look cool though. If they were more practical, I'd use them for a mage, but in the Vanilla game, they aren't really. Not over Spellbreaker anyway, especially if you're a build with a bit of warrior in it. *sigh*, they do look cool.

[la_nague]

i use them all the time with deadly combat, which makes them refect the spell if you casted ithe ward within 0.4 seconds of the spell hitting you.


also good vs dragon breath when you have a stronger dragons mod installed.

[Samadhi]

The problem with not only the ward spell but all magic in Vanilla skyrim, is that offensive/defensive magic doesn't scale well at higher levels. Its far more cost efficient to conjure an atronach and use the time to close the gap to melee range. Or to use a bow with a simple paralysis pot, also to close the gap.
To be effective solely using magic at higher levels skyrim really needs to be modded.
In my opinion, anyway.

[Vagrant]

Like most people said above, wards are mostly useless.

However, I use them when I encounter a Soul Gem Magic Trap.