The Battlemage

This is the Guide to be a Battlemage in Skyrim, A battlemage is a very fun role or class to play as in Skyrim.

The Battlemage

What is a Battlemage? Well a Battlemage is a mage that is more of a lead attacker, is a sense. Meaning the battlemage will be the first to strike, last to leave. The battlemage must take control of the battlefield and everyone in it. I believe battlemages' are more focused into the Destruction, Conjuration, Alteration, maybe Restoration (depending on the situation), and Heavy Armor.

A battlemage can be played in several divegent ways, but this guide is created to give my belief of how it should/can be played

Races

Now, Which race would be best for a Battlemage? Battlemages focus alot on magic, but you would like some better starting stats, like the Imperial, Breton, or Redguard. They all start with pretty good magical stats and decent hand weapon stats, which is good for early in the game. Especially the Breton; the Breton has the inborn skill that gives them natural magic resistances, which is badass. Also they have the skill called Dragonskin, which absorbs 50% of magical attacks. Imperials have good hand weapon stats and Destruction stats. Same for the Redguard. Another race that would make a good battlemage would be the Dark Elf. The Dark Elf gets +10 bonus to Destruction and +5 to alchemy (which will be explained later), and they also start off with the spell Sparks. Additionally, you could use the High Elf since they were pretty much born to use magic but I personally don't like them and when it comes to hand weapon combat, they lack on the battlefield.

Generally the idea is to have decent starting stats for the start of the game so you can actually deal some damage and survive fights.

Skills

Heres the important part. You got the idea, and you have your character. Now what? Well your magic skills will end up leveling because you'll have more training in those. I believe One-handed, Smithing, and Alchemy are very vital to your combat and survivabilty.

Alteration
Alteration can help by the Waterbreathing,Paralyze,Detect Life,Telekinesis,Candlelight or Magelight,and Equilibrium spells.You could use armor spells if you like but you already wearing armor. When you start investing into Alteration, Get the perk Magic Resistance. It will help alot and by the time you have up to 70% and have enchanted armor for Magic Resistance, you'll basically never take damage from magic. Then once you reach 100 alteration,get the perk Atronach, this will absorb 30% of magic hitting you. While you have almost 100% magic resistance, this perk is just giving you magicka from other people without taking damage.
-This is how i recommend the Alteration skill tree, also two easy ways to leveling quickly is to have the Mage Stone and use waterbreathing while standing in shallow water. The other way is to use a magic armor spell (like oakflesh) and go to a bandit camp with bandits alive in it. Kill the bandits with Bows and dont kill any other. After that equip a armor spell with low magicka cost(like oakflesh) and start casting it while run around, make sure some bandits are chasing you.

Illusion
Illusion im not so great on but it can help.Spells like Clairvoyance,Fear,Pacify and Rout help.
Now good perks for Illusion would be Hypnotic Gaze,Kindred Mage,and Aspect of Terrior. Use Illusion for a way to get some breathing room, if you dieing and need some health, use a fear-like spell and cast it on that person, while he/she is runnin' away, now its your chance to heal.
-Leveling, easiest way to level Illusion is to use Muffle alot, stand and just cast it.

Alchemy
Alchemy is very useful once you know how to use it.Perks i recommend for alchemy would be the side thats not about posion but its really up to you. Once you start a new game, everytime you find a ingredient and you havent discovered its first effect, eat it, thats right eat it, cause eating it would teach you the first effect. After you done all of that try to play potions for Health and Magicka. for health use a Blue Mountian Flower and Wheat to make a potion to restore health. Elves Ear and a Red Mountain Flower can be used to make a potion for restore Magicka. Creating your own so you can stock up on it and not have to spend tons of gold just for a few bottles.
-Leveling, there really isnt a way to level alchemy quickly, making a lot of potions is all i can say about that.

Conjuration
Now conjuration is a little different from the other skills i've been explaining. Its used to spawn things and beings. Perk wise, its up to you, I would recommend Summoner,Atromancy,Elemental Potency,and Twin Souls. Necromancy i find almost useless cause you can conjure something for less magicka and is much stronger.
Pretty much at the start of the battle, you'll want to summon your minions, giving your enemie(s) something else to worry about. Plus, who knows, thats probably all you'll need.
-Bound Weapons
Bound weapons could be useful, but like i said its up to you, Bound weapons can do as much damage an Ebony Sword or Daedric Sword and can help by not carrying a sword around thats heavy and weights too much.
-Leveling, Easiest way is to use Soul Trap on a dead thing or person,Also corjuring anything with enemies are around.

Destruction
Destruction,one of your main weapons. For this skill, focus on Fire and Frost. From start, every race are the spell Flames,unless you a Dark Elf, you'll have Flames and Sparks. Then your going to want to find the spell Frostbite. For perks your going to want Augmented Flames,Augmented Frost,Intense flames,and Deep freeze.With those perks and Combined Fire Frost, you can destroy anything or anyone with one click. Cause with Deep Freeze, targets who are dieing will "freeze" or be paralyzed, so while its "frozen" finished them off with a fire spell. It could also work the other way around, Intense Flames cause the target to flee, so as they're fleeing, freeze and finish them off with a frost spell.
-Leveling, just destroy things and people with your spells

One-Handed
Im not going to get too into One-Handed. I recommend using swords with the perk Bladesmen, so you deal with critical hits.Also great for when your out of Magicka.
-Leveling, Hit things duh

Heavy Armor
Heavy Armor is important.From the start your going to want to find a piece of heavy armor and wear it so it levels up. For Perks try to get the perk Conditioning quickly so the armor doesnt weight anything while wearing it. Then the perk Reflect Blows,this is great for those who keep shooting arrows at you.
-Leveling, basic movement in the game, get hit, or even if you have a good amount of HP, let giants hit, every hit will level up by one.

Weapons

Ok, now since skills are done, we are going to need weapons. A Battlemage uses Spells, Staffs, and One-Handers


Staffs
Staffs are perfect for using two spells for the cost of one spell. I recommend using Destruction, and Conjuring Staffs.


Those two are the staff i highly recommend using.

One-Handers
For these its up to you what you want to use, Sword, War Axe, or Mace. But what ever one you use, have the enchanment Soul Trap, so when your staff is empty, you can use soul cems to recharge it

End/Information

Well now since your ready to play as a Battlemage, get going!


This is my first Guide and im still learning how to put things together, but i hope you enjoy it

Thanks for reading and Have fun

[Sulfurkin]

The UI is from the mod called RaceMenu, you need SKSE and SkyUI to use it.

[HolisticX]

Hi just reading through you guide and noticed the top 3 images thats not the standard ui as far as im aware? Is that from some DLC?

[hummuschipsalat]

Hey man, nice guide. Just popping in to say its spelled "Dying" and not "Dieing".

[Matthew]

The Atronach stone would be a good choice until you get the Atronach perk in the Alteration tree, problem is Bethesda screwed up and treated spells that summon atronachs, dremora, thralls, and familiars as spells being used on you, and as such will not work reliably.

[Seraph]

Skyrim did a great job of screwing up traditionally defined roles, but contrary to popular belief, a battlemage isn't just some heavy armor one handed weapon using caster. I'll save people the trouble of doing any real work and digging through lore and tell you that first and foremost a Battlemage's forte is Destruction, that is every battlemage's primary skill. Their secondary skill is always conjuration and together those make up the core skills that every Battlemage posses. Everything else in regards to the other schools, minus illusion, as battlemages generally don't use it, is up to the individual mage. They are primarily casters, with supplementary melee. Meaning some wear robes, some where armor, but first and foremost they are mages. Also, spellswords don't use stealth and magic, that's the nightblade.

[[W+M1] DirtyHarry07]

Would be nice to what armour is best to wear as well!

[Arvel6828]

high elfs have alot magicka

[Connstanntinne]

googd job

[Imiss70sTV]

nice, thanks!

[Blindseer64]

gold insted of gould