Skyrimlets players take their characters down just about any path they want. The gamecaters to every possible playstylefrom melee to mage, but one build combines the best of martial and magical to create one of the most versatile archetypes in the game: the Battlemage.
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The Battlemage is perhaps the most open-ended archetype inSkyrimas players can learn Illusion to confuse enemies in melee combat, Alteration to increase their defenses, and of course Destruction to dispatch foes without having to bloody their blade. Because of their master of both close and long-range skills, Battlemages are as powerful as they are complex.
Battlemage Weapons And Armor
Battlemages tend to use One Handed weapons and Heavy Armor alongside a swathe of Spells, while Light Armor tends to befavored by more nimble(and more fragile) Spellswords. When it comes to weapons, those with Magicka-enhancing enchantments or the ability to Soul Trap reign supreme.
The main difference between Battlemages and Spellswords is the choice of armor. Heavy Armor gives mages a much higher Armor Rating at the cost of movement speed. Battlemage Armor is typically characterized by Magicka Regeneration and Spell Cost Reduction Enchantments.
Standing Stones And Enchantments
Battlemages are incredibly versatile as their skillset covers the two extremes of the combat spectrum. For this reason, Battlemages can make particularly good use of the XP-enhancingThe Lover Stone.The Warrior Stoneis a good oneto choose early on if the player plans to level Melee Skills first, while the opposite is true forThe Mage Stone, which is best for players who plan to lean into Magic at the start.The Atronachgrants spell absorption at the cost of Magicka Recovery, which is powerful for Battlemages who typically only need to cast spells at the beginning of combat.
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When it comes to Enchantments, there are afew that work especially wellfor Battlemages. Because Heavy Armor tends not to grant Magicka-based buffs, theMagicka RecoveryandMax MagickaEnchantments are good options, butSpell Cost Reductionfor Destruction or Conjuration also works wonders. Melee weapons should be enchanted with eitherParalysisorMagicka Absorb.
Battlemage Spells And Perks
Battlemages thrive whengiven plenty of optionsfor taking on a combat scenario. The Heavy Armor and One Handed Skill Trees are their melee bread and butter, while Destruction, Conjuration, and Alteration are the primary Magicka-oriented Skill Trees for the archetype. Restoration is good to build into for self-healing, especially in Survival Mode, whereas Illusion is not particularly strong for Battlemages.
Heavy Armor: All “Juggernaut” ranks, “Well Fitted”, and “Reflect Bows”
One Handed: All “Armsman” ranks, “Fighting Stance”, and weapon-specific Perks
Destruction, Conjuration, and Alteration Spells
Destruction:Fire Spells generally deal the most damage, Frost for Warriors and Shock for Mage enemies.
Conjuration: Summon Dremora Lord or Summon Storm Atronach are the most powerful Summons available. Bound Weapons can be useful when starting out, too.
Alteration: Oakflesh and later Armor-enhancing spells are a must. Equilibrium converts Health into Magicka, which can be useful for spellcasting.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Editionis available on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S
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