2 Noob

Well I’ve sunk countless hours into this game, and I promise the official review will be coming once I feel that I have fully experienced everything Skyrim has to offer (might have to wait a few years on that one). But until that time I feel as I have gathered some tips that Mages can use while playing on a high difficulty, such as Expert or Master.

Once I started the game on my first playthrough, I immediately bumped up the difficulty to Expert. However when I reached about level 6, I decided to go even further and to go as far as Master difficulty. Let me tell you, when I hear people say that Skyrim isn’t challenging enough, it’s pretty clear that they play a Warrior, with the difficulty set as adept or below. A lot of people have complained that mages are completely underpowered in Skyrim during the later stages of Expert/Master playthroughs, but I feel I have gathered enough knowledge to assist my fellow wizards in dealing with the conflicts that arise.

Tip #1. You NEED somebody to tank for you.

Mages can’t afford to have health be better than their magicka, and their heavy armor instead of their robes (unless you enchant them later on). When enemies can kill you in two hits or less, it is crucial for something to distract the attackers while you lay waste using the rest of your arsenal. Personally I never use companions because they make the game substantially easier, and I have to deal with them trappng me in every closet that I go to. However, if you don’t mind bringing Lydia or another warrior along, they are good tanks. Make sure to use the “Healing Hands” spell often however, unless you want to be left all alone versus the hords of Draugr Overlords. Also watch out for your AOE (Area of Effect) spells, because they do damage your buddy, and can even kill them if you are not careful.

This is where Conjuration comes in. Summoning Attronachs is my preferred style of tanks because you can make and support them indefinately, as well as not having to rely on somebody’s help to fight. Make sure to use the appropriate Attronachs however, because they are not affected by their element, eg a Fire atrronarch would not be affected by an AoE fire spell, but will still take damage from friendly Ice spells. You can also play a Necromancer playstyle, where you resurrect undead to fight for you. I generally avoid this option because I like to summon the Attronachs before the fight actually happens, because it gives my mana a chance to recover before going into the fight, which Necromancers are unable to do because they have no dead bodies to raise yet. Another way to distract your enemies is to cast spells like Fury which makes the enemies beat the hell out of each other. This only works for the lower levels however.

Conjuration can be hard to level up, but I found that getting 20+ petty Soul Gems, and Soul trapping a few wolves in there can greatly increase the speed at which you level your Conjuration. Also try to summon the Atrronarchs between you and the enemies to use it as a meat shield for arrows and spells, while you have a chance for a breather, and can attack from a distance. And NEVER get in front of your Attronach because the enemy AI attacks whatever is closer, meaning your summon would be useless.

Tip #2. Use your elements appropriately.

There are three elements: Shock, Frost, and Flame. Flame is what you use on on the common enemy, the Draugrs, the Bandits, the wolves etc. It has the highest damage potential of all three groups, because if an enemy is on fire it takes extra damage from the spell. It is also more geared towards larger groups of enemies and sometimes has environmental effects such as setting fire to some oil that has spilled on to the ground, which can be an inconvenience to your foes. Frost is what you use for the big guys, the bosses. It drains the enemies of their stamina, and slows down their movements and attacks. This is beneficial to you in boss fights, because it is extremely useful in run-and-gun tactics. Not only that, but even a slight slowdown of the big guys decreases potential damage by a lot, and your tanks will have an easier time dealing with them. Last but not least, Shock is used for other mages. Its effect is draining the subjects of their mana, so once the mage is fully drained they are forced to switch to their melee, which is usually as threatening as a toddler beating you with a plastic spoon.

Tip #3. Know your perks.

It is important to pick your perks appropriatly. If you have extra perks because there is nothing to spend them on, don’t worry, save them up for when they matter. Just make sure not to go over 4 perks saved up, if that’s the case, you should put them into something, even if its less useful, for example speech, or lockpicking. You NEED the dual wield perks on Destruction and Restoration, because you will be using those a lot. Having it on Conjuration is unnecessary as it just makes the summons stay longer, but I usually go through 2 or 3 in a fight because they get killed quite easily. But it doesn’t hurt either. Having dual casts on the other branches is less important but if you have perks saved up, why not. You also NEED the Impact perk from the destruction tree that lets you stagger opponents which allow you to move back, take a breather, and hit again. Twin Souls is also an important perk, that allows you to have two summons at the same time. This could increase your Damage per Second (DPS) and provide an even bigger meat shield. Extra effect is important because it allows you to have two enchantments on a single piece of equipment, which helps you a lot. Make sure to get the perk that halves your mana use for the spells you use the most.

Tip #4. Know your enemy.

Read books within the game that are studies of the creatures you are fighting. For example if you read a book about Trolls, you will learn that their regeneration abilities are greatly hindered if they are burned, which means you should use flame based spells on them. Knowing your opponents weaknesses can be a great advantage on the battlefield.

Tip #5. Be ready for the battle before it begins.

By the time the first enemy even notices you, your summon should already be firing at him, your armor enhancing wards should be on, your spell should be fully charged, and if it is a big battle, your Runes (which damage the enemy if it comes too close) should be laid in strategic points.

Tip #6 Dont hold back on restoration spells, and have potions.

If you do get hurt you better make sure that you get that health gets back up before the second blow lands. This can be done eaither by using Healing spells, or using alchemy to create Health potions.

Tip #7. Exploit the system.

Now this is going into the cheater territory, and if you want to maintain your dignity you should stay away from this part of the tutorial. But for those that absolutely cannot survive, here are some hints. Exploit the AI pathing system. The enemies cannot jump as well as you, and jumping up and down some rocks/cliffs can give you precious time, while they are going around the long way to get to you. Run-and-gun is a wonderful strategy against some bosses, because they don’t even have a chance to hit you as you are raining fire on their heads. And two, exploit blacksmithing/enchanting. If you do this it WILL break the game. Having 100% resistance to all magic, and 500% magic regeneration makes you practically invincible. Couple that with dragon armor, and nothing will ever hurt you.

Tip #8 Have fun.

Skyrim is a vast world to explore.

Skyrim tips for gameplay as Mage on Master difficulty, 9.1 out of 10 based on 9 ratings

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