Anyone else find it strange that there are next to battlemages in the Imperial Legion, except from the ones you see in the beginning o the game?

One would expect that they would send that kind off support units to a conflict zone, and since it is a civil war in Skyrim I am a bit surprised there doesn't seem to be any.

Probably a strategic move by the Legion - mages aren't exactly liked by the general populace. So why would they shove battlemages into society? Even in Oblivion, the battlemages stayed close to the Arcane University.

Could be due to the effect of the Oblivion Crisis removing the Septim Bloodline, and the New Emporer line being a Conquer and Trade situation.

Maybe when Titus Mede took over, he abolished the Role of Imperial Battlemage (Ocato role in all previus ES main games). The Thalmoor would have wanted to usurp that role, and maybe Titus Mede also replied "No Thanks".

Well, that is not really related to the question. I am wondering just why it isn't battlemage units in the Imperial Legion, except at the very beginning when a few can be seen fighting Alduin. One would think the Legion would bring them in to the Civil War to give them an edge over thr Stormcloaks.

This has been bugging me for quite a while. Glad I'm not the only one who noticed it.


I'm also confused as to why the Imperial Legion doesn't have any units of subterfuge working in Skyrim. I know the Blades used to be their intelligence gathers and they've pretty much gone the way of the dodo but you'd think they'd have created a new organization for spying, sabotage, and other acts of a questionable nature after the Great War, and Skyrim would be a perfect "Trial by fire" proving ground for them.

Ah, perhaps because Imperial mages are in the Synod? And the Synod is way more political than practical? Just a guess.

We're told that the Legion is short of men and has been recruiting locally. They seem short of everything except poorly trained (judging by how quickly they die) light infantry. Not only a lack of battlemages and spies, there aren't many heavy infantry.

Maybe the collapse of the mages guild caused a lack of magically proficient fighters?

Interesting point though!

All of the Battle Mages that you met in Oblivion were proud members of the Mage's Guild... it's very possible that the collapse of the Guild made them rather obsolete or hard to find. Or the fact that the majority of the Imperial Battle Mages joined the Synod to lead exciting lives of pointless nothingness in politics instead of forwarding the advance of magic...

Silly Battle Mages, Trix are for kids.

Don't think too hard about it, but besides Rikke, can you recall any female legion soldiers?

I don't think so. It is also a very strange little detail.

If you mean why are they not in the game after the beginning from a gaming point of view it is a few reasons, in my opinion.
One. The game has been made for a general ordinance so quest lines were shortened to make them easier to accept. So Battlemages would have just made it more complicated for the general people who only play Skyrim once and no more. They do not see nor want the depth and so Beth just left the civil war, Imperial Vs Stormcloak a nice even straight fight. + The Imperials with Battlemages would destroy a army without them, sort of like a army in modern times with out tanks lol.
Two. Skyrim was rushed and they drop magic, so why put effort into Battlemages. They clearing intended to, as they are at the start but as they are not in the rest of the game I think they dropped them as they would have been more work.

If you mean reasons why the legion would not use them in game, then I think the one about the Nord's not accepting mage's is a good one. Another might be that most are being used Else where as the Imperial Legion is recruiting Nord's and how many mage nords are their?
Also you could say most joined the Synod and they are not welcome in Skyrim, as I have not seen any Synod halls in Skyrim.

I never noticed this but I would assume it was largely due the Nords dislike of Magic. I think there were Battlemages at the start because they were sent over the border with Ulfric. It makes sense really, Ulfric was captured at the border and the Legion, knowing that he could kill with his voice, sent word to the nearest city for Battlemages. These Battlemages then escorted Ulfric to Helgen, and were there in case the Stormcloaks attacked.

yea, as stated already i also think there are no battlemages, because the most are locally recruited and nords dislike magic.

Go to winterhold, you'll see tons of nords complaining and whining about magic

True dat!

Fixed.

And duly sorry, I just couldn't resist

The whole "Nords dislike magic" argument is lost on me. Why would you not use something as useful and possibly tideturning as group of battlemages in a civil war they seem dependant on winning as fast as possible? I doubt the Empire would care about rubbing a few nords the wrong way if it meant a quick end to the civil war.
And I think the nords would be happy enough about it because the battlemages would likely be sent elsewhere as soon as the conflict was over.

I think it's reasonable for the Nords to hate magic. Most Nords blame the College in Winterhold for the destruction of the City. If I thought magic had destroyed one of my countries cities, it would be reasonable for me to be angry and suspicious of it. Magic is also associated with the Elves, whom the Nords have fought for centuries.

Weren't the Imperial Battlemages a branch connected to the Mages Guild in Cyrodill? If the Mages Guild in Cyrodiil has disbanded then recruiting and the care needed to training up and supervising new battlemages will not be possible.


I'm sure they will return soon as Imperial are the most suited race now for both a melee combat knight / infantry with enchanted heavy armour, one-handed & block and also a battlemage with enchanted heavy armour, destruction and restoration.

Makes a great field army. Probably why even though the Imperial navy lost against the Aldmeri whilst at sea the ground forces still managed to turn the Aldmeri over when they rode into Cyrodiil.

There are agents of the Empire in Skyrim. The Penitus Oculatus are in Skyrim as a sort of Secret Service for the Emperor and his higher-ups. If you read the 2 TES novels, you will find out how the Penitus Oculatus is like a combo of the CIA, FBI, and Secret Service. Not to mention, the members often have special magical and extrasensory abilities similar to prominent Imperial Battlemages of older times. See The Infernal City and The Lord of Souls for the details. UESP has great writeups on both.

Yeah, my thoughts exactly. + I honestly never saw any mages fighting Alduin at the start, the only one I know of is the guy in the torture room, and he... well tortures people, not exactly a battle mage.

I wondered this as well, maybe since they're trying to get the locals on their side, and magic isn't the most loved thing in Skyrim they kept most of them out, apart from Helgan.

you obviously have not played a mage yet.

nords hate magic.

Quote UESP:

"After the http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Oblivion_Crisis, the Mages Guild was dissolved due to magic's reputation of having started the Oblivion Crisis.^{http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Mages_Guild#cite_note-TheInfernalCity-1} The two splinter organizations were known as the http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Synod and thehttp://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:College_of_Whispers."

Quote Wikia:

The guild was dismantled sometime during or after thehttp://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Great_War. Members of the guild split into the http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/College_of_Whispers and http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/The_Synod.^{http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Mages_Guild#cite_note-skyrim-5}

I think the fact that the Mages Guild in Cyrodiil has disbanded would explain the absence of Imperial Battle Mages. All the Battlemages were located at the Arcane University.

My guess is that the Empire must greatly miss them and will evidently plan to re-introduce them back amongst their ranks to full force but they at present haven't been able to reinstate the Mages Guild as other matters have taken priority.

With the civil war happening in Skyrim and the fact that Nords are too keen on magic, I'm sure that would explain why they aren't top of the agenda. The remaining battlemages still in Imperial service I'm sure will still be located living in the Arcane University