I'm playing a mage and I've been using robes but also light armor gauntlets and boots. Is it a better idea to go unarmored and devote perks to alteration (mage armor)? If I do want to go unarmored should I also get the novice-master alteration perks to reduce spell costs? Is this more effective than say glass boots and gauntlets along with some light armor perks?

I can't give you a complete answer to your question because I haven't tried both.

I decided to go with light armor instead of Alteration. The reason being that I use Destruction and Conjuring for my attacks and I felt that using up Magica right before a fight by casting a protective spell put me in a weaker position than just having armor on.

Plus it fits in a bit more with my character's RP story.

From my recent experience, Alteration is the way to go. Definitely go with the mage armor perks.

Both?

Alteration is good to take whether or not you do light armor. Mage armor is only 3 perks... and even just 1 point is enough for most fights. you'll get 160-200 armor from 1 perk in Mage armor casting Adept or Expert flesh spells.

Then you can chose to either go with Archmage robes + other non-armor gear... or load up in better protection, but maybe less magicka boosting, gear if you needed added protection.

You can then boost your light armor with your alteration spells, and have magic resistance, etc too.

My spell sword is leveling his light armor now... but I actually used nothing but cloth after getting Archmage robes for a long time. Boosting your armor with Alteration helps make up for lower skill level and less armor perks too.

If I was pure mage, I may have never taken armor. As a spell sword though... I just died a couple times from 1 hit cause my armor went down at THE worst possible time. It was fun though, and I enjoy it still sometimes because the archmage robes ARE really nice (and look pretty cool on a guy dodging around enemies with a sword and flingin magic). It's just that I'm TRYING to level light armor so I'm actually not even using it as much as I want. Almost got the last perk I want for light armor though (Stamina boost in all light)

Light armor is a huge boost at higher levels. With enchanting at 100 and the 2x enchant perk, you can also include four cast cost reductions and sneak/carry boosts. That would apply to cloth as well, obviously.

I've been using glass recently and it absorbs a significant amount of damage even with my naturally low light armor skill--IIRC, it's up to 40 now, and over 100 with perks enchants.

I also carry some lightweight gear with fortify pickpock (which I named Shens) and a couple of lightweight replacements for the armor to provide additional carry gear (named Carry). Then a necklace for haggling and finally Volsung for haggle and waterbreathing.

The armor is making things too easy and I want to go back to cloth if I can find the right mod. I don't like the glass armor because I'm sneaky and it just doesn't fit with that playstyle.

For some reason dragon hide takes away all armor rating. Really no reason in using it.

Enchanting IS ridiculous.... I sit around and dream up sets of gear lol

I'm thinking of scrapping my armor actually and going back to Archmage robes. I kinda miss the vulnerability. I'm freaking indestructible in my glass it's ludicrous. Also the free destro + resto spell thing I got goin on right now IS a bit over the top. I can ward+blast, or stunlock (Impact) my way through pretty much any fight. Cheap spells with regen... I want. Free infinite cast? Kinda loses some of the game feeling ya know? lol

I may also just chose to use inferior armor sets.... Improve (legendary) some dope lookin hide or leather or w/e I like and enchant them up.... still think I might avoid the free resto/destro bit but maybe keep a ring + amulet that completes the circle if I ever come across something I can't beat otherwise (or just to have fun wrecking havok in say a hold against all the guards )

Light armor will be better but will need more perks than alt. I think it's silly for a Mage to wear any armor honestly, but that's just me...

All I use is Light Armor (elven, cause its purty) and fortify destro to give me 0 cost destro spells.

Eventually I'll enchant it to reduce the cost of conjuration too.

I find that it gives me a balance of looking badass and still being pure caster and staying relatively well protected. And reliably... You know, nothing svcks more than getting ambushed by a bear and having to cast your defensive spells before you start blasting him away.

??

If you have dual-cast firebolt/ball/incinerate handy... the FIRST thing you do is blast him... stagger lock that sob.

and like I also said... having that vulnerability is actually kinda fun... makes things tense at times. In my armor I don't have to be NEARLY so careful in my fights.

Every armor piece gives a hidden +25 armor rating. So boots and gloves give you 50+whatever their AR is with your armor skill and the item quality all factored in.

Personally, I'd avoid taking Mage Armor, as you'll eventually just use Dragonskin which sort of makes it obsolete. 3 perks for only +200% to your armor spells is still pretty sad - 300 armor with ebonyflesh = only 36% physical damage reduction, you can hit 80% with light armor, heavy armor, or using Dragonhide.

This is something I have been wondering about myself. Might try the mage armour perks now.

I use light armour boots and gauntlets and rest of it unarmored with on my mage.

Thanks for all the advice! I think I will end up going Arch-Mage robes+Morkei and then light armor gauntlets and boots. Instead of getting mage armor perks then, I'll get some light armor perks. I'll still use flesh spells, though, to supplement this. My reasoning is just that even with 3 mage armor perks and ebony flesh you're only getting 300 armor rating. Glass gauntlets and boots both have a bass armor rating of 190 so that brings you up to 380 and you get get another 100 from ebony flesh. Correct me if I'm wrong on this, though. Also what perks should I invest in? Should I get novice-master alteration to half the magicka cost and a few light armor perks as well?

hmmm

robes + light armor fixings will actually result in lower armor than all cloth with mage armor.

plus... I know what mask ur lookin at... and I gotta say... you can enchant a better circlet. 62% Regen & +62Magicka is superior to +100 regen. You can throw other enchants on there as well should you deem them better.... either more spell cost reduc... extra HP... I forget what else can go on headgear but quite a bit....

I say go all cloth, take mage armor, and use the archmage robes.

And yah... Dragonskin IS stronger... but most of the time you'll just want to single cast an Ebony Armor for less magicka and in less time. It's really just to prevent you from getting one shot if someone reaches you. Dargonskin is only if it's a fight you can't help but get beat on. Then cast it and start the fight.

Definitely go balls-deep into Alteration. Mass Paralysis and Dragonhide are amazing. And for the perks on MP cost, it depends on if you want to use the 0% cost spells or not. If you're not going to enchant your way into magical freedom, take the necessary magic cost-reducing perks.

If you're light armor is that high, definitely take a few light armor perks. that 20-50% will help a lot.


Also..... Someone said Dragonhide cancels out the 300 armor rating Ebonyflesh..... Is this true? I always cast Ebonyflesh(no armor with 3 mage armor perks) and then Dragonhide right after. So am I screwing myself?

I'm just going to say this once. Armor perks are totally pointless. There is like so many ways to protect yourself without wasting perks on a type of armor you may or may not wear:

wards
blocking
enchanting
healing
smithing
alteration

are all greater than armor perks if used in the right combination and if you know what your doing.