It might be my favorite school of magic. Its useful for pretty much every type of character, save maybe a few. It has some of the most awesome perks. Recovery and respite are incredibly useful and I love avoid death, for so long I thought it really wasn't that great, and didn't really bother with it, but once I finally decided to get it I realized how great it really is, saved me plenty of times on my most recent character, and I only have ever gotten it on this one and my last character, and it fit both builds perfectly, though it probably isn't as useful to others. I think guardian circle may be my favorite master spell and then there is bane of the undead.... pop a fortify restoration potion and there isn't an undead creature in the game who isn't sent running for the hills, and a lot of them will just turn to ash the moment it hits them. Guardian Circle has such synergy with Magic Absorption, I never use the Atronach Standing Stone, but even with just the perk its great having some of your magicka intermittently filled up.

and thats not even touching on Necromage....

Anyway, anyone else think that restoration is more than just a valid school of magic?

I always thought it hella odd that they chose Restoration to be the one that's accused of not being a valid school of magic.

What? It's like the most universally useful school of them all, loved by mages and warriors alike....

Yep, it is a very underrated school of magic. One that many consider to be "not very good compared to others". It is in fact, as OP has said, very useful! One of my favourite schools too!

Because its the one that people use "in addition" to others, not like Conjuration or Illusion that stands on its own two feet.

Wards are a god send when facing dragons on master with 100 health there breath attack kills in like 2 seconds.

It's also the most annoying in the hands of NPCs. Curse wards!

...Unless it's between me and a dragon.

or Destruction, which requires others "in addition" to even be useful in the first place (most prominently Enchantment to make higher-end spells even remotely affordable to cast), or Alteration which is sorta just... there.

Healers?

They're all over the place. :U

Considering the masses upon masses of potions thrown at the player I would say its usefulness is quite limited to be honest from a gameplay perspective.