Ok so after screwing around learning the game with the 1H weapon, 1H spell battlemage that alot of people are playing I started finding that the best way to play the battlemage was to really utilize dual weilding destruction and wiping out your magicka pool then switching to your weapons which at that point you might as well dual-weild and then using your recharge to fuel your restoration. So it was a melee and magic dual weild battlemage. Which got me thinking about how to best play in that style. So I investiaged a little more and looked a little harder at the trees and here is the build I am going to restart with, only really want to do this once got pretty far with this guy so help me out!


Here are the main things I was considering

1) If you have 2 of the same weapon you can use a single key to quickly dual weild 2 of that weapon (favorite->favorite menu->1-8 for the weapon->exit favorite->double hit the number you choose) it will put the first one in your right hand and the second tap will put ithe other weapon your left hand. This is the only way to currently have a dual weild hotkey without having to pause the action and choose from the favorite menu. So dual weilding 2 unique magic weapons is a pain, hotkey wise.

*(bethesda hates lefties, especially since that would have fixed the whole dyslexic right is primary hand and primary button is left mouse weirdness).

2) For character building you should plan around a 7 skill build, you max at 70 perks and appx 10 perk points per skill, give or take


I really like the fluid playstyle where I only want to rarely hit the favorite menu in combat, as well as thinking of the limitations of the hotkey system and thinking around 7 skills here is what I came up with for my nord battlemage restart.

2 Hander
Heavy Armor
Destruction
Restoration

Smithing
Enchanting
Lockpicking


So 2H because for being a battlemage and wanting to dual weild magic and swap to melee when your pool is gone you can go dual 1H, 1H / Shield, or 2H.

1H/Shield takes 2 perk lines and is just too defensive with heavy armor for my tastes
Dual weild 1H might be my choice except for the wonkiness of the hotkey system, I donl't want to pause to get weapons in my hand correctly through the favorite system
2H fits a nord thematically and start point wise, gives you some neat ae attacks, take one perk line, gives you a minor block, and works fluidly with the current hotkey system.

Heavy armor is kind of a given since you don't have a shield or alteration, plus it looks cool

Destruction, Here you can think of going archery instead to save your mana pool and just focus on the 2H, plus for hunting and hitting dragons it seems like archery would be better. I think archery will be my 8th, if I have any extra points bucket pure skill point going to have one with me for situational stuff weapon.

Restoration, you get a nice magicka recharge perk and can heal health and stamina replacing your need for alchemy and having to manage and pick/find a billion ingredients

Smithing and Enchanting should allow you to get the best weapons and armor in the game

Lockpicking you could switch around for anything else but I hate not being able to open chests and their are some nice extra gold/extra treasureperks in the line that should offset merchants running out of gold/not having speechcraft or being a thief money types of problems.


With Heavy armor u kinda dont need a shield, and 2H gives you a minor block and only eats one perk line as opposed to 1H and works within the hotkey limitations so you can switch between your 2H and dual magic weilding your restoration spells The thing I found with my 1H weapon 1H magic battlemage was that I lost alot of the utility of dual weilding weapons and dual weilding magic. I found myself dual weilding my magic alot anyways just to burn my magicka pool faster to get to my weapons

I messed up a little thinking I could level a more skills than I could and also ran into the rock hard horrible PC hotkey interface that made

I perfer just duel weilding two one-handed swords. My char is an assassin, so I'm trying my best to avoid the use of magic, which is a hard thing to do lol. Your combat style seems pretty good, but too annoying for my taste. I don't like having to constantly swithc between wepaons and magic so that's my main reason. Plus I find theuse if magic too easy.

If it wasnt for the annoying problem with not being able to truly create a dual weild hotkey I would probably go 2 1H as well just cause I like the look better. But that coupled with 2H giving you a minor block (which makes gameplay more engaging and active) pushed me in that direction for this build. I'll do a thief on further play throughs:)