Hey guys, what is the best way to combat mages?

I am a level 43 Redguard and my character build is focused mainly on short ranged weapon combat. I have a few destruction spells but they're not that powerful. I am finding that most mages are kicking my ass, *DESPITE* my character donning all Steel Plate LEGENDARY armor! Their destruction magic seems WAY to powerful and I often die with one hit hills! My health rating is almost 300 and they still on-hit kill me! I mean WTF is up with that?

Can anyone offer any tips? Is it better to use Steadfast Ward or my shield?

I *think* magic ignores armor ratings.

For me, I use the Ethereal shout. You can close the distance between you and the mages without taking any damage of any sort. They'll still try to kite you, but if you can back them into a corner before the shout wears off, you're golden.

Also, infinite stamina with that shout, so feel free to rush.

I use whirlwind rush and power attack as quickly as possible. Failing that, I use unrelenting force. Also, hiding behind corners forcing them to come to me and in much closer range.

Enchant your armor/apparel with magic resistance, or maybe consider spending points in the Alteration tree.

Pump up your stamina, and bash their facehead in whenever they channel a spell. Cancels the channel, opens them to a beating. Good luck.

I use a combination of several of the things mentioned. I've got resistance on some of my items (50% fire and ice), I bash people alot with my shield (oh, were you trying to cast a spell? :tongue:), and I've got the shield perk that gives 50% elemental resistance when blocking. Still can sometimes be a problem closing in (need to try the whirlwind sprint thing, but I'm always using the fire shout).

Use stunning moves like shield bash to break their magic use. I also find using the ice form shout not only allows you to get to them undamaged but if you are tackling more than one at a time you can deal with one before the other thaws.

Rush, plain and simple. They are squishy.

If you haven't done these two things, they may be worth trying:

1) Get the blessing from the Atronach stone (+50 magicka, -50% magicka regeneration, +50% magic absorb!
2) Travel to Riften and do the three quests for the priest in the Temple of Mara.

enchantments to help resist magic damage (elemental would be nice if you want to get the sheild perks)

Fus Roh Dah that son of a [censored].

Magicka reducing poisons are the way to go. Also, shock staves remove magicka. Helps a lot against mages. (and dragons. Alduin went down darn fast when I duel-wielded shock staff/Staff of Magnus)

This ^^ Get in their face. Use the shout that warps your speed to close in on pesky mages

I enchant one of my blades with high shock that I switch to when I deal with mages, which also drains the enemies magicka. If you do that in tandem with a magic regeneration poison and a ward in your left hand, you should be able to take them down a lot easier!

You haven't fought master or arch necromancers yet in master difficulty I guess They aren't that squishy.

Assassinate them in their sleep.

Yep bash their heads in to keep them on their tip toes or on the ground bowing down before you. or i'm not sure if you use shields or block with perk elemental bulwark or something like that, it helps a ton with that. Or like myself I recently came across a fire resistance necklace 50%, slap that on with shield = golden to tank fire mages / frost (nord myself).

For me, I'd always sprint towards the mage and do a close combat with a him/her cuz their robes offers no protection at all, a good strike with a sword/axe will do them good.
I think this should work for you too since you said you're a close-combat type.

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh, honestly, rushing up to a briarheart or any arch/master(s) is by far the most [censored] thing to do on master (unless of course you go god mode with the crafting skills). That's just asking to have an ice spear shoved up your [censored]. I dread to see any of those machine gun mages (rapid fire ice shards xD). I'm here with the atronach sign, the spellbreaker shield, nord resist bonus, (+25% fire,shock resist from gear) and I still go down in seconds against those types. You practically have to get your companion to take their attention or you're good as dead.


Also OT.

Has anyone managed to successfully clear the Liars Retreat on master as a warrioresque type? That place is near impossible when they all swarm you at once lol

I use Become Ethereal paired with a sprint-attack and a sweep on my orc to clear groups of mages out. Works wonder, IF you can pull the sweep off correctly.

Adrenaline rush and whirlwind sprint.

I used to get my ass handed to them but then I started using a bow to take them out from a distance.

Get spellbreaker, that thing has saved me so many times. It puts up a level 50(?) ward every time you hold block. If you get hit by a stronger spell the ward shatters and you stagger. I had this problem too, until I stumbled upon that wonderful shield. Lousy mages and your icicle throwing ways... can't touch me now, can you?! Can't cast spells WITHOUT YOUR HEAD, can you?!

My 2h-Warrior has
25% Magic Resist (Breton)
30% Magic Resist (Alteration)
25% Magic Resist (Sign of the Lord)
15% Magic Resist (Equip-Enchant)
Breaking Mageskulls is very fun with a phat Hammer while igoring whatever they throw at you. Sometimes i make the knockback-shout to heal up and then pound them again and then use Dragonskin Bretonracial to recharge my mana and heal up again a second time... These Mages are very easy compared to the problems i had as sniper or mage

I'll second Spellbreaker. Greatest shield ever.