So I've been playing as a thief/assassin build with destruction replacing archery and have been enjoying it alot, I'm 80 hours in now with that character and while I plan on finishing off the MQ with it, I want to try something a little different afterwards.

I was thinking of a battlemage build but realised that I have never made one in any Elder Scrolls game so I'm looking for some help. I don't know whether I should use any armor or just go for robes and alteration buffs or go heavy armor and take conjuration for the summons. I really want to try out 2-handed for a change and use hotkeys to change to dual wield destruction spells quickly also. I still think I'll need some skill in sneaking aswell so I can stop myself from walking into situations that will get myself slaughtered, maybe backstab a key enemy before burning and stabbing his friends.

Any advice?

Two handed is going to demand a really wide array of skills, weakening you in the long run as your enemies become stronger. I'd suggest either going High Elf-Heavy armor, which provides illusion to distract enemies while still maintaining good destruction, or Dark elf-Light armor, which has more mobility and the possibility of wielding a sword. On the armor question, if you want to wear robes i'd suggest high elf, or breton. The build you outlined has too broad of a spectrum to be really effective, i'd suggest focusing purely on destruction for damage output as a battle mage, with conjuration and illusion for support.

I play a very high sneak/destruction/illusion/conjuration mage, that
often kills things with a 2h hammer. I did level up enchanting to 100,
but don't do smithing or alchemy as it seems that many that go
that route, next start complaining about how the game is too
easy.

I'm at 45, about 110 sta/health, all the rest magic. So... I wear the
cloth archmage robes, light armor in other slots. Just about anything
can kill me, but I also, can kill things. Feels like a strong caster to me.
Delicate, but capable of handling any problem the game presents.

Why 2 hander? Because it's funny. Control over large fights is through
illusion, with distractions provided with various atronarchs. Even though
conjuration is at 100, I don't have the potent or double atronarch percs.
I don't want them strong, they are distractors. Large encounters are
hilarious! I guess an assassin with a dagger would be optimal, but I
doubt it would be as fun. Something about making those enemies die
with a 2h hammer attack, that totally uses my stamina up... Just too,
too funny. That only works by setting things up with distractions,
illusion, and huge destruction attacks, since with super low stamina
and health, you can't really wade in and pretend you're Conan.

But if you're interested in 2h attacks, plus destruction because you like
the idea of being a Conan, that should work. You'd probably have to do
the thing with alchemy/smithing/enchanting, so you can afford to have
high sta/health, plus game breaking armor that makes all your spells
cost nothing. Which in turn might lead you to complain about the
game being too easy...

It really doesn't matter what weapon you choose.

If you cast, you should be casting two-handed.

If you fight, you use whatever you're comfortable with.

The only exception is 1-handed weapon + spell. It's easily the WORST combination in the whole game.

Why?

BZZT wrong

Paralyze + dagger= I win
Invis + dagger (sneak) = 15x backstabs
firewall + dagger= extra damage AOE
calm +dagger = I win

Because you do half damage (either swing 1 weapon or cast 1 spell) but you cant block and you cant do double damage and stagger foes unless you have spells in both hands.

I guess so. The problem I keep seeing is that my stats will be to spread out for me to keep up any sustained attack with one specific skill. I was hoping to do this when I get into conflict... dual cast destruction spells to start and then finish them off when they close in with my two handed weapon, but the damage I will do is likely to be feeble since my magika and stamina will both run out quickly.



I've been using 1-handed weapon & spells on my assassins character. Mostly for the Illusion spells though... frenzy enemies and watch the massacre, then calm the survivors, backstab. Rinse and repeat. I was getting bored of it though, thats why I was thinking up this new build.

Not abusing smithing/enchanting potions I had a character with 300 dmg using a skyforged sword (using blacksmith potion bought in merchant, and +smithing gear I crafted), kill ancient dragon in 3/4 power attacks at lvl 50 on master, using the decapitate perk, so its +25% dmg on the power attack, on the left hand I used grand healing, that heals for 300 soemthing and restores same amount of stamina, its problably one of the easiest builds to play, only easier just dual casting destruction spells at 0 cost, with stagger perk, wich I did in same char and got bored off.

both builds are easy and kind of make you unbeatable by anything in the game, but I didnt feel it to be a bad build, I would say using slow 2 handed weapons that are a pain to hit anything that moves, and having to unequip them anytime you want to cast a spell would be a rly dull build.