Should I incorporate Destruction into this class? I haven't decided yet because I know there's a lot of cons to destruction without reducing the cost a lot. This is on Master difficulty, btw.

The class is:
Two-handed
Smithing (only Steel Smithing and Arcane Blacksmith)
Enchanting
Alteration
Restoration
Conjuration

Thanks.

Destruction might clash with two handed. Can't cast many spells when your holding a giant axe now can you?

This build looks very similar to the one I'm playing now (substituting Alteration w/ heavy armor). I will say that as a concept, I love Destruction magic, but obviously it doesn't always end up being a good investment for your perks. If you plan on using restoration within combat very heavily (which I will say is just a natural way to use it, for obvious reasons) then you may find you don't have the mana pool to use destruction to any appreciable extent. This is an especially important thing to keep in mind when you consider that because destruction doesn't scale as favorably as other damage sources, you will have to be throwing out a lot of bolts of whatever element you prefer to get a deadly result. I would base your decision to use destruction off of how much you plan to use conjuration. Conjuration will eat up a good chunk of magicka pre-battle, for whatever you are summoning, and so I anticipate that you will be working with half a mana pool pre-battle constantly. Half may not be enough to do good damage with destruction, so I would not rely heavily on it if I were you. If you aren't going to be using Conjuration pretty consistently, then I'd pick up destruction.

Overall, I'd say the best tactic would be to play without it, and then see how your mana holds up using just alteration, conjuration, and restoration. If your play style is leaving you with enough mana to play around with, then I'd recommend destruction, otherwise, you would be better served placing the perks elsewhere.

To me the destruction magic seems completely useless. Unless you really want to play a mage character.

Flame cloaks would fit that build perfectly.
Whenever you are fighting up close a flame cloak spell would add extra damage to your all ready powerfull two-handed weapon.
It will take three perks to get to adept detruction to be able to cast the spell effectively,or you can enchant some cost reduction gear.

Destruction is viable if you're a devoted mage. Otherwise it will feel weak. That and using Heavy Armor will decrease your mobility, and dodging is a necessary part of being a mage.

Well right now when I conjure a familiar and use Oakflesh when there's 2 or more people (only level 5 atm) and I'd say I have about 40 or so Magicka left over for Healing mid-battle.


Completely forgot about cloaks! D: But if I do end up using one, I'll be Frost Cloak because I feel like Nords are right at home using Frost spells.

Just remember... don't use Destruction magic on an enemy. Because if he realizes you did it, he'll be very angry with you.

Cloak spells are awesome but they are quite expensive for non-mages. It's an adept level spell and it costs around 300 magicka if you don't have any cost reduction. It does constant 8-10 damage per second so it's probably equivalent to getting extra 10-20 damage enchantment to your sword. Or more perhaps more, if you are fighting multiple opponents.

A funny way of killing enemies is to put on the cloak and go sneak/invisible.

IMO, you just want Novice Destruction and 2/2 in Augmented Flames, so you can add an additional 87.5% damage to a Fire Damage enchant on your weapon. That should be plenty of elemental beatdown-fu.

Well I'd take the 3 perks to get Adept destruction. It'd just have to wait until late game when I'd eventually get 50 Destruction and 3 free perks

Your build is good minus the destruction, imo.

I have a deathknight build like this and its fun, full Daedric Armor with a Daedric Warhammer or Greatsword. It's a good build because you don't need archery and you really only need one conjured summons, so forget about twin souls perk. The reason you don't need archery or a ranged attack with this build, is if there is an archer in the distance pissing you off, just summon a Dremora Lord right next to the coward and use your whirlwind sprint to jump to the melee fighters and go nuts. Without twin souls and destruction, the max magicka you need is 250-300 for your conjuration and restoration with enchantments and you might be able to get by with less if your not interested in the master level conjuration spells, giving you more room to put points into stamina and health.

I used to be a mage that specialised in destruction in three previous games.
In Skyrim I am a sneak-bowman.

Destruction, the damage dealing school, on its own is the weakest school of magic. Potions help, but thats using a support skill to make a main damage-dealing skill viable. This skill should be viable on its own, should be a powerhouse at high levels.
There arent enough spells.
Spells scale badly (they dont scale)
Higher level = less damage per magicka spent.

'nuff said, bring back spellmaking.

This cloak spells kick ass for twohanders.