I found that I was running out of magicka often while playing but I didn't want to reduce the cost by 100%. I figured I would get bored.
Has anyone just tried reducing the cost 60-80% and putting the rest on magicka regeneration? I haven't tried it myself.
I would use the search function to see if a thread like this exists already but it really doesn't turn up as many relevant results as I would like

Destruction mages does indeed have a problem with to slow regeneration which makes them unnappealing to me. I am under the impression that reducing the cost with 40-50% will be more than enough if you have increased regen though.

If you are on a PC, there are numerous mods that fix Destruction, and a few that tweak magicka and stamina regen.

I have a 50% reduction cost and a 100% increased magicka regen. Works great for me.

I did, it worked perfectly.

I use destruction, illusion and alteration.

Edit: playing in master difficulty

With the Arch-mage robes and Morkei (sp?) mask I had 200% regen. During combat it seemed to regen at a pretty good rate. Combine that with a circlet and ring of destruction I found (bought the ring, looted the circlet) and I really didn't have much problem. (cost was not at 100% reduction).

Here's what my battlemage is using atm

Ring of Resurgence 80% regen
Amulet of Akatosh 25% regen
Daedric Armour of Fortify Dest & Magicka regen - 10% reduction and 10% regen
Daedric Gauntlets of Fortify Magicka + 40
Peerless Circlets of each of the schools I major in - Dest, Rest & Illusion 25% reduction

I also have a gold ring of reduction for each of those schools at 16% for when I'm using a master spell. That makes 35% cost reduction and 115% faster regen. I've also invested a few perks in Block to guard against melle using enemies, and have Daedric Swords of Banish Daedra, Soul Trap & Absorb Magicka. I use a lot of staffs too against mag
es and dragons when I need to keep a ward up.

Altogether a pretty badass Imperial battlemage that isn't OP, and still reqires some thought to play..Here she is now...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7188/6806032982_1d7efb5e72.jpg

...and here's a couple of vids from earlier in the game

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOk4fKgtYmQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-nZ9A3JSDM

May I ask what ratio you use to distribute your attribute points? I'm torn between all Magicka (glass canon) or maybe 200-300 base Health and rest into Magicka, those two seem to be the most popular setups (without using 100% reduction gear).

Loads of health taken until I kill everything easily
(3 months) - Adept difficulty

Now moved over to using mage skills until I'm almost overwhelmed... then go warrior and beat them back

I'd like to be a mage for the challenge but it's too scary to begin with. My mage power is growing, crossing Nordish fingers. No not fish fingers. Nordic?

I have mine reduced to where Incenerates only cost 12 Magicka. That makes duel casting them in combat viable. With destruction being underpowered anyway I feel that is only fair. It took me a while to put the gear together. No high level enchants. I made one necklace but my enchanting is far from being maxed. The rest was quest rewards, found, or purchased from vendors.

Funny, it seems to be the opposite for me; I find a mage to be the easiest up to level 15 or 20. My warriors don't really shine until around level 25. We must have very different play styles.

I put a point in health every 4 levels. Now i'm level 44-> 210 health.

It wont make any difference because magicka regeneration is reduced in combat regardless how much you have.

This is what I was going to say. I can't possibly imagine why this is the way it is... but it is. Also, as has been mentioned but bears repeating, Destruction is severely underpowered. Even the master level spells are fairly weak. When your destruction is at 90 your spells should be doing significant damage. One handed at half that skill causes more damage.

At 90 destruction, you should be dualcasting incinerate which, with 2 augment perks and aspect of terror, should do 230 damage. That's without alchemy. I don't think you can do that with 1H at 45 without serious exploits.

I have Archmage's Robes, +50% MP regeneration perk from Restoration and total of 75% MP cost reduction for Destruction of other enchanted items (making me have 90% reduced MP cost for Destruction).
I forget that I even have a MP bar.
50-75% MP reduction should be more than enough though.