Forums » Elder Scrolls

Most Underused Spells

    • 1467 posts
    May 8, 2015 4:59 AM EDT

    So we all have those few spells we never use, or rarely use them. Whether it's them being useless or just not being as common around here or whatever reasons. What Spells do you rarely use in Skyrim?

    For me it'd be

    Destruction: Whirlwind Cloak and Fire Storm 

    RestorationTurn Undead

    Illusion: Courage and Fear

    Conjuration: Conjuration No.1 (in other words I use them all...)

    Alteration: Paralyze (Yep rarely use that spell line, especially mass Paralysis)

    So that's my list, what are yours?

    • 1467 posts
    May 8, 2015 6:05 AM EDT

    Two-Handed Spells though 

    • 35 posts
    May 8, 2015 7:07 AM EDT
    I never use any Illusion spells. They just haven't appealed to me because some of them are underpowered and basically useless.
    • 1467 posts
    May 8, 2015 8:16 AM EDT

    Does anyone truly use Wards? After so long we still have what, a few builds that use Wards and among them we don't have any that dedicate themselves to Wards to any large degree. It seems like Vazgen has everything about them in that guide of his...

    • 1483 posts
    May 8, 2015 10:55 AM EDT

    Destruction: Ice Spear, Blizzard

    RestorationFast Healing

    Illusion: Hysteria, Clairvoyance

    Conjuration: Command/Banish/Expel Daedra

    Alteration: Equilibrium, Ash Rune

    • 64 posts
    May 8, 2015 11:41 AM EDT

    Destruction: Wall spells, Runes, anything that isn't fire magic (my fire damage output is glitched so that I do more damage with fire without Augmented Flames)

    Restoration: Turn Undead, Poison Rune, anti-vampire spells (Sunfire, Vampire's Bane, Stendarr's Aura, though this is because I keep joining vampires instead of Dawnguard)

    Conjuration: Bound Weapons (Unless I'm not a mage because then I'd get Mystic Binding and be done with it), Necromancy (can't find a good corpse for Dead Thrall)

    Alteration: Light spells, telekinesis

    Illusion: Courage, Fear, Calm, Invisibility

    Shouts: Pretty much all of them (Except for Dragon Aspect, MFD, and Soul Tear)

    • 168 posts
    May 8, 2015 11:46 AM EDT

    I do use wards but only to block dragon breaths and enemy shouts.

    • 168 posts
    May 8, 2015 12:03 PM EDT

    Alteration - Ash Rune, Equilibrium, Waterbreathing (I use dragon mask Volsung instead), Telekinesis

    Conjuration - Summon Familiar, Flaming Familiar

    Destruction - Incinerate (Ignite is more powerful), Wall Spells (Miraak's Staff is more powerful), Runes

    Illusion - Clairvoyance

    Restoration - Sun Fire

    • 490 posts
    May 8, 2015 12:06 PM EDT

    In all of my playing, these would be least used I think:

    Destruction: Expert level projectile spells. I use the walls a lot but the projectiles at this level are just a bit out of reach to be mana conservative without enchanting and heavy magicka investment.

    Restoration: I would have to say the protection spells and turn undead. These are reserved for all of my paladin type characters and usually only those types.

    Illusion: Clairvoyance. Such a cool spell and I tried using it on a no HUD character which was fun but old habits made me drop the spell and bring up the info I needed desperately.

    Conjuration: Probably the banish spells. I usually use enchantments or bound weapons for this effect.

    Alteration: I use this school the most, so it is hard to say. I might have to boil it down to paralyze as it is a costly OP effect OR equilibrium. I like the idea of trading health for magicka but I usually don't go through the trouble of favoriting this spell and actually using it within a playthrough. Telekinesis is also a rare use for me.

    • 485 posts
    May 8, 2015 1:30 PM EDT
    Interesting that you think that. A lot of people complain that illusion is too powerful.
    • 485 posts
    May 8, 2015 1:31 PM EDT
    I don't like the delay in the cast time that typically come with wards. Unless I anticipate the dragon breath attack I get fried before my ward goes up.
    • 237 posts
    May 8, 2015 2:40 PM EDT

    Alteration: Candlelight and Magelight (unless on modded PC version), Telekinesis

    Conjuration: Soul Trap (just get FST silver sword )

    Destruction: Every frost spell EVER.

    Illusion: Courage etc.

    Restoration: Every spell that doesn't involve healing the player, especially wards

    • 168 posts
    May 8, 2015 5:10 PM EDT

    Lesser Ward does the work for you against dragon breaths and enemy shouts and it needs only 1 second to go up

  • Tom
    • 624 posts
    May 8, 2015 5:26 PM EDT

    Illusion: The Courage/Rally type spells for buffing friends. I cast alone.

    Conjuration: Conjure Familiar. Completely useless summon. Flaming Familiar's are more useful for the simple reason they die in an explosion. I never use Bound Dagger or Battleaxe either. Just not useful.

    Destruction: I don't use too many Cloak spells. I generally don't use any of the lower spells once I get Expert except Fireball and Ice Storm.

    Restoration: All of it. Almost never use these. Never even learned the higher spells.

    Alteration: Skin spells and Equilibrium.

    • 5 posts
    May 8, 2015 6:00 PM EDT
    After binning many characters when they started to use cloak spells I finally realised the other day that they make me a little motion sick! The shock one is ok but I can't use any of the others. Shame really as I love the principal of them and like similar powers in other games. Something about the way they swirl in first person I guess.
    • 1467 posts
    May 8, 2015 6:15 PM EDT

    Dual-Cast wards are much faster to put up as well

  • Tom
    • 624 posts
    May 8, 2015 6:48 PM EDT

    I'd use wards if they didn't hemorrhage magicka.

    It's easier, quicker, and cheaper to just dodge spells and use cover.

    • 168 posts
    May 8, 2015 7:06 PM EDT

    Illusion: every spell other than Courage/Rally/Call to Arms and Clairvoyance. I find most of the Illusion tree is only useful to thieves or pacifist characters. Sometimes I use them, though.

    Conjuration: Banish daedra spells, and I don't think I've ever cast Conjure Seeker before. I also rarely raise the dead. Also Bound Dagger, that spell is useless.

    Alteration: Waterbreathing. I use enchantments for this, though it is useful for leveling if you need quick skill gains. Also Equilibrium is something I hardly ever use.

    Destruction: Vampire drain? I use most of the Destruction spells consistently, except maybe the master spells.

    Restoration: The undead versions of the Heal Other spells. Because I hardly ever reanimate corpses, these are almost never used.

    • 95 posts
    May 8, 2015 7:36 PM EDT

    "The gods gave you two hands... and you use them both for your weapon... I can respect that..."

    • 95 posts
    May 8, 2015 7:36 PM EDT

    Destruction: Whirlwind Cloak and any "Rune" spells. Never use either.

    Illusion: Muffle and Invisibility. Never use either.

    Restoration: Turn Undead and any "Ward" spell. Never use either of these.

    Conjuration: Any of the Elemental Atronach's. I never use them.

    Alteration: The Paralyze spell line. I never use Paralyze or Mass Paralysis. I use only the "Ash Shell" and "Flesh" spells. No Telekinesis, No "Transmute" and rarely I use "Equilibrium." 

    • 203 posts
    May 8, 2015 8:17 PM EDT

    I'm not sure about wether or not they are too powerful (the fact that you can cast them even when the victim has already been under it's effect is quite overpowered, but on the other hand you have the level cap). What I do know is that I never use them when playing a morally good character, these spells just feel utterly evil.

    • 1467 posts
    May 8, 2015 8:43 PM EDT

    The level cap can be boosted to ridiculous level when dual casting, as in upto to level 70 something I believe, that takes that out of the equation because most enemies won't reach that level. 

    • 203 posts
    May 8, 2015 8:48 PM EDT

    Of course, the 220% boost is quite awesome in most cases, especially on the higher levels.

    • 237 posts
    May 9, 2015 12:26 AM EDT

    Addendum: Add to Conjuration useless familiars and sometimes even flame/frost atronachs.  It's all about summoning Stormy at level 1 :]

    • 237 posts
    May 9, 2015 12:27 AM EDT

    If you're on PC, there are always mods to help with cloak spell visuals!  The fire one in particular is just a pain in first person.