I have been playing The Elder Scrolls series since Arena first came out in 94, and wondered why Though they are called "Battlemages", it was only in Morrowind where you weren't restricted to wearing cloth nor would you be penalized for wearing any kind of armour the way you were in Oblivion. Thankfully, Skyrim did away with the Class system and now the only limits were in your own imagination. To me, Battlemage were meant to be clad in Heavy Armour Sowing Discord into the ranks of their enemies. This is my Build (And my current character) of just that. I am also going to leave a bit open for personal use, Though I may like one perk, someone else may need another.
The Armoured Battlemage
War has ravaged Skyrim and many fight for several reasons. Some fight for personal glory, others for riches, you will soon discover what role you have to play in shaping the history of this land.
The Armoured Battlemage is a Mage, however not just any Mage. With the conditions of Skyrim being much harsher than the much of Tamriel, they make a decision. To abandon the ways of Mage Armour and fit themselves with Heavy Armour in order to steel themselves for the up coming hardships of your journey. The Armoured Battlemage's are not only Master of the Arcane Arts, but serve as capable Tank donning Heavy Plate armour in place of the traditional mage armour .
As an Armoured Battlemage, you'll need to make use of a plethora of unorthodox skills to Master the Arcane Art and the art of Tanking. Each of these skills will compliment the build in order to give you not only the protection you need, but the vast amount of spells and magic you will need as any kind of self respecting mage. Destruction, Conjuration, Alteration, Restoration, Illusion, there is NO Magic that you do not wish to master. Heavy Armour will protect you as you throw yourself into battle, and Enchanting and Smithing will ensure that your equipment will never falter or fail.
Gender: Female (Agent of Dibella gives 10% Additional Damage to the Opposite Sex, and Guess which sex dominates Skyrim's Enemies)
Race: Breton: With Their Dragonskin ability to absorb 50% of all magic, and a racial ability of +25% magic resistance, Bretons make a great race for hybrid and mage like build.
Stat Ratio: 2: 2: 1 (Every 5 Levels until you have 200 stamina, after that just add the rest to Magicka) (This is going to be a little harder to wrap your head around BUT please hear me out. While building up Conjuration, I tend to use Bound/Mystic Weapons and just like ordinary weapons, they need at least a bit of Stamina. I found 200 was the perfect number for a Mage build, not too excessive nor too lacking.)
When Wearing Heavy Armour you don't want to at a disadvantage when trying to sprint and/or power attack. "A MAGE using a Power Attack , you say??? 0-0" Well, Having at least 200 Stamina will give you plenty of room to work with and since Many Mage builds and/or charcters like to use Bound Weapons, this will save you should the time ever come when you run out of Magicka
Standing Stone: (Standing Stones were selected from top choices, since I tend to use the Aetherial Crown in place of a helmet, I found any combination of these stones truly help out when you are in combat.)
-Atronach: +50 Magicka and 50% Spell Absorption will more than make up for the fact that you also take a -50% Magicka Recovery Rate (There is an EASY way around this and we'll touch more on that later)
-Apprentice: Double Magicka Recovery will be help you fight much more fluidly as a Battlemage. Remember though, you'll also be Twice as vunerable to Magicka s well, so prepare to supplement additional protection.
-Mage: An addition 20% boost to you Mage Abilites is always great as you level up.
-Lover: 15% bonus increase to ALL of you abilities will help you level up you Heavy Armour Needed for this Build.
-Lord: +50 Damage Resistance and 50% Magicka Resistance, What's NOT to love??
Perks: (This is a Lv. 80 Character, so there will be room to tweak the perks to where you would want them. This is my personal build. Keep an Open Mind)
REQUIRED PERKS
(The Perks list here are once that I felt were absolutely necessary to play this build. When playing as a Mage-like character, I want to Master as many Spells as possible and have most, if not all my damage come from my fountain of Magic. Given that this is an Armoured Battlemage, I added the necessary skills to keep them in fighting shape as well)
-Destruction: As a Armoured Battlemage, your foes will quake with fear as you wield the Powers of Destruction and destroy them with your command of the elements.
- Novice - Master
- Dual Destruction
- Impact (Great for keeping melee enemies at bay or throwing off ranged)
- Augmented Flames 2/2 (Fire)
- Augmented Frost 2/2 (Ice)
- Augmented Shock 2/2 (And Lightning, Oh My)
(I opted out for not putting any perks into "Intense Flames", "Deep Freeze", and "Disintegrate" because depending on who or what your fighting, you may need and/or want them to be by your feet when they die)
-Alteration: Along with your Heavy Armour, You wield the Powers of Alteration, adapting yourself to not only manipulate your world, but turn your foes very magic against them.
- Novice - Master
- Magic Resistance 3/3 (You can never have enough resistance to Magic)
- Stability (A lot good those spells do if they don't last long)
- Atronach (Spell Absorption)
(As an Armoured Battlemage, there isn't a need for Mage Armour. Plus with the penalty of wearing armour from Oblivion gone, you aren't stuck JUST wearing cloth. Additionally, The Dragonhide and Ebony Flesh spells make melee damage much easier to deal with)
-Conjuration: Your foes flee in terror, for they know you wield the powers of Conjuration and WILL use their very souls to fuel your ever growing Mastery of the Arcane Arts.
- Novice - Master
- Mystic Binding
- Soul Stealer (Helps not having to lug around unnecessary equipment)
- Oblivion Binding
(Remember, This isn't a Necromancer, an Armoured Battlemage is more concerned with refueling their staves with Soul Gems rather than raising the dead. Plus With Dead, Flame, Frost and Storm Thrall you won't need to waste any perk points on the left half of the skill. Additionally, obtaining a Sigil Stone is a great way to obtain Daedric Armour, if you are having trouble locating or obtaining the necessary materials.)
-Restoration: As an Armoured Battlemage, You not only command the powers of death, but you wield the Powers of Restoration, restoring your own and if you so choose, your follower's life forces.
- Novice - Expert
- Recovery 2/2 (The Best way to balance out the Atronach Stone)
- Regeneration
- Necromage (Even if you aren't a Vampire, This will help greatly with Draugrs)
- Ward Absorb (More Spell Absoption)
- Avoid Death (Helps in a tight spot)
( Even Heavy Armour can't hold up forever, so healing spells will come in handy should there ever come a time when you forget to stock up on healing potions. Plus Expert level healing will keep you alive when casting "Equilibrium". Also IF you decide to become a Vampire Lord, Necromage will give you an exceptional boost to all your abilities, granted you become even more weak to Fire Magic, but what you gain from it, more than makes up for the drawback.)
-Illusion: Friends and Foes will question whether you are even really there as you wield the Powers of Illusion, manipulating both ally and enemy.
- Novice
- Animage
- Kindread Mage
- Quiet Casting (You'll want this as it will help greatly in Master Difficulty. The last thing you want is to give away your location while you cast a spell)
(I didn't put many perks into Illusion primarily because even the Master Level Spells can be supplements with plenty of scrolls and even poisons. As stated previously, Quite Casting will become a valuable ability when at higher difficulties.)
-Enchanting: Casting Powerful Spells isn't your Only Talent. An Armoured Battlemage will need powerful enchants on their armour to be able to give to contain their powers as well as add to their arsenal of magical abilities.
- Enchanter 5/5
- Insightful Enchanter
- Corpus Enchanter
- Extra Effect (Extra Magicka is Great, BUT Extra Magicka, Reduced Spell Cost AND Bonus Magicka Regeneration, That's Amazing. Disenchant a Expert or Master Level SpecialtyRobe, add Bonus Magicka and voila, Incredible armour)
(Though there are pieces of Heavy Armour out in Skyrim with good enchants to help your Mage abilities, creating your own will give you a more personal touch when improving play style. Additionally, Enchanting compliments the next skill quite well.)
-Smithing: Being an Armoured Battlemage, you know that know matter how powerful your spells, enchants, and incantations are, you will need to get your hands dirty in a good old fashioned Forge to create even more powerful armour and learn to strength it as well.
- Steel Smithing
- Arcane Smithing (Pairs with Enchanting to boost your armour rating)
- Dwarven Smithing (Great if you get Ancient Knowledge)
- Orchish Smithing
- Ebony Smithing (Great for Ebony set, OR Heavy Stalhrim set)
- Daedric Smithing (Best Armour in game, THIS is what it means to be am Armoured Battlemage)
(An Armoured Battlemage wouldn't be much if they couldn't build and strengthen their own armour. Sure you can use Conjuration and a Sigil Stone to acquire some Daedric Armour, BUT you won't get the full benefits of armour without Smithing)
- Heavy Armour: While other mages opt out for cloth and mage armour, You sacrifice mobility and speed for becoming an Arcane Wrecking Machine. You hit harder and take more hits as Magic and Heavy Armour combine to a force that not even an army of Dragons can take down. You are an Armoured Battlemage.
- Juggernaut 3/5
- Fist of Steel (Great for Bar Fights)
- Well Fitted (Extra Amour Rating)
- Cushioned (Great should you ever fall)
- Tower of Strength
- Conditioning (This is what you'll be aiming for. 0 weight and no running penalty. Perfect for the build)
(THIS is what it means to be an Armoured Battlemage. Take Hits, Hitting Back even harder, not worrying what happens if the fight is drawn out too long. You combine what's great about 2 styles of classes Warrior and Mage and merge them into a force to be feared.)
OPTIONAL (But HELPFUL)PERKS
(Again Keep an Open Mind. These perks are the ones, that even though weren't "technically" necessary to play this build, After venturing in Skyrim, I found that having these helped much more than anticipated.)
-Sneak: Okay, everyone uses this, so it's not a big deal
- Stealth
- Muffled Movement (Highly Recommended)
- Light Foot (Make Pressure Plates Obsolete)
(Being an Armoured Battlemage means that heavy armour will give away your location faster than casting a spell without Quiet Casting. So a few points in Sneak will help keep you being spotted and attacked outright, especially in higher difficulty where sneaking to cast a spell can mean life or death.)
-Speech: Well Being any kind of Mage, you obviously would be great at talking.
- Haggling
- Allure (10% discount from the Opposite sex merchants. Great!)
- Bribery (Handy if you don't want to join the Thieves Guild)
- Persuasion (Makes Persuasion 30% easier, saving you unnecessary frustration)
- Merchant (Sell any item to any merchant, minus stolen items of course. This perk will pay off in the long run, especially if you decide not to join the Thieves Guild)
(From being able to get a slightly better deal on an item, to convincing someone to tell you their secrets, being a Armoured Battlemage would also mean like any other mage, you can use you brain and talk your way in and out of most situations. Plus selling Dragon Bones and Dragon Scales to ANY Merchant helps out a lot when you are close to being over-encumbered)
-Pickpocket: 0_0 Wait....WHAT?!
- Light Fingers
- Night Thief
- Poisoned (If you join The Dark Brotherhood, This can be a godsend)
- Extra Pockets (An extra 100 Carry Weight? What's the harm?)
- Cutpurse (Pickpocketing Gold made 50% easier, Great!)
(Sometimes you don't always have or even want to spend the time raising your skill level by 5 points, So heading to a trainer can save some much needed time. BUT what if you spent over 10,000 Septims getting those 5 levels? Wouldn't you want that gold back?? You're Mage, an Armour Battlemage, but a Mage nonetheless. Meaning you use your intellect to do most things and why pay for something you can get for free?? Just slip a Paralyzing Poison in that Trainer's pockets, keep trying to pickpocket them until they get up, and you'll be able to get that gold right back. I know you can do the same thing with a Paralysis Spell, but I felt this also gives you an extra option.)
DRAGON SHOUTS
Being The Dragonborn means that you can utilize the Thu'um to supplement your skills to whatever suits your needs. This is my list of favoured Dragon Shouts and how they help make you a better Armoured Battlemage.
-Aura Whisper: Perfect for Dwemer Ruins and Falmer infested areas, when you can't always see where the enemies lie.
-Become Ethereal: If you have ANY Master Spells, and as an Armoured Battlemage, As ANY Kind of Mage Build, you will, being able to cast Master Level Spells i.e. Fire Storm without being interrupted will be indispensable.
-Bend Will: Dragon Riding Armoured Battlemage, I don't think you can get any more bloody awesome than this.
-Dragon Aspect: +125% Armour Bonus, +25% Fire and Frost Resistance, -20% Shout Wait Time. What's not to Love?
-Unrelenting Force: No Surprise here, we all seen this one coming
-Whirlwind Sprint: Incredible for gaining distance from concentrated foes.
Equipment
(The Basic Equipment is Daedric Armour. My Personal Enchants are built to keep my Magicka flowing more consistently in combat. The enchants are primarily to help supplement additional Magicka, Magicka Regeneration, Magic Resistance and/or Fortify Magic School. If you see something that does or doesn't fit, you can customize your gear to tailor your needs)
*Helm of the Battlemage: Fortify Magicka/Fortify Magicka Regeneration
Armour of the Battlemage: Fortify Magicka/Fortify Destruction
Amulet of Aetherius: Fortify Magicka/Fortify Magicka Regeneration
The Ring of Magnus: Fortify Magicka/Fortify Magicka Resistance
Gauntlets of the Battlemage: Fortify Magicka/Fortify One-Handed
Boots of the Battlemage: Fortify Fire Resistance/Fortify Shock Resistance
*NOTE: The Aetherial Crown also works in place of the Helm. The Bonuses you would get from having 2 of the recommended Standing Stones would more than make up for the minor decrease in the armour rating.
Weapons: An Armoured Battlemage would primarily use staves, but in a pinch one handed swords will do as well. Here are a list of good weapons tailored for an Armoured Battlemage.
- Staff of Magnus
- Staff of Incineration
- Staff of Fireballs
- Harkon's Sword Only if you are a Vampire Lord
- Sword of the Battlemage Daedric Sword w/Absorb Health + Absorb Magicka
QUEST
Main Quest: Alduin is back and the Dragons have returned. After meeting with both the Greybeards and the last of the Blades, you have seen The Greybeards set aside their own rules to aide you in every way, while the Blades lead by Delphine have constantly questioned who and what you are and have kept information from you. You've seen who's really out to help you and who's trying to manipulate you for their benefit. Paarthurnax's Wisdom Must Not be Lost to narrow minds of the Delphine's led Blades. (The Greybeards)
Civil War: As an Armoured Battlemage, you've served the Empire Loyally for years, learning all you can of the Arcane Arts from every corner of the Empire. After seeing how they operate, you realize The Stormcloaks wish to rid Skyrim of all Non-Nords and magic users for fear of Thalmor spies. Your decision is clear. (Imperials)
Dawnguard: Despite initially helping the Dawnguard, After meeting Serana, you've come to realize that not all Vampires are the Blood-thristy monsters the Dawnguard would like you to believe. However, even with this knowledge, you cannot allow either Harkon nor Isran to have their way, you join Serana as a Child of the Night to put an end to the Madness of Both Sides. (Vampires)
Dragonborn: As you become even more powerful as The Dragonborn, your progress doesn't go unnoticed. Miraak, The First Dragonborn, has arrived and wishes to use your very soul to escape Hermaeus Mora's realm of Apocrypha and return to Solstheim. Though Miraak is arrogant, he is no pushover, you must now follow his path closer than ever and dive into the realm of Apocrypha yourself to gain dangerous and forbidden knowledge if you wish to have any hope of defeating him.
The College of Winterhold: The Mages Guild was dismantled, The Synod were too political and paranoid, and The College of Whispers were to involved in hoarding secrets to teach you The Arcane Arts. However a small College in Winterhold may yet hold the key to not only Mastering the Secret of the Arcane, but uncover a power the likes of which the world hasn't seen in ages. However, you must be on your guard and wary, for there is treachery afoot.
The Dark Brotherhood: Normally Battlemages and Assassins wouldn't mix well, but after aiding a young child in Windhelm, you discover that this group not only has those who master the arts of killing and stealth, but there are also those who have turned the Arcane Arts into an even deadlier force. You curiousity has been peaked. (Join the Dark Brotherhood)
Unearthed: The Legendary Azhidal has been uncovered and his treasure of arcane have been discovered. You Journey with a new excavating partner to claim them as your own.
Solstheim: A Legendary Telvanni Master Wizard has made this island his place of residence. The allure of meeting such a powerful Mage is far too great to pass up. (Become a Member of House Telvanni; Old Friends)
I have been playing The Elder Scrolls series since Arena first came out in 94, and wondered why Though they are called "Battlemages", it was only in Morrowind where you weren't restricted to wearing cloth nor would you be penalized for wearing any kind of armour the way you were in Oblivion. Thankfully, Skyrim did away with the Class system and now the only limits were in your own imagination. To me, Battlemage were meant to be clad in Heavy Armour Sowing Discord into the ranks of their enemies. This is my Build (And my current character) of just that. I am also going to leave a bit open for personal use, Though I may like one perk, someone else may need another.
The Armoured Battlemage
War has ravaged Skyrim and many fight for several reasons. Some fight for personal glory, others for riches, you will soon discover what role you have to play in shaping the history of this land.
The Armoured Battlemage is a Mage, however not just any Mage. With the conditions of Skyrim being much harsher than the much of Tamriel, they make a decision. To abandon the ways of Mage Armour and fit themselves with Heavy Armour in order to steel themselves for the up coming hardships of your journey. The Armoured Battlemage's are not only Master of the Arcane Arts, but serve as capable Tank donning Heavy Plate armour in place of the traditional mage armour .
As an Armoured Battlemage, you'll need to make use of a plethora of unorthodox skills to Master the Arcane Art and the art of Tanking. Each of these skills will compliment the build in order to give you not only the protection you need, but the vast amount of spells and magic you will need as any kind of self respecting mage. Destruction, Conjuration, Alteration, Restoration, Illusion, there is NO Magic that you do not wish to master. Heavy Armour will protect you as you throw yourself into battle, and Enchanting and Smithing will ensure that your equipment will never falter or fail.
Gender: Female (Agent of Dibella gives 10% Additional Damage to the Opposite Sex, and Guess which sex dominates Skyrim's Enemies)
Race: Breton: With Their Dragonskin ability to absorb 50% of all magic, and a racial ability of +25% magic resistance, Bretons make a great race for hybrid and mage like build.
Stat Ratio: 2: 2: 1 (Every 5 Levels until you have 200 stamina, after that just add the rest to Magicka) (This is going to be a little harder to wrap your head around BUT please hear me out. While building up Conjuration, I tend to use Bound/Mystic Weapons and just like ordinary weapons, they need at least a bit of Stamina. I found 200 was the perfect number for a Mage build, not too excessive nor too lacking.)
When Wearing Heavy Armour you don't want to at a disadvantage when trying to sprint and/or power attack. "A MAGE using a Power Attack , you say??? 0-0" Well, Having at least 200 Stamina will give you plenty of room to work with and since Many Mage builds and/or charcters like to use Bound Weapons, this will save you should the time ever come when you run out of Magicka
Standing Stone: (Standing Stones were selected from top choices, since I tend to use the Aetherial Crown in place of a helmet, I found any combination of these stones truly help out when you are in combat.)
-Atronach: +50 Magicka and 50% Spell Absorption will more than make up for the fact that you also take a -50% Magicka Recovery Rate (There is an EASY way around this and we'll touch more on that later)
-Apprentice: Double Magicka Recovery will be help you fight much more fluidly as a Battlemage. Remember though, you'll also be Twice as vunerable to Magicka s well, so prepare to supplement additional protection.
-Mage: An addition 20% boost to you Mage Abilites is always great as you level up.
-Lover: 15% bonus increase to ALL of you abilities will help you level up you Heavy Armour Needed for this Build.
-Lord: +50 Damage Resistance and 50% Magicka Resistance, What's NOT to love??
Perks: (This is a Lv. 80 Character, so there will be room to tweak the perks to where you would want them. This is my personal build. Keep an Open Mind)
REQUIRED PERKS
(The Perks list here are once that I felt were absolutely necessary to play this build. When playing as a Mage-like character, I want to Master as many Spells as possible and have most, if not all my damage come from my fountain of Magic. Given that this is an Armoured Battlemage, I added the necessary skills to keep them in fighting shape as well)
-Destruction: As a Armoured Battlemage, your foes will quake with fear as you wield the Powers of Destruction and destroy them with your command of the elements.
- Novice - Master
- Dual Destruction
- Impact (Great for keeping melee enemies at bay or throwing off ranged)
- Augmented Flames 2/2 (Fire)
- Augmented Frost 2/2 (Ice)
- Augmented Shock 2/2 (And Lightning, Oh My)
(I opted out for not putting any perks into "Intense Flames", "Deep Freeze", and "Disintegrate" because depending on who or what your fighting, you may need and/or want them to be by your feet when they die)
-Alteration: Along with your Heavy Armour, You wield the Powers of Alteration, adapting yourself to not only manipulate your world, but turn your foes very magic against them.
- Novice - Master
- Magic Resistance 3/3 (You can never have enough resistance to Magic)
- Stability (A lot good those spells do if they don't last long)
- Atronach (Spell Absorption)
(As an Armoured Battlemage, there isn't a need for Mage Armour. Plus with the penalty of wearing armour from Oblivion gone, you aren't stuck JUST wearing cloth. Additionally, The Dragonhide and Ebony Flesh spells make melee damage much easier to deal with)
-Conjuration: Your foes flee in terror, for they know you wield the powers of Conjuration and WILL use their very souls to fuel your ever growing Mastery of the Arcane Arts.
- Novice - Master
- Mystic Binding
- Soul Stealer (Helps not having to lug around unnecessary equipment)
- Oblivion Binding
(Remember, This isn't a Necromancer, an Armoured Battlemage is more concerned with refueling their staves with Soul Gems rather than raising the dead. Plus With Dead, Flame, Frost and Storm Thrall you won't need to waste any perk points on the left half of the skill. Additionally, obtaining a Sigil Stone is a great way to obtain Daedric Armour, if you are having trouble locating or obtaining the necessary materials.)
-Restoration: As an Armoured Battlemage, You not only command the powers of death, but you wield the Powers of Restoration, restoring your own and if you so choose, your follower's life forces.
- Novice - Expert
- Recovery 2/2 (The Best way to balance out the Atronach Stone)
- Regeneration
- Necromage (Even if you aren't a Vampire, This will help greatly with Draugrs)
- Ward Absorb (More Spell Absoption)
- Avoid Death (Helps in a tight spot)
( Even Heavy Armour can't hold up forever, so healing spells will come in handy should there ever come a time when you forget to stock up on healing potions. Plus Expert level healing will keep you alive when casting "Equilibrium". Also IF you decide to become a Vampire Lord, Necromage will give you an exceptional boost to all your abilities, granted you become even more weak to Fire Magic, but what you gain from it, more than makes up for the drawback.)
-Illusion: Friends and Foes will question whether you are even really there as you wield the Powers of Illusion, manipulating both ally and enemy.
- Novice
- Animage
- Kindread Mage
- Quiet Casting (You'll want this as it will help greatly in Master Difficulty. The last thing you want is to give away your location while you cast a spell)
(I didn't put many perks into Illusion primarily because even the Master Level Spells can be supplements with plenty of scrolls and even poisons. As stated previously, Quite Casting will become a valuable ability when at higher difficulties.)
-Enchanting: Casting Powerful Spells isn't your Only Talent. An Armoured Battlemage will need powerful enchants on their armour to be able to give to contain their powers as well as add to their arsenal of magical abilities.
- Enchanter 5/5
- Insightful Enchanter
- Corpus Enchanter
- Extra Effect (Extra Magicka is Great, BUT Extra Magicka, Reduced Spell Cost AND Bonus Magicka Regeneration, That's Amazing. Disenchant a Expert or Master Level SpecialtyRobe, add Bonus Magicka and voila, Incredible armour)
(Though there are pieces of Heavy Armour out in Skyrim with good enchants to help your Mage abilities, creating your own will give you a more personal touch when improving play style. Additionally, Enchanting compliments the next skill quite well.)
-Smithing: Being an Armoured Battlemage, you know that know matter how powerful your spells, enchants, and incantations are, you will need to get your hands dirty in a good old fashioned Forge to create even more powerful armour and learn to strength it as well.
- Steel Smithing
- Arcane Smithing (Pairs with Enchanting to boost your armour rating)
- Dwarven Smithing (Great if you get Ancient Knowledge)
- Orchish Smithing
- Ebony Smithing (Great for Ebony set, OR Heavy Stalhrim set)
- Daedric Smithing (Best Armour in game, THIS is what it means to be am Armoured Battlemage)
(An Armoured Battlemage wouldn't be much if they couldn't build and strengthen their own armour. Sure you can use Conjuration and a Sigil Stone to acquire some Daedric Armour, BUT you won't get the full benefits of armour without Smithing)
- Heavy Armour: While other mages opt out for cloth and mage armour, You sacrifice mobility and speed for becoming an Arcane Wrecking Machine. You hit harder and take more hits as Magic and Heavy Armour combine to a force that not even an army of Dragons can take down. You are an Armoured Battlemage.
- Juggernaut 3/5
- Fist of Steel (Great for Bar Fights)
- Well Fitted (Extra Amour Rating)
- Cushioned (Great should you ever fall)
- Tower of Strength
- Conditioning (This is what you'll be aiming for. 0 weight and no running penalty. Perfect for the build)
(THIS is what it means to be an Armoured Battlemage. Take Hits, Hitting Back even harder, not worrying what happens if the fight is drawn out too long. You combine what's great about 2 styles of classes Warrior and Mage and merge them into a force to be feared.)
OPTIONAL (But HELPFUL)PERKS
(Again Keep an Open Mind. These perks are the ones, that even though weren't "technically" necessary to play this build, After venturing in Skyrim, I found that having these helped much more than anticipated.)
-Sneak: Okay, everyone uses this, so it's not a big deal
- Stealth
- Muffled Movement (Highly Recommended)
- Light Foot (Make Pressure Plates Obsolete)
(Being an Armoured Battlemage means that heavy armour will give away your location faster than casting a spell without Quiet Casting. So a few points in Sneak will help keep you being spotted and attacked outright, especially in higher difficulty where sneaking to cast a spell can mean life or death.)
-Speech: Well Being any kind of Mage, you obviously would be great at talking.
- Haggling
- Allure (10% discount from the Opposite sex merchants. Great!)
- Bribery (Handy if you don't want to join the Thieves Guild)
- Persuasion (Makes Persuasion 30% easier, saving you unnecessary frustration)
- Merchant (Sell any item to any merchant, minus stolen items of course. This perk will pay off in the long run, especially if you decide not to join the Thieves Guild)
(From being able to get a slightly better deal on an item, to convincing someone to tell you their secrets, being a Armoured Battlemage would also mean like any other mage, you can use you brain and talk your way in and out of most situations. Plus selling Dragon Bones and Dragon Scales to ANY Merchant helps out a lot when you are close to being over-encumbered)
-Pickpocket: 0_0 Wait....WHAT?!
- Light Fingers
- Night Thief
- Poisoned (If you join The Dark Brotherhood, This can be a godsend)
- Extra Pockets (An extra 100 Carry Weight? What's the harm?)
- Cutpurse (Pickpocketing Gold made 50% easier, Great!)
(Sometimes you don't always have or even want to spend the time raising your skill level by 5 points, So heading to a trainer can save some much needed time. BUT what if you spent over 10,000 Septims getting those 5 levels? Wouldn't you want that gold back?? You're Mage, an Armour Battlemage, but a Mage nonetheless. Meaning you use your intellect to do most things and why pay for something you can get for free?? Just slip a Paralyzing Poison in that Trainer's pockets, keep trying to pickpocket them until they get up, and you'll be able to get that gold right back. I know you can do the same thing with a Paralysis Spell, but I felt this also gives you an extra option.)
DRAGON SHOUTS
Being The Dragonborn means that you can utilize the Thu'um to supplement your skills to whatever suits your needs. This is my list of favoured Dragon Shouts and how they help make you a better Armoured Battlemage.
-Aura Whisper: Perfect for Dwemer Ruins and Falmer infested areas, when you can't always see where the enemies lie.
-Become Ethereal: If you have ANY Master Spells, and as an Armoured Battlemage, As ANY Kind of Mage Build, you will, being able to cast Master Level Spells i.e. Fire Storm without being interrupted will be indispensable.
-Bend Will: Dragon Riding Armoured Battlemage, I don't think you can get any more bloody awesome than this.
-Dragon Aspect: +125% Armour Bonus, +25% Fire and Frost Resistance, -20% Shout Wait Time. What's not to Love?
-Unrelenting Force: No Surprise here, we all seen this one coming
-Whirlwind Sprint: Incredible for gaining distance from concentrated foes.
Equipment
(The Basic Equipment is Daedric Armour. My Personal Enchants are built to keep my Magicka flowing more consistently in combat. The enchants are primarily to help supplement additional Magicka, Magicka Regeneration, Magic Resistance and/or Fortify Magic School. If you see something that does or doesn't fit, you can customize your gear to tailor your needs)
*Helm of the Battlemage: Fortify Magicka/Fortify Magicka Regeneration
Armour of the Battlemage: Fortify Magicka/Fortify Destruction
Amulet of Aetherius: Fortify Magicka/Fortify Magicka Regeneration
The Ring of Magnus: Fortify Magicka/Fortify Magicka Resistance
Gauntlets of the Battlemage: Fortify Magicka/Fortify One-Handed
Boots of the Battlemage: Fortify Fire Resistance/Fortify Shock Resistance
*NOTE: The Aetherial Crown also works in place of the Helm. The Bonuses you would get from having 2 of the recommended Standing Stones would more than make up for the minor decrease in the armour rating.
Weapons: An Armoured Battlemage would primarily use staves, but in a pinch one handed swords will do as well. Here are a list of good weapons tailored for an Armoured Battlemage.
- Staff of Magnus
- Staff of Incineration
- Staff of Fireballs
- Harkon's Sword Only if you are a Vampire Lord
- Sword of the Battlemage Daedric Sword w/Absorb Health + Absorb Magicka
QUEST
Main Quest: Alduin is back and the Dragons have returned. After meeting with both the Greybeards and the last of the Blades, you have seen The Greybeards set aside their own rules to aide you in every way, while the Blades lead by Delphine have constantly questioned who and what you are and have kept information from you. You've seen who's really out to help you and who's trying to manipulate you for their benefit. Paarthurnax's Wisdom Must Not be Lost to narrow minds of the Delphine's led Blades. (The Greybeards)
Civil War: As an Armoured Battlemage, you've served the Empire Loyally for years, learning all you can of the Arcane Arts from every corner of the Empire. After seeing how they operate, you realize The Stormcloaks wish to rid Skyrim of all Non-Nords and magic users for fear of Thalmor spies. Your decision is clear. (Imperials)
Dawnguard: Despite initially helping the Dawnguard, After meeting Serana, you've come to realize that not all Vampires are the Blood-thristy monsters the Dawnguard would like you to believe. However, even with this knowledge, you cannot allow either Harkon nor Isran to have their way, you join Serana as a Child of the Night to put an end to the Madness of Both Sides. (Vampires)
Dragonborn: As you become even more powerful as The Dragonborn, your progress doesn't go unnoticed. Miraak, The First Dragonborn, has arrived and wishes to use your very soul to escape Hermaeus Mora's realm of Apocrypha and return to Solstheim. Though Miraak is arrogant, he is no pushover, you must now follow his path closer than ever and dive into the realm of Apocrypha yourself to gain dangerous and forbidden knowledge if you wish to have any hope of defeating him.
The College of Winterhold: The Mages Guild was dismantled, The Synod were too political and paranoid, and The College of Whispers were to involved in hoarding secrets to teach you The Arcane Arts. However a small College in Winterhold may yet hold the key to not only Mastering the Secret of the Arcane, but uncover a power the likes of which the world hasn't seen in ages. However, you must be on your guard and wary, for there is treachery afoot.
The Dark Brotherhood: Normally Battlemages and Assassins wouldn't mix well, but after aiding a young child in Windhelm, you discover that this group not only has those who master the arts of killing and stealth, but there are also those who have turned the Arcane Arts into an even deadlier force. You curiousity has been peaked. (Join the Dark Brotherhood)
Unearthed: The Legendary Azhidal has been uncovered and his treasure of arcane have been discovered. You Journey with a new excavating partner to claim them as your own.
Solstheim: A Legendary Telvanni Master Wizard has made this island his place of residence. The allure of meeting such a powerful Mage is far too great to pass up. (Become a Member of House Telvanni; Old Friends)
I'm just going to expand on what Curse said and tell you that if you need screenshots / perkspreads done or artwork searched, head over to one of the following discussions and ask.