The Best Spells In Skyrim

Not many games maintain their popularity ten years after their release, but somehow Skyrim is the rare exception. The game is easy to mod, which has led to it having mind-blowing amounts of content. It’s likely that even when Elder Scrolls 6 releases there will be many players still sticking with Skyrim. A lot of players think that magic is vastly underpowered in the game. However, that’s simply because they just aren’t using the right spells. If players know the best spells in Skyrim, they can manage to do amazing things in combat. So, the Dragonborn has no excuse not to hit the spellbooks already.

From summoning powerful creatures to freezing enemies in their tracks, the best spells in Skyrim that the Dragonborn can use are pretty vast. Players can genuinely utilize numerous forms of magic to make Skyrim more engaging than ever before, which goes to show just how underutilized and game-changing the magic system in this game is. With so many schools of magic available for the player to master, it’s easy to see why they have so many options to completely alter the way they approach this game, especially once they learn the best spells in Skyrim.

Updated on December 22, 2024, by Gerardo Molina: It’s understandable that, when playing Skyrim, most players prefer to focus their efforts on getting massive weapons that deal absurdly high amounts of damage rather than on reading spellbooks and increasing their Magicka. After all, the Melee gameplay is a lot more brutal and personal, which befits the Nords from Skyrim. However, if enough time is spent studying various magical tomes, players will be able to unlock their full potential and even deal with enemies from a distance without the need for a bow and arrow, which can come in handy from time to time. Here are some spells that players will definitely not want to miss out on.

33

Dead Thrall

School: Conjuration

• Skill Level: Master
• Magicka Required: 618

Dead Thrall is probably one of the best spells in Skyrim, as it allows the caster to raise the dead bodies of humanoid beings under level 40 to fight alongside them permanently. The raised undead will fight until they’re either killed, banished, or turned by a foe.

This spell is great for situations where the Dragonborn is outnumbered, as raising the dead can not only serve as an effective distraction, but also, as a way to bring in more allies to the battlefield during a difficult encounter.

32

Bane Of The Undead

School: Restoration

• Skill Level: Master
• Magicka Required: 988

Who hasn’t found themselves exploring an ancient Nordic tomb, only to realize that the Draugr there are too powerful to face, even at the higher levels? As players level up, so do the Draugr they’ll encounter, which ensures that there’s always a challenge to face. Bane of the Undead allows the Dragonborn to make quick work of these creatures, as it sets the undead up to level 30 on fire and makes them flee for 30 seconds.

This is a great spell to cast when players are feeling overwhelmed by enemies, as it not only allows them to deal damage to their undead foes, but also provides a most welcome pause to a challenging fight as the creatures flee for half a minute.

31

Transmute Mineral Ore

School: Alteration

• Skill Level: Adept
• Magicka Required: 88

Players who want to make a quick buck in Skyrim should check out the Transmute Mineral Ore spell. It lets players upgrade the quality of the ore they have. As a result, players can take basic materials and turn them into extremely valuable ones. Amassing a fortune becomes a breeze with this spell.

Of course, this spell is also great for players who want the best crafting materials possible to create awe-inspiring weapons that hit like a truck. Skyrim‘s best weapons can be looted, but players can stay ahead of the curve by actively engaging with the crafting system of the game.

30

Soul Trap

School: Conjuration

• Skill Level: Apprentice
• Magicka Required: 100

There are three crafting skill trees in the game, and the ideal choice for some mage builds is enchanting. However, with soul gems being an important and sometimes expensive resource that might be rare to come by, any help in filling empty ones is much needed.

That’s where Soul Trap comes in. It’s a utility spell, a curse to put on a target moments before they die. Depending on the strength of the spell, the window of time needed for the dead enemy to fill a gem might be longer or shorter. Find it in the Conjuration school of magic, and use it towards the middle of the fight just before a kill is secured to fill an empty soul gem.

29

Close Wounds

School: Restoration

• Skill Level: Adept
• Magicka Required: 126

Restoration is an underrated school of magic, as Colette always preaches. The truth is that Restoration spells can help players seriously save on health potions, which can have a fairly steep price tag at a general store. Moreover, health potions aren’t that common in dungeons either.

Close Wounds is one of the best, most balanced spells in the skill tree. It demands quite a bit of Magicka since it’s an Adept-level spell, but it’s worth it. Close Wounds instantly gives the Dragonborn 100 health points. Since it doesn’t take time to charge like Healing, it’s a nice burst spell to use mid-combat as well.

28

Pacify

School: Illusion

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 290

While it’s true that Skyrim has a ton of combat that can make it pretty hard to manage at times, players can easily turn the tide of battle in a flash by using certain spells to manipulate their enemies. One such spell that does a great job of reducing the threat of most enemies is Pacify, which can work wonders at high levels.

Players who don’t care about killing and looting every enemy in sight can just use Pacify to render them completely harmless. This allows players to circumvent tough combat encounters, which can be a boon for players who aren’t decked out in the best gear around and just want to have fun with the game instead of looking over their shoulder in every dungeon, worrying about the next enemy that crosses their path.

27

Call To Arms

School: Illusion

• Skill Level: Master
• Magicka Required: 655

Players who love the Illusion spell tree in Skyrim and want to rely on their allies in battle can use a spell to bolster their abilities significantly. Call to Arms may require a decent amount of magicka to activate, but the end result is worthwhile for Followers who love to jump into the action and draw the attention of enemies.

While the Dragonborn sits back and peppers enemies with damaging spells, they can use a single cast of Call to Arms to help their companion become a one-man army in no time. It may be more of a situational spell than most players would prefer, but those who don’t mind playing a support role in battle will find this to be one of the best spells in Skyrim that they can get their hands on.

26

Conjure Wrathman

School: Conjuration

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 301

There are several creatures that the Dragonborn can summon to aid them in combat. One of these spells is the Conjure Wrathman spell, which summons a powerful ally with balanced stats. Players who want the best of a tanky summon with good attack skills will have their wishes granted by the Wrathman.

It’s a great ally to have in the heat of battle, even though it might be a jack of all trades and a master of none. Easily the best thing about this summon is how cool this creature looks in the heat of battle, adding a ton of flair to what is otherwise a pretty simple combat system. Most summon spells are useful in Skyrim since they take the heat off the player, and the Wrathman will certainly help in this regard.

25

Fury

School: Illusion

• Skill Level: Novice
• Magicka Required: 67

Fury has the potential to be one of the most broken spells in Skyrim if the player uses it right. It sends the target into a berserk state, causing them to attack anyone in the nearby vicinity. Players who love hunting from the shadows will find this spell to be invaluable.

Of course, it’s also great for splitting up attention between groups to make combat more manageable. Players who want to turn combat into a chaotic and hilarious affair should use this spell to sow discord among the ranks and cause enemy AI to go haywire as they try to split their attention between the Dragonborn and their allies.

24

Mara’s Wrath

School: Destruction

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 388

Battlemages who prefer close-range combat will love what Mara’s Wrath brings to the table. It essentially covers the caster in a coat of flames that does damage to enemies in melee range, adding more of a punch to the player’s attacks in the game. To make things better, any undead affected by Mara’s Wrath end up losing their morale and fleeing from the player, making any battle against them pretty entertaining if a tad frustrating at times.

Players love how effective their spell is at enhancing their DPS, making them look pretty powerful in the process. As long as players have invested enough points in their magical stats, they’ll find most encounters in the game to end quickly as long as players are prudent about using this spell and keeping themselves well-equipped from time to time.

23

Bound Bow

School: Conjuration

• Skill Level: Adept
• Magicka Required: 206

This Adept Conjuration spell is easily one of the most broken abilities in the entire game. If a player’s Daedric equipment is in short supply, then players get to wield a Daedric Bow for the duration of this spell. Conjuring this bow and dealing damage is as easy as it comes, with players being able to hurt enemies with some serious damage.

Most enemies would perish in just one shot with this bow, which is pretty satisfying indeed. For tougher enemies, this bow can still be quite effective and tear through their health in no time flat. It’s a great spell to use by sneaking, with players becoming magical stealth archers and wiping out enemies via the benefits of sneak damage. The sheer cool factor of making a bow apparate from nowhere to school enemies is always amazing and something that players won’t get enough of.

22

Harmony

School: Illusion

• Skill Level: Master
• Magicka Required: 1052

The sheer number of Magicka required for Harmony, and the level limitation of this skill, is what makes this a tough sell for most magic users. However, players who prioritize magic and gain access to this spell early on will turn combat into a breeze.

All enemies up to level 25 are pacified and don’t attack at all, making them easy pickings for the Dragonborn. Players must find the Master spell books in the College of Winterhold and reach the highest level in the Illusion skill tree to gain access to this spell tome. As long as the Dragonborn is mindful of their Magicka pool, they’ll find this spell to be a valuable addition to their arsenal.

21

Fenrik’s Welcome

School: Illusion

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 210

Not all spells need to be used in combat, with the Illusion school of magic helping players out when it comes to regular exploration as well. Players who don’t want to invest too many points in lockpicking can invest in magic instead to help them open high-level locks without breaking a sweat. This spell comes in the form of Fenrik’s Welcome, which was added in with the Arcane Accessories Creation Club pack.

Fenrik’s Welcome is a great spell to use for players who want to open locks without spending too much time in stealth or investing a lot in lockpicking. It’s a great and simple spell to use, with the regeneration of Magicka meaning that players can easily unlock everything in sight without worrying about being at risk of being caught.

20

Mayhem

School: Illusion

• Skill Level: Master
• Magicka Required: 990

Sometimes, players who find combat to be dull and predictable would like a spell that throws a heavy dose of chaos into the fray. This is achieved with the Mayhem spell, which turns everyone in the vicinity against each other and causes things to go haywire as pretty much everyone is fair game for some time. This is great for taking the heat off the player and sowing seeds of discord within enemies, no matter how brief this period may be.

People should be careful about using Mayhem in a group since there’s still a high possibility that they’ll take damage if there aren’t enough enemies in a group. If nothing else, the sheer entertainment factor of this spell alone makes it well worth using in battle. Players should keep in mind that this spell uses a lot of Magicka, making it important that players have enough potions or limit their spellcasting if they don’t want the well to dry well before the encounter is put to rest.

19

Incinerate

School: Destruction

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 298

A powerful Destruction spell of the fire kind, it’s an Expert-level skill for a good reason. It does 60 points of damage, and anyone hit will take additional fire damage over time. The Magicka cost is quite impressive at 298 points, but by this point, the player should be a specialist already.

The real utility of Incinerate also comes from the fact that with the right perks, it can stagger all enemies of all sizes. This is insanely useful in combat. Simply unlock Augmented Flames and Impact in the Destruction skill tree to reap the maximum benefits. Burning enemies to a crisp becomes immensely satisfying with this powerful spell.

18

Icy Spear

School: Destruction

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 320

The icy counterpart of Incinerate is the Icy Spear spell. The reason why fire and frost are listed here over shock is that shock is a more situational element, useful exclusively against enemies that rely on their Magicka to attack the Dragonborn. Most generic enemies, however, will not be Magicka users.

Icy Spear can also stagger foes if the right perks are unlocked (Impact and Augmented Frost). It does 60 points of damage to both health and stamina, meaning it will significantly slow down enemies. A great part about using this spell is seeing a shard of ice lodged into an enemy, which makes for a pretty memorable visual.

17

Oakflesh

School: Alteration

• Skill Level: Novice
• Magicka Required: 103

Players might be surprised to see Oakflesh here before others of its kind, but the reason for that is that Oakflesh is a fantastic starting Alteration spell. Given that Alteration is one of the hardest trees to level up, casting Oakflesh is arguably the best way to level it up. It’s easy to get, though costly to cast.

Any mage can grab this spell and add some points into Alteration as a result. Cast it at the beginning of any fight when facing off against melee enemies. It ups the caster’s armor by 40 points for a minute, which should be enough to take down any enemies while reaping maximum benefits from the spell itself. This makes up for its high casting price.

16

Ebonyflesh

School: Alteration

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 341

It takes quite a bit of investment in Alteration to unlock Ebonyflesh. However, the immense defensive benefits more than make up for this shortcoming. Players turn into absolute tanks once this spell is active, letting them jump into the heat of battle without even breaking a sweat.

Given that Ebony Armor is one of the best sets in the entire game, it’s easy to see why Ebonyflesh is such an effective spell. Players who aren’t fond of heavy armor and want to feel more lightweight in battle will have a great time bolstering their defense with this spell before going to town on enemies and ending their lives in no time flat. It’s an OP spell that completely nullifies most attacks in the game, making it a must-have for pure mage builds who don’t want to be obliterated if enemies get within melee range of them.

15

Arniel’s Convection

School: Destruction

• Skill Level: N/A
• Magicka Required: 0

The only way to get Arniel’s Convection is through the side quest Arniel’s Endeavor. It’s so mighty that it burns opponents for a single fire damage a second, which might not sound like a lot initially. However, there are other perks to it to keep in mind, which turn this spell into a dealer of fiery death.

What makes Arniel’s Convection so strong is that it costs zero Magicka to cast. This means it can still be powered up to deal more damage using various Destruction Spell Perks to deal significant damage but costs nothing to cast. It also increases burn damage taken on enemies when used, making it awesome for dual-wielding with a weapon that deals fire damage.

14

Paralyze

School: Alteration

• Skill Level: Expert
• Magicka Required: 450

There are many ways that players can make combat way more entertaining in Skyrim than just flailing about with their weapons like a madman, and a great way to show enemies who’s boss is by using the Paralyze spell. There’s something oddly hypnotic about using this spell in combat and watching enemies fall over helplessly, unable to move or defend themselves in any way.

Suffice it to say, the Dragonborn can completely whoop enemies without a second thought once they use this spell effectively in combat. It’s imperative to be as skilled in the use of this spell as possible so that players can easily stop even the toughest foes in their tracks, turning them into target practice for the player as they are completely free to wail on these tough foes without too many problems.