7 Best Spells For A Mage Build

Summary

• Destruction spells like Thunderbolt can deal massive damage and stagger opponents, ideal for long-range attacks.
• Defensive spells like Dragonhide provide resistance to physical damage, crucial in challenging battles.
• Invisibility spell is great for sneaking and remaining undetected, perfect for thief builds.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is great for many things, as it presents players with a great story, tons of different NPCs to interact with, and a broad range of options regarding the build they can use. While many players gravitate towards the Warrior build, swinging melee weapons left and right, others might want to make their playthrough harder and opt for a Mage build instead.

Players who choose the latter will quickly realize that casting different types of spells can go a long way to staying away from very powerful enemies and using long-distance attacks. Here are some of the best spells to use for a Mage build in Skyrim.

7

Thunderbolt

A Powerful Electrical Discharge

Thunderbolt is an Expert-level Destruction spell, which, like Lightning Bolt, must be charged for a little while before it can be used. As opposed to Lightning Bolt, Thunderbolt has approximately 20% more range and deals considerably more damage, making it ideal for dealing with enemies at longer distances quickly.

If players combine the Impact perk with dual casting this spell and the Augmented Shock perk or an Elixir of Destruction, Thunderbolt will always stagger opponents, no matter what level or race they are. The Magicka cost isn’t great, but considering that the spell only becomes available after reaching Destruction level 75, players will most likely already have a considerable Magicka pool by then. Those who want to try a hybrid build can also follow Thunderbolt with a weapon with a powerful weapon enchantment to deal even more damage to their enemies.

6

Fire Storm

A Mighty Spell With An Outstanding AoE

Fire Storm is one of those spells that are most effective when enemies are in close range to the Dragonborn, as the further away they are, the less damage they’ll take. This mighty spell unleashes an explosion of flames centered around the caster and deals considerable fire damage to all surrounding creatures. As opposed to the Blizzard spell, for example, Fire Storm does not damage the Dragonborn.

Like Thunderbolt, Fire Storm needs to be charged for a little while before it can be used, so players must consider this, as they’ll likely have to take some damage from their enemies while the flames build up. Those who want a more complex experience might want to try some of the best mods out there for the game in combination with Fire Storm to become the ultimate threat of the land.

5

Incinerate

A Much More Powerful Version Of Firebolt

As far as Expert-level Destruction spells go, Incinerate is definitely among the top five. This powerful spell deals 60 points of fire damage to the caster’s target. Incinerate is widely regarded to be the big brother of the Firebolt spell, as it behaves somewhat similarly but is much more powerful.

With the Augmented Flames perk, players can greatly increase the fire damage they deal to their enemies, with every level of said perk increasing the damage by 25% until reaching a maximum of 90 points of fire damage per hit. Combining Incinerate with a good armor set and some of the best armor mods for the game can go a long way in helping players hit like a truck and sustain considerable damage without losing too much HP.

4

Paralyze

Great For Incapacitating Enemies And Crowd Control

Moving away from Destruction spells and entering the realm of Alteration, there’s Paralyze, which can be great for crowd control. To unlock this spell, players will first have to reach Alteration level 75, which, without using mods, can take a long time and is usually attained in the late stages of the game.

Targets of this spell who cannot resist it will be paralyzed for 10 seconds, and with the Stability perk unlocked in the Alteration Tree, this is increased to 15 seconds. More than enough time to deal with other threats that have not been paralyzed. In combination with a good poison, Paralyze can be a powerful tool in the right hands.

3

Dragonhide

A Defensive Spell That Can Give The Dragonborn An Edge In Battle

Thus far, this list has mostly focused on offensive spells, so now it’s time to move on to a very efficient and powerful defensive alternative, which is Dragonhide. This spell will likely be unlocked by players in the late stages of the game, as it requires Master-level Alteration.

When used, the caster will be resistant to about 80% of all physical damage for 30 seconds, which can be the difference between emerging victorious from a challenging fight or perishing. The one downside to Dragonhide is that it costs a whopping 837 Magicka to cast, but since it’s typically unlocked at the end of the game (unless players do a ton of grinding), their Magicka pool at that point will likely be more than capable of handling it.

2

Dead Thrall

Raises Dead Humanoid Beings Under Level 40

Although followers in Skyrim can be of great help during challenging fights, having undead minions to lend a hand is always welcome. This is where the Dead Thrall spell comes into play, as it allows the caster to raise the dead body of most humanoid beings under level 40 to fight by their side permanently. Once cast, the raised undead will only stop fighting for the Dragonborn once they’re killed, turned, or banished.

Dead Thrall requires players to be at Conjuration level 100 and has a formidable cost of 618 Magicka. However, considering how useful an extra pair of hands can be, the trade-off is well worth it.

1

Invisibility

Great For Sneaking Around And Remaining Undetected

Lastly, there is Invisibility, which is arguably one of the best spells players can have throughout their playthrough. To unlock it, players will have to reach Illusion level 75, which can be tough, as most of them typically focus on upgrading other branches, such as Destruction or Alteration.

Invisibility can also be a great spell to have if players are pursuing a Thief build, as actions such as forging business ledgers, drawing weapons, consuming items, or even feeding as a Vampire will not break the enchantment. Combined with a good mod for immersion, Invisibility can give players a completely fresh and interesting Skyrim experience.