Like the title says, I have never been able to play as a mage. I don't think I ever got past Level 10 with the two I made once. I just can't play as them because 1) My Magicka Regeneration sucks and 2) I always seem to end up dying because some bandit decides to finish me with his hammer.
Am I the only one who has this problem or am I doing something wrong?
I hate destruction mages in Skyrim I think you gotta mix it up destruction should be the least of your worries I have no problem frenzying a large group of people and then summoning a dremora lord then go invisible, sit back grab some popcorn and enjoy the chaos I just created
And that with only two magic schools don't even get me started on how much fun you can have with paralyze
Stick to spraying type spells early on (til about lvl 10 -15 or so). Even dual casted, they are rather easy on magic costs and unless you're playing on a high difficulty, will be more than enough to dispatch most mundane enemies.
Keep the Novice Hood you get in Helgen, or at the very least have in your possession apparel that adds extra magicka. Whenever you're magicka is fully depleted, de-equip and re-equip this item. It will refill your magicka by whatever amount of magicka it adds.
Staves are also a huge help at lower levels. When your magicka is running low and the fight is still ongoing, switch to your staves until your magicka pool has recovered.
I hope that helps. Don't give up. Mages can be a very rewarding gameplay experience if you stick with it.
Mages are great, but you have to watch that they don't get too OP once they start rolling.
To counter dying too easily, you could mix armour types - there are many great magical artefacts that are classed as Heavy or Light armour. You could start off using a dragon priest mask, heavy gauntlets and boots and a robe to keep magicka regeneration high. A shield could also be added to reduce squishiness.
What skills do you usually perk when playing a mage? They've always seemed to me like the strongest of the three archetypes -.-
Earlier on you don't want to be taking on a warhammer up close. As a mage you have the advantage of range over the former and should use it. A pure mage that uses no weaponry are difficult to start off with, but as mentioned in other comments, late game you will be able to stand toe to toe with the toughest of enemies.
Additionally, it has a bit to do with the character itself. A pure Des mage with robes is going to have no defence unless they go for alteration. If you don't do alter and stick with the robes, expect to die. A lot. Mixing and matching magic schools are what i think being a pure mage is about, plus, it's tons of fun!
I love mages in Skyrim, well I digress...they are usually spellswords or shield mages. I have run a complete level 52 playthrough with my personalized version of Henson's Fearmonger, which was an absolute blast. I understand your frustration Tae-Rai, pure mages have a steep curve in the beginning, but they do become powerhouses near mid-game. Try pairing illusion and conjuration with destruction (fear, raise dead/atronach, projectile element...rinse and repeat) for a better survival rate and more satisfying playthrough.
Well i play as a mage, on legendary.....
and i find that the Calm spell can be really usefull, if an enemy is coming straight at you, and you know that you cant beat him in close range. Just use calm on them, get away, or fight them a little bit use calm when they get to close, and just repeat
Note: it really helps having a follower whit you in the beginning, to be tank while you cast from distance.
2) I always seem to end up dying because some bandit decides to finish me with his hammer.
Stop playing DiD then. I always give up on my DiD if I'm enjoying the character.
I actually find mages too overpowered, and really boring to play after a while. If you go like, Illusion/Destruction/Conjuration there's just no way you can die.
"Illusion/Destruction/Conjuration there's just no way you can die." This statement is why I suggested the build in my previous post.
The hilarious happenings with this type of build made it fun for me. Fear, blast, kill, raise and watch as their ex-buddy slaughters them, all whille laughing maniacally.
Just get a follower for the first bit, they'll keep you safe. Another trick I like is to grab the Novice Hood from Helgen and favorite it, then hotkey it to the d-pad. You can pop it off and back on again with a rapid double tap on the d-pad to get an instant 30 magicka. You can also get an Apprentice Hood if you start House of Horrors in Markarth. Finally, when I play a pure mage, I prioritize Alteration, if you put up an Alteration spell every time an enemy is present, you can pretty rapidly make it to level 30 Alteration for the first Mage Armor perk. That goes a long way toward keeping you alive. Naturally, it also helps to not get hit, don't be afraid to backpedal or turn and run if you're low on health.
Hmmm, as long as you don't do it already, try to skill armor as much as possible (I prefer Heavy Armor by the way), so you ain't that vulnerable when you can't finish of enemies before they enter clsoe combat.
Another thing you could do is have one destruction-spell and a wardspell in your hands permanently. Or you summon an aide that, in the best case, pulls of an enemy of you if you get aggro from more than one foe.