Warmage

Redguard - Dagger - Light - Shield - Knight - Mage

Background

Some spellcasters care for only one thing: war. They dream of steel and mighty blasts of devastating magic, the march of troops, and the unleashed destruction found on battlefields everywhere.

Graduates of special arcane war colleges, those known as warmages are drilled only and utterly in the casting of spells most useful for laying down destruction, confusing an enemy, or screening an allied action. The utilitarian spells used by wizards and sorcerers have little importance to a warmage's way of thinking. What are support casters for, after all? A warmage cares only for success on the battlefield, or, in some cases, in a series of smaller campaigns favoured by adventuring companies.

Weapons

A Steel Sword at the start of the game and then use a Steel Dagger for the speed once you have enchanted gear. Better is a Skyforge Steel Dagger from the Companions.

Armor

Remnant Armor and shield. There’s some scaled armour near a bunch of mudcrabs near Gjunka’s Tower so pick that up as soon as you can and then any light hood and a hide shield in the early game.

Spells

Destruction magic for damaging spell. Alteration for Paralysis against living enemies. Restoration for heals. Illusion for Fear spells. Get Novice Destruction and Elemental Flare early.

Standing Stones

Use the Lord Stone for the armour and magic resistance and then get the Atronach Stone once you have enchanted gear.

Shrines

Use a shrine of Stendarr for 10% better blocking.

Shouts

Character Creation

Female Redguard

Pick Redguard as they have a good skillset for the build and 50% poison resistance.

Pick female as the sex for your character as there are more male humanoids than females to fight in Skyrim so the 10% damage bonus against the opposite sex from Agent of Dibella gets more use. All Dwemer Automatons count as Male.

As with all mages your focus on training should be Enchanting so you can get the magicka regeneration and spell cost reductions needed for the build to function. This means using Alchemy to make potions to sell to fund this. After Enchanting focus on Smithing and when all 3 crafting skills are at 100 make your final gear.

There’s 2 potions in this build which are a combat boosting potion that increases destruction damage and raises your health. The second is a utility potion that increases the level of enemies affected by fear spells, restores magicka, increases stamina regeneration and allows you to carry more.

Attribute Distribution

Distribute attributes at a ratio of 2/1/1. At level 61 which is required for all the perks the attributes are:

Perk Point Distribution

The skill boosts for Redguards are marked in bold.

Skills and Perks

Mage Skills

Warrior Skills

Rogue Skills

Spells

Alteration

Get training from Dravynea at Kynesgrove to get Alteration to 50 and with Adept Alteration you can cast Waterbreathing when in water to level Alteration.

Conjuration

Used Soul Trap to fill soul gems for enchanting.

Destruction

Flames is there purely because you start with it.

Illusion

Courage can be used to level illusion by casting it at an NPC. The fear spells help when overwhelmed.

Restoration

Just the healing spells from restoration and with spell absorption use Circle of Protection for unlimited magicka when levelling mage skills.

Enchantments

The effects listed below are based upon 100 Enchanting skill, all the enchanting perks in the build and with a set of enchanted crafting gear. Read my guide on making crafting gear if you are not familiar with it.

With the Sallowed Regent Black Book the magnitude of all enchantments can be increased. Please note that Black Books can only be used on Solstheim.

The magnitude of the enchantments can be further increased by equipping 4 pieces of Azhidal's gear.

Alchemy

All the details for the potions and poisons are based on having all the listed alchemy perks, Alchemy at 100 and a set of crafting gear.

Potion of Fortify Health

All the Glowing Musroom you need are in the secret lab at Goldenhills Plantation. All the Nighshade you need can be gathered around the Hall of the Dead in Whiterun. Wheat is in the farms outside Whiterun.

Potion of Fortify Carry Weight

Mora Tapinella are on the route from Helgen to Whiterun. There’s a lot of Scaly Pholiota to the south of Ivarstead and around Riften. Steel-Blue Entoloma are from Khajiit caravan merchants.

Potion of Fortify Enchanting

Dreugh Wax and Stoneflower Petals are only available from Khajiit caravans. Some travel between Whiterun and Markarth. Snowberries are abundant near Windhelm.

Potion of Fortify Smithing

Dreugh Wax and Gold Kanet are only available from Khajiit caravans. Some travel between Whiterun and Markarth. Glowing Mushrooms are in Falmer caves.

Farming

For more information on getting to and setting up your farm read my guide.

Main Area (27)

Side Area (11)

Planters (6)

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