hi jus started a new charachter today i havnt played in a few years i chose a dark elf and chose mage , mage build
any advice?

Don't use conjuration... it svcks more than archery!
example: I summoned a lich (50 seconds) It can 1-hit a flame astronach with it's ice spell!
But all he casts are curses and fire spells! :swear:

should i be using a staff or jus spells ive never been a magic guy b4 lol and what spells are the best thank you

Don't listen to this guy. Conjuration is the most powerful school of magicka in the entire game. Liches are unpredictable, so if you don't want to gamble with what spells they have, don't use them. You can't go wrong with summoning things like Clannfears though.

Other than that, I can't really offer much advice. I'm not one to concern myself with "builds" too much, as any build will work.

For the record, I will say that both archery and conjuration are stunningly effective, as is illusion - if you know what you're doing.

For the Dunmer mage, that is a fine choice that should do quite well. Mages can require a little patience early, but become very powerful once they get their mojo going. You might want to carry a staff and an unenchanted (so you can easily repair it early game) dagger. Don't forget that you can block with either weapon, and the dagger makes a good poison delivery device. One of your early orders of business should be gaining admission to the Arcane University. Be patient and cautious during this process since you can't yet make custom spells. Take your time and earn some money as you go to buy basic spells so you have some spells but more importantly, have basic effects in your spell book for later use to make you own custom spells. Once you get into the University, play around with spells and use the school time to develop good tactics and spells. Practice around the Imperial Isle. Don't feel obliged to progress further in the mages guild unless you want to once you get into the University. Don't wear armor - dress for fashion. Save a lot. Have fun.

cheers mate thanks for the advice and yes definatly no armour goin for true mage look : )
is there good mage clothes?

I'd just find some clothes you like and then enchant them yourself. Some useful effects are Fire Shield (if you plan on doing the main quest) or some other elemental shield. Fortify Magicka is also pretty useful for a mage.

My all time favorite clothes are the black robe, black hood, shoes, and wrist irons and rings... All enchanted with magicka boost from sigil stones. And FYI: conjuration is SO effective, especially for us weak mages

PS: make sure you take advantage of the illusion class! One of the best in the game

Dunmers make fine mages. Good choice. (All choices are good. )

Your fire resistance will make you virtually immune to low-level Daedra's magic attacks, although you'll still have to handle their melee. That immunity will give you a good advantage if you decide to begin the Main Quest at an early level.

To elaborate on one suggestion Acadian made: After you join the mages guild, you have free access to most of the stuff lying around the guild halls; you should have no problem finding a silver dagger, which even unenchanted is a very effective weapon at low level (watch out for the "red theft marker" though; you'll get thrown out if you pick up somebody else's stuff!)

To make that dagger even more effective, use Conjuration's Bound Dagger, which briefly gives you a powerful Daedric dagger. When that spell wears off, you'll still be holding your silver dagger. And definitely don't listen to the guy who says not to use Conjuration. It's a great skill, but really should be combined with another skill to have a complete package. It works well with Illusion (summon help and then go invisible), or with Restoration (summon help and then buff the summon while it fights for you), or with Destruction (if you were to cast Weakness to Fire on that atronach, the lich's fire spell would work just fine. )