Skyrim is my first RPG and I'm loving it. Playing melee/archer - one handed and block - sneak and archery light armour at about level 20.


I'm OK till I meet those ice spike throwing mages. Also in an earlier play through, I was level 45 and getting incinerated pretty badly.

I have a feeling it's Wards that absorb magicka, or block with the elemental protection perk that will defend.

Any hints on how to match these guys when they start to appear ?

shield perks are always good especially elemental protection paired with increased movement speed.

Play a Nord and get 50% cold resistance. Use potions to improve cold resistance and magic resistance.

Better yet, rush the mage in question, shield bash him once to interrupt the spell, and separate his head from his [censored] body.

I try and have a least a alittle talent with magic. Ice mages don't bug me too much due to being a Nord, but fire wrecks my day.

If you want to stay true to form, the elemental protection Shield perk's your best bet, as well as resist cold potions. Otherwise, you can do what I did when casters were wrecking my day, and put the Lesser Ward spell to some use. It might not sound like a lot of damage that it'll eat, but throwing it up let me make a somewhat-halting dash into melee with the caster.

Edit: Also, it lets me pretend I'm Harry Dresden.

get items with frost resist enchantments

Yea I dont mind using a bit of Conjuration or Echanting. I'll do that. it's just the hit to stamina that pins me down that I want to avoid.

Sounds like resist frost on the armour and Elemental protection, with sprint while shield is up are the way to go.

Is there a Ward perk that fits this situation well ?

Fully possible, I confess that I haven't looked at the magic perks all that closely, as I've been focusing more on my primary playstyle which is a sort of assassin-turned Warrior when spotted kinda thing.

sliiiiiide to the left!

sliiiiiide to the right!

Just zig zag when they fire at you, and get frost resistance (Though I never use those and I do fine) Its all about timing in this game seeing that you either get hit, or you dont, theres no like, It comes near you, so you still get hit if you know what im talking about.

I constantly have a pair of Ice Resistant boots on at all times. that's my main defense against the ice mages.

The Lord Stone will give you 50 points of damage resistance and 25% magic resistance.

I personally use a ward, which I overcharge when i see one of those goddam ice mages readying that stuff.

I love to throw up a ward in these situations!

Over charge , is that dual cast ?

1.) Lord Stone
2.) Disenchant a Magic Resist Item and Shield of Solitutude's Magic Resist* (This stacks)
3.) Enchant a Ring + Amulet with Magic Resist & Magic Resist*
4.) Enchant your Shield with 50% Fire 50% Frost Resist.
5.) Stagger spam the poor mage and laugh as you are invulnerable to elemental damage.

The five d's. Dodge, duck, dip, dive and.. dodge.

this

also, until late game stages, i enchant a ring and shield to resist magic (all round magic resist works fine the items get anything from 8 to 12% magic resist - even higher depending on your enchanting skill) and boots to resist frost(another 8-12%). Also i do the quest for the priestess of Mara in Riften (at the temple) that's a +15 to resist magic. with all these, if you are a nord you are facerolling, all other races are still quite ok, and by the time you get to them whilst blocking, they will deplete mana (unless the bastards have staves, happens a lot)

Spellbreaker

If you want to avoid spamming skills that don't fit your character, here's a few choices ...

* The shield, Spellbreaker acts as a ward without you having to invest in a magic skill (nor raise your magicka).
* Savior's Hide has 15% magic resistance.
* Agent of Mara power provides 15% magic resist too.
* As other's have said, search shops/loot for rings and necklaces with magic resist, and boots with elemental protection.