Basically, I've ever only really played the 'Sling Destruction at enemies and wait for them to die' method of being a Mage. I rarely, if ever, use the other schools of magic, except for Restoration. But I want to make it more fun now, because my style is pretty much getting boring.

Is there any way I could get some tips of different Mage styles? I really don't know how to use the other schools effectively, so any tips would be great. :3 Can a mage be effective with minimal destruction use? I'm really just getting tired of hurling fireballs and shooting lightning. But I love Magic, and I've already explored other types, like the Warrior.

Tips and advice, pleeeease~?

EDIT: Oh and also I was wondering, is it hard to be a Mage using a class besides High Elf? I've only ever made them my Mages, because I know they get a bit more magicka than other Races... But I'd love to branch out, if it wouldn't mess me up.

Well most of them are kinda boring, and really the combat system makes it really cumbersome to try and weave spells. You have to work with 8 hotkey buttons, and it takes forever to swap spells. If you have a one hadned weapon...you actually REDRAW your weapon when you switch spells in the off hand. So its not like you can run around mezzing, stunning, snaring and blasting things. In reality you will have things going kamikaze right at you, and all you can do is run around and kite while throwing destruction spells at them. Wards forget it, pointless they explode and stun you, best just to side step and sling firebolt back at mages.

I had the cool idea I would be a master Destruction/Restoration mage with high illusuon for crowd control. The problem was ward spells pretty much svck, they drain magic fast and they get exploded off you. So they become a liability. Its much simpler to just dodge. Illusion spells are nice, but really only pre-fight. If you are trying to whip them out in combat to manipulate the enemy, it's too clunky, you press your hot key you are not entirely sure which mouse button it got assigned too, and then its hard to hit the right enemy.....once again its better to just kite and exploit the AI while blasting them with firebolt. In fact that is the only real tactic that makes sense unless you just are determined to not do it.

The best experience I have had was getting a melee follower, setting him to essential so I would not kill him accidently. And then healing him and fighting. But still its pretty boring, you cant buff him up really. You cant cure stuns....all you need to do is heal him and use firebolt(or the other rank2 spells) on the enemy. You cant use firewall, you'll hit your tank, you can't use fireball you'll hit your tank. You can calm enemies fury them, but its easier just to heal the tank a bit extra and nuke them. I wanted to make a bard/spell sword but I cant figure out how to swap between empty hand and sword and spell and sword. So I can't block at all. Which svcks.

Ilusion is a great, great school. Conjuration is very fun as well.

Tips: Frenzy a group of enemies, throw in a frost atronach, fling destro spells. There are countless options.

I love paralyzing an enemy and casting wall of frost/storms/flames on the enemy lol.

Anyway, there are so many fun ways to play, I've only listed a couple.

Conjuration and Illusion are your only other options, both of which involve sitting back and watching either summons wail on dudes or dudes wailing on each other.

currently playing a wood elf hunter that uses illusion and conjuration as well as archery. Summon a flame atronach and use it to distract the enemies and sink arrow after arrow into them.

Thanks for all the input, everyone! I really appreciate it. I think I'll try and focus on Illusion and Conjuration, and possibly archery, if it doesn't turn out to be terribly inconvenient to switch between that many spells. Maybe get a big shield to hide behind while my conjured things pick everything off... Who knows, we'll see. Hopefully I'll enjoy it.

Ward spells don't "svck" if you get the Restoration perk that allows your mana to absorb some of the spells cast at you.

Just saying.

Play the support role. Takes a different mindset. Like when I played WOW, always went in as Healer in Bgs and Arena.

I let my companions do most of the mashing as I loot corpses and heal them.

I got that perk and it still really doesn't do much for me. Better not to waste mana casting ward to begin with and double fist firebolt spells and kill them faster. I can't see any reason to use ward spells. Especially when there are melee enemies running around loose anyways, or summoned baddies. I am always kiting and running. I dont really need to be stunned by blocking a mage spell with ward, it will just get me hacked down.