I see NPC mages using wards alot , and they can be annoying . I tried using them a little when i first started but what seemed a good idea in theory didnt work out , it just seemed i was better of healing or simply dual casting destro to kill them quicker.

Does anyone use them as part of there main arsenal when fighting? Are they too much of a mana drain? to hard to use properly ? . Would just like to hear from other mages if they manage to use them so its more effective than the other options.

Even the opening ward "lesser ward" is amazing. They're a must have for anyone leveling restoration magic. Not only do you get bonus armor rating, you also absorb magic damage.

I currently can stand directly in a dragon's flame breath and take zero damage with my ward up and i'm an assassin/thief khajitt that uses restoration in the offhand and Mehrunes Dagger in my primary.

I have yet to get them to work. Mine get shattered almost immediately, while even if I keep up a constant stream of attacks on a enemy mage theirs stays strong. I think NPC mages spells work differently than PCs, so you 80 points of magical absorption will stop one spell but wont regen before the next one comes in, while their ward regens to full strength immediately.

Edit to add(dragons breath it does work on similar to flames/sparks style spells, that damage isn't very spieky though so your ward comes up, ice spikes seem to blow right through it though)

They can be helpful. I have found a few place where the only way you can survive is to use a ward.

I've found they drain magicka too quickly (and that's from someone who's put every level towards magicka). But then, I'm not leveled very high in restoration, so I'm sure they would be better if I were.

Well, they would certainly use less mana with higher level in the right school...

Wards are useful against streamed attacks like dragon breaths or Flames and Sparks. Less against nukes like Incinerate or Ice Spikes, which tend to overcome and break the wards. But yeah, when you are a mage, wards are basically your version of Block and kinda nice when you get them to regenerate your magicka.

All of the Ward, none of the magicka drain.

they arent very good, the mana cost often makes trying to dodge whatever it is a better choice if possible

I keep on forgetting to use the Ward spells... :wacko:

Actually yeah, with a ward up your movement is slowed, so dodging is probably more viable vs most attacks.

I don't really use them

They're very expensive (re: magicka cost) and they break immediately

I'm absolutely sure I don't use them properly though, I need to practise because at the moment it's no good for me

i get that feeling to but i'm beggining to feel that the truth is they are usless in 99% of situations , you are just better running around and killing them asap . It's a shame as they are a very good idea and if implemented properly could bring a decent skill element into magery.

I use a Ward spell before I go into a dangerous area or around a corner in a dungeon and then my magicka gets back up before I need to use it for another spell usually. I think Shield spell and I always used those in Oblivion. I've been using them more lately too because the enemies are getting really tough.

:tes:

I never found them useful. Given that enemy spellcasters have functionally bottomless magicka and you don't, trying to outlast them is not a winning strategy. Basically you could just go to the Atronach birthstone and gain a 50% immunity to magic, without spending magicka on active defenses or having to micro-manage your ward all the time.

What's stupid about wards is that they break and you get staggered just by gettin hit with one spell. It's so dumb. Make them able to absorb more than one spell and they might be useful

They slow you down and only absorb a certain amount of damage, and tie up one hand.
That said, they also use up magicka, which if you arent using other spells it can be worth it, but if you are a mage, its not with the cost. If they didnt cost magicka, they would be a viable choice vs dodging the attacks in the first place. So when your warrior comes across a guy with glowing hands, putting the ward up while you dodge around a corner might be worth it, most other uses are not.