So here is my thought, please leave criticisms, constructive or otherwise (I know you will anyway)...

A Breton with:
- Destruction and Conjuration for damage (with fortify destruction to be able to spam expert level spells but am not planning on taking any perks to reduce cost in desturction although I am planning on taking those perks in conjuration)
- Enchanting
- Heavy Armor (to not get one shot by baddies)
- Restoration (with fortify restoration to be able to contiusouly cast wards unless I am priortizing a target or am facing single enemies that need to be stun-locked)

Is it necessary to have Alteration if I go Heavy Armor? Alteration does have some nice perks but it seems like a chore to always have to buff everything before getting into combat and I hate getting surprised as I come over a hill or turn a corner and BAM you are dead! Would it be worth it to get Alteration up high enough to be able to grab the magic resistance perks?

If I go Heavy Armor do I need to also level Smithing? I think I could squeeze Smithing in without leveling to high compared to the mobs in the game...but probably not if I need Alteration as well. But then Having Alteration up I could add 100 points to my armor which might work in place of Smithing....

Smithing is a mixed bag here. I have smithing on my mage. I have Legendary Daedric. I still only have less than 300 armor. You won't get hit enough to take advantage of all it offers. But that means you kind of need smithing all the more to make up for it.

So how do you go about getting your armor rating higher than that? Melee classes manage to find a way, is it all in the shield?

So Heavy Armor is a bad idea????

Even if you want armor, heavy is a bad idea. Light is better. To replace Alteration, you will need 3 perks in smithing (for elven and enchanted) and 3 or so in light armor. This is as good as you'll get with 6 perks in Alteration or better depending on how much you use enchanting. I like the RP element of robes but armor is just as effective for the skill and perk investment.

Heavy is better.

With limited investment 8 perks total you can cap your physical resist(567 armor), punch people super hard(useful for brawls!) and remove the movement speed and stamina penalties. Light armor needs considerably more points to do this. Heavy armor also makes any transitions into using weapons(either melee or bows) much easier since you picked up daedric smithing(best weapons in the game) rather than going for dragon(no weapons at all, have to stick with glass).


Good choice on skipping the cost reduction perks

I'd recommend only take the perks up to expert on conjuration as dremora lords >>>>>>> thralls. That is unless you plan to also enchant conjuration cost reduction with destruction at which point you can skip it entirely. Really the only perk you "need" in conjuration is twin souls.


I wouldn't worry to much about wards and use impact from destruction perks to stagger-lock people.

Is it necessary to have alteration? No. but the 30% magic resist is godly and later on once you've finished your main build you may want to pick up 30% magic absorb from it as well. If you're going with armor you need to take smithing even if you choose light armor. If you don't have smithing than you may as well stick with alteration and get the mage armor perks since you won't break 300 armor easily without smithing. Smithing greatly amplifies the armor perks themselves so they go well together.