I started as a pure mage. Most of my other created mages carried a claymore. I always needed a big blade. But with this character, his strength and endurance are still what they were when he started, no points added. Meaning my encumbrance is now drastically reduced, which forced me to carry a dagger, which later I deemed too heavy and now only use a custom bound dagger spell for the max time and a staff. Which is liberating and awesome. I am the weapon.
I tried using a bow for a little bit, enchanting it with Silence for 3 seconds and a massive 65% Weakness to Magicka for 15 seconds. I would fire the bow, and while the arrow was in flight, fire off a custom 100% WTM target spell, making the following spell the killing spell. Then I realized, that I was forcing the bow on my character. I tried to justify it for about two levels by carrying only a handful of arrows. That is, a lot of my other characters were pure archers. Only a bow and one hardcoe touch killing spell for anything that got too close. So I got rid of the bow, and everything has now fallen into place for my mage. Magic-using enemies still freak me out. At level 18, I'm pretty proud, generic magic-using enemies now need two hits instead of one to kill me. Bosses still kill me in one shot though.

Angel has discovered bows but only as a hobby. She spent several days practicing at different distances on the targets behind the fighters guild. It was actually a lot of fun. Her new thing is to put an apple on a crate with a crate stacked behind it to catch the arrows. The idea is to get as far away as possible and hit the apple but apples in the game won't hold an arrow so you need a backstop.

I have to say that she has gone from my extreme discomfort zone to just plain fun.

I'm almost there, with my mage. Learning new tactics is pretty fun, though certainly disconcerting at first. My recent archer used to practice and teach FG members at the range in Chorrol. Former archers could clear out dungeons, one shot kills all day long, and never be discovered. And though that was a joy in itself, especially the knockdown effect at Expert level, I was forcing that success on a completely different person.... and am excited to find out my character's own successful tactics, though not quite there. All it takes is one spell to misfire and I'm toast.

Buffy’s comfort zone is her bow backed up with some magic (mostly illusion). And she doesn’t like to leave that comfort zone. She has run out of arrows and cleared dungeons using nothing but magic; after all, she can command foes, disappear and summon a clannfear so it isn’t hard. Yet. . . she always returns to her bow for what it does best – killing. She simply loves the fire and forget aspect of a good poisoned arrow. Part if it is, I’m sure, her wood elven heritage.

As far as touching a melee weapon or striking something with her fist. . . well, that is simply a bridge entirely too far for her to cross. Not with her endurance & strength permanently stuck at 30 and a single digit armor rating. Eeep!

Which I guess is also responsible for her somewhat unclothed approach to waterfalls

By the way Acadian, where has Buffy′s picture gone in your avatar??

For Angel, archery is nothing but a hobby. She is actually very mild tempered and doesn't even think of her bow as a weapon. That may change in time since she has a growing urge to revenge Sarrah's death at the hands of a certain Dremora Archer at a certain bridge, in a certain plane of Oblivion. She sees herself using a bow to accomplish it. That would definitely raise my pucker factor. I would not want Angel to die the same way her older sister did.

I am glad, too. I don't know what Id do if OB general were deserted.



I think since we can block with bows, that "bash" might be more of a sheild bash. not sure though, because I've also never seen this happen.

Nope, it's a small bash, does not do much damage but it staggers the enemies for just a small bit, you press the L1 button on the Ps3 when equipped with a bow.

It is a bash. You can do it with either a shield or a two handed weapon such as a bow, warhammer, battleaxe, etc... Scylla does it all the time with her battle axe. It is very handy, as it usually staggers your opponent, giving you a perfect opportunity for a power attack. However, you cannot bash or block if dual-wielding, or with magic in both hands. It has to be a weapon that requires two hands.

http://youtu.be/ekJZpYydUuw

I've tried as well. Got to about level nine and dropped it. I just don't have the patience for it.

Yep, that's about the level my mage got to as well. I'd like to try a mage again in Skyrim. Somehow the idea of a mage seems more interesting to me in that game.

Well since leveling is so easy in that game, you won't have any difficulty. I hit level 23 in like two days, had an archery skill of 60+ or something, and decided "Hey, I think I'll become a mage." I have a skill in Destruction of about 81 currently. It's pretty fun. I love the fiery explosion spells, such as Fireball. I haven't dabbled in the other schools very much. I probably won't for a long time, as I have decided to drop Skyrim for a while.

You can do it with one-handed weapons, too.