So I'm making my 2nd and final build for a true Dragonborn character for the main quest. The first was a Bosmer Ranger, and this one is an Altmer...something or other. Pretty much a battlemage, but not quite as I wanted to be a bit different. Lately though it has been extremely difficult, even on lower difficulties to survive with this build and I'm looking for some outside opinions and insight. Let me go over the basics first:

Name: Sinyano

Race: Altmer

Class: Battlemage (sort of)

Skills: Primary - One-handed, Destruction, Heavy armor

Secondary - Restoration, Alteration

Crafting - Enchanting

Weapon of Choice: Mace / Destruction Magics

Follower: Faendel

So to explain a few of my choices -

I wanted a Mer race for a Dragonborn (MQ); his RP story is that with the rise of the Aldmeri Dominion, the Dragonborn is discovered to save the land torn apart by war. He was an operative inside of Skyrim for an opposing unnamed faction to the Thalmor, their goal to rally support to oppose the Thalmor and to eventually unite the continent under the new Dominion banner, either as members or accepting allies. He was caught by the Thalmor and planted near a patrolling group of Imperials so that he could be dealt with. Their plan obviously was derailed by the arrival of Alduin.

Faendel was a perfect follower for this RP since he is a Bosmer who joined the DB after his trust was earned and also shared similar views of the Thalmor and of the Dominion.

I never had a character, in any of the types, use a pound-type melee attack so I wanted this character to have one. Since my last character which was all melee used a battle axe, this was the obvious choice (1 handed - Mace). It's slow, but I still really like it (especially the killcams...so basic of a finisher, but devastating). As for the magic selection, destruction and restoration were obvious choices for damage, healing, and wards (for fighting dragons) but I also wanted Alteration for the potential later on for the bonuses to armor as well as casting Paralysis.

I'm really accurate with my casting and rarely miss with my melee attacks and my combat style is to lay destruction magic down against melee/ranged opponents until I can get up close for a couple shots with the mace, and against magical opponents I counter with wards and go in with mace to stun and kill them. Against the end-dungeon opponents and such I have a REALLY hard time, even on novice difficulties and I'm wondering if this is just a really bad build, bad approach, or both. For example, it took me countless tries to take down Otar the Mad and get his mask. Maybe I was too early of a level for that dungeon (11).

Any thoughts or advice would be good. This is really the first time I've had such difficulty with a build.

use smithing.

You might need to add in Conjuration or Illusion. Destruction is fine, but its complimented further by adding in other schools.

Restoration and Alteration are just defensive skills.

If you don't want to perk up smithing or armor. Then use enchanting to make smithing gear and put enchants on your armor. What I usually use is: Fortify 1h, + health, % magic regen. I usually get resist shock, fire, frost and put them on rings or necklesses. ( cause in RL you can wear more than one.)

I try and keep the best armor and weapon that the character can have. It helps

Have you considerd using an animal follower? they do make a diffrence. Also, i find that utalising staffs really do boost your charachter.

Id definately use smithing if you're dead set on two handed and heavy armor. I mean if you're charging into battle, then why not try for the best possible armor?

Another thing you could do in addition to the above suggestions is level alchemy and make fortify destruction and restore magicka potions. Someone correct me if i'm wrong, but i believe all enchantments either reduce magicka cost or increase your regen. The fortify destruction potion increases the damage done by destruction spells. I'm on my third mage now (1st and 2nd were just testing stuff out) and my Hearthfire home has a greenhouse and i use that along with my garden to make 4 types of ingredients for those 2 potions. I also use cooking and make Elsweyr Fondue and eat it for the harder dungeons that i know of.

and just FYI here are the basic ingredients for those items i mentioned:

Supplementing destruction with another magic school as someone has already suggested would be a good idea, but personally I would suggest a different follower, I know you have a reason for choosing Faednal but a follower who specialises in close combat would help take the attention away from you in fights and give you more of a chance.

I think the problem is that you're developing too many skills to start. It's best to concentrate on one attack skill and get it to at least 40 with 3 or 4 perks before branching out.

Also use Enchanting. Just by disenchanting the few things you come across between Helgen and Riverwood, you'll get Enchanting over 20 and with 2 perks you can make a set fortify 1H items of 68-72% (or fortify Destruction items of 11-12% each)

I think you have a good build and a good strategy. Don't think you have to add anything else, just mind who you pick a fight with at early levels. A dragon priest at that early level? Come on, you're a veteran in this, you know those guys are the higher level enemies in the game. Just fight the lower level guys until you level up a bit.

^^ This. I went to do a favor for a Jarl in one of my older games. I was a very very low level. It required me to take care of a dragon. What I forgot about at the time was it was at Shearpoint (I think). I walk up to the word wall and theres the dragon, and Krosis! I took care of the dragon but had to flee.

Unlike other kill skills, Destruction cannot stand very well on its own. While other kill skills are complimented by supplemental skills, Destruction practically requires them to be effective in the first place. It's a point of consternation many have: Destruction is weak in the Vanilla game.

The main problem is that casting them is exorbitantly expensive. Dual cast? 2.2x damage... for 2.8x mana. A small price to pay when you're using it to boost effects governed by level, like Illusion spells, but Destruction, where the effect is over in seconds? Past the Apprentice missile spells, base cost for Destruction spells gets less and less efficient in terms of mana/damage ratios as well, culminating in the crowning achievements in mana waste; the Master-level spells. And its main advantage, completely bypassing armor? Only a scant few enemies actually *HAVE* armor! And even then, not much to boot.

And that's to say nothing about the unfair lop-sidedness in methods to boost Destruction damage compared to other kill skills.

The exact same happened to me, except that I stayed and fought Krosis. The only reason for this is that he wasn't moving so I just hid behind a tree for 20 mins occasionally popping out to fire arrows at him.

^This^ mods improve it drastically, so that's an option if you're on PC

I struggled with Krosis with a tank sword & board at level 16 on my first play through... I mean I really struggled, dying at least 7-10 times (can't really remember) and when I finally beat him, I used up every last buff and health potion I had. Moral of the story: don't get too big for your britches early on. If you're mixing magic and melee skills like that you probably have your perks (at lvl 11) already spread to thin to start taking on dragon priests.

Edit: the build and back story are great, in my opinion.

Yeh, I guess taking on Otar was a bit of a stretch there at level 11. Though in my defense, it was one of a two DP's I've never gone and faced before, and the whole reason why I went there is because I got a "Letter from a Friend", wouldn't say who sent it, just that it was for hands only...

This afternoon I went through Sarthal on Expert and it was definitely easier. Still a bit of a problem though so I'm thinking of adding Block as a tertiary skill, maybe invest 2 total over the first 30 levels.

You always do what strangers tell you in letters? If a "friend" sent a letter telling you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?

Is there pie at the bottom? Because if so, then hell yeh. I love pie.