I have played through a good deal of the game as a sneak archer / conjurer. I have good success working up to playing mostly on Master and lately Legendary. I can handle myself well having achieved 100 in archery, sneak and conjuring.

I am trying a new PC but this time a one handed light armor swordsman / smith but having a very rough go of it. I can play max on adept and sometimes have to resort to novice. My issue is being mobbed.

The problem is that many foes in SK use ranged attacks. I need to charge these guys taking damage as I do before I can get in my first shot. Even if that works ok, at least half the time, more foes appear out of nowhere so I end up in an impossible position of having to fight one in front and one behind. The second one gets me. In one place, I charged up a single falmer only to find myself attacked by another falmer & three chrouses. You know how that ended.

How do you guys who use swords tackle the issue of having to charge into a ranged foe and then finding you are mobbed? I sure hope the answer isn't to carry dozens of health potions. I'll be pretty disappointed if that's what I need do. I prefer strategy but can't figure one for this.

I'm now LVL 20, armor rating 224.

Your going to need to go get the Block perk that gives you arrow reflection.

And unless you have a crossbow bow then yes your going to need to neck a lot of health potions, but I also suggest you get a Staff of Flaming Familiar and use it whenever your getting mobbed. My main is like yours but with heavy armor and when my character was low level my best friend was the flaming familiar...got me out of a lot of mage mobs...

sword and board or dual wield? If sword and board, invest into blocking. get the shout 'Ice Form' which will let you get into a better position, if you are being mobbed, powerful paralysis poisons work well to eliminate foes for 10 seconds or so, in order for you to get into a better position where your shield is presented to the enemy. If you go dual wield, however, then I am afriad it looks like health potions are your only way out.