Damn, this is frustrating as hell.

I need to know why I'm svcking so bad in this game. I have the difficulty set to the default which should be normal. Here is my toon.

L31 Redguard Battlemage

Skills:
Magika 270
Health 217
Stamina 180

Perks
Restoration 43
Destruction 56
Enchanting 47
Smithing 61
Heavy Armor 49
One Handed 48

Heavy Armor Dwarven Armor Flawless
Morokei helmet for Magic Regen

My armor is not enchanted with anything. Just heavy armor.

I'm in a dungeon (temple of Xrib/Sightless Pit) that the guide says is "reccomended L18". Falmer knightprowlers and Charaus Reapers or some such garbage. Gettting consistently owned by spit poison and lighting strikes.

I'm a one handed character, my strategy is basically dual cast fire, maybe a mace of some kind. Somewhere I'm going wrong, because my toon seems pretty weak at this stage in the game.

Part of your problem is you're investing all these skillups to enchanting, you're primarily a caster as evident by having a larger mana pool and equipping an armor piece specifically for regen, but you're not enchanting your armor. That's really just silly.

It's like running around with an iron weapon at your level.

probly need to enchant your weapon too.

also, destruction is pretty weak according to most, so your flame spell might not be helping you much in any case.

Which Perks ?

Thanks for the reply, so by that rational then

- Is Dwarven armor appropriate for my level, and what do you reccomend chanting it with?
- I'm on the lookout for a good 1H weapon to compliment my casting. What do you reccomend?

My primary focus in the perk area has been Destruction | Restoration | Smithing | Enchanting | One Handed

Do you have the Impact Perk ? Destruction is worthless without it.

Then, as long as you progress cautiously to avoid being overwhelmed by enemies, you'll be fine with the Firebolt / Ice spike / Lightning Bolt spells. Don't forget to ALWAYS dual cast though. (and by dual casting, I mean, using both hands for the same spell, not using fire in left hand and ice in right hand like I did at first)

Also, since you are using Enchant, well, enchant your gear.

Enchanting your gear is a start -- do you have a helper to well, help? I'm also assuming you have no resistance gear, as that can be a downer, and you can even buy some in a shop. I'm also guessing you haven't fought a particular shadow priest as poisen/disease wouldn't be an issue either. I honestly don't even know where the dungeon you speak of is. I've only found the falmer once, and I think that was in the Shimmermyst Cave. Those poisen guys were tough as nails, but was only like 15 at the time.

I do have the impact perk. So my strategy is typically going to be stun, then go in for the kill with my 1H weapon.

What do you guys reccomend as the best all round type of enchanment type for heavy armor/battle mage.

I dual-cast augmented Firebolt and I'm wearing the Arch-Mage robes with the Mage Armor perk + various regen jewelry. I also use Conjuration to distract the enemy and I have Lydia with me. I do ok, die sometimes and change tactics and it goes better. There's this cave on the way to Winterhold though with those same enemies you mentioned and I had to leave because they were so difficult. That was maybe at Level 25 or so and I'm at Level 33 now so I should try again. They're tough...no doubt about that. Try some Conjuration so the enemy is distracted would be my advice. Good luck.

:tes:

At level 31, you should start finding better armor but dwarven will do for the moment.

As for enchanting, I'd go with fire and frost resistance as well as a fortify destruction. Plus jewelry for additional Magika.

Also, if you go to melee once the targed is stunned with Impact, enchant your weapon.

Well, you have no way to interrupt them or block damage.
Try Paralysis and weakness to fire poisons in combination with shouts if something particular hard pops up.
Enchant your sword with Fire Damage, get Flam Cloak in destruction, enchant your Armor.
I think alchemy instead of more smithing or enchanting would help you at this point.

Aela is with me, but she gets downed in about 30 seconds.

This dungeon is north if I recall. It's a pit that you fall into, then clear. For whatever reason, I'm having difficulty against shock and poison because of the immediate hit to health and mana, can 't restore fast enough.

I prefer fire enchantments in the early/mid levels, since they are pretty handy against most of the common enemies. Incidentally, if you don't already, think about using a shield. Shield bashing is amazingly useful, some of the shield perks are great, and shields can hold an extra defensive/fortifying enchantment (or two, if you max out enchanting).

Enchant your armor with "Fortify Health" and "Fortify One-Handed". You don't wear any jewelry? Everything helps. I'm lvl 49 Light Armor, one handed warrior type and from the start I enchanted all my equipment and weapons.

Enchant your blade with "Fire" and train your one handed skill. Soon, enemies will die so fast, they won't even touch you anymore LOL Lay some critical strikes on them, hit them with power attacks. Rush your enemy, before they can spit the poison at you, or stealth kill them if they own you. I also tried Destruction, but I find the spells to be too weak for some reason. I use Legendary Daedric Blades, so lvl up your smithing and invest more points into your health.

At lvl 31 those guys shouldn't pose any issue for you. Use poison resistant jewelry or potions. Also, what you listed as "perks" are your skills. Did you invest in any perks? Do you use Dragon Shouts?

I rush at my enemies, one hit them with a critical and their last words usually are "What's the hurry?" LOL

wow..... i see your problem...

You are level 31 and you don't have a single skill used to actually kill something up to 60 yet... That's got to be brutal... facing lvl 31+ opponents with 56 destruction, 48 one handed... You should be fighting lvl 15ish opponents with those skills.

Unfortunately that is very easy to do in TES games and new players may find themselves falling behind as they level.

My advice to you is to pick either destruction, or one handed or what ever skill that can kill something, and keep it above any other skill you have, and do you best not to level a bunch of other things at the same time. Try to keep your skills focused in between 4 major skills at the most. Once you get your destruction or 1 handed to 80+ you can start doing other things.

my suggestion is to lean more towards destruction or one handed. Your stats in both of those (your main combat skills) are pretty weak for a level 31. Level up one of them so you know you have a solid combat skill.

I wonder if Impact buys enough time to go to melee though.
Impact is great to prevent the enemy to reach you, so you can defeat anyone with a barrage a spells, but I doubt it's effective with the strategy you have in mind. I only have the experience of my one character who was a pure Destructio mage though.

You'd probably be better off with alteration / paralysis rather than Destruction / Impact.

I'd say Destruction works fine on its own, but as a complimentary skill to real combat, it svcks.

..and it's stupid with it.<_< (<--Not at you but the fact that it's a stupid mechanic, and boring to boot.)

I'll try that and the advice others have posed in earlier comments, thank you.

Anyone have suggestions on where to find some killer 1H weapons? I'm on the lookout for a new one.

The Pale Blade.

And I don't know about others, but I found destruction to be fairly weak unless using two-handed spells later in the game.

Make one! Level up your smithing! The best way to do so, is to craft Iron Daggers. I think I crafted like 100's of them LOL The mats are cheap and soon you can make a nice Glass Blade, until you are able to lvl up and make the next best thing, a Daedric blade.

No nees to switch armor, any armor in game can be improved to cap. Falmer and chorus are difficult for a non-sneak character. They also have strong poison, so it is best to keep them at a distance. As other have said, some enchants on your gear will help.