Wall of Fire might not be a great tool against a flying dragon, but against a crowd of Draugr Deathlords it can deal tremendous damage to multiple enemies at once. If Frost Runes felt like they were never worth the trouble, for example, after their damage and range have been increased, players may find that they have considerably more usefulness. Runes, Cloak spells, and Wall spells all benefit from the Destruction treeвЂ™s three Augmented perks.

Related: Skyrim's Worst Alteration Spells (& Creative Ways To Use Them)

For a unique character build to refresh Skyrim, these lesser-used spell types are worth a reconsideration. SkyrimВ players tend to fall into a rhythm, and this makes it easy to overlook these forms ofВ spells. Runes, Cloak spells, and Wall spells all offer advantages when approaching a fight at aВ different angle. While these are some of the go-to attacks for mage builds, Destruction magic is capable of much more. With Destruction magic, often the first spells that come to mind are projectile spells like Chain Lightning, Incinerate, or Ice Storm. Perks to negate elemental damage do exist, but they instead fall under Skyrim's Alteration tree. Undead enemies, for instance, are resistant to frost damage, and there are no perks to lessen that resistance.

The different strategic uses for fire, frost, and shock spellsВ are what give depth to Destruction magic, and there are no perks associated with furthering their attributed bonuses or for negating their penalties. One of the major problems with the Destruction perks is that, as with all the magic skill trees in Skyrim, it places a higher priority on reducing the mana cost of its spells rather than increasing their damage or overall usefulness. Impact is also a useful perk, as it staggers targets, preventing them from closing the distance with dangerous melee attacks. With two points spent on each of these, players can achieve a 50% damage boost, which is significant when stacked with Dual Casting. Of the 17 perk points that can be put into Destruction, Augmented Flames, Frost, and Shock are the three perks most responsible for increasing damage. The only way to increase damage with Destruction spells is with consumable potions, specific Dragon Priest MasksВ from the Dragonborn DLC (Ahzidal, Dukaan, and Zahkriisos), or by slotting perk points into the Destruction skill tree. TheВ IssueВ With Leveling SkyrimвЂ™s Destruction Skill Similarly, Enchanting and Smithing can increase the damage of weapons, but again neither skill tree offers any bonus towards the damage potential of Destruction magic. Sneak attack bonuses do apply to attacks performed with one-handed weapons or with a bow and arrow, leavingВ Destruction spells with no such advantage. This is in part because it receives no benefit from sneak attack bonuses. While the same can be said of all SkyrimвЂ™s best character builds, the damage ceiling for Destruction spells is considerably lower. Related: Useful Morrowind Spells That Would Make TES6 Better Than SkyrimДЄt higher levels, however, the output for Destruction magic hits a damage cap. A bow and arrow, by comparison, requires two hands, which leaves the Dragonborn vulnerable once enemies close the distance. Players can fire off these spells while still keeping a sword or shield in their other hand, addressing close and mid enemies in equal measure. Projectile spells like Fireball or Ice Spike can be fired with one hand, striking enemies at range. As the mageвЂ™s go-to for dealing damage, Destruction spells hurl fire, frost, and lightning at enemies, and serve as a colorful way to vary up combat encounters. Of SkyrimвЂ™s six magical skill trees, Destruction magic is the most straightforward. Skill in Destruction has little bearing on theВ accessibility of spells, and this can make investing in the Destruction tree feel like a waste of perk points. SkyrimвЂ™s best magic spellsВ can easily be found in loot chests or bought from merchants rather than earned through leveling. The province is dominated by traditionalist Nords who fear magic, associating it with the hated Thalmor, or the mistrustful wizards from the College of Winterhold. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim often feels like a video game that capitalizes on martial combat, despite the fact that there are some significant pros to using Destruction magic (in addition to its cons).

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