Fire has pulled up and away from 2nd place, and there's 4 votes for frost now! Some folks might think it obnoxious, but I'm replying to everything that is reply-worthy now that I finally have some time to read the knowledge on this thread (plus it's MY thread, so I get to reply to whatever I damn well please.) Here comes the reply omnibus!
...I feel much the same about Free Destruction. Mages use Magicka, that's why they put it in the game, added all those items, and perks to reduce, and regenerate it. Enchanting so it's no longer an issue isn't playing a mage, it's making your character into a Staff of Fireballs.
Hmm... your words here have sobered my enthusiasm to become a Staff of Fireballs. Like anything else, I very much agree that there's a time and a place for each and every spell. I was forced to realize this on a recent mission, wherein I was supposed to quietly kill an undercover Dawngaurd (the scum!) No destruction spell I had was powerful enough to put him down before he could run over to me and start making noise. Even then, I'd blast all my mana reserves at him and he'd come down to about half his life. The first thing I thought was, "I need a crap-ton more magicka." I ended up going with a Fury spell. "Guards, this Orcish Bard has gone crazy! Please, someone stop him before he kills somebody!" Though it wasn't a destruction spell per se, the point you make here echoes all throughout the College of Winterhold. Also, down with the Dawnguard! Next!
Ok, there are also combos that are not of the Pure Destruction Mage variety which work well with it too. As stated earlier, a Shield mage can stunlock the enemy in the AoE to finish them quickly. This helps a lot with the main problem with Wall Spells, the enemy can walk right out of them. With Augment Flames, the Fear effect can cause them to do it, so I'd avoid that perk if these are used as primary spells, or just not use Fire Spells to get them burning if you do. They also work well with Paralysis Effects, from Paralyzing Strike for a Spellsword, Deep Freeze, Ice Form, or Paralysis Poison. You can also stack the DoT effects from Elemental Cloak spells (Not Whirlwind Cloak, of course) Bleed from a Handaxe, the Targe of the Blooded, or Frostbite Venom.
I started this thread to learn how to do more damage with my lightning spells, and instead, you went and blew my friggin' mind--I now resemble Johnny Blaze after scarfing down a plate of hellforged hotwings. Think of it! As soon as I get into those higher levels (which aren't so terribly far,) I can paralyze folks, then hose down their helpless forms with those sweet, sweet wall spells. Until then I can be thinking about putting points into ice damage--I've really... warmed up to the idea of slowing them down some (Ba-doom-tish!) I now alternate between dual-casting and double-fisting, depending on the circumstances. And when I say "double-fisting," I'm of course talking about a Lightning Bolt fired from each hand instead of the mega beam that recquires both hands. It's also a drinking term. It's got a few meanings, actually. Anyway, you CANNOT deny that dual-casting at least looks awesome. Raise your hand if you've ever said "Hadoken" aloud while dual-casting. Oh yes you have! Nee-yext!
...While I'd like to tell you how to make Runes effective, I tried, and failed. I hate to admit there's anything completely useless in the game, these are damned near. For Apprentice Mages, they can be used as Poor man's Fireball (And frost/shock too, depending on the fight) but that's only until you earn Adept Destruction so you can move on to the real thing (not to mention Cloaks.) Cast them at their feet, if they're standing in the AoE, it will detonate instantly, but this can be tricky...
This is the one piece of information you've spewed that I was already kind of ontrack with (everything else has been pretty mind-blowing.) Runes don't really do anything other than annoy the beer out of me when I'm hunting down enemy spell-casters (for their souls! Bwa-ha-ha-ha!) I've used them a few times, but really, what am I doing wasting the magicka on them? Explosions are cool, but there's better and more effective ways of making explosions. I feel like the Rune Master perk would only be cool if I maid my character around casting runes--and I didn't. Next!
...Surprisingly, the most effective, and efficient way to use [flames] is to double cast, and pulse it, so the Burning efect stacks, and they take multiple instances of DoT before the last one wears off. Try this, hold both down on the Captain ("Forget the list, s/he goes to the Block!") and watch her Health go down. Next, reload, and just pulse one hand. Watch her health go down faster! Now, pulse both hands as fast as you can. Right!? ...One last thing, Draugr are weak against Fire (So are all Undead, Skeletons, Vampires, Dragon Priests, Whisp Mothers, Ice Wraiths, pretty much all of them except Ash Spawn.) so you get more XP for burning them, and there's a lot of Draugr. I mean a lot a lot, more than you need, so if you're trying to power level this, you know where to go...
I feel like I need to lay down, because the Flames lesson has rocked my grip on reality. You get more XP for using fire against Draugr!? Yep, I'm woozy now. That's really cool! May I ask if that goes for other monsters (like shock versus shock-vulnerable and/or frost versus the frost vulnerable?) If so, then we can all officially say that "mages are the plops." In regards to the pulsing technique, I feel like it's just a tiny bit cheap. Does anyone else feel that way? Granted, the next time I'm about to become Ash Spawn meat, it's going to be put into practice! Pulsing, though? Don't you guys/gals feel like more of a mage when you're straight-up hosing? Next!
But it's so clever that they kept it. Not like being a vampire has much other benefits anyway
What!? Being a vampire doesn't have enough benefits for you, Leseras? Well maybe you should just go get yourself a crossbow, then. Or maybe you and ol' Adam Belmont should GET BIT! Molag Bal is shaking his head right now. Next!
I play the game as it was made. Sorry you feel anything that makes someone better a glitch.
From what I've read, it very much sounds to me like you and Psiberzerker have completely different relationships with the word "glitch." Next!
...For more magicka efficiency, and higher Rate of Fire (Or Frost...) you can charge one hand, and release it while the other charges, effectively doubling your Rate of Fire, and Magicka Consumption. This is handy for circle straffing around, and carpet bombing the melee with Fireballs, or machinegunning a single target with Bolt spells. (Very handy on hovering, or grounded Dragons.) Yet another solution is to cast 2 different spells, so that complimentary effects can work together. For instance, the Slow effect of Ice Spike with the Burning of Fire Bolt...
I started out with lightning spells for two reasons: to kill enemy mages (whose souls I endlessly lust for,) and to look cool while doing it. Clearly, I was a fool. There will need to be more perks spent on my destruction tree, there's just no two ways about it. Back in the day, my straight-mage by the name of Quarziban delighted in warming up and cooling down his opponents with Flames and frost--somehow the effectiveness escaped me at the time. Frost and Lightning would look cool together, and I would deplete all three of the enemy's gauges! Oh, how my citadel does rise...
Boosh.
