Subtle
An Unexpected Ally
The Spellblade is a play style in which you utilize both combat and magic. You rely on your magic as a ranged weapon, and when the enemy comes in close, you turn to a one-handed weapon for close quarters combat.
Now there are a lot of ways you can go about this, but I find this particular play style (which I have tested, reviewed, scrapped, redone) is the most effective. This isn't the ONLY way to do it, but what I find the most effective.
Offensive Skills
As a "spellblade" your main offensive capabilities will be as the name implies: your spells and your blade. One handed will be your "blade" skill and Destruction will be your main offensive spell.
Regarding the One Handed skill, any weapon (maces, daggers, axes, swords) will work, although I would recommend using a sword because of the overall best DPS (damge per second). Now of course, this also depends on the weapon you are using. If you have say, the Blade of Woe (the dagger with the highest base damage), it will outclass most of the lower level swords. So overall, either a high-tier dagger or a sword will be the most effective weapon to be used.
The Destruction skill will be your offensive magical school. Within the Destruction school, you have 3 different types of spells available: fire, frost, and shock. Fire spells deal the most damage and are the least magicka intensive of the three. Frost spells deal damage to health as well as stamina, and have average magicka cost. Shock spells deal damage to health and magicka, and are the most magicka intensive. Another important clause is how resistant enemies are to your spells. Within Skyrim, there are more enemies resistant to frost and fire then there are to shock. I would recommend shock spells because they reach their target instantaneously and there are not very many enemies resistant to shock.
Utility Skills
Your utility spells are the ones that are not necessarily needed to get the most bang for your buck when playing this class, but they are very useful. The following skills are the two most useful for a Spellblade: Conjuration and Enchanting.
Conjuration can be used to summon atronachs, dremora, and reanimate undead. It can also be used to summon bound weapons. This skill can be useful, although I really wouldn't focus on it too much. If you are having trouble finding a good one handed weapon, I would turn to using a bound sword.
Enchanting is a skill that should not be underestimated. It is immensely useful, as you can enchant your robes or armor to make your magicka regenerate faster, decrease the cost of spells, and other things. It is a skill that should be focused on at end game, so you do not become over powered to early in the game.
Defensive Skills
Your defensive spells will be used to maintain a steady amount of health during combat. Restoration, Alteration, and Light armor are the skills that will supply you with the best defense.
Restoration should be used for wards, and healing spells. Wards are very useful when fighting dragons are engaging other mages. Healing spells are self-evident. Also, the perk Recovery is very useful because it makes your magicka regenerate quicker.
Alteration is used for armor buffs. Spells like ebonyflesh and ironflesh increase your armor rating. It should be used before combat is initiated. If wearing robes, be sure to invest in the mage armor perk.
Light armor is a skill that is not really needed with the addition of Alteration, but nevertheless, a spellblade should wear Light Armor. Perks in this Skill Tree are not needed.
And thus, my Spellblade guide is complete. Please keep in mind, this is not the only way to play the Spellblade, simply the way I found most effective. Below is a link to a recreation of how my character looked like during end game.
Skyrim Perk Calculator - Plan the perks for your Skyrim character before spending them!
Now there are a lot of ways you can go about this, but I find this particular play style (which I have tested, reviewed, scrapped, redone) is the most effective. This isn't the ONLY way to do it, but what I find the most effective.
Offensive Skills
As a "spellblade" your main offensive capabilities will be as the name implies: your spells and your blade. One handed will be your "blade" skill and Destruction will be your main offensive spell.
Regarding the One Handed skill, any weapon (maces, daggers, axes, swords) will work, although I would recommend using a sword because of the overall best DPS (damge per second). Now of course, this also depends on the weapon you are using. If you have say, the Blade of Woe (the dagger with the highest base damage), it will outclass most of the lower level swords. So overall, either a high-tier dagger or a sword will be the most effective weapon to be used.
The Destruction skill will be your offensive magical school. Within the Destruction school, you have 3 different types of spells available: fire, frost, and shock. Fire spells deal the most damage and are the least magicka intensive of the three. Frost spells deal damage to health as well as stamina, and have average magicka cost. Shock spells deal damage to health and magicka, and are the most magicka intensive. Another important clause is how resistant enemies are to your spells. Within Skyrim, there are more enemies resistant to frost and fire then there are to shock. I would recommend shock spells because they reach their target instantaneously and there are not very many enemies resistant to shock.
Utility Skills
Your utility spells are the ones that are not necessarily needed to get the most bang for your buck when playing this class, but they are very useful. The following skills are the two most useful for a Spellblade: Conjuration and Enchanting.
Conjuration can be used to summon atronachs, dremora, and reanimate undead. It can also be used to summon bound weapons. This skill can be useful, although I really wouldn't focus on it too much. If you are having trouble finding a good one handed weapon, I would turn to using a bound sword.
Enchanting is a skill that should not be underestimated. It is immensely useful, as you can enchant your robes or armor to make your magicka regenerate faster, decrease the cost of spells, and other things. It is a skill that should be focused on at end game, so you do not become over powered to early in the game.
Defensive Skills
Your defensive spells will be used to maintain a steady amount of health during combat. Restoration, Alteration, and Light armor are the skills that will supply you with the best defense.
Restoration should be used for wards, and healing spells. Wards are very useful when fighting dragons are engaging other mages. Healing spells are self-evident. Also, the perk Recovery is very useful because it makes your magicka regenerate quicker.
Alteration is used for armor buffs. Spells like ebonyflesh and ironflesh increase your armor rating. It should be used before combat is initiated. If wearing robes, be sure to invest in the mage armor perk.
Light armor is a skill that is not really needed with the addition of Alteration, but nevertheless, a spellblade should wear Light Armor. Perks in this Skill Tree are not needed.
And thus, my Spellblade guide is complete. Please keep in mind, this is not the only way to play the Spellblade, simply the way I found most effective. Below is a link to a recreation of how my character looked like during end game.
Skyrim Perk Calculator - Plan the perks for your Skyrim character before spending them!
