Daily Skyrim Debate: Fire/Ice/Storm

[PsijicOrder]

Fire - Ice - Storm

So as we all know, there are 3 elemental types of destruction magic. We all have the one we use most often. Which of the 3 do you think is the most efficient overall, and why?

I vote Fire. As basic as it may be, it ends up dealing additional damage in the end by setting the target on fire. Most of your encounters probably won't be mages, so Storm is silly, plus it costs more! Ice, Ice is great because it slows them down and does more damage over time but I'd rather just kill them faster. (: What's your take?

[Leviathen249]

I don't always use offensive magic, but when I do, I use fire.

Some men just want to watch the world burn.

[PsijicOrder]

That's a terrible thing to say ahaha..

[Narzul]

Lightning Storm. /thread

[The Sexy Stableman]

Lightning.

Storm Call + Adept<= shock spells = fun. Looks great too.

And yes, it's very nice when facing enemy mages.

[scribbane]

I'm not a magic user, but Fire is my favorite. I'm very likely wrong, but in my mind, being in a land of ice and snow seems best counteracted with fire. Nords naturally have a frost resistance, and seeing as you are in the Nord homeland, seems a bit odd to choose that as your primary weapon.

[Akiraka]

I wanted to start a similar thread, because I'm very curious about the general spread of elemental resistances between the mobs. It seems to me that many of the mobs (draugr, the multitude of ice-animals, snow-animals, frost trolls, and the couple ethereal ice-based mobs) are very, if not completely resistant to ice, and that it was the most antagonistic to the player.

Fire seems to encounter few resistant mobs, except for the ones that actually matter -- dragons.

Even fewer things seem to resist shock, and although it costs the most, its projectiles travel the fastest, some instantaneously.

For all of that, I myself am completely torn. But where a lot of people are saying being a mage in Skyrim is too easy, I found it, humblingly, too difficult >.>

[JoeyDestructo]

ice...... slows, enemies, drains stamina, and is cheap

[OblivionDuruza]

I have to go with Fire, although it's top-end perk leaves much to be desired, and I don't use it, while I do use the other two top-end elemental perks. Why drain an enemies Magicka or slow them down when you can just kill them faster is my philosophy, and this works particularly well for a 'spellsword' who doesn't have to worry about slowing enemies so they can't deal damage, as a Mage might. Additionally, I like Fire, it's the quintessential and ubiquitous Destructive Element.

Also, maybe a poll would be an idea.

[PsijicOrder]

I actually thought I made a poll for this.. Is there a way I can do that without making a new thread?

[OblivionDuruza]

Yep, just edit your first post.

[MrPuddings]

I use all of them. Ice for stamina fighters, lightning for magicka fighters, and fire for animals and vampires.

[PsijicOrder]

Hahaha, I got it, thanks though!

[LooneyToon41]

Storm, because i fear the mages, but i am using more Fire weapons/magic than i used to.

[Lunatic]

I don't normally use magic, but when I do, it's fire. Nothing like the sound of mad laughter over the sound of crackling flames, the smell of smoke, or just watching everything that opposes you burn in a horrible way. I just wish enemies on fire would at least try to put it out, it might give me a little more hilarity out of it. (Or have them do a little dance while they go down, like they did in the first two Fallout games.)

[Kerr]

I love destuction. I mainly use fire as it is pretty good and there are so many undead thingd that I have to kill. I use shock on things that resist fire.

[Iaius Amaius Heron]

Electricity.

Why?

Hitscan. Can't dodge that which strikes instantly where you point.

I don't even care about the magicka damage aspect as I've not once seen it have any actual effect (enemy mages always run out of hit points before magicka points it would seem) and I've played a level 50+ pure mage with -100% reduction in Destruction. Heck, I can say the same about frost and its stamina damage, too.

[Choicemade]

I really like Chain Lightning, great for mages and when enemies are close together - but its an absolute pain if you have a follower or conjured atronauch nearby.

When things get close, i move to frost to slow the target.

I bust out some fireballs when I feel like unleashing some rocket launcheresque action.

[Iaius Amaius Heron]

I bust out some fireballs when I feel like unleashing some rocket launcheresque action.

Even with -100% Destruction cost reduction I chose to use that instead of incinerate (next level of fire spell) because it was just so much sexier. But that's only two-thirds as sexy as lightning storm!

[OblivionDuruza]

Hahaha, I got it, thanks though!

Works a charm I'm just surprised that nobody's voted Frost, as although it's not as awesome freezing you foes to death as frying them or electrifying them, I prefer Frost to Shock simply because I can see how slowing enemies and draining their stamina, rendering them unable to use Power Attacks could be handy.

[JamBS]

"FLAME ON" In the past I was quick to pull out the fire. Recently I've taken to ice. I think it's funny how they turn into an ice cube and fall over.

[Samaelthedestroyer]

I like to get my sith on, so storm

[Casper]

Except against enemies with resistance to it, I find myself reverting to frost, particularly Ice Spike. There's nothing more satisfying than getting a crotch shot with a sharp chunk of ice. It also slows down Giants to the point where they're moving at a snail's pace, making them far easier to defeat.

However, I do tend to use all three as they have their uses --- fire against Nords, Draugr, etc., lightning against mages (though usually hacking them with my sword is even easier), frost against fighters that rely on stamina.

[necro7788]

I like storm because it looks cool and even though not all the enemies are mages it still proves useful against them when you do encounter them

[azuarc]

Physical.