Bladesinger

High Elf - Sword - Clothing - Light - Spellsword - Warrior

Background

Bladesingers are Elven mages who practice the art of bladesinging, an ancient tradition of fighting that blended swordsmanship and magic.

This is very similar to a spell sword build but with more of a focus on magic than with sword. With Bladesingers being a prestige class typically for Wizards in Dungeons and Dragons it would make sense that they are a specialist in Abjuration so that they can better protect themselves in melee. This is therefore an Alteration and Restoration melee build that uses both mage armor and ward spells.

Elemental Fury is used to represent the bladesinging as the shout adds a wind sound effect to the weapon as well as increasing the speed of the attacks. Bladesingers get an extra attack at level 8 in Dungeons and Dragons.

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Weapons

Blades sword, which is left unenchanted so that the Elemental Fury shout can be used. You could go Elven sword, but it does the same damage and weighs more. A Blades sword can be acquired in the Riften Ratways along with a full set of Blades armor and shield with the Dawnfang/Duskfang creation.

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Armor

The Leather Scout set should be crafted as soon as you can, as it’s the best armour that uses just leather and it doesn’t require any smithing perks. Then progress to Elven when you are able. When your gear is ready to be enchanted the armour in body slot is swapped for college robes for a more mage appearance.

Only 3 ranks in Agile Defender have been taken so that you need to use Ebonyflesh to reach the damage reduction cap. This moves the build further to being more mage like and less spellsword. I calculate the damage reduction as 68% without mage armor and 80% with it.

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Spells

Alteration for some utility spells and Ebonyflesh, Restoration for out of combat heals and Wards.

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Standing Stones

Any standing stone while levelling and the Atronach Stone once you have enchanted your gear.

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Shrines

Use a Shrine of Talos for the 20% reduction to shout cooldowns.

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Shouts

Elemental Fury (Air - Battle - Grace)

Location: Dragontooth Crater, Shriekwind Bastion, Just a bit beyond Statue of Meridia

Significantly increases the speed of your weapons as long as they are not enchanted.

Unrelenting Force (Force - Balance - Push)

Location: Just follow the main story quests

Staggers enemies but you'll probably only be using Elemental Fury.

Whirlwind Sprint (Whirlwind - Fury - Tempest)

Location: Dead Men’s Respite, Volskygge, High Hrothgar (The Way of the Voice)

Use to reach otherwise inaccessible places and to quickly evade attacks or catch up with fleeing enemies.

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Character Creation

Female High Elf

Dark Elf, High Elf and Imperial all get the same number of skill points boosted in the build, which is 25. However, I picked High Elf over Dark Elf for the more magic orientation as Bladesingers are mages that choose to also focus on more martial skills. Imperials are also Human and this is definitely an Elven build.

Pick female as the sex for your character as there are more male humanoids than females to fight in Skyrim so the 10% damage bonus against the opposite sex from Agent of Dibella gets more use. All Dwemer Automatons count as Male.

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Attribute Distribution

Place attribute points at 0 / 3 / 1. At level 50 which is required for all the perks the attributes are:

Magicka	Health	Stamina
100 (315)	470 (585)	220 (335)

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Perk Point Distribution

The skill boosts for High Elves are marked in bold.

Mage		Warrior		Rogue
Alteration +5	9	Archery	0	Alchemy	7
Conjuration +5	0	Block	0	Light Armor	5
Destruction +5	0	Heavy Armor	0	Lockpicking	0
Enchanting +5	8	One-handed	7	Pickpocket	0
Illusion +10	0	Smithing	2	Sneak	0
Restoration +5	8	Two-handed	0	Speech	2
Total	26	Total	9	Total	14

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Skills and Perks

Mage Skills

Warrior Skills

Rogue Skills

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Spells

Alteration

Spell	Level	Description
Candlelight	Novice	Creates a hovering light that lasts for 60 seconds
Telekinesis	Adept	Can pull an object to you from distance. Add it to your inventory or throw it
Waterbreathing	Adept	Can breathe under water for 60 seconds
Ebonyflesh	Expert	Improves the caster's armor rating by 100 points for 60 seconds

Talk to the Steward in Dragonsreach to get the In The Shadows quest. Read the book in Arcadia's Cauldron and then when you have your gear enchanted go to Whiterun stables and the dead stablehand will have a detect life spellbook. Go back to the market and cast this for very fast Alteration levels.

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Conjuration

Spell	Level	Description
Soul Trap	Apprentice	If a target dies within 60 seconds, fills a soul gem

Soul Trap is used to level Conjuration and also fill soul gems.

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Destruction

Spell	Level	Description
Unbounded Storms	Expert	Targets in melee range take 40 shock damage per second to Health, and half that to Magicka. Random lightning strikes deal an additional 30 damage

Unbounded Storms is purely used as a means to level Destruction.

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Illusion

Spell	Level	Description
Courage	Novice	Target won't flee for 60 seconds, and gets some extra health and stamina.

Courage can be used to level illusion.

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Restoration

Spell	Level	Description
Healing	Novice	Heals the caster 10 points per second
Healing Hands	Apprentice	Heals the target 10 points per second, but not undead, atronachs, or machines
Fast Healing	Apprentice	Heals caster by 50 points
Close Wounds	Adept	Heals caster by 100 points
Greater Ward	Adept	Increases armor rating by 80 points and negates up to 80 points of spell damage
Grand Healing	Expert	Heals everyone close to the caster 200 points. Does not affect atronachs, machines or undead

You can start using better healing spells as the cost reduction perks are acquired but I pretty much just used Healing and Fast Healing before getting enchanted gear.

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Enchantments

The effects listed below are based upon 100 Enchanting skill, all the enchanting perks in the build and with a set of enchanted crafting gear. Read my guide on making crafting gear if you are not familiar with it.

Summary of combined effects

One-handed weapons do 300% more damage.
Alteration and Restoration spells costs 92% less magicka.
Health, Magicka and Stamina are increased by 115 points.
Resist 37% of all magic.

Item	Enchantment	Effect
Head	Fortify Alteration	Alteration spells and enchantments cost 46% less
	Fortify Restoration	Restoration spells and enchantments cost 46% less
Body	Fortify Restoration	Restoration spells and enchantments cost 46% less
	Fortify Health	Health is increased by 115 points
Feet	Fortify One-handed	One-handed attacks do 75% more damage
	Fortify Stamina	Stamina is increased by 115 points
Hands	Fortify One-handed	One-handed attacks do 75% more damage
	Fortify Magicka	Magicka is increased by 115 points
Amulet	Resist Magic	Grants 37% resistance to all magic
	Fortify One-handed	One-handed attacks do 75% more damage
Ring	Fortify Alteration	Alteration spells and enchantments cost 46% less
	Fortify One-handed	One-handed attacks do 75% more damage

With the Sallowed Regent Black Book the magnitude of all enchantments can be increased.

Please note that Black Books can only be used on Solstheim.

The magnitude of the enchantments can be further increased by equipping 4 pieces of Azhidal's gear.

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Alchemy

All the details for the potions and poisons are based on having all the listed alchemy perks, Alchemy at 100 and a set of crafting gear.

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Potion of Fortify Health

Ingredients	Blue Mountain Flower & Wheat
Effects	Fortify Health	170 points for 60 seconds
	Restore Health	266 points restored

All of the ingredients can be found in or around Whiterun.

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Potion of Fortify Magicka

Ingredients	Mora Tapinella, Red Mountain Flowers & Tundra Cotton
Effects	Fortify Magicka	170 points for 60 seconds
	Restore Magicka	266 points restored

All ingredients are found in, around or on the way to Whiterun from Helgen.

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Potion of Fortify Enchanting

Ingredients	Dreugh Wax/Stoneflower Petals & Snowberries
Effects	Fortify Enchanting	85% stronger for 30 seconds

Dreugh Wax and Stoneflower Petals are only available from Khajiit caravans. Some travel between Whiterun and Markarth. Snowberries are abundant near Windhelm.

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Potion of Fortify Smithing

Ingredients	Dreugh Wax/Gold Kanet & Glowing Mushrooms
Effects	Fortify Smithing	213% stronger for 30 seconds

Dreugh Wax and Gold Kanet are only available from Khajiit caravans. Some travel between Whiterun and Markarth. Glowing Mushrooms are in Falmer caves.

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Farming

For more information on getting to and setting up your farm read my guide.

Ingredients Needed

6 x Blue Mountain Flower
11 x Mora Tapinella
11 x Red Mountain Flowers
11 x Tundra Cotton
5 x Wheat

Potions and Poisons Produced

24 x Potions of Forify Health
44 x Potion of Fortify Magicka

Main Area (27)

Ingredient	Qty	Harvest	Green Thumbs
Wheat (4)	5	20 + 5 = 25	40 + 5 = 45
Mora Tapinella (3)	11	33 + 11 = 44	66 + 11 = 77
Red Mountain Flowers (3)	11	33 + 11 = 44	66 + 11 = 77

Side Area (11)

Ingredient	Qty	Harvest	Green Thumbs
Tundra Cotton (3)	11	33 + 11 = 44	66 + 11 = 77

Planters (6)

Ingredient	Qty	Harvest	Green Thumbs
Blue Mountain Flowers (3)	6	18 + 6 = 24	36 + 6 = 42

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