There are players who believe that Skyrim Destruction builds are worthless, as most powerful spells aren’t as quick or as simple as the swing of a sword. Sure, fighting with magic is way more complex, but mage builds are fun to play and most Destruction spells bring utilities that are hard to ignore.
In this list, you will find the 5 best and worst Destruction spells found in Skyrim. They aren’t ranked based on the damage they deal, instead, they are ranked based on the utility they bring on their own, and how good they are among spells of the same level. We also included a couple of special spells, as while they’re found under special circumstances, they still count as Destruction spells.
Also, check out the best mage armor in Skyrim if you’d like to have the best possible gear for a Destruction mage.
Table of Contents
Good: Ice Storm
Ice Storm is similar to the Blizzard spell, only that the area of effect isn’t attached to you as it goes outwards towards where you aimed it. It’s slower than the Fireball spell, but it makes up for it by covering a larger area of effect and slowing any enemies that are inside of it, making it very useful if you want to kite a group of enemies.
As a plus, this spell can go through walls, floors, and most objects, so you can just fire it indiscriminately if you know that there are enemies behind these obstacles. Also, keep in mind that the projectile doesn’t go that far, so it might not be that useful if you want to damage enemies that are too far away. Ice Storm is easily one of the more powerful destruction spells in Skyrim.
Bad: Ice Spike
Ice Spike is an Apprentice Level spell that lets you shoot a shard of ice. It deals a decent amount of damage, and it will slow your enemies and drain their stamina just like any other Frost spell. It’s useful if you want quick damage or if you are investing points in a Frost build.
But the main reason why Ice Spike is bad is due to other Apprentice Level spells being straight out better, like Freeze, which costs less and has a stronger slowing effect, or Ignite, which under specific circumstances can become the most overpowered destruction spell in the game.
Good: Lightning Chain
Lightning Chain is perhaps, one of the most recognizable spells in fantasy RPG games. In Skyrim, Lightning Chain is an Adept Level destruction spell that is able to bounce between targets, and it’s an amazing tool to clear clusters of low-HP monsters without much effort.
The funniest thing about this spell is that if you hit a wall behind an enemy, and the lightning bounces off of it and then hits and kills it, it will send its body flying right towards you. By the way, Lightning Chain can hit your follower, and this can be either good or bad as you can just hit your follower to reach enemies that are too far away, but that’s up to you.
Bad: Spark
Spark is a Novice Level spell that deals Shocks damage and drains Magicka. The reason why this one is worse than the others is that even in the earlier stages of the game, few enemies will be using enough spells to consider draining them out of their Magicka.
Even if the enemy is a caster, it might be a better idea to outright kill it with flames. Sparks is also less useful than other Novice spells, as Frostbite can be used to kite most enemies while damaging them, and Flames can deal a fair amount of AoE damage to enemies while making them receive extra damage from weapons.
Good: Wall Spells
Any destruction spell that has the word ‘Wall’ in its name is a good spell. Casting a wall spell on any surface will spawn a wall of damaging magic. Each one of them have their own unique perks: the Wall of Frost will slow enemies, the Wall of Flames will light them in fire, and the Wall of Storms will damage their Magicka.
These spells are very useful in dungeons, as you can place the walls on places where your enemies will have to walk over it if they try to get close to you. They are still useful in open spaces, as most enemies won’t try to evade the walls anyway.
Bad: Vampiric Drain
Yeah, this Apprentice Level destruction spell has a very awesome name, but that doesn’t save it from being a bad spell. Vampiric Drain can only be learned by players who’ve been infected by vampirism, and once cast, this spell goes outward in a stream draining health from your enemies while healing you.
Vampiric Drain would’ve been an awesome spell if it weren’t for the fact that this spell deals very little damage. The only way to make it useful would be by becoming a Vampire Lord, as it turns the spell into a more powerful missile that drains health, Magicka, and stamina.
Good: Blizzard
While most enemies in the game have some sort of resistance to Frost damage, Blizzard is just way too good to ignore. This Master Level spell creates a pocket blizzard around you that periodically deals damage to every enemy that is inside of it. The spell also creates a whirlwind which will damage your enemies if it pulls objects near you.
Blizzard does everything, it covers a wide area, it slows your enemies and can be used to level your Destruction skill without having an enemy nearby. Be aware that it damages anything that’s inside the Area of Effect, even you! So be ready to wear some Frost resistance before casting it.
Bad: Lightning Storm
Lightning Storm might be the less effective of the Master Level spells, but it deserves a mention due to its high damage and uniqueness. This is a channeled spell that invokes a storm right out of your fingertips that deals very high amounts of damage. It’s a fun spell to use and see, but it has its downsides.
The biggest drawback that this spell has is that it makes you unable to dodge enemy attacks as it roots you in place, and since the lightning only goes in front of you you’d have to tank hits hoping that you kill them first if you were to be surrounded. You can buy this spell from Faralda at the College of Winterhold after completing the Destruction Ritual Spell quest.
Good: Fire Storm
If you’ve seen an anime character use a self-destruct move, then you already know how this one works, only that this Master Level spell won’t cause harm to you. Fire Storm will create an explosion near you that will deal heavy amounts of Fire damage to everyone inside the blast zone.
You can obtain this powerful spell easily by completing the quest ‘Destruction Ritual Spell’. The only downsides that this spell has is that it renders you unable to move while casting it, but you can overcome this flaw by becoming ethereal or invisible before casting it, or using armor and defensive effects to tank incoming hits.
Bad: Arniel’s Convection
Arniel’s Convection is more or less a ‘quest spell’ that you’re allowed to keep, as it’s given to you soon after you start the quest ‘Arniel’s Endeavor’ which involves using it to power up Dwarven machinery. It has low damage, and it’s overshadowed by other Novice Level spells like Sparks or Flames.
On the plus side, Arniel’s Convection is free to cast, and you can abuse this if your build relies on dealing constant Fire Damage using spells like Ignite or Incinerate but you’ve run out of Magicka.
Bonus: The Most Powerful Destruction Spell
You might not believe it at first, but Ignite is the most powerful and efficient spell in the game. The only reason why it wasn’t listed, is because it relies on a glitch that makes the Illusion perk ‘Aspect of Terror’ boost your Fire Damage.
And that glitch -along with Destruction perks that enhance Fire Damage and Dual Casting- allows Ignite to deal incredible amounts of damage over time without much effort. And while Ignite and Incinerate are very similar spells, the former is preferred due to its low cost, which lets you cast it without the constant fear of running out of Magicka.
