How to clear a room of 3-4 mages as mage?

Solution 1:

I am primarily a mage, and the best strategy I have come across so far is to summon something to take all the heat off yourself. I generally use a fire atronach.

After something is summoned, I tend to put heal on my left hand and use some kind of attack with the other hand. Often, the right hand is just using a basic melee weapon, and I add whatever damage I can to the target of the atronach's attacks.

It's also worth trying different elemental spells on each individual enemy, as some seem to be more effective than others. You shouldn't be using ice against an enemy ice mage.

Keep kiting, keep around corners, and try to isolate them.

Solution 2:

Electicity spells like Shock and Lightning bolt are helpful against mages, as they do part of their damage directly to enemy's mana. This helps limit how many high damage or utility spells that they can use too--as long as you do it to them before they do it to you! As you level up, you'll probably find these enemies using lightning based spells against you more often, and they'll have more than enough oomph to deplete you entirely if you don't hit them first.

I find the Impact talent's stagger effect in the destruction tree to be a major game changer once you reach it.

Combining a high sneak skill as a clothie caster makes this work for me, at least allowing me to get the first hit in many situations. And when I don't, I always make sure I have a planned escape at the ready.

High elf mages especially don't have the raw natural resistance of Nords or Dark Elves, so you might temporarily make up for that a little by brewing a magic resist and an element resist potion (or several) for the fight at hand--mages are the only enemies that I end up having to use these items for. It only gets worse if you level up without learning and specializing at least the same tier spells as your enemies!

Utilizing an archer companion like the elf in Riverwood can be helpful for some extra damage, even though he goes down like a chump once he's targeted. Contrary to the game's suggestions, I don't find melee combatants all that helpful as a mage--I had more trouble with Lydia dying to my attacks than to my enemies', and wasting that precious mana.

If you charge a spell and hold it, your mana doesn't regen while you do, BUT enemy lightning spellcasters can't damage the mana held at the ready in your spell while you line up the shot.

Don't forget that you can use the same shield and zap strategy as your enemies do, but it /will/ drain your mana very fast.

Beware conjurers--they can take over your summoned monsters and turn them against you.

Solution 3:

Playing as an illusionist mage lately, I've begun to greatly appreciate the power of frenzy. That situation sounds like the perfect opportunity to frenzy a few of them. As soon as they get frenzied, they'll prioritize the nearest target, which happens to be another mage. And they'll quickly turn on each other and rip each other apart.

Afterwards, the only thing you'll have to do is mop up a single half dead mage.

Solution 4:

Using a companion as a tank (while equiping them with some decent equipment) to soak up damage helps but isn't for purists sometimes. Don't be afraid to flee, sometimes you have to. Place a rune and/or conjure something before the battle starts and you can recharge magicka before you get into it, basically resulting in "free" damage. Novice alteration spells are an easy way to help stay alive and again can be cast before a battle starts (though they will run out, like conjuration, after some time elapses). Wards work great in some situations but they require a lot of skill and practice.

In addition, don't be afraid to use scrolls, staffs, potions, and poisons liberally in the most difficult situations. Usually this is necessary to turn the tide of really difficult battles.

I find the most annoying thing about playing a mage is that many enemies can one or two hit you to death. Impact helps to keep charging warriors at bay in these situations.