Ice Spike

School	Destruction
Level	Apprentice
Magicka Cost	48
Casting	Fire and Forget
Delivery	Aimed
Effect	A spike of ice that does 25 points of frost damage to Health and Stamina.
Duration	-
Perk	Apprentice Destruction (1)
Spell Tome	Spell Tome: Ice Spike
Game/DLC	Skyrim

Ice Spike is the Apprentice frost spell in Destruction. It fires a spike of ice that deals 25 points of frost damage to health and stamina. The target also slows down for a moment. The spike flies like an arrow, so a moving target needs to be led a little.

Ice Spike becomes useful in the early game, once Destruction reaches the Apprentice rank. Most court wizards and Faralda at the College of Winterhold sell the tome. A copy also lies in Raven Rock Mine on Solstheim, in the Dragonborn DLC.

Spell Tome

Ice Spike is learned by reading Spell Tome: Ice Spike. Calcelmo, Enthir, Falion, Faralda, Farengar Secret-Fire, Madena, Sybille Stentor, Wuunferth the Unliving, Wylandriah and Talvas Fathryon sell the tome.

How It Plays

Ice Spike is a fire and forget spell. It needs a short charge, then the spike flies out in a straight line. It takes a moment to reach the target, much like an arrow. A careful aim at a moving enemy pays off.

The spike drains as much stamina as it does health. It also slows the target for a few seconds. A slowed warrior with little stamina left struggles to reach the caster or to land a power attack. Ice Spike is a strong spell for keeping melee enemies at bay.

Ice Spike gives a lot of damage for its magicka cost. Apprentice spells give more damage per point of magicka than the Expert bolts. A mage who fights single targets can rely on it for a long time.

Compared with Firebolt and Lightning Bolt

Each element has its own Apprentice bolt with the same base damage. Firebolt costs the least and sets targets on fire. Lightning Bolt strikes at once and drains magicka, but it reaches less far. Ice Spike drains stamina and slows the target.

Frost is the element with the most resistant foes. Nords and vampires resist it, and Frost Atronachs ignore it. Against those enemies, Firebolt or Lightning Bolt does more.

Ice Storm is the Adept frost spell for groups, and Icy Spear is the Expert frost bolt. Ice Spike stays cheaper than both, which keeps it useful against single targets.

Perks and Builds

The Apprentice Destruction perk halves the cost of Ice Spike. Augmented Frost raises its damage in two ranks. Deep Freeze paralyzes enemies whose health falls low.

The Dukaan dragon priest mask from the Dragonborn DLC raises frost damage by 25%. The Staff of Ice Spikes casts the same spike from its own charge, which suits a warrior who wants to slow a charging enemy.

Cost and Damage

Ice Spike has a base cost of 48 magicka for 25 points of damage. Firebolt costs 41 and Lightning Bolt 51 for the same base damage. Icy Spear, the Expert frost bolt, costs 320 magicka for 60 points, which makes Ice Spike far cheaper for each point of damage.

A higher Destruction skill only lowers the cost of each cast. Extra damage comes from the Augmented Frost perk, potions and gear. Dual casting packs 2.2 times the power into one spike for 2.8 times the magicka.

Followers and Enemies Who Cast It

Serana from the Dawnguard DLC is the best known caster of Ice Spike. She casts it until the player character reaches level 48, often with Vampiric Drain in the other hand. As a vampire, she also resists frost.

Ice mages throw Ice Spike from across a room, and stronger draugr cast it in Nordic tombs. Those draugr resist half of all frost damage, so fire or shock answers them better than a returned spike.

Gameplay Tips

The Augmented Frost perk raises the damage to 31, and to 37 at the second rank.
With the Impact perk, a dual cast Ice Spike staggers the target.

Spell Categories

All Destruction Spells

Novice

Novice spells are the first a mage learns and cost the least magicka.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Flames	14 per second	Concentration	A gout of fire that does 8 points per second. Targets on fire take extra damage.
Frostbite	16 per second	Concentration	A blast of cold that does 8 points of damage per second to Health and Stamina.
Sparks	19 per second	Concentration	Lightning that does 8 points of shock damage to Health and Magicka per second.
Choking Grasp	39	Fire and Forget	Absorb 8 points of health per second from target, for 3 seconds.
Elemental Flare	45	Fire and Forget	An elemental explosion for 15 points of fire damage, 15 points of shock damage, and half as much damage to stamina.

Apprentice

Apprentice spells need a little practice in the school.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Fire Rune	234	Fire and Forget	Cast on a nearby surface, it explodes for 50 points of fire damage when enemies come near.
Firebolt	41	Fire and Forget	A blast of fire that does 25 points of damage. Targets on fire take extra damage.
Frost Rune	293	Fire and Forget	Cast on a nearby surface, it explodes for 50 points of frost damage when enemies come near.
Ice Spike	48	Fire and Forget	A spike of ice that does 25 points of frost damage to Health and Stamina.
Lightning Bolt	51	Fire and Forget	A bolt of lightning that does 25 points of shock damage to Health and half that to Magicka.
Lightning Rune	323	Fire and Forget	Cast on a nearby surface, it explodes for 50 points of shock damage when enemies come near.
Elemental Bolt	62	Fire and Forget	An elemental explosion for 20 points of fire damage, 20 points of shock damage, and half as much damage to stamina.
Strangulation	84	Fire and Forget	Absorb 16 points of health per second from target, for 3 seconds.

Adept

Adept spells are the middle rank and hit noticeably harder.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Chain Lightning	156	Fire and Forget	Lightning bolt that does 40 points of shock damage to Health and half to Magicka, then leaps to a new target.
Fireball	133	Fire and Forget	A fiery explosion for 40 points of damage in a 15 foot radius. Targets on fire take extra damage.
Flame Cloak	289	Fire and Forget	For 60 seconds, opponents in melee range take 8 points fire damage per second. Targets on fire take extra damage.
Frost Cloak	316	Fire and Forget	For 60 seconds, opponents in melee range take 8 points frost damage and Stamina damage per second.
Ice Storm	144	Fire and Forget	A freezing whirlwind that does 40 points of frost damage per second to Health and Stamina.
Lightning Cloak	370	Fire and Forget	For 60 seconds nearby opponents take 8 points of shock damage and half magicka damage.
Whirlwind Cloak	338	Fire and Forget	For 60 seconds, opponents in melee range have a chance of being flung away.
Elemental Burst	96	Fire and Forget	An elemental explosion for 30 points of fire damage, 30 points of shock damage, and half as much damage to stamina.
Hangman's Noose	143	Fire and Forget	Absorb 26 points of health per second from target, for 3 seconds.

Expert

Expert spells are powerful and expensive to cast.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Icy Spear	320	Fire and Forget	A spear of ice that does 60 points of frost damage to Health and Stamina.
Incinerate	298	Fire and Forget	A blast of fire that does 60 points of damage. Targets on fire take extra damage.
Thunderbolt	343	Fire and Forget	A Thunderbolt that does 60 points of shock damage to Health and half that to Magicka.
Wall of Flames	118 per second	Concentration	Sprayed on the ground, it creates a wall of fire that does 50 points of fire damage per second.
Wall of Frost	137 per second	Concentration	Sprayed on the ground, it creates a wall of frost that does 50 points of frost damage per second.
Wall of Storms	145 per second	Concentration	Sprayed on the ground, it creates a wall of lightning that does 50 points of shock damage per second.
Elemental Blast	144	Fire and Forget	An elemental explosion for 40 points of fire damage, 40 points of shock damage, and half as much damage to stamina.
Mara's Wrath	329	Fire and Forget	For 30 seconds, opponents in melee range take 16 points fire damage per second. Undead up to level 26 flee for 30 seconds. Swim unharmed in freezing cold water.
Touch of Death	316	Fire and Forget	Absorb 40 points of health per second from target, for 4 seconds.
Unbounded Flames	78 per second	Concentration	Casts a stream of long-distance fireballs in an arc. Impact creates a wall of fire that does 50 points of fire damage per second.
Unbounded Freezing	69 per second	Concentration	A freezing wind envelops the caster, knocking down nearby enemies and freezing them for 50 points of damage per second to Health and Stamina.
Unbounded Storms	69 per second	Concentration	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.

Master

Master spells are the strongest in the school and need the most skill.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Blizzard	1106	Fire and Forget	Targets take 20 points of frost damage for 10 seconds, plus Stamina damage.
Fire Storm	1426	Fire and Forget	A 100 point fiery explosion centered on the caster. Does more damage to closer targets.
Lightning Storm	138 per second	Concentration	Target takes 75 points of shock damage per second to Health, and half that to Magicka.