Greater Ward Greater Ward is an " Adept " - level spell of the Restoration school that is found in . Effects . Greater Ward acts as a magic shield for blocking spells and reducing physical damage by increasing the caster ' s defense . The shield does not block physical attacks such as arrows or melee weapons ; only spells and other magical attacks are absorbed . Enemy spell - casters frequently use this spell if their opponent also casts magic . Of the three ward spells , Greater Ward ranks first , with Steadfast Ward and Lesser Ward ranking below it . Usefulness . Mage builds employ wards best , especially if they do not have high skill levels or perks invested in the Light Armor or Heavy Armor skills . Additionally , wards are effective against necromancers and other mages who cast Destruction spells . Wards can also dispel magic damage inflicted by soul gem traps . Summon ing atronach s or undead may make better " shields " than wards for an armor - less mage . Employing this option also frees up a hand for double casting Destruction spells . It could easily be argued that this ward , as well as the others , is a very specialized type of defensive spell with limited applications . The majority of attacks that just about any player will face in the game will be physical rather than magical , and while the greater ward will add 80 points to the player ' s armor rating when cast , archers and nearby melee attackers can quickly negate those 80 points because the ward does not literally block arrows or the weapons of melee attackers . It ' s all very well for a skilled player to be so equipped that he or she can project and maintain a ward at no cost more or less indefinitely , but this simply isn ' t necessary very often , nor is it the only way to deal with a spell - casting enemy mage . An alternative method would be for the player to use a shield enchanted with Resist Magic coupled with the Elemental Protection perk , which decreases incoming fire , frost , and shock damage by 50 % . The shield will provide the player with protection from magical as well as physical attacks simultaneously while utilizing just one piece of equipment , leaving the other hand free to use a weapon or a spell . Admittedly , it is fun and challenging for a player to test his or her skills against an enemy mage by using only magical defensive and offensive abilities , but frankly such straightforward , one on one encounters are fairly rare . It is much more common for a player to be outnumbered by a diverse group of antagonists like the Forsworn , for example , and such groups frequently have semi - skilled spellcasters along with archers and melee attackers . In these situations , even a continuous ward will only provide protection from enemy spellcasters , while the enchanted shield / block perk mentioned earlier will provide protection from all attackers . However , wards also block shouts , which can prove very useful against draugr and some dragons , even a lesser ward can stop the player from being throw around or disarmed . Wards can be used to block the poison attacks of Frostbite Spiders and Chaurus , as the game classes them as spells . Additionally , you move faster while casting a ward than you do while raising a shield , unless the Block Runner perk is gained .