How do the mage armor perks interact with ward spells?

Question

I know that the mage armor perks work well with ebonyflesh, stoneflesh and other similar spells to lessen the extent of physical damage inflicted on those wearing no armor; but do those perks also work in conjunction with the ward spells with regard to physical damage?

For instance, if I had the perks and fought with melee while casting a ward spell, does the ward spell offer a lot of protection or do you have to wear armor to reap the rewards of the ward's physical protections?

Answer 1

Mage armor only affects the duration spells under the alteration tree. The ward spells add their stated value to your armor rating, but this will not negate the bonus from mage armor. So if you have max mage armor that multiplies ebonyflesh by 3x, and then you cast a ward that gives you another 80 armor, then your character will have 380 armor.