The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Smithing Guide: Master Daedric & Dragon Gear
There is no season system in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim like in typical online games. The latest major paid update is "Skyrim Anniversary Edition," which includes numerous Creation Club contents. The latest patch, version 1.6.1170, was released on January 17, 2024, primarily focusing on Creation Club-related bug fixes. This article provides information current as of May 28, 2026, based on these environments.
If you aim to become the strongest Dragonborn in the vast lands of Tamriel, legendary armaments are essential for facing powerful foes. When store-bought equipment no longer suffices, the "Smithing skill," allowing you to craft supreme masterpieces with your own hands, will elevate your adventure to a new dimension. This article comprehensively explains everything needed to master the path of a smith, from efficient methods to raise the Smithing skill to level 100, the creation process for the renowned Daedric equipment and Dragon equipment, to the secret art of "Ultra Enchanting," which can unleash game-breaking performance.
Reach Skill Level 100 Fastest! Efficient Smithing Skill Leveling
Smithing skill experience points increase proportionally to the "sale price" of crafted and improved items. This means that crafting expensive items from inexpensive materials is key to efficiently raising your skill level. Mass production of "Iron Daggers" was once the mainstream method, but due to updates, the most efficient current method is mass producing "Dwarven Bows."
Early Game (Skill Level 1-30): Foundation Building Period
Immediately after starting the game, first aim for skill level 30 by diligently working. It's easy to produce "Iron Daggers" using "Iron Ingots" and "Leather Strips," or "Leather Bracers" from leather and leather strips, by utilizing smiths in Riverwood or Whiterun. Gather materials by purchasing them from smiths, smelting iron ore found along the way into ingots in a smelter, or tanning hides from hunted animals. Consider this stage a warm-up for the coming era of mass production.
Mid to Late Game (Skill Level 30-100): Skyrocketing with Dwarven Bows
Once your Smithing skill reaches 30, acquire the "Dwarven Smithing" Perk. This is where the real work begins. Dwarven Bows can be crafted with two "Dwarven Metal Ingots" and one "Iron Ingot." The finished product has high value relative to the ease of obtaining materials, making it extremely efficient for gaining experience. Iron Ingots can be purchased cheaply, but the key is Dwarven Metal Ingots.
These ingots can be mass-produced from junk found in Dwemer ruins scattered throughout The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. By taking "Large Dwemer Plate Metal" or "Bent Dwemer Scrap Metal" and other items from these ruins and smelting them in a town's smelter, you can obtain dozens of ingots at once. Particularly recommended ruins include "Nchuand-Zel" in Markarth and "Muzuncharft." To carry large amounts of junk, it's advisable to bring a Follower or utilize items and potions that increase your carrying capacity. By repeating this method, you can reach skill level 100 with astonishing speed.
Path to Ultimate Gear! Recommended Perk Acquisition Order
The Smithing Perk tree extends from the central "Steel Smithing" Perk, with a light armor route branching to the left and a heavy armor route to the right. Ultimately, you can reach the pinnacle "Dragon Smithing" Perk from either route. Choosing a route that suits your playstyle is crucial.
Recommended Perk Acquisition Order
Below are the common Perk acquisition routes for both heavy armor and light armor.
- Steel Smithing: The foundational Perk for all Smithing. Acquire this first.
- Dwarven Smithing: Crucial for skill leveling, so acquire this as a top priority regardless of your chosen route.
- 【Heavy Armor Route】Orcish Smithing → Ebony Smithing → Daedric Smithing: If you aim for the strongest heavy armor, "Daedric Armor," follow this route straight through. Daedric Armor becomes craftable at skill level 90.
- 【Light Armor Route】Elven Smithing → Advanced Armors → Glass Smithing: This is the route if you primarily use light armor. High-performance Glass equipment becomes craftable at skill level 70.
- Dragon Smithing: The ultimate goal, reachable at skill level 100. It allows for the creation of the strongest weapons, "Dragonbone Weapons," and top-tier armors, "Dragonplate Armor" and "Dragonscale Armor."
- Arcane Blacksmith: An essential Perk for improving magical armaments. Be sure to acquire it when you reach skill level 60, partway through your route.
Effects and Unlock Levels of Key Perks
| Skill Level | Key Perks Unlocked | Main Effects and Role |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Steel Smithing | The foundation of all Smithing. Allows crafting and improving Scaled and Steel Plate equipment. |
| 30 | Dwarven Smithing | Key to efficient skill leveling. Allows crafting and improving Dwarven equipment. |
| 50 | Orcish Smithing (Heavy) / Advanced Armors (Light) | Crafting and improving Orcish equipment, a mid-game staple, and light Scaled/Plate equipment. |
| 80 | Ebony Smithing (Heavy) | Crafting and improving Ebony equipment, which serves as material for Daedric Armor. It is also very high-performance itself. |
| 90 | Daedric Smithing (Heavy) | Allows crafting and improving Daedric Armor, which has the highest base defense rating. |
| 100 | Dragon Smithing | Allows crafting and improving the strongest weapons, "Dragonbone Weapons," and top-tier armors, "Dragonplate Armor" and "Dragonscale Armor." |
Daedra vs. Dragon! Which is the Strongest Equipment?
Armor Edition: Balance of Defense and Weight
In terms of pure base defense rating, the "Daedric Armor" (heavy armor) boasts the highest value in the game. However, "Dragonplate Armor," craftable at skill level 100, also offers comparable defense to Daedric while having the significant advantage of lighter weight. In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, there is a cap on armor defense (567 displayed, 667 internal), so ultimately, both equipment types can reach this cap. Therefore, choosing based on aesthetic preference or weight is advisable. If you master light armor, the strongest option is "Dragonscale Armor."
Weapons Edition: The New Champion Born from Dawnguard
In environments with the "Dawnguard" DLC installed, the strongest weapons are clear. The "Dragonbone Weapons" series boasts a higher base attack power than "Daedric weapons" across all weapon types. Therefore, if you wish to maximize your physical attack power, raising your skill to 100, acquiring the "Dragon Smithing" Perk, and crafting weapons from dragon bones is the best choice.
Towards True Strength! Advanced Techniques to Master Smithing
Equipment improved solely with the Smithing skill is powerful, but the true essence of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim lies in combining skills. Here, we introduce advanced techniques for creating ultimate equipment.
Synergistic Skill Combos
- Enchanting: This is the most synergistic skill with Smithing. You can apply powerful effects like "Fortify Health" or "Fortify One-Handed Damage" to your self-crafted, highest-quality equipment. Notably, "Fortify Smithing" and "Fortify Alchemy" enchantments are essential for the "Ultra Enchanting" technique discussed later.
- Alchemy: By crafting and using "Fortify Smithing potions," you can dramatically boost the improvement value of your armaments. These potions, which temporarily raise your Smithing skill above 100, are indispensable for creating the strongest equipment.
- Heavy Armor/Light Armor Skills: By acquiring Perks in their respective skill trees, the defense rating of your equipped armor further increases. The basic principle is to raise the base value with Smithing and amplify the effect with armor skills.
What is "Ultra Enchanting" for Ultimate Equipment Creation?
"Ultra Enchanting" is the common name for a technique that maximizes improvement effects by looping the three skills: Smithing, Enchanting, and Alchemy. The steps are as follows:
- First, equip items (head, arms, ring, necklace) with "Fortify Alchemy" effects.
- In this state, craft "Fortify Enchanting potions" with a long duration.
- Drink the crafted potion and, within its duration, create a new set of equipment with even stronger "Fortify Alchemy" effects.
- Equip the newly crafted items and repeat steps 2 and 3.
When Should You Make Skills Legendary?
Once a skill level reaches 100, you can make it "Legendary," resetting it to 15 and recovering its Perk points. The optimal time to make your Smithing skill Legendary is "after you have finished crafting and improving all the ultimate equipment you need." Since resetting the skill will prevent you from improving powerful equipment, it is wise to do this after all your work is done, to reallocate surplus Perk points to other skills. When raising the skill again, you can return it to 100 in a relatively short time by using your accumulated Dwarven junk.
Summary
Smithing is an extremely important skill for surviving as a powerful adventurer in the world of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. While diligent work is required in the early stages, discovering the mass production method for "Dwarven Bows" will quickly open the path to skill level 100. Choose either the heavy or light armor Perk route according to your playstyle, and aim for the ultimate goal of "Dragon Smithing." And when you have mastered Smithing, try creating your own ultimate equipment with the help of Enchanting and Alchemy. With legendary armaments forged by your own hands, carve your name into the history of Tamriel.
