You don't need to be a high level dragonslayer to get Skyrim's best armour. Just a patience, gold and a couple of hours to spare. But that's just one piece of the game's immense jigsaw puzzle.
Skyrim is one of the most staggeringly deep RPGs ever made, and seeing everything it has to offer will take more hours than we dare estimate. Between us, the CVG team have clocked up well over 200 hours, and the following tips are some of the most useful lessons we've learned along the way.
1. How to craft Daedric armour
Daedric armour might look like something you get at the end of the game, but any character at any level can craft their own full set with only two hours and a few thousand gold to spare. Follow the step-by-step process below and you'll never have to worry about armour ever again.
- Visit the blacksmith in Windhelm and buy up all of his iron ingots and leather strips. Wait 48 hours for his inventory to refresh and repeat.
- When you have a decent amount of iron, go to a forge and start crafting iron daggers. As you create them, you'll notice your smithing rapidly gaining levels. Your character should also go up a few levels. If you have any gear that boosts smithing, like an amulet or gauntlets, wear them. If you have any smithing potions, drink them.
- Keep smithing daggers until your smithing reaches 100. This will take around 500-600 daggers. If you run out of ingots or leather strips, get more from the blacksmith.
- Every time your character levels up as a result of smithing, use the perk points to upgrade your smithing skill tree. Go from steel to Dwarven to Orcish to Daedric.
- If, after reaching 100 smithing, you don't have enough perk points to reach the Daedric crafting skill, continue playing the game until you level up naturally.
- First you'll need some Daedra hearts. Each piece of the armour - helmet, gauntlets, boots and chest plate - need one heart each. Head to the College of Winterhold and find an elf called Enthir. He's usually found in the Hall of Attainment. Talk to him and buy two Daedra hearts (that's all he has on him at any one time). Wait 48 hours for him to restock, and then buy two more.
- Now you'll need some ebony. Go to Gloombound Mine (see the attached video). To get inside you'll either have to help the Orcs in the stronghold with a super easy quest, or just fight your way in. It's quicker to do the quest.
- Once the Orcs let you through the gate, head towards the mine entrance. Handily, there's a full set of blacksmith tools outside. We'll need them later.
- There are no enemies in the mine - just lots and /lots/ of ebony. Make sure you have a pickaxe (there are a few lying around inside) and start mining the ebony veins. Clear the place out, and ignore the aggressive-sounding Orcs; they won't attack you unless provoked.
- Outside, use the nearby smelter to turn the ebony ore into ebony ingots. You should now have more than enough to craft the full set of Daedric armour.
Comments
29 comments so far...
DAEDALUS79 on 18 Nov '11 said:
Im having to bookmark all these articles so I can read them after ive played more of Skyrim. I desperately dont want to see any spoilers, even after 35 hours of game time I know there is so much I wont have seen.
Stryker89 on 18 Nov '11 said:
I'm gonna get me some of that armour.
bodders on 18 Nov '11 said:
The armour looks amazing. Like the Dark Lord of Middle Earth.
TheCrimsonFenix on 18 Nov '11 said:
Not sure on the specifics for that Faendel trick so I might be out of line in saying this but if it is done by tricking the game itself in some way, it can usually f**k the game up for you later. I haven't tried it though so maybe it could just be a harmless exploit.
SkyrimMaster on 19 Nov '11 said:
There is a much simpler way to collect the iron ingot and leather strapping. Go to the Sky Forge in Whiterun and buy the ingot and strapping from the forger at that forge. He sells it in larger quantities(20), compared to the blacksmith. Then simply wait 48 hours for him to replenish his stock and you are right next to useable forge to make the daggers. Simple.
Grapple on 19 Nov '11 said:
Wondered if anyone has come across the Skeleton Key or its equivalent in Skyrim? That was one of the most useful items in Oblivion.
lonewolf2002 on 20 Nov '11 said:
Looks nice and they say the Daedric is slightly better than the Dragon bone armour but Daedric armour has 105 armour rating on chest where as Dragon bone has 144 (not sure if there are other variables taken into account). Maybe I'll make both sets (seeing as I seem to have more dragon bones than any other item in the game), maybe I should of kept my ebony ingots instead of turning my ebony sword/bow into superior versions.
FinalBillybong on 21 Nov '11 said:
Yeah I've got that. You need to join the thieves guild.
Sammy_bham on 22 Nov '11 said:
15 essential tips on how to ruin skyrim.
that should have been the headline.
some of the thngs you have mention, i discovered before hand luckerly. and some of those moment were amazing.
if i had have read this article first, you would have ruined that experience that makes skyrim so special
shame on you cvg.
PS3UberTool on 25 Nov '11 said:
Think I'll stick with the Ebony Armour I got through a Daedra quest... great for sneaking around, a nice early warning system for enemies nearby and adds a healthy bonus to melee combat if they get too close.
Godlike Ape on 25 Nov '11 said:
An ever so slightly less dull way of collecting iron ingots and ore is fast travelling between locations with blacksmiths. If you've visited a few cities already that is...
There are also three blacksmiths in Whiterun - matey at the Skyforge and the two at the regular blacksmiths. If you get the woman there to teach you smithing you can go up a few levels for free, because she gives you all the stuff you need to make the items.
WHERESMYMONKEY on 1 Dec '11 said:
You could always just make dragon plate or scale instead of Deadric. Its just as strong and after a few battles you'll have more than enough Dragon bones and scales to make it and fully upgrade it too.
tgun on 4 Dec '11 said:
Well they forgot to tell you the most important part about smithing.....upgrading! Grab your favorite piece of armor, drink a blacksmiths elixer potion (30 seconds + 50% to upgrade weapons), and you can also enchant armor, gauntlets/gloves, a ring, and a necklace with blacksmithing bonus, then upgrade that armor and those weapons! Kind of gamebreaking if you do it right, I think my light dragon armor rating was 1056. At that point the game needs to be on master for anything to have a chance against you.
rjdjones on 14 Dec '11 said:
2 hours grind for some armour? Why not make it available as a quest as well? If people really enjoy all this crafting stuff, fine, they can knock themselves out but personally I'd rather wipe out another dungeon/cave full of monsters and get it that way.
Valiant_Thor on 20 Dec '11 said:
the skill books value is usually over 50-60 not 100.
the trainer exploit works for any companion who is also a trainer,train,take back your money.
no spoiler tags? sheesh
Nik666uk2 on 21 Jan '12 said:
Here's one, don't buy it, it's broken!!! Not for everyone but when did buying games start becoming a gamble?
slothfull9 on 23 Jan '12 said:
*SPOILER!* Surprised you didn't mention the most useful thing about the Mace of Molag Bal - it absorbs souls and fills up empty soul gems! ***
Selavie on 24 Feb '12 said:
I have known most of the tips, but the faster mining tip is quiet cool, I will try out in the game!
Thanks the tips!
SunStart2012 on 26 Feb '12 said:
good tips
SunStart2012 on 26 Feb '12 said:
adamduun on 26 Feb '12 said:
One of the most essential tips to conquer Skyrim is downloading mods! Customizing the game even more is just great
anigmar on 26 Feb '12 said:
I hate guides or tips, i preffer to be stuck for hours before checking a guide
its the way i enjoy more this games.
Mods will be awesome for this game
Darkhunter29 on 26 Feb '12 said:
Very nice tips
thx
Fixi on 26 Feb '12 said:
I wouldn't really call these essential tips. You can do as well without most of them. It's even so that some of those tips make the game way to easy and I would even avoid them rather then follow them.
clavigo19 on 26 Feb '12 said:
Nice read! I dont think that skyrim is one of the best games ever made, but i do love the community with all the mods. Lots of passion here. Great stuff
tudul on 26 Feb '12 said:
Thanks for all these tips !
TehSlenderMan on 29 Feb '12 said:
Wow, these tips are great
make moar pl0x!
NEET2 on 29 Feb '12 said:
Thanks, that was really informative, will bookmark to check it while I play
PartTimeSuper on 13 Mar '12 said:
Didn't even get that far to skill up to 100 was a bit too repetitive for me.