I highly recommend that you avoid spending perks in the Smithing tree. It improves gameplay, and quite profoundly.

The most notable enhancement is that locating high-end armour and weapons in dungeons becomes a reward. Given that they are rare and unable to be crafted, when you eventually locate high-end weapons/armour they feel like actual treasure - rather then generic loot to turn into coin.

Take the example of when I recently found a Daedric dagger (after countless hours of playing). As I am unable to create them myself - locating this powerful dagger felt like an accomplishment. It made the dungeon feel less generic, it made the reward feel far more meaningful.

At the moment, I am hunting down dragonplate boots to complete the set. My one set of dragonplate armor feels like actual treasure, because I can't mass produce them myself. It has taken me literally two hundred hours to get three of the four items. The emotional satisfaction of eventually locating the boots will be epic, because when the items are rare we psychologically attach ourselves to them.


Naturally, this type of gameplay isn't for everyone, but for those RPG players seeking to put a little more depth into Skyrim this is definitely for you. Do not give yourself the power to mass produce weapons and armor, because it trivializes treasure hunting.

Also, for one concerned about disadvantages - there are little to none. With enchantments and potions, you can still improve gear to be quite powerful.

The only issue is not being able to improve magical gear. However, given that most of us eventually end up using our own enchanted gear, all you have to do is improve the gear first, THEN enchant. It retains the upgraded state.

Not a bad idea and one im trying myself. I did perk it once for steel, but that is because this character will only use steel weapons and wear only fur armor for added difficulty. I may trade out my weapons at some point, but never the armor.

I am so glad someone made a topic about this. I have always avoided the smithing tree, because I have never understood it.

Am I wrong, or isn't it possible to find ALL armor and weapons that you could craft as random loot, and from corpses, etc.?

I like this idea for a character type that you wouldn't associate the smithing skill with, such as theives and mages. However, for a warrior class I think it is still cool to be able to make your own armor and I am quite proud of walking around town, having the gaurds whistle at the armor and asking me it if it is made out of dragon scales. However, I only take the smithing perks down a track that includes armor that I will use, so as I prefer light armor I stay to the left side of the tree.... so when I find an Ebony or Daedric Weapon, I still get that trasure feel.

I have a question

If i ONLY advance the smithing tree to the perk of being able to improve magical gear... What do i miss out on?

I am mainly concerned about appearances. Can you "find" armor / weapons in their upgraded state, or is the only way to see the changed appearances of gear (only viewable after being upgraded) by actually improving them yourself?

Last of all, with the perk that allows you to improve magical gear, does that also include rare, artifact gear, such as unique gear?

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Dragon and Daedric are extremely rare, but yes, all items can and eventually will be located as randomized loot, depending on your level. Daedric and Dragon can only be found in treasure chests, I believe. I have never seen enemies wearing/using them anyway.

I have a Daedric dagger and a Daedric bow. That is all I have found, after hundreds of hours. It makes them feel like actual treasure. This is a dramatic gameplay enhancement, to me anyway. (My first character, I perked out Smithing and became a mass producing factory. It cheapened the experience).

well the advantage of smithing is making everything accessible to the player when they want them where as looting for high end gear becomes a rare event and it does make them feel more special, but for those who want an easier way to obtain simply smith. To me this was a win win situation in the game. I also like that with a high enough skill I can reach max armor rating wearing low end armor I like the look of for what I am going for.

Ok, so at 100 Smithing with zero perks, you can:

- find all weapons and armor as loot (Dragon and Daedric are very rare, but will eventually appear as loot)

- upgrade Non-magical items. Even without perks, you can upgrade items of any type, as long as they aren't enchanted. You can just improve non-magical gear MORE, if you spend a perk on the associated group.


As for your other question, yes - the perk that allows you to improve magical gear works for most artifacts. Most of the Daedric items, the dragon priest masks, etc can be improved at a smithy.

Yes, I definitely agree with this idea.

However, which perks are needed in order to "improve" these found items?

I was always under the assumption that the appearance of gear will change when it is improved.

Never mind. Question answered. Great! I am going to try it!

I rather not abuse it, but for those who cannot control thmselves I suppose this is one answer.

Nope. Improving items is simply increasing their numerical values. Their appearance does not change.

My smithing level is at 30 something, and I have over 150 hours into the game, I also just finished the main quest...And the closest that I came to smithing anything is when I upgraded my Orc armor and made two Hero Nord swords and axe...Yet I Pwnd Alduin with Dragonbane instead. My next character will be an enchanting/smithing god though, (I'll start with only earning my pay through chopping wood and the like, then work my way up to the title of a master weapon smith...Before taking on any real quests!) which is why I still love the fact that the smithing /enchanting system is there!

It's a great suggestion for those who don't want to go the smithing route.

It is possible, yes



You can not find armor/weapons in the upgraded state.

I haven't ever noticed differences to appearance after improving.

All enchanted gear that is on the smithing lists.

Blacksmithing is nowhere near as powerful as Enchanting is. How ironic that you would argue for avoiding the lesser evil and advocate the (much) greater one.