Smithing allows players to create and improve weapons and armor. This guide covers the smithing skill tree and best practices for leveling and crafting the best equipment.
Leveling
Smith items at forges to level smithing. Higher quality items give more experience. The skill tree includes perks for different material types, allowing you to craft increasingly powerful equipment.
Material Tiers
Smithing materials are organized into tiers, with higher tiers requiring more skill and perks to craft:
- Iron/Steel - Basic materials, available from the start
- Elven - Requires Elven Smithing perk
- Dwarven - Requires Dwarven Smithing perk
- Orcish - Requires Orcish Smithing perk
- Ebony - Requires Ebony Smithing perk
- Daedric - Requires Daedric Smithing perk
- Dragon - Requires Dragon Armor perk
Best Leveling Methods
Iron Daggers
Early game, crafting iron daggers is an efficient way to level smithing. They require only one iron ingot and one leather strip.
Dwarven Bows
Once you have the Dwarven Smithing perk, crafting Dwarven bows is very efficient. They give good experience and use common materials.
Jewelry
Crafting jewelry from gold and silver is also effective, especially if you have the Transmute Mineral Ore spell to convert iron to gold.
Improving Equipment
You can improve weapons and armor at workbenches and grindstones. The improvement quality depends on your smithing skill level and relevant perks. Higher skill levels allow for greater improvements.
Enchanting Combination
Combining smithing with enchanting is the key to creating the most powerful equipment. Create fortify smithing gear to improve items even further, then enchant the improved items for maximum effectiveness.