Unlocking the Arcane: The Definitive Guide to Soul Gems for Enchanting in Skyrim
So, you’re looking to maximize your enchanting prowess in Skyrim, eh? You want to know the most powerful soul gem to use. Let’s cut straight to the chase: while both Grand Soul Gems and Black Soul Gems provide identical results when enchanting, Black Soul Gems possess a unique and strategic advantage. They guarantee a Grand-level soul every time, as they are exclusively filled with the souls of sentient races (humans, elves, beast races) which always register as “Grand”. This ensures consistent maximum enchantment power and recharge potential, especially considering the relative abundance of humanoid enemies compared to creatures with Grand souls.
Diving Deep: Soul Gems and Enchanting Mechanics
Before we delve into the specifics, let’s establish some core mechanics of enchanting and soul gems in Skyrim. Soul gems are essential for two primary purposes:
- Enchanting: Imbuing weapons, armor, and jewelry with magical effects. The strength of the enchantment is directly related to the size of the soul contained within the soul gem.
- Recharging: Replenishing the charge of weapons with limited uses, like those enchanted with elemental damage or soul trap. Again, a larger soul restores more charges.
Skyrim offers a variety of soul gems, each with a different capacity:
- Petty
- Lesser
- Common
- Greater
- Grand
- Black
Each size can only hold souls of its size and smaller. Only grand souls can give the maximum enchantment and recharge potential.
Why Black Soul Gems Reign Supreme
The distinction between Grand Soul Gems and Black Soul Gems lies in what they can trap, not the power they provide when used. A Grand Soul Gem can hold a Grand soul (from creatures like Mammoths, Giants, or Dragons), but finding these creatures consistently can be a chore. A Black Soul Gem, on the other hand, exclusively captures the souls of sentient beings (humans, elves, and beast races), and these souls are always classified as Grand.
Think about it strategically. Bandits infest Skyrim’s roads, draugr haunt its dungeons, and rogue mages lurk in hidden caves. These humanoid enemies are far more common than high-level creatures. By using Black Soul Gems, you’re essentially guaranteeing yourself a steady supply of Grand souls, eliminating the need to hunt down rare creatures. This consistent accessibility makes Black Soul Gems the most strategically powerful soul gem for enchanting.
Mastering Soul Trapping
To fill a soul gem, you must use the Soul Trap spell or weapon enchantment on a target before you kill them. If the target dies while under the effects of Soul Trap, their soul will be transferred to the first available soul gem in your inventory that is of the proper size, or larger, to hold the soul. In other words, make sure to only carry soul gems you want to fill. A Grand Soul Gem will trap a lesser soul if that is the first available soul.
Leveling Enchanting Efficiently
Now that we have identified the ultimate Soul Gem, here are some steps to ensure you maximize your enchanting skill and get those enchantments!
- Prioritize Disenchanting: Disenchanting items you don’t need teaches you the enchantment, allowing you to apply it to other items. Disenchant everything you can! This will grant a surge of experience.
- Craft and Enchant: The “craft, enchant, sell” loop is a cornerstone of efficient leveling. Crafting Iron Daggers or Dwarven Bows levels your Smithing skill, and then enchanting these newly crafted items levels Enchanting.
- Rest and Reflect: Sleep in a bed before enchanting for the “Well Rested” bonus, granting a temporary XP boost. Activate the Mage Stone or Lover Stone near Riverwood at the beginning of the game for an additional XP boost to magic and/or all skills.
- Invest Perks Wisely: The Enchanter perk, which increases the strength of your enchantments, is a crucial early investment. This will not increase the XP gained, but will improve the items you can enchant.
- Train, Train, Train: Seek out an enchanting trainer. Leveling through training and quests provide more experience than simply practicing, especially at lower levels.
The Azura’s Star and Black Star Exception
There are two unique, reusable soul gems in the game: Azura’s Star and The Black Star. Azura’s Star, obtained through the quest “The Black Star”, acts as a reusable Grand Soul Gem capable of holding creature souls. If you take Azura’s Star to Aranea Ienith at the Shrine of Azura, Azura’s Star will be kept as Azura’s Star. Take Azura’s Star to Nelacar in Winterhold, and it will be altered to become The Black Star. The Black Star functions as a reusable Black Soul Gem, trapping the souls of sentient beings. The Black Star is often considered the superior choice, as it provides an unlimited supply of Grand souls from humanoid enemies. Choosing which Star to take is one of the best decisions for maximizing enchanting prowess.
Enchanting: More Than Just Soul Gems
While soul gems are vital, remember that other factors influence enchantment strength:
- Enchanting Skill Level: A higher skill level results in stronger enchantments.
- Perks: Perks like Enchanter and Insightful Enchanter significantly boost enchantment power.
- Fortify Enchanting Potions: These potions temporarily boost your enchanting skill, allowing you to create more powerful enchantments.
FAQs: An Enchanter’s Compendium
Alright, let’s address some common questions that bubble up around soul gems and enchanting:
1. What happens if I use a Petty Soul Gem to enchant?
The enchantment will be weaker than if you used a larger soul gem. Petty souls create petty enchantments, and you will get less out of it. The same goes for recharging, petty souls will not refill the weapon all the way, and you will have to replace your enchantments quicker.
2. Does the type of creature I trap in a Grand Soul Gem affect the enchantment?
Yes. While a “Grand Soul” is the largest type of soul you can trap, specific creatures do provide a larger boost than others, especially in the case of Black Soul Gems. For example, a powerful mage will provide more enchanting power than a bandit.
3. Can I use Azura’s Star to trap Black Souls?
Only if you take Azura’s Star to Nelacar in Winterhold, and it is altered to become The Black Star. The Black Star functions as a reusable Black Soul Gem, trapping the souls of sentient beings.
4. Does the material of the item I’m enchanting matter?
Yes! Certain materials like Gold and Silver are far easier to enchant than others, and they will generate better enchantments for the same soul level.
5. What’s the best enchantment for making money?
Banish Daedra is highly valuable, particularly on daggers, as it commands a high selling price.
6. Does the Soul Trap enchantment stack?
No. Applying multiple Soul Trap enchantments or casting the spell repeatedly on the same target won’t trap multiple souls or create stronger enchantments.
7. Can I trap my followers in a Black Soul Gem?
Yes. But that’s pretty cold, even by Skyrim standards. Your followers will never see it coming. Be warned that killing a follower has extreme repercussions and will cause you to lose many friends.
8. Is it possible to “overcharge” a weapon with a soul gem?
No. You can only recharge a weapon up to its maximum charge capacity. Any excess soul energy is wasted.
9. Are there any soul gems bigger than Grand?
No. Grand Soul Gems and Black Soul Gems represent the peak of soul gem capacity in Skyrim.
10. Does enchanting skill affect soul trap spells or enchantments?
No. Your enchanting skill only affects the strength of enchantments you create, not the effectiveness of soul trapping.
11. Can I use soul gems from previous games in Skyrim?
No. Soul gems are specific to each game and cannot be transferred.
12. What Standing Stone should I use when enchanting?
Enchanting benefits from The Mage Stone, which grants a 20% boost to XP gain in Magicka-related Skills, as well as The Lover Stone, which increases XP gain for all skills by 15%.
13. Does enchanting destroy Soul Gems?
Yes, with the exception of Azura’s Star and the Black Star, when a soul gem is used in enchanting or recharging, it is consumed.
14. What gives the most Enchanting XP in Skyrim?
Enchanting and disenchanting items are the best sources of Enchanting XP. Since you’ll need plenty of unenchanted items to level this skill, it’s recommended to level Smithing alongside Enchanting.
15. What is the optimal Enchanting order?
The optimal enchantment orders is [(Chestplate + Protection IV)@4 + (Unbreaking III + Mending)@2]@7 with a cost of 4 + 2 + 7 = 13 levels.
Final Thoughts: Mastering the Arcane Arts
While Grand Soul Gems are powerful, Black Soul Gems offer a practical and strategically advantageous route to maximizing your enchanting potential. Their consistent access to Grand-level souls from abundant humanoid enemies makes them the superior choice for aspiring enchanters.
Remember, enchanting is more than just powerful soul gems. Master the crafting, disenchanting, and perk allocation to become the greatest enchanter in Skyrim. Go out there and conquer the arcane arts!
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