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Mastering the Art of the Dovahkiin: What to Upgrade First in Skyrim

So, you’ve just stepped off the cart in Helgen, the snow is biting, and a dragon is about to ruin your day. Welcome to Skyrim! But where do you even begin? With a vast world and a dizzying array of skills to master, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Don’t worry, aspiring Dragonborn, I’m here to guide you.

The short answer is: focus on skills that provide immediate, tangible benefits to your survival and exploration. While a meticulously planned endgame build is great, the early game in Skyrim is all about staying alive and making your mark. Prioritize Smithing, Enchanting, and your primary combat skill (One-Handed, Two-Handed, Archery, or Destruction). These skills empower you to craft better gear, imbue it with magical enhancements, and effectively deal with the dangers lurking around every corner.

The Trinity of Early-Game Power: Smithing, Enchanting, and Combat

Let’s break down why these skills are crucial for early-game success:

Smithing: The Art of Crafting Survival

Why it Matters: Smithing allows you to create and improve your armor and weapons. Early on, you’ll be relying on scavenged gear that’s often weak and ineffective. With Smithing, you can craft iron, steel, and eventually higher-tier equipment that offers superior protection and damage output.
Early Game Focus: Leveling Smithing early is relatively easy. Collect iron ore and leather strips (from hunting animals). Craft iron daggers – they require minimal resources and provide a decent amount of experience. As you level, focus on unlocking the Steel Smithing perk to craft better armor and weapons.
Long-Term Benefits: A high Smithing skill ensures you’re always equipped with the best possible gear, regardless of what loot you find. It also allows you to earn significant gold by crafting and selling items.

Enchanting: Weaving Magic into Your Gear

Why it Matters: Enchanting adds magical effects to your weapons and armor, providing bonuses like increased damage, resistance to magic, or improved skills. These enchantments can significantly enhance your character’s capabilities.
Early Game Focus: Disenchant any magical items you find to learn their enchantments. Then, use soul gems (which can be found in dungeons or purchased from merchants) to apply those enchantments to your gear. Focus on enchantments that boost your primary combat skill or provide resistance to common enemy types (like frost resistance for fighting ice mages).
Long-Term Benefits: A high Enchanting skill allows you to create incredibly powerful enchantments that can make you nearly invincible. It also opens up opportunities for crafting highly valuable items for sale.

Combat Skill: Mastering the Art of War

Why it Matters: This is your primary method of dealing damage and surviving encounters. Whether you prefer wielding a sword and shield, slinging spells, or picking enemies off from afar with a bow, you need to develop your chosen combat skill.
Early Game Focus: Pick a combat style that suits your playstyle and stick with it. Use your chosen weapon or spells frequently to level up the corresponding skill. Invest perks into damage-boosting abilities and any defensive skills relevant to your combat style (like Block or Light Armor).
Long-Term Benefits: A high combat skill ensures you can effectively take down enemies, even at higher levels. It also unlocks powerful perks that can significantly enhance your combat prowess.

Beyond the Trinity: Other Skills to Consider

While Smithing, Enchanting, and a combat skill are the most crucial for early-game survival, here are a few other skills that can be helpful:

Alchemy: Craft potions for healing, magicka restoration, and temporary buffs. Experiment with different ingredients to discover new recipes.
Lockpicking: Access locked chests and doors to find valuable loot and uncover hidden areas.
Sneak: Allows you to approach enemies undetected and land devastating sneak attacks.

FAQs: Mastering Skyrim’s Skill System

1. Is it better to level up health, magicka, or stamina early on?

It depends on your playstyle. Warriors benefit from health and stamina, while mages need magicka and potentially health. A stealth archer might prioritize stamina for tactical positioning and drawn bow time. Consider a balanced approach early, then specialize as you develop your build.

2. Should I join the Companions, the Thieves Guild, the Dark Brotherhood, or the College of Winterhold first?

Each faction offers unique quests, skills, and rewards. The Companions are good for warriors, the Thieves Guild for stealth characters, the Dark Brotherhood for assassins, and the College of Winterhold for mages. Choose the faction that aligns with your desired playstyle.

3. What are the best Standing Stones to choose early in the game?

The Warrior Stone boosts combat skills, the Mage Stone boosts magic skills, and the Thief Stone boosts stealth skills. Choose the stone that aligns with your primary skillset. The Lover Stone provides a bonus to all skill progression, making it a great option if you want to level quickly.

4. Should I focus on one skill tree at a time, or spread my perks around?

Focusing on one skill tree at a time allows you to unlock powerful perks more quickly. However, spreading your perks around can provide more versatility and adaptability. Again, it depends on your playstyle and goals.

5. What’s the best way to level up quickly in Skyrim?

There are many ways to level up quickly, including:

Completing quests: Quests provide a significant amount of experience.
Using the Lover Stone: This stone provides a 15% bonus to all skill progression.
Resting in a bed: Sleeping in a bed provides a Well Rested bonus, which increases experience gain.
Using specific skill-leveling exploits: While some consider these “cheating,” they can be effective. Examples include repeatedly casting Muffle (Illusion) or crafting iron daggers (Smithing).

6. Is there a level cap in Skyrim?

Technically, no. You can continue leveling up indefinitely. However, reaching very high levels requires a significant amount of grinding, as skills will need to be made Legendary (reset to level 15) to continue gaining character levels.

7. What are the most important choices I’ll make in Skyrim?

Some key choices include:

Siding with the Imperials or the Stormcloaks in the Civil War.
Deciding the fate of certain characters during quests.
Choosing whether to become a vampire or a werewolf.
Deciding which Daedric Princes to serve.

8. Can I fully upgrade every skill in Skyrim?

Yes, but it requires a lot of time and effort. You’ll need to make skills Legendary multiple times to reach the highest levels.

9. How many skills should I focus on early in the game?

Focus on three to four skills that align with your desired playstyle. This will allow you to develop those skills quickly and become more effective in combat.

10. Does it matter where I aim when using a bow?

Yes. Aim slightly higher for long-range shots to compensate for arrow drop.

11. Should I grind skills in Skyrim?

It’s not necessary, but some players choose to grind specific skills to level up quickly. However, if you just play the game and use your skills regularly, they will level up naturally.

12. Who should I side with at the beginning of Skyrim?

You don’t have a choice at the beginning, but after the initial escape, your choices matter. Siding with the Imperials makes sense if you’re not a Nord or if you support a unified Empire. Siding with the Stormcloaks is ideal for Nords who believe Skyrim should be independent.

13. How do I get Shadowmere?

Shadowmere is acquired by completing quests for the Dark Brotherhood.

14. Can I cure vampirism in Skyrim?

Yes, you can cure vampirism by completing a quest for Falion in Morthal.

15. Is there a downside to making a skill legendary?

The downside is that you lose all the perks you invested in that skill tree, and the skill resets to level 15. However, making a skill Legendary allows you to continue leveling up and gaining perk points. It encourages build diversity and long-term character progression. Understanding how gaming helps with education can be understood by checking out the Games Learning Society website.

Conclusion: Carving Your Legend in Skyrim

Skyrim is a game about choice and exploration. There’s no single “right” way to play. But by focusing on Smithing, Enchanting, and your chosen combat skill early on, you’ll give yourself a solid foundation for success. Experiment, explore, and discover what works best for you. And most importantly, have fun! The world of Skyrim is vast and full of adventure, so get out there and carve your own legend. For more on the educational aspects of gaming, visit GamesLearningSociety.org.

What should I upgrade first in Skyrim?