How to Power-Level the Smithing Skill to 100 in Skyrim: Fastest Methods

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Max out your Smithing skill as quickly as possible with these tips
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Are you determined to fast-track your way into becoming a master blacksmith in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ? You’ve come to the right place! Back in the early days of Skyrim ’s release, crafting iron daggers was the easiest way to power-level your Smithing skill to 100. However, a patch has since removed that glitch and changed Smithing to scale with a crafted item’s value rather than its quality or quantity. In this article, we’ll show you a fast and easy method for power-leveling your Smithing to 100 by crafting gold rings—plus other handy tips and tricks to use along the way.

Quick Steps to Level Your Smithing Skill Fast

  1. Get the Transmute Mineral Ore spell from the Halted Stream Camp and learn it.
  2. Use magic items and level-ups to increase your Magicka reserves.
  3. Go to Whiterun (or any hold blacksmith) and buy iron ore.
  4. Use the Transmute Mineral Ore spell to turn your iron ore into gold.
  5. Make gold ingots in a smelter, then use a forge to craft gold rings.
  6. Sell gold rings to a general merchant for a profit.
  7. Wait 48 hours, then repeat, crafting rings until you reach level 100 Smithing.
Section 1 of 5:

How to Power-Level Smithing to 100 in Skyrim

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  1. You can learn any spell by finding the corresponding spell tome. Look for a copy of the Transmute Mineral Ore spell tome on a table next to a bed in the Halted Stream Camp, which is northwest of the Whitewatch Tower (or roughly north of Whiterun). [1]
    • To learn the Transmute Mineral Ore spell, find the Transmute Mineral Ore spell tome in the "Books" section of your inventory and select it.

    There is no level cap on Transmute Mineral Ore, so you'll be able to use it right away if you have the Magicka for it

  2. Most characters begin the game with 100 Magicka, and the cost of transmuting ore without any buffs or magic-altering equipment is 88 Magicka. That means you’ll be able to use the Transmute Mineral Ore spell, but only barely; find clothing or equipment that raises your Magicka levels or reduces the cost of alteration spells. You can also select Magicka as the attribute to improve when leveling up. [2]

    Completing missions for the College of Winterhold story arc will reward you with Magicka-boosting apparel and items. Additionally, you can bypass the Magicka issue by "waiting" for an hour every time your Magicka is depleted. This will fully recharge your Magicka in a fraction of the time of letting it naturally regenerate.

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  3. Whiterun is the first large city most players travel to when playing Skyrim from the beginning. When you arrive at Whiterun, you'll spawn just inside the city gates; the blacksmith's shop is the first building on the right, with both the forge and smelter outside of the shop. [3]
    • If you’ve spent a little more time exploring Skyrim and you have fast-travel access to other cities, feel free to visit them, too; you’ll find a blacksmith in every hold capital.
  4. 4
    Buy iron ore from a blacksmith or general merchant. You can also mine iron ore yourself, but this can be pretty time-consuming. To get it quickly, you can buy it from a blacksmith or general merchant, both of whom are present in all hold capitals. For instance, there are a couple of places in Whiterun from which you can buy iron ore: [4] [Image:Get to Smithing Skill Level 100 in Skyrim Step 5.jpg|center]]
    • Warmaiden's - The blacksmith’s official shop in Whiterun. Speaking with Ulfberth War-Bear in the shop will allow you to purchase items.
    • Adrianne Avenicci - Often found outside Warmaiden’s working the forge, Adrianne holds different (albeit smaller) stock than Ulfberth.
    • Belethor's General Goods - Found to the right of the main staircase in the courtyard with the well. Belethor runs a general store that typically stocks a few pieces of ore.

    Once you've made enough of a profit from crafting gold rings, you'll be able to buy gold and silver ore from the Warmaiden's shop as well.

  5. Equip the Transmute Mineral Ore spell (found with the rest of your learned alteration spells) and use it to turn a piece of iron ore into silver ore. Then, use it again to turn the silver ore into gold ore. Repeat this process until you have only gold ore—no iron or silver. Alternatively, you may be able to create gold ore using a known Skyrim duplication glitch: [5]
    • To use this glitch, you’ll need to be in Whiterun with a follower; you can easily get Lydia (by completing the “Dragon Rising” main quest), Uthgerd the Unbroken (by beating her in a brawl), or Jenassa (by hiring her).
    • Head towards the front gates of Whiterun and drop your ore on the ground there—but make sure you’re dropping every piece of ore individually rather than as a bundle.
    • Wait for your follower to approach the area where you’ve dropped your ore. Then, issue a command for them to pick it all up (by selecting them and then the ore).
    • Fast travel anywhere outside of Whiterun. Then, immediately fast-travel back into Whiterun. All the ore you had your follower pick up should be on the ground still, having been duplicated.
    • You can repeat this glitch as many times as you like (having your follower pick up the ore, then leaving and returning). When you’re ready, collect all the duplicated ore from their inventory!
  6. In Whiterun, head over to the smelter behind Warmaiden's, select it, then select the Gold option until it becomes greyed out. That means you’ve smelted all of your gold ore into ingots—which are what you need to make gold rings (and power-level your smithing skill). [6]
    • Each gold ingot costs two gold ore to make, so you'll end up with half as many gold ingots as you had ore.
  7. Once you have your gold ingots, all that's left to do is create the rings themselves. Open the forge (close to the smelter in Whiterun) and select JEWELRY . Scroll down until you find the Gold ring option, and select it until it's greyed out (meaning you’ve used all your gold ingots). Your smithing skill will increase each time you craft a pair of gold rings. [7]
    • Each gold ingot creates two gold rings.
  8. This part is optional, but it definitely helps you earn enough money to afford more iron ore in the future! Once you've exhausted your gold ingots, you can sell the rings for a profit. Warmaiden's won't buy non-combatant apparel from you, but Belethor will.
    • If your ring's value exceeds Belethor's budget, buy some items (e.g., more ore) to balance out the cost.
    • If you aren’t in Whiterun, you can seek out any of the general merchants in the hold capitals and sell your rings there (such as The Pawned Prawn in Riften or Bits and Pieces in Solitude).
  9. After 48 hours, all merchants' inventories and budgets will reset. From this point, you can repeat the whole cycle: buy as much iron (and silver, and gold) ore as possible, transmute everything to gold ore, smelt gold ingots, and use the ingots to craft rings until you reach smithing level 100! [8]

    As you level up during this process, you'll have the opportunity both to spend skill points on perks and to improve hard attributes (e.g., Magicka, Stamina, and Health). Consider improving your Magicka attribute and placing perk points in the Alteration to make your transmuting easier (or in the Smithing skill).

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Section 2 of 5:

Other Ways to Level Up Smithing Faster in Skyrim

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  1. 1
    Increase the amount of XP you gain from Smithing. There are plenty of ways to get an XP (experience point) boost in Skyrim . Even just sleeping in a bed you own (in a purchased home, for example) gives you a 10% XP bonus for the next eight in-game hours—and if you have a spouse with you, it’s 15%. Try one of these methods to get an XP gain, then forge your gold rings (and other equipment) to level up Smithing. [9]
    • The Warrior Guardian Stone - Selecting the Warrior Stone (out of the three Guardian Stones near Riverwood) will let you level up all Warrior skills 20% faster.
    • The Aetherial Crown - Complete “Lost to the Ages” to craft the Aetherial Crown, which will let you get blessings from two Standing Stones simultaneously. Choose The Warrior and The Lover, which will grant a 35% XP boost total.
  2. 2
    Craft iron daggers and dwarven bows at a forge. Iron daggers alone aren’t the best items to craft for quick power-leveling anymore, but there’s an alternative to consider. Gather iron ingots and leather straps so you can craft as many iron daggers as you need to reach Smithing level 30. Then, you can unlock the Dwarven Smithing perk; after that, start crafting dwarven bows instead. [10]
    • Dwarven bows cost two dwarven metal ingots and one iron ingot apiece to craft. Their base value is 270 Septims, making them super effective for leveling your Smithing skill.
    • Using this method, keep crafting dwarven bows until you hit Smithing level 100!
    • You’ll need lots of dwarven metal ingots for this, which can be found in most dwarven ruins (like Mzulft and Nchuand-Zel) as well as at general stores and blacksmiths.
    • Be sure to use XP boosts (like the Warrior Stone and sleeping in an owned bed) alongside this strategy!
  3. 3
    Use potions and enchantments to maximize your Smithing. There are numerous pieces of equipment (armor, gloves, rings, and amulets) with the Fortify Smithing enchantment , for instance, and by learning the enchantment at an enchanting table, you can enchant items to grant bonuses for tempering items at Grindstones or Workbenches. [11]
    • Take Fortify Smithing potions , which you can brew yourself using at least two of the following ingredients: blisterwort, glowing mushroom, sabre cat tooth, and spriggan sap.
    • To get the biggest Smithing bonus possible, equip an amulet, ring, set of gloves, and piece of armor that all have the Fortify Smithing enchantment. Drink a Fortify Smithing potion, then start enhancing your gear.
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Section 3 of 5:

How does leveling up Smithing work in Skyrim ?

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  1. 1
    Smithing is a crucial skill that lets you craft progressively better gear. In Skyrim , there are four ways to level your Smithing skill: creating items, tempering and improving items, reading books that increase your Smithing skill, and buying levels from Smithing trainers. However, Smithing skill XP gains are based on an item’s value rather than its quality, which is why iron daggers are no longer as effective in leveling Smithing. [12]
    • Multiple crafting stations in Skyrim affect your Smithing skill— forges (or anvils), workbenches, and grindstones.
    • Additionally, while they don’t directly buff your Smithing skill, smelters and tanning racks are essential for creating Smithing resources (like ingots and leather).
    • Every item you can craft with Smithing has a particular recipe and resource cost, which is why you’ll need to collect resources before working on your Smithing skill.
  2. Gold rings require only one resource to craft—a gold ingot—and there’s an entry-level spell you can use to turn iron ore (the cheapest and most widely available ore) into gold ore. Because of this, gold rings are easier, cheaper, and more effective in terms of leveling up your smithing than any other item, including iron daggers.
    • Gold rings are also better than iron daggers insofar as they don't require leather strips, and they won't weigh you down if you make 100 of them at once.}}
    • By crafting numerous gold rings, your character's Smithing will level quickly.
    • You can sell the gold rings for significantly more than you spent on the iron ore to make them, meaning that you’ll turn a profit .
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Section 4 of 5:

Skyrim ’s Smithing Trainers & Books

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  1. 1
    Smithing trainers in Skyrim When you pay a Smithing trainer, they’ll train you (and grant you an immediate level in the Smithing skill). Keep in mind you can only raise your Smithing skill this way five times per overall level; nonetheless, if you have the funds, a trainer can be an easy way to bump up your Smithing skill. The four Smithing trainers in Skyrim are: [13]
    • Ghrza gra-Bagol - Located in Markarth and trains up to skill level 50. You must read “Last Scabbard of Akrash” before she’ll train you.
    • Balimund - Located in Riften, trains up to skill level 75. You must bring him 10 fire salts before he’ll train you.
    • Eorlund Gray-Mane - Located in Whiterun, trains up to skill level 100. You must complete the Companions quest “Take Up Arms” before he’ll train you.
    • Gunmar - Located in Fort Dawnguard after completing the quest “A New Order.” Trains up to skill level 100.
  2. 2
    Books that level the Smithing skill in Skyrim Reading a Smithing book will grant you an immediate level up in the Smithing skill, so tracking these books down can be super helpful! Note that you’ll only get this Smithing boost the first time you read a book; you can’t get it by reading the same book over again. Keep an eye out for these six Smithing books: [14]
    • The Armorer’s Challenge - Located by the Skyforge in Whiterun.
    • Cherim’s Heart of Anequina - Located toward the back of the main floor in Dawnstar’s Quicksilver Mine.
    • Heavy Armor Forging - Located close to the entrance of the Gloombound Mine.
    • Last Scabbard of Akrash - Located in Gallows Rock (can be found during “The Silver Hand” quest).
    • Light Armor Forging - Located on a table in Embershard Mine.
    • Oghma Infinium - Located in Septimus Signus’ Outpost after completing “Discerning the Transmundane.” Unlike the other books, this one can increase all Warrior skills (including Smithing) by 5.
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Section 5 of 5:

Skyrim ’s Smithing Skill Tree & Perks

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  1. The Smithing skill tree consists of ten different perks. Of these ten perks, nine of them let you use new crafting recipes at forges and anvils, granting access to better equipment as your skill increases. The complete Smithing skill tree includes the following perks: [15]
    • Steel Smithing - Lets you craft steel armor and weapons and improve them twice as much.
    • Elven Smithing - Requires Smithing 30, Steel Smithing perk . Lets you craft Elven armor and weapons and improve them twice as much.
    • Dwarven Smithing - Requires Smithing 30, Steel Smithing perk . Lets you craft Dwarven armor and weapons and improve them twice as much.
    • Advanced Armors - Requires Smithing 50, Elven Smithing perk . Lets you craft Scaled and Plate armor and improve them twice as much.
    • Orcish Smithing - Requires Smithing 50, Dwarven Smithing perk . Lets you craft Orcish armor and weapons and improve them twice as much.
    • Arcane Blacksmith - Requires Smithing 60. Lets you improve magical weapons and armor.
    • Glass Smithing - Requires Smithing 70, Advanced Armors perk . Lets you craft Glass armor and weapons and improve them twice as much.
    • Ebony Smithing - Requires Smithing 80, Orcish Smithing perk . Lets you craft Ebony armor and weapons and improve them twice as much.
    • Daedric Smithing - Requires Smithing 90, Ebony Smithing perk . Lets you craft Daedric armor and weapons and improve them twice as much.
    • Dragon Armor - Requires Smithing 100, Glass or Daedric Smithing perk . Lets you craft Dragon armor and Dragonbone weapons and improve them twice as much.

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    One easy way to level any skill is to simply find a master level skill trainer, knock them down and pickpocket the gold back while they are getting up. It is impossible to get caught if you pickpocket like this, however it will not raise the pickpocket skill.
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      Tips

      • You can mine iron ore from various mining camps (marked on the map by an image of a pickaxe) if you don't want to buy it. You'll need a pickaxe to do so, and as mentioned above, it’s a time-consuming process.
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      • Usable mining camps include the Halted Stream Camp, Fort Fellhammer (near Dawnstar), and Embershard Mine (near Riverwood).
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      • In Riften, you can encounter a character named "From-Deepest-Depths" down by the docks; speaking to her at level 14 or up will result in her handing a lexicon to you. Following the quest to return the lexicon grants you a permanent 15% increase in the rate at which your Smithing skill improves.
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      Tips from our Readers

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • A good way to start that got me from level 20 to level 70 in only a few days was something I like to call the transmute method. It not only increases your smithing skill but also increases your alteration skill and speechcraft. Go to Haltedsteem camp and kill all of the enemies. Do the snake for inside the mine. Mine all of the iron and corundum ore. Take the spell tome "transmute." Now, go out to all of the major cities in all of the nine holds and get iron ore from every salesman that sells it. Note that Dawnstar also has an iron mine so it's good to go in there too. Use the transmute spell to turn all of your iron ore into silver ore and then into gold ore. Use the forge to make gold rings. You can get 2 rings out of 1 gold ingot and rings are worth more money than amulets. Finally, sell all of your rings. Then start over a day or so later (in game time).
      • Another way to get smithing to 100 is by making jewelry. If you have useless jewels, gold ingots, or silver ingots lying around, make them into jewelry. You can sell your newly crafted jewelry for more money than iron daggers. However, smiths won't take jewelry so you will have to go to the nearest general store.
      • Be sure to rest in Breezehome or rent a room from the Bannered Mane so you can get the "Well Rested" condition before actually Smithing the rings. Additionally, be sure you've activated the Warrior Stone for that buff. Having both of these active will significantly reduce the number of rings you need to craft.
      • Jewelry can hep you level up the quickest. Get gold ore by using the Transmute spell to turn iron ore to silver ore to gold ore. Look for gems to use for rings and such or complete No Stone Unturned for an abundance of gems. After doing all this, I got my smithing from 15 to 100 in a few hours.
      • If you can, get glass smithing (even if you are using heavy armor) and make as many glass bows as possible. The "Whiterun Blacksmith's chest" can help with this.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/dn9wFa0Z9rs?t=92
      2. ↑ https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Transmute_Mineral_Ore
      3. ↑ https://youtu.be/dn9wFa0Z9rs?t=126
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/dn9wFa0Z9rs?t=126
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/bC-eYefri20?t=101
      6. ↑ https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Gold_Ingot
      7. ↑ https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Gold_Ring_(Skyrim)
      8. ↑ https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Merchants_(Skyrim)
      9. ↑ https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Rest_(Skyrim)
      1. ↑ https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Dwarven_Bow_(Skyrim)
      2. ↑ https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Fortify_Smithing
      3. ↑ https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Smithing_(Skyrim)
      4. ↑ https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Smithing_(Skyrim)
      5. ↑ https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Smithing_(Skyrim)
      6. ↑ https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/wiki/Smithing_(Skyrim)

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Get the Transmute Mineral Ore spell from Halted Stream Camp.
      2. Buy iron ore.
      3. Transmute iron ore into gold ore with Transmute Mineral Ore.
      4. Create gold ingots at a smelter.
      5. Craft gold rings with the gold ingots.
      6. Sell the rings for a profit.
      7. Repeat this process until level 100.

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