Skyrim Tips: Mastering the Art of Soul Gem Farming

Enchanting in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is a powerful mechanic that has its own skill tree in the game, similar to Alchemy and Smithing. By enchanting weapons, armor, and items, players can customize their gameplay experience with a wide range of enchantments. To enchant items in the game, players need two key elements: Arcane enchanters and Soul gems, which come in various types and rarities. These can be found in dungeon chests or purchased from merchants.

While buying Soul gems with gold may seem like a convenient option, it's not the most efficient way to acquire a large quantity of them. To unlock higher-level enchantment skills and perks like "Dual Enchanting", a steady supply of Soul Gems is essential. While filling Soul Gems with the souls of defeated enemies is straightforward, obtaining a consistent source of higher-rarity Soul Gems can be challenging. To help with this, here's a guide on how to access an unlimited number of Soul Gems in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim.

Best Methods for Farming Soul Gems in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Black Soul gem and Grand Soul gem over blurred generic poster image of Skyrim Anniversary Edition - Best Methods for Farming Soul Gems in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Collecting Soul Gems in Skyrim can be challenging because most of them break after one use, except for a few special ones like the Black Star and Azura's Star. This can make it difficult to gather enough Soul Gems to level up your enchanting skill tree.

Fortunately, there are several ways to obtain Soul Gems in the game. One option is to mine geode veins in Blackreach, where each vein can yield around two to three Soul Gems of different rarities. Another way is to obtain Black Soul Gems, which are the most powerful in the game as they can hold the souls of humanoid creatures.

Players who have access to the Soul Cairn, a dimension inhabited by lost souls and the Undead, will find that enemies always drop soul gems when killed there. While exploring the Soul Cairn, keep an eye out for bright lights in the ground called soul fissures. By interacting with these soul fissures, the largest soul gem in your inventory will be filled.

To enter the Soul Cairn, players must have the Dawngaurd DLC. After completing the mission "Chasing Echoes" with Serena at Castle Volkihar, players can access the Soul Cairn by passing through a portal in the depths of the castle.

Farming Infinite Soul Gems in Skyrim

To find more Soul Gems in Skyrim, players can take advantage of merchant/trade glitches. However, the best place to farm an infinite amount of soul gems is at the College of Winterhold. To start, players need to travel to Winterhold and enroll in the college to gain access to this glitch. Once inside, they can explore the college freely and head to the quarters where the glitch can be performed.

Hence, players need to find the Hall of Countenance to perform this glitch. When they enter the hall, they will notice a blue light coming from a well. Surrounding the well are black outlines on the floor that stretch to the other side.

Players should walk to the right from the doorway and follow the black lines until they reach the third one. Then, they should crouch at the base of the wall and place the cursor in the middle of the black line on the floor.

When the cursor is placed at the right spot, a "search chest" option will appear for players to click on. They will need to continuously press their search button while moving the cursor along the black lines in order to open the chest.

Inside the chest, players can expect to find a wide range of Soul Gems and other valuable loot. Although most of the Grand Soul Gems may not be filled, the loot is still worthwhile, especially since the chest refreshes with stolen items every 48 hours in-game.

Players can easily utilize their time by filling the Soul Gems they obtained from the invisible chest. If they are having trouble aiming precisely, they can simply wait in the same spot for two days. The most efficient method is to aim at the middle, move slowly, and spam the search button.

In addition, the College of Winterhold is a great place to enhance enchantment skills, with Arcane Enchanters readily available. By participating in the College of Winterhold faction questline, players can unlock special rewards and access experienced teachers in the five schools of Magic.

The glitch in the game's economy can be tricky at first

Once players understand it, they can take advantage of it to break the game's economy entirely. This can mess up the experience players wanted. However, choosing the hard-earned path can lead to a more satisfying experience as the glitch can also help players gather spell-tome books, pricey apparel sets, and other valuable items.

Editor's P/S:

The article provides a comprehensive and informative guide to farming Soul Gems in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. It covers various methods, including mining geode veins, obtaining Black Soul Gems, exploring the Soul Cairn, and exploiting a glitch at the College of Winterhold. The explanations are clear and detailed, making it easy for players to understand and implement these techniques.

However, the article also highlights the potential impact of exploiting glitches on the game experience. It acknowledges that while glitches can provide an advantage in terms of acquiring items and resources, they can also disrupt the game's balance and immersion. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to utilize these glitches is up to the individual player, based on their preferences and desired level of challenge.