Look, we've all been there. You're wandering through a frozen cave in the middle of nowhere, and suddenly a booming, god-like voice starts yelling at you about destiny. That’s the Daedric Princes for you. They’re basically the chaotic, often malevolent landlords of the Elder Scrolls universe, and they love handing out shiny toys to mortals just to see what happens. If you’re hunting down Skyrim all the daedric artifacts, you aren't just looking for loot. You're looking for game-breakers.
Some of these items are absolute junk you’ll toss into a chest in Breezehome and forget about. Others? They make the Master difficulty setting look like a joke. Getting them involves a mix of ethical dilemmas, fetch quests, and sometimes just stabbing a friend in the back. Honestly, that’s half the fun.
The Heavy Hitters: Artifacts That Actually Matter
Let’s talk about the Mace of Molag Bal. You get this one pretty early in Markarth. You go into a "haunted" house, things get weird, and eventually, you're beating a priest with a rusty mace. It’s dark. But once that thing is powered up? It drains stamina and magicka. For a low-level character, it’s a godsend. It basically carries you through the first twenty hours of the game.
Then there’s the Ebony Mail. Boethiah’s quest is a bit of a pain because it requires you to sacrifice a follower. Most people just grab a random mercenary from an inn—sorry, Cosnach—and call it a day. The armor itself is incredible for stealth builds. It turns you into a cloud of black smoke when you crouch and poisons nearby enemies. It’s one of the few heavy armor pieces that actually helps you sneak.
The Dawnbreaker and the Undead Problem
Meridia’s Beacon is a meme at this point. "A NEW HAND TOUCHES THE BEACON!" It’s loud, it’s annoying, and it happens every time you open a random chest in a dungeon. But Dawnbreaker is legit. If you spend a lot of time in Nordic ruins—which is basically 70% of Skyrim—this sword is a must-have. When it procs, it creates a massive holy explosion that sends draugr flying. It’s flashy. It’s effective. It makes the final boss of the Dawnguard DLC feel significantly less threatening.
Why Some Artifacts are Kinda... Meh
Not everything given to you by a literal deity is actually good. Take the Masque of Clavicus Vile. It looks cool, sure. It gives you better prices at shops and a boost to speech. But by the time you’re high enough level to finish the quest, you probably already have more gold than you know what to do with. Unless you’re obsessed with the aesthetic of a giant metal face, it usually ends up on a mannequin.
The Skull of Corruption is another weird one. Vaermina wants you to kill a repentant priest to get it. If you do, you get a staff that you have to "feed" by stealing dreams from sleeping NPCs. It's a lot of maintenance for a weapon that doesn't consistently outperform a well-crafted Ebony or Daedric staff you could make yourself. It's cool for roleplaying a cultist, but for raw power? Skip it.
The Azura’s Star Dilemma
This is the one choice that actually feels like it has weight. You can return the star to Azura and get a reusable Grand Soul Gem. Or, you can take it to Nelacar in Winterhold and get the Black Star.
Go for the Black Star.
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Seriously. In Skyrim's coding, the Black Star can hold both white and black souls, making it the most versatile tool for enchanting in the entire game. Since basically every bandit and marauder has a "black" soul (which counts as Grand), you will never run out of high-tier fuel for your weapons again. It’s arguably the single most useful item in the Skyrim all the daedric artifacts collection.
The Weird Stuff: Wabbajack and Sangine Rose
Sheogorath is the Prince of Madness, so obviously his artifact is nonsense. The Wabbajack can turn a terrifying Dragon Priest into a sweetroll. Or it could heal them. Or turn them into a dremora. It’s unpredictable. If you’re playing a "Serious Warrior" build, you’ll hate it. If you’re bored and want to see the game's physics engine struggle, it’s a blast.
The Sanguine Rose is the opposite. It’s incredibly reliable. You have a drinking contest, wake up across the map, clean up a temple, and eventually, you get a staff that summons a Dremora Lord. These guys are tanks. At lower levels, the Dremora can solo entire rooms while you sit back and eat a cabbage. It’s the ultimate "get out of jail free" card for mages who get cornered.
Hunting the Oblivion Walker Achievement
If you’re trying to get the achievement for collecting Skyrim all the daedric artifacts, be careful. It’s buggy. Some items don't count if you pick the "wrong" ending to a quest. For instance, in "The Rueful Axe" quest, if you actually keep the axe, it doesn't count as a Daedric artifact because Clavicus Vile is a jerk and the axe isn't his "true" prize. You have to take the Masque.
Similarly, in Hircine’s quest "Ill Met by Moonlight," there is a way to get both the Savior’s Hide and the Ring of Hircine. You help Sinding kill the hunters, get the ring, then turn around and kill Sinding for his skin. It’s gruesome, but both items count toward your total.
A Quick Checklist for the Completionist
- Oghma Infinium: Septimus Signus’s quest. Don't use it until you're sure which skills you want to boost.
- Spellbreaker: Peryite’s shield. It creates a ward that blocks spells. It’s the only way a warrior can effectively fight a dragon's breath attack without getting toasted.
- Volendrung: The big hammer from the Orc tribes. It drains stamina so you can just keep doing power attacks forever.
- Ring of Namira: You have to eat a person. It’s gross. But the health regen is actually decent.
- Mehrunes' Razor: A tiny chance to instant-kill anything. It's great until it doesn't trigger when a giant is swinging a club at your head.
The Reality of Crafting vs. Artifacts
Here is the truth: if you max out your Enchanting and Smithing skills, you can make gear that is statistically better than almost every Daedric artifact. A Dragonbone sword with Chaos damage and Absorb Health will outpace the Mace of Molag Bal any day of the week.
However, you can't craft "unique." You can't craft the smoke effect of the Ebony Mail or the spell-blocking ward of Spellbreaker. The artifacts provide utility that the standard crafting system just can't touch. That’s why they remain relevant even when you’re level 80 and basically a god yourself.
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Playthrough
If you want the most efficient route through the Daedric quests, start with The Black Star and The Mace of Molag Bal. These provide the most immediate "power spike" for a new character.
- Prioritize Leveling: Most of these quests don't even trigger until you're level 10, 15, or even 30 (for Boethiah). Don't go rushing to shrines at level 1; you'll just waste time.
- The "Both" Glitch: In Hircine’s quest, always try to get both the ring and the hide. It gives you a "buffer" for the Oblivion Walker achievement in case another quest glitches out.
- Carry Weight Matters: Items like Volendrung and the Ebony Mail are heavy. If you’re a mage, make sure you have a follower or some fortified carry weight gear before you head out to claim them.
- Don't Kill the Quest Givers: It sounds obvious, but many of these quests can be failed permanently if you kill an NPC too early. Read the room—if someone looks important to a Daedric Prince, leave them alone until the quest log tells you otherwise.
The hunt for these items is basically the "Greatest Hits" tour of Skyrim's lore. You’ll meet the most interesting (and terrifying) characters in the game, and even if you don't use the gear, seeing them all lined up on the racks in your trophy room is a top-tier feeling.