In a game that starts off withElder Scrolls, one might think that theElder Scrollsthemselves are the most coveted items; that couldn’t be further from the truth. Because what most players want is to be nothing more than treasure hunters and walking museums forDaedric Artifacts. These are itemized manifestations of the Daedric Princes themselves, often containing the summary of their powers or essences.
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They certainly have more personality than some old and decrepit scrolls; plus, they don’t shove their importance in the players' faces via the main quest every five minutes. No, players seek Daedric Artifacts because they want to. Also, wherever Daedric Artifacts are present, one can bet that something interesting is going to happen. So, hopefully, theElder Scrolls 6,when it is released, will feature these Daedric Artifacts again.
10Azura’s Star/The Black Star (Azura)
Soul Gems are precious commodities and loot in allElder Scrollsgamesbecause players can use them to recharge enchanted items. They are finite, so collecting them can be daunting. But what if they weren’t limited? Well, that’s what Azura’s Star or The Black Star excels.
They’reunlimited-use Black Soul Gems. An item like that is always valuable, especially for players who want their enchanted items topped up all the time. Besides, quests involving Azura are always intriguing due to the nature of her domain. She’s one of the kindest among the Daedric Princes.
9Mace of Molag Bal (Molag Bal)
Obtaining the Mace of Molag Bal was one of the most memorable questsinSkyrimbecause the evil Daedric Prince forced the players to sacrifice someone in exchange for a cool mace. It was more or less worth it, since Molag Bal’s mace is devastating. Itdeals Stamina and Magicka damageon top of the default stats.
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It alsodoubles as a Soul Trap weapon— best paired with The Black Star. Plus, the Mace of Molag Bal is one of the most unique-looking weapons in the game. It’s quite perfect for cosplaying as Sauron or some other edgy spiky dude who’s out for everyone’s sweet rolls.
8Ebony Blade (Mephala)
Sure, Molag Bal’s spiky mace was good, but it didn’t exactly make players want to re-spec swords, unlike the Mephala’s Ebony Blade. This obsidian katana has even more edge than the edgy mace above— literally and figuratively.
It’s also a lot more useful in combat compared to most other weapons, since theEbony Blade steals life with every hit. To that end, it’s an ideal weapon for those practicing their transition into vampire-hood. Ebony Blade is alsoupgradeable based on the number of kills, so it offers a dark, cursed weapon roleplaying opportunity. The blade hungers for blood.
7Ebony Mail (Boethia)
Those who nabbed themselves the Ebony Blade might as well go for this one for pure seething angst and maximum edge. It’s a blackened armor piece courtesy of Boethia; on top of the decent protection, it alsomuffles the player’s footsteps, making good for semi-stealth builds.
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But that’s not all; the Ebony Mail alsoinflicts area poison damageon any of the player’s enemies. It’s not much, and it likely won’t win fights for its wearer. But players have to leave their venomous hatred and vengeance every once in a while; send a message to thosepesky bandits(or town guards) from time to time.
6Mehrunes' Razor (Mehrunes Dagon)
Mehrunes Dagonis the Daedric Prince of Destruction and his Daedric Artifact, Mehrunes' Razor reflects that in essence. Aesthetically, it’s quite a mismatch since it’s a cute little dagger, but it’s one of the most destructive weapons in the game.
It’s all thanks to the weapon’s passive. Mehrunes' Razor grants players a1.98 percent chance to instantly kill targetson hit. So for dual wielding dagger builds or one of thosebroken Illusion Assassin builds, this weapon is a must-have. It’s like Mehrunes Dagon’s anger in micro-doses.
5Volendrung (Malacath)
It’s not often that Malacath, the god and patron saint of the orcs inSkyrim,makes their presence known to the players, but when they do, it hits like a truck. Because inSkyrim, Malacath’s presence comes in the form of Volendrung. It’s a giant mace or hammer best summed up as the Mace of Molag Bal’s bigger brother.
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Granted, two-handed weapons are cumbersome or suboptimal inSkyrim, but Volendrung addresses this shortcoming bysiphoning Stamina with each hit. It’s so intimidating that even guards comment on the size of the player’s hammer when they see it. That ought to take their minds off the Redguards' curved swords.
4Gray Cowl of Nocturnal (Nocturnal)
Nocturnal’s Skeleton Key inSkyrimmight be the perfect lockpick, but it’s a bit bland compared to her offeringinOblivion, which is the Gray Cowl of Nocturnal. It’s an even better item that doesn’t just provide unlimited lockpicking capabilities.
The Gray Cowl of Nocturnal— at least inOblivion, gave players apermanent maximum encumbrance limit, apermanent Detect Life spell for 120 feet, and a largebonus to Sneak. It’s no wonder why the guild masters of the Thieves Guild in Cyrodiil own this item.
3Ring of Namira (Namira)
Ring of Namira’s purpose is more theatrical than practical, but the quest involving it as well as the shock value has always been a highlight inSkyrim. It’s a ring thatallows players to heal by feasting on corpses, essentially turning them into cannibals.
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Of course, the quest involved in obtaining this item will also turn players into cannibals beforehand. That should give anyone a rough idea of what the Daedric Prince Namira is all about. Players surely won’t mind more of that inElder Scrolls 6. It’s a good way to recycle those corpses, after all.
2Dawnbreaker (Meridia)
Like Azura, Meridia is one of the odd ones out among the Daedric Princes. Her dominion is obscure, but it seems she likes living things the most. Because her sword, Dawnbreaker was thebest undead-killing tool inSkyrim. Dawnbreaker dealsburning damageon top of the regular one, and it also has achance to explode in a fiery blaze upon killing an undead.
This explosion will then kill or turn any undead caught within the radius. IfElder Scrolls 6offers a goody-two-shoes roleplaying route, then this weapon would be the ideal accompaniment. Although, it’s probably not a good idea to wield this weapon in the presence of vampire companions.
1Wabbajack (Sheogorath)
Among all the Daedric Princes, uncle Sheogorath is probably the most talkative and the most approachable one. That doesn’t mean he’s the least dangerous. This literal madman is always out to prank anything that moves. As such, his most famous Daedric Artifact, Wabbajack, is areflection of his chaos.
Wabbajack is a creepy staff that has Sheogorath’s laughing face. It does a bit of everything, but randomly. Whenever players use it, they get arandom effect. Anything fromFireballtoturning targets into blocks of cheeseis fair game for Sheogorath’s staff. Make sure to pick a good crash test dummy— like Nazeem in Whiterun, to test out all the possible Wabbajack effects.
