Elder Scrolls Online: Introduction To Gear Crafting – Blacksmithing Part I

The heavy armor and the majority of weapons come from this craft. As my primary crafting focus I’ll cover the ins and outs of Blacksmithing. This guide series will break down everything you need to know as a Blacksmith. This will be broken down into three guides as mapped below.

Part I:

• Gathering
• Leveling
• Skills

Part II:

• Crafting
• Deconstruction
• Improvement

Part III:

• Research
• Traits

Gathering:

Gathering is the primary means for obtaining the raw material needed for crafting your items. For Blacksmith you mine ore. Unlike other games, you don’t require tools or quests to start gathering. In Elder Scrolls Online, as soon as you find a node you can collect the materials.

Leveling:

Leveling is very simple. Inspiration is the equivalent to experience for crafting, and gained by crafting or deconstructing an item. Your inspiration meter is displayed in the top left corner while using a crafting station.

Skills:

The skills are optional passives that will allow you to do more with your Blacksmithing.

Metalworking:

This always starts with one point in it, and allows the use of a higher tier material for each point. There are a total of nine tiers for Metalworking. With each new material, you can craft higher level gear.

• Level One: Free level. At this level you only have access to crafts that use Iron Ingots.
• Level Two: You gain the ability to use Steel Ingots.
• Level Three: You gain the ability to use Orihalc Ingots.
• Level Four: You gain the ability to use Dwarven Ingots.
• Level Five: You gain the ability to use Ebony Ingots.
• Level Six: You gain the ability to use Calcinium Ingots.
• Level Seven: You gain the ability to use Galatite Ingots.
• Level Eight: You gain the ability to use Moonstone Ingots.
• Level Nine: You gain the ability to use Voidstone Ingots.

Keen Eye: Ore:

This passive lights up ore nodes for better visibility. Each point spent in this passive increases the range of vision on the glow. You do not get a point in this skill at the start, and it only has three levels. I don’t really feel the level one Keen Eye is necessary for Blacksmithing as the node itself stands out before I get in the 20 meter range. At max level this has a bit more potential.

• Level One: The ore lights up when you’re within 20 meters.
• Level Two: The ore lights up when you’re within 30 meters.
• Level Three: The ore lights up when you’re within 40 meters.

Miner Hireling:

Miner Hireling essentialyl allows you to get free Blacksmithing items each day. You’re guaranteed to get ore and have the possibility of receiving other items. Each rank grants better chances at higher quality items. I’d recommend putting a point into this as soon as it becomes available. The Hireling can send quality upgrade items to upgrade your gear.

• Level One: Hireling sends you ore and possibly other items every day.
• Level Two: Hireling sends you more ore and possibly better items every day.
• Level Three: Hireling sends even more ore and possibly even better items twice a day.

Metal Extraction:

This passive improves the chance of receiving materials when deconstructing items. Metal Extraction has three levels, each one improves the chance more. I’d recommend putting at least one point into this skill to decrease the amount of zero return deconstructions. This skill loses some relevance once you hit max level in Blacksmithing, unless you plan to use it as a source of income. The material recycling will help keep costs cheap while earning profits.

• Level One: Improves the chance to extract Blacksmithing materials.
• Level Two: Greatly improves the chance to extract Blacksmithing materials.
• Level Three: Maximizes the chance to extract Blacksmithing materials.

Metallurgy:

This passive allows the user to have reduced research timers, and increases the amount of traits researched at one time. This passive is for people who really intend to take Blacksmithing seriously and make money off of it. It is also time limited, once you’ve learned every trait there is no longer a need to have this passive. I suggest getting and maxing this early and then respeccing once you’ve completed researching all traits.

• Level One: Reduces research time by 5% and allows up to two items to be researched at a time.
• Level Two: Reduces research time by 10% and allows up to two items to be researched at a time.
• Level Three: Reduces research time by 20% and allows up to three items to be researched at a time.

Temper Expertise:

This passive improves the success rate of improving gear with tempers. This is another skill that will only be needed by the most serious crafters. However, unlike Metallurgy, this skill will have the most benefit once you’ve maximized Metalworking. I’d hold off on putting more than one point into this skill untill you can make top tier end game gear unless you have the points to spare.

• Level One: Increases the chance of improving items with tempers.
• Level Two: Greatly increases the chance of improving items with tempers.
• Level Three: Doubles the chance of improving items with tempers.

This wraps up part one of my Blacksmithing guide covering: Gathering, Leveling, and Skills. Please be on the lookout for part two coming soon. For more guides, be sure to check out the ESO team directory.