Locations
Windhelm – Home Base and Vendors (Thieves Guild Missions)
Riften – Thieves Guild and Vendors (Thieves Guild Missions)
Whiterun – Vendors/Fence (Fence is in Honeymead Brewery outside town) (Thieves Guild Missions)
Markarth – Fence and Vendors (Thieves Guild Missions)
Solitude – Fence and Vendors (Thieves Guild Missions)
Winterhold – Fence and Vendor (If you have complete Blades Mission in Solitude there is a fence here too)
Items
-Purchase All Soul Gems from Vendors if Possible. For the purpose of this guide, Petty and Lesser are key gems
- Gear which supports Enchanting, Alchemy and Smithing
- The Black Star – infinite Black Soul Gem
- Purchase ALL Alchemy items from vendors when possible
- Purchase Iron Ingots and Leather Strips or make them. (Tuck the Iron Ore away somewhere. Later you can turn it into Gold with Transmute)
- Amulet of Articulation – Reward for completing Thieves Guild Quest “Under New Management”
Skills
5 slots of Alchemy and Enchanting
Dual Enchanting (Requires 100 enchanting)
Quests
1. Begin the Thieves Guild Quests until you are allowed to do Jobs for Vex and Delvin Malory
- Complete 25 quests in five in each of five cities for Vex and Devilin
a. This opens all the Fences and should have them holding 4000 septum every 48 game hours (You may need to complete the Thieves Guild Quest Line to Max out the 4000 available from Vendor)
b. You should build a small cash stash during these missions as you loot, pick pocket your way through each town
c. This should level your Sneak, Pick Pockets and Open Locks skills pretty well. I Pickpocket the entire town of Riften clean which practically Maxed my Pick Pocket skill
2. Acquire the Black Star Item
- Return the Star to Nelcar
Acquire the House Hjerim in Windhelm– This will serve as home base because it is close to vendors and the Fence (only one zone from inside home). All but one vendor and the Fence are located by the blacksmith which is a fully functional smith. Inside the house are both an Archane Enchanter and an Alchemy Lab in a hidden area behind a false cabinet. (cool points)
- Complete the “Civil War” quest line.
- Complete “Blood on the Ice” – NOTE: DO NOT STORE ANYTHING IN THE HOUSE PRIOR TO PUCHASING THE CLEAN UP UPGRADE FOR THE HOUSE TO REMOVE THE SERIAL KILLER MESS.
- Fully Upgrade the House before placing anything inside.
- Cost: 12000 for house and 9000 for upgrades
Method
- Gear Up: Smithing, Enchanting, and Alchemy – your finest gear
- Smithing: Body, Hands, Neck, Fingers and Potions
- Alchemy: Head, Hands, Neck and Fingers
- Enchanting: Potions Only
- Use Iron Ingots and Leather to Make Iron Daggers
- Enchant the Daggers with Banish, Paralyze and/or Absorb Health
- Sell the daggers, buy Alchemy Ingredients, Iron Ingots, Leather Straps in Windhelm then Winterhold then Solitude then Marketh then Whiterun then Riften
- Take a walk in the woods and fill those soul gems, pick up some free Alchemy items and grab other loot. You might even pick up some additional gear to enchant.
- Return to Windhelm and create potions with Alchemy Gear, Create and upgrade Daggers with Smithing Gear, and Enchant the daggers again. Repeat from step 1.
Recipes
- Save the following: a. Save Giant's Toes, Daedra Hearts, Blue Butterfly Wings, Blue Mountain Flowers, Glowing Mushrooms, Blisterwort, Sabre Cat Tooth, Void Salts and Spriggan Sap.
- Giant’s Toe, Blue Butterfly Wing, Blue Mountain Flower – Highest Sale Value
- Blue Butterfly Wing, Snow Berries – Fortify Enchantment
- Blisterwort, Glowing Mushrooms – Fortify Smithing
NOTES:
- You can get by with the House in Whiterun, but you need to run to the Mage in the Keep for Enchanting.
- Use Alchemy gear to make Fortify Enchantment and Fortify Smithing Potions. Use Potions to create new Alchemy and Smithing Gear
- For Profit, enchant weapons with Banish, Paralyze and/or Absorb Health
- For Profit, enchant Gear with Sneak, Carry Weight, Archery, and Destruction Magic (in order of value highest to lowest)
- Use Iron Ingots and (spell) Transmute to make Gold and Silver for a steady supply of Finger and Neck gear. You will upgrade this often during this cycle.