Alchemy > Enchanting > Smithing Loop

[Su8tle]

Can anyone give me detailed instructions on how to do this, or link me to somewhere that does. I know I need 100 alchemy/enchanting/smithing before you can even start, but what are the min amount of perks I have to invest in Alchemy and enchanting to do this loop?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Skullrattla]

I don't know about the glitch that people use to make ridiculous weapons, but you can normally apply a not-too-exploitative technique along the following lines without reaching 100 anywhere, but higher levels will produce exponentially stronger effects:

First you need the fortify enchantment potion recipe (and ideally the Blacksmiths' potion recipe) and the fortify alchemy and fortify smithing enchantment, which you can get by disenchanting gear you find with these enchantments... There is also a special Notched Pickaxe with a Fortify Smithing enchantment, which you can find at a really high place, that you can equip or disenchant for a smithing enchantment that can be applied to weapons.

Drink a FE potion and enchant a full set of gear with Fortify Alchemy enchantments.

Now wear the Fortify Alchemy gear and make some stronger Fortify Enchantment potions. Use those potions to enchant and make stronger Fortify Alchemy gear, wear it and make some stronger Fortify Enchanting and Fortify Smithing Potions.

Use the new FE potions to enchant a full set of gear with F Smitihing enchantments , then wear that gear and drink a Blacksmith's potion at a forge to make or improve gear much more .

Hope that makes sense. There is probably a most efficient way to begin the loop, depending on which skill you are at a higher level with, Alchemy or Enchanting.

 

[XbSuper]

Look it up on YouTube it's easier than trying to explain it.

 

[Dagmar]

You'll need the following in your character build:

100 Smithing Skill
100 Alchemy Skill
5 perks in Alchemist
Benefactor perk
100 Enchanting Skill
5 perks in Enchanter
Insightful Enchanter perk

With this build you can make a set of 4 pieces of Fortify Alchemy apparel (head, hands, necklace and ring) with each piece providing a 25% increase. With that set of apparel you make Fortify Enchanting potions that you use to make another set of Fortify Alchemy apparel with each piece providing a 28% increase. Repeat this step one more time to make your final set of Fortify Alchemy apparel with each piece providing a 29% increase.

After that you can make your set of Fortify Smithing gear (chest, hands, necklace and ring) with each piece providing a 29% increase by using your Fortify Enchanting potions.

Using the 116% Fortify Alchemy apparel you then make 130% Fortify Smithing potions.

Wearing your 116% Fortify Smithing apparel and using your 130% Fortify Smithing potion before you improve an item at the workbench or grindstone completes the loop giving you extremely powerful gear.

 

[RedVideo]

There are two patterns for boosting Alchemy and Enchanting.

1)There is the simple back-and-forth of enchanting 4 items to improve alchemy(Hat, hands, ring and amulet). Make some potions of Fortify Enchanting. Drink the potion(s) and make 4 new items to improve alchemy, which will be slightly stronger. Mix some new potions that fortify enchanting (the potions will be slightly stronger this time). Rinse and repeat.

2) There is the "Restoration Loop". Drinking a Potion of restoration apparently makes enchanted items a little bit stronger. Make Restoration Potion and drink it. Remove your enchanted items, then put them back on. Make another restoration potion and drink it. Remove your enchanted items and put them back on. Make another restoration potion and drink it. Remove your enchanted items and put...well, you get the idea. When you see the power of your restoration potion hitting over 100% make some Fortify Enchanting potions. Ditch your enchanted items, drink your Super Fortify Enchanting potions and make a new set of Super Fortify Alchemy gear. Then start over.

If you look over in the "Skyrim Help" forum you will see my post about how I think I broke the game, or at least my character, this way.

 

[Dagmar]

....There is the "Restoration Loop".....

This has nothing to do with using the mechanics of Alchemy and Enchanting to improve gear and requires zero understanding of how they function in conjunction with one another. It's just an exploit using an item in the game that does something that it's clearly not meant to do.

 

[Renegade]

I have question about this gear improvement loop as well. What level is it generally safe to do this without overshadowing your ability to fight anything without dying? For example my warrior is level 30 right now and my combat skills are one-handed, block, and heavy armor all sitting at around 67-70.

My smithing is 70, enchant 56, and alchemy quite low around 26. Are my combat skills high enough to handle the extra character levels that will happen by bringing those crafting skills to 100 each, or will I gimp myself? Is there some kind of general rule of thumb about when it is safe to do this loop?

 

[reddeadfriend]

i think i know what your talking about its where you make a fortify enchanting potion or a fortify alchemy potion then you do that in a loop then you enchant items with the smithing enchantment after drinking all those postions then you make a fortify smithing potion and then while wear the smithing enchanted items you make and improve those armors and weapons. i would recomend getting smithing high though but the others im not quite sure i think a lvl 50 enchanting would be good, not sure about alchemy though, never really looked at theat skill tree before.

 

[Gore gro-Gijakudob]

I have question about this gear improvement loop as well. What level is it generally safe to do this without overshadowing your ability to fight anything without dying? For example my warrior is level 30 right now and my combat skills are one-handed, block, and heavy armor all sitting at around 67-70.

My smithing is 70, enchant 56, and alchemy quite low around 26. Are my combat skills high enough to handle the extra character levels that will happen by bringing those crafting skills to 100 each, or will I gimp myself? Is there some kind of general rule of thumb about when it is safe to do this loop?

Yes, your combat skills should be high enough but I would still suggest raising slowly instead of grinding it. As a side note, it isn't a loop as their is a cap. It is by design and really the choice is down to you. I did it at around level 65 and to be honest, didn't really get any further enjoyment from it other than actually crafting the weapons/armour at that level. The real positive is that you can actually wear the armour you like instead of Dragon/Daedric. I really enjoyed getting back into Orc armour after such a long time.

 

[Dagmar]

I have question about this gear improvement loop as well. What level is it generally safe to do this without overshadowing your ability to fight anything without dying? For example my warrior is level 30 right now and my combat skills are one-handed, block, and heavy armor all sitting at around 67-70.

It depends on your difficulty level setting. I don't recommend grinding it but a conservative estimate would be that it will make combat more difficult unless you have your weapon skill of choice up to at least 60 and your armor at either 60 for Heavy Armor or 70 for Light Armor.

As a side note, it isn't a loop as their is a cap.

The hard cap for physical damage resistance has nothing to do with why some people describe it as a loop. You have to go back and forth from using your Enchanting build and our Alchemy build 3 times. Also, the physical damage resistance for displayed armor rating caps but the displayed damage for weapons does not.

 

[Su8tle]

Is there a way to boost my alchemy without grinding? I'm lv 29. With 100 sneak, 55 one hand, 55 smithing, 53 enchanting, but only 21 alchemy. I have TONNES of ingredients as I have saved every single ingredient I have gathered so far and popped it in my satchel in breezehome. I must have like 200+ of each type of mountain flower for example.

 

[XbSuper]

Is there a way to boost my alchemy without grinding? I'm lv 29. With 100 sneak, 55 one hand, 55 smithing, 53 enchanting, but only 21 alchemy. I have TONNES of ingredients as I have saved every single ingredient I have gathered so far and popped it in my satchel in breezehome. I must have like 200+ of each type of mountain flower for example.

Eat all your ingredients, not sure how much this will raise your skill, but each time you eat one you get a SMALL boost to alchemy. Also I'm not sure if eating the same ingredient will continue to raise your skill, or if it's just once per ingredient.

 

[Halkin]

You'll need the following in your character build:

100 Smithing Skill
100 Alchemy Skill
5 perks in Alchemist
Benefactor perk
100 Enchanting Skill
5 perks in Enchanter
Insightful Enchanter perk

With this build you can make a set of 4 pieces of Fortify Alchemy apparel (head, hands, necklace and ring) with each piece providing a 25% increase. With that set of apparel you make Fortify Enchanting potions that you use to make another set of Fortify Alchemy apparel with each piece providing a 28% increase. Repeat this step one more time to make your final set of Fortify Alchemy apparel with each piece providing a 29% increase.

After that you can make your set of Fortify Smithing gear (chest, hands, necklace and ring) with each piece providing a 29% increase by using your Fortify Enchanting potions.

Using the 116% Fortify Alchemy apparel you then make 130% Fortify Smithing potions.

Wearing your 116% Fortify Smithing apparel and using your 130% Fortify Smithing potion before you improve an item at the workbench or grindstone completes the loop giving you extremely powerful gear.

and dont forget a set of trainer wheels

 

[Kuurus]

Eat all your ingredients, not sure how much this will raise your skill, but each time you eat one you get a SMALL boost to alchemy. Also I'm not sure if eating the same ingredient will continue to raise your skill, or if it's just once per ingredient.

It is only once per ingredient, when you learn one of it's uses.

I did the same and had tons and tons of ingredients. I harvested every one I came across and never sold any of them. I didn't actually do alchemy and max all my enchanted stuff until almost level 60 - after I had already completed the main quest. Getting alchemy to 100 at that point was a simple matter of mixing potions with what was in the satchel for a little over an hour. The key is the value of the potion created. The higher the gold value of the resulting potion, the bigger boost you receive in skill.

 

[Su8tle]

Is it worth mixing 3 ingredients together? or just focus on 2. Blue mountain flower and wheat is a pretty simple one to make.

 

[XbSuper]

Is it worth mixing 3 ingredients together? or just focus on 2. Blue mountain flower and wheat is a pretty simple one to make.

I've never found 3 to be worth it, but maybe there is some benefit, hopefully someone else can clarify this. Also try giants toe and wheat, worth 1000 gold(don't know what the one you're making is worth) so it levels alchemy pretty quick. However I have used this glitch before with only 30-40 alchemy skill, and no perks, it just takes a lot more potions before you start seeing real results.

Edit: I'm speaking of the fortify restoration/alchemy exploit

 

[Dagmar]

Is it worth mixing 3 ingredients together? or just focus on 2. Blue mountain flower and wheat is a pretty simple one to make.

For leveling Alchemy skill it is because it can significantly increase the value of the potion, e.g. adding a Blue Butterfly Wing will more than triple the value of that potion, but one of the effects it adds will be an adverse one (Damage Magicka Regeneration).

 

[Su8tle]

^ ahh ok thanks. I've got quite a few blue butterfly wings. Does anyone see the irony of a Khajiit jumping and leaping in the forest catching butterflies?

 

[RedVideo]

How about the irony of a khajiit splashing in the water to catch little fish?

 

[Su8tle]

^ ahh touché!