Dwarven Smithing Perk

Dwarven Smithing

Skill Requirement	30
Perk Requirement	Steel Smithing
Tempering Material	Dwarven Metal Ingot
Improvement	Doubled
Perk ID	000CB40E

Dwarven Smithing is the first step on the heavy armour branch of the Smithing tree in Skyrim. It needs skill level 30 and Steel Smithing, and it lets you forge Dwarven armour and weapons as well as doubling their improvement at a grindstone or workbench.

It shares its level requirement with Elven Smithing, and the two perks are the fork in the tree: Dwarven leads through Orcish and Ebony to Daedric Smithing, while Elven runs up the lighter side.

The Dwemer Scrap Advantage

Dwarven Metal Ingots are the cheapest high-tier smithing material in the game, and that is what makes this perk unusually good for levelling. Rather than mining ore, you smelt them from Dwemer scrap metal, which litters every Dwemer ruin in the form of bent scrap, large scrap, solid metal, plate metal, bowls and struts. A single ruin can leave you carrying enough scrap to push Smithing several levels at no cost beyond the trip.

Dwarven bows are the usual choice for grinding, since they are worth enough to give solid skill gains per craft while costing only a few ingots each.

Where It Leads

Orcish Smithing follows at level 50, then Ebony at 80 and Daedric at 90. The heavy branch is one perk longer than the light one, but it ends with the strongest weapons in the base game, and Daedric armour has the highest armour rating of any set that does not require add-on content.

Smelting

Dwarven metal ingots are the exception among smithing materials: they come from no ore at all. Instead you smelt the scrap metal that litters every Dwemer ruin, which is why this is the cheapest high tier material in the game.

Tempering Quality

Skill needed to reach each tier, with and without the perk.

Quality	No perk	With perk
Fine	14	14
Superior	31	22
Exquisite	65	40
Flawless	100	57
Epic	134	74
Legendary	168	91

Heavy Armour Branch

Perk	Skill
Steel Smithing	None
Dwarven Smithing	30
Orcish Smithing	50
Ebony Smithing	80
Daedric Smithing	90

Smithing Perk Categories