How many times have you heard, “Hey, you. You’re finally awake” after restartingThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim? You want to play more, but at some point, there’s not much left to play. That’s where DLC comes in.
DLC can fulfill our desires for more and more content, but not all DLC is made equally. The Elder Scrolls series has plenty of history, good and bad, with DLC since the first expansion forThe Elder Scrolls III: Morrowindin 2002.
DLC was like the Wild West during its infancy, with companies like Bethesda still trying to figure out what people wanted, and that led to some mixed results. Some DLC for the series has been magnificent expansions, and others have been tiny pieces of content at questionable price points.
15Horse Armor
The One DLC To Ruin Them All
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Release Date
June 25, 2025
Release Price
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion’sinfamous Horse Armor DLCis exactly what it sounds like: armor for your horse. Is it mildly cool? Sure. Was it worth the original $2 price tag? Not at all. It has rightfully been the butt of thousands of jokes since. Something as basic as horse armor simply didn’t justify the $2 price tag when the entire game was $50.
Still, it is a nice addition to the game when it comes included for free with newer editions of the game, likeThe Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.The problem was never the horse armor; it was the price. It probably should’ve been lumped in with one of the other DLCs.
14The Orrery
Completely Forgettable
June 22, 2025
The Orrery DLC in Oblivion comes with a simple quest. You must find the pieces to repair a model of the solar system at Arcane University. Once repaired, it gives the player greater powers that buff one attribute by 20 points and nerf another by 20 points. The phases of the moon decide the available power, so you don’t get to choose which attribute you want to be buffed.
It sounds neat at first, but it is rare to be worth using. If you’re trying to min-max, and it happens to be one of the right phases of the moon for you, you might get some use out of this DLC. Otherwise,it’s just something mildly neat to do, only because the Orrery is pretty to look at. It wasn’t worth the price as a standalone DLC.
13Spell Tomes
Good Enough To Return
August 13, 2025
The Spell Tomes DLC adds dozens of books to Oblivion that teach spells, and rather than needing to buy them, they are found randomly in loot pools. Several of the spells are even new to the game, such as Karstaag’s Breath, which does both frost damage and paralyzes the target.
The system of learning spells with tomes worked so well that it was carried over to Skyrimas the primary way spells are learned. It makes loot more interesting as a mage, after all.
I think the DLC adds a good amount of content to the game for its price if you’re an avid magic user, but you’re not missing out on much by skipping it either.
12Thieves Den
Dude, Who Stole My Boat?
July 29, 2025
Every thief needs somewhere to stash or sell their loot. The Thieves Den in Oblivion does just that, being a Thieves Guild-themed home.It’s a pirate ship in a hidden covethat, after cleaning up a few skeletons, serves as your new home.
Oblivion Remastered: 10 Biggest Improvements On The Original
Oblivion Remastered sets a new standard for those who seek to follow in their footsteps.
you may purchase upgrades to the cove that will add new merchants to trade with, including a fence to sell stolen goods to, trainers, and merchants selling a few unique items, like the Nightmask potion, which grants the player multiple stealthy effects.
The DLC provides a good bit of content and plenty of utility, especially for players focusing on stealth and archery.
11Fighter’s Stronghold
Are You A Lover Or A Fighter?
July 27, 2025
The Fighter’s Stronghold DLC adds Battlehorn Castle, a Fighters Guild-themed upgradable home. The Castle’s upgrades include a new follower, a Dwemer forge that increases the armorer skill when nearby, a trainer you can spar with to level up skills, a wine cellar with wine that gives buffs, and more.
There’s also hidden treasure sealed away, with notes hinting at where to find it. Be careful, though, it is guarded.
While this DLC is geared toward fighters, it can provide some utility for pretty much any player. The only reason to skip out on this one is if one of the other home DLCs fits your style a bit more.
10Vile Lair
Hail Sithis!
July 11, 2025
The Vile Lair isby far the most interesting home added to Oblivion, although it can also be the least useful.
It’s a Dark Brotherhood-themed home called Deepscorn Hollow, and it holds a vampiric twist. It provides a place to feed for vampires, as well as a place to cure vampirism without doing a tedious quest.
Most important, however, is the Shrine of Sithis, where you’re able to heal andreceive buffs if you have high infamy. Unfortunately, if you play nice like me and have higher fame than infamy, the Shrine will do nothing for you. There is a small garden with poisonous plants that you may get some use out of, though.
9Wizard’s Tower
Wizards Only, Fools
July 29, 2025
The most useful home in Oblivion has to be the Mages Guild-themed Frostcrag Spire from the Wizard’s Tower DLC. It has conveniently placed Altars of Enchanting and Spellmaking, and a garden with a variety of alchemical ingredients.
More important, however, is the Atronach Alter, which can be used to create a powerful Atronach that will follow you into combat.There are also portals to all the mage guild halls, including Arcane University. Also, when the Tower is fully upgraded, an enchanted ring will spawn that fortifies all your magic skills when equipped.
While the DLC clearly benefits Mages the most, the Atronach alter and easy travel can be extremely useful for all players.
8Mehrunes' Razor
It Cuts Deep
August 25, 2025
Collecting Daedric artifacts is a staple of the Elder Scrolls games, so adding a classic artifact that was otherwise missing from Oblivion was an obvious choice.Mehrunes' Razor is a dagger with a small chance of causing instant death, no matter how much health the enemy has left.
Like with all other Daedric artifacts, a quest must be completed to attain it. The Mehrunes' Razor quest of Oblivion sees you going through a dungeon, Sundercliff Watch, fighting a small army that has located the dagger and plans to use it to take over the Empire.
Sundercliff Watch is a massive dungeon, and it has plenty of unique set pieces rather than being filled with copied and pasted, generic dungeon assets. It’s worth the price on its own, and being paired with Mehrunes' Razor is just a bonus.
7Hearthfire
Home Sweet Home
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
August 10, 2025
Skyrim took the upgradable homes from Oblivion to another level with this DLC.
Hearthfire allows the Dragonborn to build three different manors, each upgradable with a variety of roomsof your choice that serve practical purposes, like alchemy and smithing stations, a garden, and more. It even adds plenty of new food items that can serve as potion alternatives for those not invested in Alchemy.
Also added is the ability to adopt kids, and for the kids to be able to adopt a pet. This allows you to roleplay having a family withoutan assortment of modsif that’s your wish.
Personally, I just love having everything I need in one place.
Submit To The Three
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
August 22, 2025
One day, you go to take a nap and wake up to an assassin from the Dark Brotherhood trying to kill you. That’s how Morrowind’s Tribunal expansion starts.
It sees you travel to the mainland of Morrowind to visit the capital city of Mournhold. This expansion is a bit different from other expansions in that Mournhold isn’t a large area.It continues the story of the Nerevarineand sees you meeting the living gods that make up the Tribunal, which is neat from a lore perspective.
However, Tribunal is mostly there to provide an added challenge forplayers who have already beaten the game, adding high-level enemies and loot. That said, you don’t have to complete the game to play it, and the Dark Brotherhood armor you get from surviving the assassin attack is some of the best light armor in the game.
It’s good, but it’s the weakest of the big expansions.
