In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, enchanting your gear is one of the best ways to boost your power, survive tough fights, and flex your magical creativity. Whether you want to drain your enemies’ health or rock 100% Chameleon, this guide breaks down how to enchant weapons and armor, what you’ll need, and the best strategies to maximize your enchantments.
How Enchanting Works in Oblivion
Unlike Skyrim, you don’t learn enchantments by destroying gear—you’ll be using soul gems and Altars of Enchantment to imbue items with magical effects.
You can enchant:
- Weapons (swords, daggers, bows, etc.)
- Armor (helmets, cuirasses, greaves, etc.)
- Clothing and jewelry
Step 1: Join the Mages Guild For Easy Access to Enchanting
To access enchanting in Oblivion, you must first join the Mages Guild and gain access to the Arcane University in the Imperial City.
- Complete the recommendation quests from all 7 guild halls across Cyrodiil.
- Once you’re in the Arcane University, you’ll unlock the Chironasium, which houses the Altar of Enchantment.
Here’s the full guide on how to join the Mages Guild in Oblivion.
Step 2: Collect Soul Gems
To enchant, you’ll need filled soul gems—empty ones won’t work.
Types of Soul Gems:
- Petty, Lesser, Common, Greater, Grand
- The stronger the soul inside, the stronger the enchantment.
- Azura’s Star (from the Daedric quest) is a reusable Grand Soul Gem, making it the ultimate enchanting tool.
Pro tip: Use a weapon like Umbra to easily trap souls—it’s already enchanted with Soul Trap.
Step 3: Choose Your Item
You can enchant any unenchanted weapon or piece of armor/clothing, including:
- Unique but unenchanted gear
- Custom-forged weapons
- Jewelry like rings or amulets
Note: Once enchanted, you can’t remove or change the enchantment later—choose wisely, bestie!
Step 4: Pick Your Enchantment
Once you’re at the Altar of Enchantment:
- Select the item to enchant
- Choose a magical effect from the spells you already know
- Choose a soul gem to power the enchantment
- Name your item (this part’s fun 😌)
- Finalize it—your item is now enchanted!
Best Weapon Enchantments
- Absorb Health: Great for sustaining in combat
- Paralyze: Crowd control queen
- Soul Trap: Essential for farming more souls
- Weakness to Magic + Fire Damage: Combo spell that nukes enemies
Best Armor Enchantments
- Chameleon: Stack it for near-invisibility
- Fortify Magicka: Great for mages
- Reflect Damage: Turn enemy hits back on them
- Resist Magic: Key for surviving Daedric and mage-heavy fights
Final Tips
- Fortify Intelligence and Luck can increase your effectiveness in both spellcasting and loot finding.
- You can enchant clothing for passive buffs—perfect for casual city looks with magical perks.
- Combine spell effects on weapons for devastating combos, like Fire + Soul Trap + Weakness to Fire.
Once you’re done enchanting, check out how to sell your items so you can fund even more soul gem shopping sprees.