Elder Scrolls DLCs Ranked
The Elder Scrolls Series has become well known for its wide, expansive downloadable content releasing in the months after the main game. Most have been praised for being as good as (and sometimes better) than the original product- bring in new ideas and story beats that flesh out the world in an interesting way. Some, however, are a little less well received, with one being blamed for the massive influx of shoddy microtransactions in recent years. But what separates the great from the, let’s be honest, horse armor? Well, let's look at a ranking of all of the Elder Scrolls' DLCs to see how they stack up.
10: Horse Armor
The bottom of the list shouldn't be too surprising for any fan of the Elder Scrolls. This is the DLC that has been mocked to death for its lazy integration of an in-game purchase that left many fans disappointed. This is, of course, the notorious Horse Armor from TES IV:Oblivion. With this DLC, you get (unsurprisingly) the choice of two types of horse armors for your loyal steed. That's it. No new quests, no new items to experiment with. Just armor.I don't think there's too much argument about this being the worst DLC in the series
9: Mehrunes’ Razor
As you'll soon be aware, the fourth game in the franchise, Oblivion, was responsible for a lot more content packs than the likes of Morrowind or Skyrim. One of these smaller packs was the Mehrunes’ Razor DLC. This isn't like the multi-quest spanning stories of the other expansions. Instead, in this pack, you are given a new dungeon which takes 30-45 minutes to clear out. This is one of the largest dungeons in the game, though, and provides you with plenty of good gear including the daedric artifact ‘Mehrunes’ Razor’. With the ability to have a chance of instantly killing any enemy, this is a fun weapon to play around with. However, the lack of any additional quests or other areas to explore, this DLC is left lacking.
8: Oblivion’s House DLCs
Now, Oblivion had four small house mods which were each modeled around the four main factions of the game. This included the Fighter's Stronghold (Fighters Guild), Mages Tower (Mages Guild), Thieves Den (Thieves Guild), and the Vile Lair (Dark Brotherhood). Each of these provide an inventive and expansive player home for four of the main playable styles. With the ability to purchase upgrades like an alchemy garden that increases your alchemy skill in the mage's tower or sparring partners with the Fighter's Stronghold, each encapsulates the factions on which they are based. While not as satisfying to deck out when compared to another later house mod in the series, each of these four mods added a greater element of choice and role-playing for whatever player you are.
7: Tribunal
Tribunal was the first expansion in the series, and it was a welcome change for Morrowind players, who were used to dirty ash storms and primitive huts. Tribunal takes the player to mainland Morrowind and- more specifically-the Capital of Mournhold, Here, you have a small city to explore with a few side quests and objectives scattered about. Caught in a conspiracy and power struggle between the King of Morrowind and one of the living gods of the Tribunal, this expansion added an element of political intrigue that fit in with the base game surprisingly well. The only disappointments were the small area you had to explore and the frustrating sewers with infinitely spawning goblins that you were thrown into for every other mission. Still, Tribunal succeeded in how different it felt from mainland Morrowind while keeping what made it so loved upon release.
6: Hearthfire
Hearthfire is the last of the smaller-scale DLCs that have been released for the Elder Scrolls series. Unlike Oblivion, this house DLC released for Skyrim gave players the opportunity to create their own house for the first time in the series. With the choice of location, house layout, and interior design choices, this transformed Skyrim into a full-blown building simulator. By having to cut or purchase lumber, mine ores, and adopt children to live at your new home, this DLC provided the perfect break from the occasionally exhausting adventuring the game provides. Although it’s true that more recent mods have done everything that Hearthfice did but better, there's no denying the impact that this small add-on had on Skyrim’s modding community
5: Bloodmoon
Bloodmoon was the second (and final) expansion released for Morrowind, Much larger than Tribunal, Bloodmoon took players to the island of Solstheim to the northwest of Vvardenfel. A stark contrast from the mountainous region of Morrowind, Solstheim was an unforgiving frigid wasteland that introduced features such as the ability to assist with the creation of the village of Raven Rock (later seen in Skyrim), the creation of new armor and the ability to play as a werewolf. In your attempt to stop the daedric God Hircine's Bloodmoon hunt. you work with the Nords across the island to put an end to the werewolf threat (or join it). While hugely expansive, some more frustrating elements of Bloodmoon hold it back. This includes the forced werewolf transformations and the awful horde of enemies you're forced to fight at the end. Overall, however, Bloodmoon was a fantastic DLC that rounded off the fantastic Morrowind package.
4: Knights of the Nine
Oblivion's Knights of the Nine shared more in common with Tribunal than Bloodmoon. Instead of a whole new world space to explore, Knights of the Nine was a smaller add-on with a few additional dungeons and items to grab. What sets Knights of the Nine apart, however, is its premise. After completing a pilgrimage to shrines of the nine gods, you are tasked with retrieving the artifacts of the long-lost hero Pelinal Whitestrake to defeat an old Elven threat. Each of the lost crusader artifacts has its own mythos and abilities attached to it that make even retrieving a pair of boots incredibly interesting. Meanwhile, you build up the old chapel of the Nine which attracts a new cast of heroes who join you for a final siege on an Ayleid ruin. While small, the DLC manages to still feel epic and complete without feeling dragged out. This was presented in a neat little package that just oozes that classic Oblivion charm.
3: Dragonborn
Skyrim's Dragonborn DLC shares a lot of the DNA with Morrowind's Bloodmoon. The most obvious comparison here is that they are set in the exact same location. While often criticised as being a cop-out, the advances and changes to Solstheim that have happened in the centuries-long gap between the games are some of the best things about the game. While Bloodmoon changed things up by giving players a snowy island to explore, Skyrim transforms Solstheim into an ashy landscape reminiscent of Morrowind because of the eruption of Morrowind's Red Mountain. With a final showdown with the first dragonborn, Miraak, you are given a fantastic villain who feels more fleshed out than the often-one-dimensional Alduin from the base game. Dragonborn is a fantastic conclusion of Skyrim's narrative while acting as a nostalgic homage to Morrowind.
2: The Shivering Isles
Often considered the greatest DLC in the series, the Shivering Isles is the only DLC to take you out of Tamriel for its entirety. Instead, you are thrust into the completely alien world of Sheegorath's daedric realm. Split into the sides of mania and dementia, you are tasked with preventing Sheogorath from turning into the supremely powerful Jyggalag, the God of order. With so many unique characters, interesting locations, and some of the best questlines in the entire series, The Shivering Isles is certainly the most unique of all the DLCs- as well as the best in Oblivion. Encompassing all of what makes the god of madness so entertaining, the Shivering Isles is a constantly fun romp throughout its beefy questline. Although undoubtedly fantastic, this DLC just misses out on the top spot- but if that's the case, what is the best expansion in the series?
1: Dawnguard
While not the largest or the grandest of the DLCs in the series' history, Dawnsuard feels the most fleshed out and complete. Similarly to Knights of the Nine, Dawnguard only adds locations to the existing map of Skyrim. This makes everything you do feel surprisingly intertwined with the world of the game and integrates itself better than any other of the DLCs. Caught between a conflict between vampires and vampire hunters, Dawguard takes you to forgotten forts, deep falmer caverns, ancient snow elf civilizations and the Soul Cairn itself. Dawnguard is deceivingly large and introduces so many compelling characters on both sides and the ability to play as a vampire lord. It also provides more replayability with the choice between vampire or dawnguard than any other questline. Overall, Dawnsuard just manages to achieve everything it sets out to and puts it as the best DLC in the Elder Scrolls franchise.
