Stalhrim armor and weapons were one of the major additions included in the Dragonborn DLC, along with ancient Dovahkiin dragon priest Miraak and the entire island of Solstheim.
The ancient Nords know this beautiful and captivating crystal as “enchanted ice”. It was used in religious rituals and to craft armor for high-ranking leaders.
A suit of armor made from this ice-like material is light and resistant – plus it’s an ideal catalyst for frost-resistant enchantments! In other words, it’s the perfect armor for Skyrim’s tundra.
If you already knew all this but still avoid Stalhrim, it’s probably because of its looks.
I can’t blame you. But I can help you by pointing you in the direction of some amazing Stalhrim armor mods that’ll change how you look at this Solstheim export.
The whole point of a shield is protecting the wearer against incoming attacks, so even if it’s not categorized under “armor,” I think this fits the theme of this list just fine.
Plus I couldn’t miss a chance to share Fallen01135’s Heavy Stalhrim Shield with all of you.
I mean, look at this beauty!
The design is unique, as most heavy (and light) shields in Skyrim are either 100% round or heater-shaped. In this case, the shield is a sort of rounded rectangle.
The modder cites the Ice Shield from Morrowind as their main inspiration. It’s easy to see when you put them side-to-side.
I’ve never liked the Glass armor set all that much.
Something about it looks out-of-place – like it’s trying to fit into Skyrim, but the concept of Glass armor is so stupid that it just doesn’t.
Creator Haladoon gives the Glass weapons and armor a new lease on life by infusing them with Stalhrim ore.
At the very least, this would make the armor strong enough to protect someone. It also doubles down on the Glass armor’s weirdness, making it look almost alien and abandoning any desire to “fit in.”
If you like the base game’s take on Stalhrim but still want an improvement, ClearanceClarence’s UHD Stalhrim Weapons and Armor is the way to go.
This mod replaces the Stalhrim textures for higher-resolution versions in 2K, 4K, and 8K, respectively, so there’s an option for every system.
By upscaling them with neural net software and applying some finishing touches by hand, the author created a vanilla-accurate enhancement with a more realistic, rustic appeal.
I’d have loved to see more crafting-exclusive items in Skyrim.
Stuff that only the Dragonborn could make, instead of just copying the Empire-approved designs everyone is wearing.
Stalhrim Extra Crafting gives you just that with five all-new craftable Stalhrim items, including a heavy armor set and a new two-handed greatsword.
Creator Lautasantenni started this project because they didn’t like how the vanilla Stalhrim gauntlets left so much skin exposed. Realistically, anyone wearing that in Solstheim should lose their fingers to hypothermia.
This set offers much more protection from the elements – at least in appearance.
Creator Billyro is famous for their custom weapons and armor, and the Outlandish Stalhrim set is definitely one of the best.
Stalhrim is a mysterious material nobody understands completely. The only thing we know for sure is that it reacts positively to Frost enchanting – and that it looks a bit like glacier ice.
Outlandish Stalhrim doubles down on that connection and makes the mysterious material lighter-colored and more similar to ice.
There aren’t too many creative recolors of the Stalhrim armor set available online – but what there is, tends to be really good.
One of my favorites is the Amber Stalhrim Weapons and Armor by SpnPhoenix92, because it replaces the mysterious ancient material with another enigmatic material from ages past: amber.
Amber is essentially fossilized tree resin.
Its color and beauty evoke the idea of it being the crystallized essence of life – and the way it can keep small insects perfectly preserved for millennia is similar to how Stalhrim was used to preserve Nord corpses in antiquity.
The Stalhrim armor set looks gorgeous in these new warmer hues.
As the nerds among you will surely know, glaciers and icebergs look blue because of how light is refracted as it passes through these ancient formations.
Stalhrim’s blue color seems somewhat inspired by this idea – and so is this mod by MusicAndSilence.
Refractive Stalhrim Armor is a complete reimagining of these armor and weapons to make this mysterious crystal look more like ice.
This add-on stands out for how much depth it manages to give these textures. I feel as if I’m really looking deep into the Stalhrim, much like you’d feel sailing a boat around an iceberg in Antartida.
Another fantastic option closer to vanilla is Stalhrim Refrozen by Jelidity.
This mod works with the vanilla color palette but changes a couple of crucial details that let you appreciate the vanilla style much better.
Reducing the excessive brightness of Stalhrim under direct sunlight was a masterstroke. You’ll spend half your time walking under the sun – and looking like a disco ball can get annoying.
It also improves the textures with a parallax effect to mimic the look of real-life ice.
These changes apply to all Stalhrim – not just armor and weapons! It’s a nice little detail that keeps the game immersive.
My favorite type of armor for a female Dragonborn is sexy but not ridiculous. I want something closer to a superhero costume than a steel bikini.
Justice Stalhrim Armor is a compact but highly protective set that brings together the immense strength of Stalhrim with the fashion sense of the average gacha game character designer.
One of my favorite aspects of this set is how warm it looks.
The original already has a lot of fur, but seeing it directly in contact with my character’s skin makes me feel it on a deeper level.
For something more badass than sexy, I recommend the Salthrim Paladin armor by Mmccarthy4.
This armor set looks like something taken straight from Elden Ring and placed in Tamriel.
There’s something evil-looking about it – probably the spikes – but it retains a heroic beauty I can’t get enough of.
I find this perfect for some kind of Daedra-worshipping anti-heroic knight or a Nine Divines fanatic coming to Skyrim to rid it of its sinful paganism.
Nelson Chitty is a Venezuelan expat living in Argentina. He’s a writer and translator passionate about history and foreign cultures. His ideal weekend is spent between leisurely playing games of Civilization VI and looking for the next seinen anime to marathon.
