Skyrim: Dawnguard, Hearthfire Or Dragonborn – Which Expansion Is Best

There are three major expansions available for Skyrim, each of which adds new gameplay mechanics, story elements, and various other features to the base game. Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn were all added in the years following Skyrim‘s 2011 release, and now all three are included as required components of both Skyrim Special Edition and Skyrim Anniversary Edition. Although people purchasing Skyrim for the first time no longer have to pick and choose which DLC to spend their funds on, it’s still worth examining which are the most interesting to explore earlier in the game.

Since its initial launch, Skyrim has released fifteen times on ten systems, and grown in the process. Some of these re-releases altered the game more substantially than others. Skyrim Special Edition, for example, provided players with a graphics upgrade, and Skyrim Anniversary Edition added content from Bethesda’s Creation Club, including fishing, survival mode, and new quests. The game’s three major expansions, all of which came out between 2012 and 2013, were the first pieces of subsequent media to expand the world of Skyrim not just in terms of gameplay mechanics but world space as well.

Given the multiple hours’ worth of new content added thanks to Skyrim Anniversary Edition, it’s likely that players who just picked up Skyrim for the first time with the most recent re-release are still working their way through the game. It can be difficult for even dedicated Elder Scrolls fans to pick a favorite expansion, or to decide which questlines to prioritize. To that end, here’s all there is to know about Skyrim‘s three DLC and what Dawnguard, Dragonborn, and Hearthfire bring to the table.

How The Hearthfire DLC Changes Skyrim’s Housing System

Unlike the story-driven content of the other two Skyrim expansions, Hearthfire instead focuses on gameplay systems, particularly housing and adoption. Up until the introduction of Hearthfire, the Dragonborn was unable to adopt many of the orphans scattered throughout the region. With the addition of the DLC, players can now give gifts to their adopted children, keep pets, and participate in other small day-to-day interactions that help both the Dragonborn and several of Skyrim‘s occasionally weird NPCs feel more fleshed out, particularly spouses, housecarls, and children.

Hearthfire also added three new houses to the game, all of which differed from the pre-built ones present in vanilla Skyrim in that players were now able to take a hands-on approach to design and decorate their homes. Hearthfire‘s three manors are by far the most customizable aspect of Skyrim, and prior to the inclusion of other new player houses in Skyrim Anniversary Edition, they were also the best option in terms of displaying weapons, armor, and other items players may have collected as they journeyed across Skyrim. Alongside these gameplay features, over a dozen new characters, items, and crafting materials for Skyrim’s smithing skill were added to the world. That said, players looking to focus on story or combat-driven content likely won’t consider Hearthfire worth spending much time on.

Skyrim’s Dawnguard DLC Expansion Adds Tons Of New Content

Dawnguard is arguably one of the most popular expansions for Skyrim, thanks in large part to the fact that it added a major questline and new areas to the world. This DLC focuses on the Dawnguard faction, an order of vampire hunters looking to recruit new members to fight back against the threat of the Volkihar Clan, a group of vampires aiming to block out the sun. The expansion’s main questline alone adds a dozen new quests to expand Skyrim’s plot, with each faction including an additional 9 side quests and 4 non-storyline-related missions. Dawnguard also introduces around 80 new characters to Skyrim, one of which is the fan-favorite companion NPC Serana.

Whereas Hearthfire only added three new buildings to the game, Dawnguard adds two major areas as well as 23 more minor locations to explore. New animals and other hostile creatures, Dragon shouts, spells, and skill trees were introduced, as well as around 25 unique weapons and armor sets. Beyond that, changes were made to Skyrim‘s books, alchemy ingredients, and more, meaning that just about every player could find something worth spending time on regardless of their playstyle. The ability for the Skyrim’s Dragonborn to become a Vampire Lord, complete with new powers and transformations, was one of the more iconic additions to come with the expansion, as was the Dragonbone weapon set. It’s little surprise that Skyrim‘s Dawnguard expansion was so well-received.

The Dragonborn DLC Is Still Skyrim’s Best Expansion

The most recently released expansion for Skyrim, Dragonborn, is also the largest of the three, adding an entirely new landmass to the game. The Dragonborn DLC allows players to return to the island of Solstheim, a location previously seen in the Morrowind expansion Bloodmoon. There, they’re tasked with facing off against the former dragon priest and self-proclaimed true Dragonborn Miraak. It also lets players travel to one of The Elder Scrolls’ daedric realms, Apocrypha, which resides in Hermaeus Mora’s sphere of influence. In many regards, Dragonborn is more connected to the overarching lore of the Elder Scrolls universe than any of the other Skyrim expansions.

The Dragonborn DLC adds around 35 new quests to the game, many of which are side quests to be explored in addition to the primary questline of the expansion. It also adds well over 90 NPCs, a step-up from even the substantial additions provided by Dawnguard. There are just as many new locations to explore, as well, and the island of Solstheim is full of challenging creatures to fight, many of which are returning from Morrowind. Also returning to Skyrim are characters that Morrowind fans might recognize, such as Karstaag and Falx Carius. Like Dawnguard, the expansion also came with other Dragon shouts, spells, and items. Among these were over 30 weapons and 70 lore books, many of which were featured in older Elder Scrolls titles but previously absent in Skyrim. Significant gameplay changes, like the ability to ride dragons, were also introduced in the Dragonborn expansion.

As a whole, Dragonborn provided a plethora of content for dedicated Elder Scrolls fans, particularly those who may have missed the lore-heavy RPG experiences in Morrowind’s setting and the region’s iconic scenery. Additionally, it contains some of the game’s most challenging enemies, an overarching story that connects deeply to the lore of what it means to be the Dragonborn, some of Skyrim‘s most challenging enemies and rewarding quests, and multiple upgrades to make the player character substantially stronger. For that reason, it’s a worthwhile venture for both new and experienced Skyrimplayers and the strongest of all three expansions.

About The Author

Ky Shinkle
(526 Articles Published)

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Ky Shinkle is a Senior Gaming Features Writer for Screen Rant as well as an overall avid gamer and writer. Her prior experience is primarily that of a narrative designer for video games, although her writing has covered all formats from screenplays and novels to stage scripts. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, when she isn’t writing she works on digital media projects and other types of fiction writing. Ky currently works out of Ohio and enjoys spending her free time either playing RPGs or running with her dog.

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