This is the original Oblivion, running on Bethesda's own Gamebryo engine, not the 2025 Unreal Engine remaster built by Virtuos. The Game of the Year Edition bundles the 2006 base game with the Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles expansions, and the Deluxe variant adds Fighter's Stronghold, Spell Tome Treasures, Vile Lair and the Mehrunes' Razor add on. What you get is the version with the notorious level scaling, the major and minor skill system that punishes players who level naturally, and a difficulty slider that only multiplies damage in both directions. It is also the version with two decades of mods behind it, including Oblivion Script Extender tools and total conversions the remaster cannot load. If you want prettier faces and reworked levelling, buy the remaster. If you want the moddable original that runs on a laptop, this is the one.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Umbra | S | Low level characters willing to fight well above their weight for a permanent upgrade | A soul trapping sword carried by the Umbra of the same name, who is far above the level curve when you first find her at Vindasel. |
| Goldbrand | A | Blade users who want fire damage without spending charges on spellcasting | Boethiah's Daedric artifact, a katana with a fire enchantment, awarded for the shrine quest. |
| Mehrunes' Razor | A | Assassin builds where a single hit chance to end a fight is worth more than raw damage | The Daedric artifact from the Mehrunes Dagon shrine quest, carrying a chance to kill outright regardless of the target's health. |
| Volendrung | B | Heavy armour warriors who already invested in Blunt rather than Blade | Malacath's warhammer, granted by his shrine quest. |
| Wabbajack | B | Players who want chaos rather than efficiency, and anyone heading into the Shivering Isles in character | Sheogorath's staff, which transforms whatever it hits into a random creature. |
S-Tier: Umbra
A soul trapping sword carried by the Umbra of the same name, who is far above the level curve when you first find her at Vindasel. Killing her early is a genuine skill check and the sword outclasses everything you can buy for many levels.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Low level characters willing to fight well above their weight for a permanent upgrade |
| Key Mechanic | Major skills and the level up trap |
| Recommended Build | Knight |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Umbra: Pairs naturally with Knight thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Goldbrand
Boethiah's Daedric artifact, a katana with a fire enchantment, awarded for the shrine quest. It stays relevant far longer than most levelled loot because artifact stats do not scale down with you.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Blade users who want fire damage without spending charges on spellcasting |
| Key Mechanic | Attribute multipliers |
| Recommended Build | Battlemage |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Goldbrand: Pairs naturally with Battlemage thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Mehrunes' Razor
The Daedric artifact from the Mehrunes Dagon shrine quest, carrying a chance to kill outright regardless of the target's health. Note that a separate add on of the same name exists in the Deluxe bundle, which confuses search results constantly.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Assassin builds where a single hit chance to end a fight is worth more than raw damage |
| Key Mechanic | Level scaled world |
| Recommended Build | Nightblade |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Mehrunes' Razor: Pairs naturally with Nightblade thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Volendrung
Malacath's warhammer, granted by his shrine quest. Slow, heavy, and paired with a strength draining effect that suits a pure Strength build.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Heavy armour warriors who already invested in Blunt rather than Blade |
| Key Mechanic | The difficulty slider |
| Recommended Build | Spellsword |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Volendrung: Pairs naturally with Spellsword thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Wabbajack
Sheogorath's staff, which transforms whatever it hits into a random creature. Unreliable as a weapon and genuinely dangerous when it turns a rat into something worse, but it is the most characterful item in the game.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Players who want chaos rather than efficiency, and anyone heading into the Shivering Isles in character |
| Key Mechanic | Oblivion Gates and Sigil Stones |
| Recommended Build | Assassin |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Wabbajack: Pairs naturally with Assassin thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Imperial City
- Goldbrand → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Mehrunes' Razor → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Umbra → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Put skills you never intend to use into your 7 major skills. Because the world scales to character level, a character who levels slowly while training real skills is always ahead of the curve.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Guides
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Overview
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Best Builds
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Tier List
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Walkthrough
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Beginner's Guide
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Tips & Tricks
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Combat Guide
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Boss Guide
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Maps & Locations
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Crafting Guide
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009), check out these related guides:
- Elden Ring Weapons Guide: rpg game with similar mechanics
- Baldur's Gate 3 Weapons Guide: rpg game with similar mechanics
- Cyberpunk 2077 Weapons Guide: rpg game with similar mechanics
