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A Grand Soul Gem (GSM) has a maximum capacity of 1600.

You can only fill any soul gem with one soul.

Different creatures have different size souls with reference to soul gems.

So how do you maximise a GSM? What do you have to kill to fill it to 1600?

I'm going to refer you to It should have all the information you're looking for.

Early levels
-Underfrykte Matron near Dive Rock [Have fun trying. I suggest poison arrows, fireballs, and quick feet.] You can use Azura's star on this one and not waste a gem. Azuras Star will work at the enchanting alters.

-Convert GSGs to black soul gems and then kill bad people [Fort Istirus and Ft Lynchal are good places to do both].

If you are playing an un-boosted dumb+mundane (non magic enhanced) character (e.g. Nord, Redguard, male Orc) you will need the intelligence and fortify magic potions from the Cheydinhall mages guild basement to have enough juice to cast the store-bought Soul Trap spell. It helps to start with Mysticism as a major skill so you don't have to build it to 25 first.

-After level 18 >> big monsters
Minotaur Lord trapped in Robber's Glen cave side passage. He can escape occasionally.
Storm Atronachs in Conjurer dungeons + Oblivion gates.
There is usually a Minotaur Lord caged up in Ft Nomore. Sometimes I find a big Ogre, but that may be a greater soul before the Minotaur Lord shows up. I don't recall. It could be either/or.

You need five GSG for the Vampire cure if you are planning on screwing up and catching vampirism. There are seven Grand soul gems for sale before you reach goal "X" in the Mage Guild Tasks, then the display cases turn white tag for a few more. At level 10 I usually find a black soul gem on a body in Meridia's Shrine quest. Sometimes I have found one on a body at Dark Fissure cave during the Shade of the Revanant MG quest. (I think that is the same time the display cases turn from red tag to white at the Arcane University).

I don't know at what level the shops start selling GSGs again.

I have found early level GSGs most useful for shield enhancements for the skinny wimpy guys, and fortify magic for the big dumb guys. With 20 reknown you can get a free fortify magic spell from the Aetherius stone in front of Bleak Flats cave.

Ogres, Gloom Wraiths, Mino Lords, Xivilai

Poison, burn, poke, or cut it until it dies. Rinse, lather, and repeat with all its twin brothers until they die, too. That's usually how one goes about filling a Soul Gem. Be sure to have a Soul Trap spell in effect as well.

My preferred soul siphon is to create a spell of Drain Health 100/1 second, Soul Trap 1 second, and Paralyze. Have it readied or hotkeyed for the moment you've reduced the target's health to low, then finish them off with the spell. The Drain Health kills them, the Soul Trap captures them, and the Paralyze makes the entire thing look pretty and green. I name the spell 'Avada Kedavra'.

Invest in the Frostcrag Spire vault and kill your guardian imps. Easy grand souls, and they respawn.

1) In regards to Umbra
2) If I'm not mistaken most minor dlc for Oblivion are about the same price considering the majority are just player homes. The price may vary depending on console and country. Just quickly look up on steam or the xbox marketplace for the Wizard's Tower expansion, and that'll give you the price and means to download. Any other info you need you can find on

It will recharge Umbra so it will go 'boom' and turn bad guys a pretty purple color.

It's a good sword if you are not in the mage's guild and you keep it weightless.

Its not a simple thing when you consider that some of the swords are leveled and you don't want to fight Undead with frost, and you might be finished with the game by level 25-30. Taking souls is fairly easy for a warrior if he finds a soul sucking axe or dynamo blade (or Umbra) and has Azura's star (just hot key for the kill strike,) and carrying around a weightless sword has its advantages. I get Honorblade ASAP because the ogres are easy to kill. It only does around 7 damage when I get it, but everything else is only doing 1-3, and it gets better as I do.

Sword comparison
Blade skill=100, repair=100
These values will be much reduced with low Blade skill.

Chillrend had a weakness percentage added to secondary strikes --added damage = 3rd number.

*= weightless if you keep its quest open

Lvl 1
Base+magic
D-Fang=7+3 (10)
Chillrend=7+5+0.5 (12.5)
Honorblade* = 23
Umbra* = 28

Lvl 5
D-Fang 12+5 (17)
Chillrend 9+8+1 (18)
Honorblade* = 23
Umbra* = 28

Lvl 10
D-Fang=17+7 (24)
Chillrend =13+11+2 (26)
Honorblade* 23
Umbra* = 28

Lvl 15
D-Fang=19+9 (28)
Chillrend=17+13+3 (33)
Honorblade* = 23
Umbra* = 28

Lvl 20
D-Fang = 21+11 (32)
Chillrend = 19+16+5 (40)
Gold brand = 25+22 (47)
Honorblade* = 23
Daedric longsword = 24
Umbra* = 28

Lvl 25
D-Fang = 23+13 (36)
Chillrend = 21+20+7(48)
Gold Brand = 25+22 (47)
Daedric longsword = 24
Honorblade* = 23
Umbra* = 28


Deadric Longsword custom enchanted --Cumulative Damage
24 base+10 element+100 Drain Health+Weakness to magic 100% 3sec+ soul trap
1st strike=134
2nd strike=24+20+200 =(244)+34=(278)
3rd strike=24+40+400 =(464)+34+44=(542)
For sneak attack, add 6X24 (144)