Helm of Yngol

The Helm of Yngol is a unique heavy helmet built on the steel plate design. It carries a frost resistance enchantment of 30%, which is fitting for something pulled out of a frozen tomb in one of the coldest corners of Skyrim. It belonged to Yngol, the son of Ysgramor, who rests in his own barrow.

How to get it

Head to Yngol Barrow in Eastmarch. The barrow is short but has a couple of quirks:

1. You need a coral dragon claw to open the inner door. It can be bought from Birna in Winterhold or found inside the barrow on a pedestal past a puzzle room.
2. In the final chamber you face Yngol’s shade, a ghostly warrior that uses frost-themed shouts.
3. Once he is defeated, take the Helm of Yngol from the skeleton seated in the chair. Removing it opens the exit gate.

If certain radiant quests are active, the shade can be replaced by a different undead boss, but the helmet stays where it is.

Is it worth wearing?

It is a decent mid-game helmet. The armor rating of 21 is solid for its tier, and it can be tempered with a steel ingot, so it keeps up for a while. Frost resistance is less often needed than fire resistance, but against frost dragons, frost mages and icy draugr it absolutely helps.

Late game, crafted ebony or dragonplate helmets will outclass it, so many players keep it for the look or as a swap piece for snowy regions. It can also be disenchanted if you have not learned Resist Frost yet.

Good to know

• The barrow is a compact dungeon, ideal for a quick detour at low level.
• Yngol’s shade only appears in the final room; the rest of the barrow is mostly puzzles and draugr.
• Light at 8 weight compared with many heavy helmets.

Stats

Improve it at a workbench with Steel Ingot.

Stats from the Skyrim game files (Skyrim.esm and the official add-ons): base values before Smithing and perks. Where several versions exist (leveled copies), all are listed.