Skyrim mod gallery: flying boats, fresh landscapes and flaming horses

Tomorrow we'll reveal our comprehensive selection of the fifty best Skyrim mods around. These mods can change every aspect of Skyrim, adding new lands, monsters, houses, powers and a host of minor tweaks that can dramatically alter the core game. Skyrim is a fine game but, thanks to mods, it's also tremendously flexible. If you like hardcore weather that'll freeze the skin off your bones, you can mod it in. If you think the combat lacks heft and just isn't difficult enough, a couple of mods will revamp the whole system. Modding communities like Skyrim's put total control in the hands of players, with delightful consequences.

Our Skyrim mod expert has seen so much over the past few weeks. Granted, nothing quite as graphic or nightmarish as Richard Cobbett's week of madness, but notable nonetheless. Read on for a selection of shots showing what Skyrim can become with the right attention.

Take this steed for a start. Why use those boring not-on-fire horses to get around when you can have this? Designed especially for adventurers and followers with an eye for style and flame-retardant arses, the Rideable On-Fire Undead Horse serves as a mode of transport and an excellent conversation starter.

The ash storms Morrowind can choke small animals to death, and are really bad for your skin. Preserve your Dark Elf's grim pallor with this protective gear, complete with scary goggles that wouldn't look entirely out of place in Fallout 3. Skyrim mods can add new weather conditions and change the behaviour of citizens during extreme storms.

Nothing says you're serious about protecting your skull like putting an extra layer of skull over your skull. This new follower, Hoth, rocks a sassy golden bones 'n fur look that would be remarkably intimidating if it didn't look as though there's a bear behind him trying to grab his nipples.

The shiniest swords aren't necessarily the sharpest, though they are great for reflecting sunlight into peoples' eyes while they're talking. This particular sword is one of many in the unique weapons pack, which reskins and redesigns special weapons to make them look even more special.

"My that is a nice orange fire," thought the man in the hat on the bench. Why so kind of you to notice, man-in-hat, that warm, orangey glow is just one benefit of the realistic lighting mod, which makes Skyrim's interiors look more sumptuous and, in this case, quite welcoming.

Whoever thought to build a mansion precariously on the edge of a cliff, well done. You've correctly understood that the stupidest places to build houses are also the coolest places to build houses. There are many Skyrim mods that add new abodes to buy and build. This is one of the more luscious attempts but, as you'll see, there are some that FLY.

Staggering things have been achieved by modders with Bethesda's Creation Kit mod tools. New zones, quests, NPCs and enemies make Skyrim a vast and deep time sink. Mods like the one above, Moonpath to Elsweyr, are as accomplished and beautiful as some of Bethesda's work.

"I remember how I got up here," thought the man with the camera, "and I'm damned if I know how to get back down." But why would you want to, idiot cameraman? Look at that view! Skyrim mods can improve textures at great distances and ENB filters can change Skyrim's grey iron 'n snow aesthetic dramatically.

Yep, it's a flying boat. No, it's not really canon, but look closely at the deck and you'll see the telltale fronds of a sky-garden. It isn't just a pretty sight, it's a home that you can take care of, sleep in and fall off. Discover how to download and install all of the mods in this list and many, many more in our monster-piece on the 50 best Skyrim mods in the world today, which will go live on the site tomorrow.