What is a stable core Skyrim mod list for MO2 (textures, lighting, fixes)?

[Brian27]

I'm returning to Skyrim after a few years and want to do a fresh playthrough with a stable, visually enhanced setup. I've used mods before but always ended up with crashes or conflicts. This time, I'm starting from scratch and looking for recommendations for a core set of essential Skyrim mods that improve textures, lighting, and bug fixes without being overly complex or requiring a ton of compatibility patches. I'm using Mod Organizer 2 and want to keep my load order manageable, maybe around fifty mods total.

[Jerry_H]

Nice project. Start with SKSE64, USSEP, SkyUI. For visuals: ELFX + Climates of Tamriel + Realistic Water Two + SMIM or Noble Skyrim SE. Keep it lean at first, then expand to around 50 mods as you test stability.

[KyleT]

Here's a practical starter bundle and MO2 workflow:
- Create a clean MO2 profile for this playthrough.
- Install SKSE64 and USSEP first, then SkyUI.
- Visuals: ELFX, a texture pack (Noble Skyrim SE), SMIM for improved geometry, Realistic Water Two, and Climates of Tamriel.
- If you go with CoT, check for the compatibility patches and let LOOT sort the load order.
- Test with a short session; if stable, gradually add 2–3 mods at a time and test again.
- Maintain a separate reference load order to compare performance before and after each batch.

[Luna61]

Be mindful of conflicts; some texture packs overlap and can cause spottier results. If you want to minimize patching, consider pairing a strong lighting mod pair (ELFX) with a cohesive weather/lighting ecosystem like CoT, or go with a single, well-supported texture mod (Noble Skyrim SE) plus SMIM. Also look at essential patches like SSE Fixes and USSEP-based patches when you add mods that require them.

[Michael_J]

Question to tailor: are you aiming for Special Edition or Anniversary Edition? Do you want 2K/4K textures, or is performance more important? Are you comfortable using Wrye Bash for a Bashed Patch, or do you prefer to avoid heavy patching? Share your target hardware and preferred visual style and I’ll sketch a concrete 40–50 mod starter set with a load order.

[HarperLL]

If you’d like, I can draft a ready-to-run baseline around 40–50 mods and a concise load-order guide. If you share your system specs, resolution, and any mods you already like, I’ll tailor it and include a simple 2-hour test plan to verify stability.