Oh Snap. What if you had to narrow it down to your top 10?
Oh lord talk about almost impossible. Easier if there was a focus - like top 10 texture mods, top 10 immersion, etc.
But If I had to pick my top 10 (and can't say my list today would match my answers to the same question another day - so many mods to keep in mind)
- Player Headtracking Mod
- Bellyaches Creature Pack
- Immersive Armors
- Relighting Skyrim
- Rustic Clothing Complete
- SMIM
- Vivid All In One
- Enhanced Vanilla Trees or Skyrim Flora Overhaul (SFO)
- Verdant Grass
- Amidian Book of Silence
I would add another 10 mods just for making characters but I doubt you have the same interest as I do when it comes to characters.
The above 10 are not, really, my personal favorite 10 but are instead would be the 10 I would pick if stranded on an island and could only bring 10 mods. Mainly because they cover some nice upgrades to animals, weapons, armors, clothing, lighting, landscape and roads, grass, and trees.
If I had to pick a single character based mod then it would be SkySkins for Males from FadingSignal. If it had to replace one of the above - then it would be Relighting Skyrim. I am also assuming I am using an ENB with this set-up.
I would also at least give some honorable mention to 5 of my favorite mods that just add nicely to the game:
- Footprints
- Real Roads for Skyrim
- Weathered Road Signs
- SkyUI
- Legend of the Eagles Nest (Player Home)
Have to stop there or the list will get much longer. I suspect I could cut my mod list in half if needed but it is amazing how each one has its own importance and how rapidly they build up. The complete opposite to how I am at home where I am more of a minimalist and anti-packrat.
A lot also depends on focus. There are large overhaul mods (don't use) people love, quest mods, immersion mod (Frostfall and Campfire I used for years), and so on. My mod list is actually small compared to many - especially since I have so many small texture packs and little custom stuff. Most folks would just combine them into a larger pack to save space and add more ESP's.