The Best Arrows In Skyrim [55 Hours Experience]
That's right, Skyrim even has a list of 'Best Arrow types' too.
There is a variety of weapons in Skyrim. From Greatswords to one-handed weapons like swords, bows, and even arrows, there is a variety of options available. There are a total of 21 different Arrow types in Skyrim Special Edition. They range from pretty weak and easier to find to powerful but rare Arrow types.
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Skyrim Arrows Comparison
Skyrim features 21 arrow types ranked from worst to best. Here are my picks:
| Arrow | Best For | Damage | Base Value | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice Arrow | Infinitely Usable Arrow | 0.0 | 0.0 | Angi's Camp |
| Rusty Arrow | One Of The Rarest Arrows | 4.0 | 0.0 | Geirmund's Hall |
| Falmer Arrow | Best Arrow for Dwemer Ruins | 7.0 | 1.0 | Dwemer ruins |
| Forsworn Arrow | Visually Distinct Arrow | 7.0 | 1.0 | Forsworn Archers |
| Iron Arrow | Best Arrow for Early Adventures | 8.0 | 1.0 | Dungeons, Caves |
| Ancient Nord Arrow | An Arrow With Zero Weight | 10.0 | 1.0 | Nordic tombs, Forelhost |
| Riekling Spear | An Arrow With Great Offense | 10.0 | 2.0 | Bodies of Rieklings, inside of Riekling huts |
| Steel Arrow | Best Arrows To Use After Iron Arrows | 10.0 | 2.0 | Blacksmiths, Belethor's General Goods, Bits and Pieces |
| Orcish Arrow | A Rare Arrow To Acquire Early On | 12.0 | 1.0 | Found on bandits and members of the Forsworn |
| Nordic Arrow | Arrows Made From Quicksilver | 14.0 | 4.0 | The Elder Scrolls V: Dragonborn |
| Dwarven Arrow | A Great Distinct Damage Dealing Arrow | 14.0 | 4.0 | Dwemer ruins |
| Elven Arrows | Uniquely Designed Arrows | 16.0 | 2.0 | Thieves Guild training room, Fort Dawnguard, Castle Volkihar |
| Bloorcursed Elven Arrow | Best Arrow For Vampires | 16.0 | 6.0 | Fort Dawnguard, Castle Volkihar |
| Sunhallowed Elven Arrow | Best Arrow For Fighting Vampires | 16.0 | 16.0 | The Drunken Huntsman in Whiterun |
| Glass Arrow | A Great Damage Dealing Arrow | 18.0 | 6.0 | Faldar's Tooth, Warmaiden's |
| Dwarven Sphere Centurion Arrow | A Red Colored Arrowhead Dwarven Arrow | 20.0 | 0.0 | Calcelmo's Dwemer Museum |
| Ebony Arrow | High Damaging Craftable Arrows | 20.0 | 7.0 | Lost Valkygg, Narzulbur |
| Stalhrim Arrow | A Great Arrow For Dealing Frost Damage | 20.0 | 7.0 | Glover Mallory, chest and containers |
| Daedric Arrow | A Very High Base Damage Arrow | 24.0 | 8.0 | Dremora Merchant, Dwarven Centurions |
| Bound Arrows | Best Arrow For Mages | 24.0 | 0.0 | - |
| Dragonbone Arrow | The All Mighty Arrow | 25.0 | 9.0 | Soul Cairn |
Practice Arrow
- Why I Chose This: The endless supply it has allows for continuous use with the ability to weaken enemies without any fatal damage caused.
The weakest of all arrows in Skyrim is the Practice Arrow. It has no base damage, meaning that the Arrows will damage the enemy, but they won’t add any of their own like other arrows. The only damage that you will deal will be from the Bow. These arrows are visually similar to the Iron Arrows.
- Infinite supply for continuous use.
- Weaken enemies without causing fatalities.
- Enhanced stealth.
- They have a base damage of 0.
- Reduced effectiveness.
Rusty Arrow
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Rusty arrow | 4 | 0 | 0 |
- Why I Chose This: One of the rarest arrows that are hard to find because their acquisition is only possible by using the console commands.
The Rusty Arrows can arguably be called one of the rarest arrows in the game. That isn’t because they are good or because they have any special effect. It is only because these arrows are hard to find in the game. They have the second-lowest damage of all the arrows in the game.
- PC players can use console commands to obtain rusty arrows.
- Second weakest in the game after practice arrows.
Falmer Arrow
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Falmer Arrow | 7 | 0 | 1 |
- Why I Chose This: The visual distinctiveness and the availability of the arrow.
The next type of arrow on our list of Best Arrows in the game is the Falmer Arrow. They belong to the Falmer Race that you face in the underground world of Skyrim. They are made of Falmer materials that are available to them underground. The stats of their items go on to show that their items aren’t as good as they seem.
- A visually distinctive appearance.
- Widely available.
- The arrows have low damage.
- They can’t be crafted.
Forsworn Arrow
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Forsworn Arrow | 7 | 0 | 1 |
- Why I Chose This: The decent damage and unique appearance it provides similar to the Deadric arrows.
The Forsworn Arrows are quite similar to the Daedric arrows in their appearance. They have a double-pronged arrowhead. Even though their appearance is similar to the Daedric arrows, which have one of the greatest damage, they don’t deal as much damage. Their base damage is less than half of the Daedric Arrows.
- Easily obtained from Forsworn Archers in their camps.
- Double-pronged arrowhead sets them apart visually.
- Resembles the quiver of Iron Arrows, lacking visual diversity.
Iron Arrow
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Iron Arrow | 8 | 0 | 1 |
- Why I Chose This: A great common arrow that greatly helps for early-game progress plus the ranged superiority.
Arguably the most common arrows in the world of Skyrim are the Iron Arrows. They have the typical arrow design, with iron arrowheads, wooden shafts, and red fletchings. As they are readily available in the game, you should always prefer to use them instead of any of the arrow types that we have mentioned above.
- Easily available to acquire.
- Early access is given to the Dragonborn for basic ranged combat.
- Can be crafted.
- It has a basic design.
- The damage dealt is not great.
- Lacks distinctive features.
Ancient Nord Arrow
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Ancient nord Arrow | 10 | 0 | 1 |
- Why I Chose This: Good damage capabilities and easy availability in the game.
The Ancient Nord arrows belong to the past. And even though they have faced years upon years, they have still held onto their high damage. Ancient Nord Arrows have a slightly higher base damage than the Iron Arrows.
- It has no weight which is perfect for collecting as expendable ammunition.
- Available quite early in the game.
- Widely available.
- Sell for low profit.
- Not so much better than iron arrows.
Riekling Spear
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Riekling Spear | 10 | 0 | 2 |
- Why I Chose This: The great offensive capabilities it provides help a bunch in combat scenarios.
When you get the Dragonborn DLC, a lot of new content gets added to the game. Most noticeably, the Solstheim region. In the region, among many other things, the Rieklings become available. They are small goblin-like creatures. You’ll find them in caves or ruins in the region. A notable thing that they drop is the Riekling Spear, and when the Dragonborn picks it up, you can use it as arrows.
- Has solid offensive capabilities.
- Easily acquirable.
- Low velocity and range compared to other arrows.
Steel Arrow
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Steel Arrow | 10 | 0 | 2 |
- Why I Chose This: The good damage capabilities and the usefulness it provides in the game’s progress.
Next, we have the Steel Arrows. They are the next most abundant arrows after the Iron Arrows. Not only that, you’ll find that the Steel Arrows have more damage than the Iron Arrows too. Once you have acquired a few tons of Steel Arrows, you should move on to them because a few extra points of base damage will surely make a difference in any fight.
- Abundantly available.
- Can be crafted.
- It can be difficult to acquire at lower levels.
Orcish Arrow
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Orcish Arrow | 10 | 0 | 2 |
- Why I Chose This: An arrow with good base damage which is available early on in the game and can also be crafted.
An upgrade over the Steel Arrows, the Orcish arrows have better base damage. But with that, you must consider the fact that they are relatively harder to come across. And even though they start to appear in the world early on in the game, you won’t be rich enough to buy them.
The Orcish Arrows are summoned using the ID 000139BB.
- Mainly crafted from durable orichalcum ingots.
- Are craftable.
- Is almost impossible to obtain early on.
Nordic Arrow
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Nordic Arrow | 14 | 0 | 4 |
- Why I Chose This: The unique appearance that can be a great alternative for the Dwarven arrows with great damage.
The Nordic Arrows have the same base damage as the Dwarven Arrows. But if you are looking for something new, then they are definitely the right choice. The Nordic Arrows belong to the Nordic Armor set, which you unlock with the Advanced Armors perk. The arrows have hints of silver on them, showing that they are indeed made of Quicksilver.
Nordic Arrows’ ID to summon is 0402623B.
- It does damage equal to that of Dwarven arrows.
- They have a unique appearance which might not be liked by all.
Dwarven Arrow
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Dwarven Arrow | 14 | 0 | 4 |
- Why I Chose This: The arrow has high damage-dealing capabilities and is commonly available.
The Dwarven Arrows hail from the ancient Dwemer ruins. They have that distinctive black and yellow color that all Dwarven weapons have. The arrows have a yellow pointy arrowhead which shows that it deals high damage. Compared to the Nordic Arrows, they have similar base damage, but you’ll note that the Dwarven Arrows are relatively easier to acquire.
You can summon the Dwarven Arrow using the console commands. The ID is 000139BC.
- They are commonly found.
- They can be crafted.
- Great damage dealers.
- Similar damage to Nordic arrows.
Elven Arrows
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Elven Arrow | 16 | 0 | 5 |
- Why I Chose This: A craftable high damaging arrow allowing for distinctive offense capabilities.
Up next, we have the Elven Arrows. That is where we get to the powerful arrows in our list of best arrows in Skyrim. They have a unique quiver design that makes. The Arrows have a pale yellow color that makes them quite unique among all types. Not only that, they have higher damage than all of the arrows that we’ve mentioned above.
Elven Arrows can be summoned using Console Commands. For that, you’ll need to use the following ID 000139BD.
- High damaging.
- Offer a unique design.
- They can be crafted.
- Not common during the early stages of the game.
Bloorcursed Elven Arrow
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Bloodcursed Elven Arrows | 16 | 0 | 6 |
- Why I Chose This: An ideal pick for a vampire as it has a special enchantment allowing sun blockage for a day.
Of all of the weapons, Bloodcrused and Sunhallowed Elven Arrows are the only arrow with a special enchantment. The Bloodcursed Elven Arrows relatively favor the Vampires in the Dawnguard DLC. You unlock them when you complete the Dawnguard main quest. The enchantment on the Bloodcursed Elven Arrows affects the whole world, so they shouldn’t be slept on. Lastly, you’ll need the Auriel’s Bow to use its power. If you use any other bow, they will behave as normal Elven Arrows.
The ID for the arrows is 020098A0.
- Bloodcursed Elven Arrows are favorable to vampires.
- Blocks out the sun for a day when shot from Auriel’s Bow.
- The enchantment effect is limited to only when using an Auriel’s bow.
Sunhallowed Elven Arrow
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Sunhallowed Elven Arrows | 16 | 0 | 16 |
- Why I Chose This: It is an ideal pick for fighting against vampires because of its burn effect special enchantment.
The Sunhallowed Elven Arrows are the same as the Bloodcursed arrows. But instead of covering the Sun, they increase the Sun’s intensity. The Bloodcursed Arrows have a red tip, indicating blood, but these have white tips. And the effect is quite the opposite too. The Bloodcursed arrows favor the Vampires, but these arrows have a burn effect on the enemies, which is deadly for the Vampires.
The Sunhallowed Elven Arrows can be summoned in Skyrim using Console Commands with the ID 020098A1.
- Sunhallowed Arrows increase sun intensity, harming vampires.
- They have a unique appearance.
- Great for use against vampires.
- Only special with Auriel’s Bow, behave normally with other bows.
Glass Arrow
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Glass Arrow | 18 | 0 | 6 |
- Why I Chose This: Visually distinct arrow with high damage-dealing capabilities that are craftable.
A step up from the Elven Arrows and all its variations are the Glass Arrows. These arrows have a higher base damage than Elven Arrows. And they are visually unique too. The Arrows have sharp green edges on the Arrowhead, showing that they are designed to deal great damage. They use the Malachite ingots to make.
The Console ID of the Glass Arrows is 000139BE.
- Greater base damage than elven arrows.
- Unique look.
- It can be crafted.
- Limited purchase opportunities.
- Rare arrows to find.
Dwarven Sphere Centurion Arrow
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Glass Arrow | 20 | 0 | 0 |
- Why I Chose This: A rare arrow that is not only visually distinct but also deals great damage.
The Dwarven Sphere Centurion Arrow is surely the rarest and most unique type of Arrow in the game. They are visually similar to the Dwarven Arrows. But the Dwarven Sphere Centurion Arrow has a red coloration on the arrowhead. You won’t find that feature on the normal Dwarven Arrows. Also, these arrows can’t be picked up and used by the Dragonborn. You can find them in the game, but they can’t be used in the game without the Console Commands.
Their Console ID is 0007B932.
- A unique design.
- Great damage.
- Can’t be used without console commands.
Ebony Arrow
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Ebony Arrow | 20 | 0 | 7 |
- Why I Chose This: The fully black color with high base damage and craftability.
Next up we have the Ebony Arrows, and from there on, we get to the end-game. The Ebony Arrows have high base damage. But unlike the Dwarven Sphere Centurion Arrows, you can craft these and use them in any fight. They are completely black, showing the Ebony ingot used to make them.
As for their Console ID, it is 000139BF.
- High base damage.
- Can be crafted.
- Has a high-level requirement for purchasing.
Stalhrim Arrow
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Stalhrim Arrow | 20 | 0 | 7 |
- Why I Chose This: Coupled with the stalhrim bow it provides 25% extra frost damage on top of its high base damage.
Part of the Dragonborn DLC, the Stalhirm Arrow, has the same base damage as that of the Ebony Arrows. They have a unique quiver and arrow design. They use the new Stalhrim Ingot to craft. Unlike other Stalhrim armor and weapons, they don’t have the 25% extra Frost damage benefit. But If you use the Stalhrim Bow, you will get that benefit.
The console ID to summon the Stalhrim Arrows is 04026239.
- Same damage as Ebony Arrows.
- Can be crafted with the required materials.
- 25% extra frost damage when used with Stalhrim bow.
- High crafting requirements.
- The 25% extra frost damage can only be achieved by the Stalhrim bow.
Daedric Arrow
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Daedric Arrow | 24 | 0 | 8 |
- Why I Chose This: The 2nd highest base damage in the game which allows you to deal with powerful enemies.
The Daedric Arrows have the second-highest base damage of all of the Arrows in Skyrim Special Edition. That is mainly because of how powerful they are. Once you have reached the level of Daedric Arrows, it is best to ensure that you aren’t wasting even a single arrow because of how valuable they are. Not only that, they are quite powerful.
The Console ID to the Arrows is 000139C0.
- The 2nd highest base damage.
- Infused with daedra’s essence.
- Can be crafted.
- Extremely rare and hard to find.
- Limited purchasing opportunities.
Bound Arrows
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Glass Arrow | 24 | 0 | 0 |
- Why I Chose This: An ideal arrow pick for a mage. Can deal massive amounts of damage to enemies.
There is one unique type of bow that you don’t get like other bows, but it becomes available if you are a Mage. We’re talking about the Bound Arrows that require you to be a powerful conjurer to cast these special bow spells. They aren’t the typical arrows that you find in the game. You can’t loot them off of the enemies or get them by making them at any forge. Instead, you can get them by casting a certain Conjuring Spell.
On an alternate, the ID to the Bound Bow Tome is 000A26F1.
- One of the highest base damage.
- Unlimited supply of arrows.
- Limited only to powerful conjurers with the ability to cast Bound Bow.
- Can’t be crafted or looted.
Dragonbone Arrow
| Arrow | Damage | weight | Value |
| Dragonbone Arrow | 25 | 0 | 9 |
- Why I Chose This: The highest base damage in the game allows for dealing with powerful enemies with ease.
Lastly, we have the most powerful arrows in all of Skyrim Special Edition, which is the Dragonbone Arrows. They have the greatest base damage of all arrows. The Dragonbone Arrows have a brown quiver, and the arrowhead has a 3-pronged arrowhead. Making them requires the Dragon Bone. It is a rather limited source as there aren’t that many Dragons to loot Dragon Bone from them. So you will have to make do with whatever resources you have.
The Console ID of the Dragonbone Arrow in Skyrim is 020176F4.
- The highest base damage of all the arrows.
- Unique look.
- Can be crafted.
- Dragon bones that are found are limited.
- A high requirement for crafting.
Final Words
Skyrim isn’t limited to weapons and other stuff. There are several Mods that can completely change the game too. A lot of different unique Armor that you can use, such as the Nightingale Armor which is a unique light armor known for its Stealth Stats. With it, you can make the Thief Build. In addition to that, you can learn Alchemy and make yourself some powerful potions. Or, you can make yourself tons of money by using the Transmute Spell. It all depends on how you want to play the game.
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