There are many skills in Skyrim that are advantageous when battling enemies. One of them is the ability to use one-hand weapons, meaning wielding them with just a single hand. It is incredibly useful and does come in handy when fighting bigger bosses or multiple mobs of enemies and slashing and thrashing them. The damage inflicted is doubled if one-handed weapons are wielded in both hands. When you have the best one-handed weapons on your side, you won’t have any trouble progressing with ease in Skyrim.
Key Takeaways
- There are a total of 114 one-handed weapons in Skyrim.
- You can use one-handed weapons to form combos that can deal double the amount of damage.
- Miraak’s sword is probably the best one-handed sword because of its base damage in the swords category.
- Daggers can be used for stealth-related kills. The Dragonbone dagger is probably the best one for the job.
- The Dawnguard Rune War Axe is the best of all War Axes based on raw damage.
- Author’s Note: After going through Skyrim for several weeks on Steam, I feel confident going into the topic with thorough experience.
Comparison Table of One-Handed Weapons In Skyrim:
| Weapons | Base Damage | Base Value | Upgrade Material | Perk | Award Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon Priest | 6.0 | 9.0 | Cannot Upgrade | None | Best for Health and Stamina Absorption |
| Dragonbone War Axe | 16.0 | 1700.0 | Dragon Bone | Dragon Armor | Stamina Absorption |
| Stalhrim War Axe | 15.0 | 1180.0 | Stalhrim | Ebony Smithing | Knockdown Specialist |
| Dawnguard Rune | 11.0 | 175.0 | Steel Ingot | Steel Smithing | Best for Dragon Slaying |
| Skyforge Steel | 12.0 | 80.0 | Steel Ingot | Steel Smithing | Frostbite |
| Cleaver Of St. Felms | 14.0 | 2508.0 | Dwarven Metal Ingot | Dwarven Smithing | Soul and Armor Corruptor |
| Lunar Iron Mace | 9.0 | 168.0 | Iron Ingot | None | Undead Exterminator |
| Horksbane | 10.0 | 250.0 | Steel Ingot | Steel Smithing | Frosty Intimidator |
| Lunar Steel Mace | 10.0 | 198.0 | Steel Ingot | Steel Smithing | Intimidator |
| Mace Of Molag Bal | 16.0 | 1257.0 | Ebony Ingot | Steel Smithing | Frosty Combatant |
10. Dragon Priest
Best One-Handed Weapon For Dagger Collection
- Why I Chose It: The Dragon Priest dagger is unique and visually stunning, perfect for collectors and fans of Skyrim lore.
| Class | One-Handed, Dagger |
| Weight | 5 |
| Upgrade Material | Cannot be upgraded |
| Base Damage | 6 |
| Base Value | 9 |
| Additional Effects | None |
| Perk | None |
- Unique Appearance
- Historical Significance
- Rare and Coveted
- Limited Availability
- Quest-Dependent Acquisition
- Potential Level Requirements
9. Dragonbone War Axe
Best One-Handed Weapon For Durability.
- Why I Suggest Dragonbane War Axe: The Dragonbone War Axe boasts exceptional damage and durability, making it a top choice for heavy hitters.
| Class | One-Handed, War Axe |
| Weight | 21 |
| Upgrade Material | Dragon Bone |
| Base Damage | 16 |
| Base Value | 1700 |
| Additional Effects | Enchantable |
| Perk | Dragon Armor |
- Superior Material
- Heavy Damage
- Balanced Performance
- Material Scarcity
- High Crafting Requirements
- Weight and Encumbrance
8. Stalhrim War Axe
Best One-Handed Weapon For Frost Damage.
- Why I Prefer It: The Stalhrim War Axe’s potent frost enchantment makes it devastating against enemies vulnerable to cold damage.
| Class | One-Handed, War Axe |
| Weighth | 16 |
| Upgrade Material | Stalhrim |
| Base Damage | 15 |
| Base Value | 1180 |
| Additional Effects | Its frost damage enchantment is 25% stronger when placed with the items crafted from Stalhrim |
| Perk | Ebony Smithing |
- Powerful Material
- Unique Appearance
- Versatile Crafting Requirements
- Limited Availability
- Geographic Restrictions
- Dependency on Smithing Skill
7. Dawnguard Rune
Best One-Handed Weapon For Sun Damage.
- Why I Opted For It: The Dawnguard Rune Axe is notable for its added sun damage, making it highly effective against undead foes.
| Class | One-Handed, War Axe |
| Weight | 13 |
| Upgrade Material | Steel Ingot |
| Base Damage | 11 |
| Base Value | 175 |
| Additional Effects | Does 10+n sun damage to undead where n is the number of undead killed with the axe since last sunrise |
| Perk | Steel Smithing |
- Sun Damage
- Specialized Utility
- Role in Faction Questline
- Limited Damage Output
- Weight Consideration
- Niche Application
6. Skyforge Steel
Most Versatile One-Handed Weapon.
- Why This Was My Preference: The Skyforge Steel War Axe offers a balance of power and versatility crafted by skilled smiths in Whiterun.
| Class | One-Handed, War Axe |
| Weight | 12 |
| Upgrade Material | Steel Ingot |
| Base Damage | 12 |
| Base Value | 80 |
| Additional Effects | Get you nice Enchantables with right amount of points |
| Perk | Steel Smithing |
- Enhanced Durability
- Superior Strength
- Symbolic Significance
- Accessibility Requirements
- Limited Availability
- Inherent Specialization
5. Cleaver Of St. Felms
Best Fiery Stat. One-Handed Weapon.
- Why I Opted For It: The Cleaver of St. Felms excels with its fiery enchantment and impressive base damage, ideal for combat.
| Class | One-Handed, War Axe |
| Weight | 17 |
| Upgrade Material | Dwarven Metal Ingot |
| Base Damage | 14 |
| Base Value | 2508 |
| Additional Effects | Burn the target for 30 points, targets on fire take extra damage.
Absorb 25 points of Magicka. |
| Perk | Dwarven Smithing |
- Balanced Statistics
- Unique Attributes
- High Ranking
- Limited Availability
- Potential Quest Dependencies
- Competition with Other Weapons
4. Lunar Iron Mace
Best Lunar Stat. One-Handed Weapon.
- Why I Lunar Iron Mace Is Preferred: The Lunar Iron Mace is exceptional due to its lunar enchantment, burning targets under the moonlight.
| Class | One-Handed, Mace |
| Weight | 13 |
| Upgrade Material | Iron Ingot |
| Base Damage | 9 |
| Base Value | 168 |
| Additional Effects | Burns the target for 20 points, when the moons are out |
| Perk | None |
- Superior Power
- Unique Category
- Visually Stunning
- Limited Availability
- Potential Quest Dependencies
- Competition with Other Weapons
3. Horksbane
Best One-Handed Weapon Against Horkers
- Why I Think It’s A Good Choice: Horksbane stands out for its effectiveness against Horkers, making it unique and useful in specific situations.
| Class | One-Handed, Mace |
| Weight | 14 |
| Upgrade Material | Steel Ingot |
| Base Damage | 10 |
| Base Value | 250 |
| Additional Effects | Effective against horkers |
| Perk | Steel Smithing |
- Specialized Enchantment
- Unique Lore
- Targeted Effectiveness
- Limited Versatility
- Niche Application
- Limited Availability
2. Lunar Steel Mace
Best One-Handed Weapon For Physical Damage.
- Why I Opted For It: The Lunar Steel Mace is notable for its lunar enchantment, which inflicted additional burn damage under moonlight.
| Class | One-Handed, Mace |
| Weight | 14 |
| Upgrade Material | Steel Ingot |
| Base Damage | 10 |
| Base Value | 198 |
| Additional Effects | Burn the target for 10-20 points, while the moons are out |
| Perk | Steel Smithing |
- Specialized Enchantment
- Unique Lore
- Targeted Effectiveness
- Limited Versatility
- Niche Application
- Limited Availability
1. Mace Of Molag Bal
Best One-Handed Mace.
- Why I Chose Mace Of Molag Bal: The Mace of Molag Bal is renowned for its devastating damage and the ability to fill soul gems upon kills.
| Class | One-Handed, Mace |
| Weight | 18 |
| Upgrade Material | Ebony Ingot |
| Base Damage | 16 |
| Base Value | 1257 |
| Additional Effects | Deals 25 damage to Stamina and Magicka.
If the target dies within 3 seconds, it fills a soul gem. |
| Perk | Steel Smithing |
- Daedric Artifact
- Exceptional Damage Output
- Soul Trap Enchantment
- Quest Requirement
- Weight and Stamina Drain
- Limited Range and Speed
My Take On The Best Two-Handed Weapons
Using a combo of the weapon Dawnbreaker and Mace of Molag Bal works pretty perfectly because it balances damage and can help players make avail of the additional effects of the weapons, especially when they are fighting against undead enemies, like Skeletons, Draugrs, and Dragon Priests.
The buff of Mace of Molag Bal with the benefit of filling a soul gem if the enemy dies within 3 seconds is a pretty nifty one, as it would help to have the effect stay active at all times since weapons with additional effects require soul gems to re-fill the effects once they are exercised because of battling too many enemies.
f players prefer the usage of a bow over one-handed weapons, check out the guide on how to use the bound bow. I have covered it for you if you’re confused about various alchemy recipes, like Fortify Enchanting.
Also, make sure to check out the detailed guides over the major quests early in the game, like Blood On The Ice and In My Time Of Need. Also, check out our in-depth review of Skyrim written by our guide writer, Asad Ahmed.
Next:
- Skyrim Fortify Enchanting: Alchemy & Process Guide.
- How To Get Serana As A Follower In Skyrim.
- Skyrim: Potential Wives & How To Marry Them.
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