Unleashing the Fury: Maximizing Unarmed Damage in Skyrim
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The allure of punching dragons into submission and clearing bandit camps with your bare fists is a powerful one in the world of Skyrim. For those looking to ditch the sword and shield, or the spellbook, and embrace the raw power of unarmed combat, understanding how to increase your unarmed damage is key. So, what exactly bolsters your fist-fueled fury? Several factors contribute:
- Fortify Unarmed Enchantments: This is the most direct method. Found initially on the Gloves of the Pugilist, this enchantment can be applied to other gloves and rings, providing a flat damage bonus.
- Race: Khajiit are the kings of claws, boasting a base unarmed damage of 15, while Argonians come in at a respectable 10. All other races start with a base of 4.
- Perks: Certain perks in the Heavy Armor and Vampire Lord skill trees directly enhance unarmed damage.
- Items: Certain unique items provide flat bonuses to unarmed damage, most notably Brawler’s Daedric Gauntlets and the Fists of Randagulf.
- Base Damage: This is the starting value for your race’s unarmed attack and is a fixed value.
- Fists of Steel Perk: This perk in the Heavy Armor tree will increase the base armor rating of gauntlets and use that rating to increase unarmed damage.
- Necromage: (if a Vampire) The Necromage perk from the Restoration Tree will make all enchantments and status effects 25% stronger, but only when affecting a vampire.
- Potion Exploit A bug that lets you continuously create potions to increase your potency, and use that potency to make even more potent potions and enchantments, which can drastically increase any skill or attribute of your character, which includes unarmed damage.
By strategically combining these elements, you can transform your Dragonborn into an unstoppable force of fist-based fury.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Unarmed Damage in Skyrim
To further clarify and deepen your understanding of unarmed combat in Skyrim, here are some frequently asked questions:
What are the best items for an unarmed build?
The best items for an unarmed build include:
- Gloves of the Pugilist: The only item that has the base Fortify Unarmed enchantment. They are crucial to obtain.
- Brawler’s Daedric Gauntlets: Found randomly in the world, these provide a significant bonus to unarmed damage due to their high base armor rating when combined with the perk Fists of Steel.
- Fists of Randagulf: These unique gauntlets have the highest flat bonus to Fortify Unarmed damage, but are considered less powerful overall than Brawler’s Daedric Gauntlets when taking into account the Fists of Steel Perk.
- Any Rings or Gloves: These should be enchanted with Fortify Unarmed after obtaining the enchantment from the Gloves of the Pugilist.
How do I get the Fortify Unarmed enchantment?
The Fortify Unarmed enchantment is found exclusively on the Gloves of the Pugilist, worn by Gian the Fist in the Ratway beneath Riften. You must kill him and then disenchant these gloves at an enchanting station to learn the enchantment.
Does leveling up Strength increase unarmed damage?
No, Strength, as a specific stat, does not exist in Skyrim. The system uses skills instead, and unarmed is not directly affected by One-Handed or Two-Handed. Unarmed damage is improved by other specific means which are listed in this article.
Does one-handed or two-handed skill increase unarmed damage?
No. Neither one-handed nor two-handed skill trees affect unarmed damage. The perk trees in these skills are only applicable to equipped weapons. The Armsman perk, for example, is useless for unarmed combat.
What is the maximum Fortify Unarmed enchantment possible without exploits?
Without the potion exploit, you can achieve a maximum of +10 Fortify Unarmed on an enchanted item, using a grand soul gem and Enchanting skill of 100. Brawler’s Daedric Gauntlets, at base, have +18 damage, while Fists of Randagulf have +20. However, the Fists of Steel modifier works better with the higher armor value of the Brawler’s Daedric Gauntlets, and typically end up dealing more net damage.
How is unarmed damage calculated in Skyrim?
The base calculation is complex and depends on several factors, including base damage, Fortify Unarmed bonuses from enchants, and gauntlet armor ratings modified by the Fists of Steel perk, if obtained. It is unaffected by smithing improvements. A Khajiit, for example, starts with a base damage of 15, and would then add to that value from Fortify Unarmed enchantments, and the damage boost from gauntlets using the Fists of Steel perk.
Do any other perks impact unarmed damage?
Aside from the Fists of Steel perk in the heavy armor tree, Poison Talons from the Vampire Lord skill tree does affect unarmed damage. Necromage also will increase any enchantment or status effect on a vampire, which includes any Fortify Unarmed enchantments.
Can you dual-wield unarmed attacks?
No, you cannot dual-wield unarmed attacks in Skyrim. Unarmed combat is always a single attack per hand, one at a time.
Is an unarmed build viable in Skyrim?
Yes, absolutely. While it might seem unconventional, a well-optimized unarmed build, particularly with the right race, enchantments, and perks, can be incredibly powerful, capable of taking down dragons and other formidable foes.
What is the best race for an unarmed build?
Khajiit are generally considered the best race due to their base 15 unarmed damage. Argonians, with a base 10, are also a good option, but Khajiit’s innate damage makes them more powerful in an unarmed build. Other races can still be viable, but will require more item investment to reach the same damage output.
What is the benefit of the Fists of Steel perk?
The Fists of Steel perk in the Heavy Armor skill tree increases unarmed damage based on the armor rating of the gauntlets you’re wearing. The higher the base armor rating of the gauntlets, the more damage you will do.
Does armor weight affect unarmed damage?
No. The only thing that matters with gauntlets is base armor rating when using the Fists of Steel perk. Whether they are heavy armor or light armor does not matter. The smithing of the gauntlets does not matter either.
Can you improve your unarmed damage with Smithing?
No. The Smithing skill does not increase unarmed damage. Improving your gauntlets with smithing does not affect the unarmed damage that you will deal with the gauntlets equipped.
Does enchanting increase unarmed damage?
Yes. The Fortify Unarmed enchantment, once learned from the Gloves of the Pugilist, can be applied to gloves and rings. This will greatly increase your unarmed damage.
How do I maximize damage output for an unarmed build?
To maximize unarmed damage, you should:
- Play as a Khajiit.
- Obtain and disenchant the Gloves of the Pugilist to learn the Fortify Unarmed enchantment.
- Enchant gloves and rings with the Fortify Unarmed enchantment.
- Obtain the Fists of Steel perk in the Heavy Armor skill tree.
- Obtain high-base armor rating gauntlets such as Brawler’s Daedric Gauntlets.
- Optionally, play as a Vampire and Obtain the Necromage perk from the Restoration Tree, and the Poison Talons perk from the Vampire Lord Skill Tree
- Utilize the Potion Exploit as needed.
By following these steps, you’ll be able to craft an extremely powerful unarmed build, allowing you to conquer the lands of Skyrim without the need for weapons. Embrace the power of your fists and become a legend in your own right.