Unleashing Fury: The Ultimate Guide to Dual Wielding in Skyrim
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So, you want to tear through Skyrim with a whirlwind of steel in each hand? Smart choice, adventurer! Dual wielding is a fantastically fun and effective combat style in Skyrim, offering incredible damage potential when built correctly. But what are the best weapons to use to maximize your devastation? Buckle up, because we’re about to dive deep into the heart of dual wielding and uncover the ultimate weapon combinations.
The truth is, there isn’t a single “best” weapon for every situation. The ideal choice depends heavily on your build, playstyle, and the enemies you’re facing. However, if we’re talking about sheer damage output and versatility, daggers are objectively the best choice because they are the fastest one handed weapon. They may have low damage, but a good enchant and smithing upgrade can help get them up to par with the rest of the weapons. When you pair that with the dual flurry perk you can quickly stack hits for damage and enchantments, and deal tons of damage in a short time. But the next set of weapons you should be looking for are swords due to their great blend of speed, damage, and reach, making them ideal for most encounters.
The Power of Dual Wielding: Why Two is Better Than One
Before we get into specific weapon recommendations, let’s briefly talk about why dual wielding is so potent in Skyrim.
- High DPS: Dual wielding significantly increases your damage per second (DPS). By swinging two weapons simultaneously, you effectively double your attack output. When fully perked and utilizing the Dual Flurry and Dual Savagery perks, you can unleash a devastating flurry of attacks that can melt even the toughest enemies.
- Enchantment Stacking: Each weapon can be enchanted, effectively doubling the potency of your enchantments. For example, dual wielding weapons with Fiery Soul Trap can quickly fill soul gems and deal significant fire damage. Or you can increase your total healing by dual wielding absorb health weapons.
- Stagger Lock Potential: Rapid attacks from dual weapons can stagger enemies, preventing them from attacking or using special abilities. This is especially effective against slower, more powerful foes like trolls or giants.
Top Weapon Choices for Dual Wielding
Now, let’s get down to the specifics. These are some of the best weapon types and specific weapons to consider when dual wielding in Skyrim:
Swords
- Blades Swords (Dragonbane, Blades Sword): These katanas deal extra damage to dragons, making them a must-have for Dragonborns looking to fell even the mightiest of beasts.
- Dawnbreaker: This unique sword deals fire damage and has a chance to create a fiery explosion that turns undead. Perfect for clearing out draugr crypts.
- Dragonbone Sword: The highest base damage craftable sword available.
- Nightingale Blade: Earned through the Thieves Guild questline, it absorbs both Health and Stamina.
Daggers
- Mehrunes’ Razor: This Daedric artifact has a small chance to instantly kill any enemy, making it a fantastic tool for taking down high-level opponents.
- Blade of Woe: Obtained during the Dark Brotherhood questline, it has a good base damage and absorbs health on each hit. A fantastic choice for sustain in combat.
- Dragonbone Dagger: With the highest base damage for daggers and high speed you can dish out extreme amounts of damage and enchantments.
Axes
- Dragonbone Axe: With the highest base damage for axes and the armor penetration perk.
- Wuuthrad: A unique battleaxe, that deals extra damage to elves.
Synergistic Weapon Combinations
While dual wielding two of the same weapon is effective, sometimes mixing and matching can lead to even greater results. Here are a few synergistic weapon combinations to consider:
- Bloodscythe and Soulrender: While this is already in the provided text, they are still worth a mention! Bloodscythe has a chance to absorb health and Soulrender has a chance to absorb magicka when paired together and dual wielded.
- Dragonbane and Dragonbone Sword: Dragonbane for dragons and Dragonbone sword for dealing with everything else. A jack of all trades, master of one situation.
- Mehrunes’ Razor and Blade of Woe: The chance for instant death from the Razor combined with the Blade’s health absorption creates a deadly and sustainable combination.
- Dawnbreaker and Nightingale Blade: Fire damage and undead turning capabilities paired with health and stamina absorption provides excellent coverage against a variety of enemies.
Essential Perks for Dual Wielding
To truly maximize your dual wielding potential, you’ll need to invest in the following perks:
- Armsman (One-Handed Skill Tree): Increases the damage of one-handed weapons. Max this out.
- Dual Flurry (One-Handed Skill Tree): Increases the attack speed of dual wielding. Essential for maximizing DPS.
- Dual Savagery (One-Handed Skill Tree): Increases the power attack damage of dual wielding. Another must-have.
- Fighting Stance (One-Handed Skill Tree): Reduces the stamina cost of power attacks. Important for sustained damage output.
- Critical Charge (One-Handed Skill Tree): Allows you to perform a critical charge with a one-handed weapon.
- Enchanting Perks: Since you will have two enchantments, these perks will help increase their effectiveness!
Considerations Beyond Weapons
Remember, weapon choice is just one piece of the dual wielding puzzle. Consider these other factors:
- Armor: Light armor enhances stamina regeneration and movement speed, complementing the fast-paced nature of dual wielding.
- Smithing: Upgrading your weapons at a grindstone significantly increases their damage output.
- Enchanting: Strategic enchantments can provide extra damage, utility, and survivability.
- Potions: Stamina potions are your best friend. Keep a supply handy to fuel your power attacks and maintain a constant offensive.
Dual wielding in Skyrim is all about unleashing a relentless storm of attacks. By carefully selecting your weapons, investing in the right perks, and optimizing your gear, you can become a true whirlwind of destruction. Now go forth and carve your legend into the annals of Skyrim!
Want to learn more about the mechanics behind game design and how they impact player experience? Check out the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Dual Wielding in Skyrim
Here are some frequently asked questions to further enhance your knowledge of dual wielding in Skyrim:
1. Is dual wielding better than using a shield?
Dual wielding generally offers higher DPS, but you sacrifice the defensive capabilities of a shield. A shield provides blocking, staggering enemies, and protection from arrows, but you have to give up your dual strikes. If you prefer a more aggressive playstyle and are confident in your ability to dodge and weave, dual wielding is the way to go. For a more balanced approach, sword and shield is recommended.
2. What race is best for dual wielding?
While any race can effectively dual wield, Orcs and Redguards are generally considered the best due to their racial abilities. Orcs have Berserker Rage, which doubles their damage output for a short period, while Redguards have Adrenaline Rush, which boosts their stamina regeneration. Nords would come in third due to their bonus to two handed, which also buffs one handed weapons, due to being in the same tree.
3. Does dual wielding work with magic?
No, you cannot dual wield a weapon and a spell in your left hand simultaneously. You can, however, use a spell in one hand and a weapon in the other. This allows you to supplement your melee attacks with ranged magic.
4. How do I power attack while dual wielding?
To perform a dual power attack, hold both attack buttons simultaneously. This consumes stamina but delivers a devastating blow. The Dual Savagery perk significantly increases the damage of dual power attacks.
5. Do dual wielding perks affect unarmed combat?
No, the dual wielding perks only affect weapons. If you want to specialize in unarmed combat, you’ll need to focus on the Heavy Armor skill tree and the Fists of Steel perk.
6. What is the best way to level up my One-Handed skill?
The fastest way to level up One-Handed is to simply use one-handed weapons in combat. Find high-health enemies like giants or trolls and repeatedly attack them. You can also train with a One-Handed skill trainer, but this costs gold.
7. Can I improve unique weapons at a grindstone?
Yes, you can improve most unique weapons at a grindstone using the appropriate materials and smithing perks. However, some weapons may require specific smithing perks or quest progression to be improved to their full potential.
8. Does dual wielding affect stealth?
Dual wielding does not directly affect stealth. However, the type of weapon you use can influence your ability to remain hidden. Daggers are the quietest weapon type, making them ideal for stealthy dual wielding. Armor noise can also play a large part in being stealthy so armor choice can also be a big factor.
9. How do enchantments work when dual wielding?
Each weapon’s enchantment applies independently. This means you can effectively double the potency of your enchantments. For example, if each weapon deals 10 points of fire damage, you’ll inflict a total of 20 points of fire damage with each dual attack.
10. Is it worth dual wielding early in the game?
Dual wielding can be effective early in the game, but it requires a significant investment in stamina and perks to truly shine. Focus on leveling your One-Handed skill and acquiring the Dual Flurry perk as soon as possible.
11. What’s the best armor to use with a dual wield build?
Light armor is ideal because it improves stamina regeneration, which is key to pulling off power attacks and dodging enemy blows.
12. Can I dual wield different weapon types?
Yes, you can dual wield different weapon types. Experiment to find combinations that suit your playstyle.
13. How does armor penetration affect dual wielding?
Axes ignore some of the target’s armor, and since each hand hits individually, you can cut through enemies quicker with axes if they have high armor.
14. Is dual wielding viable on higher difficulties?
Yes, dual wielding is absolutely viable on higher difficulties, but it requires careful planning and execution. Focus on maximizing your DPS, using strategic enchantments, and utilizing potions to enhance your survivability. You may want to use a shield or magic in your off hand to compensate for your defense.
15. What are some fun and unique dual wield builds?
Consider a poison assassin using dual daggers with poison enchantments, an elemental warrior wielding swords with fire and frost enchantments, or a vampire warrior with life-steal enchanted weapons!