Becoming a legendary hero is much easier when you have a couple of powerful artifacts at hand. In The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, there are many of them, but which ones are the best in their class? This guide compiles the best one-handed weapons in the game, perfect for those who are venturing into the game on Nintendo Switch!
Skyrim has so-called unique items, which are really worth the effort to obtain. They almost never appear for sale, so to get them, you will have to complete dangerous quests and venture to the most remote corners of Skyrim.
If you're tired of wandering aimlessly, completing all the quests and earning some useless pennies, then this guide is for you. Here, we've gathered the best one-handed weapons of different classes and included ways to obtain them. A true guide for the treasure hunter and weapon enthusiast!
The game has a lot of unique daggers, but we'll focus on just a couple of absolutely amazing ones. They will be useful to anyone who relies on stealth and lightning-fast strikes from the shadows: Mehrune's Razor and Blade of Woe.
A compact weapon with quite a decent base damage (11), but valuable primarily for its magical properties. Each strike with Mehrune's Razor has a chance of instant killing, which elevates this weapon above all others.
To get Mehrune's Razor, you need to complete the quest Pieces of the Past by killing Silus Vesuius. The quest becomes available only after reaching level 20. A courier will bring a letter inviting the Dragonborn to the vicinity of Dawnstar. To start the quest, you need to talk to the aforementioned Silus Vesuius.
It has higher base damage (12), and its enchantment will be useful in any battle: each strike with the Blade of Woe absorbs 10 health from the opponent.
The Blade of Woe can be obtained from one of the game's characters during the quest Death Incarnate. It is part of the Dark Brotherhood storyline.
By the way, you can get the dagger much faster if you start following the objectives of the Death Incarnate quest even before officially joining the Brotherhood. Just kill Astrid and take the Blade of Woe from her lifeless body. The only downside to this quick method is that you won't be able to join the Brotherhood afterward.
In The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, there is crushing weaponry for every taste. You can choose something cool for any situation; there are enough unique maces in the game to arm a small army. But only one mace is good enough to be called the best — The Mace of Molag Bal.
This Daedric artifact is dangerous even without the magic it contains: the base damage is 16. Each strike with the mace burns 25 stamina and magicka, making it effective against mages.
But that's not all: if the opponent dies within 3 seconds after being struck by the Mace of Molag Bal, their soul will be trapped in a soul gem if you have one in your inventory.
The Mace of Molag Bal is a reward for completing the Daedric quest House of Horrors. In the city of Markarth, near one of the houses, Vigilant Tyranus will approach the Dragonborn, asking for help in clearing out a haunted house of Daedra worshippers. The quest will begin as soon as you enter the house. Everything will happen quite quickly, but don't expect it to be easy!
Swords are the most popular class of weapons, and there are more unique blades in the game than any other dangerous iron. Among them, there are good ones, very good ones, and the best. We'll be talking about the best: Miraak's Sword, Chillrend, Dragonbane, Soulrender and Bloodscythe, Gauldur Blackblade.
This sword was added in the latest official expansion — Dragonborn. For true cold weapon enthusiasts, this might be a reason to splurge. This weapon has a good base damage and a powerful enchantment that absorbs the stamina of enemies.
To get Miraak's Sword, you need to start the Dragonborn storyline by traveling to the island of Solstheim. Almost immediately after landing, the protagonist will encounter two cultists who will tell him about the very first Dragonborn and then try to kill him.
There will be many more adventures, and only at the end of the quest At the Summit of Apocrypha will the Dragonborn finally be able to obtain Miraak's Sword. Just don't forget to loot the body of the defeated villain. Yes, it takes a long time, but the reward is worth it!
A glass sword (sounds absurd, but standard logic doesn't work in the world of The Elder Scrolls), whose strikes deal frost damage. An excellent choice against enemies vulnerable to this element. As another pleasant bonus, there is a chance to paralyze the affected opponents. And the damage is good, no argument there.
Chillrend is the personal weapon of the Thieves Guild leader, Mercer Frey. The easiest way to get Chillrend is to take it from Frey's house during the quest The Pursuit. The dagger is in a locked chest, so you'll have to work with lockpicks.
By the way, the power of Chillrend depends on the power of the character. So don't rush to complete the quest; you might end up with a weapon that will become a useless toothpick in the future. Chillrend's power is determined the moment the Dragonborn first enters Mercer's house.
In The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, you often have to deal with dragons, so there's nothing better than getting a weapon that is sharpened for battles with huge winged reptiles. The enchantments of the Dragonbane deal additional damage to dragons and also strike all enemies with lightning.
As with Chillrend, the power of this weapon depends on the character's level, so it might be worth leveling up a bit before running after the Dragonbane.
You can find the katana in the Sky Haven Temple during the quest Alduin's Wall. The quest is part of the main storyline, so it will be hard to miss. The Dragonbane lies in a room slightly away from the main hall of the Temple. You can also find the Blades armor there.
Actually, these are two separate weapons, but only together are they worthy of being called some of the best swords in Skyrim. They appeared in the game with the release of the Dragonborn expansion and perform excellently when the character wields them. Both Soulrender and Bloodscythe absorb magical energy and health well, and also reduce the physical and magical resistance of the enemy.
To get both blades, you need to reach level 36, and then you will have to sail to the island of Solstheim, where the Dragonborn story unfolds. Then the small thing remains: find the book Deathbrand in Tel Mithryn or Raven Rock and complete the quest of the same name.
Another weapon whose effectiveness is determined by the character's power when first entering the quest location. In the best case, the base damage of the Gauldur Blackblade will be 36. This is very cool, and the sword can still be improved at the forge if you have the Dwarven Smithing perk.
Also, along with good combat power, comes an enchantment that restores the health of the blade's owner.
You can get the Gauldur Blackblade as a trophy at the end of the Forbidden Legend quest. To start the quest, you need to find the book Lost Legends of Skyrim, which will hint at where to find Gauldur — a famous ancient Nord warrior. The book itself can be found in almost any city.
If for some reason all copies of the book have been lost, you can find another one in Reachwater Rock. Eventually, the Dragonborn will have to go to Folgunthur — the last abode of the dead Gauldur.
Not as versatile as swords, axes are still very popular, especially among the wild Nords. Among the heap of various junk, only two truly good axes can be highlighted: Okin and the Dawnguard Rune Axe.
A very impressive-looking axe in the Nordic style. It deals frost damage, burns the enemy's stamina, and has a base damage of 12. It is worth improving, and for this, you will only need the Steel Smithing perk.
To get Okin in your calloused hands, you need to complete the quest Silenced Tongues. You can take it at the very end of exploring the Volunruud barrow. Actually, Okin is the reward for completing the quest. By the way, Okin has a related weapon — Eduj, but it's not as cool as it might seem at first glance.
As the name suggests, this example of Tamriel's brilliant military thought is among the items from the Dawnguard expansion. It deals light damage to undead, and this damage is dynamic: the more undead killed since the last dawn, the greater the damage. And the base damage is quite good too.
Getting the weapon is not difficult — you just need to follow the storyline of the expansion. Sooner or later, the Dragonborn will reach the quest Lost Relic.
In fact, this is a radiant quest, which means it can be repeated multiple times, each time receiving a new reward. Therefore, it is quite likely that you will have to go on several clean-up missions to various shady places until fate favors the Dragonborn and rewards them with the Dawnguard Rune Axe.