Dual-wielding is usually a fun mechanic in games. If done right, Dual-wielding in Skyrim can also be a lot of fun, and you can dish out a lot of damage to your foes. You can equip both hands with different types of weapons, making it even more interesting. We can use different combinations of one-handed weapons to suit our playstyle.
With the right race, weapons, armor, and perks, you can make a great dual-wielding build, and in this guide, we will discuss all of that.
Best Race for Dual-Wielding in Skyrim
While wielding dual weapons, it is necessary to keep in mind that you are using stamina for every swing. Unlike using one weapon, you use two weapons, consequently doubling your stamina use. Players have to tackle this issue via different methods. One of the methods is to use a race, which aids in this rapid loss of stamina. Orcs and Redguards are the best choices when it comes to race. Not only are these two races built for Warrior playstyle, but the active abilities of both these races are the best to consider when playing with dual wields.
Redguard active ability Adrenaline Rush grants a 10x regeneration boost to stamina when activated for a certain period. Similarly, Berserker Rage of Orcs doubles the damage being dealt to enemies. These abilities can come in very handy when using dual wield.
Orcs have a base stats buff to almost all stats but magicka, which makes this race the best suited for dual wield.
Best Weapons for Dual-wielding in Skyrim
Let’s discuss the best weapon combinations to increase your overall Dual-Wield experience in Skyrim. Remember that your initial attacks are from your strong hand (right), followed by the support hand (left). Keeping a lighter weapon in the strong hand and a heavier one in the support hand will be beneficial. The weapons mentioned here hold individual prowess, and pairing them up will only amplify your brutality on the field. Use enchantments to power up your weapon damage, elemental effect, and stamina cost.
Chillrend/Dawnbreaker
Chillrend is one of the best one-handed swords in Skyrim. This sword has great base damage and a frost damage effect of around 30 points. It also has a chance to paralyze the enemy upon hit.
Dawnbreaker is a Daedric sword of immense power. It has great base damage and a burn damage effect of 10 points. When fighting the undead, there is a chance to cause the undead to explode, damaging the enemies around it.
Bloodscythe/Soulrender
These two blades wielded by the Pirate King Haknir Death-Brand, when used together can deal an impressive amount of damage to enemies and their armor. These swords also absorb the enemy’s health by 15 points.
Chillrend/Blade of Woe
Blade of Woe deals a good amount of base damage for a dagger along with the effect of absorbing enemy health by 10 points on hit. Pair it up with a frost damage sword which has a chance to paralyse enemies and you will not have to worry about losing health in battle.
Stahlrim Sword/ Stahlrim Dagger
Stahlrim is a unique crafting material in Skyrim. This material is used to create weapons such as the Sthlrim Sword and Stahlrim Dagger. Pairing these two weapons together can be a good combination for Dual-wield weapons as both weapons have good base damage.
Mehrunes’ Razor/ Valdr’s Lucky Dagger
In this dagger combo, the Mehrunes’ razor has pretty good base damage. What makes this dagger unique is that there is a chance to instantly kill an enemy upon being hit with this dagger. Valdr’s Lucky Dagger is not as good as Mehrunes’ Razor when it comes to damage but this dagger has a 25% chance of having a critical hit.
Daedric Sword/ Dragonbone Mace
Considered one of the best blades in Skyrim, the Daedric Sword is no exception when it comes to serious damage in battle. This bloodthirsty blade has high base damage with the option to apply enchantments. Pair it up with the Dragonbone Mace and bring a heavy hitter to the field.
Best Perks for Dual-wield in Skyrim
The best perks to invest in for Dual-wield will mostly be the one-handed skill tree perks. Since our primary choice of weapons is two one-handed weapons, both weapons will be granted the effect of the perks.
Dual Flurry (2 levels) increases the speed of all attacks of dual-wielding weapons.
Dual Savagery Increases the damage dealt by attacks by 50%.
Armsman (5 levels) increases the damage dealt by one-hand weapons by 20%,40%,60%,80%, and double the damage.
Fighting Stance lessens the amount of Stamina consumed by one-handed weapons.
Savage Strike increases the amount of damage dealt when standing.
Dragon Shouts and Dual-wielding
Elemental Shout is arguably the best shout to go for if you are wielding dual weapons and have no enchantment applied to the weapons. The shout increases the attack speed of your weapons by 30%, 50%, and 70%, depending on the number of words you have learned.
Marked for Death is another shout that reduces the health and armor of the enemy by a certain percentage depending on how many words have been learned. This makes the enemies vulnerable and easy for you to kill.
Light or Heavy Armor for Dual-wielding?
You can use both. Both the light and heavy armor types in Skyrim have pros and cons. In both the cases, cons can be mitigated as well. For instance, if you are using Smithing (level 100), you can make your light armor strong enough to provide you with sufficient protection from physical attacks.
For Heavy armor, you can recover the speed penalty using the Encumbrance perk in the Heavy Armor Skill tree. It will also depend on what race you have chosen. For Thieves and Assassins, light armor is a better option; however, for Orcs and Redguards, you can go with heavy armor. And if you are still confused, you should also check our Heavy Armor vs. Light Armor guide, where we compared the two.
