Dual-wielding Done Right [a Short And Simple Guide]

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Store Page The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim > Guides > Blerrger19's Guides This item has been removed from the community because it violates Steam Community & Content Guidelines. It is only visible to you. If you believe your item has been removed by mistake, please contact Steam Support. This item is incompatible with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Please see the instructions page for reasons why this item might not work within The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. 53 ratings Dual-wielding done right [a short and simple guide] By Blerrger19 I will have to add references later as much of this guide is based on concrete information I have gathered from various sources and credit is due to the work of others who came before myself...Essentially this is a guide on how to optimize dual-wielding (in terms of both damage and speed). It will touch on some deeper gameplay mechanics that new players (or even veterans) may or may not be aware of. 2 Award Favorite Favorited Unfavorite Share This item has been added to your Favorites. Created by Blerrger19 Offline Category: Gameplay Basics, WeaponsLanguages: English Posted Updated 13 Jul, 2014 @ 3:47pm 12 Apr, 2016 @ 4:34pm

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Guide Index Overview How to Dual-Wield How Dual-Wielding Works How to do it right Pros and Cons Closing thoughts VEGETABLE SOUP Credits and references Comments How to Dual-Wield Equip a weapon in your main-hand (right) and off-hand (left) at the same time :DSimple enough, but getting the most out of dual-wielding is a little trickier, which I will explain in the next section.Also, I highly recommend you watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJEdi2WzkLcNOTE: Skyrim is the first Elder Scrolls game to include a dual-wield feature. Previously it was only possible to equip a shield or spell (spells could be equipped the left-hand ONLY) in the left hand. How Dual-Wielding Works Dual-wielding is not as simple as equipping weapons in both hands simultaneously. The speed of your attacks, for example, is based on the weight of the weapon in your off-hand (left).This is why it is recommended to equip a dagger in the off-hand; they are the lightest one-handed weapons in the game and therefore impart the highest attack speed/lowest penalty to attack speed.The damage (when attacking with both weapons simulataneously as with the dual-wielding normal attack--pressing both right and left attack--or the dual-wielding power attack--pressing and holding both left and right attack) is based on the damage of both weapons. Therefore, in the interest of increasing damage, you'll want the highest base damage weapon combination possible.The stamina cost of your power attacks (as is always the case regardless of wield-style or weapon-type) is based on the weight of the weapon you are using. In the case of dual-wielding, stamina costs FOR BOTH HANDS is based on the MAIN-HAND weapon ONLY (Credit goes to Jesse.1110). Therefore, you could equip a lighter weapon in your main-hand (i.e. dagger) in order to reduce stamina costs for your left-handed power attacks, however you don't ever want to attack with your left-hand. More on that in the next section.In the interest of conserving stamina, you'd want to equip the lightest weapon possible in your main-hand, however there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON to conserve stamina. More on that later in the guide.I favor attack speed over damage (cuz DPS) so this guide will explain how to optimize dual-wielding in the interest of attack speed, however you could forgo the off-hand dagger and trade speed for damage by dual-wielding swords or axes (maces?! whatever) depending on your personal preference. My personal preference is to go lightly armored and maximize attack speed, and this is MY guide, so deal with it -w-NOTE: Although Dragon Bone weapons have the highest base damage, they are substantially heavier (reducing attack speed and increasing stamina consumption) than any other weapon and therefore it may be better to opt for Deadric weapons instead. However, I do not recommend using Deadric weapons as there is a better option available. More on that in the next section.... How to do it right Equipment:Dual wielding is best done when equipped with fully upgraded and enchanted mundane weapons, but that also requires a TON of perks. Until you have mastered Smithing and Enchanting you're better off using a Bound Sword in each hand. Why Bound Swords? Because they have a weight of 0 and a base damage (with the Mystic Binding perk) of 24, which is the equivalent of a WEIGHTLESS Deadric sword!!I know I said previously that you should have a dagger equipped in your off-hand, but forget that!! With a bound sword as your off-hand weapon, base damage = 24 and weight = 0 which is an INSANE improvement (nearly double the damage with no weight)Ideally you should have a Legendary Dragonbone Dagger equipped in your off-hand and a Legendary Deadric Sword in your main-hand--both double enchanted.Note: This is only after you have Smithing 100 and all relevant perks as well as Enchanting 100 and all relevant perks of course.Combat Strategy:Close in on your enemy as quickly as possible (juking arrows/spells along the way) and spam RT to win!!No seriously, spam your right-hand attack. Do not EVER use your left-hand attack as the Dragonborn is right-handed and your left-hand attacks are inherently slower (cuz animations).Pepper in a few dual power attacks to stagger as needed (cuz stamina costs).You should not use your dual normal attack (pressing right+left simulataneously) consecutively as it cannot be used in rapid-succession (rather the delay between consecutive dual attacks is longer than the delay between consecutive right-hand attacks). Instead, save your dual attack for before as well as after your dual power attack (cuz delays).Generally you should follow this rhythm:Dual power attack-->dual attack-->right x4/5/6-->dual attack-->dual power attackYou can chain this attack pattern even after your stamina has been depleted with normal stamina regeneration (while wearing light armor) since the timing works out that you will have at least 1 stamina by the time the next dual power attack comes up. If wearing heavy armor, increase the number of right-hand attacks accordingly and keep an eye on your stamina bar.Note: I may or may not have disregarded any/all stamina-related discussion in this guide. If I glossed over it that was because stamina is largely unimportant. You can always power attack so long as you have at least 1 stamina and the damage of your power attack is the same regardless of your current stamina or stamina consumed (meaning a power attack made with 1 stamina is just as strong as a power attack made with 10, 20, 40, 100, etc). There are various enchantments, potions, and perks which can be used to recover stamina or increase your stamina regeneration (i.e. Vegetable Soup) rendering any and all discussion of stamina efficacy null and void. Pros and Cons Pros:

• Weightless weapons--Lowest stamina cost for power attacks, highest attack speed--Bound weapons do not add weight to your carrying capacity
• Very few perks required--Min: 10, Max: 12--Other builds using mundane weapons require the same number of perks in the one-handed skill tree, but more total points as you must also master smithing and possibly enchanting as well.
• Can instantly banish summons and soul trap targets by attacking them--If you opt for the additional perks (Soul Stealing and Oblivion Binding)
• Can quickly level both Conjuration and One-Handed--Summoning the weapon (in combat) raises Conjuration, and dealing damage increases One-Handed--Faster levelling, also you can spend the extra perks where you need them (i.e. Smithing/Enchanting for later or anywhere else. You certainly don't need many in Conjuration!)
• The highest base damage for any weapon combination in game--since you can wield what is essentially a weightless Deadric sword in your off-hand (as opposed to a Dragon Bone dagger)

Cons:

• Cannot be enchanted--There are some pretty nice enchantments with banish and soul trap already, but you lose the ability to add other enchantments--particularly the fire/frost/shock enchantments which will add damage and the absorb enchantments which add damage while restoring your own resources (health, magicka, and stamina), or the amazing Chaos damage enchantment ("Wielded with enchanted gear and potions, Ahzidal, Dukaan or Zahkriisos masks as well as having all of the augmented elements perks in destruction and enchanting, chaos damage can cause elemental damage up to 350 points."--Taken from elderscrolls.wikia.com)
• Cannot be upgraded via smithing--The ability to wield a weightless deadric sword in the off-hand somewhat compensates for this, however it is possible (with Smithing 100 and all relevant perks) to create weapons with significantly higher than normal base damage (+34). Thus, a Legendary Dragon Bone Dagger will have 46 damage and weigh 6.5 compared to a Bound Sword with Mystic Binding which only has 24 damage but weighs 0. Also compare to a Deadric Dagger which will have 45 damage and weigh 6 even.

Closing thoughts If you want to use mundane weapons then I highly recommend using absorb enchantments as more raw damage will be wasted unless playing on Master or Legendary difficult. Even then, I would opt for Absorb instead of raw damage. Your damage output is already pretty insane if you've also mastered Smithing and assuming you have all relevant perks for One-Handed. However, I do not recommend using mundane weapons early on as there are far too many perks required (One-handed and Smithing 100 and all relevant perks), and even more perks required if you choose to invest in Enchanting as well. At the end of the day, mundane weapons are superior only after going through the trouble of mastering Smithing and Enchanting as well as One-handed, and so I recommend using Bound Sword with Mystic Binding early on and then switching to fully upgraded and enchanted mundane weapons at higher levels.Bound Swords + Mystic Binding basically gives you early access to Deadric weapons. As soon as you are able to craft and upgrade some Deadric weapons of your own, I suggest switching to them especially if you are also able to enchant them. Soulrender and Bloodscythe also deserve special mention seeing as how their damage/weight is pretty good and they already have some nice enchantments.INSTA-KILL?! You might also try using Mehrune's Razor in your off-hand seeing as how the ~2% chance to kill your target instantly is nice little bonus and because it is an excellent high base damage, low weight dagger. However, you're better off with a more consistent high base damage weapon especially if you're spamming power attacks...oh btw...INIFINITE POWER ATTACKS!! You can use Vegetable Soup (craft at any cooking fire using potatoes, tomatoes, leeks, and cabbages) to gain a 12 minute stamina (and health) regeneration buff which ensures you will ALWAYS have at least 1 stamina (for the next 720 seconds). In effect, you can power attack endlessly chainging your attack chain to SPAMMING DUAL POWER ATTACKS, which results in stagger-locking and DESTROYING any enemy in a matter of seconds.STAGGER CHANCE?? There are several factors which influence your stagger chance and weight is one of them, however I know from gameplay experience that you will get plenty of staggers even while dual-wielding bound swords (which are weightless) and wearing light armor (I think heavy armor has a perk that increases stagger chance...?). Furthermore, understanding stagger chance is pure speculation and there is nothing conclusive at this time.HEAVY OR LIGHT ARMOR?? To each his own. You'll notice there's a section to this guide that covers what equipment you should be using to dual-wield. You should also notice that the only equipment I discuss are your weapons. In my guide I recommend wielding an off-hand dagger since I favor attack speed over damage, however you could choose to dual-wield swords or axes (maces?!) or any combination of two one-handed weapons. Again, this comes down to personal preference and shouldn't create any significant difference--you will still have infinite power attacks so long as you are under the effect of vegetable soup, you will still deal insane damage over a very short period of time, and you should still stagger-lock like a boss. NO PROBLEM!UBERSMITHING? What I call ubersmithing is abusing the alchemy/enchanting loop to create weapons/armor of a vastly superior quality than what is possible through normal play. I realize that you can craft superior weapons that can undoubtedly create a stronger build than what is recommended in this guide. I'm not arguing that. Additionally, this guide does not and will not cover ubersmithing nor entertain any discussion thereof. Kindly take those comments elsewhere. There are other guides for that I'm sure -w- VEGETABLE SOUP In case I wasn't clear before, this is what makes Dual-Wielding truly impressive.Grab some potatoes, tomatoes, leeks, and cabbage, throw 'em in a pot, and cook yourself up some good ol' vegetable soup.Infinite stam --> infinite power attacks --> crazy dpsAnd its 100% vegan. Credits and references Special credit goes to Youtube user pms00 for the following comprehensive video guide explaining everything you need to know about Dual-wielding from basic attacks to in-depth mechanics:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJEdi2WzkLcHonestly I drew most of my current knowledge of dual-wielding in Skyrim from this video and the information contained therein forms the foundation of my guide. Also, its pretty cool this dude starts out the video wielding a fork and a knife and then goes on to school you on how to dual-wield properly --> "While it may look cool to alternate a main-hand attack with an off-hand one, you're actually gimping your damage" 1:40Credit also goes to Nexus Forums user vmsfallout for the following post: http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/947410-stagger-mechanics-lets-figure-it-out/I also drew some information from the Elder Scrolls wiki at elderscrolls.wikia.com and I may have glanced at the UESP wiki at www.uesp.netCredit goes to Jesse.1110 for providing insight on the cost of power attacks while dual-wielding. 17 Comments < > Blerrger19 [author] 5 Jun, 2024 @ 7:29pm "Out in the cold" huh? I see what you did there. PaperLiger 5 Jun, 2024 @ 6:55pm wish bethesda didnt leave dual wielding out in the cold. If only they could have a weaker block somehow. My favorite type of fighter is a light armor dual wielder but I think I'll just stick with my sword/board/resto Wylyth1992 4 Dec, 2019 @ 3:17am Another thing to add is that Ebony War Axes (and Maces) have the same power as their Daedric counterparts, but weigh less. And Stalhrim War Axes (and Maces) also have the same power as their Daedric counterparts, but weigh even less. And both Ebony and Stalhrim only require the level 80 Smithing perk "Ebony Smithing" (and, for those who use heavy armor, Stalhrim heavy armor has the same base protection as Dragonplate armor, but weighs less, making it the second best heavy armor, being beaten by Daedric armor) karneviva 11 Nov, 2019 @ 4:55am I play full dual blades Redguard.First I complete winterhold quest,because gain drain sta e drain life to desenchant.Bound weapons in eraly game and I buy all petty soul gems witch no soul, because bound weapon trap. And I creat iron daggers to scaling smithing to 30 and use the daggers to enchant witch peety gems I have trapped,my enchant go to 60. And Icreate 3 swords, sword life drain abs 16healt,sword of sta drain abs5(352uses is may main weapon) and no enchant sword. I use elemental fury and I need one no enchant weapon in left hand. a.elfwind 4 Jul, 2017 @ 1:39pm Interesting guide. I would implement some of the points into my strategy if I wasn't an archer. Iscend Comprine 12 Apr, 2016 @ 2:25pm Amazing tips! I'm still gonna stick to my 2 Ebony War axes I can get at level 5 in solstheim :) Blerrger19 [author] 24 Feb, 2016 @ 11:34am Sounds totally on topic to me.Dual-wielding daggers has a unique animation for the flurry move which actually launches you into an elaborate series of FIVE attacks if I remember correctly. So its actually 30x5=150 which gets multiplied AGAIN by whatever your sneak attack multiplier is (which should be x30 with all relevant perks and the shrouded armor)...grand total 4,500 except I think only the first hit counts as a sneak attack, so 1000, but that's still plenty! hobaophuc98 24 Feb, 2016 @ 10:32am i know that this cmt may off topic but using 2 dagger while sneak hold both mouse will 30x2=60 damage ? or right hand only ? sry for my bad english Blerrger19 [author] 15 Feb, 2016 @ 5:26am Master difficulty will make things much harder (but not as hard as legendary!!). To flurry you have to press and hold BOTH attack buttons (triggers by default on controller or LMB+RMB on mouse) as if you're trying to power attack with both weapons at the same time. hobaophuc98 15 Feb, 2016 @ 5:00am my english is not good enough to hear so can you explain how to flury like him ? my off hand is legendary dragon dagger and my main is daedric legendary sword but it so hard to fight with it , or maybe i set the difficult to master *blush* < > Share to your Steam activity feed Link: You need to sign in or create an account to do that. Sign In Create an Account Cancel Update © Valve Corporation. All rights reserved. All trademarks are property of their respective owners in the US and other countries.Some geospatial data on this website is provided by geonames.org. Privacy Policy | Legal | Accessibility | Steam Subscriber Agreement | Cookies View mobile website