The Headman's Cleaver is a weapon that players might recognize from The Elder Scrolls: Blades. Some players recall seeing this weapon at the beginning of Skyrim, when the player is unceremoniously sent to the block after trying to cross the border. This memory is false, though, as the executioner there uses a unique Greataxe, not this weapon which is not included in Skyrim normally.
The Headman's Cleaver is a Two-Handed Greatsword by nature, though it more closely resembles a Halberd Polearm. It's one of the most visually impressive items included with Skyrim Anniversary Edition, though there isn't much else that sets it apart from other Greatswords, especially in Skyrim's end game.
Updated June 10, 2022 by Erik Petrovich: The Headman's Cleaver is a relatively underwhelming weapon, all things considered, though it does have one thing going for it: Fashion. Sure, its base damage is decent, but the fact that it cannot be enchanted severely limits its potential as a weapon in the long term. The Skyrim Headman's Cleaver is a beautiful piece of gear nonetheless, and its gold value alone makes it worth tracking down even if you don't plan to use it. Included in Skyrim Anniversary Edition, the Headman's Cleaver creation is one of the few that alter a base-game area, in this case the Lost Knife Hideout east of Whiterun. Here, players will find new enemies and a new boss on their quest to recover this legendary weapon.
Headman's Cleaver Stats and Effects
|
Equipment Type |
Base Damage |
Weight |
Gold Value |
Enchantment |
Improved With |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2H Greatsword |
25 |
24 |
2900 |
None, cannot be Enchanted |
Orichalcum Ingot, with the Orcish Smithing perk |
The Headman's Cleaver is one of the most unique-looking weapons in Skyrim and functions as one of its only polearms, though it's classified as a Two-Handed Greatsword for the purposes of skill line bonuses in the Two-Handed skill tree. The Elder Scrolls: Blades players will recognize this weapon from the game, if they've made it to the Orc-controlled city of Rivercrest. It scales with the player's level when picked up, which changes its gold value and raw damage.
Interestingly enough, the Headman's Cleaver was originally intended to have an enchantment that would deal 20 Stamina Damage as well as 2 Bleeding Damage every second for 5 seconds (for an extra 10 Health Damage total). Though it technically has an Enchantment Charge value of 2000, it's set to be unenchantable and only works as a basic Two-Handed weapon without the possibility for additional bonuses.
How To Get The Headman's Cleaver
How To Start the Blood in the Water Quest
The Skyrim Headman's Cleaver is made available as a reward for completing the quest Blood In The Water, which is included with the Creation. This quest starts by talking to any innkeeper and asking about rumors. At some point, the innkeeper will put the player on the quest after giving a note from Shogarz gra-Batul, an Orc vassal of the Queen of the Bloodfall Kingdom of Cyrodiil.
Head to Lost Knife Hideout near Whiterun
The quest takes players to the Lost Knife Hideout which is located between Valtheim Towers and Darkwater Crossing. It's a cave many players know by heart, as it's a common stop on the way to the Throat of the World. Head to Whiterun and head east on the path towards the Hold of Winterhold. After passing Valtheim Towers, where a bandit attempts to mug the player, you should find Lost Knife Hideout on the side of the road.
The Darkwater Snake
Lost Knife Hideout is a familiar location for many players, but this questline changes the bandit groups and how they behave, and adds a new leader of the bandits called the Darkwater Snake. After defeating the bandits and their leader, players turn the quest into Shogarz gra-Batul himself - though players technically don't have to complete the quest to keep the weapon, they get a neat little reward (and of course keep the Skyrim Headman's Cleaver) for turning it in.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X|S