The One-Handed Skill in Skyrim is the most versatile melee Skill as it lets players deal melee damage with one hand and leave a variety of options for their off-hand. Focusing on One Handed in Skyrim opens up doors to builds like the Battlemage, who uses spells in their off-hand, or a Duel-Wielding berserker, who attacks with both hands at the same time.
No matter the direction you choose to go, One Handed is a great skill for any melee-oriented character to level up. Getting the most out of this Skill Tree and its Perks, though, is not as simple as hitting Draugr until they collapse - the One Handed Skill can be more powerful than many realize if given proper attention.
Best Skyrim One-Handed Weapons
The best One Handed weapons in Skyrim tend to be those that complement other Skills the player has taken on. For example, while a melee bruiser can make good use of the Stamina and Health-absorbing Nightingale Blade, a Battlemage might prefer something that can Soul Trap their enemies like the Mace of Molag Bal.
- Mace of Molag Bal: Soul Trap on hit. Earned for completing "The House of Horrors" in Markarth.
- Nightingale Blade: Absorbs 25 Health and Stamina on hit. Earned during the Thieves Guild questline.
- Bloodscythe and Soulrender: When Dual Wielded, absorbs 15 Health and reduces Armor on hit. Earned for completing "Deathbrand" in Solstheim.
- Windshear: High chance to Stagger opponents with a Bash or when wielded in the main hand. Found on The Karaiah, during the final Dark Brotherhood quest.
The Mace of Molag Bal is best for Battlemage players, Bloodscythe and Soulrender are powerful Dual Wield-oriented swords, and both the Nightingale Blade and Windshear are powerful options for traditional Sword-and-Shield playstyles.
Standing Stones And Enchantments
For most playstyles that branch out across multiple Skill Trees, The Lover Stone reigns supreme as it increases XP gain for everything by 15%. The Warrior Stone is a good choice for One Handed specifically, but players also find use in The Lady and The Atronach stones.
- For melee players, The Warrior increases XP gain for all martial skills by 20% and The Lady increases Health and Stamina recovery by 25%.
- For Magicka players, The Atronach gives Spell Absorption and Max Magicka at the cost of Magicka Recovery, which is useful as Battlemages cast few spells in combat
When it comes to Enchantments there are some very powerful options that every player should learn. Fortify One Handed is an obvious one, but Absorb Health/Stamina/Magicka and Physical/Magic Resistance tend to be useful as well. The best Enchantment for a One Handed Weapon is Paralysis, which grants many uses if set to 1 Second.
One-Handed Skills And Perks
The best One Handed Perks in Skyrim, like the Standing Stones, depends greatly on the direction a player is taking their character. Melee-oriented players can make use of just about every One Handed Perk in the Skill Tree, but players who use Spells as well can make good use of the Conjuration and Alteration trees. It's a very good idea to level up Enchanting, as late-game Enchantments are nearly unbeatable.
One Handed and Enchanting Perks
- One Handed: All "Armsman" ranks, weapon-specific Perks, "Fighting Stance", and "Paralyzing Strike"
- Enchanting: All "Enchanter" ranks, "Insightful Enchanter", and "Extra Effect" to apply multiple Enchantments
Conjuration and Alteration Spells
- Conjuration Spells: Bound Sword grants a leveled Daedric Sword temporarily, great for earlier levels. Take with the "Mystic Binding" Perk.
- Alteration Spells: Oakflesh (and higher-level versions) give huge Armor bonuses, and Paralyze is a powerful mid-combat Expert spell. Take with the "Mage Armor" and "Stability" Perks.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition is available on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S