Skyrim Greatswords: The Complete Guide to Two-Handed Dominance in 2026

There’s nothing quite like the satisfying crunch of a greatsword cleaving through an opponent in Skyrim. Among all the weapon types scattered across Tamriel, greatswords stand out as the perfect balance between raw damage output and practical combat flow. They hit harder than most alternatives, stagger enemies reliably, and make players feel like an unstoppable force cutting through bandits and dragons alike.

This guide dives into everything a player needs to know about wielding greatswords in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. From understanding the mechanics that make them tick to finding every unique blade hidden in the game’s vast landscape, this resource covers the full spectrum. Whether someone’s building their first two-handed warrior or optimizing a veteran character for maximum DPS, the strategies and rankings ahead will help them dominate Skyrim’s toughest encounters with style and efficiency.

Why Greatswords Are the Ultimate Two-Handed Weapon in Skyrim

Greatswords occupy a sweet spot in Skyrim’s two-handed weapon category that makes them consistently viable from level 1 to endgame content. While battleaxes boast slightly higher base damage and warhammers deliver devastating power attacks, greatswords swing faster than both, resulting in superior sustained damage over time.

The swing speed advantage translates directly into combat effectiveness. A greatsword user can land two hits in the time a warhammer wielder completes one full swing animation. This matters enormously when facing multiple opponents or enemies with aggressive attack patterns that punish slow weapons. The stagger potential remains excellent, greatswords interrupt enemy attacks reliably without the glacial recovery time that plagues warhammers.

Beyond pure stats, greatswords offer unmatched versatility. They’re light enough to allow decent mobility while still hitting like a freight train. Players can close distances quickly, execute combos without leaving themselves vulnerable, and switch between offensive and defensive stances fluidly. The weapon type also benefits from some of the best unique and artifact items in the game, giving players access to powerful enchantments that competitors simply can’t match.

For players serious about optimizing their two-handed builds, greatswords deliver the best risk-reward ratio. They don’t sacrifice too much damage for speed, and they don’t trade mobility for marginal stat increases. It’s the Goldilocks weapon, everything is just right.

Understanding Greatsword Mechanics and Stats

Base Damage and Speed

Greatsword base damage varies by material tier, starting at 10 damage for Iron Greatswords and scaling up to 23 damage for Dragonbone Greatswords when fully upgraded. The progression follows Skyrim’s standard crafting tiers: Iron, Steel, Orcish, Dwarven, Elven, Glass, Ebony, and finally Dragonbone and Daedric (both tied at 24 base damage, with Dragonbone weighing slightly less).

Swing speed sits at 0.75 seconds per attack for all greatswords, making them 25% faster than warhammers (1.0 second) and about 15% slower than battleaxes. This translates to roughly 1.33 attacks per second under ideal conditions, though animation canceling and power attack timing can optimize this further.

The weight-to-damage ratio matters more than most players realize. A Daedric Greatsword weighs 23 pounds and deals 24 base damage, a 1.04 ratio. Compare that to a Daedric Warhammer at 31 pounds for 27 damage (0.87 ratio), and the mobility advantage becomes clear. Stamina drain for power attacks also scales with weapon weight, making greatswords more forgiving during extended fights.

Critical Hits and Stagger Potential

Critical hit mechanics work identically across all weapon types in Skyrim, with base crit chance sitting at 0% unless modified by perks or gear. But, greatswords benefit enormously from critical damage multipliers because they already pack substantial base damage. A crit on a 24-damage greatsword hits harder than a crit on a 15-damage sword, making investment in crit-boosting perks worthwhile.

Stagger potential is where greatswords truly shine. Every greatsword attack has a base stagger chance that increases with the weapon’s total damage output. Power attacks guarantee staggers on most humanoid enemies and have a high chance to interrupt dragon melee attacks. The Champion’s Stance perk (requires 100 Two-Handed skill) makes forward power attacks stagger targets 25% more often, turning greatswords into crowd control machines.

Stagger mechanics interact beautifully with perks like Deep Wounds (bleeding damage on greatsword attacks) and Great Critical Charge (double crit damage on sprinting power attacks). Smart players chain staggers to keep dangerous enemies locked down while bleeding effects tick away. Against high-armor targets like Dwarven Centurions or Ancient Dragons, this control advantage often matters more than raw DPS numbers.

The 10 Best Greatswords in Skyrim Ranked

Legendary and Unique Greatswords

1. Bloodskal Blade (Dragonborn DLC)

Base damage: 21 | Special effect: Releases an energy blast with power attacks that deals 30 damage

This weapon fundamentally changes greatsword combat by adding ranged damage. The energy blasts hit at mid-range, making it exceptional against groups and flying dragons. Found in Bloodskal Barrow during the “The Final Descent” quest.

2. Dragonbone Greatsword

Base damage: 25 (when improved to Legendary)

The highest base damage in the game after smithing upgrades. Requires Dragonbone smithing perk and dragon bones, but the raw stats can’t be beaten. With proper enchantments, this becomes the ultimate endgame weapon for pure DPS builds.

3. Daedric Greatsword

Base damage: 24 (Legendary upgraded)

Easier to obtain than Dragonbone and nearly as powerful. The iconic design and accessibility make it the go-to choice for most late-game characters. Can be crafted at level 90 Smithing or found in high-level loot.

4. Stalhrim Greatsword (Dragonborn DLC)

Base damage: 23

The unique interaction with Chaos and Frost enchantments makes this weapon punch above its weight class. Frost damage enchantments deal 25% more damage on Stalhrim weapons, creating devastating synergy. Requires completion of “A New Source of Stalhrim” quest to craft.

5. Ebony Blade

Base damage: 11 (but ignores armor) | Special effect: Absorbs 30 health when fully upgraded

Technically classified as a two-handed sword even though its appearance. The armor-piercing property and life drain make it exceptional against heavily armored opponents. Requires completing “The Whispering Door” quest and charging through friendly kills.

Best Craftable Greatswords

6. Glass Greatsword

Base damage: 22

Available earlier than Ebony or Daedric variants and still packs serious punch. The lightweight design (16 pounds) allows for better stamina management. Refined Malachite and Glass Smithing perk required. Many players using advanced combat tactics prefer Glass weapons for the mobility advantage.

7. Ebony Greatsword

Base damage: 22

Slightly heavier than Glass but easier to find materials for. Ebony ingots appear in loot more frequently than Refined Malachite. Solid mid-to-late game option before accessing Daedric or Dragonbone tiers.

8. Nordic Greatsword (Dragonborn DLC)

Base damage: 22

Shares stats with Ebony and Glass but features unique appearance. Found in Nordic ruins throughout Solstheim or craftable with Steel Smithing perk. The aesthetic alone makes it worth considering for roleplay builds.

Best Early-Game Greatswords

9. Steel Greatsword

Base damage: 17

The workhorse of early levels. Available from blacksmiths in any hold and craftable immediately. Cheap to improve and enchant, making it perfect for learning greatsword mechanics before committing to rare materials.

10. Skyforge Steel Greatsword

Base damage: 18

Slightly stronger than standard Steel and available for purchase from Eorlund Gray-Mane after completing the first Companions quest. The 1-point damage increase sounds minor but translates to faster kills during levels 1-20.

Honorable Mention: Hjalti’s Sword (Creation Club)

Some players consider Creation Club content, and this particular greatsword offers unique Nordic aesthetics with solid stats. But, since it requires additional purchases, it’s excluded from the main rankings.

Where to Find Every Unique Greatsword

Quest Rewards and Hidden Locations

Bloodskal Blade sits at the end of Bloodskal Barrow, accessible during “The Final Descent” quest in Solstheim. Players must navigate through the barrow, solving the unique door puzzle that requires hitting the energy blast mechanic on specific targets. The blade rests on an altar in the final chamber.

Ebony Blade requires completing “The Whispering Door” in Whiterun. Players must reach level 20 and speak to Hulda at the Bannered Mare to trigger the quest. The blade starts weak but gains power by killing friendly NPCs, ten kills max out its life-drain effect at 30 health per hit.

The Greatsword of the Pale (a unique Ancient Nord Greatsword) can be found in Tumble Arch Pass, northwest of Whiterun. It’s leaning against a rock near a skeleton, easy to miss but worth grabbing for early-game power. Base damage sits at 16, making it competitive with Steel weapons.

Stormfang (another unique Ancient Nord variant) appears in Volunruud during the “Silenced Tongues” miscellaneous quest. Base damage matches standard Ancient Nord Greatswords at 16, but the unique name and lore text make it a collector’s item.

Random encounter merchants like Revyn Sadri in Windhelm sometimes stock rare greatswords in their inventory. Save-scumming merchant resets can yield Ebony or Glass greatswords before players have the smithing skills to craft them. According to tracking data from community modding resources, merchant inventory refreshes every 48 in-game hours.

DLC-Exclusive Greatswords

Dragonborn DLC adds the most significant greatsword options. Beyond the Bloodskal Blade, players can craft Stalhrim Greatswords (requires discovering the Ancient Nord Pickaxe and completing “A New Source of Stalhrim”) and Nordic Greatswords (materials found throughout Solstheim).

Stalhrim deposits appear in specific locations across Solstheim:

• Northeast of Benkongerike
• Southwest of Saering’s Watch
• East of Northshore Landing
• Scattered throughout the Glacial Cave

Nordic Smithing becomes available after reading “Nord Armor Smithing,” found in various Solstheim ruins. This unlocks the ability to craft Nordic weapons at any forge with the Steel Smithing perk.

Dawnguard DLC doesn’t add unique greatswords but does introduce Dragonbone crafting materials through increased dragon encounters. The “Lost to the Ages” quest rewards an Aetherial Crown that, while not a greatsword, synergizes beautifully with two-handed builds by allowing dual Standing Stone effects.

High-level dungeons in both DLCs feature boss chests with increased chances for Daedric and Dragonbone weapons. Karstaag’s skull in Castle Karstaag drops exceptional loot, though the fight itself ranks among Skyrim’s hardest encounters, players should bring their best gear and proven combat strategies before attempting it.

Building the Perfect Greatsword Character

Essential Perks for Greatsword Users

The Two-Handed skill tree contains all the perks necessary for greatsword mastery. Prioritize these:

Must-Have Perks:

1. Two-Handed (Rank 5/5) – 100% bonus damage with two-handed weapons. Non-negotiable foundation for any build.
2. Barbarian (Rank 5/5) – Another 100% damage increase. These two perk lines alone quadruple base damage.
3. Champion’s Stance – Forward power attacks stagger all but the largest opponents 25% more often. Game-changing for crowd control.
4. Great Critical Charge – Sprinting power attacks do double critical damage. Turns opening strikes into devastating alpha damage.
5. Deep Wounds (Rank 3/3) – Critical hits with greatswords cause bleeding for 5 seconds. Excellent DPS boost against tanky enemies.

Strong Supporting Perks:

• Limbsplitter (Rank 3/3) – Regular attacks with battleaxes and greatswords cause bleeding. Stacks with Deep Wounds for constant DoT.
• Devastating Blow – Standing power attacks deal 50% bonus damage. Useful for stationary fights.
• Sweep – Sideways power attacks hit all targets in front. Essential for crowd fighting.
• Warmaster – Backward power attacks have 25% chance to paralyze. Situational but powerful when it procs.

Outside the Two-Handed tree, invest in Heavy Armor perks if wearing plate, or Light Armor if running a hybrid build. Smithing perks up to Arcane Blacksmith are mandatory for endgame optimization, weapons need to reach Legendary improvement tier to compete at higher difficulties.

Enchanting deserves heavy investment. The ability to create custom enchantments with maxed-out magnitude transforms good greatswords into legendary ones. The Fortify Two-Handed enchantment stacks multiplicatively with perk bonuses, creating absurd damage numbers.

Best Races for Two-Handed Builds

Orc dominates two-handed builds thanks to Berserker Rage. This racial ability doubles physical damage dealt while halving damage taken for 60 seconds. Pop it during boss fights or tough encounters and watch health bars evaporate. The starting bonuses (+10 Heavy Armor, +5 Smithing, Enchanting, and Two-Handed) perfectly align with greatsword character progression.

Nord offers solid alternatives with Battle Cry (fear effect) and 50% frost resistance. The frost resistance proves valuable in Skyrim’s northern regions and against ice-based enemies. Not as powerful as Orc’s damage boost, but the utility can’t be ignored.

Redguard brings Adrenaline Rush to the table, 10x stamina regeneration for 60 seconds. Since power attacks consume stamina, this effectively grants unlimited power attacks during critical moments. The +5 starting bonus to One-Handed instead of Two-Handed hurts, but the racial ability compensates.

Imperial works surprisingly well even though lacking obvious synergy. Voice of the Emperor (calms nearby enemies for 60 seconds) provides crowd control when overwhelmed, and the Imperial Luck passive generates more gold, helpful for buying expensive smithing materials and training.

Honestly, race matters less than playstyle and perk allocation. Any race can build an effective greatsword character: some just start with slight advantages. Players focused on maximizing their build efficiency often pick Orc for raw power or Redguard for stamina management, but personal preference should drive the choice.

Stat Distribution and Leveling Strategy

Health/Magicka/Stamina distribution for pure greatsword builds should heavily favor Health and Stamina in roughly a 2:3 ratio. Magicka barely matters unless incorporating Destruction magic or Conjuration.

Recommended progression:

• Levels 1-20: Alternate between Health and Stamina, leaning slightly toward Health (helps survive while learning mechanics)
• Levels 21-40: 2 Health for every 3 Stamina (power attack spam becomes primary damage source)
• Levels 41+: Mostly Stamina with occasional Health bumps when needed

Stamina caps at 300-400 for most builds, beyond that, enchantments and gear provide better returns. At 350 stamina, players can execute 5-6 power attacks before exhausting reserves, plenty for most encounters.

Leveling priority should focus on Two-Handed, Smithing, and Enchanting first. Two-Handed improves through combat (swing away at mudcrabs early for easy gains). Smithing levels through crafting, craft Iron Daggers or Dwarven Bows depending on material availability. Enchanting requires soul gems and disenchanting magic items, so explore dungeons thoroughly.

Don’t neglect Speech entirely. Better prices on materials and selling enchanted gear helps fund the expensive late-game grind. Alchemy synergizes beautifully with smithing and enchanting through the crafting loop (Fortify Smithing potions boost improvement quality: Fortify Enchanting potions increase enchantment strength).

Training accelerates leveling but costs serious gold. Save training for expensive skills like Smithing and Enchanting where manual leveling grinds. Use followers like Lydia for free practice by attacking them (toggle them to essential in console if needed).

Enchantments and Smithing for Maximum Damage

Best Enchantments for Greatswords

Absorb Health ranks as the single best greatsword enchantment for general gameplay. It deals extra damage while healing the wielder, providing both offense and sustain. At maximum Enchanting level with proper perks and potions, Absorb Health can drain 25+ points per hit. Against groups or bosses, this creates a life-drain loop that makes players nearly unkillable.

Chaos Damage (Dragonborn DLC) splits between fire, frost, and shock damage randomly. When combined with the Elemental Fury shout, wait, scratch that. Elemental Fury doesn’t work on enchanted weapons. But, Chaos Damage on Stalhrim weapons gets boosted damage on the frost component, making it the highest raw damage enchantment available.

Fiery Soul Trap doubles up utility by dealing fire damage and filling soul gems when enemies die. Perfect for players who want combat effectiveness without swapping weapons for soul harvesting. Found on an iron battleaxe in Ironbind Barrow, this enchantment can be disenchanted and applied to greatswords.

Absorb Stamina enables infinite power attacks if the drain exceeds the cost. With proper enchantment strength, each hit refunds enough stamina to immediately chain another power attack. The damage isn’t as high as other options, but the combat flow feels incredible, constant, uninterrupted power attacks that stagger-lock enemies.

For dual-enchanting (requires Extra Effect perk at Enchanting 100), pair Absorb Health + Chaos Damage for maximum devastation, or Absorb Health + Fiery Soul Trap for practical sustainability.

Smithing Tips to Maximize Weapon Potential

Reaching Legendary improvement tier requires 100 Smithing, the appropriate material perk (Ebony Smithing, Daedric Smithing, etc.), and ideally a Fortify Smithing setup. Here’s the optimization path:

Step 1: Gear with Fortify Smithing

• Helmet, Gloves, Ring, Necklace can all carry Fortify Smithing enchantments
• Maximum +25% per piece with Grand soul gems and Enchanting 100
• Four pieces = +100% improvement effectiveness

Step 2: Fortify Smithing Potions

• Combine Glowing Mushroom + Sabre Cat Tooth for strong potions
• Add Spriggan Sap or Blisterwort for enhanced magnitude
• With Alchemy 100 and proper perks, potions grant +130% or higher

Step 3: The Improvement Process

1. Equip all four Fortify Smithing gear pieces
2. Drink Fortify Smithing potion (effect lasts 30 seconds, don’t waste time)
3. Use grindstone to improve weapon
4. Repeat for each piece of gear

This method pushes weapons far beyond the normal Legendary cap. A Daedric Greatsword that normally maxes at 74 damage can reach 150+ with proper buffs. The game’s UI still displays “Legendary,” but the actual stats continue scaling.

Material farming tips:

• Ebony Ore: Gloombound Mine (Orc stronghold), Raven Rock Mine (Solstheim)
• Daedra Hearts: Buy from Enthir at the College of Winterhold, drops from Dremora
• Dragon Bones/Scales: Farm respawning dragon locations, or complete main quest for increased spawns
• Stalhrim: Solstheim deposits after completing quest chain

Players interested in optimizing resource gathering can mark these locations and create efficient farming routes. Dragons respawn every 10-30 in-game days at word walls and certain outdoor locations.

Don’t sleep on Arcane Blacksmith perk, it allows improving enchanted weapons. Without it, players must choose between high base damage (improved before enchanting, losing further improvement potential) or strong enchantments (enchant first, can’t improve). With Arcane Blacksmith, improve weapons to Legendary after enchanting for maximum stats.

Combat Strategies and Tactics with Greatswords

Power Attacks vs. Regular Attacks

Power attacks consume 15 stamina (base cost, reduced by perks) and deal 1.5x damage compared to regular swings. More importantly, they guarantee staggers on most enemies and activate special perk effects like Deep Wounds and Great Critical Charge. The stagger control makes power attacks mandatory against dangerous opponents, a staggered enemy can’t attack back.

When to power attack:

• Opening strikes (sprint + power attack for crit damage)
• Against heavy-armor targets (extra damage overcomes armor rating)
• To interrupt enemy power attacks or spell casting
• When surrounded (sweep power attacks hit multiple targets)

When to use regular attacks:

• Against weak enemies that die in 1-2 hits anyway
• When stamina runs low (preserve for defensive rolls or sprints)
• Finishing off staggered opponents (power attack already did its job)

Stamina management separates good greatsword users from great ones. Watch the green bar closely. Running completely dry leaves players vulnerable, can’t sprint away, can’t bash to interrupt, can’t power attack. Keep at least 30-40 stamina in reserve during tough fights.

The backward power attack paralyze chance (with Warmaster perk) creates breathing room when overwhelmed. Hitting a 25% proc effectively removes an enemy from the fight for 4-6 seconds. Against dual-wielding bandits or mages, this can save a run.

Fighting Different Enemy Types

Dragons require patience and positioning. When grounded, circle-strafe while attacking the head hitbox for maximum damage. Use power attacks during breath attack animations when the dragon can’t retaliate. When flying, don’t waste stamina, recover and wait for Dragonrend shout or the dragon to land naturally.

Some players combine greatsword techniques with build-specific strategies to optimize dragon encounters. The Marked for Death shout stacks armor reduction infinitely (technically a bug, but Bethesda never patched it), making even Ancient Dragons vulnerable to greatsword damage.

Mages die quickly but can kill greatsword users faster if given space. Close distance immediately, sprint toward them while tanking one spell, then stagger-lock them with power attacks. Mages have low health and armor: two power attacks usually finish the job. Magic resistance from enchantments or the Lord Stone helps survive the initial burst.

Heavy armor enemies (Dwarven Centurions, Dragon Priests, high-level Draugr Deathlords) require sustained DPS. Use Absorb Health enchantments to trade blows safely. Apply Marked for Death shout if available, the armor shred makes these fights dramatically easier. Target weak points when possible (back attacks deal extra damage).

Fast enemies (Sabre Cats, Frostbite Spiders, Forsworn Briarhearts) require timing. Let them commit to an attack animation, sidestep, then punish with a power attack during their recovery. The greatsword’s reach advantage allows hitting enemies before they close distance for melee.

Groups demand tactical thinking. Use terrain to funnel enemies into narrow corridors where sideways power attacks hit multiple targets. Prioritize mages and archers first, then clean up melee combatants. The Become Ethereal shout provides invulnerability for repositioning when surrounded.

Enemy-specific tactics:

• Trolls: Fire enchantments deal double damage due to weakness, or use flame spray shout
• Undead: Silver greatswords deal bonus damage (rarely worth using over endgame weapons though)
• Falmer: Blind, so sneaking is easier: line up critical charges for massive alpha damage
• Giants: Circle around their legs: power attacks stagger them even though their size
• Forsworn: Mixed groups with mages and archers: use cover and eliminate ranged threats first

Greatswords vs. Other Two-Handed Weapons

The two-handed weapon debate boils down to three options: greatswords, battleaxes, and warhammers. Each has distinct advantages, but greatswords win on versatility.

Battleaxes swing slightly faster than greatswords (0.70 seconds vs 0.75) and benefit from the same Limbsplitter bleeding perk. The speed difference seems significant on paper, but in practice translates to roughly 0.1 attacks per second, negligible. Base damage sits lower than greatswords at most tiers (Daedric Battleaxe deals 22 vs 24 for greatsword), making the speed advantage fail to compensate for reduced damage per hit.

Battleaxes excel in very specific scenarios where that extra swing speed matters, like fighting regenerating enemies where every hit counts. For general gameplay, greatswords outperform due to higher per-hit damage and identical perk access.

Warhammers hit hardest with base damage (Daedric Warhammer deals 27 damage), and their power attacks ignore 75% of armor, a unique advantage. But, the glacial 1.0-second swing speed creates huge vulnerability windows. Against aggressive enemies or groups, warhammer users get interrupted frequently.

Warhammer builds work for players who:

• Rely heavily on stealth and one-shot sneak attacks
• Use followers to tank while delivering slow, devastating blows
• Play on lower difficulties where the defensive trade-off matters less

Greatswords work for everyone else. The balance between damage, speed, and control makes them the safest and most effective choice across difficulty settings and playstyles.

DPS comparison (Legendary tier, no perks):

• Daedric Greatsword: 24 damage × 1.33 attacks/sec = 31.92 DPS
• Daedric Battleaxe: 22 damage × 1.43 attacks/sec = 31.46 DPS
• Daedric Warhammer: 27 damage × 1.0 attacks/sec = 27.0 DPS

Greatswords edge out battleaxes in sustained DPS while maintaining better stagger potential than both alternatives. Warhammers lag behind unless armor penetration specifically matters (rare against most enemies at high smithing levels).

Elemental Fury shout changes the calculation completely, it increases attack speed by 30% but only works on unenchanted weapons. This means crafted, non-enchanted greatswords with Elemental Fury active can output absurd DPS. At 1.73 attacks per second, a Legendary Dragonbone Greatsword deals 43.25 DPS before perks. But, giving up enchantments represents a significant trade-off.

Most endgame players prefer enchanted greatswords over Elemental Fury setups, but speedrunners and challenge-run players sometimes leverage the shout for burst damage phases. According to analysis from RPG optimization communities, the DPS ceiling is higher with Elemental Fury, but the sustained damage over long fights favors enchanted weapons due to utility effects like Absorb Health.

Personal preference plays a role too. Some players love the deliberate, heavy feel of warhammers. Others enjoy battleaxe aesthetics. But for pure effectiveness measured by clear speed, survivability, and versatility, greatswords consistently outperform their two-handed competitors across the widest range of scenarios.

Conclusion

Greatswords represent the optimal blend of damage, speed, and tactical control in Skyrim’s combat system. From the early-game reliability of Steel greatswords to the endgame devastation of Dragonbone and Bloodskal Blade, this weapon category offers consistent power scaling throughout a character’s journey across Tamriel.

The mechanics reward thoughtful play, managing stamina for power attacks, timing staggers to control dangerous enemies, and investing in the right perks to multiply effectiveness. Whether someone’s building their first two-handed character or refining a veteran playthrough, the strategies and weapon choices outlined here provide a solid foundation for dominating Skyrim’s toughest encounters.

Greatswords don’t require perfect execution to be effective, but they reward mastery with combat flow that few other weapon types can match. That balance makes them accessible to newcomers while maintaining depth for experienced players hunting optimization. Grab a greatsword, invest in the right perks, and start cutting down dragons, the weapon will carry its weight from Helgen to Sovngarde.