Best Two-Handed Weapons in Skyrim: The Ultimate 2026 Ranking and Mastery Guide

Two-handed weapons in Skyrim aren’t just about brute force, they’re about choosing the right tool for the job, then maximizing every ounce of damage potential. Whether you’re crushing skulls with a warhammer or cleaving through Forsworn camps with a greatsword, the best two handed weapon Skyrim offers can turn a struggling Dragonborn into an unstoppable force.

This guide ranks the top two-handed weapons based on base damage, unique enchantments, swing speed, and real-world effectiveness in combat scenarios. We’ve tested these weapons against dragons, Draugr Deathlords, and everything in between to give you data-backed recommendations. No fluff, no filler, just the weapons that actually dominate in 2026.

Why Two-Handed Weapons Dominate in Skyrim

Two-handed weapons deliver the highest raw damage per swing in Skyrim, making them ideal for players who want to end fights quickly. While dual-wielding offers faster attack speed and shields provide defense, nothing matches the sheer stopping power of a properly built two-hander.

The Two-Handed skill tree unlocks perks that increase damage by up to 100%, add critical hit chances, and introduce devastating power attacks that can stagger even the toughest enemies. Combined with the right enchantments and smithing upgrades, two-handed builds can achieve one-shot kills on most standard enemies and chunk through boss health bars in seconds.

Stagger mechanics are where two-handed weapons truly shine. Heavy weapons naturally interrupt enemy attacks, giving you control over combat flow. The Sweep perk (unlocked at skill level 30) extends this to all nearby enemies with horizontal power attacks, effectively turning you into a crowd-control machine.

Reach is another underrated advantage. Greatswords and battleaxes have extended range compared to one-handed weapons, letting you hit enemies before they close distance. This matters most against dangerous melee opponents like Draugr Deathlords or Forsworn Briarhearts who can dish out serious damage if they get too close.

Understanding Two-Handed Weapon Types: Greatswords, Battleaxes, and Warhammers

Each two-handed weapon category has distinct characteristics that affect combat feel and DPS calculations. Knowing these differences helps you pick weapons that match your playstyle.

Greatswords: Speed and Reach Combined

Greatswords offer the best balance between damage and swing speed among two-handed weapons. With a base swing speed of 0.7 seconds, they’re noticeably faster than battleaxes (0.9s) and warhammers (1.0s), resulting in higher sustained DPS when you’re chaining regular attacks.

Their extended reach makes them excellent for kiting strategies and maintaining distance against dangerous melee enemies. The Dragonbone Greatsword, for example, has the longest reach in the game, letting you hit opponents well outside their attack range.

Greatswords work best for players who prefer a balanced approach, fast enough to respond to threats, powerful enough to drop enemies quickly, and long enough to maintain safe distance.

Battleaxes: Balanced Damage Dealers

Battleaxes sit in the middle ground with moderate swing speed and damage output. They deal slightly more damage than greatswords but swing slower, making them ideal for players who want more impact per hit without sacrificing too much attack speed.

The critical difference is their power attack animations, which have wide horizontal sweeps perfect for crowd control. When combined with the Sweep perk, battleaxe power attacks can hit 4-5 enemies simultaneously, making them phenomenal for clearing dungeons packed with Draugr or bandits.

Wuuthrad, the legendary battleaxe, exemplifies this weapon type’s strengths with its massive bonus damage against elves and satisfying crowd-clearing capabilities.

Warhammers: Maximum Damage per Strike

Warhammers deliver the highest base damage in Skyrim, but they’re also the slowest two-handed weapons. With a 1.0-second swing speed, they require patience and precise timing to use effectively.

The damage difference is significant. A Daedric Warhammer has 27 base damage compared to 24 for a Daedric Greatsword, that’s 12.5% more damage per hit. When you factor in smithing upgrades and perks, this gap widens considerably.

Warhammers excel in alpha strike scenarios where you open combat with a massive power attack from stealth or need to burst down a single high-value target. They’re less effective against multiple enemies due to slow swing recovery, but nothing beats them for raw one-shot potential.

Top 10 Best Two-Handed Weapons Ranked

This ranking considers base damage, unique enchantments, availability, and overall combat effectiveness. All weapons are evaluated assuming legendary smithing upgrades and optimal enchantment setups.

Daedric Warhammer: The Ultimate Powerhouse

Base Damage: 27
Weight: 31
Value: 1,850 gold

The Daedric Warhammer represents the absolute peak of raw damage in vanilla Skyrim. At 27 base damage before any upgrades, it’s the hardest-hitting weapon in the game. With maxed smithing (100 + Fortify Smithing potions), legendary Daedric Warhammers easily exceed 200 damage.

The slow 1.0-second swing speed is a legitimate drawback, but when each hit removes half a dragon’s health bar, speed becomes less critical. Power attacks with this weapon can one-shot most humanoid enemies even on Master difficulty.

Craft this at the Atronach Forge in the College of Winterhold or at any forge with Daedric Smithing perk, Ebony Ingot, Daedra Heart, and Leather Strips.

Dragonbone Greatsword: Legendary Reach and Damage

Base Damage: 25
Weight: 27
Value: 2,725 gold

The Dragonbone Greatsword combines nearly warhammer-level damage (25 base) with greatsword swing speed (0.7s), making it arguably the best overall two-handed weapon for sustained DPS. The additional reach makes this the safest two-hander to use against dangerous melee opponents.

Requires the Dawnguard DLC and Dragon Smithing perk (100 Smithing). You’ll need Dragon Bones and Ebony Ingots, which means farming dragons after the main questline progresses far enough.

The DPS calculation favors this weapon over the Daedric Warhammer when factoring in real combat scenarios where you’re landing multiple hits rather than single power attacks.

Ebony Blade: The Stealthy Two-Hander

Base Damage: 11 (upgrades to 30 with kills)
Weight: 10
Value: 2,000 gold
Unique Enchantment: Absorbs health (10-30 points)

The Ebony Blade is Skyrim’s most unique two-handed weapon. Technically classified as a greatsword, it swings at the speed of a one-handed sword (0.5s), creating absurdly high DPS potential once fully upgraded.

The catch: you must kill ten friendly NPCs to power it up from 11 base damage to its maximum 30-point health absorption. Mercenaries, followers, or random beggars you’ve helped all count toward this total.

At max power, it absorbs 30 health per hit with zero charge consumption, essentially unlimited lifesteal. This makes you nearly unkillable in prolonged fights. The weapon can’t be improved at grindstones and doesn’t benefit from smithing perks, but it doesn’t need to.

Obtain it through the Daedric quest “The Whispering Door” in Whiterun, available at level 20+.

Volendrung: The Daedric Artifact Warhammer

Base Damage: 25
Weight: 26
Value: 1,843 gold
Unique Enchantment: Absorbs 50 Stamina

Volendrung combines warhammer power with an incredibly useful enchantment. The 50-point stamina absorption per hit means you can spam power attacks endlessly, your stamina bar refills faster than you can drain it.

This enchantment synergy makes Volendrung better than its 25 base damage suggests. Power attacks are where two-handed weapons truly shine (3x damage multiplier with perks), and Volendrung lets you use them constantly without managing stamina.

Complete “The Cursed Tribe” questline in Largashbur to claim this Daedric artifact. Unlike most unique weapons, Volendrung can be improved at grindstones with the Daedric Smithing perk.

Bloodskal Blade: Ranged Energy Attacks

Base Damage: 21
Weight: 16
Value: 1,500 gold
Unique Ability: Fires energy projectile with power attacks

The Bloodskal Blade shoots red energy beams when you perform power attacks, horizontal or vertical depending on your attack direction. These beams deal 30 damage with no charge cost, effectively giving you ranged attacks with a two-handed weapon.

While 21 base damage is respectable but not top-tier, the ranged capability creates unique tactical options. You can damage flying dragons, hit enemies across chasms, or soften up groups before they reach melee range. The energy beams even trigger pressure plates and can hit multiple enemies in a line.

Found in Bloodskal Barrow during the “The Final Descent” quest in the Dragonborn DLC. The blade can be improved with Steel Ingots (not Ebony, even though its appearance).

Stalhrim Warhammer: Frost Damage Specialist

Base Damage: 26
Weight: 29
Value: 2,250 gold
Material Bonus: +25% to Frost enchantments

The Stalhrim Warhammer has 26 base damage, just 1 point below Daedric, but its real strength is the material property. Stalhrim weapons boost Frost and Chaos enchantments by 25%, making them the best base for elemental damage builds.

Enchant this with Frost Damage, and the effective enchantment strength increases by 25%. A typical Frost Damage enchantment dealing 30 points becomes 37-38 points on Stalhrim weapons. Combined with the Augmented Frost perks in the Destruction tree, you’re looking at massive elemental damage output.

Requires Dragonborn DLC, Ebony Smithing perk, and Stalhrim (mined from deposits around Solstheim with an Ancient Nordic Pickaxe).

Wuuthrad: The Elf-Slaying Battleaxe

Base Damage: 25
Weight: 25
Value: 2,000 gold
Unique Enchantment: 1.2x damage to elves (all types)

Many players building around character progression systems gravitate toward Wuuthrad for its unique anti-elf enchantment. The 1.2x multiplier applies to all elf races, High Elves, Wood Elves, Dark Elves, Snow Elves (Falmer), and Orsimer (Orcs).

Given how many dungeons are packed with Falmer, and how many Thalmor patrols you’ll encounter, this bonus sees constant use. The 25 base damage is identical to Dragonbone Greatswords, making it competitive even before factoring in the enchantment.

Complete the Companions questline to reassemble Wuuthrad’s fragments and claim this legendary battleaxe. It can be improved at grindstones with the Ebony Smithing perk.

The Longhammer: Fastest Swing Speed

Base Damage: 21
Weight: 18
Value: 92 gold
Unique Property: 0.6-second swing speed (faster than any other two-hander)

The Longhammer is an Orc warhammer with a hidden stat: it swings 40% faster than normal warhammers. At 0.6 seconds per swing versus the standard 1.0 seconds, it has the highest attack speed of any two-handed weapon.

This speed boost translates directly to DPS. Even with “only” 21 base damage, The Longhammer often outdamages slower weapons in extended fights because you’re landing significantly more hits. It feels responsive and aggressive compared to the lumbering pace of typical warhammers.

Simply pick it up in Liar’s Retreat, a small cave west of Solitude. No quest required, just clear the location and grab it from the Orc’s corpse.

Dawnguard Rune Hammer: Sun Damage Explosive

Base Damage: 22
Weight: 18
Value: 500 gold
Unique Enchantment: Creates sun damage explosion on power attacks

The Dawnguard Rune Hammer creates fiery explosions when you land power attacks, dealing bonus damage to undead and releasing a visual blast that looks spectacular. The enchantment deals 10-15 sun damage to nearby enemies, effectively turning every power attack into an AoE attack.

Against undead enemies (which make up a huge portion of Skyrim’s dungeons), this hammer punches well above its 22 base damage. The explosion triggers consistently, making it one of the best crowd-control weapons for crypt-crawling.

Acquire it during “Lost Relic” radiant quest from Florentius Baenius at Fort Dawnguard. Requires Dawnguard DLC.

Champion’s Cudgel: Chaos Damage Perfection

Base Damage: 24
Weight: 27
Value: 1,997 gold
Unique Enchantment: 25 points Chaos Damage (fire, frost, or shock)

The Champion’s Cudgel is the only weapon in the game with a built-in Chaos Damage enchantment. Each hit randomly applies 25 points of fire, frost, or shock damage, sometimes multiple elements proc simultaneously.

Chaos Damage is one of the strongest enchantments in Skyrim because it bypasses enemy resistances more effectively than single-element enchantments. Few enemies resist all three elements, so you’re almost always dealing bonus damage. The RNG element means damage output varies, but average DPS is excellent.

Located in the Dragonborn DLC. Purchase it from Glover Mallory in Raven Rock after completing “Paid in Full,” or find it as random loot in certain high-level areas of Solstheim.

How to Obtain Each Top-Tier Two-Handed Weapon

Acquiring the best 2 handed weapon Skyrim has available requires understanding the difference between crafted weapons and unique quest rewards. Each path has distinct advantages.

Crafting vs. Quest Rewards: Which Path to Take

Crafted weapons (Daedric, Dragonbone, Stalhrim) offer maximum customization. You can enchant them with exactly the effects you want, name them, and upgrade them to legendary quality. The downside is the grind, you’ll need Smithing at 90-100, specific perks unlocked, and rare materials farmed.

The crafting path becomes absurdly powerful when combined with Fortify Smithing potions and Fortify Smithing enchantments. Players can create smithing enhancement setups that push weapon damage into the 300+ range, far exceeding any unique weapon.

Unique quest weapons like Volendrung, Wuuthrad, and the Ebony Blade come with pre-loaded enchantments that often can’t be replicated through normal enchanting. These weapons save you the crafting grind and offer special effects that create unique playstyles.

The catch is you’re locked into their specific enchantments and can’t customize them. Some unique weapons also can’t be improved at grindstones (Ebony Blade) or have awkward material requirements (Bloodskal Blade uses Steel Ingots even though its appearance).

For pure min-maxing, crafted weapons win. For interesting mechanics and early-game power spikes, unique weapons dominate.

Essential Locations and Quests

Here’s where to grab the top weapons:

Daedric Warhammer: Craft at any forge with Daedric Smithing perk (90 Smithing), or use the Atronach Forge in the Midden beneath the College of Winterhold (recipe requires Sigil Stone from Conjuration Ritual Spell quest).

Dragonbone Greatsword: Craft at any forge with Dragon Smithing perk (100 Smithing). Requires Dragon Bones (farmed from dragon corpses) and Ebony Ingots.

Ebony Blade: Complete “The Whispering Door” Daedric quest in Whiterun. Speak to Hulda at the Bannered Mare after reaching level 20 to start. The sword is hidden in the basement of Dragonsreach.

Volendrung: Complete “The Cursed Tribe” questline. Travel to Largashbur (an Orc stronghold southeast of Riften) and help Chief Yamarz deal with a giant problem. You’ll receive Volendrung as a reward from Malacath.

Bloodskal Blade: Found in Bloodskal Barrow during “The Final Descent” quest in Raven Rock (Dragonborn DLC). The blade is in the final chamber: you’ll need to use its energy beams to solve a door puzzle.

The Longhammer: Simply loot it from an Orc corpse in Liar’s Retreat, a cave west of Solitude. No quest required, clear the location and take it.

Wuuthrad: Automatically obtained during the Companions questline. You’ll reassemble the fragments during “Glory of the Dead,” the final quest in the chain. Can’t miss it.

Optimizing Your Two-Handed Build

Raw weapon damage is only part of the equation. Proper perk allocation, race selection, and equipment optimization multiply your effectiveness.

Best Perks for Two-Handed Warriors

The Two-Handed skill tree has several must-have perks:

1. Two-Handed (Rank 5/5): +100% damage. This is non-negotiable, max it immediately.
2. Champion’s Stance: Power attacks cost 25% less stamina. Essential for Volendrung-less builds.
3. Devastating Blow: Standing power attacks have a chance to decapitate. Not just for show, decapitation kills instantly regardless of remaining health.
4. Great Critical Charge: Running power attacks do double critical damage. Incredible opener from stealth.
5. Sweep: Horizontal power attacks hit all targets in front of you. This perk alone makes two-handers viable against multiple enemies.
6. Warmaster: Backward power attacks have a 25% chance to paralyze. Situational but devastating when it procs.

Weapon-specific perks (Deep Wounds, Limbsplitter, Skull Crusher) add bleeding or stagger effects to power attacks. These are good but not essential, prioritize the universal damage boosts first.

Heavy Armor synergizes perfectly with two-handed builds. You’re always in melee range, so you need defense. Max armor rating (567, the damage reduction cap) makes you effectively invincible on most difficulties.

Smithing and Enchanting are mandatory for endgame optimization. Smithing lets you upgrade weapons to legendary quality (doubling or tripling base damage), while Enchanting provides Fortify Two-Handed enchantments for +40% more damage per armor piece.

Race Selection and Standing Stone Bonuses

The Orc is objectively the best race for two-handed warriors. Their Berserker Rage ability (take half damage, deal double damage for 60 seconds) is absurdly powerful. Pop it before boss fights and watch health bars evaporate.

Nords get +10 to Two-Handed and 50% frost resistance, making them solid choices. Their Battle Cry racial ability (enemies flee for 30 seconds) is less useful than Berserker Rage but still helpful for crowd control.

Redguards bring Adrenaline Rush (stamina regenerates 10x faster for 60 seconds), which enables endless power attack spam. Great for sustained DPS.

For Standing Stones, The Lord Stone (+50 armor rating, +25% magic resistance) or The Warrior Stone (+20% faster combat skill leveling) are best. The Warrior Stone speeds up your early-game progression: switch to Lord Stone once your skills are maxed.

Enchantments and Smithing Upgrades

For maximum weapon damage, you need legendary smithing upgrades. Here’s the optimization loop:

1. Craft or obtain Fortify Smithing gear (helmet, gloves, ring, necklace)
2. Brew Fortify Smithing potions (Blisterwort + Glowing Mushroom + Sabre Cat Tooth)
3. Equip all Fortify Smithing gear and drink potion
4. Upgrade weapon at grindstone to legendary quality

This process can push weapons to 200-300+ damage depending on your Smithing level and gear quality. The math gets exponential when you stack multiple Fortify Smithing effects.

For armor enchantments, prioritize:

• Fortify Two-Handed on gloves, ring, necklace, and one armor piece (chest or boots)
• Fortify Health or Fortify Heavy Armor on remaining slots
• Magic Resistance on shield (if you occasionally use one)

Fortify Two-Handed increases damage multiplicatively with your weapon’s base damage and Two-Handed perks, making it the most effective DPS enchantment.

Armor and Companion Pairings for Maximum Effectiveness

Two-handed warriors need armor that keeps them alive while they close distance and companions who complement their aggressive playstyle.

Daedric Armor or Dragonplate Armor provide the highest base armor ratings in the game. Once upgraded to legendary and enchanted, either set reaches the 567 armor cap easily. Daedric looks more intimidating: Dragonplate is slightly lighter. Pick based on aesthetics.

Ebony Armor is a solid mid-game option that’s easier to obtain and upgrade. It reaches the armor cap with proper smithing and enchanting, making it functionally identical to higher-tier sets for defense.

Many modders working with customization platforms create enhanced armor overhauls that respect the vanilla balance while adding visual flair. These can make your two-handed warrior look as dangerous as they are.

For companions, prioritize ranged followers like Aela the Huntress or Jenassa. They deal damage from safety while you command melee aggro. Avoid melee companions, they crowd your swing space and often block doorways during dungeon crawls.

Serana (Dawnguard DLC) is arguably the best companion for two-handed builds. She’s essential (can’t die permanently), uses Destruction magic and Ice Storm to hit multiple enemies, and raises undead thralls to draw enemy attention. Her versatility covers your weaknesses perfectly.

Consider going solo for maximum efficiency. Followers get in the way, steal kills, and trigger traps. A properly built two-handed warrior doesn’t need backup.

Combat Strategies with Two-Handed Weapons

Two-handed weapons reward aggressive, calculated play. Understanding enemy behavior and mastering timing separates good warriors from great ones.

Dealing with Dragons and High-Level Enemies

Dragons are surprisingly easy with two-handed weapons once you understand their patterns. When they land, rush forward immediately and start power attacking. The stagger effect from warhammers or the Sweep perk interrupts their bite attacks, letting you chain multiple hits safely.

Dragonrend shout (learned during the main quest) forces flying dragons to land, eliminating their most annoying phase. Once grounded, they’re just tanky melee enemies, perfect targets for your massive damage output.

For ancient dragons and legendary dragons (Dawnguard DLC), focus on burst damage during their vulnerable windows. They fly more often than lower-tier dragons, so you want each ground phase to count. Open with a sprinting power attack (Great Critical Charge perk), then chain standing power attacks until they take off again.

Draugr Deathlords and other high-level humanoid enemies die quickly to power attack chains. The stagger from heavy weapons prevents them from using their disarm shouts or high-damage spells. Keep pressure on them, defense through offense.

Crowd Control and Stagger Tactics

The Sweep perk transforms two-handed weapons into crowd control tools. Horizontal power attacks hit every enemy in front of you, dealing full damage to each target and staggering them simultaneously.

Against groups, position yourself so enemies cluster in front of you, then sweep repeatedly. The stamina cost is high, but Vegetable Soup (continuous stamina regeneration for 720 seconds) or Volendrung’s enchantment solves that problem.

Elemental Fury shout is controversial for two-handed builds. It increases swing speed by 50% but only works on unenchanted weapons. The DPS boost is significant, but you sacrifice enchantment damage. Worth testing if you’re using a raw Daedric or Dragonbone weapon.

Players following combat optimization guides often recommend Vegetable Soup for its absurd value. The stamina regeneration effect stacks with normal regeneration, essentially giving you infinite stamina for power attacks. It’s a consumable, but the ingredients (cabbage, leek, potato, tomato) are dirt cheap.

For indoor dungeons with narrow corridors, use vertical power attacks. They have tighter hit detection than horizontal swings and won’t scrape walls or hit low ceilings. This matters more than you’d think, missed swings waste stamina and leave you vulnerable.

Conclusion

The best two handed weapon Skyrim offers eventually depends on your specific build priorities. For raw one-shot potential, the Daedric Warhammer remains unmatched. For sustained DPS and safety, the Dragonbone Greatsword’s combination of damage, speed, and reach makes it the most versatile choice. And for unique mechanics that create entirely new playstyles, the Ebony Blade’s unlimited lifesteal or Volendrung’s infinite stamina reshape how you approach combat.

What matters most is matching weapon choice to your perks, enchantments, and combat style. A legendary-upgraded Daedric Warhammer with maxed Two-Handed perks and Fortify Two-Handed enchantments will carry you through any content Skyrim throws at you. The specific weapon is less important than understanding the mechanics and optimizing your entire build around two-handed supremacy.

Now get out there and start swinging. Those dragons aren’t going to slay themselves.