Greatswords, battleaxes, and warhammers are quite bad at protecting you from incoming enemy attacks, but they often do much more damage than any other weapon in the game. Some of the best greatswords and battleaxes do swing quite quickly (depending on your skill point distribution) but in general, two-handed weapons are slow yet deadly. If that’s what you’re looking for then you’ve come to the right place. I’m ranking my top 20 picks for the best-of-the-best two-handed weapons you can get in Skyrim. I hope this guide can help you decide on what to carry with you into battle. Choose wisely and go crush some skulls!
20. Stalhrim Greatsword
Stalhrim was first introduced in the Dragonborn DLC and it quickly became one of the best end-game materials used to craft weapons and armor in the game. As such, Stalhrim weaponry is known to be some of the strongest that you’ll find in Skyrim. Stalhrim greatswords deal quite a significant amount of damage on their own so this is worth looking into. Not to mention and it has the Stalhrim enchantment benefits of every other Stalhrim piece of equipment.
19. Stalhrim Battle Axe
Stalhrim battle axes might swing a bit slower than greatswords, but they deal even more damage than their longer counterparts. Stalhrim battle axes are just behind Daedric and Dragonbone weapons when it comes to sheer strength, so those looking to deal a ton of damage without compromising too much speed might want to try this out. There are quite a few places to find this bad boy, however I think the easiest location is in Skaal Village where you can buy one.
18. Volendrung
Volendrung has been an ever-present warhammer that has appeared in almost every single Elder Scrolls title. And it makes its glorious return to Skyrim by being one of the strongest warhammers in the game. According to the story, the Volendrung is a Daedric artifact that was crafted by the Dwemer themselves. Not only does the Volendrung hit far harder than Stalhrim battleaxes and greatswords, it also has a special effect that allows it to drain 50 points of stamina from whoever gets on the wrong end of this hammer’s might. This Daedric artifact has been around Tamriel for hundreds of years and it can often be found across the eras, which explains why it is seen in almost every single TES title.
17. Stalhrim Warhammer
Warhammers are, hands down, the strongest out of all the two-handed weapons in the Skyrim world. However they do have a rather huge problem: they’re quite slow and take a long time to swing. This also means that each hit with a warhammer does a ton of damage. You can already imagine how powerful a Stalhrim warhammer is, right? Apart from its ridiculous base damage of 26 points, the Stalhrim Warhammer also has a very nice aesthetic feel aided by it being one of the coolest weapon designs(in my opinion). It also resembles the traditional warhammer shape of the Monster Hunter battle hammers which is pretty cool!
16. Stormfang
Added into the Dragonborn DLC, Stormfang is a unique longsword that’s worth seeking out. It only does 17 base damage but with the added effect of 30 shock damage and 15 magicka drain, the Stormfang is a solid two-handed weapon and definitely a candidate to be one of the best longswords in the recent TES games. And fun fact: did you know Stormfang is one of the few unique weapons in the game that respawns? So seek out a few of them if you can.
15. Daedric Warhammer
It would not be smart to leave Daedric weapons out of this list. Daedric warhammers are just behind Dragonbone warhammers when it comes to dealing hard damage, and they are very difficult to obtain – you need to be at least level 44 to find them in the wild, and crafting them is even more difficult. But you can also find enchanted Daedric warhammers after reaching level 47. If you only own the base game then you can rest assured that the Daedric Warhammer is the weapon with the highest base damage in your save. You might find better weapons, but amongst the common ones in the game I’d say the Daedric warhammers are second to none in terms of blunt damage.
14. Aegisbane
Aegisbane is a warhammer with a low base damage of 18, but with an equivalent low weight of just 24 points. What makes this weapon so good is that you can deal 5 points of frost damage to your opponents as well as 5 points of damage to their health and stamina. It’s one of the best warhammers that you can get in the early game – all you need to do is defeat Alain Dufont. The Aegisbane is upgradeable with iron ingots too, which means that it’s not very difficult to maximize the effectiveness of this two-handed weapon.
13. Daedric Greatsword
Daedric greatswords might not be as strong as Dragonbone greatswords. In fact I know they’re not. But they are the strongest greatswords in base-game Skyrim for sure. They have a unique and deadly appearance that reflects the high amount of damage that they deal with each swing. And much like any other Daedric weapon, you need to be over level 40 to see them spawn in the hands of foes. Or you need a high crafting level to create them yourself so better get to smithing.
12. Drainblood
The beautiful Drainblood is a blue-toned battleax which belongs to one of the four spectral Draugr in the game. Apart from being very strong on its own, the weapon also deals an extra 15 points of base health damage(which counts as enchantment damage). You need to head to Labyrinthian during the Staff of Magnus quest if you wish to obtain the Drainblood or any other ghostly weapon like it. But it’s totally worth the time if you can put up with this quest.
11. Daedric Battle Axe
The fearsome Daedric battle axe has a high damage output and swings faster than Daedric warhammers. In fact, Daedric battleaxes are the strongest in base-game Skyrim (notice a pattern here?). They can also be enchanted to the core to make them even more powerful, and there’s a reason why they only spawn after you level up to the mid 40s: they are capable of disposing of early-game enemies in a single swing. Getting this early would make the game a little too easy.
10. Rueful Axe
The beautiful Rueful Axe is a unique weapon that can be found in Skyrim’s base game, which means it’s a clear contender for one of the best two-handed weapons that you can get even if you don’t have any of the DLC’s. The main problem with this axe is that it swings incredibly slowly. But it does deal 20 points to the stamina of those on the receiving end of its blow. You can only obtain the Rueful Axe by completing the quest A Daedric’s Best Friend, at which point you’ll learn that it was created by Clavicus Vile himself. That explains the wolves carved into its blades!
9. Wuuthrad
For this weapon you’ll need to complete the Glory of the Dead quest, but your reward is a shiny new Wuuthrad. This legendary battle axe was originally wielded by Ysgramor, who led the 500 Companions in battle many centuries ago. A bit of Skyrim history can be used to explain why this weapon has the effect of being deadlier to elves than any other race, as elves were the creatures who Ysgramor slain most with this weapon. Furthermore, with a base damage of 25 and a considerably good swinging speed, Wuuthard is one of the best battleaxes there are for how easily you can get it(well, relatively easily).
8. Dragonbone Warhammer
Dragonbone warhammers are the best warhammers to enchant in Skyrim and all of its DLC’s. They have a strong base damage of 28 with a weight of 33 to go alongside it. Heavy yes, but also a devastating hitter. These hammers have a unique shape that resembles an entire piece of dragon bone, which makes it quite an intimidating weapon to wield into battle. Even though you can craft it yourself, this can also be found while slaying the keepers of the Soul Cairn. Note you’ll need to kill the keeper that wields it though, so be prepared to face a difficult fight if you wanna walk away with this warhammer in hand(er, hands).
7. Bloodskal Blade
The Bloodskal Blade is a powerful two-handed sword that was introduced to the game with the Dragonborn DLC. Even though it has the same base damage as a classic glass greatsword, this powerful weapon deals 30 points of blast damage with each charged attack that you release towards a foe. You can only find this mighty weapon in the Bloodskal Barrow during the Final Descent quest. Its attacks release an energy wave that spans for over 10 feet around your position, dealing devastating damage to any unfortunate foe that happens to get in the way.
6. Dragonbone Greatsword
Dragonbone greatswords are the mightiest uncommon weapons in Skyrim, with all of its DLC’s included. It has quite a unique and slick design so I’m always excited to look at this sucker. But what’s truly amazing about this sword is the high DPS that it can deal. If you happen to throw in one or two enchantments then you’ll have one of the strongest two-handed weapons in the entire TES franchise.
5. Champion’s Cudgel
The Champions Cudgel is a legendary and unique weapon that has one of the best enchantments in the game. It has the random chance to deal 25 points of fire, frost, or shock damage to any foe. This makes its base damage, which is already quite high, an even scarier figure. The shape of the hammer itself is more than enough to strike fear just by looking at it. But its power doesn’t lag behind looks. You can obtain this legendary weapon by slaying General Falx Carius during the March of the Dead quest so be prepared to be on the receiving end of this weapon before you can get your hands it.
4. Dragonbone Battle Axe
The majestic Dragonbone battleaxes can be found by killing any of the keepers in Soul Cairn, the location that becomes available during the end of the Dawnguard questline. It has a base damage of 26 points making it the strongest battle axe in the game when it comes to un-enchanted damage. The only other way to obtain one of these weapons is by crafting it yourself. So you can rest assured it’s not an easy one to obtain. But regardless of how you track down this Dragonbone Battleaxe, I’d say it’ll end up being more than worth it.
3. Ebony Blade
Sure, ebony blades might not be in the higher end of the damage spectrum. But there’s a reason why they’re almost at the top of my list. They swing very quickly for a two-handed weapon, and when fully upgraded ebony blades can deal devastating damage. You can even add a few enchantments to maximize the power that these swords have! This is also part of The Whispering Door quest so if you’re looking to pick it up then make sure you follow that path to a tee. Check out this stack thread covering a few tips on how to get this blade and follow the quest properly.
2. The Longhammer
The Longhammer has the same look and feel of a regular orcish warhammer. But it swings with an added 30% speed when compared to its regular orcish counterpart. That makes its base damage of 21 even better than some of the game’s most powerful weapons, even considering Daedric and Dragonbone weaponry. Which is crazy! The Longhammer is also naturally lighter than its orcish counterpart which is mainly why it’s much faster to swing. If you’re looking for a powerful two-handed weapon that’s fairly easy to get then look no further. The Longhammer is generally easy to obtain, just lying beside the body of Rahd inside Liar’s Retreat. This means it’s one of the easier powerhouses to get in the game and that’s why it’s ranked so highly at #2.
1. Steel Battleaxe of Fiery Souls
The Steel Battleaxe of Fiery Souls is a weapon that might not do much damage on its own. But the fact that it allows you to collect souls to fill your soul gems while also dealing quite a decent amount of damage earns it the first spot on this list. Furthermore you can disenchant this weapon to add the powerful enchantment to any other weapon of your choice. Seriously, talk about some deep customization. And as a bonus, this battleaxe deals an extra 10 points of burn damage. Any target that it hits that lies on fire takes extra damage too. The weapon has too many pros to not make it into the top spot, and if you wanna track it down you’ll want to head into Ironbind Barrow and follow this adventure to the end.
