The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Combat

A lot of your problems in Skyrim can be resolved through sheer brute force. Be it with Spellcasting, the old sword-and-shield combo, dual-wielding weapons, or even bare-knuckled brawling, Skyrim offers you the option of dual-wielding anything. This opens up many possible pairings, like spell and spell, spell and sword, sword and shield, etc.

Some weapons like large battle-axes or bows will occupy both hands, but these weapons tend to boast more hitting power, balancing the minor setback in the end.

Just like how Magicka fuels Spellcasting, the Stamina gauge governs how much your character can physically exert himself before he cannot push himself further.

Pro-tip: You can Favorite your most frequently used items or spells and pull up this special list by pressing Up on the D-pad (on consoles). From this favorites list, you can make further distinctions by selecting two of your absolute favorite spells or items (like Potions) and assigning them to your left and right buttons on the D-pad as hotkeys.

There is no singular proper melee method. How you choose to approach combat is entirely up to you, but keep in mind that you want to best employ those traits you are best trained and suited for. For example, if you want to be a damage-dealing superhuman, you should not dabble too much in Restoration magic, except for the basic ability to heal yourself. For more tips on how to best hammer out your character, check out Character Building.

One-Handed Weapon Tips
need...more...stamina...

Whether you're playing a battlemage wielding an axe in one hand and a spell in the other, or you're playing with a sword and shield, one of the first Perks you should be driving towards is improvements to your power attack. Not only does the power attack do more damage than flailing your arms around, but it will often stagger unprotected enemies, which buys you valuable time for a follow up attack or spell. But, you can only power attack if you have enough stamina, which means that investing in a 50% reduction in power attack cost will help immensely.

Frost is your enemey

Frost spells aimed at you will almost always drain your stamina as well as your health; keep this in mind for when you are equipping your character, as that old amulet of 13% frost resist might still be a useful defense. Also, make sure to look for perks that improve your resistance to spells, as there's nothing quite so frustrating as running in painfully slow-motion while a Forsworn mage is blasting ice at you, and all you can do is curse his stupid hat and down health and restore stamina potions like a binge drinker.

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