Combat Skills: The Path of Might – One-Handed

The One-Handed skill governs the use of weapons like the sword, war axe, mace, and dagger. Those trained in this skill deliver more deadly blows. To improve this skill, you must damage enemies with a One-Handed weapon. The skill improves based on the amount of damage you do (minus any enchantments), not the number of swings you take; therefore, while it might take 10 hits to kill a bandit with a dagger, you would get the same skill increase for killing him in three hits with a mace.

A number of perks in the One-Handed constellation improve a specific type of One-Handed weapon. If you generally use the best weapon you can find (no matter what type it is), it’s wiser to invest your perks elsewhere: better to have a bonus you can rely on than one you see only occasionally.

• Constellation: Path of Might
• Available Perks: 21

Available One-Handed Perks

1–5. Armsman (5 ranks) ★

• Rank 1: One-Handed weapons do 20% more damage.
• Requires: None
• Rank 2: One-Handed weapons do 40% more damage.
• Requires: One-Handed 20, Armsman 1
• Rank 3: One-Handed weapons do 60% more damage.
• Requires: One-Handed 40, Armsman 2
• Rank 4: One-Handed weapons do 80% more damage.
• Requires: One-Handed 60, Armsman 3
• Rank 5: One-Handed weapons do twice as much damage.
• Requires: One-Handed 80, Armsman 4

This perk provides a massive +20% bonus to your One-Handed weapon damage with each rank. This is a huge boost; make this perk your top priority whenever your skill level permits.

6. Fighting Stance ★

• Power attacks with One-Handed weapons cost 25% less stamina.
• Requires: One-Handed 20, Armsman 1

By conserving your stamina, this perk allows you to power attack or bash more often. A solid choice, especially if you dual-wield One-Handed weapons, as this bonus works well with the Dual Flurry and Dual Savagery perks.

7–9. Bladesman (3 ranks)

• Rank 1: Attacks with swords have a 10% chance of doing critical damage.
• Requires: One-Handed 30, Armsman 1
• Rank 2: Attacks with swords have a 15% chance of doing more critical damage.
• Requires: One-Handed 60, Bladesman 1
• Rank 3: Attacks with swords have a 20% chance of doing even more critical damage.
• Requires: One-Handed 90, Bladesman 2

When a weapon scores a critical hit, it deals 50% more damage—more for ranks 2 and 3. Statistically, this perk works out to a 5% boost in your average damage over time at Rank 1 and a 15% boost by Rank 3. That’s not insignificant, but Armsman is still better.

10–12. Bone Breaker (3 ranks)

• Rank 1: Attacks with maces ignore 25% of armor.
• Requires: One-Handed 30, Armsman 1
• Rank 2: Attacks with maces ignore 50% of armor.
• Requires: One-Handed 60, Bone Breaker 1
• Rank 3: Attacks with maces ignore 75% of armor.
• Requires: One-Handed 90, Bone Breaker 2

This perk has no effect against unarmored enemies, but it can make it significantly easier to take down a heavily armored foe, such as many bosses.

13–15. Hack and Slash (3 ranks)

• Rank 1: Attacks with war axes cause extra bleeding damage.
• Requires: One-Handed 30, Armsman 1
• Rank 2: Attacks with war axes cause more bleeding damage.
• Requires: One-Handed 60, Hack and Slash 1
• Rank 3: Attacks with war axes cause even more bleeding damage.
• Requires: One-Handed 90, Hack and Slash 2

The exact amount of bleeding damage depends on the axe, but in general, this perk causes each hit to do 1 to 3 points of damage each second for 3 to 6 seconds, with the higher ranks pushing farther into that range. This is roughly equivalent to a short-lived lingering poison.

16–17. Dual Flurry (2 ranks)

• Rank 1: Dual-wielding attacks are 20% faster.
• Requires: One-Handed 30, Armsman 1
• Rank 2: Dual-wielding attacks are 35% faster.
• Requires: One-Handed 50, Dual Flurry 1

18. Critical Charge

• Can do a One-Handed power attack while sprinting that does double critical damage.
• Requires: One-Handed 50, Fighting Stance

This perk still requires that you land a critical hit in the first place in order to receive the damage bonus. Worth taking if you find yourself making berserker rushes on your own, if you’ve taken the Bladesman perks, or if you’re dual-wielding (since you’ve got a better chance of getting a critical hit with at least one weapon).

19. Savage Strike

• Standing power attacks do 25% bonus damage with a chance to decapitate your enemies.
• Requires: One-Handed 50, Fighting Stance

This is a strong, reliable damage bonus, though the decapitation only applies if you’ve already killed the enemy. But standing over the headless corpse of your kill is a satisfying way to temper your bloodlust!

20. Dual Savagery ★

• Duel-wielding power attacks do 50% more damage.
• Requires: One-Handed 70, Dual Flurry 1

A great pick if you’re focused on dual wielding; this is stronger than Savage Strike or Critical Charge and stacks with both of them, making your power attacks incredibly deadly.

21. Paralyzing Strike

• Your backward power attack has a 25% chance to paralyze the target.
• Requires: One-Handed 100, Savage Strike OR Critical Charge

Paralyzing Strike is a powerful ability...if you remember to use it. When it works, you can inflict massive damage and often kill your foes outright, before they can get back on their feet. But how often do you use backward power attacks?

Racial Benefits

• +10 One-Handed
• Redguard
• +5 One-Handed
• Imperial
• Khajiit
• Nord
• Orc

Trainers

• Journeyman: Amren, in his house or the streets of Whiterun.
• Expert: Athis, the Companions of Jorrvaskr, in Whiterun.
• Master: Chief Burguk, Dushnikh Yal, in The Reach.

Other Resources

• The following quests can also increase this skill:
• Other Factions Quest: Rjorn’s Drum.
• Daedric Quest: Discerning the Transmundane.
• Miscellaneous Objectives: The Reach: The Ghost of Old Hroldan*.
• Favor: Item Retrieval (Bandit Camp)*
• Solstheim Side Quest: Filial Bonds