Combat is a constant way of life in some of the most challenging quests. Unfortunately, Skyrim's base game weapons leave much to be desired, which is why the modding community has been churning out content designed to enhance what's already there, or inject brand new weaponry into the game.
Some of these mods overhaul the essentials in the arsenal, while others sprinkle the game world with entirely new sets of swords, bows, axes, hammers, and daggers. Many of these weapons can be created in a forge, while others can simply be plucked off the corpse of those foolhardy enough to cross the Dragonborn.
Dawnbreaker Reborn
There are many mods that change the iconic Dawnbreaker sword in Skyrim, but few are as cool and stylish as this one. It transforms an otherwise bland weapon of the divines into a shimmering, shining jewel of a sword that looks the part, and feels appropriately regal.
The sword is accented with a glimmering blue light that runs down the middle of the blade. The grip, guard, and pommel have been completely remodeled and retextured, beautifying the Dawnbreaker in a way that the original vanilla sword simply can't hope to compete against.
Skyrim Weapons Expansion
There are lots of reasons to play through Skyrim today, but the lack of available in-game weapons is quite a drag. Thankfully, Skyrim Weapons Expansion helps solve that problem by adding over 100 weapons into the game with a simple installation.
The weapons themselves are injected into both the crafting and leveled lists to maintain balance with the original game, so there may be some incompatibilities with heavily modded load orders. However, the weapon models themselves are rugged, authentic, and well crafted, making this mod a winner.
Gothic 3 Weapons Pack SE
• Legendary Edition | Special Edition
This mod adds 7 new swords and 2 staves to Skyrim's weapons roster, all of which are finely crafted, modeled, and textured. The highlight of the swords lies in their accents, from gleaming red rubies in the blade and pommel, to ruins and patterns etched into the guard and the blade.
The staves are accented with bold red and blue colors and tipped with piercing gems. Special attention to detail has been given to the handles, which are woven with a finely textured grip. The only gripe is that there aren't more weapons available, though it's possible the author may add more in the future.
Reforging - To The Masses
• Legendary Edition | Special Edition
Reforging - To The Masses is a one-stop weapons mod that adds an eye-watering 300 new items to Skyrim's arsenal. That's an astonishing amount of weaponry to choose from, and the mod allows for them to be crafted at a forge or looted around the world.
The mod uses the game's vanilla weapons textures, which means it might be compatible with secondary mods that retexture the game's weaponry in 2K and 4K resolutions. It's best to experiment and find the right texture mods to upgrade the look and feel of each item.
Aetherium Armor & Weapons Compilation By Lautasantenni
• Legendary Edition | Special Edition
Aetherium weapons and armor are at the forefront of this mod, and they allow for the creation of some truly excellent in-game items. In addition to armor sets that can produce cloaking abilities, night vision, and increased movement speed, the mod also offers a set of deadly weapons as well.
A number of excellent-looking swords, axes, hammers, and daggers can be crafted, each with special perks and powers, but everything must be crafted at the Aetherium Forge located in the Ruins of Bthalft. This involves forging the Aetherium Crest before the player can be granted access.
Greatsword Sheaths And Scabbards Redux SE
• Legendary Edition | Special Edition
Immersion really matters in Skyrim, and it's difficult to achieve when swords are dangling off the player's back with nothing to them. Thankfully, there are mods like this one, which add sheaths and scabbards to the game's weapons.
After installing the mod, each weapon will be sheathed appropriately for added realism and immersion. This goes a long way to bettering a silly element of the game while making the Dragonborn look that much cooler in the process.
Immersive Weapons
• Legendary Edition | Special Edition
One of the best weapons-based mods in Skyrim, this oldie still gets a lot of love from the community. It injects a ton of lore-friendly weapons into the game that helps expand the basic arsenal in a big way. The result is a choice of weapons that feels far more exotic, without breaking immersion in the process.
There are a grand total of 230 weapons added into the game. They can be purchased at vendors, looted in dungeons and off of corpses, and crafted at a forge. When facing down Skyrim's most difficult bosses and enemies, it's helpful to have some stylish weapons on hand.
Leanwolf's Better-Shaped Weapons SE
• Legendary Edition | Special Edition
This mod takes a fairly simple approach to Skyrim's existing weapons by changing up their meshes so they look better. The results vary from subtle to drastic, but the differences go a long way to cleaning up some of the more ugly or bland weapons in the game.
It's also compatible with mods that retexture the base game's weaponry, which is good news when it comes to compatibility. Those who don't like to mod Skyrim too drastically will find this one to their liking, as it merely enhances what's already there.
Iron Things SE
• Legendary Edition | Special Edition
Iron weapons are among the first that players will encounter when they start a new adventure, so it's important that they look their best. Iron Things is designed for that purpose - to replace the default meshes and textures for iron swords, daggers, axes, shields, and bows.
The difference is staggering, thanks to details that breathe new life into some of the most standard weapons in the game. Texture work is gorgeous, and the mesh work is finely detailed. Even for those who don't intend to lug iron weapons around, this mod will guarantee that any spotted in-world will look their best.
Skyforge Weapons SSE
Skyforged weapons are supposed to look amazing, but that's clearly not the case. Thankfully, this mod helps fix that problem by making each weapon look iconic, heroic, and powerful. The texture work is utterly superb, and the details in the guards are especially noteworthy.
To access the weapons, players need to complete the Glory of the Dead quest before speaking to Eorlund, at which point they will be able to fully use the Skyforge. After that, they're free to craft some of the coolest-looking steel weapons in Skyrim.
