Depending onwhat character build the player is going for, choosing the right weapon with the right enchantments can be difficult inThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. There are quite a few options, even if the player goes for unique weapons or randomly finds loot in the wild. However, if putting all that on the shoulders of luck alone sounds like a terrible idea, there’s always the opportunity to enchant one’s own ideal weapons. With the right enchanting perks unlocked, players can make just about any type of weapon.
Choosing a perfect enchantment for that new sword inSkyrimcan be easier said than done because of the sheer number of options at a player’s behest. The enchantment that a Dragonborn chooses depends on their build, which makes this a rather subjective choice that totally depends on the player and what they prefer. However, most people would argue that some weapon enchantments are simply better than others because of how universal they are compared to others, making them more popular than others within theSkyrimcommunity.
Updated on June 03, 2025, by Gerardo Molina:While it’s perfectly possible to complete the entirety of Skyrim without ever using any kind of enchantment. It’s recommended that players master this skill so they can infuse their weapons with powerful status effects that can range from draining enemies’ stamina to dealing additional damage to animals.Mastering enchantments is one of the hardest things to do in Skyrim, as it requires a lot of patience, grinding, and effort. However, if players put all these elements into the mix, they’ll quickly notice that it’s a lot easier to deal with even the toughest enemies thanks to the newly acquired traits of their gear.
Smithing Expertise
N/A
Raise the Smithing stat and do 5 shock damage on hit
3 points of bonus damage to animals
5 points of bonus damage to Nords
Fiery Soul Trap
Conjuration
Burn target for 10 points of damage, hitting them for extra if they’re set on fire. If killed within five seconds, fills a Soul Gem
Summoned Daedra are sent back to Oblivion
Burns the target for 10-20 points at night
Undead enemies up to Level 13 flee for 30 seconds
Enemies up to Level 9 flee for 30 seconds
Enemies take bonus shock damage to both health and magicka
Absorb enemy magicka on hit
Absorb enemy stamina on hit
Chance of paralyzing enemy for 10 seconds
Enemies take bonus frost damage to both health and stamina
Fire Damage
Destruction
Burns enemies and does extra damage to enemies who are already on fire
Chaos Damage
50% chance to inflict 25 points of fire, frost, and shock damage each
Enemies take stamina damage
Enemies take magicka damage
Soul Trap
Enemies that are killed in a set amount of time fill up a Soul Gem
Absorb enemy health on hit
19Smithing Expertise
School Of Magic: N/A
Smithing Expertise is a famous enchantment effect that’s attached to a unique pickaxe called the Notched Pickaxe found on the peak of the Throat of the World. It’s an obvious easter egg referencingMinecraftand has a special enchantment that does Shock damage while alsoincreasing the wielder’s Smithing skill.
In previous versions of the game,there was a bug that allowed players to disenchant the pickaxe for the special Smithing Expertise enchantmentand apply it to other items. So, while it’s not an enchantment that can be used anymore, it still deserves a special mention as one of the more unique and out-there enchantments inSkyrim.
18Huntsman’s Prowess
Huntsman’s Prowess is another unique enchantment, only this time it can actually be learned and applied to other weapons and items. To get it, players will need to disenchant the Poacher’s Axe found at Halted Stream Camp.
Huntsman’s Prowess is an enchantment inSkyrimthat does extra damage to animal enemies.It has no amazing utility like most other enchantments, but for roleplaying purposes, it fits certain character builds like hunters and rangers. That being said, the extra damage isn’t all that substantial, and it’s only a matter of time before players end up using more relevant and useful weapons in the game instead. That said, making it easier for the Dragonborn to hunt down animals by dealing additional damage to them can go a long way in harvesting their pelts, which can be then turned into leather strips. Leather strips are very useful when it comes to crafting different types of armor throughout the game, so while the enchantment does not have as much utility in other areas, it can come in handy resource-gathering-wise.
17Briarheart Geis
The Briarheart Geis is a unique Forsworn axe that is more powerful than its normal counterpart. If that wasn’t enough, then this weapon also has a unique enchantment of its own that can be quite useful, albeit only in certain specific situations. With this enchantment,players can deal an extra +5 damage to Nords, which is welcome in fightsagainst the dominant race in Skyrim.
However, what makes the Briarheart Geis unique is that it can’t actually be obtained in the game through normal means. Instead,the only way to get this weapon is to use a console command to summon it, which is quite odd indeed. Fans can only speculate why this weapon was removed from the final release, although the fact that it still exists in the game’s files means that players can definitely make the most of this weapon regardless.
16Fiery Soul Trap
School Of Magic: Conjuration
Now, here’s an enchantment that’s not actually half-bad. Fiery Soul Trap is a unique one and is especially useful for players who depend on the Enchanting skill.Not only does the Fiery Soul Trap enchantment do Fire damage, but it also traps the soul in an empty Soul Gemso long as the kill is secured within five seconds of a hit.
It’s a pretty cool combination enchantment, which can be learned by grabbing the unique battleaxe from Ironbind Barrow and disenchanting it. The original weapon, Steel Battleaxe of Fiery Souls, is found on the backside of Gathrik’s throne. Given how valuable it is to have powerful Soul Gems for crafting purposes, it’s easy to see why the Fiery Soul Trap enchantment can be quite useful for most players in the game. While they’re pretty rare, being able to find a Grand Soul Gem and trap a soul inside it can make players rather rich quickly, as most Grand Soul Gems Gems can be sold for a few hundred gold.
15Banish
A bad enchantment is usually a niche enchantment, and Banish is exactly that. It’s not the best pick for players unless they plan on taking on an entire army of Daedra, which only happens with a select few special enemy types like mages and powerful boss enemies. However, if players for some reason would like to have a weapon that demolishes Daedra, Banish just might be the pick.
Banish is fantastic when fighting enemies that like to summon two million different Daedra to fight for them.One hit from a Banish weapon will send those pesky summoned creatures right back to Oblivion where they belong. In a way, it’s a great crowd-controlling enchantment, but a bit too niche to see a lot of value and use in most character builds.
14Silent Moons Enchant
School Of Magic: Destruction
If players get their hands on Lunar weapons found at the Silent Moons Campnorth of Whiterunand disenchant them, they can learn a very unique somewhat useless enchantment.These Lunar weapons set enemies on fire whenever the moons are out, making them nice for fighting enemies during nighttime.
This isn’t a terrible enchantment, but it relies on the player using the Lunar enchanted weapon at night time. It’s more of a cool, niche feature, although the burning effect does vary from 10 to 20 damage points — which isn’t too bad. For challenge runs and character builds that rely on roleplaying, the Silent Moon Enchant can be a cool addition.
13Turn Undead
School Of Magic: Restoration
Draugr and skeletons can be a pain to fight, but luckily there’s an enchantment that can make them run away in fear. The Turn Undead enchantment will cause undead enemies to escape the scene of the fight, provided they’re within a certain level range. Draugr lords won’t be affected by this, usually.
The problem with this enchantment is that it’s a bit inconvenient. It forces players to run after their enemies when they might actually want to face them head-on.For a full-on mage build the Turn Undead spell makes sense since mages tend to be weak, but for a build relying on close-range weapons, this is more of an annoyance. Having said that, players will often find themselves in situations where they will be overwhelmed by the number of Draugr in Nord tombs. So, if this enchantment is seen as an effective way to do some crowd control while exploring the most dangerous and darkest corners of Skyrim, it’s actually rather useful.
12Fear
School Of Magic: Illusion
If players are worried about getting ganged up on by multiple enemies, using an enchantment like Fear could be a legitimate option. Sadly, it only works on enemies of a certain level, and higher-level heavy hitters usually won’t be affected by it.Early in the game, it can be very useful, but the game’s many beasts and critters quickly outgrow its effects.
Fear causes all weaker enemies to run away for approximately 30 seconds.Again, this is only useful if close-range combat is something the player prefers not to do,since otherwise, players will be chasing after their enemies, which is its own annoying ordeal. Regardless, the novelty of sending enemies cowering in fear after a single swing of this blade makes it infinitely clear why so many people love this enchantment on their weapons. Similar to the Turn Undead enchantment, if Fear is seen from a perspective of crowd-control, it can be very useful, as players can hack away at the enemies that are not running away to deal with them in the meantime.
11Shock Damage
Shock has often been considered the weakest element of the three available inSkyrim, and that definitely holds true. Only a few enemies inSkyrimrespond to Shock spells properly, and usually, those are enemiesthat rely on Magickasince Shock damage not only does regular damage but also drains their spellcasting potential.
The Shock Damage enchantment is a decent elemental enchantment to have, but compared to Frost and Flames, it isn’t as useful or versatile. Not all enemies will rely on Magicka. In fact, most enemies willrely more on Staminaand massive health pools. Regardless, Shock Damage is a blast to use simply when players see their enemies being electrocuted with every swing of their weapon.
10Absorb Magicka
If the thought of facing offagainst powerful mages or other magic usersgives the player nightmares, then going for something that counters them is the best option.Absorb Magicka is an enchantment that basically drains Magicka from the target and transfers it to the player.
This is especially great if the player themselves relies on having a large Magicka pool that barely drains out, but hates dealing with Magicka-using enemies. The Spellsword build can really benefit from this enchantment since they both require Magicka and can also use a sword with this enchantment applied to it.
