Hey all, I was just contemplating substance weapons vs. conjured weapons lately, I initially sided with substance weapons for obvious reasons, the ability to hone them for extreme damage with smithery, but lately i've started thinking there is more to conjured weapons than meets the eye, aside from the perks and what not. I'm thinking over this portion(melee damage dealer) of my favored vampire build because the build takes a lot of perks and if I can do without smithery than I can put more perks into other skills to flesh out and perfect my build.

What I know about substance weapons is that they can be improved drastically through smithery, and buffed with enchantment and alchemy. I don't usually go for enchantment or alchemy buffs but this can be done, with devastating results, not taking into account leveling the weapons particular skill. In terms of pure damage potential, substance weapons have conjured weapons beat in the end, but I am wondering, just because this is true, does it mean that conjured weapons are totally outclassed? I'm thinking no, due to some things I'll discuss in a minute, but I want to know what you guys think as well.

Conjured weapons, initially model iron class weapons in power but can easily be upgraded to daedric through perks and increase in power with the increase in the corresponding skill set, in addition to being buffed with alchemy and enchantment if you really cared for it, but even so it misses out on smithery which svcks but is understandable. There are perks to put in Conjuration that give it great abilities against undead and conjured enemies and automatically soul traps targets.

But theres something else to these two weapons as well. Substance weapons have weight, which makes attacking slower and power attacking consume much more stamina, which means you wont be able to crank out that many power attacks or get that many hits in under a certain amount of time the heavier the weapon is the worse, even though these weapons do so much more damage than conjured weapons. Conjured weapons on the other hand have no weight, and so move much faster allowing you more hits and more power attacks as well. Does this possess the potential to equalize the two weapon types? I don't really know, thats why I want to see what you guys think.

Bound Weapons can be quite devastating. However, they will obviously shine more in early through mid game, than of late. The banish and turn undead is set at 99, so that is a very impressive feature as it will work all through the game for any enemy that is in it's description.

If one plans to forego Alchemy, then they become a great delivery system for poisons, as well.

Bound weapons are great! They are weightless and they don't bre...oh wait...

Conjured Bow is great, you get 100 arrows each time.

Bound Sword with Mystic Binding advantages: Weightless, levels up Conjuration AND One-handed, can't be disarmed, accessible very early on
Disadvantages: Can't be smithed, can't be enchanted, smithed lower-tier weapons can overtake it

Daedric Sword advantages: Can be enchanted, can be smithed, only thing that can beat it smithing-wise is Dragonbone stuff in Dawnguard
Disadvantages: Weighs quite a bit, subject to disarm effects, only chance encounters unless you have Smithing or Conjuration 90

Balances with other Bound Weapons are similar.

I tried bound bow on my sneaky Khajiit, it was amazingly powerfull early on & i liked it. Regardless, i didn't continue after level 15 with this character, as i prefer the look & feel of real bow's & arrows.

Yea they can be quite dangerous early to mid game, and ransacking Nordic Ruins and Conjurer Lairs is a breeze, but I can tell that for higher levels Alchemy, Destruction and One Handed would have to be used in unision. Fortifying your own Destruction and One Handed while poisening and weakening enemies to Destruction. Seems like a hassle. I wish Dawnguard was on PS3, that way I could just bust out into a Vampire Lord and own everyone when I face powerful enemies that are tougher than Conjured Swords and Destruction. Although Chillrend is a nice sword to have around on a rainy day as well as the Nightingale Blade, and they both have great affinity to Vampirism.