My sneaky character used dual-wield, enchanted, elven, daggers (fire on the right, shock on the left) and would take down just about anything in open combat if he could get close enough. Those two knives worked like blades in a blender dealing out so much damage per second the bad guy went down so fast he seldom got a blow in once I had got in range. I had dual-flurry and full armsman perks; worked like a dream if I lost my stealth cover - provided, as I say, I could get close enough (when I couldn't I died because I had damn all in the armour department).