Yesterday I asked about http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1374909-tell-me-again-why-i-should-wear-light-armor/page__fromsearch__1 and the forum was very helpful to me. Now I have another question.

We all know dual wielding dramatically increases offensive output/attack damage. But so do two-handed weapons. But with two-handed weapons I can also block. And I have a lot more reach, especially when compared to daggers. Are they slower? Sure. But in terms of damage per second (if we could calculate such a thing), I have to believe two-handers hold their own with dual wielding.

So why should I duel wield instead of using that big war axe?

Let me ask you this question. What would happen if you decided to whip out a healing spell while wielding a two handed weapon?

Well, in terms of speed for the entire transaction, I'm not sure. I've played a lot of paladin-type builds and admit it's very fast (using PC hot keys) to unequip the shield, equip the spell, get the heal off and re-equip the shield. I'm sure it would be a fast maneuver with two blades in the hand as well. I haven't tried it with a two-hander any time recently though. Probably slower, yes. But in both cases, once you have that healing spell out, you can't block anyway.

If you kill your enemies fast enough, then you don't need a healing spell.

Dual Wield, Small or Large Sword, Axe or Hammer all are effective in their own way in this game. It all comes down to what you like to use in combat, or what your character should use in combat according to their role.

Me, I don't use Dual Wield, just because I don't want to. Not because of any deficiencies in the overall combat. Although it does not seem to benefit the Assassins that attack me.

I duel wield for the RP purpose of being an assassin

The dual wield power flurry. And the potential to hit an opponent with 4 enchantments simultaneously with the scissor attack

The lack of blocking is really a mistake due to the fact that the claim (via the load screens) that duel-wielding doubles damage output is false. It should double damage in order to make up for lack of defense, but it doesn't. Against normal, lower tier enemies, this doesn't really matter, but it's a big difference with large or boss tier enemies. This is all the more evident because shield bashing means that shields are not merely defensive, but also offensive.

However, if you decide to play a duel wield character, it is important for role play. For example, Miku normally duel wields her negi weapons, so if I decide to play her as a melee warrior, she would normally do that. I don't really like playing melee characters, though, so I don't really play her that way. I did it to test my mod, but I don't think I'd normally choose to do it.

The one other way to make duel wield more effective is via enchantments and/or poisons. You get to have two rather than one, and that can be quite useful in various contexts.

I would say in most situations, two-handed weapons are not good because they are far too easy to avoid. The exception would be close quarters of some kind, or perhaps if you get immobilized.

Personally, I very much dislike DW in Skyrim for a couple reasons. First is the silly hotkey system that makes it difficult to consistently and quickly switch between dual wield weapons, to spells, back to DW, to bow, etc. You can't (or at least, I haven't found how to) hotkey a specific weapon to a specific hand so at some point in your hotkey-switching with your two weapons you end up simply swapping out in a single hand. To get a weapon back in the off hand, either have to go into the favorites menu or the full inventory screen. Tedious and annoying, as far as I'm concerned. (Don't get me started on the nightmare of trying hotkey two weapons with identical names...)

Second, and you mentioned this, the lack of block. Why on earth can't you block simply because you're holding two swords/maces/whatever? I understand the need for balance in the game environment, but it's still irritating. Bob and weave type dodging is fine, but not even being able to block is irritating.

Third, for all the talk of higher offense with DW, I'm not sure I agree. Single attacking with either hand is actually the same as single attacking with a shield/spell in the off-hand -- yeah sure fine the Dual Flurry perk makes the one-handed attack faster which increases DPS but at the expense of a shield/spell? Doesn't seem worth it.

I think the big reason people like DW is for the double power attack which certainly does monster damage but I hate that you can't move while executing it. With as much as bandits are snaking in and out of range during a fight, being able to guide the sword forward/laterally mid-flight is a big help -- no can do with DW.

Similarly, I love charging in with a flying power attack (sometimes sprinting, sometimes not) but with DW that stops you cold in your tracks. Of course I could just single-hand power attack but then we're back to what I said before....i could do that with a single weapon, 2h, spell, whatever.

I guess I'm saying I tried a DW character and within 10 levels gave up in disgust. So I'd be interested in what I'm doing wrong.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wSHdxUdpmP0/Tgix4AwbrqI/AAAAAAAACCI/bZLLP98LD_U/s1600/parkinson_keith-fafhrd_and_the_grey_mouser%257E300%257E10316_20071212_677_58336.jpg

I never went in for 'efficient' builds myself, though. "What would this character do?" "Use a sword and a dagger." "I'll do that then."

So there's this "feature" where if you wield a dagger in your left hand and a Sword/Mace/Axe in your right, the dual "power" attack (both left and right shoulder buttons) is at the dagger (fastest) swing speed! So keep a dagger on the left and your main weapon on the right to take advantage of this "feature"!

NOTE: If you switch the dagger to the right and the sword/axe/mace to the left then dual power attack goes to the slower weapon speed.

Add the damage and the speed bonuses from the 3 dual wield perks, plus any smithing and enchantment damage bonuses and you probably have the best "damage per second" of almost any build!

Why dual-wield? Because it is a viable option in the game, alongside using weapon-and-shield and twwo-handed weapons.

The question is: why shouldn't you?

It's another option for melee warriors. More options = happy players.
Dual-wielding is great for assassins. You can put 4 enchantments on your weapons. You can use a spell and keep attacking. It requires less perks than other combat styles. It's fun.

All combat styles are viable, so it's a matter of personal preference. For example, I never use two-handers, even if they're powerful - it's just not my kind of weapon.

And when you power attack, that's a quick succession of four strikes. Or, effectively, 8 enchant effects unleashed on the enemy. It adds up and can really hurt.

I agree they're all viable options. I never said they weren't. But some options are more viable than others, and my question was specifically about the viability of DW's extra damage versus 2H's extra damage plus extra range plus the ability to block.

Lot's of good answers here and, just like my question yesterday, it all seems to come down to preference. I said yesterday I'm a thorough role-player, so I certainly wouldn't use a two-hander if I planned to join the DB or the Thieves Guild, mind you. But with these more neutral builds, these jack-of-all trades, these free-form mercenary types I sometimes make who don't plan to join any guilds or have a specific "class", I have to ask these questions about which is best.

Right, this is true... now switch back to dual wielding. How do you do it? Hotkey? Nope, into the Favorites or Inventory you go. Every time.

(Please someone correct me if I'm wrong. I would like to play a DW character for the experience but the mechanics are IMO too irritating to put up with for 40+ levels)

There are a lot of people on these forums that don't care which is best. What is best is not always what is fun.

Indeed, it is a matter of preference.

The thing about DW is that it is the only meleestyle that can do a trippelpowerattack, giving it the highest DPS if you have the stamina to use it.
The 2-handed style has the best damage per hit and the weapon'n'shiled have the best defense.

75% of the characters I have played DW. My fav set up is not enchantments, but two Daedric swords 1H tree perked out wit 2/2 Dual Flurry and the Elemental Shout. Your character is a blender. Back that up with a high stamina and you don't need to block. They are dead before than strike.

But along with the Elemental Fury shout, make sure you have unenchanted weapons since it will not work with enchanted.

Only if you use two of the same kind of weapon (so that they stack in the inventory). But if you put different enchantments on them, you can hotkey each weapon separately - so when you switch to spell and back to weapon, only your left hand changes
Of course it's a pain to use 2 hotkeys just for your main weapons... But at least it's a solution.

You've got that right. I never thought of the four-enchants angle. But at the same time, I don't often use enchanting. I only do it if my character would do it. Sometimes I play characters who aren't interested in that.

Not to get off track, but yesterday's topic about light armor reminded me of something important. Some had noted that even with light armor, you can hit the armor cap, so why not always use it? It reminded me that these decisions often have a big impact in the early and middle game, but late game, none of it really matters as we all become unstoppable juggernauts, don't we?

I made a mage once who killed an elder dragon (USING one of the tougher dragon mods) in about 8 seconds. All the fun was taken out of the game. My girlfriend said "turn up the difficulty". I always keep the difficulty in the middle, you see. Once in Oblivion I turned the difficulty all the way up and I was killed by the giant rats that break through the wall in the starter dungeon. I never pushed difficulty past medium in any Bethesda (or Obsidian) game since then.

This is a long way of saying that from here on in, I plan to stick with just ONE of the three profession-type skills from here on in. If I'm a pure mage, for instance, I'll pick enchanting or alchemy but not both. If I'm a warrior and I find a piece of enchanted armor that would be perfect for my build, but I've already invested in smithing, too bad for me. I have to sell the armor. No disenchanting.

That's how I think I have to play from now on because learning to excel in all three makes the game way too easy later on. I feel that by sticking with just one, I can extend the challenge without having to rely on the difficulty slider which, to me, is just granting permission for the game to cheat. Thoughts?

... because dual wielding is cool and looks bad ass! LOL

I think 2-H weapons are too slow and cumbersome. Dual wield 2 Daedric Swords and your enemies fall before you like wheat before the scythe!

Oh and plus you get some cool finishing moves!

That may be so, but they're not asking the question. I am.

I could have made that a little plainer. But that is what I was trying to say. My fav enchanted setup is two daggers or swords, but leaning to daggers, with Paralyze / Soul Trap on one and Paralyze / Stamina Drain on the other.

It is also really cool, because during the power attack, your character will flip the dagger upside down in his/her left hand. It is fun to watch.