Skyrim - Maces

Maces hit for the most of any one-handed class, up to 18, and they carry the one class perk that scales instead of flattening out. Bone Breaker makes mace attacks ignore 25, 50 or 75 per cent of the target's armour, and because that is a multiplier rather than a flat bonus it is worth more the stronger your character gets.

Combat

Where it wins

• Highest damage of the three one-handed classes. Two more per swing than a sword of the same material, one more than a war axe.
• Bone Breaker is the only one-handed class perk that scales with your damage rather than against it. Against high level bandits the effect reaches around 40 per cent bonus damage.
• The class holds Scourge at 6,569 gold, the most valuable weapon in the game, and the only weapon that banishes summoned Daedra outright.
• Armour penetration answers the one thing swords cannot: a heavily armoured target.

Where it loses

• Slowest of the three one-handed classes, so the damage per hit advantage partly disappears in damage per second.
• Bone Breaker does nothing against an enemy with no armour rating. Dwarven automatons look armoured and are not, and draugr and skeletons give it nothing either.
• That makes the class weakest exactly where a Nordic ruin puts you, which is a large share of the game's dungeons.
• No bleed and no critical chance, so against unarmoured targets a mace is a plain damage stick.

Builds

A mace build is a late-blooming one. The class perk is worth little early and a great deal once smithing and enchanting have raised your damage.

• Armsman to 5 before anything else, as with every one-hander.
• Bone Breaker to 3. Unlike Bladesman it gets better as your damage climbs, so it is worth finishing rather than stopping at rank 1.
• Carry a sword for the ruins. Bone Breaker's dead zone is large enough that a second weapon for draugr and automatons is worth the slot.
• Where the next chunk of damage comes from: Fortify One-Handed and smithing, both of which Bone Breaker multiplies rather than competes with.

Best Maces

Weapon	Image	Damage	Weight	Value	Why Take It
Scourge		18	22	6569	18 damage, the most valuable weapon in the game at 6,569 gold, and it banishes summoned Daedra up to level 36 outright.
Madness Mace	File:Skyrim Madness Mace.webp	18	23	2200	18 damage, tied for highest in class, from the Saints & Seducers Creation.
Dragonbone Mace		17	22	2000	17 damage, the strongest mace you can forge in the base game, needing Dragon Smithing.
Ebony Mace CC		17	19	1000	Highest in class at 17 damage.
Amber Mace	File:Skyrim Amber Mace.webp	17	18	2100	Highest in class at 17 damage.

Notes

• Bone Breaker makes mace attacks ignore 25, 50 or 75 per cent of armour at 30, 60 and 90 One-Handed.
• It has no effect on an enemy with no armour rating. Dwarven automatons have none despite their metal shells.
• Because it is multiplicative it overtakes the flat perks in the mid game: at 100 damage it adds around 10 where Bladesman adds at most 5.6.
• Maces are the slowest one-handers, so the class trades attack speed for the damage and the penetration.

All Maces

Name	Image	Damage	Speed	Weight	Value	Enchantment	Item ID	Level	Upgrade Material	Crafting Perk	Skill	Unique	DLC
Daedric Mace		16	0.8	20	1750	Enchantable	000139B8	1+	Ebony Ingot	Daedric Smithing	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Dragonbone Mace		17	0.8	22	2000	Enchantable	XX014FCD	1+	Dragon Bone	Dragon Smithing	One-Handed	-	Dawnguard
Dwarven Mace		12	0.8	16	190	Enchantable	00013998	12+	Dwarven Metal Ingot	Dwarven Smithing	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Ebony Mace		16	0.8	19	1000	Enchantable	000139B0	36+	Ebony Ingot	Ebony Smithing	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Elven Mace		13	0.8	17	330	Enchantable	000139A0	19+	Refined Moonstone	Elven Smithing	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Glass Mace		14	0.8	18	575	Enchantable	000139A8	1+	Refined Malachite	Glass Smithing	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Horksbane		10	0.8	14	250	Especially effective against horkers	XX026490	1+	Steel Ingot	Steel Smithing	One-Handed	Yes	Dragonborn
Iron Mace		9	0.8	13	35	Enchantable	00013982	1+	Iron Ingot	None	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Lunar Iron Mace		9	0.8	13	168	While the moons are out, burns the target for 20 points	0003B0C1	6+	Iron Ingot	None	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Lunar Steel Mace		10	0.8	14	198	While the moons are out, burns the target for 20 points	0003B0BC	8+	Steel Ingot	None	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Mace of Molag Bal		16	0.8	18	1257	Deals 25 damage to Stamina and Magicka. If target dies within 3 seconds, fills a soul gem	000233E3	1+	Ebony Ingot	None	One-Handed	Yes	Skyrim
Nordic Mace		13	0.8	16	410	Enchantable	XX01CDB0	1+	Quicksilver Ingot	Advanced Armors	One-Handed	-	Dragonborn
Orcish Mace		11	0.8	15	105	Enchantable	00013990	1+	Orichalcum Ingot	Orcish Smithing	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Prelate's Mace		13	0.8	7	330	Cannot be enchanted	00013990	1+	Refined Moonstone	Elven Smithing	One-Handed	Yes	Dawnguard
Rusty Mace		7	0.8	13	5	Cannot be enchanted	0022F0F	1+	Cannot be Upgraded	None	One-Handed	Yes	Skyrim
Stalhrim Mace		16	0.8	18	1375	Frost Enchants are 25% stronger	XX01CDB7	35+	Stalhrim	Ebony Smithing	One-Handed	-	Dragonborn
Steel Mace		10	0.8	14	65	Enchantable	00013988	2+	Steel Ingot	Steel Smithing	One-Handed	-	Skyrim
Ancient Nord Mace		10	0.9	16	17	Enchantable	XX000E46	1+	Steel Ingot	Steel Smithing	One-Handed	Yes	Creation Club
Honed Ancient Nord Mace		13	0.9	18	31	Enchantable	XX08A1EE	1+	Steel Ingot	Steel Smithing	One-Handed	Yes	Creation Club
Light of Day		16	0.9	20	1614	30 points of sun damage, undead targets take triple damage	XX13101E	1+	Iron Ingot	None	One-Handed	Yes	Creation Club
Sunder		15	0.9	18	1720	Does 5 points of frost, fire, and shock damage each. Does 15 points of damage to stamina and magicka	FEXXX801	1+	Dwarven Metal Ingot	Dwarven Smithing	One-Handed	Yes	Creation Club
Scourge		18	0.8	22	6569	Summoned Daedra up to level 36 are sent back to Oblivion	XX000B5E	1+	Ebony Ingot	Daedric Smithing	One-Handed	Yes	Creation Club
Mace of the Crusader		16	0.8	18	2501	Burns the target for 15 points. Targets on fire take extra damage	FEXXX80d	1+	Steel Ingot	Steel Smithing	One-Handed	Yes	Creation Club
Ebony Mace CC		17	0.8	19	1000	Enchantable	XX000E37	1+	Ebony Ingot	Daedric Smithing	One-Handed	-	Creation Club
Madness Mace	File:Skyrim Madness Mace.webp	18	0.8	23	2200	Enchantable	XX000BE8	1+	Madness Ingot	Quest	One-Handed	-	Creation Club
Amber Mace	File:Skyrim Amber Mace.webp	17	0.8	18	2100	Enchantable	XX000BDF	1+	Amber Ingot	Quest	One-Handed	-	Creation Club
Dark Mace		14	0.8	15	370	Enchantable	XX000824	1+	Quicksilver Ingot	Daedric Smithing	One-Handed	-	Creation Club
Golden Mace		13	1	15	370	Enchantable	XX000827	1+	Gold Ingot	Daedric Smithing	One-Handed	-	Creation Club

One-Handed Weapon Categories