18 Best Arrows in Skyrim

There are many risks in the life of a bowman.

For this way of life, you need to be quick on your feet, have good aim, a strong bow, and, most importantly, a set of arrows that can go through any target.

Sure, it’s important to have the skills to be a master bowman. But your skills don’t matter if you can’t even shoot an arrow through a stack of hay.

This list has the 18 types of arrows that I think are the best in Skyrim.

If you want to be the best archer and learn how to use a bow and arrow well, this list is the first step on a long but rewarding path.

Remember that some of these arrows are hard to find, so getting them all can be hard.

18. Forsworn Arrow

At 7 damage, the Forsworn Arrow is a bit stronger than the more common Iron Arrow.

You can find them in The Reach camps and some Dwemer ruins by killing Forsworn Archers.

Fun fact: Like Bound, Daedric, and Forsworn arrows, their heads have two points.

17. Falmer Arrow

Falmers can give you Falmer Arrows.

Even though they are blind, Falmers are good archers.

The Falmer Arrow has little green bulbs on it, just like most other Falmer weapons.

16. Iron Arrow

The most common kind of arrow in Skyrim is made of iron.

You can find them on most enemies, especially bandits, as well as in caves, chests, and dungeons.

You can also buy them from people who sell weapons.

With the Dawnguard DLC, you can also use firewood and an iron ingot to make 24 iron arrows.

15. Ancient Nord Arrow

Ancient Nord arrows are the best kind of ammunition to use without thinking, mostly because they are easy to get and don’t cost much.

They also don’t weigh much, so bowmen who need to shoot more arrows to be faster and stronger might find it comforting to get Ancient Nord arrows from the Draugr.

14. Riekling Spear

As the name suggests, Riekling Spears are spear-like weapons that the Rieklings use in the Dragonborn DLC.

They can be used as spears or arrows by the people who hold them, but the player can only use them as arrows.

They are good to carry around, but they aren’t as light as the ancient nord arrows and don’t do as much damage as steel arrows. They also move slower and have less range.

There’s nothing too special about them, but they’re good enough to be on this list.

13. Steel Arrow

Steel arrows are very common because they can be found almost from the start of the game.

This common type of arrow can also be used by almost any archer, so you’re likely to find a lot of it as you travel through the land of Skyrim.

They are sold by almost every merchant in the game, so it’s not hard to get your hands on some.

With a base damage of 10, they are much more common than anything else, but they are still strong enough to kill your enemies.

12. Orcish Arrow

If you are new to the game, the first type of arrow you should buy are orcish arrows.

They’re sold in every city, and you don’t need to be a certain level to buy them. So, Orcish arrows are the only valuable arrows in the game that aren’t made of steel.

Also, they do more damage than a regular steel arrow, which does 12 damage at its base.

You can also find these arrows in most bandit camps and sell them for 3 coins each at general stores.

At the beginning of the game, it might be hard for new bowmen to find money, so using Orcish arrows could help you make a lot of money.

11. Dwarven Arrow

Dwarven arrows are powerful ranged weapons with a base damage of 14.

You can buy them from merchants or high-level bandits, or you can steal them from the ruins of the ancient Dwemer civilization.

The player can also make them if they collect Dwarven metal ingots, which are easy to find and well worth the effort.

If you take the time to gather enough ingots to make them, they can be a reliable friend and a good type of arrow to carry around.

10. Nordic Arrow

The Nordic arrow is the same as the Dwarven arrow, but you don’t find them as often as you do the Dwemer ones.

Because of this, they aren’t as good to carry in stacks as the Dwarven pieces are.

The elegant design of the Nordic arrow is like the Nords themselves, who might sometimes carry a lot of this type of ammunition.

Also, this is not the same as the Ancient Nord Arrows I talked about earlier. I’d say these are much more “useful” on a traditional battlefield.

Most people make their own 14-base damage dealers, which is the most common way to get them.

But you’ll need firewood, steel ingots, and quicksilver to do it, so you’ll have to go somewhere.

9. Elven Arrow

Beginner Bowmen aren’t supposed to use the powerful Elven arrows. Before you can even get them, you have to level up quite a bit, but I think it’s worth the wait.

In any case, they have a base damage of 16, and Thalmor soldiers and many high-level enemies often carry them.

You can also find them in chests on many levels, so take as many as you can.

8. Glass Arrow

Glass arrows are one of the main and most powerful types of arrows in the main game of Skyrim. However, some versions of the Elven arrow that do less damage are better than them.

Malachite is used to make glass arrows, which have a base damage of 18 and are one of the most sought-after types of ammunition for mid- to high-level archers and bowmen.

7. Dwarven Sphere Centurion Arrow

This is the only arrow on this list that the player can’t get without using console commands.

The Centurion Spheres that guard the Dwemer ruins shoot these powerful arrows. Their power is said to be among the highest in the game.

They do 20 base damage, so if you don’t have a shield, you might want to run if you get hit by one of these.

They can be found in museums all over Skyrim and in some Dwemer ruins. The only thing that makes them different from regular Dwarven arrows is that the tip is red.

6. Ebony Arrow

Ebony arrows are a type of arrow that fans of the Dark Brotherhood like because they are completely black (including the quiver).

They start to appear at level 21, but you can buy them starting at level 40.

A set of ebony arrows can do a frightening 20 base damage, and each arrow can be sold for about 7 Septims.

Keep in mind that they can be made at forges with Ebony ingots, so get your hands dirty and get as many ingots as you can.

There’s no doubt that these are some of the most powerful items in the game. Even the weakest archers can become strong warriors with these.

5. Stalhrim Arrow

You need Stalhrim and firewood to make Stalhrim arrows, which are also very powerful.

To get the material, you have to finish the quest A New Source of Stalhrim, which of course requires the Dragonborn DLC to be installed.

You can take them from Glover Mallory, the Breton blacksmith, or find them in chests and other containers around the area.

But they don’t show up very often, so the best way to get these arrows is to make them yourself.

4. Bloodcursed Elven Arrow

After you finish the “Touching the Sky” quest in the Dawnguard DLC, you’ll be able to change normal Elven arrows into their Bloodcursed version.

When shot with Auriel’s Bow, they block out the sun in a very strange way.

But these arrows do the same amount of damage as regular Elven arrows, and the fact that they block out the sun for a day isn’t very useful.

3. Sunhallowed Elven Arrow

Sunhallowed arrows do the same amount of damage as normal Elven arrows.

You can get them from Knight-Paladin Gelbor, who will enchant them for you if you give him normal Elven arrows.

You can also shoot them at the sun with Auriel’s Bow to make an explosion that hurts both allies and enemies, or you can aim them at enemies to damage them with sunlight for a few seconds.

If you try these out for yourself, you’ll see how powerful they are.

2. Daedric Arrow

Daedric arrows are beautiful pieces of bow ammunition that can be hard to get your hands on.

They look like most traditional Daedric weapons. They are grey and black and have a scary design that fits the depths of Oblivion.

Ebony is the main material that Daedric arrows are made of.

But they have the heart of a Daedra fused with them, which gives them a hell of a lot of power.

The Dragonborn can find them at high levels, or they can be made in a forge with the items listed above and some firewood.

They are made in sets of 24, so if you spend enough time foraging, you can get quite a few.

1. Dragonbone Arrow

Dragonbone arrows are the most powerful arrows in the game. They do 25 base damage, which is more than any other type of arrow.

They are also pretty hard to get (big surprise).

You have to be above level 45 to get them, and they don’t show up in the game world very often. The only place you can always be sure to find them is in the Soul Cairn.

You could also make these arrows by killing dragons and using their bones to make the tools you need. With some firewood and a forge, you can turn them into very powerful arrows.