Skyrim Arrow Damage Comparison (Base Values)
Compare 15 Skyrim arrow damage values, from Forsworn 7 to Dragonbone 25. Base UESP and Creation Kit numbers with forge needs and DLC origins explained.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forsworn Arrow Lowest here. Tied with Falmer at 7, which stays out. | 7 damage | Carried by Forsworn archers in the Reach, cannot be crafted | UESP Skyrim:Forsworn Arrow, damage 7 |
| Iron Arrow Starter arrow. Needs Dawnguard to craft. | 8 damage | Looted in dungeons and caves, sold by blacksmiths, forged with firewood and iron ingot | UESP Skyrim:Ammunition, Iron Arrow damage 8 |
| Steel Arrow Two over Iron. Common mid game arrow. | 10 damage | Sold by blacksmiths and general goods, forged with firewood and steel ingot | UESP Skyrim:Ammunition, Steel Arrow damage 10 |
| Ancient Nord Arrow Some guides list 12. UESP lists 10, so 10 is used. | 10 damage | Nordic tombs, carried by skeleton and draugr archers, cannot be forged | UESP Skyrim:Ancient Nord Arrow, damage 10 |
| Riekling Spear Equips as an arrow. Deep firing arc hurts long range shots. | 10 damage | Solstheim, picked from dead Rieklings and their huts, Dragonborn | UESP Skyrim:Riekling Spear, damage 10 |
| Orcish Arrow Two over Steel. First smithing gated jump. | 12 damage | Forged with firewood and orichalcum ingot, Orcish Smithing perk | UESP Skyrim:Ammunition, Orcish Arrow damage 12 |
| Dwarven Arrow Tied with Nordic at 14. | 14 damage | Dwemer ruins, forged with firewood and Dwarven metal ingot | UESP Skyrim:Ammunition, Dwarven Arrow damage 14 |
| Nordic Arrow Tied with Dwarven at 14. | 14 damage | Dragonborn, forged with firewood and quicksilver ingot, Advanced Armors perk | UESP Skyrim:Nordic Arrow, damage 14 |
| Elven Arrow Two over Dwarven and Nordic. | 16 damage | Forged with firewood and refined moonstone, Elven Smithing perk | UESP Skyrim:Elven Arrow, damage 16 |
| Glass Arrow Two over Elven. | 18 damage | Forged with firewood and refined malachite, Glass Smithing perk | UESP Skyrim:Ammunition, Glass Arrow damage 18 |
| Ebony Arrow Tied with Stalhrim at 20. | 20 damage | Forged with firewood and ebony ingot, Ebony Smithing perk | UESP Skyrim:Ammunition, Ebony Arrow damage 20 |
| Stalhrim Arrow Some lists say 18. UESP lists 20, equal to Ebony. | 20 damage | Solstheim, forged with firewood and stalhrim, Ebony Smithing plus A New Source of Stalhrim, Dragonborn | UESP Skyrim:Stalhrim Arrow, damage 20 |
| Daedric Arrow One below Dragonbone. Bound Arrows match it at 24. | 24 damage | Forged with firewood and ebony ingot, Daedric Smithing perk | UESP Skyrim:Ammunition, Daedric Arrow damage 24 |
| Nord Hero Arrow Base 24. Unofficial Patch changes it to 16. | 24 damage | Base game record only, needs Unofficial Dawnguard Patch to obtain, made from Ancient Nord Arrows and steel ingot | UESP Skyrim:Ancient Nord Equipment, Nord Hero Arrow 24 base, 16 patched |
| Dragonbone Arrow Top here at 25. Over three times Iron. | 25 damage | Dawnguard, forged with firewood and dragon bone, Dragon Armor perk | UESP Skyrim:Ammunition, Dragonbone Arrow damage 25 |
About this converter
Bows set the base, arrows add on top. Skyrim adds arrow damage to bow damage before skill and perks scale the total. That is why the gap between Iron at 8 and Dragonbone at 25 matters more than it looks. Every value here is the base damage from UESP ammunition tables, checked against Creation Kit records. Dawnguard allows crafting arrows with firewood plus an ingot. Dragonborn adds Nordic, Stalhrim and Riekling options on Solstheim.
How to use it
Pick two entries and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. One box holds a count of the first arrow, one the matching count of the second, one the total in Damage. Try 1 Dragonbone Arrow against Iron Arrows.
Some lists claim Ancient Nord at 12 and Forsworn at 12. UESP lists Ancient Nord at 10 and Forsworn at 7, so those corrected values are used here. Nord Hero Arrow reads 24 in base records but cannot be obtained without the Unofficial Dawnguard Patch, which changes it to 16. The row keeps 24 and flags the patch value. Falmer Arrow at 7 matches Forsworn and stays out to keep the table at 15 rows. Riekling Spears equip as arrows but fly with a deeper arc, so they underperform at long range despite damage 10.
FAQ
Which arrow hits hardest?
Dragonbone Arrow at 25 base, from Dawnguard with the Dragon Armor perk. Daedric and Nord Hero follow at 24.
Why is Ancient Nord 10 here when some guides say 12?
UESP ammunition tables and Creation Kit records list Ancient Nord Arrow at 10 damage. The 12 figure mixes it up with Orcish Arrow, which is 12.
Can arrows be crafted without DLC?
No. Arrow crafting needs Dawnguard, using 1 firewood plus 1 ingot per 24 arrows. Base game arrows come from loot, merchants and draugr.
What about Stalhrim at 18?
Some older lists say 18. The UESP Stalhrim Arrow page lists 20 damage, equal to Ebony, so 20 is used here.
Sources
- Bethesda Softworks, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Official Game Guide (2011), ammunition and smithing tables
- UESP Wiki, Skyrim:Ammunition (Iron 8, Steel 10, Orcish 12, Dwarven 14, Elven 16, Glass 18, Ebony 20, Daedric 24, Dragonbone 25)
- UESP Wiki, Skyrim:Ancient Nord Arrow (10), Nordic Arrow (14), Stalhrim Arrow (20), Riekling Spear (10), Forsworn Arrow (7)
- Bethesda Creation Kit, Arrow projectile records FormID 0001397D series and Dragonborn records
Last verified: 2026-10-03 · 15 entries
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