Is two-handed viable?

[WhiskeyWerewolf]

I want to try it. Already done one-handed and shield, dual wielding, archer and mage.

Would appreciate if you could list some advantages and disadvantages about it.

[Moa Chiin]

Two-handed is more fun than it looks. I always tought it was bad, but after trying it, it was quite good. Try it, you may enjoy it.

[Moa Chiin]

Disatvantages: It's slow. One-Handed is faster and does more Damage per second (at the beginning)
Advantages: On later levels and Perks it's much stronger than One-Handed, it looks epic, and is more fun as it fits more into the game than shield and swords.

[WhiskeyWerewolf]

Alright, thanks. I need to start over after a mod annihilated my current game. And mage was very cumbersome. Always waiting for that Magicka to come back...

[Yonaga]

I started my first playthrough with two-handed weapons. Was very funny when you SMASHED your enemy with the final blow (you can feel the imapct).

Nowadays I use dual wielding and two-handed. Just try and enjoy.

[firedog441]

I always prefer 2 handed because even though its slower it makes up for it in power. Alsop once you get the perk you can decapitate your enemies which looks really awsome.

[entia]

Anything is viable, two handed might not be as effective as 1 handed but it's a lot of fun

[asmcint]

Two-handed is great in a lot of ways. You'll find early on that your power attacks are one-shotting even fairly strong enemies. That bear in the caves beneath Helgen? One-shotted with an iron greatsword on multiple occasions. Two-handed play really is a blast, and it is entirely viable.

[Kujo Irene]

of course two handed is viable lol It's probably the easiest playthrough you can do imo. Wear heavy armor and use warhammers and watch as you three shot dragons.

[Grand Admiral Java]

The pro's of two handed have basically been summed up in the above posts so I wont restate them here.
However Id like to point out you can stun lock enemies with power attacks so long as you have the stamina to keep them there.
Ive noticed however most people have mentioned cons but not given you workarounds so here is my attempt to do so:
1. Two handed power attacks are very stamina draining (though not as much as dual wielding) so remember not to skimp on stamina at level ups.
2.Your attacks are slower you may want to prioritize HP at level ups because you will most likely be taking more hits than with other combat styles.
3. You are going to want to avoid or find some way to quickly neutralize archers and mages(usually by becoming an archer or mage yourself) as both have a decent chance of killing you before you can close in. Heavy armor can help a lot in mitigating the archery damage(mages still screw you over) but an important thing to remember is it slows you down so keep that in mind
4. Dragons will not land when you've got a two hander out if your skill is high unless they are practically dead. My advice? make a beeline for the dragonrend shout or go into archery/destruction magic.
5. Remember you can block, too often while watching other people play(either through steam or on youtube) I see the ones who use two handers get killed while power attack spamming. In the OP you mentioned youve used shield before so all I will say is the bash to stop power attacks works with a two handed about as well as it does with a shield.
6. Technically this is implied with the whole mages screw you over but I feel I should stress this out. Frost damage not only saps health but also stamina which can mean that when you finally close in on the pesky mage you cant one shot him because you are completely out of stamina. Not much to do here except carry frost resist and stamina pots. P.S the nord frost resist does not carry over to the stamina resist

Good Luck and Happy slaying

[Docsprock]

Remember when in combat, lead your target. Swing where they will be in 2 seconds.

I like the damage, the ability to block, and the 'dance' of 2-handed play.

[WhiskeyWerewolf]

Thanks for all the answers, guys.

Oh, and Field Marshall Java, I believe the Steed Stone near Soltiude removes the movement penalty from heavy armour, so that'll help a lot then.

[MICHAEL]

i played for 150 hours with two handed now i started new character with sword and shield and its more fun

i like how powerful it feel to block strong attacks with a shield

[ForevaNoob Wonemorturn]

Skyrim is a game you can just play without thinking about performance and exploits but fun, fun, and only fun.
After playing with shield for a long while, I suddeny realized I couldn't even look at a shield any longer. And went 2H.
Dying doesn't matter, but dying with style does.

[76561198133591931]

2H is offensive. Sword and board is more geared towards defense. As previously mentioned, keep stamina pots with you for mages. Once you're in a mage's face, pop a couple stamina pots and just let it fly. One dead mage. And as with 1H you can control the kind of Power Attack you use. There's Overhand, Side-ways Swing, and though I can't pull it off, I understand there's a Backwards Slash.

[WhiskeyWerewolf]

Oh, and one more thing... how will I fare against Giants?