The Dragonbone War Axe has the highest base damage of any war axe – 16 – and the weight to prove it at 21. Added with Dawnguard, it is worth 1,700 gold and sits at the very top of the one-handed axe ladder.
Like all dragonbone weapons it needs Smithing 100 and the Dragon Armor perk, the final step of the Smithing tree. Dual-wielders and sword-and-board warriors alike will find it a fitting partner for Dragonplate or Dragonscale Armor.
Stats
| Type | War Axe |
|---|---|
| Skill | One-handed |
| Material | Dragonbone |
| Damage | 16 |
| Weight | 21 |
| Value | 1700 gold |
| Speed | 0.9 |
| Reach | 1 |
| Stagger | 0.85 |
| Critical damage | 8 |
| Add-on | Dawnguard |
| Item ID | 02014FCF |
Where to find
One of the three Keepers in the Soul Cairn may carry a Dragonbone War Axe; kill it and loot the remains. Otherwise, forging your own is the reliable route.
Crafting and upgrading
Crafting at a forge: 2 × 
Leather Strips, 1 × 
Ebony Ingot, 1 × 
Dragon Bone. Requires the Dragon Armor Smithing perk.
Improving at a grindstone: 1 × Dragon Bone. The Arcane Blacksmith perk doubles the improvement.
Compared with other war axes
Base stats of all regular (unenchanted) war axes in Skyrim, weakest first:
| Weapon | Damage | Weight | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron War Axe | 8 | 11 | 30 |
| Ancient Nord War Axe | 9 | 14 | 15 |
| Steel War Axe | 9 | 12 | 55 |
| Orcish War Axe | 10 | 13 | 90 |
| Dawnguard War Axe | 11 | 13 | 55 |
| Dwarven War Axe | 11 | 14 | 165 |
| Falmer War Axe | 11 | 21 | 82 |
| Forsworn Axe | 11 | 15 | 90 |
| Elven War Axe | 12 | 15 | 280 |
| Honed Draugr War Axe | 12 | 16 | 27 |
| Nord Hero War Axe | 12 | 11 | 165 |
| Nordic War Axe | 12 | 14 | 350 |
| Skyforge Steel War Axe | 12 | 12 | 80 |
| Glass War Axe | 13 | 16 | 490 |
| Honed Falmer War Axe | 13 | 21 | 245 |
| Daedric War Axe | 15 | 18 | 1500 |
| Ebony War Axe | 15 | 17 | 865 |
| Stalhrim War Axe | 15 | 16 | 1180 |
| Dragonbone War Axe | 16 | 21 | 1700 |
Tips and notes
- Recipe: 1 Dragon Bone, 1 Ebony Ingot and 2 Leather Strips.
- Temper with a Dragon Bone; the Dragon Armor perk doubles the improvement.
- Two-handed version: the Dragonbone Battleaxe.
Stats from the Skyrim LE 1.9 master files (Dawnguard.esm, record DLC1DragonboneWarAxe). Values are base values before perks, smithing improvements and enchantments.