How to Add Magical Effects to Your Weapons in Skyrim

Last Updated: September 6, 2019

Adding magical effects to your weapons is called enchanting, and it is actually one of the more difficult skills to learn in the game. While it is not as complicated or as much guesswork as alchemy, it does require that you destroy an enchanted piece of armor or weapon. Until you disenchant something, you will not be able to use the particular type of enchantment on your own weapons (or armor).

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:
Disenchanting a Weapon

1
Locate an Arcane Enchanter station. They are bigger than an Alchemy Lab. Enchanter tables are rectangular with a skull and candles at the back, and blue, glowing images are etched into the top.
2
Open the Disenchant menu. Interact with the table and select “Disenchant.”
3
Select an item. Scroll through your inventory of enchanted weapons and armor, and select one.
- Remember, disenchanting armor will not give you a new enchantment for weapons, only for armor.
- Make sure to pay attention to the magic that is applied to each weapon, and if necessary review the enchantments you already know.
4
Confirm disenchantment. Select “Yes” when it prompts you to confirm that you want to destroy the weapon. The enchantment will now be added to your list of enchantments.
- You can verify the addition by scrolling down to “Enchantment” and looking through your current magical abilities. The enchantment on the magical weapon you just destroyed now appears on the list.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:
Enchanting a Weapon

1
Get the necessary items. You need three things to enchant a weapon:
- A weapon that does not have any magical abilities
- An enchantment spell you learned from disenchanting a weapon
- A Soul Gem (the bigger the soul, the greater the magical power of the weapon)
2
Locate an Arcane Enchanter station. They are bigger than an Alchemy Lab. Enchanter tables are rectangular with a skull and candles at the back, and blue, glowing images are etched into the top.
3
Interact with the table. Scroll down to Item and select the weapon you would like to enchant.
4
Select an enchantment. Scroll down to “Enchantment” and select the magic you would like to apply to your weapon.
5
Select a Soul Gem. Scroll down to “Soul Gem” and choose the one you would like to use.
- Remember, the bigger the soul, the more magical abilities or stronger your weapon will be.
6
Enchant your item. Click “Craft” and “Yes” to confirm that you want to apply that particular magic to the weapon.
- You now have a magical weapon.