Dealing damage and weakening enemies in Skyrim isn't just about swinging swords and shooting beams of lightning. For those who seek an advantage over their enemies, plenty of flora, fauna, and fungi come in handy for creating toxic concoctions.
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Some players find Skyrim's alchemy mechanics a bit daunting at first, since ingredients are shrouded in mystery at the beginning of the game. With this guide, though, they'll whip up deadly brews in no time. An alchemically shrewd Dragonborn can coat their weapons in poison — or, with a high enough Pickpocket skill, simply slip any of these mixtures into a foe's pocket and watch it take effect.
10 Swamp Fungal Pod + Purple Mountain Flower + Imp Stool
Effects: Paralysis, Lingering Damage Magicka
Are slippery mages proving a challenge for the Dragonborn? With this poison, they're an issue no longer. Though this brew only boasts two effects, they can save the player's hide in the right situations.
Paralysis is one of the most useful poison effects, giving players a window to land hits on fast-moving opponents — like high-level mages that tend to leap around the battlefield. With the additional Lingering Damage Magicka effect, these opponents will have a harder time casting spells even when they get back up.
9 Abecean Longfin + Ice Wraith Teeth + Bleeding Crown
Effects: Weakness To Poison, Weakness to Frost, Weakness To Fire
Destruction mages rejoice! With this brew, enemies are left more vulnerable to fire and frost spells. Though players will initially need a weapon to apply the poison, they're left free to shoot Firebolts and Icicle Spears afterwards. The effect also works with fire and frost enchantments on weapons.
What's more, Weakness to Poison ensures that if the Dragonborn wants to apply another toxic effect, it will pack a bigger punch. Some players tend to overlook poison effects that don't directly damage stats, but don't underestimate the impact of weakening a foe's defenses.
8 Nightshade + Skeever Tail + Silverside Perch
Effects: Damage Health, Ravage Health, Damage Stamina Regen
Nightshade is always a reliable ingredient when it comes to poisons in Skyrim. While this recipe’s effects may be simple, they’re also highly destructive. Ravage Health decreases the target's max health, while Damage Health takes out of chunk of HP.
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Lastly, Damage Stamina Regen makes it much harder for enemies to regain enough stamina to perform effective power attacks in quick succession. This makes it easier for players to avoid the hardest hits, and sneak a few blows in themselves.
7 Scathecraw, Orange Dartwing, Giant Lichen
Effects: Ravage Health, Ravage Magicka, Lingering Damage Health
A great poison to employ against high-level magic users, this poison deals an initial hit to both Health and Magicka. The Ravage effect decreases the max value of these stats, making targets weaker and less magically effective even if they manage to heal.
What's more, Lingering Damage Health is always a helpful effect for poisoners. Decreasing the target's health by a certain amount every second, it does the work of a player's attacks for them.
6 Deathbell + Falmer Ear + Blisterwort
Effects: Frenzy, Damage Health, Ravage Stamina
Deathbell is a poison powerhouse, and Skyrim’s more devious alchemists will find themselves turning to it time and again. This recipe makes use of its Damage Health and Ravage Stamina effects, while the other two ingredients bring Frenzy into play.
When under the influence of Frenzy, the target will attack any creature in range. Hostile guards will turn on civilians; bandit leaders will go after their henchmen. Use it as a distraction to slip away, or simply to get an enemy to help weaken other opponents.
5 Giant Lichen, Skeever Tail, Deathbell
Effects: Damage Health, Ravage Health, Weakness to Poison
Poisons of Weakness to Poison are a bit of an inside joke among Skyrim fans, but that doesn’t mean they’re not useful. Not only does this brew gouge an enemy’s health bar, it also leaves them more vulnerable to further poison attacks.
Make this recipe in bulk, and reapply it to weapons in between hits in battle. Each toxic hit will be more brutal than the last, making it easy to quickly wear down even the toughest opponents.
4 Nightshade + Chicken's Egg + Human Heart
Effects: Damage Magicka Regen, Damage Health, Lingering Damage Stamina
All three major stats take a hit with this poison, each in a different way. Whether players face an opponent that relies on power attacks or Destruction spells, a weapon coated with this mixture will put targets at a disadvantage, as well as decreasing HP.
This brew is a good one to keep on hand during exploration, when players have no idea what enemies they might encounter. No matter what might try to attack the Dragonborn, this poison can help counter it.
3 Deathbell + River Betty + Thistle Branch
Effects: Slow, Damage Health, Ravage Stamina
Not all Damage Health ingredients are equally toxic, and Deathbell and River Betty both pack a more sickening punch than more common ingredients. When players use them both in a Damage Health poison, that mixture will deal more damage than, for example, Falmer Ear and Red Mountain Flower.
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Meanwhile, Slow reduces the speed of the target's attacks, making it much easier for players to avoid damage. The mixture also cuts off some of the enemy's Stamina resources, making it harder for them to pull off harsh blows.
2 Poison Bloom, Deathbell, Namira's Rot
Effects: Slow, Damage Health, Fear
Fear is a great effect to use when facing crowds of enemies, or when the player is overwhelmed and needs to catch their breath. When hit with this effect, the target will flee in terror and will not attack.
With the added Slow effect, though, they won't get very far — which leaves the Dragonborn free to keep attacking without their enemy retaliating. And of course, Damage Health drops the enemy a little closer to zero HP.
1 Imp Stool + Mora Tapinella + Human Flesh
Effects: Paralysis, Damage Health, Lingering Damage Health
Leave enemies immobilized while their life force drains away. With the one-two hit of Damage Health and Lingering Damage Health, enemy HP will quickly reduce by a dangerous amount. What's more, the Paralyze effect leaves them helpless on the ground while the player attacks.
In desperate situations, this brew nearly always allows the Dragonborn to regain the upper hand — or at least level the playing field. It's one for skilled alchemists to make as much as possible.
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