I started a DW character but apart from power attacks with both hands I can't see where DW increases damage output. I tried alternating attacks with each hand but somehow it seems slower than attacking only with the right hand.

So what am I missing here?

2 weapons = more damage than one weapon. Maybe youre not attacking right but when I rarely dual weild I do alot of damage, but receive more.

Double slash does left hand wep dam + right hand wep dam. If you have a sword that does 100 dam and the one that does 50 you'll do 150 dam if you hit with each once. I'm forced to say "Duhhh" now.

The attack speed (with the perk) would be my guess.

Well you can also do normal atacks with both blades, but the most useful part of DW is the OP power atack. Though it is terribly inaccurate as you perform it with your fleet planted on the ground, often the enemy just moves back and avoids the majority of it, leave a wide opening for atacks. The perks for DW are also what make it quite very damaging

You can attack just as fast using only one hand as you can by alternating. But if you're dual wielding, there are perks that increase attack speed, which still apply even if you're only swinging one weapon (so if you want to save your weapon enchantment charge for certain enemies, you can just swing your offhand unenchanted weapon for everything else). Late in the game though I found myself relying entirely upon power attacks, which I'm pretty sure are also faster once you've taken the dual wield attack speed boosting perk.

Try pressing LM + RM (on PC) at the same time!

DW is slower than regular attacks if you swing back and forth with them. It's only stronger if you use both weapons at the same time (combo) and it's incredibly powerful if you do the double power attack.

Thx for the comments.

So as I suspected DW in the early game is not much different from 1h, except you can't block and your power attacks with both hands are more powerful. Also it will only get useful with the right perks.

I think I'll have a hard time staying alive till I get to the right level.

Same problem when using two-handed weapons, but those are extremely slow

Two-handed can still block and bash.

The blocking is extremely terrible. That might be true about the bashing, haven't tested that. Why bash with a warhammer when you can crush your opponents head with it instead?

2x 1h also front loads damg as if you swing with both at same time "normal attack" you do 2 normal attacks then have the delay before next swing which is longer than using 1, but you did the damg all upfront which "may" have been enough to kil the mob resulting in no lengthy wait while your geting hit

Hit both your right and left mouse buttons at the exact same time and you will do a normal attack but with both weapons in which you do much more damage. (this doesn't consume stamina)

It also depends on the weight if your weapons. I ha e used dual scimitars smithed up which are fast and about 60-70 damage each at a mid Keble character
Dual Jatakas are quick and cool also. You could asli use an axe in one and sword in the other. Lots of options and combos to try.
On another note:
When I first started using anneke as a follower I gave her a decent sword but forgot to give her a shield.
I got in some fast melee with 4 baffles and she sheathed her bow and came wading I'm with the sword in her rh and a pick axe she pulled out of somewhere in her left. Pretty awesome! Despite what some say skyrim has some cool ai.
Don't know where tthe pickaxe came from as I pit her in forsworn armor. Not enough material on that to make a decent set of bracers!

I actually hadn't dual weilded in the game until I posted the above post and so decided to test it with what I had on me at the time. I used an ancient nord sword of cold and an iron sword with the nord one longer then the iron sword and took a few swings and got the timing to do the dual swing quickly and it wasn't hard at all.

Don't bother using DW if you swing one weapon at a time. DW really shines when using the 2 mouse buttons simultaneously, by just taping them (normal attack) or by pushing them longer (power attack). If you swing one weapon alternatively you'd better using a shield.

I kinda hate the power attack when im fighting mages, they keep skipping around doing their idiot dances and spraying arcane gunk at me all the time -.-
Its really cool when you have someone cornered though, that guy's totally dead

I'll try doing normal dual attacks, I didn't know it was possible. Thx!

I have found that when I DW, the "slow time" shout is absolutely priceless for getting into the correct position to make contact with a DW power attack :celebration: