Unique weapon enthusiasts of Skyrim will have most likely heard of the Windshear, a special variant of a classic scimitar. Scimitars, a type of curved sword, are already fairly rare within the world of Skyrim, making Windshear one of the most highly coveted one-handed swords in the game.

RELATED: Skyrim: 10 Tips For Building A Dream House

However, Windshear is a weapon that's incredibly easy to miss due to its strange and unique location. Moreover, its special enchantment can often be misunderstood by players, and therefore many might find it hard to take full advantage of it. Here's what this sword is really all about.

7 Hidden On The Katariah

Windshear can only be acquired from a vessel nearby Solitude called the Katariah, which spawns there during the Hail Sithis! Dark Brotherhood quest. After the quest the ship can still be accessed, so if a player has finished the Dark Bortherhood storyline, it's still possible to return to the ship and grab the sword.

The scimitar is located at the end of a long wooden beam known as the ship's bow. Walk down the beam at the front and the sword should be visibly stuck into the end of the wood. The deck is usually swarming with Imperial soldiers, so it's best to come here prepared for a fight.

6 One Of Only Three Unique Scimitars

What makes Windshear even more special, other than the fact that it's a fairly rare one-handed sword type, is that it's one of only three unique scimitars in the entire base game and its DLCs. The Dragonborn DLC actually introduces two other scimitars, Bloodscythe and Soulrender.

RELATED: Skyrim: 10 Mistakes Everyone Makes Playing A Stealth Build

Aside from these three swords, every other scimitar usually is a generic plain one. On top of that, scimitars in general are incredibly hard to find in Skyrim, aside from a few specific quests that might involve Redguards.

5 One Of A Kind Enchantment

Windshear isn't only unique due to being a rare kind of sword, but also due to its enchantment. It doesn't possess one of those generic enchantments that most random enchanted loot has. Instead, its special effect, which will be covered further below, is a unique type of enchantment no other item has.

This also means that it's impossible to remove this enchantment from Windshear and learn it. That alone should encourage players to go and grab this sword when they have the chance.

4 Gives The Ability To Block Bash

The unique ability included in Windshear is called a block bash. This is a stun-like ability, similar to bashing with a shield, which will paralyze and enemy for a short period of time and prevent them from moving.

RELATED: Skyrim: 10 Things You Never Knew About The Mace Of Molag Bal

However, it's important to know that for this enchantment to work, the player's off-hand needs to be empty. It's one of the most convenient stun abilities in the game, and therefore well worth the sacrifice of an empty off-hand.

3 Every Attack Does A Stagger

On top of the bash that Windshear introduces, it has a guaranteed effect of staggering enemies when attacking them normally. This doesn't require an empty off-hand to work either, which makes it convenient for players who would rather have a spell or a second scimitar equipped as well.

The stagger is fantastic especially when paired with the block bash. Enemies can be quite literally locked from animation, preventing them from either attacking or even running away from the player.

2 Upgrade Only Requires Steel

Windshear isn't a complicated sword. While its power could be compared to a Daedric artifact, it requires far less maintenance when it comes to upgrading it with the Smithing skill. The player will only need a Steel ingot to apply an upgrade to it.

RELATED: Skyrim: 10 Amazing Quests You Should Complete Before The Elder Scrolls 6

The sword only requires for the Steel Smithing perk to be upgraded, which is very convenient since it's by default unlocked for any character.

1 The Most Versatile Weapon In The Game

What makes the Windshear truly one of the best and most underrated swords is also the fact that it's so versatile compared to a whole range of other unique weapons in the game. Its effects are not limited to a specific type of enemy, and any one-handed fighter will be able to take advantage of its effects.

Most importantly, the block bash and stagger enchantments are viable against any type of enemies, in any kind of fight. Swords as versatile as this, which don't rely on elemental enchantments or specific enemy weaknesses, can be surprisingly hard to come by.

NEXT: 10 Awful Things You Can Do In Skyrim (That NPCs Mostly Ignore)