Kenshi – Useful Gameplay Tips

This is the list of what I have got from playing Kenshi.

Tips about Kenshi

All credit goes to Oonchi!

Skeleton Characters Are the Best

• They don’t need food.
• Their body stats are at least 1.7x or greater than all other races that makes them extremely effective when it comes to fights. Especially if you are outnumbered and knockout is not acceptable. 200 body parts condition also means that they have less chance to die or lose limbs. They almost don’t bleed at take less damage from katanas making ninjas life against skeletons pain and suffer.
• Flesh is weak and game pushes towards replacing limbs with prothesis that requires repair skills when they get damaged. Organic characters have to boost medic and robotics skills to keep themselves in one piece while skeletons need only robotics and they have bonus for that skill.
• Two handed heavy weapons make skeletons doombringers in this game and skeletons have racial bonus for that type of weapon.(Martial arts are cool and makes even more damage for they have no Meiou analogue but they don’t fit well when fighting non-humanoids and that is logically right. Also they require even more training of toughness+strength+dexterity at same time).
• Skeletons are made of metal and predators, cannibals, fogmen won’t eat them.(Oh, and you will have a nice time with some type of bandits too).
• Skeletons are immune for everything that brings death and/or disadvantages to organics(acid, storms and etc).
• They repair instead of healing and repair works instantly allowing them return to fight right after being knocked over and over again.

All of this makes them extremely effective in exploring game world.

At this point we have 5 problems.

1. Medkits don’t fit. Repair kits are not widely available cause your opponents are mostly organics and also they are much more expensive than any of medkits. Also you accumulate long term damage and have to repair yourself on special beds from time to time.
2. You can not wear boots, shirts and helmets. That is sad but makes choosing other races a little more reasonable.
3. You are slow even with high level athletics that makes you pick fights even if you don’t want to (truth be told you can ran from everyone if you have at least 13+ speed but you’ll notice that by yourself).
4. Holy nation hates you and these guys know how to hurt you even if you have full masterwork equipment.
5. You have no bulk or muscle definition so no-bugmuster-torso for ya.

Ignore Weapon Crafting

It sounds strange but we’ve got what we’ve got. Weapon levels are bounded to forge level, weapon grade research and character skill. That makes it hard to makes something betther than refitted blade until you spend a bunch of ancient books. Also you will need resources for that and in vanilla version you won’t get enough from shops in town. That forces you to build your own town with workers, defences and guards. If you like smithing choose armour crafting. It requires only resources, recipe (that you can steal) and time to grow better. Some leather shirts takes huge time to craft (like day or two) and requires a little of recources that allows you to craft masterpieces really soon as it is allowed by game. That is also important because your characters will need best gear you can claim at any level.

I’m pretty sure that everyone starts smithing for money but easiest way to earn that is mining copper. Or drugs. Thats your choice but imho drug dealing feels odd in Kenshi.

Don’t Rely on Your Gates and Turrets

Turrets are great and allows you keep stupidos out of your town but Kenshi has its own ways so you will notice few things.

First you will notice friendly fire. Best guys on turrets are hives that have 75 points of body parts. Their death from getting friendly headshot is funny but that is how I’ve lost Beep. Also they can get arrow in knee. Or even two..

So be causious before placing harpoon turrets on your walls.

Second your gates are weird and sometimes horde of your enemies attacking em pushes some of their guys through gates that leads to disastrous consequences if there is nobody to pick melee fight with them. I am sure you will find out stupid but effective hack to solve this problem.

Don’t Mess with Tough Fraction If It Is All about Money

Kenshi is about survival and not about justice so if you have got in situation that leads to pay or be beaten. Just pay, keep doing your business and you will be just fine to win more. That is especially true for United cities for this guys have their own views and you will end up in limbo where

• Guards beat you and put in cage.
• Slavers enslave you and let out from cage to bring to mines.
• Guards beat you for escaping prison and put in cage.
• Repeat.

You will always have a chance to have your revenge.

The Holy Nation Lands are Great to Settle

No doubts you are going to hate these guys for your first time in game because of their beliefs and ways to purify darkness. But if you feel like you are normal human, don’t have boobs and have holy book in your inventory you will do justfine. These guys have no interest in your money. And give you food sometimes just because you are their brother.

Just remember:

• No non-humans.
• No women (it is not that strict but you will have to learn the game ways by your own).
• No-prothesis.

And you will have nice farm/town in green lands with friendly guys that come to your forpost just to pray together or beat your women if they are in charge.

Only Heavy Armor

That is true if you are not playing shinobi warrior. Kenshi is designed to hurt you and there is no chance to escape damage even if you have 100 defence or evasion. Mostly your characters are going to be hurt by splash damage that is totally unable to evade. And light armor will make you suffer. That is especially right when you assault big cities with a bunch of harpoon turrets. Masterwork heavy armor and chainmail make your game be like 0 (-85).

You still have to keep in mind armor penetrating weapons and blunt damage cause there is no armor designed to protect effectively against bunch of hughry guys with rusted sticks.

Last Words

Kenshi is a great game that has no scenario and you are allowed to do what you can and want to do.

I recommend to play vanilla version first.

Have all your way without reading lore in guides or wiki.

Have performance mods like:

• Texture compress pack.
• Weather effects reduce.