Summary
- Combat in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is deep and engaging, with different weapons offering varied play styles.
- Unarmed combat can work, but requires early commitment with the right perks to make it a viable option.
- Swords are a top choice due to their flexibility and ease of use, especially when paired with a shield for defense.
There is plenty you can do to keep yourself busy in the world of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, but at the end of the day, the heart of the game is its combat. While upon first glance, fighting in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is relatively simple, part of what keeps it engaging is the depth in the combat that is uncovered as you progress throughout the game.

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The main way to see just how much true variety there is in combat is with the different types of weapons available. There are five different weapon families that Henry can choose from, and within those there are sub-categories, but which is the best?
5
Unarmed
No Weapons
The simplest (and cheapest) tool Henry can use in combat is his very own fists. While there are quite a few scenarios where Henry’s fists probably aren’t the best solution, there are some situations where they’re the only available option.
Multiple side quest lines in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 will require Henry to go into combat unarmed, and if he dares to even draw a weapon, he’ll immediately fail the quest. However, if you commit to it, you can make unarmed combat work, especially if you choose the right perks, but it will be a challenge. If you want to build Henry to prioritize unarmed combat, then commit to this very early on, because if you choose to go this route too late, then the late-game enemies will be much more unforgiving.
4
Marksmanship
Bows, Crossbows, And Guns
Ranged combat in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a mixed bag, since it can work if you’re willing to get your timing perfect, but in some situations it just isn’t optimal. Like unarmed combat, if you start to dedicate Henry to ranged combat early on, then the perks you unlock will make this a lot more viable, but even then the story will force you into certain close-range fights where the option will be almost impossible.

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Unless you’re fully dedicated to marksmanship, then the best option is to instead have marksmanship as your secondary focus alongside a melee weapon. This way, you don’t have to shy away from using ranged combat where it suits best, and then you can follow up with melee when you’re forced into close range.
If you’re looking to make combat in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 a little more entertaining, there’s nothing funnier than Henry choosing to bring a gun to a sword fight, but be prepared for the arduous reload time.
3
Polearms
Halberds, Poleaxes, Spears, And Staves
While polearms are treated as one of the more cumbersome weapons to choose in combat, if you’re willing to put in the effort, this more technical weapon choice can make Henry a force to be reckoned with. The main reason for using polearms in combat is their impressive range. With how often Henry will find himself outnumbered in combat, the extra reach you get from polearms can put him at an advantage in even the most disadvantageous scenarios.
However, when compared to swords and heavy weapons, polearms can’t match the maneuverability of the former, or the power of the latter, putting them in an awkward limbo. If you put in the effort early on, and work towards getting some of the more useful perks, polearms become a lot more viable. However, even then, you’ll have to work on other stats like strength and agility to ensure that you’re capable of wielding the best polearms the game has to offer.
2
Heavy Weapons
War Hammers, Maces, Clubs, And Axes
If you’re willing to sacrifice attack speed and some range (at least in the early-game), then choosing to specialize in heavy weapons is a great option for the fantastic damage output and pure destructive power.
There are plenty of useful perks that you can unlock throughout Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 to make working with heavy weapons more and more viable. While it might help to dedicate yourself to this play style early, it isn’t as hard to switch over even up until midgame. There’s also quite a lot of variety in how these weapons control, with small tweaks between the different sub-types of weapons. Heavy weapons also get even more useful in the late-game with how often you’re up against heavily armored enemies that use shields, since this is the best weapon type to overcome this type of equipment.
1
Swords
Short Swords, Long Swords, And Sabers
It feels a little predictable that swords would be the best option for most people playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, but thanks to their flexibility to so many different playstyles, it’s the obvious choice. You’ll be nudged by the game to pick swords early on in the game, so it makes sense that most people will end up sticking with the first choice, especially in a game where it can take a while to get to grips with the combat.
It also helps that most of the skills and combos you’ll learn early on will be designed with swords in mind. But even as you progress throughout the mid/late-game, you’ll naturally lean towards specializing in one of the different types of swords available.
On top of the different options for swords, it’s also one of the easiest options to pair with a shield (alongside heavy weapons), giving you the chance to add more defense to your build if you’re worried that just a sword leaves you vulnerable. But if you prioritize maneuverability and speed, then you can ditch a shield and stick with the quicker swords available.
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