KCD2 Best Weapons Guide: Swords, Maces, Axes and Polearms

The four melee families

• Swords are fast and precise, and they cut through lightly armoured bandits and padded gambesons. Sword and shield is the safest way to learn perfect block and timing; a longsword trades the shield for reach and unlocks Master Strike once Tomcat trains you. Against plate, a sword needs thrusts into gaps or high skill.
• Maces and war hammers deal blunt damage that punishes helmets, mail, and plate even when an edge would glance off. They answer guards, knights, and mercenaries, at the cost of stamina-hungry swings and short reach.
• Axes mix slash and blunt, so they cover enemies whose armour varies and stay useful when you do not know what you will meet.
• Polearms win by reach: you hit first and control distance in open ground, but they are awkward indoors and in alleys.

Ranged as a second answer

A bow or crossbow lets you soften a group or open a fight on your terms. It will not save you once enemies close, so treat it as a tool for shaping the encounter rather than a primary plan. For the aiming side, see the archery guide.

Unique weapons worth chasing

Community datamining and guides point to a few standouts: the reforged Radzig Kobyla’s sword (best sword, rebuilt during “The Storm” with three Toledo Steel), the Knight’s Axe (crafted from a blueprint at the Humble Knight’s Camp), the Ramhead Hammer (from Andrew Ramhead in Raborsch), and the Ornate Mace (Blacksmith Zdimir in Grund). Early on, the Broad Axe from Radovan and the Captain’s Mace at Trosky Castle carry you until these appear. Stats on named weapons come from community sources and can drift with patches — check the item in-game.

The habit that matters more than the pick

Carry two weapons when you can: a sword for travel fights and a mace for armoured opponents. Repair your main weapon, because a worn blade underperforms and can break. Before a dangerous area, look at what the enemies wear and swap before blades are drawn. For the fighting fundamentals behind all of this, read combat basics and fighting multiple enemies.