Planning your squad's equipment in Kenshi
A piece of armour does more than take blows. Its record carries multipliers for stealth, dodge, assassination, athletics and combat speed, and those decide which piece suits a fighter, a thief or a runner. The tables below set pieces side by side on those multipliers; the squad builder puts them on each member and keeps the squad you are comparing against.
Coats for a fighting squad
| Name | Slot | Weight kg | Stealth multiplier | Dodge multiplier | Damage Output multiplier | Weather Protection Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Dustcoat | Body | 4 | 1.10 | 1.10 | 1.00 | 0.80 |
 Sleeveless Dustcoat | Body | 4 | 1.10 | 1.10 | 1.05 | 0.60 |
The two coats share their stealth and dodge multipliers. The sleeveless cut trades arm cover and some weather protection for a higher damage output multiplier, which is the reason to choose it for a member who strikes first.
Gear for an assassin or a thief
| Name | Slot | Weight kg | Stealth multiplier | Assassination multiplier | Dodge multiplier | Dexterity multiplier | Combat Speed multiplier | Ranged Skill multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Assassin's Rags | Body | 2 | 1.10 | 1.30 | 1.20 | 1.20 | 1.10 | 1.10 |
 Leather Turtleneck | Shirt | 2 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Assassin's Rags raise the multipliers an assassin uses: assassination, dexterity, dodge and stealth. A shirt such as the Leather Turtleneck changes none of them, so it can go under the rags without undoing them.
Boots and hats
| Name | Slot | Weight kg | Athletics multiplier | Combat Speed multiplier | Weather Protection Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Wooden Sandals | Boots | 0.5 | 1.10 | 1.05 | |
 Iron Hat | Hat | 3 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.35 |
Boots are more than cover for the feet: Wooden Sandals raise athletics and combat speed. A hat such as the Iron Hat adds weather protection. Not every member can wear them: a Hive Soldier Drone fills neither slot, and every Hive body goes without boots.
What the records leave out
A piece's grade is not in its record. The game sets it when the piece is made or found, and no record states how grade changes protection or how pieces worn over the same body part combine. The builder shows each piece's own figures and no combined protection for that reason.