Kenshi weapon types explained
Every weapon trains one skill, and its class shows in its record. Most katanas cut hard and trade defence for attack, but bite weakly into robots. Heavy weapons and polearms all take a penalty indoors, polearms the largest. Most polearms do their best work on animals. Hackers are the class that hits robots harder. A few weapons also carry extra damage against named creatures.
Katanas
| Name | Class | Weight kg | Cut Damage Multiplier | Armour penetration | Bleed multiplier | Attack Mod | Defence Mod | Indoors Mod | Human Damage multiplier | Robot Damage multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Katana | Katanas | 2 | 1.00 | -0.30 | 1.20 | 4 | -4 | 0 | 1.10 | 0.60 |
 Nodachi | Katanas | 8 | 1.20 | -0.20 | 1.20 | 4 | -4 | -4 | 1.10 | 0.60 |
 Wakizashi | Katanas | 1 | 0.90 | -0.30 | 1.20 | 2 | -2 | 4 | 1.10 | 0.60 |
A Katana or a Nodachi raises its wielder's attack and lowers defence, makes wounds bleed more, and does less against robots than against people. The Wakizashi is the light one of the three and the only one that fights better indoors.
Sabres
| Name | Class | Weight kg | Cut Damage Multiplier | Blunt Damage Multiplier | Armour penetration | Bleed multiplier | Attack Mod | Defence Mod | Animal Damage multiplier | Robot Damage multiplier | Race Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Desert Sabre | Sabres | 8 | 1.10 | 0.25 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0 | 2 | 1.00 | 1.00 | Bonedog 125%, Spider 200%, Small Spider 150%, Skimmer 200% |
 Longsword | Sabres | 4 | 1.00 | 0.15 | -0.15 | 0.90 | -2 | 2 | 0.90 | 0.90 |
Sabres cut with little blunt force behind them. The Desert Sabre adds extra damage against the creatures listed in its row.
Blunt weapons
| Name | Class | Weight kg | Cut Damage Multiplier | Blunt Damage Multiplier | Armour penetration | Bleed multiplier | Attack Mod | Defence Mod | Indoors Mod | Animal Damage multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Spiked Club | Blunt | 4 | 0.30 | 1.00 | 0.30 | 2.00 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0.90 |
 Jitte | Blunt | 3 | 0.00 | 0.90 | 0.00 | 0.10 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 1.00 |
 Heavy Jitte | Blunt | 6 | 0.00 | 1.30 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0 | 8 | -2 | 1.00 |
Blunt weapons trade cut for blunt damage. The Spiked Club pierces armour and makes wounds bleed; a Jitte or a Heavy Jitte adds defence instead and hardly makes anyone bleed.
Heavy weapons
| Name | Class | Weight kg | Cut Damage Multiplier | Blunt Damage Multiplier | Indoors Mod | Race Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Fragment Axe | Heavy weapons | 18 | 0.30 | 1.80 | -6 | |
 Falling Sun | Heavy weapons | 10 | 1.20 | 1.00 | -6 | Beak Thing 150%, Leviathan 150%, Gorillo 150% |
 Plank | Heavy weapons | 10 | 0.80 | 1.20 | -6 |
Heavy weapons are among the heaviest in the game, and every one takes a penalty indoors. The Falling Sun adds extra damage against the creatures listed in its row.
Hackers and polearms
| Name | Class | Weight kg | Cut Damage Multiplier | Blunt Damage Multiplier | Armour penetration | Bleed multiplier | Attack Mod | Defence Mod | Indoors Mod | Human Damage multiplier | Animal Damage multiplier | Robot Damage multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Paladin's Cross | Hackers | 8 | 0.80 | 0.80 | 0.30 | 0.75 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0.90 | 0.90 | 1.50 |
 Naginata | Polearms | 3 | 0.80 | 0.20 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 6 | 0 | -8 | 1.00 | 1.50 | 1.00 |
 Polearm | Polearms | 5 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 0.30 | 1.00 | 6 | 0 | -8 | 1.00 | 1.50 | 1.00 |
The Paladin's Cross does more damage to robots than to people or animals. A Naginata or a Polearm does its most against animals and pays the largest penalty indoors.
What the records leave out
A weapon's grade and its wielder's skill both change the damage it deals, and neither is in the weapon's own record. The tables compare the records; they do not predict a hit.