Last updated: 3 September 2026

KCD2 Best Weapons Guide Top Swords, Maces & More

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 doesn't have one "best weapon" — it has a best weapon for each fight, because Stab, Slash, and Blunt damage matter differently against different armor. This guide covers how weapon stats actually work, then the specific short swords, longswords, and blunt weapons worth tracking down, with where to find or buy each one and what keeps their damage from quietly decaying while you use them.

01How Weapon Damage Works in KCD2

Every melee weapon carries three separate damage values — Stab, Slash, and Blunt — and the game tracks how well each type performs against a target independently rather than using one aggregate damage number. A weapon that looks strong overall can still be a poor matchup against a specific enemy's armor.

• Slash is most effective against unarmored or lightly armored targets (cloth, leather) but loses effectiveness fast against mail and plate.
• Stab punches through gaps in armor and mail more reliably, making stabbing weapons and thrusts the more consistent choice against armored opponents.
• Blunt damage is transmitted through armor rather than needing to penetrate it, which is why maces and hammers stay effective against heavily armored enemies where a sword's slash damage falls off.

This is also why weapon choice connects directly to armor: our armor guide covers how Defense values split the same way on the receiving end. For a full breakdown of which weapon archetype (sword-and-shield, mace/axe, or bow) suits which playstyle, see our best build guide — this guide instead focuses on the specific named weapons worth seeking out within each category.

02Best Short Swords

Short swords trade the two-handed longsword's raw reach and damage for lower weight, faster strikes, and being usable one-handed alongside a shield.

• Basilard (Stab 134 / Slash 141 / Blunt 21 at gold quality): One of the best-balanced short swords in the game and one of the easier top-tier weapons to actually acquire — available to buy directly from Blacksmith Radovan in Tachov or Blacksmith Osina in Trosky, with no quest required.
• Peter of Suchotlesky's Sword: A unique named short sword and a step up over the Basilard at the same quality tier. It's a guaranteed reward, not a shop purchase — it's looted from a wagon chest during the "Ransom" side quest (available after completing the main quest "Speak of the Devil"), on the condition you side with Jan of Suchotlesky against László Farkas and the Cumans at the quest's finale.

03Best Longswords

Longswords need both hands, hit harder and reach further than short swords, but leave you without a shield — better suited to open fights than dense group ambushes.

• Duelling Longsword (Stab 183 / Slash 174 at gold quality): One of the highest raw-damage longswords available without a unique quest attached, and a strong pick once you have the smithing materials and skill to craft or commission a gold-quality version in the Kuttenberg region.
• Reforged Radzig Kobyla's Sword: A late-game legendary longsword tied to the main questline and Henry's father's blade — it can be reforged using Toledo Steel once you have access to the right smith and materials. Community-reported stats for the reforged version vary by source depending on exact quality and reforging outcome, so treat any specific number you see for it with caution; what's consistent across sources is that it's one of the strongest longswords obtainable in the game once fully upgraded.

04Best Maces and Blunt Weapons

Blunt weapons are the answer to heavily armored enemies — knights, guards in plate, and late-game encounters where a sword's Slash damage stops mattering.

• Flanged Mace: Widely recommended as the best all-round mace for its combination of strong Blunt damage and comparatively low weight, letting you carry serious anti-armor damage without the stamina cost of a full warhammer. Available from blacksmiths in the Kuttenberg region, including Blacksmith Zdimir in Grund.
• Bailiff's Mace: A solid, earlier-accessible mace available from Blacksmith Radovan in Trosky or Blacksmith Zdimir in Grund — a reasonable stopgap while you save up for a Flanged Mace or a warhammer.

Blunt weapons generally sacrifice some damage against completely unarmored targets compared to a sword's Slash — the trade-off is worth it specifically because it holds up where swords fall off.

05Axes and Polearms — When to Use Them

Axes sit between swords and maces: strong Slash damage with a Blunt component that gives them some of a mace's anti-armor bite, at the cost of a slower swing than a comparable sword. They're a solid middle-ground pick if you don't want to commit fully to one damage type.

Polearms (poleaxes, halberds) trade one-handed flexibility for reach and hybrid stab/blunt/slash damage depending on the specific weapon, which makes them effective at keeping multiple attackers at a distance — useful in the open-field ambushes and bandit camps KCD2 throws at you in numbers. They require higher Strength and Agility to use effectively, so they're a mid-to-late-game pick once your stats support them rather than a beginner weapon.

06Bows and Crossbows

Ranged weapons work on a different logic than melee: bows are faster to fire in succession and reward Agility investment, while crossbows hit harder per shot and can be used effectively with much less training, at the cost of a slow reload. A crossbow is the more forgiving pick early in the game because its accuracy is far less dependent on skill level than a bow's is.

Our best build guide covers the full Longbow Marksman playstyle, including which perks and stats to prioritize if you want ranged combat to carry a build rather than supplement melee.

07Weapon Maintenance — Keeping Damage at Maximum

A weapon's condition degrades with use, and a damaged weapon deals noticeably less damage than the same weapon at full condition — this applies to every weapon type, not just bladed ones.

• Bladed weapons (swords, axes, daggers) are sharpened on a Grindstone, found outside smithies in most settlements and free to use. Sharpening restores both condition and edge sharpness, which directly affects Slash and Stab damage output.
• Blunt weapons (maces, hammers, clubs) don't have an edge to sharpen, but still lose condition with use and still need repair to keep their Blunt damage at full value.
• Repair Kits (Blacksmith's Kits) let you fix a weapon's condition instantly without visiting a smithy — useful mid-journey, though each kit has limited uses before it's consumed.

Checking a weapon's condition before a fight you expect to be difficult is a cheap habit that prevents a nasty surprise — a heavily degraded top-tier sword can perform worse than a fresh mid-tier one.