Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Beginners' Guide - Tips & Tricks

So, you've decided to brave the wilds of Bohemia in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2?  Smart move... or maybe a moronic one; who are we to judge. The game has been out for less than a week and has sold over a million copies; now that's an achievement. So, if you're one of those souls trying to get into the game, then you're in luck.

This guide is your best fix in surviving out there in the wilderness. Prepare to be schooled in the fine art of medieval survival, from sword-fighting (because Henry still swings a blade like a wet noodle) to alchemy (because potions are way cooler than just drinking ale... most of the time at least, sometimes they're the same thing). This isn't an in-depth guide on the gameplay mechanics, nor is it a guide for veterans of the first game, but rather one for newcomers, with smaller things to help you improve in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.

Saving is Weird, Remember to Do it Often

Right, so, firstly, the most criticized and annoying aspect of the game is its convoluted save system. This means that you can only save in a few scenarios, and almost all are around at inconvenient moments.

See, you can only save when you sleep in a bed that's not owned by anyone else and if you use Savior Schnapps. The former requires a bed that isn't owned, which is not too rare, but you'll almost never get one when you desperately need it. The latter is markedly more expensive and annoying to get.

The game also hands out a few autosaves once in a while, especially during quests. But when you're free roaming and just doing side quests and activities, you'll often go on long bouts of not saving, only to die in an ambush.

Now, this tip is somewhat immersion-breaking but helps quickly. You can save and quit the game, and unlike the last one, which was temporary, this one is permanent and acts like any other save. Of course, you'll be stuck in loading screens for a while, but hey, nothing is ever easy.

Of course, you should remember to sleep. Schnapps should be reserved for big fights or interactions. Beds are easily accessible when free-roaming; you just need to be mindful of them.

Don't Eat Spoiled Food, and Always Keep Henry Fed

So, the first thing to remember is a pretty simple thing. Just like in Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Henry has a nourishment bar that goes down over time; you'll always need to keep an eye out and ensure he doesn't go too hungry. While you can go around for a bit without any food and are hungry, if it gets severe, you'll experience debuffs to your stamina, something you don't want.

So, always stack up on food, but there's a catch, or rather, two. Firstly, food can get spoiled, and sometimes that happens very easily. This progresses through fast travel and when passing time or doing activities like waiting and reading a book, so make sure to keep track of what food you're eating. Spoiled food will poison you and make you sick, which in turn drains your HP slowly until it persists.

The second thing is that you should generally not overeat and gorge on your food too much, as it'll also reduce your max stamina. The best food items to carry are dried and smoked food; they also happen to be the easiest ones to carry. You can find free drying or smoking racks in pretty much every village and town.

Horses are Cool, You Can Get One in The Early Game

So, during the game's story, you spent a good deal of the early portion on foot, not having access to a horse. Now, you will naturally come across your old horse. However, that is a good 10-15 hours into the game.

You can also buy a horse, but that remains super expensive. Instead, you should travel south of Troskowitz. You will find a saddler there, with a stable. Go into the field and find a grey horse. Right, there are Pebbles from the original game.

Now go and talk to the stableboy and pass a few skill checks; he'll give you your horse afterward. You should do this as soon as possible, and you can do it really early in the game.

Practice Makes Perfect

Now, here's the deal with the tricky combat system. It gets easier with time. Not because you get good at it but because Henry does. It is actually remarkable how it's crafted because it all feels so natural.

Now, some progress is lost from the last game, where Henry is still horrible with a sword or, God forbid, a mace. But you can easily grind out and practice with people like Sir Hans or a few trainers scattered around the map, easily gain some experience, and increase your skill level.

Books are helpful, and so are trainers, but both require money, something you'll not have a lot of in the early game. So, remember that.

Blacksmithing & Potions Are Great

So, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has a pretty expanded smithing system, letting you craft some weapons. The alchemy system is still there as well, in all its confusing glory. Both are great methods to not only gain skill levels but also save money.

Crafting potions is always good for you; you can save a lot of money on Marigold Decorations and Savior Schnapps, as well as other useful potions. Don't attempt to sell them, though; it's not worth it.

That's where blacksmithing comes in because it's really a great way to earn money, and it's a pretty fun mini-game while you're at it. It's also very immersive; Martin would be proud.

Lockpicking Can Be a Lifesaver

So, Lockpicking. If you have played the first game, it was probably the hardest and most annoying aspect of that game, with rage-inducing mechanics involving the lockpicking system. In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, it's much simpler and easier to handle but still requires some training and skill.

The game also doesn't do too good of a job at explaining it, but in brief, you basically have to find a sweet spot and move the key and the sweet spot at the same time. It's still a pretty tough system, and you'll have a lot of cases in missions where you need the skill. So it's good to train it up and practice so your lockpicks don't break after you gently nudge them.

Don't Be Filthy, Wash Up

Keeping clean is one of the more overlooked things in the game. You should always wash yourself, especially after a fight or doing a mini-game. It really affects how people look at you and how they reply to you.

Normal dialogue aside, it also affects your skill checks regarding charisma, so you'll also have a tough time convincing people of things. This also applies to haggling, which we'll tackle in a bit.

Troughs or rivers are easy ways to keep yourself clean. It's not perfect, but it gets the job done. To be truly clean, you have to go to a bathhouse. You can also get your clothes laundered here.

Speaking of which, you have to keep your clothes clean as well. You can get them laundered, but when out and about, try to keep soap with you so you can find a spot to clean them yourself.

Haggling Often Saves Money

Haggling is a good way to ensure you have money for things. You don't need to do high amounts since it always adds up. It also builds a reputation with the vendors. If you have an excess of money, you can also use the system to give them a tip.

Giving them a tip makes them happier and, well, increases Reputation. This improves their prices overall, so it's a good investment. You should also haggle for XP since it helps you boost your speech.

Find Mutt, Your Dog

In Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, you have a traveling companion running around with you. This is Mutt, of course, and it is straight from the last game's last DLC. Mutt is an adorable dog that is extremely helpful but often overlooked and forgotten.

His questline is somewhat tedious, but it unlocks early in the game. So once you get some skills and good items, you should go and find him as soon as possible.

He can distract enemies and help you find clues. He also has some minor dialogue moments and interactions in main quests, so those are nice not to miss out on.

Master Strikes

Master Strikes are like the "Ok, but I'd win" tool in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. An uncounterable attack that often deals devastating amounts of damage, Master Strikes are the be-all and end-all in this game, and you need to learn them as soon as possible.

This unavoidable attack can be learned from Master Tomcat once you prove to him that you're good with a sword.

Repair Often

Repairs are important in the game. After a certain point, damaged equipment is just not worth that much in terms of stats, so you need to ensure they're always in at least moderate shape.

To this end, you can visit Armor smiths, but you'll often be in the wilderness or far away from these tradesmen. In these cases, you can use toolkits or just do it yourself. The point is to keep your stuff repaired. This also actually applies to clothes because clothes can break, too, and that horribly affects charisma.

Don't Lose Your Reputation

Reputation is a big part of the second game and serves as a strong consequence of having a bad character. It's nice when the stuff you can pull off gets punished, adding to the immersion. It is what basically stops you from stealing everything from everyone, like a magpie.

Reputation also helps people help you with quests and when trading and haggling. Overall, it's a very important mechanic without delving too much into it, and it's important to keep up. The best way to increase or restore Reputation is by completing tasks and quests for people.

Also, check our Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Review and other guides below:

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• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Guide | Klara Romance
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