Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Guide | Best Potions & How To Craft Them

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 very slightly expands the Alchemy mechanic from the last game while also making it easier, full of your favorite potions. Alchemy, in general, is one of the most useful skills to have overall, and you don't even need to find the recipes for them.

A small reminder that, unlike in the first game, you usually never need to use the bellows. Now, it's only needed when specified, so be sure to not use it unless absolutely necessary. Potions boil as you lower them and wait for turns. You should also only turn the sandglass after you have lowered the Cauldron. Otherwise, it will lower the quality.

As mentioned before, you don't need to find the recipe for a potion as long as you use the right ingredients, in which case, the recipe will be added upon making the potion. So feel free to keep this guide at hand when crafting the potions.

What affects the quality of a potion?

So there are 4 tiers of potion quality: Weak, Normal, Strong, and Henry. Weak has a counter of -2, and Normal has a counter of minus 1. These counters are affected by a few things:

• Making a mistake
• Using dried herbs
• Using old herbs

All of these subtract one from the counter, and they stack, so you can make two mistakes and make it a weak potion. Mistakes can be things like small differences in time. Larger mistakes like using the wrong ingredients just fail the potion-making.

Most potions need more than one herb, so if you just use at least one fresh herb, it will negate any usage of old or dried herbs.

What are the best potions?

Marigold Decoction

This is the best potion to have. It's effectively your medkit, healing you and even curing any hangovers you have. They also slowly fix any lingering wounds. You need 1x Nettle and 2x Marigold to craft it. The recipe is as follows:

• Add Water
• Add 1 Nettle
• Boil for 2 turns
• Grind 2 Marigold and add it to the Cauldron
• Pour into Phial

Digestive Potion

One of the useful potions to have is the Digestive Potion, which is a must-have since it has very good utility. Food Poisoning can give you a lot of restrictions, so you'll always want to get rid of it. Digestive Potions also decrease nourishment but increase Vitality by 2. The recipe is:

• Add Water
• Add 2 Thistle
• Boil for 2 turns
• Grind 1 nettle and add it
• Boil for 1 turn
• Grind 1 Charcoal and add it
• Pour into Phial

Nighthawk Potion

If you are anything like me, you like to roam around at night or at least complete some of your journeys at night. To this end, the Nighthawk potion goes a long way to improve the accurate horrendous visibility of the period. It is also great for the stealth segments in the game. The recipe for this is:

• Add Water
• Add 2 Eyebright to mortar, grind, and add to Cauldron
• Add 1 Belladonna to the Cauldron
• Boil for 3 turns
• Add 1 Chamomile to the mortar, grind, and pour into the Cauldron
• Pour into the Phial

Cockerel

This one is also helpful when you're out and about. However, it is harder to make with somewhat annoying ingredients. It is all definitely worth it since it doubles the work of making sure you don't need sleep. The Recipe is:

• Add Spirits
• Grind 2 Mint and add to Cauldron
• Boil for 1 turn
• Add 1 Valerian
• Boil for 2 turns
• Prepare Phial and distill

Aesop Potion

Aesop Potion is basically the potion for hunters or thieves. It is basically a potion that turns you into snow white, where animals don't notice you, and your companion skills improve.  Both the Houndmaster and Horsemanship skills increase in value, and that lasts for 12 hours, so you'll feel the effects for a while. At higher quality, the effects can last up to 24 hours. The Recipe is:

• Add Spirit
• Grind 2 Comfrey and add it
• Add 1 Boar's Tusk
• Boil for 2 turns
• Grind one Belladona and add it
• Add Phial and Distil

Aqua Vitalis

Another potion that is very effective during fights. Aqua Vitalis is excellent for when you are going to initiate a big battle or fight during quests. If you have lower-tier armor, this turns you from a walking glass vase to a tank. It makes you lose less health and slows down bleeding, if only for 10 minutes. It is also one of the easier potions to make, requiring only 2 dandelions and 1 marigold. The Recipe is as follows:

• Add Water as the Base
• Add 2 Dandelions
• Boil for 1 turn
• Grind 1 Marigold and add it
• Boil for 2 turns
• Add to Phial and distill it

Saviour Schnapps

Of course, the dreaded Saviour Schnapps had to make an entry. One of the methods of healing in the game, Saviour Schnapps, is actually pretty versatile and has a myriad of other uses to them. While you can make them en masse, it is better to just hold onto the ones you already have. The Recipe is:

• Add Wine
• Add 1 Nettle
• Boil for 2 Turns
• Grind 2 Belladonna and Add it
• Boil for 1 turn
• Add to Phial

Hair o' the Dog

So, you had the time of your life in the tavern? Or maybe went on a potion-drinking spree to stack a bunch of buffs. Regardless of the reason, you're probably now immensely drunk and are bound to have a hangover. Luckily, this potion comes to the rescue. The Hair o' Dog removes drunkenness and hangover. The recipe is:

• Add Water
• Add 1 Sage and 1 St. John's Wort
• Boil for 3 turns
• Grind 1 Mint and add it
• Pour into Phial

Buck's Blood

One of my favorite potions in the game, Buck's Blood, does wonders in the early game, especially in regards to saving myself in battles. One of the frequent issues I ran into in the early game was with my stamina. It just ran out all the time. So, if it is the same for you, Buck's Blood comes to the rescue. For those in the stats, this increases stamina by 30% and stamina regeneration by 15% for a short time. The recipe is:

• Add Oil
• Grind 1 St. John's Wort and add it
• Add 1 Comfrey
• Boil for 1 turn
• Add 1 Dandelion
• Boil for 1 turn with bellows
• Pour into Phial

Quickfinger Potion

Now, this potion is very obviously designed to be used to make money. See, it boosts both Craftsmanship and Thievery. So, regardless of learning, you'll be able to get yourself closer to financial security. The recipe is:

• Add Water
• Add 1 Cobweb and 2 Eyebright
• Boil for 3 turns
• Grind 2 Valerian and add them
• Boil for 1 turn
• Pour into Phial

Artemisia

It's another simple potion that helps immensely early in the game. This one only costs 1 sage and 2 wormwood and lowers the stamina cost for blocks and attacks. It also increases your strength. To top it off, it is a great potion to sell as it costs anywhere between 40 to 55 groschens. The recipe is:

• Add Spirit
• Add 1 Sage
• Boil for 1 turn
• Add 2 Wormwood
• Boil for 2 turns
• Add to Phial and distill it

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

• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Beginners' Guide - Tips & Tricks
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Guide | How To Make Money & Get Rich Fast
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Guide | How To Level Up Fast
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Guide | All Romance Options
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Guide | Klara Romance
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Guide | Lady Rosa Romance
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Guide | How To Make Soap
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Guide | How To Increase Inventory Space