The opening hours of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 can feel brutally unfair. Henry starts with little money, mediocre equipment, and the combat ability of someone who’s just discovered that swords are surprisingly heavy.
The good news is that you do not need to grind endlessly or buy expensive equipment to become much stronger. Some of the game’s best early gear can be found through exploration, quests, bandit encounters and a little opportunistic scavenging.
The trick is knowing what is actually worth carrying. A shiny helmet is great until it weighs half your inventory and leaves you too exhausted to run away from three angry Cumans.
Here is the equipment that offers the biggest improvement during the early game.
Best Early Game Sword
Knight’s Sword
If you can get hold of a decent longsword early, your entire combat experience changes.
A Knight’s Sword offers excellent balance between damage, reach and handling. Unlike heavier military swords, it remains forgiving while your Warfare and Sword skills are still developing.
Why it’s excellent:
- Strong slash and stab damage
- Good durability
- Excellent reach
- Useful well into the mid game
Longswords reward timing more than button mashing. Once combat starts to click, they become some of the strongest weapons in the game.
Best Early Game Shortsword
Hunting Sword
Do not underestimate the humble hunting sword.
It attacks quickly, uses little stamina and pairs perfectly with a shield. For players who struggle with perfect blocks, this setup is much easier to manage.
Advantages include:
- Fast attacks
- Low stamina consumption
- Easy to carry
- Strong against lightly armoured enemies
It also performs well indoors where long weapons can occasionally become awkward.
Best Early Game Axe
Axes remain one of the strongest weapon types early on.
They combine respectable cutting damage with armour penetration that swords sometimes struggle to achieve.
A good woodcutter’s or battle axe can outperform expensive swords against armoured enemies.
Axes are especially effective because:
- Armour penetration is excellent
- Simple attack patterns
- Lower skill requirement
- Good against shields
If you are still learning combat, axes can make fights noticeably easier.
Best Early Game Mace
Once enemies begin wearing proper helmets, blunt weapons become terrifying.
A basic mace can crush opponents that swords merely annoy.
It may not look glamorous, but there is something deeply satisfying about watching an expensive knight collapse after a couple of well placed strikes.
Best Early Armour
Helmet
Never ignore helmets.
Head injuries are among the quickest ways to lose a fight.
Even an inexpensive kettle hat provides dramatically better protection than nothing at all.
Prioritise:
- Vision
- Weight
- Head protection
Do not automatically wear the heaviest helmet you find.
Gambeson
The gambeson is arguably the most important armour piece in the early game.
It absorbs damage while remaining relatively light.
A quality padded gambeson also improves comfort during longer fights.
Mail Shirt
Once you acquire chainmail, your survivability jumps significantly.
Chainmail protects against cutting attacks while remaining flexible enough for everyday combat.
It is expensive to repair, so avoid unnecessary damage whenever possible.
Plate Armour
Do not rush into full plate.
It looks incredible.
It also drains stamina, reduces mobility and costs a fortune to repair.
Mixing lighter armour with a few quality plate pieces usually produces a better early build.
Best Shield
A shield transforms combat.
New players especially benefit from the extra forgiveness.
Advantages include:
- Easier blocking
- Better protection from archers
- More survivability against groups
- Reduced punishment for mistakes
It is one of the biggest quality of life upgrades you can obtain.
Best Bow
Archery is stronger than many players realise.
Even a modest hunting bow allows you to thin enemy numbers before melee begins.
The earlier you begin practising, the easier later encounters become.
Always carry:
- Spare arrows
- Better quality arrows when affordable
- Repair kits
Best Clothing
Armour is only half the story.
Good clothing underneath increases comfort while affecting charisma and stealth.
Useful clothing includes:
- Dark clothing for stealth
- Higher charisma outfits for towns
- Durable boots
- Gloves for additional protection
Swapping outfits depending on your activity remains surprisingly effective.
Best Horse Equipment
Your horse quickly becomes your best travelling companion.
Improving its equipment makes exploration significantly easier.
Prioritise:
Saddle
Higher carrying capacity lets you loot more equipment before returning to town.
Saddlebags
More storage means fewer frustrating inventory trips.
Horseshoes
Extra speed and handling make travelling across Bohemia much less painful.
Best Utility Equipment
These items often matter more than another expensive sword.
Lockpicks
Many of the game’s best rewards sit behind locked doors and chests.
Repair Kits
Repairing your own equipment saves huge amounts of money.
Carry:
- Blacksmith kits
- Tailor kits
- Cobbler kits
Bandages
Bleeding remains one of the quickest ways to die.
Never leave town without several bandages.
Food
Starving Henry performs about as well as you would expect.
Carry long lasting food that will not spoil quickly.
Equipment Worth Buying Early
Some purchases offer exceptional value.
Prioritise:
| Item | Why Buy It |
|---|---|
| Better helmet | Huge survivability increase |
| Gambeson | Excellent protection |
| Hunting bow | Opens ranged combat |
| Saddle | More carrying capacity |
| Repair kits | Saves money long term |
| Lockpicks | Access to valuable loot |
Equipment Worth Looting Instead
Avoid spending money when perfectly good alternatives exist.
Look for equipment from:
- Defeated bandits
- Cuman camps
- Military patrols after battles
- Treasure locations
- Hidden chests
- Quest rewards
Selling duplicate equipment quickly becomes one of your main income sources.
Common Early Equipment Mistakes
Many new players accidentally make the opening hours much harder.
Avoid these mistakes:
- Wearing the heaviest armour available
- Ignoring stamina management
- Selling repair kits
- Carrying too much loot
- Forgetting ranged weapons
- Using damaged equipment without repairs
Good equipment only stays good if you maintain it.
Best Early Game Equipment Loadout
For most players, this setup offers the best balance of protection, mobility and affordability.
Weapon: Knight’s Sword or Hunting Sword
Secondary Weapon: Mace or Axe
Shield: Medium Shield
Helmet: Kettle Hat
Body: Gambeson with Mail Shirt
Legs: Padded Chausses with Mail
Hands: Leather Gloves
Bow: Hunting Bow
Horse: Upgraded Saddle and Saddlebags
Utility: Lockpicks, Bandages, Repair Kits, Food
This combination keeps Henry mobile while offering enough protection to survive increasingly difficult encounters.
Takeaway
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 rewards patience far more than expensive shopping trips. The temptation is to save every groschen for a gleaming suit of plate armour, but the biggest improvements usually come from a handful of practical upgrades. A reliable helmet, a sturdy gambeson, a well balanced weapon and a few repair kits will carry you much further than an oversized breastplate that empties your purse.
One of my favourite parts of the early game is that every piece of equipment genuinely feels earned. Finding a better sword after scraping through a difficult fight feels far more satisfying than buying one from a merchant. Before long, Henry starts looking less like a lost peasant and more like someone who actually belongs on a medieval battlefield. That steady transformation is one of the game’s greatest strengths, and choosing the right equipment makes every step of the journey feel worthwhile.
