Strength is not a build option in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - despite what less realistic RPGs would have you believe, being a lithe, unarmored dancer isn’t a realistic way of surviving melee combat. Henry will need to build up muscle if he intends to survive his misadventures, as it will allow him to carry more gear, wear heavier armor and overpower foes in combat. This page will discuss what the Strength skill does, how to level it efficiently, and what the best Strength perks are in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.

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Strength Uses and Effects¶

As mentioned above, Strength is primarily useful for how it affects Henry’s combat performance, improving his weapon handling, damage output and mitigating the effects of wearing heavy armor. If you want to kill things better and remain mobile while doing it, you’re gonna need Strength. Strength also increases Henry’s carrying capacity, which is always appreciated, especially as your heightened Strength will allow you to overcome more foes in combat and result in you having to carry more loot around. It’s a good problem to have.

Leveling Strength¶

Like Vitality, Strength isn’t the easiest stat to level up, especially since one of the primary ways of gaining Strength is by swinging weapons around in combat. The higher the weapon’s Strength requirement, the more EXP you’ll gain. Since this requires you to seek out enemies and defeat them (putting your own life at risk in the process), it’s a less reliable way of leveling than, say, running around the countryside.

Fortunately there are other things you can do to level Strength, including walking around while overencumbered. Just make sure you’re not in a settlement and enjoy the gains - the more weight you’re carrying, the more Strength EXP you’ll get. This is also a way to level up Endurance, and honestly, isn’t a bad way to get a few stat points in both early on, although it’s obviously not the most exciting way of leveling up. You can also get the Survival perk “Leg Day” to gain Strength EXP whenever you pick herbs, and since herbs are a good way to load up on disposable weight, this forms a pretty righteous trio you can level simultaneously.

Ultimately you can squeak out a few levels in Strength without fighting much, but there’s a fair bit of combat in this game, so grinding out Strength for long periods of time doesn’t matter - at some point you’ll just want to stop actively trying to level Strength and let it grow naturally as you complete main quests, side quests and tasks, and do the obligatory fighting that comes with them.

Best Strength Perks¶

Strength’s perks include a lot of the fare you probably expect - bonuses to blunt damage, charge attack damage, lowering the Strength requirements for weapons, and more carrying capacity. Whatever your preferred playstyle, you’re likely to find something in this tree you fancy! Our picks for the best Strength perks are as follows:

Hard-Working Lad, Pack Mule and Strong as a Bull¶

All three of these perks have something in common: they increase your carrying capacity. Everybody loves carrying more stuff and hates inventory management, so these perks are always welcome. They’ll collectively boost your carrying capacity by 40lbs, with Pack Mule arguably being the least impressive of the bunch, if you feel like skimping.

Tight Grip¶

If you’re keen on performing stealth takedowns, this will help you knockout or kill opponents. If your prey fights you off, the consequences can be dire, so getting this perk is very, very useful for those situations.

Heracles¶

You get +1 Charisma for every 5 points of Strength you have, up to +6 Charisma at Strength Lv 30. Generally conditional +3 Charisma boosts have been enough to warrant a perk in other trees, so this is really a no-brainer. It’ll make Speech checks easier and help you save money when buying and earn more when selling over the course of the entire game once you unlock it.

There are also a lot of conditional perks in the Strength tree worth considering - if you use a shield, you should definitely pick up “Vanguard”, while if you use blunt weapons, both ranks of “Grand Slam” are worth a buy. Below you’ll find a list of all the Strength perks in the game and their effects.

List of Strength Perks¶