Kingdom Come: Deliverance II: Complete Guide

A practical guide to surviving, fighting and earning in 1403 Bohemia as Henry of Skalitz, covering the Trosky and Kuttenberg regions, combat, saving, money, character growth and the three story DLCs.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the post-launch 2025 updates (Hardcore Mode, barber) and all three DLCs (Brushes with Death, Legacy of the Forge, Mysteria Ecclesiae). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

Saving costs something. The game autosaves at quest milestones and when you sleep in a bed you own or rent, and you can save when you quit. Manual saves anywhere need Saviour Schnapps. Buy a few, then learn to brew it (recipe below). Do not play for hours on one autosave.
Henry starts weak on purpose. For the first several hours, avoid fights with more than one armed enemy. Skills level by doing, so time and practice fix this.
Stamina is your real health bar in combat. Armor only soaks damage while you have stamina. Drain the enemy's stamina and protect yours.
Learn the perfect block. When the shield icon flashes green, block. It costs no stamina and opens counters. This one skill carries you through the game.
Look after the four needs. Keep Nourishment, Energy, Health and Stamina up. Eat before a fight, sleep regularly, carry bandages.
Clothing affects conversations. Charisma comes from what you wear, and dirt and blood lower it. Wash at bathhouses or in water troughs before important talks. Loadouts let you switch between combat, stealth and "nice clothes" sets.
Sharpen and repair. Use grindstones in towns to keep weapons sharp, and carry repair kits (armorer's, tailor's, cobbler's, and blacksmith's for weapons).
Crime follows you. Stolen goods stay marked as stolen, and ordinary merchants won't buy them. Trespassing, theft and assault hurt your reputation in that area and can end with fines, the pillory or branding.
Get a horse and keep Mutt close. A horse gives you storage, speed and an escape. Your dog helps you track and fight once you meet up with him again.

The Map at a Glance

Region	What it's like	Key places
Trosky (Bohemian Paradise)	Rolling countryside, villages, forests. The first half of the story.	Troskowitz, Semine, Zhelejov, Tachov, Vidlak Pond, Trosky Castle
Kuttenberg	A large, dense medieval city with a surrounding countryside of mines and villages.	Kuttenberg city, Maleshov, the Sedletz monastery (Mysteria Ecclesiae DLC)

Kuttenberg is bigger and busier. Its guards, merchants and quests expect you to be stronger by the time you get there.

Saving and Survival

Saviour Schnapps

The potion saves your game and also gives a small buff. Per Fextralife, it heals and briefly raises Strength, Vitality and Agility. You can buy it from apothecaries and some bathhouse owners, but brewing it is much cheaper:

Step	Action
Base	Wine in the cauldron
1	Add 1 Nettle, boil for 2 turns
2	Grind 2 Belladonna
3	Add the ground Belladonna, boil for 1 turn
4	Pour into a flask

Nettle and belladonna grow wild all over the countryside, so gather them as you travel. An alchemy perk gives you a stronger version of the schnapps with a bigger buff and more healing.

Survival stats

Stat	Restored by	What happens if you neglect it
Nourishment	Food, taverns, cooked meat	Stamina penalties. Overeating also carries a penalty.
Energy	Sleep (beds, campfires with a bedroll)	Worse vision and stamina, eventually passing out
Health	Bandages, potions, sleep, food over time	Bleeding keeps draining it until you bandage
Stamina	Rest, food, potions	Armor stops protecting you and you can't attack or dodge

Food spoils, so eat fresh meat first and keep dried or smoked food for long trips. Raw meat can make you sick.

Combat Fundamentals

KCD II uses directional melee. You pick an attack direction, the enemy tries to block that direction, and the rosette on screen shows you the openings.

Technique	How	Why it matters
Perfect Block	Block as the green shield icon flashes	No stamina cost, staggers attackers, sets up counters
Master Strike	A timed counter during the enemy's swing (improved through Warfare progression)	Goes for the face and bypasses armor for full damage even if the enemy still has stamina
Perfect Dodge	Dodge sideways inside the perfect block window	Puts you beside or behind the enemy
Combos	Rapid attacks in a specific direction sequence, shown by the rosette	Big damage and faster stamina drain
Riposte	Counter-attack after a block	Fextralife calls it a trap for beginners, because attacks cost stamina and perfect blocks don't

Combat rules of thumb

Fight one person at a time. Circle so enemies stack behind each other. Two bandits can kill a fully armored Henry.
Use the ranged weapons you have. Bows, crossbows and early handguns are all in the game. A crossbow bolt into an approaching bandit shortens the fight a lot.
Blunt beats plate. Maces and hammers (Heavy Weapons) punch through armor that swords glance off.
Keep your weapon sharp. A dull sword does much less damage, so sharpen it at a grindstone after big fights.
Stay on your horse against rabble. Riding past and swinging works well against lightly armored groups.
Don't fight tired, hungry or drunk unless you've built for it. Drunk Henry fights badly.

Weapon families

Skill	Weapons	Strength	Weakness
Swords	Short and longswords, sabres	Fast, many combos, good master strikes	Poor against heavy plate
Heavy Weapons	Maces, axes, hammers	Blunt damage through armor	Slower, stamina-hungry
Polearms	Spears, halberds, poleaxes	Reach, good on horseback	Clumsy in tight spaces
Unarmed	Fists	Brawls and non-lethal fights	Dangerous against weapons
Marksmanship	Bows, crossbows, handguns	Kills before contact	Reloading time, ammo cost

Stats, Skills and Perks

Main stats: Strength, Agility, Vitality, Speech. Skills (all level through use): Warfare, Swords, Heavy Weapons, Polearms, Marksmanship, Unarmed, Alchemy, Craftsmanship, Drinking, Horsemanship, Houndmaster, Scholarship, Stealth, Survival, Thievery.

Each skill level gives you perk points for that skill's tree. How to spend them:

Early game: put points into Warfare and your main weapon skill first, then Survival for bandage and herb help, then Speech-related perks if you like to talk your way out of trouble.
Stealth or thief builds: Stealth plus Thievery. The lockpicking and pickpocketing perks make the minigames far more forgiving.
Alchemy is a money-maker and a survival engine. Unlock better versions of healing potions and Saviour Schnapps.
Read the perk text. Several perks have trade-offs, and some only work with specific weapon types.

Training faster

Spar with trainers and captains. Paid training lessons raise skills quickly and cost less than dying.
Read books. They train Scholarship and teach specific skills.
Hunting and foraging level Survival and Marksmanship at the same time.
Picking locks you can already open cleanly is safe Thievery practice.

Making Money (Groschen)

Method	Early	Late	Notes
Looting bandits	Yes	Yes	Repair armor and weapons before selling for much better prices
Alchemy	Yes	Yes	Brew healing potions and Saviour Schnapps, then sell the extras
Hunting	Yes	Yes	Poaching on lords' land is a crime, so watch for gamekeepers
Blacksmithing	Yes	Yes	Forge swords at a smithy and sell them. Legacy of the Forge expands this with commissions
Quests	Yes	Yes	Many pay well and unlock discounts or gear
Dice (Farkle)	Yes	Yes	Special dice and badges tilt the odds in your favor
Theft	Risky	Yes	You need fences for stolen goods, and getting caught is expensive

Merchants have limited cash that restocks over time, so spread big sales across several traders. Reputation and charisma also affect prices.

Stealth, Theft and Crime

Noise and visibility meters depend on your clothes. Wear dark, quiet gear for night work (the stealth loadout).
Lockpicking: turn the lock until the pick hovers over the sweet spot, then hold steady. Early locks are forgiving and hard locks punish impatience.
Pickpocketing works best on sleeping or distracted NPCs. Wait for night.
When caught: you can pay the fine, accept the punishment, try to talk your way out (Speech check), or run. Running makes it worse if the guards recognise you later.
Evidence matters: stolen items carry a mark, and guards may search you. Stash loot in your horse's saddlebags or a safe chest before walking into town.

Progression Order (Spoiler-Light)

Prologue and first act (Trosky): recover from the opening ambush, rebuild Henry's kit, find your dog Mutt and a horse, and follow the main quest toward Trosky's nobles. Do side quests in the villages. They pay well and teach systems.
Midgame (still Trosky): get properly armored, raise Warfare and a weapon skill, and start alchemy and smithing for income.
Second act (Kuttenberg): the city opens. Expect tougher fights, more politics and a lot of side content. Settle into a base of operations, and if you own Legacy of the Forge, start restoring the forge.
Endgame: the main story branches on choices you've made. Finish major side lines before the final chapters so you don't lose track of them.

DLC Overview

DLC	Released	What it adds
Brushes with Death	May 2025	Story adventure helping a mysterious artist with a dark past
Legacy of the Forge	September 9, 2025	Restore a Kuttenberg forge tied to Henry's family history. Blacksmithing commissions, prestige progression and home customization
Mysteria Ecclesiae	November 11, 2025	Mystery investigation at the Sedletz Monastery

All three are included in the Expansion Pass. A Steam sale announced on September 26, 2026 took up to 60% off the base game, with further discounts on the Expansion Pass and each DLC; sales are time-limited, so check the store page.

Hardcore Mode

Hardcore Mode arrived in a free patch in spring 2025 (Fextralife lists patch 1.2.4, April 2025) and can only be chosen when you start a new game. It removes a lot of help: no player marker on the world map, no cardinal directions on the compass, a reduced HUD with hidden health and stamina bars, no fast travel, no autosaves (Saviour Schnapps and beds become essential), delayed quest markers and a smaller discovery radius for points of interest. You also have to take at least three negative perks at the start, such as:

Bad Back: carry capacity halved, and picking herbs can strain your back
Hangry Henry: food fills you less, and hunger hurts Speech, Charisma and Intimidation
Numbskull: skill XP reduced by 40%
Punchable Face: enemies are more aggressive and you take 10% more damage
Somnambulant: you get tired faster and sometimes sleepwalk
Sweaty: clothes get dirty faster and NPCs can smell you from farther away

Other negative perks include Bashful, Heavy-Footed, Menace (crime marks become permanent, and a second serious crime can mean execution) and Picky Eater. Play the regular game first. Hardcore is a second-run experience.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Relying only on autosaves. Keep Saviour Schnapps stocked, and brew it once you have the recipe.
Fighting groups early. Use terrain, retreat, or come back later.
Selling unrepaired gear. A damaged plate piece is worth a fraction of its repaired price.
Ignoring clothing charisma. Walking into a noble's hall covered in bandit blood makes Speech checks much harder.
Carrying stolen goods through guarded towns. Guards search people, so stash stolen items first.
Overloading Henry. Encumbrance slows you and drains stamina. Use your horse's saddlebags and your storage chests.
Riposting and spamming attacks. Perfect blocks are free and attacks cost stamina, so be patient.
Skipping bandages. Bleeding will kill you after you've already won the fight.

Advanced Tips

Use loadouts so one key press changes your outfit: armor for fights, dark cloth for stealth, fine clothes for talking.
Sleep in beds you own or rent. You get proper rest, an autosave and a safe place for your stash.
Work the merchants' cash. Sell expensive items to traders who have the most groschen that day.
Use potions before fights, not during. Drinking mid-fight leaves you open. Buffs last long enough to pre-drink.
Hunt with Mutt. The dog tracks, flushes and holds game. Houndmaster perks improve this.
Alchemy is a timing minigame. Follow the recipe book exactly and use the hourglass to count turns. Wrong order or timing ruins the batch.
Commit crimes at night, away from witnesses. Crime reports need someone to see you, so darkness, closed doors and sleeping households are your friends.
Explore Kuttenberg on foot at first. The city is dense, and you learn shortcuts and back alleys you'll need for thievery quests.

FAQ

How do I save in Kingdom Come: Deliverance II? Drink Saviour Schnapps, sleep in a bed you own or rent, reach a quest autosave, or use save-and-quit from the menu.

What's the Saviour Schnapps recipe? Wine base, then 1 Nettle boiled for 2 turns, then 2 ground Belladonna boiled for 1 turn, then pour.

How long is KCD II? The main story is long, and with side quests, DLC and exploration it easily runs past 100 hours. Plan for a big game.

Do I need to play the first game? It helps with story context, but the sequel recaps the essentials. Henry's skills are reset at the start of II, so your level in the first game doesn't carry over.

Can I play Hardcore Mode on my existing save? No. Hardcore has to be chosen when you start a new game.

Which DLC should I play first? Legacy of the Forge if you like crafting and home-building. It also gives you a steady income through blacksmithing. The other two are self-contained story adventures.

Why won't merchants buy my items? They're probably marked as stolen, or the merchant has run out of money for the day.

Is there a Switch 2 version? A Nintendo Switch 2 port of the Royal Edition was announced at a Nintendo Direct in September 2026 and is scheduled for 2027. PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions have been out since February 4, 2025.