The 5 best heavy weapons in Kenshi, and how to get them

Honing your weapon skills in Kenshi is a long and arduous process, which makes the initial choice to focus on an important one. There are several weapon classes to choose from, one of which is the ‘heavy weapon’ class. These weapons are huge and slow to swing but can deal massive amounts of damage when they connect. Most of them have a long reach, making it easier to hit several opponents in a single swing. Players should note that a good balance of Strength and Dexterity are both needed to master these weapons. Below, we will be counting down the five best heavy weapons in Kenshi.

Related: How to repair buildings in Kenshi

The best heavy weapons in Kenshi

Bull Horn Axe

Cutting Damage: 0.17
Blunt Damage: 0.72
Blood Loss: 1.00x
Indoor Bonus: -4
Required Strength: 29

Though a unique item, this heavy weapon has no special properties compared to other Fragment Axes. In fact, it’s much weaker than most higher-quality ones that can be purchased from manufacturers or even made through smithing. However, it’s not too difficult to get and can be a good starting point for heavy weapon users. It can be obtained from Flying Bull, who’s the leader of Kral’s Chosen.

Meitou Plank

Cutting Damage: 1.76
Blunt Damage: 2.40
Blood Loss: 1.00x
Indoor Bonus: -6
Required Strength: 96

The basic Plank is among the first heavy weapons that players will have access to. It’s extremely slow and ponderous, but it gets the job done. Throughout the game, better and better versions of Planks can be found or crafted, and the pinnacle of those is the Meitou Plank, which can be primarily bought from shops in the Shek Kingdom.

Meitou Exile Plank

Cutting Damage: 1.76
Blunt Damage: 2.40
Blood Loss: 1.00x
Indoor Bonus: -6
Required Strength: 96

The Exile Plank is a special version of the ubiquitous Plank heavy weapon. These weapons are mostly wielded by Gorillo’s bandits or found rarely in some ruins, and come in only a few variations. To get the best version, the Meitou, you have to loot Gorillo himself, the bandit leader, who’s located in the Old Prison. Other than prestige (and better sale price), this Plank is statistically very similar to the regular Meitou Plank.

Meitou Fragment Axe

Cutting Damage: 0.66
Blunt Damage: 3.60
Blood Loss: 1.00x
Indoor Bonus: -6
Required Strength: 144

The cool-looking Fragment Axes are another common version of heavy weapons in Kenshi. You will be able to wield one from early on in the game, and there are better versions to buy, loot, or upgrade. What they lack in cutting power, they more than makeup for in crushing strength. They will pulverize anything they hit. The best version is the Meitou variant, which is manufactured by Cross and can sometimes be found in the Shek Kingdom shops.

Meitou Falling Sun

Cutting Damage: 2.64
Blunt Damage: 2.00
Blood Loss: 1.00x
Indoor Bonus: -6
Required Strength: 80
Damage Bonus: +50% vs Beak Thing, Gorillo, Leviathan

Falling Sun is a specific weapon for its category, as it has higher cutting power and is much lighter and faster than its counterpart. This makes it an extremely dangerous weapon in the hands of a character with good Strength and Dexterity balance, as you’re mixing one-shot potential with high speed, offsetting the main weakness of heavy weapons. Lower-grade versions can be found in shops, while higher-quality versions can be looted in the Scraphouse. The best one, the Meitou variant, can only be looted from Mad Cat-Lon, a boss from the Second Empire Exile faction and one of the toughest bosses in the game.