Polearms are long weapons that are unmatched in their speed and reach. They are common throughout Kenshi and are favoured by peasants, hivers and farmers. As such, they are a good weapon when fighting against the creatures of Kenshi, as they are often much bigger and badder than humanoid characters.
From the ordinary staff to the sharp, intricate polearms, you can find them both lootable and buyable all over the continent, so you don’t need to worry about getting your hands on a relatively good quality one. However, the very best ones are wielded by unique bosses throughout the game.
In this article, we’ll go through the different polearms in the game and where to get your hands on the very best ones.
5. The Staff
The humble staff in all its mundanity.
The staff is a fast, blunt weapon with some good reach and a small, negligible amount of cutting damage. It is popular among hive farmers and peasantry who can’t afford a blade. Don’t let that fool you, though; it can put plenty of swordsmen on their arse in the right hands.
While you can pick these up from shops. Mainly the swamp weapon shops, but you can also loot these from outlaw farmers and empire peasants. You can also easily make these with just a few simple research steps. Mass producing them from a bought building in a city to get your weapon-smithing skills up.
Aside from the plethora of cheap and rusty staves in the world, there is a unique Meitou quality staff in the game that you can claim for yourself, but it will require the craziest of crews to attempt it.
On the far east of the Continent lies the Forbidden Isle. Riddled with iron spiders and hostile tech hunters jostling for ancient treasures, it is dangerous enough at that. Plus, it is blanketed with acid rain.
If you can last even a few minutes on the isle, you must find the Spider Factory and defeat the iron and security spiders before facing the Spider Foreman. An ancient Skeleton wielding the legendary staff that you seek. Do all of that, and it is yours to claim. Good luck.
Staff stats
All stats are listed at Meitou quality. The highest available quality in the game unless otherwise stated.
- Cutting Damage - 0.11
- Blunt Damage - 1.60
- Blood Loss - 10%
- Attack Bonus - +8
- Indoor Bonus - -6
- Damage Vs Animals - Nil
- Required Strength - 64
4. The Polearm
The polearm. Namesake of this weapon class.
The staff that comes with a sharp end. Polearms are fast, long-reaching weapons with good cutting and blunt damage to boot. Exceptional at fighting against animals with a plus 50% bonus with each hit against one, they are a must for those who are hunting beasts.
Western and Southern Hive soldiers use these as their primary weapons, making them formidable fighting opponents. That also means they make for easy loot if you’re fighting the Hive to the South or their more peaceful Western cousins.
If you want the Meitou quality polearm, you will need to decimate the Southern Hive. The wielder of that weapon is none other than the Southern Hive Queen herself.
Killing or capturing her will cause the Southern Hive to become hiveless and invaded by Fogmen. No one is quite sure if this is due to disease or invasion, but don’t worry too much about it. The Southern hive are violent psychopaths who attack anyone on sight. The world is safer with them gone, and you will have a nice, shiny, unique polearm to add to your collection.
Polearm Stats
- Cutting Damage - 1.10
- Blunt Damage - 1.00
- Armour Penetration - 30%
- Attack Bonus - +6
- Indoor Bonus - -8
- Damage Vs Animals - %50
- Required Strength - 40
3. The Heavy Polearm
The polearm’s heavier, meatier cousin.
The heavy polearm is focused more on providing severe cutting damage and armour penetration with the long reach of a polearm. For whatever reason, there are no heavy polearms wielded by non-unique NPCs. You can only buy them in stores or loot them from ruins or animal nests.
Regardless, they are an upgrade to the damage of regular polearms when fighting humanoid NPCs at the cost of being less effective at taking on animals. Like most polearms, they still come with a bonus to fighting animals, making
them valuable all-rounders.
The Meitou quality version of this weapon is wielded by Screamer the False. One of the two main bosses in the tower of abuse. In my play-through, I captured Ponk and Screamer the False, released Agnu and gave him the Meitou Heavy Polearm. Pictured at the top of this article. Then, I allowed Agnu to murder his captor with their own weapon.
The Tower of Abuse is in the middle of Venge. If you have organic members in your party, it is best to travel at night when the orbital cannon isn’t operating, as it can randomly melt your entire party's skin off in only two hits.
Once you get to the Tower, you’ll have to fight off dozens of thralls. Skeletons who have had their heads removed and turned into mindless fighting drones. Fight through them, and you must defeat Ponk and Screamer the False. Both carry hefty bounties on their heads, and both wield Meitou weapons you can claim after you defeat them.
Heavy Polearm Stats
- Cutting Damage - 1.54
- Blunt Damage - 0.80
- Armour Penetration - 30%
- Attack Bonus - +4
- Indoor Bonus - -4
- Damage Vs Animals - %25
- Required Strength - 32
2. The Naginata
The Naginata.
The standard polearm of the United Cities samurai hunters. While it’s not the best weapon for cramped environments, its reach and speed make it great to keep skimmers at bay from UC settlements.
Depending on spawns, you can pick these up from most UC weapon shops. You can even pick up some high-grade ones from the Carton Scrap Masters in the UC’s southern territories.
The Meitou version of this weapon can be found on the Crab Queen. Leader of the Crab Raiders. These crab people are one of the pit gangs that you can ally with by talking to their leader. But if you want the best Naginata in the game, you must make enemies with the crabbed.
Naturally, as a pit gang leader, the Crab Queen comes with a hefty bounty and with her killed or imprisoned, you will effectively end the rule of the Crab people in that area, and the Crab will practically go extinct. Is it worth it for a quality, one-of-a-kind weapon? That’s up to you.
Naginata Stats
- Cutting Damage - 1.76
- Blunt Damage - 0.40
- Armour Penetration - Nil
- Attack Bonus - +6
- Indoor Bonus - -8
- Damage Vs Animals - %50
- Required Strength - 16
1. The Naginata Katana
“I have a staff. I have a Katana. Uhh… Katana Staff…”
Yep, essentially, someone decided to take a katana and make its handle about the same length as the blade. Thus giving you a polearm with a katana on the end. Joining the benefits of both while gaining a few drawbacks.
Namely, this weapon's reach is sacrificed to make it a very deadly katana that can fend off large groups of un-armoured humanoids. While less effective at keeping animals away, it is definitely the weapon of choice when going against cannibals in the North West of the continent.
These can be bought in most places around the world, especially in places like Worlds End or Mongrel, where you're bound to be fighting many enemies that would rather eat you than steal your stuff.
Unfortunately, due to bugs or developers forgetting, the Meitou version of this weapon is not available in Vannila Kenshi without mods. Don’t despair; it is available up to Edge Type 3, the step below Meitou, from high-end shops like the Scraphouse, and you can manufacture your own up to Edge Type 2.
Naginata Katana Stats
Stats at Edge Type 3.
- Cutting Damage - 1.55
- Blunt Damage - 0.32
- Armour Penetration - -15%
- Attack Bonus - +4
- Indoor Bonus - -4
- Damage Vs Animals - +25%
- Damage Vs Robots - -20%
- Damage Vs Humans - +25%
- Required Strength - 12.80
Conclusion
As with all weapons in Kenshi, you can seek out the best, most unique and ancient artefacts to make you the deadliest denizen of Kenshi. Or, with some know-how, research and elbow grease, you can craft your own incredible blades and outfit an entire squad with deadly weapons to rival those made by Cross themselves.
