Warhorse Studios released Kingdom Come: Deliverance on 13 February 2018, set in Bohemia in 1403 with no magic, no dragons and a map built from real places. You play Henry, a blacksmith's son from Skalitz, after Cuman raiders in Sigismund's pay burn the town and kill his parents. All 17 skills level only through use, and saving outside a bed normally costs a bottle of Saviour Schnapps.
Starting Kingdom Come: Deliverance can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet. For the full progression path, see our walkthrough.
What Kind of Game Is This?
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a rpg game built around Skills level only through use and Combat rose and Master Strikes. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Build
| Build | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Swordsman | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Archer | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Stealth Thief | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Diplomat | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Alchemist | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
Our recommendation: Start with Archer. It offers the most forgiving experience while teaching core mechanics.
Avoid Alchemist as your first pick. It requires deep knowledge of game systems to use effectively. Once you're ready, check our classes guide for all options.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn Skills level only through use
Seven combat skills cover Sword, Mace, Axe, Bow, Unarmed, Defence and Warfare, while ten non combat skills cover Alchemy, Herbalism, Hunting, Horsemanship, Lockpicking, Maintenance, Pickpocketing, Reading, Stealth and Drinking. Each rises only when you perform that action, and perks unlock at thresholds such as level 4, 8 and 12.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how Skills level only through use works before worrying about anything else. Our combat guide breaks this down further.
Step 2: Head to Rattay
The largest town and Henry's base for most of the game, seat of Lord Hanush of Leipa and Sir Radzig Kobyla. It holds the combat arena where Captain Bernard trains Master Strikes and combos, plus the mill where Miller Peshek fences stolen goods.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later. See our maps guide for all locations.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Shortsword: it's the most accessible early upgrade. One handed, which frees a shield for the early game when Henry blocks badly and takes damage he cannot afford. It is the sensible weapon for the chapters before Bernard's training.
Step 4: Understand Combat rose and Master Strikes
Attacks are aimed at directions on a combat rose, and blocking at the exact instant an opponent begins a swing triggers a Master Strike that counterattacks automatically. Captain Bernard at the Rattay combat arena is the only trainer who teaches Master Strikes, combos and feints.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early. It pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to Skalitz
The silver mining town burned in the prologue by Cuman raiders. Henry returns later in the story to bury his parents, finding it picked over by bandits and littered with the dead.
Essential Mechanics Explained
Skills level only through use
Seven combat skills cover Sword, Mace, Axe, Bow, Unarmed, Defence and Warfare, while ten non combat skills cover Alchemy, Herbalism, Hunting, Horsemanship, Lockpicking, Maintenance, Pickpocketing, Reading, Stealth and Drinking. Each rises only when you perform that action, and perks unlock at thresholds such as level 4, 8 and 12.
Combat rose and Master Strikes
Attacks are aimed at directions on a combat rose, and blocking at the exact instant an opponent begins a swing triggers a Master Strike that counterattacks automatically. Captain Bernard at the Rattay combat arena is the only trainer who teaches Master Strikes, combos and feints.
Saviour Schnapps save system
Sleeping in a bed you own saves, and quitting saves, but a mid quest save requires drinking Saviour Schnapps. Brewing your own through Alchemy is by far the cheapest supply and removes the pressure of rationing saves before every risky fight.
Hands on alchemy brewing
Potions are made physically at an alchemy bench: read the recipe from the book, grind or chop the herbs, boil for a counted number of hourglass turns and pour into the phial. Higher Alchemy skill forgives sloppy timing and eventually lets Henry brew straight from memory.
Reputation, speech and charisma
Dialogue options are gated behind Speech and Charisma, and both are affected by whether Henry is washed, well dressed and wearing appropriate clothes for the audience. Reputation is tracked separately per settlement, so a theft in Rattay does not instantly ruin your standing in Sasau.
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Fighting more than one armoured opponent in open ground before Master Strikes are trained
2. Rationing Saviour Schnapps by buying them instead of levelling Alchemy and brewing your own
3. Bringing a longsword against fully plated knights where a mace would get through the armour
4. Selling stolen goods to normal town traders and picking up a criminal reputation across the settlement
5. Ignoring Reading, then being unable to use the recipe books and lore texts the game hands you constantly
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand Skills level only through use and Combat rose and Master Strikes
- Choose Archer as starting build
- Clear Rattay main content
- Acquire Shortsword or equivalent upgrade
- Reach Skalitz
- Go to Captain Bernard at the Rattay arena before the main quest pushes you into real fights. He is the only character who teaches Master Strikes, combos and feints, and Master Strikes alone change the difficulty of the whole game.
- Fight in doorways, on stairs or with your back to a wall. Multiple opponents in open ground will surround Henry, and the combat system genuinely does not let you beat three armoured men at once early on.
Tips for New Players
- Go to Captain Bernard at the Rattay arena before the main quest pushes you into real fights. He is the only character who teaches Master Strikes, combos and feints, and Master Strikes alone change the difficulty of the whole game.
- Fight in doorways, on stairs or with your back to a wall. Multiple opponents in open ground will surround Henry, and the combat system genuinely does not let you beat three armoured men at once early on.
- Learn Alchemy early purely for Saviour Schnapps. Buying them drains money you need for armour, and brewing a batch of twenty removes the anxiety that makes people avoid experimenting.
- Blunt damage beats plate. A Ceremonial Mace against an armoured knight does what a longsword edge cannot, so carry both and switch based on what the enemy is wearing.
- Bathe and change into clean clothes before any conversation with a noble or a quest giver. Appearance feeds Charisma directly, and speech checks you fail dirty will pass clean.
- Sell stolen goods to Miller Peshek at the Rattay mill or to other millers rather than to town traders. Regular traders recognise stolen items and will report you.
- Read every book you find and take Reading lessons from the scribe in Uzhitz. Recipe books are unreadable at low Reading skill, and Alchemy depends on them.
- Repair armour before it drops below roughly half condition. Maintenance on badly damaged gear costs more and repairs poorly, and blacksmith repair prices scale with how far you let it slip.
- Ride everywhere and use the horse as a mobile chest. Horses carry a large amount of weight, which is the difference between looting a bandit camp completely and leaving most of it behind.
- Hardcore mode, added free after launch, removes the map marker and compass and makes you pick negative perks such as Somnambulant or Numbskull. Play it on a second run rather than a first, because it assumes you already know the roads.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same game as Kingdom Come: Deliverance II?
No. This page covers the original 2018 game from Warhorse Studios. A sequel exists and is a separate release with its own map, story and systems; nothing described here refers to it.
Why can I not save whenever I want?
Saving mid quest requires drinking Saviour Schnapps, an alcoholic potion you buy or brew. Sleeping in a bed you own and quitting the game also save. Levelling Alchemy to brew your own is the standard fix.
How do I stop losing every fight?
Train with Captain Bernard at the Rattay combat arena until you have Perfect Block and Master Strike, then fight one opponent at a time. Combat is a skill check on the player as much as on Henry.
Which DLC is worth it?
From the Ashes lets you rebuild and govern Pribyslavitz as a settlement, and A Woman's Lot adds a playable Theresa chapter plus the houndmaster and a dog companion. Band of Bastards and The Amorous Adventures of Bold Sir Hans Capon are shorter quest additions.
Is there any magic in the game?
No. The setting is Bohemia in 1403 and every mechanic, from armour layering to alchemy, is grounded in period practice. The closest thing to the supernatural is a superstition driven side quest.
More Kingdom Come: Deliverance Guides
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance Kingdom Come: Deliverance Overview
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance Best Builds
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance Tier List
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance Walkthrough
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance Tips & Tricks
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance Weapons Guide
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance Combat Guide
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance Boss Guide
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance Maps & Locations
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance Crafting Guide
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance Classes & Characters
Similar Games
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- Baldur's Gate 3 Beginner's Guide: rpg game with similar mechanics
- Cyberpunk 2077 Beginner's Guide: rpg game with similar mechanics
