Case 1
- How much blunt damage does the weapon deal?
- 1.5
60.0
Open with these valuesKenshi Weapon Strength Calculator
60.0
Result: 60.0A weapon wants forty Strength for every point of blunt damage it deals. A blade at 1.5 blunt needs 60 Strength, one at 2.0 needs 80. Fall short and you keep the weapon but swing far slower, up to about half speed — which in Kenshi is how characters die.
The numbers at a glance
| How much blunt damage does the weapon deal? | Result |
|---|---|
| 0.00 | 0.0 |
| 0.50 | 20.0 |
| 1.00 | 40.0 |
| 1.50Your value | 60.0 |
| 2.00 | 80.0 |
| 2.50 | 100.0 |
| 3.00 | 120.0 |
Worked examples
Case 2
- How much blunt damage does the weapon deal?
- 1
40.0
Open with these valuesCase 3
- How much blunt damage does the weapon deal?
- 2
80.0
Open with these valuesHow it's calculated
Required Strength = blunt damage × 40
- StepHover the weapon in your inventory and read its blunt damage, not the cut damage.
- StepMultiply that number by 40.
- ResultCompare the result with the current Strength stat of your character.
What this number means
Kenshi does not lock a weapon behind a stat check. It hands you anything you can pick up and then punishes you quietly for carrying more than you can handle: under the weapon's Strength threshold your swings slow down, by as much as roughly 47 percent, and in a game where a fight turns on who recovers first, that is how characters die. The threshold itself is plain arithmetic. Read the blunt damage off the weapon's stat panel and multiply by 40. A blade at 1.25 blunt wants 50 Strength, one at 1.5 wants 60, one at 2.0 wants 80, and a 5.0 monster wants 200 — which is why the heaviest weapons in the game amount to late-game equipment. Two honest caveats belong with that number. The first is where it comes from: Lo-Fi Games has never published a formula table, so the 40 is not an official figure but a community reading of the game data, taken here from a wiki moderator's answer in the official Steam forum. The second is what it leaves out. The same source states the full rule as the larger of blunt damage times 40 and the raw weapon weight. The weight only binds on the very lightest weapons, but where it does, the figure on this page is the smaller of the two and therefore too low.
The 40 is a community figure
Lo-Fi Games publishes no formula table. The number comes from players reading the game data with the bundled modding tool, and is cited here from a wiki moderator's answer in the official Steam forum.
Blunt damage, not cut damage
The stat panel lists cut damage and blunt damage separately, and only the blunt figure enters the formula. Quality grade and material change it, so check the exact variant you own.
On light weapons the weight can bind
The full in-game rule takes whichever is larger, blunt damage times 40 or the raw weapon weight. On the very lightest weapons the figure shown here is therefore too low.
Read it the other way round
Divide your Strength by 40 and you have the highest blunt damage you can carry without the penalty. At 60 Strength that is 1.5, at 100 it is 2.5.
Commonly misread
My Strength is too low, so I cannot equip this weapon.
Nothing stops you equipping it. Your combat speed drops sharply instead, by up to roughly 47 percent.
I multiply the cut damage by 40.
Only the blunt damage enters the formula. Cut damage and weapon class do not.
The requirement is an official Lo-Fi Games figure.
Lo-Fi Games publishes no formula table. The 40 is a community reading of the game data, cited here from the official Steam forum.
Reference table
| Blunt damage | Required Strength |
|---|---|
| 0.5 | 20 |
| 1 | 40 |
| 1.25 | 50 |
| 1.5 | 60 |
| 2 | 80 |
| 2.5 | 100 |
| 5 | 200 |
Questions
What is the weapon strength requirement in Kenshi?
Every weapon has a Strength level it wants before it can be swung at full speed. That level is forty times the blunt damage printed on the weapon. Below it your character still fights, but with a heavy combat-speed penalty.
How is the required Strength worked out?
Blunt damage times 40, and nothing else — cut damage and weapon class do not enter the formula. The full in-game rule takes whichever is larger, that product or the raw weapon weight, so on the very lightest weapons the weight can be the binding number instead.
Where do I find the blunt damage of a weapon?
Hover the weapon in your inventory or in a shop and the stat panel lists cut damage and blunt damage separately. Only the blunt figure matters here. Quality grade and material change it, so check the exact variant you own.
What happens if my Strength is too low?
Nothing stops you equipping the weapon, but your combat speed drops sharply, up to roughly minus 47 percent. Recovery between swings stretches out and faster opponents get free hits. A lighter weapon you actually meet the requirement for usually wins the fight.
Which weapon can I use at my current Strength?
Divide your Strength by 40 and you have the highest blunt damage you can carry without the penalty. At 60 Strength that is 1.5 blunt damage; at 100 it is 2.5.
How do I train Strength in Kenshi?
Strength grows while you move under load, so walk or run encumbered. Carrying unconscious bodies, ore or building materials works, and so do the training dummies found in some settlements. Being slow is the price, and it is worth paying early.
Sources and last check
Information, not professional advice.