Secondary weapons are used in 2 scenarios - when you are missing an arm or when you’re fighting indoors. If you happen to be in one of these scenarios and you’re not equipped with decent secondary armor, this could mean the end of your character. 

That’s why I’d like to talk about the best secondary weaponry in Kenshi - where you can find it, how much damage it does, against which enemies it's good at and plenty of other things. Let’s start with:

5. Longsword

For those who are not huge fans of katanas.

Longswords are usually carried by the nobles in the UC territories, if you have balls big enough to steal or loot one from them, you might acquire yourself with a Meitou version - which as we all know, is the best version in the game!

Longswords deal a fair amount of cutting damage combined with a splash of blunt damage - this is great against characters who wear too much of that pesky armor!

Why the Longsword is awesome:

- Splash of blunt damage does a better job getting through the armor

- High amount of cutting damage for a secondary weapon

- Looks cooler than a katana!

More information:

https://kenshi.fandom.com/wiki/Longsword

4. Katana

Katana, the most common weapon in the world of Kenshi.

Katanas are everywhere, you can find them on the United Cities Samurais, rebels of any type, Flotsam Ninjas, Escaped Servants, and pretty much everyone. The meitou version can be found on Tengu(The Emperor of the United Cities, good luck with that) and it’s perfect for the early game and the middle game. Lovely piece of a blade!

Why the Katana is awesome:

- Pure cutting damage

- Perfect against unarmored targets

- Easy to find

More information:

https://kenshi.fandom.com/wiki/Katana

3. Spiked Club

Jesus.

This is the heaviest secondary weapon in the game, it does a great job against heavily armored Samurais from the United Cities and robots - it’s a must-have if you’re wandering through robot-infested hellholes like the Sonorous Dark or the Ashlands.

The meitou version can’t be unfortunately found anywhere. I know, it hurts my soul as well!

Why the Spiked Club is awesome:

- Great against robots

- +30% armor penetration

- It will also just kill your victims, not just knock them unconscious.

More information:

https://kenshi.fandom.com/wiki/Spiked_Club

2. Wakizashi

The queen of indoor combat!

Wakizashi's are for those who need EVEN LIGHTER katanas. They are great when you happen to be fighting indoors and are excellent against single targets, although they will do fine as well against multiple targets. 

Where can you find this thing? As before, you can find this thing on the corpse of one of the nobles roaming the United Cities. Good luck with that, you might get your ass kicked!

Why the Wakizashi is awesome:

- Awesome for indoor combat(+4 indoor bonus)

- Looks cute

- Bonus damage against humans

- +2 attack bonus

1. Short-Cleaver

Why aren’t cannibals equipped with this when they eventually lose their limbs?

Short-Cleaver is the only cleaver that fits in the secondary weapon slot. If you’re a pure Hacker enjoyer, this weapon is a must for you. You’ll be able to dismember your enemies even after you lost one of your arms. Despite it being a little bit heavy, it still does a good job against robots and heavily armored targets - great weapon, just don’t run out of strength too fast!

Why the Short-Cleaver is great:

- 10% armor penetration

- 20% more damage against robots

- Balanced amount of cutting/blunt damage

More info:

https://kenshi.fandom.com/wiki/Short-Cleaver

You may also be interested in:

• [Top 10] Kenshi Best Weapon Shops And Why They're Great
• [Top 15] Kenshi Best Mods Everyone Should Use (2022 Edition)
• [Top 10] Kenshi Best Weapons And How To Get Them
• [Top 5] Kenshi Best Armor And How To Get Them
• [Top 10] Kenshi Best Base Locations And Why They're Great (2022 Edition)