Kenshi: Best Strength Training: Strength XP Rate Combat, Strength XP Rate Walking

In Kenshi, strength is best trained through Strength XP Rate Combat and Strength XP rate Walking. The maximum Strength XP Rate Combat achievable is 100% whereas the maximum Strength XP rate Walking achievable is 50%.

Kenshi Strength XP Rate Combat

To increase Strength in combat, wield heavy weapons while unencumbered (total weight = weightless).

Don't start off wielding Edge Type 3 Fragmented Axes (2.88 blunt damage, 57 kgs) because the weapon alone will encumber you.

Kenshi Strength XP Rate Walking

To increase Strength out of combat (max +50%), lug around iron ore in a trader's backpack or wooden backpack (+25%) AND pick up and carry a body (+25%).

Martial Arts skill aside, don't fight while encumbered as it significantly reduces Strength XP Rate Combat (all the way down to 0% at overloaded).

To a degree, training Strength via combat or walking can be automated. For combat, seek out self-replenishing hordes (Fogmen). For walking, follow Nomads or auto-haul items (e.g., iron ore, iron plate and steel bar infrastructure operations). In this case, the backpack stuffed with iron ore must occupy actual inventory slots, not the backpack slot (or it will be auto-added to iron ore storage, which is most annoying).

At around Strength 60, Strength XP rate walking drops off: we need to slay horde after horde in order to train Strength. Estimating conservatively, and assuming distractions and max mobs, it can take about 32 hours of play to get a five-person squad to 70 Strength (which is nothing to veteran gamers, just saying).

Kenshi Masterwork Industrial Lifter Arms

Note that we gain a Robotics-based 53% bonus to our Strength score by virtue of 2x Masterwork Industrial Lifter Arms (right and left).

By rights we should only receive +46, but I tested this on various combat units; the outcome was always a 53% bonus.

cf. Kenshi Game Starts.

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