Best Beginner Starts Beginner
Your start scenario decides how hard the first hour is. Some are a tutorial. Some are a punishment.
For a first run pick a gentle start — a Greenlander, a couple of squadmates, and a safe region near Squin or the Hub.
What A Start Decides
Start scenarios set your initial characters, gear, money and location. A gentle start drops you safe and equipped; a hard start drops you alone, broke, or in danger.
Recommended First Starts
The Wanderer-style starts — a single capable character free to choose their path — are the standard beginner pick. Starts that begin with a second squadmate are even safer.
Starts To Avoid First
Avoid solo, enslaved or hostile-region starts for a first run. They are excellent challenges once you know the game, and miserable when you do not.
Race And Region
Pair a Greenlander with a central start near the Border Zone or Shek territory. It sidesteps the worst faction hostility while you learn.
“A bite from a slaver patrol is not the end — captivity trains Strength and Toughness.”
- Kenshi Wiki (community, Fandom) — Cross-referenced for faction, region, item and creature details.
- r/Kenshi — Used for community survival consensus and beginner discussion patterns.
- Kenshi Steam Community Guides — Reference for build strategies and training methods.
Note: Kenshi mechanics, balance and mod behaviour vary by version and load order. Treat exact numbers and requirements as patch-dependent.