KCD2 Longsword vs Mace — Which Weapon Wins Against Plate Armor?

Why armor type is the only thing that matters

KCD2's damage calculation reduces every melee hit by the target's armor protection — but the math differs sharply by weapon type. Longswords use 'slash' and 'stab' damage, both of which suffer heavy reductions against plate (60-70% damage loss). Maces use 'blunt' damage, which ignores most plate reduction and instead applies stagger that knocks armored opponents off-balance for follow-up combos.

Practical numbers from in-game combat tests: longsword on unarmored opponent — 60-80 damage per clean hit. Longsword on gambeson — 45-55 damage. Longsword on chain — 30-40 damage. Longsword on plate — 8-12 damage. Mace on unarmored — 35-50 damage. Mace on gambeson — 25-35 damage. Mace on chain — 22-32 damage. Mace on plate — 35-45 damage + stagger.

The crossover is clear: longswords win against light armor by 50-100%; maces win against plate by 200-400%. Maces also stagger plate-armored opponents on most clean hits, which interrupts master strikes and enables 2-3 follow-up hits per stagger. This stagger compound is why mace fights in Kuttenberg often end in 2-3 swings while longsword duels can drag past 10 swings.

Longsword vs Mace damage by armor type

Longsword strengths and weaknesses

Longsword strengths: highest baseline damage on unarmored and lightly-armored opponents, longest melee reach (3.2 metres including stab extension), fastest master-strike combo speed, and the deepest perk tree (15+ perks vs 8 for mace). The Defense skill tree includes 5 longsword-specific perks that don't apply to other weapons. The Warfare tree adds 3 more.

Longsword weaknesses: damage falls off a cliff against plate armor (60-70% reduction); stagger is rare and unreliable against armored opponents; durability degrades 25% faster than mace; requires Strength 8+ for the best swords (St. George's Sword, Burgher's Sword); the Defense perk path is locked behind early-game perk picks that may not align with your build.

Best longswords by tier: St. George's Sword (tier 3 forge, 95 damage, requires Smithing 12 + 5 ingots + 1 ruby) — overall best in slot. Burgher's Sword (tier 2 forge, 85 damage, requires Smithing 8 + 3 ingots) — best mid-game pick. Talmberg Longsword (tier 1 forge, 70 damage, requires Smithing 5) — early-game pick. Avoid the named longswords from looted bandits — they're tier 1.5 and degrade fast.

Mace strengths and weaknesses

Mace strengths: trivializes plate armor (ignores most reduction), reliably staggers armored opponents on clean hits, durability decays 25% slower than longsword, weighs 0.8 less than equivalent longswords (better stamina economy), and the war hammer subclass adds AP damage that pierces helmet armor for instant headshot kills.

Mace weaknesses: lower baseline damage vs unarmored (35-50 vs 60-80 for longsword); shorter reach (2.4 metres); slower combo speed (master-strike combo takes 1.2 sec vs 0.9 sec for longsword); thinner perk tree (8 mace-specific perks vs 15+ for longsword); requires Warfare 6+ for the best maces — locks you out of pure Defense-tree builds.

Best maces by tier: War Hammer of the Forge-Master (Forging the Future quest reward, 105 blunt + 30 AP damage, no forge required) — overall best in slot. Cuman Mace (tier 3 forge, 90 blunt damage, Smithing 10 + 4 ingots + 1 emerald) — best craftable. Talmberg Mace (tier 1, 65 blunt) — early-game pick. Avoid blacksmith maces with 'spiked' modifier — they look great but degrade 40% faster.

Carrying both — the optimal late-game setup

From chapter 4 onward, optimal play is to carry both a longsword and a mace. The longsword handles bandit encounters (Trosky highway, Suchdol forest), light tavern brawls, and any opponent without plate. The mace handles Kuttenberg duels, tournaments against plate opponents, and the endgame quest fights (Forging the Future, Voices of the Dead).

Inventory weight cost: ~2.4 weight for an extra weapon. Carry capacity at Strength 10 is 80 weight; the 2.4 weight is 3% of total — trivial cost for the situational advantage. Strength 12+ unlocks the Saddlebag perk that adds 30 capacity, making the dual-weapon load negligible.

The dual-weapon strategy also pays off in tournaments. The Kuttenberg arena alternates between light-armor and plate-armor opponents across rounds — switching weapons between rounds (each round has a 30-second equip window) wins matches that single-weapon strategies lose. The 'Tournament Master' achievement specifically requires winning Kuttenberg with both weapon types.

Dual-weapon Stamina Longsword/Mace build

Weapon recommendation by combat scenario

Verdict: Use longsword for chapter 1-3 (Trosky and bandit content). Switch to mace for chapter 4 onward (Kuttenberg, tournaments, endgame quests). Carry both from chapter 3 onward and equip per encounter — the inventory weight cost is trivial and the situational advantage is decisive.

Common longsword vs mace mistakes

• Sticking with longsword in Kuttenberg. 8-12 damage per swing against plate stretches every fight to 20+ swings — switch to mace.
• Ignoring the War Hammer of the Forge-Master. Skip the smithing investment for the Cuman Mace — Forging the Future gives the better weapon for free.
• Carrying only one weapon. The 2.4 weight cost of a backup weapon is trivial; the situational gain is massive.
• Using mace against unarmored peasants. The 35-50 damage is enough but you're leaving 25-30 damage on the table per swing — use longsword.
• Spiked mace modifier traps. They look impressive but degrade 40% faster than smooth maces — avoid blacksmith picks with 'Spiked' or 'Studded' modifiers.
• Not training Warfare for mace perks. The 'Crushing Blow' perk (Warfare 8) adds 25% stagger duration — game-changer for plate fights.
• Forgetting tournament weapon switches. Kuttenberg arena has 30-second equip windows between rounds — use them.