If you’ve spent any time in Kenshi, you already know that Toughness is one of the most crucial stats for any character aiming to survive the harsh wastelands. But unlike combat or stealth, toughness training usually comes at a painful cost. That is—unless you do it the right way. FrankieWuzHere, a dedicated solo challenge runner with over 2,000 hours in the game, has crafted a method to efficiently and safely grind Toughness from level 1 to 90 using a clever exploit of Kenshi’smechanics. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of that method.

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Preparation: Gear and Supplies

Before you start your toughness grind, it’s important to come equipped with the right items:

• Samurai Helmet
• Samurai Armor
• Samurai Legplates

Standard quality is acceptable, but higher quality gear like High Grade or Masterwork offers better results, reducing the risk of death while increasing efficiency.

Bring the following support items:

• Skeletons: Pack repair kits
• Others (Humanoids): Bring a first aid kit, splint kit, and a sleeping bag—just in case things go sideways

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Location: Skinner’s Roam

Head to Skinner’s Roam, a region located west of the Deadlands. You’ll want to stay in the green-highlighted zone—do not venture south into the red area or you’ll risk running into Beak Things, which will wreck your training session (and your character).

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Target: Hungry Bandit Mob

The squad you’re looking for consists of two Hungry Bandit Leaders and about 40 Hungry Bandits. Avoid Dust Bandit camps or Bonedog nests.

Here’s how to identify the leader you need to engage:

• Click on bandits at the center of the group.
• Look for the one whose goal says “Patrolling.” That’s your leader.
• If it says “Following Leader,” that’s a follower—ignore them.

Attack the leader directly, and all other nearby bandits will join in and attack you, making the training work effectively.

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How It Works: Play Dead Mechanic

This method revolves around the “playing dead” feature.

• Your character is knocked unconscious when a vital body part drops below zero HP.
• After a short time, they recover—if no allies are nearby, they’ll “play dead.”
• Getting back up from play-dead mode grants a significant Toughness XP boost.

The more enemies around, the bigger the boost.

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Training Routine: Input Spam and Control

Once the bandits engage you:

1. Spam left-click on your character to initiate first aid.
2. Also spam the R key—this interrupts dodging or other defensive actions, helping you get knocked out faster.
3. Every time your character gets back up and is downed again or plays dead, you earn XP.
4. Rinse and repeat. Just keep clicking and letting them knock you back down.

With the right armor, this cycle becomes incredibly effective. Frankie demonstrates reaching level 90 Toughness from level 1 in a single session.

Bonus: Sometimes when getting up, enemies will knock you down mid-animation, which registers as another play-dead sequence—meaning free Toughness XP without additional damage.

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Troubleshooting and Safety Tips

• If your arm or leg isn’t taking damage, don’t worry too much—so long as one vital area is, the training works.
• If using Masterwork armor, the process is smoother, but even High Grade gear is enough.
• Keep a sleeping bag nearby in case you need to heal up and recover for another run.

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Why This Method Works

Most toughness training relies on being beat up in dangerous scenarios, but this method removes the randomness and maximizes XP per recovery. By gaming the play-dead mechanic and focusing on a specific type of enemy with large numbers and low damage, you gain reliable, scalable toughness training that doesn’t require grinding through endless losses or risking permanent injury.

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Final Thoughts

Whether you’re building a one-man army or just want your lone wanderer to be able to take a punch, this is one of the most efficient solo methods to train Toughness in Kenshi. All it takes is good armor, some preparation, and the will to get knocked down again and again—and stand up stronger every time.

Try this in your next solo run, and let FrankieWuzHere’s Twitch stream be your companion during the grind. Who knows? You might hit level 90 before you even notice.

See you out there in Skinner’s Roam.