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ByYurii Luzhko

Kenshi Factions

The 29 major Kenshi factions that control territory — their headquarters, the race that leads them, and who they're at war with. Click any faction to highlight its rivals, then jump to its territory on the map.

War graph · who attacks whom

attacks attacked bynode size = territory
Hover or tap a faction to light up its wars. 17 factions are at war; 12 keep to themselves (below).
UCUnited CitiesHNThe Holy NationSTSlave TradersSKShek KingdomFNFlotsam NinjasREReaversANAnti-SlaversUHUnited Heroes LeagueRFRebel FarmersSBSkeleton BanditsMAManhuntersTGTraders GuildEPEmpire PeasantsDBDust BanditsBOBand of BonesRSRed SabresSNSwamp Ninjas
No tracked wars:

Tap a faction name to spotlight who they're at war with. Tap 📍 to jump to their territory on the map. Red chips are other named factions — click any one to switch focus.

📍 29
HQ: Heft

The United Cities (A.K.A. the "Empire" or the "Desert Empire") is an expansionist, feudal slaver society.

Attacks on sight

Attacked by

📍 26
HQ: Blister Hillgreenlander

The Holy Nation (sometimes also referred to as Holy Empire) is a very large theocratic Greenlander state ruled by a Phoenix whom they believe to be a reincarnation of their first ruler, and is rumored to be over 5000 years old. Their denizens are concentrated mostly in and around Okran's Pride but could be found on over a quarter of the entire continent.

Attacks on sight

Attacked by

📍 12
HQ: Black Scratch

Tech Hunters are a tiny organization composed of adventurers dedicated to scouring the ancient ruins of the world in search of ancient technologies and artifacts.

📍 8

The Slave Traders are a faction composed of the practitioners of Slavery, they typically engage in trading and capture of slaves as well as in working the slaves on farms and mines. They also have close ties to most factions that engage in its practice, including The Holy Nation and the United Cities.

Attacks on sight

Attacked by

📍 6
HQ: Admagshek

Homeland of the Shek and headed by queen Esata "the Stone Golem", the Shek Kingdom is a very sparsely populated and tribalistic faction that resides almost entirely within the ranges of Stenn Desert, centered in their capital, Admag.

Attacks on sight

Attacked by

📍 5

The Swampers faction comprises the denizens of The Swamp, often not aligned to any one gang in particular. A collection of outcasts, outlaws, exiles, and criminals, their society has a very violent dog-eat-dog nature.

📍 4
HQ: Black Desert Cityskeleton

The Skeletons faction consists of Skeletons from the ancient times who have founded their own civilization of sorts. They have their own city in Deadlands, known as the Black Desert City.

📍 4
HQ: Flotsam Village

The Flotsam Ninjas are a small rebel faction mostly made up of women and escapees who have defected from The Holy Nation, although their organization is also composed of a significant proportion of volunteers, likely originating from Deadcat.

Attacks on sight

Attacked by

📍 4
HQ: Ark

Reavers are a faction of bandits led by Valamon who believe that they deserve to be in charge instead of the United Cities. They have the same trade culture as the Swampers.

Attacks on sight

📍 2

Nomads are a faction of Human wanderers and animal herders. Neutral and generally content to just tend to their animals.

📍 2

thumb|237x237px|Fogmen carrying a prisoner. The Fogmen (also known as the Deadhive) are a savage group of Hivers lurking within the Fog Islands.

📍 1
HQ: Spring

thumb|220x220px The Anti-Slavers are a faction led by the legendary Tinfist in a fight against slavery. As a result, they gained many powerful enemies such as The Holy Nation, United Cities and Traders Guild who engage in these practices.

Attacks on sight

Attacked by

📍 1

thumb|261x261px thumb|220x220px thumb|220x220px The Hounds are the most powerful gang in The Swamp. They are the continent's primary growers of Hemp, which is the main ingredient of Hashish, a narcotic substance illegal in all three major nations.

📍 1
HQ: Stone Rat Village

The Stone Rats are one of the many gangs that reside in the Swamp. They can be found in the city Shark or their village called Stone Rat Village where their leader Big Al lives.

📍 1
HQ: Fort Mirage

The United Heroes League is a faction of self-proclaimed "city heroes" that operate around United Cities territory. Made up of Greenlanders, they are hostile vigilantes of the United Cities, opposed to foreigners and nonhuman races (although not foreign humans).

Attacked by

📍 1
HQ: Fort Simion

Rebel Farmers are composed of the poorest of rebelling peasants and farmers from the United Cities. They are spread out across several empire lands, attacking various travelers on the roads and then retreating back to their camps.

Attacked by

📍 1
HQ: Iron HQ

Skeleton Bandits is a faction native to the southeast corner of the continent. They primarily consist of Greenlanders wearing Skeleton Masks.

Attacked by

📍 1
HQ: Manhunter Base

Manhunters are a Faction of people who hunt people who escaped Slavery for a living, similar to the Slave Hunters, albeit stronger, better-equipped, more frequent, and more numerous.

Attacked by

📍 1
HQ: New Kralia

Kral's Chosen are a large faction of Sheks with close ties to the Shek Kingdom comprised of loyalists to Flying Bull. Based mostly within New Kralia, they often randomly harrass and assault outsiders in the wilderness.

📍 1
HQ: Shark

A group of ronin Hivers, the Blackshifters are one of the 5 gangs from The Swamp.

📍 1
HQ: Trader's Edge

The Traders Guild is an allegedly neutral faction that deal primarily with commerce between towns. They're based in the United Cities and are integral to their economy.

Attacked by

📍 1

thumb|318px|A camp of [[Empire Peasant|Empire Peasants. Note how many of them belong to the Hive race.]]

Attacks on sight

📍 1

Thrall Masters is a bandit faction composed of reprogrammed (enthralled) Skeletons found in Venge, and occasionally in Grey Desert and The Eye. Their HQ is located in the Tower of Abuse.

📍 1
HQ: Dust King Tower

Dust Bandits are a hostile faction found around the Border Zone. Dust Bandits are better trained and equipped than some other bandit groups, like Starving Bandits.

Attacked by

📍 1
HQ: Exile Camp

The Band of Bones is a violent Shek bandit group led by Tora composed of denizens from the Shek Kingdom.

Attacks on sight

📍 1
HQ: Red Sabre Hideout

The Red Sabres are a bandit group from The Swamp led by their leader, Red Sabre Boss. The Red Sabres can be found roaming in The Swamp and the South Wetlands.

Attacks on sight

Attacked by

📍 1
HQ: Shark (override) Grayflayer

The Grayflayers (also referred to as the Grayflayer Clan as seen in Letters From A Swamper V) are one of the five gangs within The Swamp.

📍 1
HQ: Swamp Ninja Base

The Swamp Ninjas are a bandit faction from The Swamp. They are the rivals of the Red Sabres and can often be found fighting them.

Attacks on sight

Attacked by

📍 1
HQ: The Bastion

Cannibal Hunters are a group of people who have dedicated themselves to culling the Cannibal threat, attempting to keep them contained in their own territory. It is presumed they do this for their own reasons, such as personal grudges and the like.

About this data

The faction list is derived from the 29 factions that control locations on our map; headquarters, hostility relations and banners come from each faction's Kenshi Wiki (Fandom) page (official game data (Kenshi v1.0.68)). Facts are game data; descriptions are licensed CC BY-SA.

Kenshi factions FAQ

Does the Holy Nation hate the Shek in Kenshi?
Yes. The Holy Nation is openly hostile toward the Shek Kingdom (as well as the United Cities and the Flotsam Ninjas). The Holy Nation is a human-supremacist theocracy that treats all non-humans — including the Shek and Hivers — as heretics or lesser beings, so Shek characters are attacked on sight in Holy Nation territory.
How do you become allied with a faction in Kenshi?
Raise your reputation with a faction by fighting its enemies, freeing its captured members, or turning in bounties. Attacking a faction's enemies boosts your standing automatically — for example, fighting the United Cities or freeing slaves improves relations with the Anti-Slavers. Reputation is separate per faction, so helping one can anger its rivals.
Which faction is best for a new player in Kenshi?
The Shek Kingdom is a popular new-player start — its cities are relatively safe, the Shek are strong fighters, and it borders good hunting for early combat XP. The United Cities offers trade and quests but has slavers, while the Holy Nation is dangerous for non-human squads. Use the map to see each faction's territory before you settle.
How many factions are there in Kenshi?
Kenshi has over 100 factions in total, but most are small squads. This page covers the 29 factions that actually control settlements on the map, with their headquarters, the race that leads them, and their hostility relations — 24 declared rivalries in all.
Faction data from the Kenshi Wiki (Fandom), licensed CC BY-SA. Factual game data (Kenshi v1.0.68). PinDrop is fan-made and not affiliated with Lo-Fi Games.

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