You’ve finally started feeling like a real knight—or at least someone who won’t trip over their own scabbard—and then the game hits you with Neuhof. Honestly, Kingdom Come Deliverance The Hunt Begins is where the training wheels don’t just come off; they get set on fire. It is the first moment in Warhorse Studios' medieval epic where the sheer scale of the world and the unforgiving nature of its mechanics truly collide. One minute you’re riding out with the big boys from Rattay, feeling all official in your borrowed gear, and the next you’re staring at a bloody stable yard wondering how on earth you’re supposed to find a group of bandits in the middle of a dense Bohemian forest.
It’s brutal. It’s messy. It’s basically a crash course in "Henry’s life is going to be very difficult."
The Shock of Neuhof and the Race Against Time
Most RPGs treat "investigation" quests as a series of glowing breadcrumbs. Not this one. When you arrive at the Neuhof stud farm during Kingdom Come Deliverance The Hunt Begins, the atmosphere is heavy. There’s smoke, the sound of grieving widows, and the impatient barking of Captain Bernard. If you’ve spent the last three hours picking flowers or trying to learn how to read in Uzhitz, the sudden shift to a high-stakes murder mystery can be jarring.
The quest triggers immediately after the "Ginger in a Pickle" setup, but let's talk about the urgency. Many players don't realize that Kingdom Come Deliverance actually tracks time for certain objectives. While you aren't on a literal five-minute timer to solve the Neuhof raid, lingering too long or wandering off to play dice in a tavern can actually change how characters react to you.
Captain Bernard is a man of limited patience. If you aren't following his lead or if you're dilly-dallying while his men are scouring the woods, he will let you know. In no uncertain terms. Usually with a lot of shouting. This quest serves as a pivotal narrative bridge, moving Henry from "boy who lost his sword" to "man involved in a massive political conspiracy."
Talking to the Survivors (And Not Being a Jerk)
You have to talk to everyone. That sounds like standard gaming advice, but here, the nuance of your "Speech" and "Charisma" stats actually matters.
Zora, the widow of the stud farm owner, is understandably distraught. If you go in there with your visor down, covered in blood and looking like a brigand yourself, she isn't going to be particularly helpful. This is where the game’s "Social Layer" shines. You need to look the part of a Lord’s investigator.
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- Mark: He’s terrified. You need to coax the information out of him regarding the direction the bandits fled.
- Ginger: The name that will haunt your next three hours of gameplay. He’s gone, and the fact that he fled makes him look guilty as sin to everyone except maybe Henry.
- Jakub: He provides the crucial detail about the "clinking" sound and the direction of the woods.
The investigation isn't just about clicking through dialogue trees. You actually have to look at the ground. Look for the blood trails. Look for the broken fences. It’s actual detective work, which is why Kingdom Come Deliverance The Hunt Begins remains one of the most memorable sequences in the game. It forces you to stop looking at the UI and start looking at the world.
Into the Woods: The Combat Reality Check
Once you find the path leading into the forest north of the farm, the game stops being a walking simulator and starts being a survival horror game for a few minutes. If you’re playing on Hardcore Mode, this part is a nightmare. There are no map markers. You are literally following blood stains on leaves and broken twigs.
You eventually stumble upon two bandits in a clearing.
For many players, this is the first "real" fight outside of a controlled training ring. These guys aren't the clumsy peasants you might have fought on the road to Rattay. They have better gear, they know how to block, and they will absolutely end your playthrough if you haven't been practicing your master strikes with Bernard.
Honestly? If you aren't confident in your combat skills yet, don't feel bad about using a bow from a distance or even trying to lure one away. Henry is still a blacksmith’s son at this point. He isn't Galahad. If you rush in swinging wildly, you’re going to run out of stamina, get master-struck into oblivion, and end up staring at a "Game Over" screen while your last save was twenty minutes ago back at the farm.
The Ginger Problem
Finding the charcoal burners is the next logical step, and this is where the quest line starts to branch out into the wider region. The search for Ginger is essentially a giant game of "telephone." You talk to one group of charcoal burners, they point you to another, who then point you to a third group further up the river.
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It feels tedious to some, but it’s world-building. You see the hierarchy of the forest. You see how the common folk are terrified of the "noble" war happening over their heads. When you finally find Ginger hiding in his hut, you're faced with a choice. Do you help him? Do you bring him back to face "justice" (which likely means a short drop and a sudden stop)?
Most players choose to help him because, by this point, you realize Ginger is just a scared kid who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Helping him requires you to deal with the remaining bandits, which again, tests your combat progression.
Why This Quest Matters for Your Build
If you’ve been ignoring your stats, Kingdom Come Deliverance The Hunt Begins will punish you. It’s the ultimate "check yourself" moment.
- Horsemanship: You do a lot of riding. If your horse is a nervous wreck or you haven't mastered controlling Pebbles, the chases through the woods are going to be frustrating.
- Maintenance: Your armor gets thrashed. Learning to use a whetstone or carrying repair kits becomes essential here.
- Vitality: The long treks and sudden bursts of combat drain your energy. If you haven't eaten or slept properly before leaving Rattay, Henry will start hallucinating or running out of breath mid-swing.
The quest is a microcosm of the entire game's philosophy: preparation is more important than reflexes. If you showed up to Neuhof with a blunt sword and a stomach full of nothing but cheap wine, you’re going to have a bad time.
Technical Hurdles and Common Pitfalls
Let's get real for a second. Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a masterpiece, but it can be buggy. During "The Hunt Begins," there have been documented issues where Captain Bernard gets stuck or won't talk to you if you've committed a crime in Rattay recently.
If Bernard is acting "glitchy," it’s often because your reputation is too low or you have an active bounty. Pay your fines. Go to church. Wash your face. The NPCs in this game judge you constantly.
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Another common mistake is losing the trail in the woods. If you lose the blood trail, go back to the spot where you found the dead horse and look North-East. The game doesn't hold your hand, and it’s very easy to end up in a completely different part of the map if you aren't paying attention to the sun or your compass.
The Long-Term Impact on Your Playthrough
Successfully completing this quest and the subsequent "Ginger in a Pickle" opens up the world. You get access to better gear, you earn the respect of Sir Radzig, and you start to understand the "why" behind the burning of Skalitz.
It also changes your relationship with Captain Bernard. If you perform well, he becomes a more effective trainer. If you fail or act like a coward, he’ll continue to treat you like a "useless page" for a significant portion of the game.
Kingdom Come Deliverance The Hunt Begins isn't just a quest; it's the moment Henry stops being a victim of the story and starts becoming the protagonist. It’s gritty, it’s frustrating, and it requires a level of patience that most modern AAA games don't ask for. But that’s exactly why we play it.
Actionable Tips for Succeeding in The Hunt Begins
- Visit the Alchemist First: Grab some Marigold Decoction. You will take damage in the woods, and having a healing potion can be the difference between finishing the quest and losing forty minutes of progress.
- Check Your Horse's Weight: You’ll find a lot of loot at the bandit camps. If Pebbles is overloaded, you won't be able to gallop back to Neuhof to report your findings.
- Use the "Wait" Feature Sparingly: If you need to pass time, do it in a bed. Waiting in the middle of a quest line can sometimes trigger world events or cause NPCs to move to locations you haven't discovered yet.
- Clean Your Gear: Before talking to Zora or the charcoal burners, use a trough. People in Bohemia are much more likely to give you the information you need if you don't look like you just crawled out of a sewer.
- Save Often: Use your Savior Schnapps before entering the woods. The bandit encounter is one of the most common places for new players to die unexpectedly.
If you can make it through the Neuhof investigation and find Ginger, you’ve officially passed the "beginner" phase of the game. From here on out, the enemies get tougher, the politics get messier, and the rewards get much, much better. Keep your sword sharp and your horse fed. You're going to need both.