Armor of the Shadows Set
The Armor of the Shadows is a five-piece plate armor set in Crimson Desert once worn by Beloth the Darksworn. It features pitch-black equipment scattered across the Hernand region and The Argent Peaks. Three pieces can be obtained through exploration alone, while the helm and gloves require defeating Beloth during Chapter 6 and beyond.
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Overview
The Armor of the Shadows is a five-piece plate armor set in Crimson Desert distinguished by its pitch-black appearance and strong defensive stats. The set was once worn by Beloth the Darksworn, a powerful boss found at the Hoenmark Ruins in the Hernand region. The individual pieces are scattered across the snowy northern areas of the map, with three of the five obtainable entirely through exploration and the remaining two requiring a boss fight.
What makes this set especially valuable is that the exploration-based pieces can be collected very early in the game. The Plate Boots of the Shadows, the Plate Armor of the Shadows (chest piece), and the Pitch Black Plate Cloak of Shadows can all be found in caves and ruins without fighting any enemies, provided you have the right abilities unlocked. This makes the Armor of the Shadows one of the strongest equipment sets available in the early-to-mid game.
Set Pieces
The Armor of the Shadows set consists of five pieces covering the head, body, hands, feet, and cloak equipment slots. The table below lists each piece along with its location, the requirement to obtain it, and its key stats.
Piece | Slot | Location | Requirement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Head | Defeat Beloth the Darksworn (Chapter 6+) | High defense, Daze Immunity | ||
Body | Cave near Everfrost Watchtower, The Argent Peaks | Light the brazier to lower spike barrier | DEF 13, Petrification Immunity | |
Hands | Everfrost Cave, south of Frostclaw Cave | Defeat Beloth the Darksworn quest chain (Chapter 6+) | ATK 18, DEF 3, Climb +2%, Swim +2% | |
Feet | Frostclaw Cave, west of Hernand | Use Stab to pass through the waterfall | ATK 16, DEF 7, +10% Skill EXP | |
Cloak | Hoenmark Ruins, northwest of Hernand | Use Force Palm to break floor tile | DEF 3+3, Fire Resistance Lv. 7 |
How to Obtain
The five pieces of the Armor of the Shadows set are split between exploration-based finds and boss-fight rewards. Three pieces can be collected freely through exploration and ability use, while the remaining two require progressing through Chapter 6 of the main story and defeating Beloth the Darksworn.
Exploration Pieces (Available Early)
These three pieces can be obtained without any combat, as long as you have the required abilities unlocked. They are all located in the snowy Hernand region and The Argent Peaks.
Plate Boots of the Shadows
The Plate Boots of the Shadows are located inside Frostclaw Cave, west of Hernand. The cave entrance is north of the Scholasta Institute. To reach the treasure chest, you need to use the Stab combat ability to breach through a waterfall that blocks the path. The Stab ability is available by default for all three playable characters, so this piece is accessible as soon as you can reach the cave.
Plate Armor of the Shadows (Chest Piece)
The Plate Armor of the Shadows is found inside a small cave in The Argent Peaks, near the Everfrost Watchtower to the north of Frostclaw Cave. Inside the cave, you will find a brazier that can be lit. Lighting the brazier triggers a mechanism that lowers a spike barrier, granting access to the treasure chest containing the chest piece. No abilities beyond basic interaction are required.
Pitch Black Plate Cloak of Shadows
The Pitch Black Plate Cloak of Shadows is hidden in the Hoenmark Ruins, northwest of Hernand. Look for an elevated, snow-covered flat section of the ruins where a rectangular floor tile has a noticeably tighter brick pattern. Use the Force Palm ability on this tile to break through the floor and drop into an underground chamber. The cloak is inside a treasure chest in the chamber below. Force Palm is learned during the Chapter 1 main quest "Traces" when Kliff encounters an Axiom Force puzzle in the Abyss.
Boss-Fight Pieces (Chapter 6+)
The Plate Helm of the Shadows and the Plate Gloves of the Shadows are both obtained through the White Blizzard faction quest chain, which becomes available after completing Chapter 6 of the main story. The quest sends you to the Hoenmark Ruins where you must defeat Beloth the Darksworn, a powerful boss who fights with ice-based attacks. Beloth is widely considered one of the hardest encounters in the game.
Plate Helm of the Shadows
The Plate Helm drops directly from defeating Beloth the Darksworn at the Hoenmark Ruins during the "Wraith in the Frost" quest. This is currently the only way to obtain the helm. The fight takes place in a blizzard-affected area, so ice resistance gear is strongly recommended.
Plate Gloves of the Shadows
After defeating Beloth, you receive a follow-up quest that points you toward the Plate Gloves. The gloves are found near a lit-up box in the vicinity of the boss arena. The Everfrost Cave area south of Frostclaw Cave also contains the gloves according to some player reports. The gloves provide strong offensive stats with ATK 18 alongside mobility bonuses for climbing and swimming.
Stats Comparison
The following table provides a side-by-side comparison of the known stats for each piece of the Armor of the Shadows set.
Piece | DEF | ATK | Special Effect | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Plate Helm | High | - | Daze Immunity | Glacial Domain |
Plate Armor (Body) | 13 | 0 | None | Petrification Immunity, DEF +3, Stamina Regen +2% |
3 | 18 | Climb Speed +2%, Swim Speed +2% | - | |
Plate Boots | 7 | 16 | None | +10% Skill EXP Gain, Climb Speed +2% |
Pitch Black Cloak | 3 (+3 Refinement) | 0 | Fire Resistance Lv. 7 | - |
The chest piece provides the highest raw defense at 13, while the boots and gloves offer significant offensive stats alongside their defensive values. The cloak's Fire Resistance Lv. 7 bonus makes it particularly useful against fire-based enemies and environmental hazards. The helm's Daze Immunity prevents stagger effects during combat.
Beloth the Darksworn Boss Fight
To obtain the Plate Helm and Plate Gloves, you must defeat Beloth the Darksworn at the Hoenmark Ruins. This boss fight is part of the White Blizzard faction quest chain that unlocks after Chapter 6. Beloth is an ice-themed boss with several dangerous attacks.
Ice resistance is critical. Beloth's attacks deal heavy ice damage, and the fight takes place during an active blizzard that inflicts passive cold damage over time. Equip ice-resistant armor and bring warming food before attempting the fight.
Watch for the spear lunge. Beloth has a one-shot spear lunge attack that can instantly kill unprepared characters. Use the environmental pillars in the arena as cover to avoid this attack.
Escape freezing quickly. Several of Beloth's attacks can inflict a freezing status effect. Mash buttons rapidly when frozen to break free before follow-up attacks connect.
Play defensively. The fight rewards patience over aggression. Focus on dodging and using pillars for cover rather than trying to trade blows. Attack during recovery windows after Beloth finishes combo chains.
Recommended Collection Order
Since three of the five pieces are obtainable through exploration alone, you can build up most of the set very early. Here is the recommended order for collecting all five pieces:
Plate Boots of the Shadows (Frostclaw Cave): Requires only the Stab ability, which all characters start with. Head west of Hernand and use Stab to breach the waterfall.
Plate Armor of the Shadows (Everfrost Watchtower): Located north of Frostclaw Cave in The Argent Peaks. Light the brazier inside the cave to lower the spikes.
Pitch Black Plate Cloak of Shadows (Hoenmark Ruins): Requires Force Palm, learned during Chapter 1. Head northwest of Hernand and look for the distinctive brick floor tile.
Plate Helm of the Shadows (Hoenmark Ruins, Chapter 6+): Defeat Beloth the Darksworn during the White Blizzard quest.
Plate Gloves of the Shadows (Beloth quest chain, Chapter 6+): Obtained through a follow-up quest after defeating Beloth.
Tips
Collect the exploration pieces first. The boots, chest armor, and cloak are all accessible early and provide a massive power boost for the early-to-mid game. You do not need to wait for Chapter 6 to benefit from this set.
Bring cold-resistant gear for Hernand. The Hoenmark Ruins area is affected by an active blizzard that deals passive cold damage. Bring healing food or equip ice-resistant gear to stay healthy while exploring.
Unlock Force Palm early. Force Palm is needed for the cloak piece. It is learned during the Chapter 1 quest "Traces" when Kliff revisits the Abyss. Make sure you do not skip this quest step.
Stack ice resistance before fighting Beloth. The boss fight for the helm and gloves is extremely difficult without proper ice resistance. Consider crafting or purchasing ice-resistant equipment before attempting the encounter.
Check your Abyss Gear slots. Several pieces of the set have Abyss Gear bonuses that provide additional passive effects like Petrification Immunity, increased Stamina Regen, and bonus Skill EXP. Make sure to review and socket these bonuses for maximum benefit.
Related Articles
Plate Helm of the Shadows - Headgear piece from Beloth the Darksworn
Plate Armor of the Shadows - Chest piece from the Everfrost Watchtower cave
Plate Gloves of the Shadows - Gloves from the Beloth quest chain
Plate Boots of the Shadows - Boots from Frostclaw Cave
Pitch Black Plate Cloak of Shadows - Cloak from the Hoenmark Ruins
Beloth the Darksworn - Boss fight guide for the Chapter 6 encounter
Armor - Complete armor guide for Crimson Desert
Hidden Treasures - Guide to finding all hidden treasure items
Hernand - The region where most Shadow pieces are found
The Argent Peaks - Mountain region with the chest piece location
Frostclaw Cave - Cave west of Hernand with the boots
Hoenmark Ruins - Ruins with the cloak, helm, and gloves