Best Early Weapons

Overview

Choosing the right weapon early in Crimson Desert can make or break your first dozen hours. The game hands you a basic sword and shield during the Prologue, but the world opens up quickly after that, and stronger options become available through vendors, exploration, and quest rewards. This guide covers the best weapons to pursue during the early chapters (Prologue through Chapter 4), why they stand out, and where to find them.

Every weapon type in Crimson Desert has its own moveset, strengths, and skill interactions. Some are forgiving and accessible for newcomers while others reward experienced players who understand the combat system. The recommendations below balance raw damage, defensive options, skill synergy, and ease of acquisition.

Weapon Types Available Early

Crimson Desert features over a dozen weapon categories. Not all are available immediately, but the following types can be obtained during the early chapters:

Best Starter Weapon: Sword and Shield

The Sword of the Wolf is Kliff's starting one-handed sword, equipped by default when the game begins. It has a base ATK of 12 and comes with 3 Abyss Core slots, giving it solid customization potential despite its low starting damage. Paired with any shield, this combination is the safest and most accessible loadout in the early game.

Why start here? The sword teaches you the core combat system rhythm without demanding precise timing or complex input strings. It handles both offensive and defensive playstyles, and the shield provides consistent damage reduction. For players new to action RPGs, this is the weapon to learn the fundamentals with before branching out.

Recommended pairing: Pick up the Staglord's Shield as soon as you can. It provides 6 DEF and adds +2 ATK SPD, which noticeably speeds up your attack chains. It is a meaningful upgrade over the basic starting shield.

Best Early Two-Handed Weapon: Spear

The Spear is arguably the strongest early-game weapon type in Crimson Desert. Its combination of superior reach, forgiving defensive mechanics, and crowd control makes it effective against both regular enemies and bosses. Many veteran players consider the spear borderline overpowered during the first half of the game.

Warspike Spear

The Warspike Spear is one of the first spears you can obtain and serves as an excellent backup weapon. It has a base ATK of 14, which already surpasses the Sword of the Wolf. You can find it leaning against a shrine not far from Hernand. Leave town and head to the wooded area marked on your map, or scale carefully down the cliff side to reach it. Nearby, you will also find a Sealed Abyss Artifact that teaches Sharpened Spear II, a useful passive boost for spear weapons.

Why the Spear Dominates Early

The spear's defining skill is Evasive Slash, a counter stance that activates with R1 + Circle (PlayStation) or RB + B (Xbox). Unlike a standard parry, which requires frame-perfect timing, Evasive Slash stays active for as long as you have stamina. When an enemy attacks during the stance, Kliff responds with a wide horizontal swing that pushes enemies away, followed by powerful repeated thrusts that stagger most targets. This forgiving window makes it accessible for new players while still being devastatingly effective against bosses.

Two other spear skills stand out in the early game. Turning Slash (R1 + R2 / RB + RT) is a spinning attack that triggers almost instantly when chained from another skill, pushing enemies back and dealing high damage to groups. Stab (R1 + Triangle / RB + Y) delivers a triple thrust combo that chains into a rapid six-thrust assault, which is nearly guaranteed to break through shield-wielding enemies' guards.

Tip: You can unlock Evasive Slash by investing in the Armed Combat branch of Kliff's skill tree up to level 3. Prioritize this early.

Recommended Swords Beyond the Starter

The Sword of the Wolf works well for the Prologue and Chapter 1, but its ATK of 12 falls behind quickly. Here are stronger swords to look for as you progress:

The Tauria Curved Sword is the standout pick for the early-to-mid game. Its +1 ATK SPD bonus makes combos faster, and its compatibility with Crow's Pursuit adds ranged damage to your heavy attacks without requiring a weapon swap. The Ignir is a later reward (Chapter 7), but it is worth calling out because its five Abyss Core sockets and upgradeable ATK of 45 make it one of the best swords in the entire game.

Best Early Greatsword

The Greatsword category offers massive damage per hit and wide attack arcs that cleave through multiple enemies. Greatswords are slower than swords and spears, but their stagger potential is exceptional. If you enjoy committing to big, decisive swings rather than rapid combos, a greatsword is worth picking up.

The Absolute Justice Greatsword is one of the strongest two-handed swords available in the early-to-mid game, with a base ATK of 20. Like the spear, greatswords also have access to a counter stance similar to Evasive Slash, though its area of effect is slightly less effective at managing crowds.

Best Early Ranged Weapon: Bow

Crimson Desert gives you a Bow alongside your starting melee weapons. Ranged combat is not just supplementary in this game; there is a fully dedicated archery skill branch with multiple abilities and arrow types. The bow earns top marks for its versatility: it supports stealth takedowns, creates distance during chaotic fights, and accepts a wide variety of projectile types with different status effects.

Early bows to look for include the White Wood Bow, the Grey Wolf Bow, and the Bekker Bow. All are obtainable through vendors, chests, or enemy drops in the Hernand region. Pair your bow with elemental arrows when possible; you can imbue arrows with elemental effects through skills to add fire, ice, or other damage types to your shots.

Best Early Sidearm: Pistol

The Pistol is a one-handed ranged weapon that complements melee combat beautifully. You can fire it quickly without aiming, making it ideal for squeezing in shots between dodge rolls or during brief openings in a boss's attack pattern. The pistol also has inherent dodge mechanics that let you extend combos by juggling enemies.

Look for the Jemel Pistol and the Spencer Pistol in equipment shops around Hernand. The pistol pairs especially well with sword-and-shield builds, giving you a reliable way to deal damage at range without swapping to a two-handed bow.

Other Notable Early Weapons

Axes and Hammers

If you want maximum stagger and area-of-effect damage, Axes and Hammers deliver. They are slower than swords and spears, but their charged attacks launch enemies and deal heavy blunt or slashing damage. The Lambert Axe and Balton Hammer are solid early options that can be found through vendors or world drops.

Mining Knuckledrill

The Mining Knuckledrill (ATK 16) is a unique one-handed weapon obtained by defeating Marni's Excavatron, a boss unlocked through the House Roberts questline (the "Troubled Count" quest, which leads to "Estate in Dismay: Stolen Quarry"). Beyond combat, the Knuckledrill doubles as a mining tool, making it valuable for gathering ores used in refinement. It is worth pursuing early because it serves double duty as both a combat weapon and a resource-gathering tool.

Recommended Early Skill Investments

The right skills transform a good weapon into a great one. Here are the key skill tree investments to prioritize during the early chapters, regardless of which weapon you main:

Aim for at least 5 points in Stamina and 4 points in Health during the early game. Stamina powers your combo execution, while Health keeps you alive during the tougher boss encounters. You can respec skills at any time using Faded Abyss Artifacts, so don't worry about making permanent mistakes.

Weapon Switching Strategy

One of the most effective early-game tactics is pairing a primary sword with a secondary spear using the Quick Swap skill. The recommended rotation works like this: open with two heavy sword attacks, follow up with Force Palm to create space, then repeat. When you stagger an enemy, activate Quick Swap to switch to your spear and unload heavy thrusts for massive burst damage. Use Lariat or Meteor Kick for crowd control when surrounded by mobs.

This dual-weapon approach leverages the sword's safety for general combat and the spear's raw damage for punishing staggered targets. Keep your bow or pistol equipped as a ranged option so you can deal damage before closing distance or when enemies are airborne.

Upgrading Your Early Weapons

Even low-tier weapons become significantly stronger through refinement. Visit the blacksmith in Hernand to refine your weapons and armor. Each weapon supports up to 10 refinement levels, and each level boosts ATK noticeably. You need Iron Ore and Copper Ore for metal weapons, which can be purchased from the Mineral Shop at Cairn House (north of Hernand, near Three Saints' Falls) or gathered with your Pickaxe.

To unlock your gathering tools, complete two early side quests in Hernand: Rhett's Request (rewards the Pickaxe) and Turnali's Request (rewards the Logging Axe). These tools let you harvest ores and timber for refinement materials. Make refinement a regular habit, because some encounters are extremely difficult to beat with unupgraded gear.

Beyond refinement, you can further customize weapons by equipping Abyss Cores into available sockets. Abyss Cores add modifiers like increased attack speed (Swift), boosted attack power (Destruction), or enhanced defense (Fortification). The Crow's Pursuit core is particularly notable: obtained from the Crowcaller, it sends crows dealing passive damage with each swing.

Quick Recommendation Summary

See Also

For more detailed information on specific weapon categories and advanced builds, check these related articles:

- Weapons - Full overview of all weapon types

- Combat System - Detailed mechanics guide

- Build Guide: Kliff - Complete Kliff build recommendations

- Refining System - How to upgrade weapons and armor

- Abyss Cores - Socket modifiers for your equipment

- Kliff Skills - Full skill tree breakdown

- Beginner's Guide - General tips for new players