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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 One-Handed Pickup: Hollow Visage

The Hollow Visage is widely considered the strongest early-game one-handed weapon in Crimson Desert. This katana-style sword has 14 ATK out of the box, outclassing the Sword of the Wolf immediately, and it comes pre-loaded with Abyss Gears that boost Critical Rate, Attack Speed, and Regular Attack damage. That combination of offensive stats makes it hit harder and faster than anything else you can find in the first few chapters.

How to Find the Hollow Visage

To reach the Hollow Visage, travel to the Sanctum of Temperance Abyss Nexus and teleport there. Head south toward the river. You cannot go straight because of an enemy village blocking the path, so loop right and then cut downward. Look for the waterfall on the right side of the riverbank. Use Kliff's forward Stab skill to push through the waterfall into a hidden cave. The Hollow Visage sits inside.

The pre-loaded Abyss Gears set this weapon apart from vendor purchases and random drops. You can remove those artifacts and transfer them to a different weapon later if you prefer, but most players will get the best mileage by simply using the Hollow Visage as their primary sword through the first half of the game. It pairs well with any shield for a defensive setup or can be dual-wielded with another one-handed weapon for aggressive builds.

Earliest Dual-Wield Option: Bekker Axes

The Bekker Axes are two one-handed axes you can grab almost immediately after the Prologue ends. They are found in the Underbridge area as Kliff travels with the Greymane companions. One axe is hidden in a tree stump to the right of the path, and the second sits on a nearby rock as you head toward the horses.

Picking up both axes unlocks dual-wielding without needing to buy or farm anything. You can equip both axes together for a pure berserker setup, or combine one axe with a sword for a mixed moveset. Dual-wielding changes your combat stance and attack tree compared to a sword-and-shield loadout, so experiment to see which rhythm you prefer. The Bekker Axes are strong enough to carry you through the first few chapters, but plan to replace them once you reach the Hernand region's vendors and world bosses.

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 Gear 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

First Abyss Gear Weapon: Sword of the Lord

The Sword of the Lord is the first weapon you receive that comes with Abyss Gear already equipped. With 13 ATK and Attack Speed Lv. 2, it is a noticeable step up from the Sword of the Wolf in both damage and combo speed. You earn it as a reward for defeating Kailok the Hornsplitter during The End of Greed main questline in Chapter 2.

The Abyss Gear on the Sword of the Lord is worth paying attention to. It comes pre-slotted with Wind Slash, which you can either keep on this weapon or remove and transfer to a different sword if you prefer another base. The Lv. 2 Attack Speed makes this sword noticeably faster for dual-wielding setups, where combo speed directly translates into higher sustained damage output.

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 Two-Handed Swords

Best Early Greatsword

Before you find the Absolute Justice Greatsword, the Rhett's Longsword serves as the earliest two-handed weapon available. At 15 ATK with a Crit Rate Lv. 1 bonus, it hits harder than most one-handed swords while introducing you to the slower, wider swing patterns of two-handed combat. You can pick it up during Chapter 1.

Best Early Two-Handed Sword: Hwando

The Hwando is a large two-handed katana with 19 ATK, making it one of the hardest-hitting weapons you can obtain in the early game. It also comes with Critical Rate I, Stamina Siphon Lv1, and an Attack 1 Abyss Gear slot, giving it strong built-in stats before any refinement upgrades.

How to Get the Hwando

Obtaining the Hwando requires a key. You can purchase one from the Back Alley Shop (southeast of the starting town, at the base of the windmill) for 30 coins, or you can find a key on a dead bandit's corpse during exploration, or earn one by completing a bounty notice quest.

With the key in hand, head to Lioncrest Manor. Go to the smaller house to the left of the main building and climb through the western window that has no glass. On the second floor, run into the locked door to use your key. Open the glowing chest inside to claim the Hwando.

Optionally, you can also buy or earn a Mask from the Back Alley Shop (10 coins) or from the Jeffrey bounty at the Constabulary. The Mask enables theft, but it is not required to get the Hwando itself. The raw 19 ATK on this weapon puts it above every other two-handed option available at this point, making it an excellent choice for players who enjoy greatsword-style combat with slower, more deliberate swings.

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.

Best Early Utility 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.

Best Early Weapons for Damiane

If you are playing as Damiane, the early weapon options differ from Kliff's loadout. Damiane's starter setup centers on the White Wind Rapier paired with the Demenissian Gold-Plated Shield for melee encounters, then switching to the Spencer Pistol when you need ranged damage from a safe distance.

The Rapier weapon type has a built-in riposte mechanic that triggers massive damage when enemies attack into your guard. This rewards precise timing and makes the rapier feel distinct from swords and spears. The Pistol complements this playstyle perfectly: its innate dodge-after-shot mechanic lets you stay mobile while dealing damage, and it can extend airborne juggle combos that other ranged weapons cannot achieve.

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 Gears, 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

Looking Ahead: Mid-to-Late Game Weapon Goals

While this guide focuses on the early chapters (Prologue through Chapter 4), it helps to know which weapons you are building toward so you can plan your Abyss Core investments and skill tree choices accordingly. Two swords stand out as clear long-term targets for Kliff.

Ignir Sword (Chapter 7)

The Ignir Sword starts at 20 ATK and can be upgraded to 45 ATK through refinement. It has five Abyss Core sockets, giving it exceptional customization potential. You earn it by defeating Ludvig during the "Time to Face Justice" quest in Chapter 7. If you are running a one-handed sword build, the Ignir is the point where your loadout shifts from "good enough" to genuinely powerful.

Fated Shadow (Chapter 9)

The Fated Shadow is one of the strongest swords in the entire game. It has the highest starting damage of any sword at 25 ATK and comes pre-equipped with the Greysoul Howling Abyss Core, which adds extra strikes to your Turning Slash. That core alone makes Turning Slash significantly more dangerous, especially against bosses.

The Fated Shadow is easy to miss if you do not know where to look. After the Goyen boss fight in Chapter 9, head to the back of the arena and climb the steps. You will find a small living quarters inside a cave. The Fated Shadow sits on a weapon stand in the corner of that room. Interact with it to claim the sword permanently.

Tip: If you have already passed Chapter 9, you can use fast travel to return to the Goyen arena location (it appears as a small island on your map) and pick up the weapon retroactively.

For an even stronger setup, pair the Fated Shadow's Greysoul Howling core with the Crow's Pursuit core from the Tauria Curved Sword. That combination adds both extra Turning Slash hits and ranged crow projectiles to your heavy attacks, creating one of the most effective combat loadouts in the game.

Legionary's Gladius: Early Canyon Pickup

Before leaving the Hernand canyon area, the Legionary's Gladius can be found at Three Saints' Fall by solving a candle puzzle at a statue above the lowest waterfall. It has the same 12 ATK as the Sword of the Wolf but adds Attack Speed Lv.1, making your combos noticeably faster. With 3 Abyss Gear slots, it also accepts the same customization as your starter sword. It is a worthwhile detour before heading into the wider world.

Kylo Dagger: Post-Staglord Reward

After defeating The Staglord at Icemore Castle Ruins, return to Hernand and look for a woman who wants to speak with you about the Staglord killing her husband. She can appear in multiple locations around town, including the Bluemont Manor. Speaking with her rewards the Kylo Dagger, which is a solid upgrade over the default starting dagger. Many players miss this reward because it requires finding the NPC manually.

Boss Fight Tips: Claiming the Vessel of Dark Pursuit

The Vessel of Dark Pursuit at the Sanctum of Absolution requires defeating Antumbra's Sword, a boss that can be challenging in the early game. However, the fight is simpler than it first appears because the boss is single-phase and has a limited set of attack patterns.

The most effective approach is to use Focus heavily throughout the fight. Staying in Focus mode lets you observe the boss's attacks in slow motion, making dodges and parries significantly easier. Critically, time spent in Focus also charges your spirit gauge. When the boss leaves an opening, immediately use Force Palm to build stun, followed by Turning Slash for additional stun buildup and damage. Bring plenty of food and heal during Focus windows for maximum safety.

Soul Spear: High Power, No Upgrades

The Soul Spear (27 ATK) inside the Tomb of Frozen Souls is an easier alternative to the Vessel of Dark Pursuit because you can grab it without fighting a boss. Run past the Antumbra enemies inside the tomb, jump down to the protruding platform in the main chamber, and the spear is inside that room. Fast travel out once you have it.

However, the Soul Spear has a significant long-term limitation: it cannot be refined and has no Abyss Core slots. Its raw 27 ATK is excellent out of the box and will carry you through roughly Chapter 6, but weapons with refinement potential (like the Hwando at 44 max ATK with 5 slots, or the Vessel of Dark Pursuit) will outscale it in the mid-to-late game. Consider the Soul Spear a powerful stepping stone rather than a permanent choice.

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