Branchmaster Split Horn
Branchmaster Split Horn is a goblin boss encountered during the Cheers Echoing From the Edge quest in Crimson Desert. As the leader of the goblins at the Goldleaf Guildhouse, Split Horn fights with speed, aggression, and chaotic ranged attacks in a fast-paced duel at Unicorn Cliff in the Hernand Highlands.
Overview
Branchmaster Split Horn is a goblin boss in Crimson Desert and one of the earliest major boss encounters in the game. Also referred to simply as Split Horn, this goblin leader commands the forces at the Goldleaf Guildhouse near Unicorn Cliff in the Hernand Highlands. The fight takes place during Chapter 2 as part of the The End of Greed questline and serves as a significant step up in difficulty compared to the earlier encounter with Matthias.
Split Horn is summoned through a Rakkash encounter. After Kliff defeats the goblin minions guarding the Goldleaf Guildhouse, the Branchmaster steps forward to challenge the player directly. The fight is fast, chaotic, and relentless. Where bosses like the Staglord test patience and precise timing, Split Horn overwhelms players with speed and unpredictable attack patterns.
Boss Information
Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
Full Name | Branchmaster Split Horn |
Race | Goblin |
Location | Goldleaf Guildhouse, Unicorn Cliff |
Region | Hernand Highlands |
Chapter | Chapter 2: Golden Greed |
Quest | Cheers Echoing From the Edge (The End of Greed sub-chapter) |
Type | Mandatory story boss |
Health Bars | 1 |
Difficulty | Moderate (early-game skill check) |
How to Reach the Boss
The path to Split Horn begins after Kliff encounters the Goldleaf Merchants' soldiers in the Hernand region. A hooded goblin named Shakatu approaches and explains that the Branchmaster has turned the guild hostile. Shakatu asks Kliff to challenge Split Horn to a duel in exchange for money and merchant services. The quest leads to the Goldleaf Guildhouse at the summit of Unicorn Cliff near the Nas River. Players must fight through goblin guards using red mist tactics before the boss arena becomes accessible.
Attack Patterns
Split Horn fights with a single health bar and maintains relentless aggression throughout the entire encounter. There are no phase transitions or mid-fight pauses. His small frame makes him difficult to track, and he chains attacks together rapidly.
Attack | Description | How to Counter |
|---|---|---|
Rapid Melee Lunges | Split Horn closes distance with fast forward dashes into melee strikes. These come with very little wind-up warning. | Stay at mid-range and dodge sideways when you see the dash begin. Punish the brief recovery window after each lunge. |
Wind Slash | The Branchmaster holds his blade to the side with a red glint, then releases wide, blue projectile waves that cover a large area. | Do not block. Hold down dodge in a direction to roll clear. The waves travel fast but are narrow enough to sidestep. |
Wind Slash Flurry | A chained variant of Wind Slash where Split Horn fires consecutive projectile combos mixed with basic sword strikes. | Maintain distance and dodge repeatedly. Wait for the full sequence to end before re-engaging. |
Ranged Chaos Barrage | When players retreat too far, Split Horn fires rapid projectiles and creates area-of-effect hazards at range. | Avoid staying at extreme range for too long. Close to mid-range where his ranged attacks are less frequent. |
Evasive Roll (Boss) | When damaged repeatedly, Split Horn performs a long dodge roll toward the player's blind spot. | Lock on with your shield to track his position. Do not lose sight of him after the roll. |
Super Armor Mode
At certain health thresholds, Split Horn enters a super armor state indicated by a blue glow. While in this mode, he is completely invulnerable to damage and will unleash powerful attacks. Do not waste stamina trying to break through super armor. Instead, focus entirely on dodging until the glow fades and normal combat resumes.
Strategy
Positioning
The key to this fight is maintaining mid-range pressure. Getting too close invites Split Horn's rapid melee lunges that chain together faster than most players can react. Staying too far triggers increased ranged chaos projectiles. The ideal distance is where you can react to his dashes while remaining close enough to counterattack during his recovery frames.
Offensive Approach
Use Force Palm to stagger Split Horn after parrying his attacks. The counter window from a perfect parry (pressing the shield button at the moment of impact) creates an opening for a Force Palm followed by a quick attack combo. His small size makes him susceptible to stagger-locking with heavy attacks and slashes. Pump Kick is also effective for maintaining pressure and interrupting his attack chains.
Defensive Approach
Block lighter sword strikes with your shield, but do not attempt to block Wind Slash projectiles. The stamina cost of blocking ranged attacks is too high and will leave you vulnerable to follow-up combos. Always dodge the blue projectile waves instead.
At the 50% health threshold, the game automatically teaches the player the Evasive Roll ability. This new skill significantly simplifies the remainder of the fight by giving you a more effective dodge option.
Recommended Gear
Slot | Recommendation |
|---|---|
Weapon | |
Shield | Bekker Shield |
Head | Bolton Plate Helm (Tier 2) |
Body | Bolton Plate Armor (Tier 2) |
Gloves | Canta Plate Gloves |
Boots | Canta Plate Boots |
Ranged | Grey Wolf Bow |
Accessories | Basic earrings, rings, and necklace |
Skill Investment
Invest skill points in Health, Stamina, Armed Combat, and physical wrestling moves. Force Palm and Pump Kick should both be available before attempting this fight.
Consumables
Bring approximately 20 to 40 Grilled Meat for healing. This is an early-game boss, so food supplies may be limited. Purchase additional meals from merchants in Hernand before heading to Unicorn Cliff.
Rewards
Reward | Details |
|---|---|
Sword of the Lord | Unique one-handed sword. Comes with a fitted Abyss Core that enables the Wind Slash ability, which activates at the end of a combo, after a jumping attack, or after a dodge into light attack. |
Seal of Greed | Goldleaf Merchant Guild seal |
Iron Ore | x7 |
Evasive Roll | Skill learned through the Watch and Learn mechanic during the fight (at 50% boss health) |
After defeating Split Horn, Shakatu takes over leadership of the Goldleaf Merchants. The faction transitions from hostile to peaceful, and Shakatu's merchant services become available to the player. Completing this quest also advances Kliff's Contribution standing in the Hernand region.
Tips
Do not chase Split Horn when he repositions. Hold your ground and wait for him to come to you. Chasing leads to running into his ranged attacks.
The single health bar means the fight is shorter but more intense than multi-phase bosses. Consistent damage output ends it faster.
Heal aggressively between Split Horn's attack chains rather than waiting for a perfect moment. The windows are brief.
Once you learn Evasive Roll at 50% health, the fight becomes much more manageable. Use it to dodge through his Wind Slash attacks.
Perfect counters with the shield are the most efficient way to create openings. Press L1/LB at the exact moment his attack lands to interrupt him.
The Sword of the Lord dropped from this fight is one of the most impactful weapon drops in the main story. It remains viable well into the mid-game.