Dark Ring Leader Set

The Dark Ringleader Set (also called Dark Ring Leader Set) is one of the strongest free armor sets available in the early hours of Crimson Desert. All four pieces are hidden inside waterfall caves scattered across the Hernand region, west and south of Hernand Castle. The set requires no crafting, no boss kills, and no quest completions to obtain. Players simply need to locate the correct caves and use the Stab ability to pass through rushing water currents. Once collected, the set provides a strong combination of defense, movement speed, spirit regeneration, damage reduction, and elemental resistance that can carry players well into the mid-game.

What makes the Dark Ringleader Set stand out from other early game equipment is that every piece comes with Abyss Gear effects already attached. Most armor found during the opening chapters of the game lacks Abyss Gear entirely, so having pre-socketed bonuses like stamina regeneration, spirit recovery, and ice resistance gives players a noticeable advantage in both combat and exploration.

Set Overview

The Dark Ringleader Set consists of four armor pieces covering the head, chest, hands, and back equipment slots. Each piece is found in a separate waterfall cave in the Hernand region. The caves are all located along a river system west and southwest of Hernand Castle, and a prepared player can collect all four pieces in roughly ten to fifteen minutes once they reach the area.

Crimson Desert does not have traditional armor set bonuses that activate when multiple pieces from the same set are equipped. Each piece functions independently, providing its own stats and Abyss Gear effects regardless of what other armor the player is wearing. This means players can freely mix and match Dark Ringleader pieces with other armor without losing any bonuses.

All Pieces at a Glance

The following table summarizes all four pieces in the set. Defense, attack, and movement speed values are base stats before any Refinement upgrades.

Combined Stats

When all four pieces are equipped together, the full Dark Ringleader Set provides the following combined base statistics.

The combined defensive total of 13 is highly competitive for early game armor. The movement speed bonuses (both base and from Abyss Gear) make the set especially useful for exploration and farming, as the player moves noticeably faster than with most starter equipment. The spirit regeneration bonus from the chest piece helps sustain ability usage in longer fights, while the stacking ice resistance from the cloak and gloves provides strong protection against frost-based enemies and environmental hazards.

Detailed Piece Breakdown

Dark Ringleader's Cloth Helm

The Cloth Helm is the lightest piece in the set, offering a modest 1 defense alongside a useful movement speed bonus. While its defensive value is low compared to plate helms available later in the game, the attached Abyss Gear effect of Stamina Regen +2% makes it valuable for players who rely heavily on dodging, sprinting, and performing stamina-intensive combat maneuvers. Stamina recovery is a critical stat in Crimson Desert's action combat system, and having a passive boost from the earliest stages of the game reduces downtime between dodges and attacks.

Location: Shadowheart Grotto, southwest of Hernand Castle. The grotto is accessed by passing through a waterfall using the Stab ability. Look for stacked rocks near the waterfall entrance, which serve as a visual indicator that a hidden cave is behind the rushing water.

Dark Ringleader's Cloth Armor

The Cloth Armor is the crown jewel of the set. With 3 base defense, a movement speed bonus of 2, and three separate Abyss Gear effects, this chest piece outperforms most body armor available during the first several chapters of the game. The Spirit +1 every 1 second effect provides a constant trickle of spirit regeneration that helps sustain skill usage during extended fights. The Damage Reduction of 1.0 provides a flat reduction to incoming damage on top of the defense stat, and the additional Movement Speed +1 from Abyss Gear stacks with the base movement speed bonus for a total of +3 movement speed from a single armor piece.

Location: Blade Cavern, west of Hernand Castle. The cavern entrance is behind a waterfall along the northern part of the river. Use the Stab ability to push through the rushing water and follow the cave to the treasure chest at the end.

Dark Ringleader's Cloth Cloak

The Cloth Cloak fills the back armor slot and provides 1 base defense along with a substantial Ice Resistance Level 3 Abyss Gear effect. Cloaks in Crimson Desert are primarily used for the resistances they provide rather than raw defensive stats, and the Dark Ringleader's Cloak follows that pattern perfectly. Ice Resistance Lv.3 is an unusually high resistance value for early game equipment, making this cloak a strong choice when venturing into frost-heavy areas or fighting enemies with ice-based attacks.

Location: Echoing Tunnel, south of Hernand Castle. The Echoing Tunnel is described in-game as a cave hidden behind the Precipice of Echoes, where the sound of dripping water and footsteps rebounds from every direction. The cloak is found in a treasure chest inside, accessible after passing through the waterfall at the entrance.

Dark Ringleader's Leather Gloves

The Leather Gloves are the most offensively oriented piece in the set. With 12 base attack, 5 defense, and a critical hit rate bonus of 1, these gloves provide a significant damage boost on top of solid protection. The Abyss Gear effects add Ice Resistance Lv.1 and Defense +3, bringing the effective defense of the gloves to 8 when factoring in the Abyss Gear bonus. This makes the Leather Gloves the most stat-dense piece in the entire set.

The Ice Resistance Lv.1 on the gloves stacks with the Lv.3 from the Cloth Cloak when both are worn, giving the player a combined Ice Resistance of Lv.4 from just two armor pieces. The gloves also have Lightning Resistance Lv.1 as a base stat, providing additional elemental coverage.

Location: Cloud Mist Cave, southwest of Hernand Castle. This is the most southern of the waterfall caves in the Hernand region. Enter the cave behind the first major waterfall and loot the treasure chest inside.

How to Collect the Full Set

All four pieces of the Dark Ringleader Set are found in waterfall caves along a river system west and southwest of Hernand Castle. The caves are relatively close to each other, so collecting the entire set in a single trip is straightforward once you know where to look. Here is a step-by-step walkthrough for gathering all four pieces.

Requirements

• Access to the Hernand region (available early in the main story)

• The Stab ability (unlocked by default for all three playable characters)

• No specific level, quest completion, or crafting materials required

Step-by-Step Route

1. Travel to Hernand Castle. Fast travel to Hernand Castle or ride there on horseback. From the castle, head west toward the river that runs through the region.

2. Locate the waterfall caves. Follow the river and look for waterfalls. Each waterfall cave has stacked rocks near its entrance, serving as a visual indicator that a hidden cave lies behind the rushing water. These rock formations are easy to spot once you know what to look for.

3. Use the Stab ability. Stand next to the rushing water current at a waterfall entrance and activate the Stab ability. This pushes your character through the water and into the cave behind it. The Stab ability is essential because simply walking or sprinting into the waterfall will not work; the water current pushes you back.

4. Follow each cave to the end. Once inside, follow the cave path until you reach a treasure chest. Open the chest to receive the armor piece. Each cave contains exactly one Dark Ringleader piece.

5. Repeat for all four caves. Visit Shadowheart Grotto (helm), Blade Cavern (body armor), Echoing Tunnel (cloak), and Cloud Mist Cave (gloves). The order does not matter, but starting from the northern caves and working south is the most efficient route.

Recommended Route Order

For the fastest collection route, start at the northern end of the river and work your way south. This minimizes backtracking:

1. Blade Cavern (Cloth Armor) in the northern part of the river, west of Hernand Castle

2. Shadowheart Grotto (Cloth Helm) southwest of Hernand Castle

3. Echoing Tunnel (Cloth Cloak) south of Hernand Castle

4. Cloud Mist Cave (Leather Gloves) the most southern cave, southwest of Hernand Castle

Abyss Gear Effects Explained

Every piece in the Dark Ringleader Set comes with Abyss Gear effects pre-attached. This is rare for early game equipment, as most armor found during the opening chapters has empty Abyss Gear slots or no slots at all. Having these effects from the start gives players a meaningful stat advantage without needing to find and socket separate Abyss Gear items.

It is worth noting that Abyss Gear effects on armor can be changed later in the game. Starting in Chapter 3, the witch NPC offers a service that allows players to swap out Abyss Gear effects on their equipment. This means the pre-attached effects on the Dark Ringleader pieces are not permanent, and players who want different bonuses can modify them once they reach that point in the story.

Comparison to Other Early Game Armor

The Dark Ringleader Set competes with several other armor options available during the early chapters of Crimson Desert. The following table compares the full set against common alternatives.

The Dark Ringleader Set's key advantage over alternatives is the combination of immediate availability (no crafting required), strong movement speed bonuses, and pre-attached Abyss Gear effects. While crafted plate armor may eventually match or exceed its raw defense numbers, the time and material investment required for plate armor is significantly higher. The Dark Ringleader Set is essentially free, requiring only exploration and knowledge of the cave locations.

Tips and Notes

• The stacked rocks near each waterfall are your primary visual clue. If you see a pile of balanced stones near a waterfall, there is almost certainly a cave behind it.

• The Stab ability is available from the beginning of the game for all three playable characters. You do not need to unlock it through the skill tree or complete any quests to use it.

• There is no equipment weight system in Crimson Desert, so wearing the Leather Gloves (which are heavier than cloth) does not reduce movement speed or cause any penalty.

• If you plan to use this set for an extended period, consider visiting the blacksmith in Hernand to refine each piece. Refinement increases base stats and can significantly extend the set's usefulness into the mid-game.

• The ice resistance from the cloak (Lv.3) and gloves (Lv.1) is particularly useful if you plan to explore northern regions or face frost-element bosses early.

• Starting in Chapter 3, you can visit the witch NPC to change the Abyss Gear effects on any piece. If you find that the default effects no longer match your playstyle, this service lets you customize the set further.

• Consider equipping individual pieces even if you do not plan to wear the full set. The Cloth Armor alone is one of the best early body armor options due to its triple Abyss Gear effects, and the Leather Gloves provide a significant attack boost for melee-focused builds.

Trivia

• The set is sometimes referred to by players as the "Dark Ring Leader Set" due to the way the name displays in-game. The official item names use "Dark Ringleader" as a single compound word.

• The name "Ringleader" suggests a connection to a criminal or underground organization, which fits thematically with the set's hidden locations in secluded caves.

• All four caves in which the set pieces are found follow the same waterfall-and-stab mechanic, creating a consistent mini-puzzle that teaches players to look for hidden areas behind waterfalls throughout the rest of the game.