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Dual Wield Guide
March 27, 2026 at 11:51 AM
Fixed 2 broken wikilinks: abyss-gear-guide -> abyss-gear, abyss-gear-guide -> abyss-gear
Dual wielding is one of the most aggressive and rewarding combat styles available in Crimson Desert. By equipping two one-handed weapons instead of a weapon and shield, Kliff trades the Shield Dash skill and some damage reduction for a completely different moveset built around speed, relentless pressure, and high sustained damage. The dual wield moveset replaces the standard sword-and-shield animations with fast alternating strikes from both hands, wider sweeping attacks that excel against groups, and powerful finishers that deal significantly more damage per hit than a single blade.
Dual wielding is not locked behind any skill tree, level requirement, or story progression. As soon as you have two one-handed weapons in your inventory, you can set them up and start fighting. This makes it accessible from the very first minutes of the game if you know where to look for early weapons. The Bekker Axes, for instance, are found in the Underbridge area right after the prologue and immediately unlock dual wield combat.
The dual wield playstyle pairs naturally with builds that prioritize attack speed, stamina management, and Abyss Gear passives that reward aggressive hitting. If you enjoy staying on the offensive, chaining combos without pause, and watching enemy health bars melt under a rapid barrage of strikes, dual wielding is the combat style for you.
Setting up dual wield is straightforward. Open the equipment screen and look at your weapon slots. By default, Kliff has a main-hand weapon slot and an off-hand slot that holds a shield. To dual wield, simply replace the shield in the off-hand slot with any one-handed weapon. That is all it takes. The game detects that both slots contain weapons and automatically switches to the dual wield moveset.
You can also set up dual wield through the weapon wheel during gameplay. Hold the weapon wheel button, navigate to the off-hand slot, and swap the shield for a one-handed weapon. This lets you switch between sword-and-shield and dual wield on the fly without pausing the game, which is useful for adapting to different combat situations mid-fight.
Any combination of one-handed weapons works for dual wielding. You can pair two swords, two axes, a sword and an axe, a sword and a mace, or any other mix. The dual wield moveset remains the same regardless of which specific weapons you pair together. The only things that change are the damage values and any bonus stats or Abyss Gear effects attached to each weapon.
Open the Equipment menu from the pause screen or the weapon wheel.
Select the off-hand slot (where your shield is currently equipped).
Choose any one-handed weapon from your inventory to replace the shield.
Confirm the selection. The dual wield moveset activates immediately.
To return to sword-and-shield, swap the off-hand weapon back for a shield.
The moment you equip two one-handed weapons, Kliff's entire moveset changes. Standard light attacks become rapid alternating slashes from both hands, heavy attacks gain wider arcs, and finishers become noticeably more brutal. The dual wield moveset is designed around sustained aggression: you are expected to stay in the enemy's face, chain attacks without pause, and use the sheer volume of hits to overwhelm targets before they can retaliate.
Tapping the light attack button (R1 on PlayStation, left click on PC) chains into a rapid 6-hit combo called Flurry of Blows. Kliff alternates strikes between both weapons in a fluid sequence that cannot be interrupted by light damage. This makes Flurry of Blows one of the safest attack strings in the game against standard enemies, since minor hits from weaker foes will not knock you out of the animation. The speed of this combo also builds stagger meters quickly, making it effective at breaking an enemy's poise.
Heavy attacks (R2 on PlayStation, right click on PC) in dual wield mode swing both weapons in wide arcs that hit multiple enemies. These are slower than light attacks but deal significantly more damage per hit and have better area coverage. Heavy attacks in dual wield are particularly effective against groups of weaker enemies, since each swing can catch two or three targets at once.
The Blinding Flash skill works seamlessly with dual wield and serves as one of the most effective openers for combat encounters. Blinding Flash Finisher delivers a powerful AoE strike that staggers enemies in a radius around Kliff. For regular mobs, this opener is often enough to clear entire groups on its own while keeping stamina consumption manageable.
For tougher enemies and bosses, the core dual wield combo chains Blinding Flash Finisher into Forward Slash, then into Spinning Slash. This sequence consumes more stamina than a basic Flurry of Blows chain, but it deals massive stagger damage and can break a boss's poise in a single rotation. Forward Slash closes distance with a lunging strike, while Spinning Slash delivers a whirlwind of hits from both blades that covers a full 360 degrees around Kliff.
Combo | Input | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
Flurry of Blows | R1 x6 (Light Attack chain) | Sustained DPS, stagger buildup, cannot be interrupted by light hits |
Blinding Flash Finisher | Skill input (AoE opener) | Clearing mob groups, opening engagements |
Blinding Flash > Forward Slash > Spinning Slash | Skill > R2 chain | Boss stagger damage, high burst output |
Heavy Attack Sweeps | R2 (Heavy Attack) | Wide AoE against groups, strong single hits |
Dodge > Light Attack | Dodge + R1 | Repositioning while maintaining pressure |
Dual wielding is the premier offensive playstyle in Crimson Desert. Here is what makes it stand out compared to other weapon configurations.
Two weapons means two damage sources contributing to every swing. The Flurry of Blows combo delivers six hits in roughly the same time it takes a sword-and-shield setup to deliver three or four, and each hit applies the damage stats of both weapons. Over a prolonged fight, dual wielding outputs significantly more total damage than a single weapon, especially against enemies that stay in melee range.
Dual wield animations are noticeably faster than both sword-and-shield and two-handed weapon attacks. The rapid strike cadence means you spend less time locked into attack animations and more time able to react to enemy telegraphs. Faster attacks also mean faster stagger buildup, forcing enemies into vulnerability states more frequently.
Crimson Desert's combat system rewards aggression through mechanics like stagger, Spirit generation on hit, and Abyss Gears that trigger effects per hit (such as Spirit Transference and Stamina Transference). Dual wielding maximizes hit count per second, which means these on-hit effects proc more often. A dual wield Kliff with Spirit Transference equipped essentially never runs out of Spirit during sustained combat.
The wide sweeping attacks in the dual wield moveset, particularly Spinning Slash and heavy attacks, hit multiple enemies per swing. This makes dual wielding one of the best setups for handling the large mob groups that Crimson Desert frequently throws at you in open-world encounters and dungeon sections.
A common misconception is that dual wielding removes the ability to block or parry. This is not the case. You can still block incoming attacks while dual wielding, and the block mitigates most of the damage similar to a shield. Parrying also remains fully functional. The timing window for a perfect parry is the same regardless of whether you are using a shield or a second weapon. The only defensive tool you lose is Shield Dash.
The trade-offs for dual wielding are real, and understanding them will help you decide when to use this style and when to switch to a different setup.
When you replace the shield with a second weapon, you lose access to the Shield Dash skill. Shield Dash is a powerful closing tool and guard-breaking move in shield combat that charges forward and stuns enemies on impact. Losing this skill removes one of the safest gap-closing options in the game. Dual wield users need to rely on Forward Slash or manual dodging to close distance instead.
While blocking still works in dual wield, you lose the passive damage reduction that a shield provides. Shields reduce a percentage of incoming damage even on imperfect blocks, and some high-tier shields offer substantial damage reduction bonuses. Without a shield, you take slightly more chip damage from blocked attacks, which adds up during long boss fights.
The most damaging dual wield combos (particularly the Blinding Flash Finisher into Forward Slash into Spinning Slash chain) consume stamina quickly. Without careful stamina management, you can find yourself unable to dodge at a critical moment. This is less of a problem with the basic Flurry of Blows chain, which is stamina-efficient, but the burst combos demand awareness of your stamina bar.
Against bosses with heavily telegraphed attacks and tight dodge windows, the sword-and-shield setup's Shield Dash and superior block reduction can feel safer. Dual wield relies on the player's ability to dodge or parry consistently. If you miss a parry timing against a boss like Kailok or Grimnir, the incoming damage with two weapons equipped is higher than it would be with a shield absorbing part of the blow.
Since the dual wield moveset is the same regardless of which one-handed weapons you pair, weapon selection comes down to raw stats, bonus attributes, and Abyss Gear slots. Here are the strongest options for each stage of the game.
Weapon | ATK | Bonus | How to Get |
|---|---|---|---|
Bekker Axes (pair) | 12 each | None | Found in Underbridge area right after the prologue. One axe in a tree stump, the second on a nearby rock. |
Sword of the Wolf | Moderate | Varies | Early story reward. Good damage for the first few chapters. Can accept Abyss Gears transferred from Hwando. |
The Bekker Axes are the earliest dual wield option in the game. Picking them up in Underbridge immediately after the prologue gives you access to the dual wield moveset before you even reach Hernand. At 12 ATK each, they are competitive with anything else you find for the first several hours. Their fast sweeping AoE attacks are especially strong for the mob-heavy early-game encounters.
Weapon | ATK | Bonus | How to Get |
|---|---|---|---|
Sword of the Lord | High | Attack Speed Lv. 2, comes with Abyss Gear (Wind Slash) | Reward for defeating Kailok the Hornsplitter during The End of Greed (Chapter 2). |
Tauria Curved Sword | High | Crow's Pursuit Abyss Gear (summons crows on heavy attacks) | Reward for defeating Crowcaller during the Black and White questline (Chapter 5). |
The Sword of the Lord is the first weapon you obtain that comes with an Abyss Gear slot already filled. Its Attack Speed Level 2 bonus synergizes perfectly with dual wielding, making an already-fast moveset even faster. The Wind Slash Abyss Gear it carries can be kept or transferred to another weapon at the Witch's Lair vendor.
The Tauria Curved Sword is a top-tier dual wield weapon thanks to its unique Abyss Gear, Crow's Pursuit. Whenever you land a heavy attack, it summons a murder of crows that deal bonus damage to the targeted enemy. In dual wield, where heavy attacks are already strong AoE tools, Crow's Pursuit adds an extra damage layer that makes every R2 press even more devastating. Pairing the Sword of the Lord with the Tauria Curved Sword is one of the most popular mid-game dual wield setups.
In the late game, your weapon choice depends on which Abyss Gears you have unlocked and how far you have refined your weapons. Any one-handed weapon can be refined up to Level 10 at the smithy, with Levels 5 through 10 requiring Abyss Artifacts. A fully refined Sword of the Lord or Tauria Curved Sword will carry you through endgame content. Look for weapons with Abyss Gear slots that complement your build, and use the Witch's Lair vendor to transfer gears between weapons as needed.
Daggers such as the Goblin King's Treasure Dagger are classified as one-handed weapons, but they serve a different purpose. Daggers are primarily used for stealth assassinations and cannot be used in regular open combat the way swords, axes, and maces can. The Goblin King's Treasure Dagger, found beneath the Mudridge Cabin in Pororin Forest, grants a massive Critical Rate bonus and the chance to skin an additional hide. However, it is best used for stealth gameplay rather than as part of a dual wield setup in open combat. Its real value lies in its attached Abyss Gear, Shadow Step.
Abyss Gears are passive abilities slotted into weapons that provide bonus effects during combat. Dual wielding benefits enormously from on-hit Abyss Gears because the high attack speed and hit count of the dual wield moveset trigger these effects far more often than slower weapon styles. See the full Abyss Gear Guide for a complete breakdown of all available gears and how to unlock them.
Abyss Gear | Effect | Why It Suits Dual Wield |
|---|---|---|
Spirit Transference | Restores Spirit on each hit | Dual wield hits frequently, keeping Spirit topped up for skills and abilities without downtime. |
Stamina Transference | Restores Stamina on each hit | Offsets the higher stamina cost of dual wield burst combos like Forward Slash into Spinning Slash. |
Crow's Pursuit | Summons crows on heavy attacks for bonus damage | Dual wield heavy attacks are wide AoE swings; Crow's Pursuit adds significant extra damage to each one. |
Swift I | Increases attack speed | Stacks with dual wield's already-fast attack speed for even higher DPS and stagger buildup. |
Destruction I | Increases overall damage output | Flat damage increase that multiplies across every hit in a Flurry of Blows chain. |
Wind Slash | Sends a ranged wind projectile on certain attacks | Gives dual wield a ranged option to tag enemies at distance before closing the gap. |
Attack Power Amplifier | Boosts attack damage | Flat damage increase benefits every strike; high hit count maximizes total bonus damage. |
Early game: Spirit Transference + Stamina Transference. These two gears solve the biggest dual wield weakness (resource drain) and let you maintain aggression without running empty. Equip them as soon as you unlock the Witch's Lair vendor in Chapter 3.
Mid game: Crow's Pursuit (from the Tauria Curved Sword) + Swift I. Crow's Pursuit turns every heavy attack into a burst of bonus damage, while Swift I pushes your attack speed even higher. Together, they make the mid-game dual wield setup feel incredibly fast and punishing.
Late game: Destruction I + Attack Power Amplifier + Spirit Transference. At this point, you want raw damage amplification on every hit. Spirit Transference remains valuable to sustain your Spirit pool for skill usage during extended Abyss dungeon runs.
Crimson Desert gives you three main weapon configurations for melee combat: dual wield, sword-and-shield, and two-handed weapons. Each excels in different situations. Understanding the trade-offs helps you decide when to stick with dual wield and when to swap.
Category | Dual Wield | Sword and Shield |
|---|---|---|
Damage Output | Higher sustained and burst DPS | Lower DPS, single weapon damage only |
Attack Speed | Fast alternating strikes | Moderate speed |
Defense | Block and parry available; no shield damage reduction | Full shield block with damage reduction; Shield Dash available |
Crowd Control | Wide sweeps hit multiple enemies | Narrower attack arcs; relies on Shield Dash for crowd management |
Stamina Efficiency | Burst combos are stamina-heavy | More stamina-efficient overall |
Skill Lost | Shield Dash | None (full moveset retained) |
Best For | Aggressive DPS, mob clearing, stagger builds | Balanced play, tough bosses, learning new encounters |
Sword-and-shield combat is often described as the safest and most versatile weapon setup in Crimson Desert. It handles every situation competently without excelling in any single area. Dual wield, by contrast, is a specialist setup: it deals more damage and clears groups faster, but demands more precise play against bosses that punish mistakes. If you are confident in your dodge and parry timing, dual wield is the stronger choice. If you are learning a boss fight for the first time, swapping to sword-and-shield for the extra safety net is a legitimate strategy.
Category | Dual Wield | Two-Handed Weapons |
|---|---|---|
Damage per Hit | Lower per individual hit, but more hits per second | Highest single-hit damage in the game |
Attack Speed | Very fast | Slow, committal swings |
Reach | Short (melee range) | Longer reach, especially spears |
AoE Coverage | Wide sweeps from Spinning Slash and heavy attacks | Massive radius from greatsword swings; spear thrusts have long range |
Stagger Potential | High through rapid hits | Very high through raw impact per swing |
Mobility | High; fast recovery between attacks | Low; long animation locks |
Best For | Sustained DPS, fast enemies, on-hit builds | Big single hits, launching enemies, slow but powerful enemies |
Two-handed weapons like greatswords and spears trade speed for raw power and reach. A single greatsword swing can deal more damage than two or three dual wield hits combined, and spears let you hit enemies from distances that one-handed weapons cannot reach. However, two-handed weapons lock you into long attack animations, leaving you vulnerable if you mistime a swing. Dual wield is the better choice against fast, aggressive enemies where you need to dodge frequently and squeeze in damage during short windows. Two-handed weapons shine against slower enemies where you can commit to big swings without being punished.
Crimson Desert's combat system encourages weapon switching mid-fight. Having dual wield ready alongside a shield or two-handed weapon in your weapon wheel lets you adapt on the fly. Here are guidelines for when each style is the strongest choice.
Fighting mob groups: The wide sweeps and fast attack speed of dual wield excel at clearing groups of standard enemies. Blinding Flash Finisher into Spinning Slash can wipe an entire pack in seconds.
Building stagger on a boss: The rapid hit count of Flurry of Blows fills stagger meters faster than any other weapon setup. Once the boss staggers, unload the full burst combo for massive damage.
Using on-hit Abyss Gears: Spirit Transference, Stamina Transference, and other per-hit effects become significantly more effective when you are landing six or more hits in a single combo string.
Facing fast enemies: Against enemies with short attack windows and quick recoveries, dual wield lets you squeeze in damage between dodges without being locked into long animations.
Playing aggressively: If your playstyle leans toward staying in the enemy's face and pressuring constantly, dual wield rewards that approach more than any other setup.
Learning a new boss: The first time you fight a boss, the extra safety of a shield's damage reduction and Shield Dash gives you room to learn attack patterns without being punished as severely for mistakes.
Facing heavy hitters: Enemies that deal massive damage per hit are more manageable with a shield absorbing a portion of the blow on imperfect blocks.
Needing Shield Dash: Some encounters benefit from Shield Dash's ability to close distance quickly and stun enemies on impact. If gap-closing is your biggest challenge, consider swapping back.
Enemies are slow and tanky: Slow enemies that do not dodge or reposition often let you commit to the powerful but committal two-handed swings without being punished.
You need reach: Flying enemies that dip into melee range briefly, or large enemies with dangerous close-range hitboxes, are sometimes better handled with a spear's superior reach.
Maximum single-hit damage matters: Certain boss mechanics reward landing one big hit during a tight window rather than a flurry of smaller ones. Greatswords excel here.
Building around dual wield means investing in skills and equipment that amplify what the style already does well: hitting fast, hitting often, and sustaining resources through aggression. See the Builds article for complete build templates.
Swordsmanship: Invest in Swordsmanship early to boost your base melee damage. Every point in Swordsmanship applies to both weapons in a dual wield setup.
Blinding Flash: Upgrade Blinding Flash and Blinding Flash Finisher as soon as possible. These are your most stamina-efficient AoE openers.
Focus: While Focus is primarily associated with bow and ranged combat, higher Focus levels increase your overall Spirit pool, which sustains dual wield skill usage in long fights.
Prioritize armor pieces with Attack Speed or Critical Rate bonuses to complement the dual wield playstyle. Stamina recovery accessories are also valuable, since the burst combos consume stamina quickly and you want to recover between rotations without excessive downtime.
When using elemental attacks with dual wield, each hit in the Flurry of Blows chain applies the active element. This means you can build up elemental status effects (Frost slow, Lightning stun, Flame burn) significantly faster than with slower weapon styles. Lightning imbue is particularly effective with dual wield, since the rapid hits fill the stun meter quickly and force enemies into paralyzed states more often.
Pick up the Bekker Axes immediately. After the prologue, head to the Underbridge area. One axe is in a tree stump to the right of the path, and the second is on a nearby rock. These unlock dual wield before you reach Hernand and are strong enough to carry you through the early game.
Use Flurry of Blows as your bread and butter. The 6-hit light attack chain is stamina-efficient, deals solid sustained DPS, and cannot be interrupted by light damage. Use it against regular enemies and save the heavier combos for bosses.
Manage stamina during boss fights. The Blinding Flash Finisher into Forward Slash into Spinning Slash chain is devastating but burns through stamina. Always keep enough stamina for at least one dodge in case the boss retaliates mid-combo.
Pair Spirit Transference with Stamina Transference. These two Abyss Gears solve dual wield's biggest weakness by regenerating resources with every hit. The high hit count of dual wield keeps both Spirit and Stamina topped up during sustained engagements.
You can still parry without a shield. The parry timing is identical whether you are using a shield or dual wielding. Practice the timing and use parries as your primary defensive tool, since they open enemies up for counterattacks.
Switch weapons situationally. Dual wield is not the best tool for every single encounter. Keep a shield and a two-handed weapon in your weapon wheel so you can swap instantly when the situation calls for more defense or more reach.
Crow's Pursuit makes the Tauria Curved Sword a priority. Defeat Crowcaller in Chapter 5 to obtain this weapon. Its Crow's Pursuit Abyss Gear adds substantial bonus damage to every heavy attack, which is already one of dual wield's strongest moves.
Refine your weapons at the smithy. Weapon refinement up to Level 10 increases base damage significantly. A fully refined one-handed weapon in each hand outputs more total damage than an unrefined two-handed weapon.
Combat System - full overview of Crimson Desert's combat mechanics
Builds - complete build templates for Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka
One-Handed Weapons - all swords, axes, and maces available for dual wielding
Shield Combat - guide to the sword-and-shield playstyle
Two-Handed Weapons - greatswords, spears, and two-handed axes
Abyss Gear Guide - all Abyss Gears, how to unlock them, and recommended loadouts
Goblin King's Treasure Dagger - stealth dagger with massive Critical Rate bonus
