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Frost Element
May 23, 2026 at 02:39 PM
Added wikilinks to table cells (13 new internal links)
The Frost element is one of the four elemental types available in Crimson Desert, alongside Flame, Lightning, and Wind. Frost is the game's most reliable crowd-control element. Ice-enhanced strikes can freeze enemies solid, halting their movement and interrupting incoming attacks entirely. A frozen enemy cannot dodge or block, giving you a window to reposition, heal, or unleash a full combo without taking hits.
Beyond combat, frost has environmental applications as well. Frost-tipped arrows can create ice platforms on water surfaces, and frost interacts with other elements in unique ways. The frost element is unlocked through the Path of Trials puzzle in the Abyss, accessed from the Spire of Ringing Truth in western Pailune.
Frost and the Frost Mantle ability are obtained by completing the Path of Trials, an Abyss puzzle chain. The process begins at the Spire of Ringing Truth, located in the western area of Pailune between the Wayward Woods and the Upper Nas River. The unlock requires several steps:
Climb the Spire of Ringing Truth and destroy the bell at the top. This causes the bell to fall and reveal a hidden basement entrance.
Defeat Priscus the Ancient in the basement. This flying boss is best dealt with using arrows, as melee attacks are difficult to land while it is airborne.
Enter the Abyss Gate that appears after defeating Priscus.
Complete Ether Rest, the first puzzle chamber in the Abyss sequence.
Complete Frostbitten Paradise, the second puzzle chamber.
Activate the Abyss Gate at the end of the Path of Trials. Upon completion, you automatically learn Frost Lv. 1, which unlocks both the Frost Mantle skill and Frost as an Elemental Imbuement option.
Note that elemental attacks in Crimson Desert are not obtained through regular skill tree progression or standard Abyss Artifacts. They require completing specific Abyss puzzle challenges tied to the "Restoration: The Abyss" journal entries.
Before traveling to western Pailune, prepare the following: equip the Reindeer Cloak for Ice Resistance Lv. 5 (found in a hidden cave southwest of the Scholastone Institute; use Focused Force Palm on the glowing rock to reveal the entrance). Invest at least 5 levels into Stamina, as several Abyss puzzles require long glides. Bring a bow with 50-60 poison arrows for the Priscus the Ancient boss fight. Also ensure you have the Cuckoo Pot (Chapter 4 story reward) since it is needed to transport puzzle objects.
Frost is unlocked at the third island in the chain. After climbing the Spire of Ringing Truth and defeating Priscus the Ancient, enter the Abyss Gate and complete: Ether Rest (rotating cage and wind turbine puzzle), Frostbitten Paradise (laser and battery redirection), and the Path of Trials (extreme cold survival with torches and a frozen chip defrosting mechanic). Completing the Path of Trials unlocks Frost Lv. 1 and Frost Mantle. After unlocking Frost, the chain continues through three more islands to unlock Fire at the Tree of Slumber.
Frost-enhanced attacks build up a freeze status on enemies. Once the threshold is reached, the target freezes solid for a short duration. During this window, the frozen enemy is completely immobilized and cannot dodge, block, or attack. This makes frost the strongest crowd-control element in the game, more reliable than fire's burn or lightning's stagger for locking down a single target.
Environmental cold also affects the player. In snow-capped mountain regions and certain Abyss areas, Kliff experiences Ice Buildup, which is tracked by a temperature gauge in the top-right corner of the mini-map. As Ice Buildup increases, stamina regeneration slows significantly and stamina consumption rises. At extreme cold levels, movement and combat become sluggish, making frost resistance essential for exploring cold regions.
Frost skills are located in the Health (Red) section of the skill tree. Learning Frost Lv. 1 automatically unlocks Frost Mantle for both Kliff and Damiane. Oongka also has access to Frost Mantle through the same elemental skill system.
Skill | Description | Characters | Unlock Requirement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mantle of Frost | Freeze the surroundings to create a protective barrier that blocks one hit and staggers nearby enemies. | 10 Spirit | Learn Frost Lv. 1 via the Path of Trials | |
Master the ability to manipulate the elements at will, allowing you to imbue various skills with elemental power. Applies your currently equipped element to heavy attacks, charged shots, Force Palm strikes, and Meteor Kick. | No cost | Requires both Fist of Flame and Mantle of Frost | ||
A weapon attack infused with the currently equipped element. Applies frost if frost is the active element. | Varies | Imbue Element Lv. 2+ | ||
A ranged attack enhanced with elemental properties. When frost is active, the arrow carries a freezing effect on impact. | Varies | Imbue Element Lv. 2+ | ||
An unarmed strike enhanced with the active element. With frost equipped, the Force Palm hit applies freezing buildup to the target. | Varies | Imbue Element Lv. 3+ | ||
A kick attack infused with elemental power. When frost is active, this applies freezing buildup on contact. | Varies | Imbue Element Lv. 4 |
The Axiom Bracelet is a special item granted to Kliff during Chapter 1 when a white crow bestows the bracelet upon him. The bracelet unlocks the Axiom Force skill and is the foundation for the elemental imbue system. Once you have learned Frost Lv. 1 and unlocked Imbue Element, you can apply frost to your weapon attacks through this system.
With frost imbue active, your heavy attacks, charged bow shots, Force Palm strikes, and Meteor Kick all carry frost buildup. This lets you steadily freeze enemies through normal combat rather than relying solely on the Mantle of Frost defensive skill. Elemental imbue slots directly into your attack chains, adding the freeze status effect at specific points in a combo without disrupting the flow of combat.
Frost interacts with the environment and other elements in several ways. These interactions add tactical depth to both combat encounters and exploration puzzles.
Frost arrows and water: Firing a frost-tipped arrow into a body of water instantly creates an ice platform. These platforms can be used to trap enemies or reposition objects on the water's surface.
Ice platforms and explosives: Explosive arrows can shatter ice platforms created on water. This can be used tactically to drop enemies who are standing on the ice into the water below.
Ice and Force Palm: Combining frost imbue with a Force Palm strike can launch Kliff upward off the frozen ground, adding a traversal option in addition to the combat utility.
Wet enemies and lightning: Shattering an ice platform or using frost near water can make enemies wet. A follow-up lightning attack against a wet enemy deals bonus damage, creating a powerful two-element combo.
Frost in Abyss puzzles: Several Abyss puzzle chambers, including Frostbitten Paradise, require using frost arrows to interact with environmental objects such as frozen batteries and ice bridges.
Frost is especially effective against fast-moving enemies because freezing them in place removes their speed advantage entirely. When facing agile opponents who rely on quick dodges and repositioning, a well-timed frost attack can create openings that would otherwise be impossible to exploit.
Ice enhancements pair particularly well with certain weapon types for maximum effectiveness:
Spear: Freeze an enemy on approach, then exploit the safe poke range to deal damage while they are immobilized.
Sword and Shield: Trigger a freeze on a successful counter, then follow up with a defensive stun combo.
Bow: Create ice platforms for environmental control, or freeze distant enemies to prevent them from closing the gap.
Some bosses and elite enemies have resistance to frost, requiring more hits to trigger the freeze effect. The Snow Walker, a massive ice elemental boss in the Pailune region, uses ice-based attacks itself and has high frost resistance. In general, enemies that inhabit cold regions tend to be more resistant to freezing.
Cold environments in Crimson Desert cause Ice Buildup on the player, draining stamina faster and slowing its recovery. To survive comfortably in snowy mountain regions north and east of Hernand City and in certain Abyss areas, you need ice resistance from equipment, food, or Abyss Gears.
Hernandian Noble's Cloak: Available from the Contribution Shop inside Hernand Castle for 19 Contribution Points. Provides Ice Resistance Lv. 3, making it one of the strongest early-game options.
Plate Gloves of the Fallen Kingdom: Found for free in a waterfall cave west of Hernand City. Requires Kliff's Stab ability to access. Comes with pre-loaded Abyss Cores that provide an ice resistance bonus.
Bolton Plate Armor: Provides general elemental resistance across multiple damage types, including ice.
Cloth-based cloaks: Cloth materials generally provide better ice resistance than leather or metal alternatives.
The Frostward Abyss Gear can be slotted into armor sockets to provide ice resistance. Higher-tier versions of Frostward offer up to Ice Resistance Lv. 5, which provides nearly complete frost neutralization. To create armor sockets for Abyss Gears, you must unlock Elowen the Witch during Chapter 3.
Several cooking recipes provide temporary ice resistance buffs. Field pot recipes generally offer Lv. 4 resistance, while special pot recipes can reach Lv. 6. Stock up before venturing into cold regions.
Recipe | Other Effects | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Field Pot | Lv. 2 (30 sec) | Health recovery | ||
Field Pot | 1 Fish (or 2 Fish Fillet), 1 Lentils, 1 Salt, 3 Water | Lv. 4 (1 min) | Health +240 | |
Field Pot | Lv. 4 (1 min) | |||
Field Pot | Lv. 4 (1 min) | Health +340 | ||
Field Pot | Lv. 4 (1 min) | Health recovery | ||
Field Pot | Lv. 4 (1 min) | |||
Special Pot | 2 Northern Pike, 1 Shineberry, 2 Barley, 3 Water | Lv. 6 (1 min) | ||
Special Pot | 2 Raspberry, 3 Lentils, 3 Meat and Fish Skewers, 2 Boiled Meat | Lv. 6 (1 min) |
Beverages such as Beer and Honey Tea also provide basic ice resistance. These can be purchased from any Inn and are a quick option when you do not have access to a cooking station.
Prioritize frost against agile enemies. Fast-moving opponents that rely on dodging and repositioning lose their greatest advantage when frozen. Freeze one target, deal with the others, then return to finish the frozen foe before the effect wears off.
Use frost in tight corridors. Frost enhancements are most valuable in enclosed spaces where enemies cannot easily flank you. Freezing a target in a narrow passage can block other enemies from reaching you.
Combine frost with ranged attacks. A frost-imbued charged shot from a bow can freeze enemies at range, letting you control the battlefield before closing in for melee.
Stock up on ice resistance food before cold regions. Fish Porridge and Braised Ribs are easy to prepare with ingredients from the Grocer and Meat Shop in Hernand City. Always carry several servings when heading into mountain areas.
Unlock Imbue Element early. Once you have both Fist of Flame and Mantle of Frost, invest one Abyss Artifact to unlock Imbue Element. This lets you weave frost into regular attack combos instead of relying on the 10-Spirit Mantle of Frost skill.
Chain frost into lightning. Freeze an enemy near water or shatter an ice platform to make them wet, then follow up with a lightning attack for bonus damage. This two-element combo is one of the most powerful burst options in the game.
Two abyss gears define the optimized frost loadout. Shattering Frost delivers a delayed ice burst at the impact point of any frost-imbued hit, dealing area damage and adding heavy frost buildup to every enemy caught in the explosion. Frost Hail summons a freezing rain effect that slows aggressive mobs and applies steady chill stacks across the area below it. Run together, Frost Hail raises the freeze threshold on grouped enemies while Shattering Frost converts that chill into burst damage; the loop locks down the battlefield and finishes most non-boss packs in a handful of activations.
Source | Role in the Pair | |
|---|---|---|
Pre-embedded in Icewing Plate Armor from Gwen Kraber at the Elder Tree arena (northwest of Castle Hernand). The full faction quest chain begins at House Roberts and concludes via the Legendary Hunter step at Lion Crest Manor. | Burst payoff. Detonates a delayed ice explosion that converts chill into AoE damage and frost buildup. | |
Reward from defeating White Horn in the Pelune Malisia chain: Dark Shadow Engulfing the Fort → Bloody Path bounty → Queen of the Skies (Infinite Arrows II reward) → Skeggon Tribe → Soul Shepherd → White Horn. | Slow pressure. Freezing rain raises chill stacks across the area, setting up enemies for the Shattering Frost detonation. |
Both frost abyss gears can be consolidated into a single armor slot using the Witch's Workshops extraction service. The result is a one-button frost mode that can sit alongside a parallel fire setup on a second armor piece, letting the build swap elements through inventory rather than rebuilding the loadout.
Visit any Witch's Workshops in Pywel and use the abyss gear extraction service.
Extract Shattering Frost from its source armor (the Icewing Plate Armor chest piece works as the default carrier, but any compatible armor slot can hold the extracted core).
Extract Frost Hail from its source armor as well.
Re-embed both Shattering Frost and Frost Hail into a single pair of boots or gloves. This consolidates the canonical frost pair into one inventory slot, so a single piece of gear carries both halves of the freeze-then-burst loop.
Repeat the workflow for a second pair of boots (or gloves) that holds the canonical Fire Element abyss gear pair (Flames of Judgment and Volcanic Eruption). Swap between the frost boots and the fire boots in the inventory to flip between elements mid-combat without touching the imbue menu.
The same workflow extends to Lightning Element (Orbs of Lightning) and Wind Element (Storm Fang) loadouts; build one carrier piece per element and rotate through them as the encounter demands.
The Imbue Element article covers the underlying mantle system that gates which element the player can imbue at any given moment. Consolidating two same-element abyss gears into a single slot does not bypass that system; the player still needs the matching mantle equipped to apply the element to attacks. The benefit is reducing the number of armor pieces that have to be juggled to keep all four elements ready: one carrier piece per element instead of four scattered across helm, chest, gloves, boots, and cloak slots.
Frost is the crowd control element: Shattering Frost and Frost Hail both reward grouped enemies and rapidly fill the freeze meter on standard mobs. Pairing them in a single carrier piece lets the build commit to frost during trash phases without disrupting the rest of the loadout. When the encounter shifts to a boss (where frost procs see heavy resistance) the player swaps to the fire carrier piece and the build instantly pivots to the single-target damage profile that fire is built around. The Plate Boot of the Shadows is a commonly cited carrier slot because it accepts two abyss gear sockets and has a defensive profile that complements heavy ice or fire loadouts, but the workflow is not limited to that specific boot. Any armor piece with the required socket count works.
The Spire of Ringing Truth sits in western Pailune, between the Wayward Woods and the Upper Nas River. Climbing it the first time is a short bow-and-platform parkour: shoot the wooden suspension planks above each window to drop them, hop the chandelier, and follow the laddered side path up to the top floor. At the very top, grapple the cracked support holding the bell. The bell falls all the way down the tower and punches a chasm through every floor. Drop straight down the new shaft and the boss arena spawns at the basement.
Requirement | Why It Matters | Where to Get It |
|---|---|---|
Reindeer Cloak (Ice Resistance Lv.5) | Two of the three islands have an ice debuff that drains stamina mid-glide. Without Lv.5 ice resistance, several long glides will not reach the next platform. | Hidden cave southwest of the Scholastone Institute. Use a Focused Force Palm on the glowing wall to break it, open the chest inside. |
Stamina Lv.5 minimum | Required for the long glides, especially after the Frostbitten Paradise teleporter where you need both stamina and ice resistance. | Skill tree investment. |
Bow with 50-60 poison arrows | Priscus the Ancient flies through most of the fight, so a ranged poison stack is the cleanest way to whittle his health bar. | Craft from poison ingredients or buy from any general goods vendor. |
Cuckoo Pot | Stores small puzzle objects (electrical cores, batteries) so you can carry them through corridors without dropping them. | Awarded during Chapter 4 of the main story. |
Priscus the Ancient is the gatekeeper boss. He spends roughly 90 percent of the fight airborne, so:
Open with a sword combo whenever Priscus lands. Forward Slash and Turning Slash chains stack the most damage between his lift-offs.
Switch to bow with poison arrows the moment he goes airborne. Poison ticks while he is out of melee range.
Watch for the spear throw telegraph; it explodes on impact and can one-shot under-leveled players. Dodge perpendicular to the throw line.
Carry power-up pills as a buffer. The fight is winnable on the Chapter 4 to Chapter 5 power level when prep is followed.
On defeat, Priscus drops a Blessing of Immortal, an Ancient Necklace, an Abyss Core, and the Abyss material that converts to a skill point. The teleporter at the back of the arena now becomes the Abyss gate that opens the three-island chain above.
Glide leftward up the wind tunnels until the rotating tower lines its entrance up with the platform. Inside, grapple the lit button at the top to spin the inner cage, line the cage opening up under the wind turbine, ride the turbine into the upper chamber, and drop onto the small platform with the lift wall. Lift the wall with Nature's Grasp, grab the revealed control with the grapple, and use the D-pad to rotate the whole upper room until the new opening points outside. Higher up, drop a free-floating power core into the cuckoo pot, drop it again next to the unlit anchor, grapple it onto the leaf marker, and the fan will activate. Run up the wires to reach the fan, jump-glide off it, and the fan launches you to the island button.
Lasers on this island are placed by hand, not by grapple. Pick one up with the manual prompt, then use L1 plus Triangle to drop it on a target marker (or just Triangle to release it where you stand). Light the first crystal in the entry chamber, drop into the cellar through the floor, and place a battery on the wall slot using the leaf indicator to confirm the punch. The conveyor belt requires the laser to be aimed straight forward; align it before powering the belt so the second crystal lights up cleanly. The barricade-and-blinding-light section near the end uses the Focus blinding light ability paired with a punch on the battery anchor; the timing on the punch is tight enough that a jumping punch is easier than a standing one.
The mini-map gauge shows Extreme Cold once you arrive on this island. Outside the torch radius the gauge climbs steadily and starts locking off skills and draining stamina before it kills you. The path forward is a torch-to-torch hop. From the entry torch, glide east up to the upper cliff, follow the cave inward, and take the left tunnel to find the contraption with a slotted battery. Grapple the battery and pull at the angle where you feel resistance to release it; leave it on the floor (it cannot be carried in the cuckoo pot). Loop back and drop into the lava chamber, grab the iced-over electrical chip floating outside, and drop it into a lava pit. Crucially,
release the grip while the chip is in the lava; holding on prevents the ice from clearing. When it glows blue, lift it out, slot it back into the wall socket, and jump-punch to lock it. The button on the upper wall now lifts; either Force Current it or climb up and punch it. Then triple-jump up the tower; the cold debuff is intense, but five Stamina is just enough to reach the top, where the abyss artifact unlocks Frost Lv.1 automatically and grants Frost Mantle on every character.
After Path of Trials, the same chain continues through three more islands (Sanctorum of Insight is a different chain entirely; do not confuse them) to unlock Fire Element at the Tree of Slumber. The Frost portion ends here; see the Fire Element walkthrough for the second half of the chain.
