Golden Greed Set

Overview

The Golden Greed Set is a complete armor collection in Crimson Desert that gives Kliff the appearance of a wealthy king draped in gleaming gold. Unlike other armor sets that require dyes to achieve a golden look, every piece in the Golden Greed set comes with its natural gold finish straight out of the chest. The set consists of five armor pieces (helmet, plate boots, plate cloak, plate armor, and plate gloves), along with a matching golden sword and a golden shield. All seven pieces are scattered across hidden caves, waterfall passages, and puzzle vaults in the mid-to-late regions of Pywel, rewarding players who explore thoroughly and master the game's traversal abilities.

Every piece in the Golden Greed set can be fully refined at a blacksmith, making the entire collection viable for endgame use. This means the set is not just cosmetic; players can upgrade each piece to competitive stat levels and wear the full golden ensemble through the hardest content in the game.

Set Pieces

The Golden Greed collection includes eight total pieces scattered across hidden caves, waterfall passages, fortresses, and puzzle vaults. Five are armor slots, one is a one-handed sword, one is a shield, and one is a two-handed hammer. All armor pieces sit at Refinement 4, while the two weapons reach Refinement 5.

Location Guide

The Golden Greed pieces are spread across the Drywind Valley and Red River area, with the Sword of Greed requiring a separate trip to the Crimson Mountains. Most of the armor and the hammer can be collected in a single exploration loop once you know where to look. Start by solving the Memory of Northern Winds puzzle to reveal the cave locations on your map.

Prerequisite: Memory of Northern Winds

Before you can locate most of the Golden Greed pieces, you should first solve the Memory of Northern Winds puzzle. This ancient puzzle is found near the letter "A" on the Pailune map, with an abyss nexus nearby. From the nexus, fly forward and turn right into the cliff face beneath a painted rock. You will find a cave entrance leading to the puzzle chamber.

Inside the cave, you will encounter a spike trap, a rope, and a set of symbols on the wall. The solution requires pressing four symbols simultaneously: middle-left, bottom-left, top-middle, and top-right. Since you cannot press all four at once by hand, use the ranged Focused Force Palm ability and aim between each pair of symbols to activate two at a time. Successfully completing this puzzle reveals the locations of several hidden waterfall caves on your map, which is where the Golden Greed pieces are stashed.

1. Helmet: Sanctum of Renunciation

The Golden Greed Plate Helmet sits inside the Sanctum of Renunciation, located northeast of Drywind Valley. This is not a simple loot pickup. You need to clear the enemies in the area first, including sorcerers who attack from range. Once the area is safe, look for two unlit lanterns near a sealed gate. Light both lanterns to open the gate, then head inside to grab the helmet from the chest.

At Refinement 4, the helmet provides 10 DEF total (with 3 DEF coming from an abyss gear slot). It is the most straightforward piece to acquire since no waterfall traversal or hidden walls are involved.

2. Golden Great Hammer: Sacred Beasts Cave

The Golden Great Hammer is a two-handed weapon found inside Sacred Beasts Cave, a waterfall cave located northeast of Drywind Valley near the Red River. After solving the Memory of Northern Winds puzzle, this cave should appear on your map. Approach the waterfall and thrust through it using the Stab ability to enter.

The hammer sits at Refinement 5 with 29 ATK and comes with two abyss gear slots: Critical Rate 1 and 4% Bonus Damage to Walkers. With nearly 30 base ATK and a high refinement ceiling, this is one of the strongest two-handed hammers available. Players who favor heavy, slow-hitting combat styles will get solid mileage from this weapon.

3. Plate Boots: Hidden Cave Near Sacred Beasts Cave

The Golden Greed Plate Boots are in a hidden cave southeast of Sacred Beasts Cave. Unlike most waterfall caves, this one is concealed behind a false wall rather than a water curtain. Look for a section of the rock face that has a slightly different color or texture compared to the surrounding cliff. Use Focused Force Palm on the discolored wall to blast it open and reveal the cave behind it.

At Refinement 4, the boots provide 19 ATK and 7 DEF alongside Movement Speed Lv. 1 and 2% Stamina Regeneration. That combination of offense, defense, and mobility in a single footwear slot makes them one of the most well-rounded boot options for mid-to-late game exploration.

4. Plate Cloak: Venom Blade Grotto

Head to the northern tip of the Red River on the western side to find Venom Blade Grotto. This is another waterfall cave that requires the Stab ability to enter. The cave is at the far northern end of the river, so follow the water upstream until you spot the waterfall hiding the entrance.

The Plate Cloak inside has Refinement 4, 4 DEF, and Fire Resist Lv. 3. While its raw DEF is lower than other pieces, the fire resistance is useful during fights against enemies and bosses that deal fire damage, particularly in the Crimson Mountains region.

5. Plate Chest: Bersada Castle Ruins

The Golden Greed Plate Chest is hidden inside Bersada Castle Ruins, located east of the Red River. Enter the ruins and find the big staircase inside the main hallway. Instead of going up the stairs, turn left into the hallway beside them. Somewhere along this hallway is a false wall. Use Force Palm (R3) to break through it and reveal the hidden room with the chest.

This is arguably the best armor piece in the entire set. At Refinement 4 it provides 14 DEF, Movement Speed Lv. 1, 0.2 Health Regen per tick, and 2% Swim Speed. The health regeneration alone makes it worth equipping, and the swim speed bonus is a nice extra for players who spend time crossing rivers and lakes in Pywel.

6. Plate Gloves: Gale of Judgment

The Gale of Judgment cave is a waterfall cave on the eastern side of the region. After the Memory of Northern Winds puzzle reveals its location, travel there and use the Stab ability to pass through the waterfall. Inside, you will find the Golden Greed Plate Gloves in a chest.

At Refinement 4, the gloves provide 20 ATK and 11 DEF. The DEF total includes two abyss gear slots contributing 3 DEF each. That gives the gloves a surprisingly strong offensive and defensive spread for a hand slot. A Refined Palmar Pill (a consumable that enhances your Force Palm abilities) can also be found in the same chamber, so grab it before you leave.

7. Shield: Silent Water Grotto

From Gale of Judgment, head southeast to find Silent Water Grotto. This is another waterfall cave, and the entrance sits at the base of the waterfall. Use Stab to enter.

The Golden Greed Shield has Refinement 4 with 5 DEF, Attack Speed Lv. 2, and two abyss gear slots that each grant 3% Reduced Guard Stamina Cost. That stamina cost reduction is notable for players who block frequently, since it means you can sustain your guard for longer during boss fights. Combined with the Attack Speed Lv. 2 bonus, this shield pairs well with fast Forward Slash sword builds.

8. Sword of Greed: Crimson Mountains Fortress

The Sword of Greed is the crown jewel of the collection and the hardest piece to obtain. It is located inside a fortress in the Crimson Mountains, and reaching it requires defeating the Knight of Fortune boss.

The Knight of Fortune is a challenging opponent who attacks with rays of light. The key to this fight is dodging or rolling through the light ray attacks rather than trying to block them. Equipping Keen Senses at Lv. 2 is highly recommended, as it lets you perform perfect dodges that slow down time for a brief window, giving you openings to counterattack. Stay mobile and punish the boss during recovery animations between light ray barrages.

Sword of Greed Reward Stats

After defeating the Knight of Fortune, you receive the Sword of Greed. At Refinement 5, it has 21 ATK with Crit Rate Lv. 1, Bonus Damage to Walkers, and +1 ATK from abyss gears. The sword also carries a unique weapon skill called Order from Above, which calls down rays of light whenever you kill an enemy. This skill works well for clearing groups of regular enemies since each kill triggers an area-of-effect burst around the fallen target. For boss fights, the skill is less useful since it only activates on kills, not on hits. Still, for open-world roaming and clearing camps, Order from Above provides solid AoE damage that speeds up encounters.

Detailed Stats

The table below shows the exact base stats for every piece at their listed refinement level, including abyss gear contributions. The armor pieces all sit at Refinement 4, while the Sword of Greed and Golden Great Hammer reach Refinement 5.

The Plate Chest is the most stat-dense armor piece, combining defense, movement speed, health regen, and swim speed into a single slot. The Plate Gloves have the highest combined ATK + DEF among the armor pieces thanks to their dual abyss gear slots. For weapons, the Golden Great Hammer leads in raw ATK (29) while the Sword of Greed offers a broader stat spread with its crit rate and unique weapon skill.

Refinement

All seven pieces of the Golden Greed set can be upgraded through the refinement system at any blacksmith. Refinement incrementally boosts each piece's base stats using gold and crafting materials sourced from mining, hunting, boss drops, and quest rewards. Because the entire set supports full refinement, players can invest in the Golden Greed collection as legitimate endgame gear rather than treating it as purely cosmetic.

When planning your refinement path, consider prioritizing the Plate Armor first (for its health regen and movement bonuses), followed by the sword and shield (for direct combat improvements). The remaining armor pieces can be refined as materials become available.

Requirements and Prerequisites

Not all pieces of the Golden Greed set are accessible from the start of the game. Several locations require specific abilities or story progress before they can be reached.

Because of these requirements, the earliest you can realistically collect all seven pieces is after completing Chapter 4, once the necessary traversal and combat skills are unlocked.

Build Synergies

The Golden Greed Shield's Attack Speed Lv. 2 bonus makes the set particularly attractive for Forward Slash builds. Forward Slash rewards fast, repeated strikes, and the attack speed boost from the shield amplifies that playstyle. Pairing the Sword of Greed and the Golden Greed Shield together creates a cohesive one-handed loadout with strong offensive stats and the Order from Above AoE clear for mob-heavy areas.

For players who prefer a heavier weapon, the Golden Great Hammer offers an alternative. With 29 ATK at Refinement 5 and a 4% Bonus Damage to Walkers abyss gear, the hammer hits hard against common enemy types. It pairs well with the Golden Greed armor pieces that focus on survivability (the chest's health regen, the cloak's fire resist), since two-handed hammer combat tends to be slower and more trading-focused.

Armor-Only Builds

Players who want the golden look without committing to either weapon can wear the five armor pieces independently. The movement speed and stamina regeneration from the boots, combined with the health regen and swim speed from the plate chest, provide excellent utility for open-world exploration regardless of weapon choice.

The Sword of Greed's Order from Above skill is best suited for open-world roaming and camp clearing, where enemies die frequently and each kill triggers an additional AoE burst. In prolonged boss fights, the skill rarely activates since bosses do not die mid-fight. Keep this in mind when choosing between the Sword of Greed and other high-ATK swords for different content types.

Tips

• Solve Memory of Northern Winds first. This puzzle in Pailune reveals the hidden waterfall cave locations on your map. Without it, you will be wandering around looking for caves that are very easy to miss.

• No dyes needed. The Golden Greed set has its gold finish by default. You do not need to visit a dye vendor or spend any resources to get the golden appearance.

• Bring a lantern to Bersada Castle. The castle ruins where the Plate Chest is hidden are very dark inside. Without the lantern, finding the false wall in the hallway left of the staircase is difficult.

• Use Focused Force Palm on discolored walls. The Plate Boots cave is hidden behind a wall that looks slightly different from the surrounding rock. If a cliff face looks off-color, try hitting it with Focused Force Palm.

• Grab the Refined Palmar Pill. When collecting the Plate Gloves from Gale of Judgment, do not overlook the Refined Palmar Pill in the same chamber. It upgrades your Force Palm abilities and is easy to miss.

• Keen Senses Lv. 2 for the Knight of Fortune. The boss fight for the Sword of Greed relies heavily on dodging light ray attacks. Keen Senses Lv. 2 gives you perfect dodge slow-motion windows that make the fight much more manageable.

• Order from Above is situational. The Sword of Greed's unique skill triggers on enemy kills, not on hits. It shines for clearing groups of regular enemies but does nothing during single-target boss encounters. Choose your weapon accordingly.

• Shield for Forward Slash builds. If you are running a Forward Slash build, the Golden Greed Shield's Attack Speed Lv. 2 combined with Reduced Guard Stamina Cost makes it one of the best shield options available.

• Full refinement for endgame. Do not be discouraged by finding this set in mid-game. Every piece supports full refinement at a blacksmith, so the set remains competitive through endgame content.