Half Moon Reaper
The Half Moon Reaper is an Elite Boss in Crimson Desert found at the Western Court of Demeniss. One of three Lunar Reapers, this boss fights with rapid scythe combos, spinning attacks, and crescent-shaped energy waves. Defeating her rewards players with the Grasping Moon two-handed spear and the Half Moon Slash ability.
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Overview
The Half Moon Reaper is an Elite Boss in Crimson Desert, encountered at the Western Court in the Demeniss region. Of the three Lunar Reapers who control the courts of Demeniss, the Half Moon Reaper is widely considered the most technically demanding fight. This boss relies heavily on tempo and unpredictability, combining fast melee strikes with ranged crescent-shaped energy waves that track the player's position.
The other two Lunar Reapers are the Full Moon Reaper at the Eastern Court and the New Moon Reaper at the Southern Court. All three share the same base stats of 2,011 HP, 180 Attack, 100 Defense, 100 Stamina, and a Knockout threshold of 750, but the Half Moon Reaper's aggressive combat style sets her apart from the more measured approaches of her counterparts.
Boss Information
Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
Name | Half Moon Reaper |
Type | Elite Boss |
Location | |
Region | |
Weapon | |
HP | 2,011 |
Attack | 180 |
100 | |
100 | |
Knockout | 750 |
Fatal | 5 |
Passive Skill | Boss Large Human |
Location
The Half Moon Reaper occupies the Western Court of Demeniss, located northwest of Demeniss city. Players typically reach this boss during late midgame progression as part of House Elemor faction quests. The Western Court must be cleared by defeating the Half Moon Reaper to liberate it, which advances the Demeniss regional storyline.
The Grasping Moon weapon can also be found inside a tent within the Western Court grounds. However, to unlock the weapon's full potential and gain the Half Moon Slash ability, players must defeat the Half Moon Reaper in combat.
Equipment Drops
Defeating the Half Moon Reaper drops a complete set of named equipment. The signature weapon, the Grasping Moon, is a two-handed spear that excels at balancing speed and reach for aggressive yet controlled combat.
Item | Slot | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Attack 21, Attack Speed Lv. 2, Critical Rate Lv. 1. Balanced spear emphasizing fast combo chaining with good reach. Bonus: Attack Speed +1, Critical Rate +1. | ||
Half Moon Reaper's Helm | Tier 3 headgear. | |
Half Moon Reaper's Armor | Tier 3 chest armor. | |
Half Moon Reaper's Cloak | Tier 3 cloak. | |
Half Moon Reaper's Gauntlets | Tier 3 hand armor. | |
Half Moon Reaper's Boots | Tier 3 foot armor. |
The Grasping Moon stands out for its balance between speed and reach. The Lv. 2 Attack Speed combined with bonus Attack Speed +1 makes it one of the faster two-handed spears available in the mid-game. Players who prefer aggressive, combo-heavy playstyles will find this weapon particularly effective.
Abilities Unlocked
Defeating the Half Moon Reaper unlocks the Half Moon Slash ability. This wide arc attack delivers crowd control by sweeping a crescent-shaped blade through enemies in front of the player. Half Moon Slash is especially useful in multi-enemy encounters where area damage outperforms single-target focus.
Additionally, players may unlock Nature's Echo, a clone-based ability that has applications in both combat and puzzle-solving contexts. Nature's Echo creates a copy of the player character that can interact with environmental elements.
Attack Patterns
The Half Moon Reaper is the most aggressive of the three Lunar Reapers. Her fighting style combines close-range scythe techniques with ranged energy projectiles, creating constant pressure that demands precise timing and awareness.
Attack | Description | How to Counter |
|---|---|---|
Rapid Scythe Combo | A fast chain of close-range slashes that connects multiple hits in quick succession. The speed of this combo makes it difficult to react to once it starts. | Maintain mid-range distance and dodge backward at the first sign of the combo. Do not attempt to parry the full sequence; the speed leaves almost no recovery window between hits. |
Spinning Scythe | The Half Moon Reaper's most dangerous attack. She spins rapidly with her weapon extended, covering a wide area and staggering instantly on contact if the player mistimes their defense. | Roll away as soon as you see the rotation begin. This attack has a large hitbox that extends further than it appears. Getting hit by this attack often leads to a stagger chain that can end the fight quickly. |
Crescent Wave | The Reaper launches crescent-shaped energy projectiles that travel forward along the ground. These waves track the player's position before being released, so they follow where you were standing. | Dodge sideways rather than backward. The tracking means retreating in a straight line often results in a direct hit. Moving perpendicular to the wave's path is the safest option. |
Lunge Thrust | A quick gap-closing thrust where the Reaper dashes forward with her spear extended. Covers significant distance in a short time. | Sidestep and counter. The Reaper commits fully to the lunge, leaving her briefly vulnerable on the sides after the thrust completes. |
Combat Strategy
Precision Over Aggression
The Half Moon Reaper fight rewards players who can read patterns instead of rushing damage. Her fast attack speed means that overcommitting to combos will get you caught in her follow-up chains. The optimal approach is to wait for her to finish an attack sequence, land one or two hits during the recovery window, then immediately create distance.
Corner Start Strategy
At the beginning of the fight, move directly to the corner of the arena and wait for the Half Moon Reaper to approach. When she gets close, roll behind her and begin attacking while pushing her toward a tree or wall. Pinning her against environmental obstacles limits her mobility and reduces the effectiveness of her tracking crescent waves.
Parry Windows
Timing parries against the Reaper's incoming scythe swings opens a brief stagger window for safe counterattacks. However, the parry window on her rapid combos is extremely tight. Focus parry attempts on her lunge thrust, which has a more readable wind-up animation. After a successful parry, use stagger abilities like Force Palm or Pump Kick to extend the damage window before she recovers.
Crescent Wave Management
The crescent-shaped energy waves are the Half Moon Reaper's primary ranged tool. They track the player's position before being released, so the key is to move laterally at the moment of release. If you are already dodging sideways when the wave launches, it will miss entirely. Never dodge backward from these projectiles, as they will follow your retreat line.
Recommended Preparation
Equip Tier 3 or higher armor with Damage Reduction. The Half Moon Reaper's rapid combos can shred health bars quickly without adequate defense.
Bring at least 50 healing items such as Grilled Meat. The fight can be prolonged if you are playing cautiously, so a large healing supply prevents attrition deaths.
Invest in Stamina. The constant dodging required by the Half Moon Reaper's attack patterns depletes Stamina rapidly. Running out of Stamina mid-combo means taking hits you cannot avoid.
Stagger abilities (Force Palm, Pump Kick) are essential for creating damage windows. The Half Moon Reaper recovers quickly from most attacks, so stance-breaking is the most reliable way to deal sustained damage.
Lore
The Half Moon Reaper is one of the three Lunar Reapers who seized control of the courts within Demeniss. Each Reaper represents a phase of the moon, and the Half Moon Reaper embodies the transitional half-phase, reflected in her combat style that shifts rapidly between close-range aggression and ranged pressure. Her weapon, the Grasping Moon, is designed for speed and reach, matching her philosophy of fluid, tempo-driven combat.
Together with the Full Moon Reaper and the New Moon Reaper, the Half Moon Reaper forms a trio that must be defeated to liberate all three courts of Demeniss. Their shared connection to the lunar cycle suggests a common origin or training tradition, though the specifics of how they came to control the courts remain tied to the broader political intrigue of the Demeniss region and House Elemor's faction quests.
Related Articles
Full Moon Reaper (Eastern Court)
New Moon Reaper (Southern Court)
Tips
The spinning scythe attack is the Half Moon Reaper's most dangerous move. If you see the rotation start, roll away immediately. Do not try to parry it.
Crescent wave projectiles track your position. Dodge sideways at the moment of release, never backward.
Push the Half Moon Reaper toward walls or trees early in the fight to limit her mobility and reduce the tracking effectiveness of her ranged attacks.
The Grasping Moon's bonus Attack Speed makes it one of the fastest mid-game spears. It suits combo-heavy, aggressive playstyles.
If you find this fight too difficult, try the Southern Court first. The Diverging Moon weapon can be picked up there without fighting the New Moon Reaper, giving you a spear upgrade before returning to the Western Court.
All three Lunar Reapers share identical base stats (2,011 HP, 218 ATK, 100 DEF, 100 STA, 750 Knockout), so strategies learned here apply to the other two encounters with minor adjustments for different attack patterns.