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How to Increase Defense
April 12, 2026 at 10:22 PM
New article: How to Increase Defense guide
Defense in Crimson Desert reduces the damage you take from enemy attacks. Unlike Attack Speed or Critical Rate, Defense can be raised through multiple systems: equipment, Abyss Cores, refinement, and certain consumables. This guide covers every method available for increasing your Defense stat.
Your armor is the primary source of Defense. Each piece of equipped armor (headgear, chest, gloves, boots, and cloak) contributes a base Defense value. Higher-tier armor sets provide substantially more Defense than early-game gear.
Plate armor generally provides the highest Defense values but may have lower mobility-related stats.
Leather armor offers moderate Defense with a balance of other stats like Attack or Critical Rate.
Cloth armor tends to have lower Defense but may offer unique bonuses like Spirit recovery or elemental resistance.
See the Best Armor Guide for specific armor recommendations at each stage of the game.
Equipping a shield adds to your Defense through its Guard Rate stat, which determines the percentage of incoming damage blocked when guarding. Shields also have a base Defense value. The Guard Rate ranges from around 20% for basic shields to 40% or more for endgame options.
Refining your armor at a Grindstone increases its stats, including Defense. Each refinement level raises the Defense value of the piece. Refinement requires Silver and specific materials that vary by armor tier. You can refine armor up to +10 for significant stat increases.
Several Abyss Cores provide Defense bonuses when slotted into your armor's Abyss Gear slots:
Fortification I / III: Directly increases Defense. Fortification III provides the largest flat Defense boost available from Abyss Cores.
Aegis I / III: Increases Guard Rate and provides damage reduction while blocking.
Stacking multiple Fortification III cores across your armor pieces is the most effective way to raise Defense through Abyss Gear.
Certain accessories provide Defense bonuses:
Earrings: Some earrings like the Witch's Earring provide DEF +3.
Necklaces: The Saint's Necklace and similar options offer Defense bonuses.
Cloaks: Cloaks can add both Defense and elemental resistance stats.
Eating food before combat can provide temporary stat boosts, including Defense. Higher-tier cooked meals (Hearty and Satisfying grades) offer the best buff values. The buff duration varies by food quality but typically lasts long enough for a boss fight or extended exploration session.
While not directly increasing the Defense stat, elemental resistance reduces damage from specific element types (Fire, Ice, Lightning). Some equipment pieces provide elemental resistance alongside Defense. Against bosses that deal heavy elemental damage, stacking the appropriate resistance can be more effective than raw Defense.
The Health branch of the skill tree includes passive upgrades that increase your maximum Health pool. While this does not raise your Defense stat directly, more Health means you can absorb more hits. The combination of high Defense and a large Health pool provides the best overall survivability.
Prioritize upgrading your chest armor first, as it provides the highest base Defense of any armor slot.
Refine your armor regularly. Even a few refinement levels make a noticeable difference in damage taken.
For boss fights, consider swapping to plate armor with Fortification III cores, even if you normally prefer lighter gear.
Check the Best Armor Guide and Best Endgame Equipment for the highest-Defense options at each progression stage.
Elemental resistance matters more than raw Defense against bosses with elemental attacks. Match your gear to the boss.
