How to Slide

Sliding is one of the most versatile movement mechanics in Crimson Desert. On the surface it looks like a simple way to descend hills, but experienced players have discovered that it feeds into a surprisingly deep set of combat openers, movement tricks, and traversal shortcuts. Mastering the slide will make you faster in the open world, give you new ways to engage enemies, and let you chain into techniques that are not possible from a standing position.

This guide covers everything from the basic inputs to advanced techniques such as the Aura Slide (cancel slide), Slide Double Jump, slide bow shots, and the Scissor Takedown from a slide. A dedicated section on horse drifting is included at the end, since the horse drift mechanic is often confused with on-foot sliding.

Basic Controls

Sliding is a downhill movement technique. It only works on slopes and cannot be performed on flat ground. To initiate a slide you need forward momentum, so you must be sprinting before you press the crouch input.

Step-by-Step

1. Build speed. Sprint toward a downhill slope by holding or repeatedly tapping the dash button until you reach full running speed.

2. Crouch while sprinting. Once at full speed on a downhill surface, press the crouch button to drop into a slide.

3. Steer. While sliding you can move the character left and right to navigate around obstacles.

4. Stop. The slide ends automatically when you decelerate, hit flat ground, or press the slide input again to cancel (see Aura Slide below).

Platform Controls

If the slide does not activate, make sure you are on a slope steep enough for the game to register it as downhill terrain. Gentle inclines may not trigger the mechanic. Additionally, some players have reported slight input delay on the crouch button; if your character does not respond immediately, try pressing the input a fraction of a second earlier.

Advanced Slide Techniques

The basic slide is only the starting point. Players in the Crimson Desert community have uncovered several hidden interactions that extend the slide into a full movement and combat toolkit. Each technique below builds on the core slide mechanic described above.

Aura Slide (Cancel Slide)

The Aura Slide is the community name for the slide cancel technique. While you are actively sliding, press the slide input again (C on keyboard, L3 on PlayStation, LS on Xbox) to instantly kill your momentum and stop in place.

This is far more than a convenience trick. The Aura Slide gives you frame-precise control over exactly where you stop on a slope, which is critical in two situations:

• Edge safety. If you are sliding toward a cliff edge or a drop that would cause fall damage, pressing slide again will halt you before you go over.

• Combo starter. The Aura Slide puts your character into a specific post-slide state that feeds cleanly into other actions. Notably, you can Pogo immediately after an Aura Slide, something that does not work if you let a regular slide end on its own. A normal slide followed by an attempted Pogo will produce a generic attack instead. The cancel is what enables the true Pogo transition.

How to do it: Start a slide on any slope, then press the slide/crouch button again before the slide ends naturally. Your character will stop almost immediately with a brief recovery animation.

Slide Into Pogo

The Pogo is a downward aerial attack that bounces Kliff off an enemy. Normally you must be airborne to trigger it, but combining the Aura Slide with a Pogo lets you chain into the bounce attack from ground level.

The sequence is as follows: begin a slide on a slope, press slide again to cancel (Aura Slide), then immediately input the Pogo command. If done correctly, Kliff will launch into the Pogo attack without needing a jump. This is a faster way to start a Pogo combo than jumping manually, and it catches enemies off guard because there is very little startup animation.

Note that a regular slide into Pogo does not work the same way. If you sprint, slide, and then try to Pogo without cancelling first, the game interprets it as a sprinting attack instead. The Aura Slide cancel is what resets the character state and enables the true Pogo transition.

Slide Into Bow Shot

While sliding, you can pull out your Bow and begin aiming. This triggers the game's slow-motion aiming mode (Focus) mid-slide, giving you a generous window to line up shots. The effect lasts a surprising amount of time, especially once you have invested points into the Focused Shot skill.

At Focused Shot level 3, you unlock the flurry variant, which lets you mark and hit multiple targets in rapid succession. Combining this with a slide means you can fire a volley of arrows while moving at high speed down a hill. It is a visually spectacular and tactically powerful way to open a fight, particularly against mini-bosses and clusters of enemies in the open world.

How to do it: Sprint downhill and initiate a slide. While sliding, press the aim button (L2 on PlayStation, LT on Xbox, right-click on PC) to draw your bow. Press the Focus input (L3 + R3 on controller, or the Focus keybind on PC) to enter slow motion and aim carefully. Fire with R1 (PlayStation), RB (Xbox), or left-click (PC). If you have the flurry upgrade, tap the fire button rapidly to release multiple arrows.

Slide Double Jump

If you want to gain height quickly, do it from a slide. During a slide, press jump and Kliff will perform the Double Jump instantly, reaching more height than if you tried to chain a regular jump into a double jump from standing or running.

The reason this works so well is that the slide state bypasses the first jump and feeds directly into the second, higher jump. You effectively skip one input and gain altitude faster. This is especially useful when paired with the updraft you receive upon activating the glider, as the extra starting height from the slide double jump gives you more airtime and lets you cover greater horizontal distance.

For advanced traversal, combine the Slide Double Jump with Gliding to reach platforms or ledges that would otherwise require a longer route. Since the glider's updraft provides a small vertical boost on activation, starting from a slide double jump puts you at the maximum possible altitude for glider-based exploration.

How to do it: Sprint downhill, press crouch to slide, then press jump (Space on PC, X on PlayStation, A on Xbox). Kliff will launch into a high double jump. Press the glider input mid-air if you want to transition into flight.

Slide Uppercut

While sliding, you can perform an uppercut attack that carries significant forward momentum and produces a visible wind effect on impact. Technically this is classified as a sprinting uppercut, meaning you do not strictly need to be in a slide to trigger it. However, the slide gives you more consistent speed and a lower profile as you approach the target, making it harder for enemies to react.

The Slide Uppercut launches enemies into the air on hit, which can set up follow-up combos such as aerial attacks or a quick Bow shot while the target is airborne. It works well as an engagement tool when approaching enemies from elevated terrain.

How to do it: Sprint or slide toward an enemy and press the heavy attack button (Triangle on PlayStation, Y on Xbox, or left-click heavy on PC) as you close the distance. The momentum from the slide adds to the attack's range and pushback.

Combat Applications

Sliding is not just for traversal. Because the game treats a sliding character as crouching, several combat abilities that require a crouch state can be activated mid-slide. This turns the slide into a mobile combat stance that lets you chain into grapples, ranged attacks, and takedowns without awkwardly stopping to crouch in the middle of a fight.

Scissor Takedown From a Slide

The Scissor Takedown is an unarmed grapple that wraps Kliff's legs around an enemy and brings them to the ground. Normally you activate it by holding Triangle (PlayStation) or Y (Xbox) while crouching. The key insight is that sliding counts as crouching for the purposes of this skill. That means you can sprint toward an enemy, enter a slide, and hold the heavy attack button to execute the Scissor Takedown at full speed.

This is much more practical than trying to crouch in the middle of a fight and then hold the button. The slide carries you into range naturally, and the takedown triggers as soon as you make contact. It also looks far more dramatic, since Kliff transitions from a high-speed slide directly into the grapple animation.

To unlock the Scissor Takedown you need to upgrade Unarmed Combat to level 2 in the Stamina Skill Tree. This costs one Abyss Artifact. Both Kliff and Damiane can learn it.

How to do it: Sprint toward an enemy on any terrain (slopes work best, but flat ground sprinting into a quick crouch also works). Press the crouch button to enter a slide or crouch, then immediately hold Triangle (PlayStation), Y (Xbox), or the heavy attack key (PC). Kliff will perform the Scissor Takedown as soon as he is in range.

Using Slides as Fight Openers

Slides offer several ways to open combat encounters, each suited to different situations. This summary lists the most effective openers:

Mixing up your openers keeps enemies from predicting your approach pattern. The slide bow shot is safest because it maintains distance, while the Scissor Takedown and Pogo transitions are higher risk but deal more immediate damage.

Movement Applications

Beyond combat, sliding is one of the fastest ways to move through Crimson Desert's hilly terrain. Here are the main movement techniques that rely on the slide.

Momentum Control with Aura Slide

Slopes in Crimson Desert can accelerate you to dangerous speeds. The Aura Slide lets you regulate that speed without fully committing to the entire descent. By tapping slide, cancelling, and then sliding again, you can descend steep slopes in controlled bursts rather than a single uncontrollable rush. This is the safest way to navigate cliffsides and narrow mountain paths where a single overshoot could send you off an edge.

Slide Double Jump for Vertical Reach

The Slide Double Jump is the fastest way to gain altitude from ground level. Combined with the Glider, it gives you access to ledges and shortcuts that are not reachable with a normal jump. The updraft boost from the glider stacks with the extra height from the slide double jump, making this the optimal sequence for reaching elevated areas.

Practical uses include reaching treasure chests on high ledges, cutting across valleys by gliding from hilltops, and escaping combat by launching off a slope and flying to safety.

Descending Without Fall Damage

Sliding down a slope is one of the safest ways to descend steep terrain. As long as the slope is continuous and not a sheer drop, the slide will carry you to the bottom without triggering fall damage. This is much faster than carefully walking down or finding a switchback path. If the slope has a gap or cliff partway down, use the Aura Slide to stop before the edge, then reposition and continue.

Horse Drifting

Horse drifting is a separate mechanic from on-foot sliding, but the two are frequently confused because both involve sliding down slopes. Drifting is a mounted movement ability unlocked at Horse training level 3. It allows your horse to slide sideways while sprinting, making it possible to descend steep inclines at high speed while maintaining directional control.

How to Unlock Drift

You need to raise your horse to level 3 through the Horse Training system. Tame a mount, then level it up by riding extensively, feeding it regularly, and completing horse-related activities. Once the horse reaches level 3, the drift skill unlocks automatically.

Drift Controls

While drifting, rock the left stick (or A/D on keyboard) back and forth to maintain and extend the slide. This oscillating input keeps the horse in the drift state longer than a single directional hold.

Stamina Management

Drifting consumes horse stamina. The most common mistake is building too much speed before the drift, which burns through stamina before you cover the required distance. A short sprint to build momentum is enough. You want the horse running at full speed but not exhausted when the drift begins. If you run out of stamina mid-drift, the horse will stumble and the drift will end prematurely.

Horse drifting is the key to completing the "Sliding Down the Slope" challenge, which requires you to slide 50 meters on a single slope. Despite the challenge name, this is done on horseback using the drift, not on foot.

Tips and Tricks

• Practice the Aura Slide early. The cancel slide is the foundation for most advanced techniques. Get comfortable pressing the slide input twice in quick succession on various slopes.

• Combine slides with Focus Shot for easy kills. Sliding into slow-motion bow aiming is one of the safest and most effective openers in the game. Invest in Focused Shot upgrades to maximize the number of arrows you can fire during the slow-motion window.

• Use the Scissor Takedown from slides against human enemies. The sliding approach covers distance quickly and makes the grapple feel natural rather than awkward. It is especially effective against lone sentries and patrol enemies.

• The Slide Double Jump is your fastest vertical option. Whenever you need height, look for a nearby slope. A short slide into a jump will get you higher than any standing jump combo.

• Watch your surroundings while sliding. Slides build speed quickly and can send you off unexpected cliffs. Keep the camera pointed in the direction of travel and be ready to cancel with the Aura Slide.

• Steeper slopes produce faster slides. If a slope feels too gentle to trigger a slide, look for a steeper section nearby. The game requires a minimum angle before it registers the terrain as slideable.

• Horse drift is separate from on-foot sliding. If a quest or challenge asks you to "slide down a slope," check whether it means on-foot sliding or horse drifting. The 50-meter slide challenge specifically requires horse drift at training level 3.

• Rebinding the crouch key can help. Some players find the default crouch key uncomfortable for rapid slide cancels. Consider rebinding it to a side mouse button or a key that is easier to double-tap.

See Also

• Controls - Full list of controls for all platforms

• Bow Guide - Detailed archery mechanics and skill upgrades

• Focused Shot - Slow-motion bow skill used during slides

• Precision Focus - Focus mode mechanics

• Double Jump - How to unlock and use Double Jump

• Gliding - Glider mechanics and traversal tips

• Horse Guide - Horse training, taming, and drift

• Unarmed Combat - Skill tree for Scissor Takedown and other grapples

• Abyss Artifacts - Skill points used to unlock abilities