Overview
Howling of Chaos is a unique active Abyss Core in Crimson Desert. Confused enemies briefly attack erratically, sometimes striking their own allies or standing idle instead of attacking.
The shockwave hits all enemies within a moderate radius around the player, making it effective for crowd control in group encounters. The Confusion effect is especially powerful against packs of melee enemies, as it temporarily neutralizes several threats at once while you focus on the most dangerous target.
This core fits into both melee weapons and shields, giving players flexibility in how they build around it. A shield user can trigger the shockwave defensively after blocking a heavy hit, while an aggressive melee fighter can use it to disrupt enemies mid-combo.
Properties
Property | Value |
|---|---|
Name | Howling of Chaos |
Type | Active (triggers in combat) |
Tier | Unique |
Effect | Sonic shockwave, applies Confusion |
Compatible Gear |
How to Obtain
Obtained from Sealed Abyss Artifact challenges or as a rare drop from world bosses. Not sold by standard Witch merchants.
As a unique Abyss Core, Howling of Chaos is not sold by regular Witch merchants. Instead, it must be earned through Sealed Abyss Artifact challenges or obtained as a rare drop from world bosses in Abyss-corrupted zones.
Usage and Strategy
As an active Abyss Core, Howling of Chaos triggers its effect automatically during combat under certain conditions rather than providing a permanent stat bonus. When triggered, it sonic shockwave, applies confusion, dealing damage to enemies in range.
Tips
Howling of Chaos is one of the best crowd-control Abyss Cores in the game. Save it for encounters where you are outnumbered.
The Confusion status does not work on all boss enemies, but it is highly effective against regular mobs and mini-bosses.
Pairing this core with a shield build lets you block an incoming attack and immediately counter with the shockwave.
See Also
Abyss Core - Overview of the Abyss Core system
Abyss Cores - Complete list of all Abyss Cores
Best Abyss Cores - Tier list and recommendations
Sealed Abyss Artifacts - Challenge locations for unique cores
Abyss Gear - Abyss-infused equipment overview
Community Tier List Rating: Howling of Chaos
The following community rating comes from the Abyss Gears Tier List ranking guide, which scores every Abyss Gear out of 30 across three pillars: damage, usability, and utility. The breakdown below reflects that community ranking on Howling of Chaos, not an objective measurement from the game's data files. Treat the scores as a useful reference for build decisions, then test the gear in your own loadout.
Tier breakpoints used by the guide: S covers 25 to 30 points, A covers 20 to 24, B covers 15 to 19, C covers 10 to 14, D covers anything under 10, and F is reserved for the lowest scorers under 8.
Score Breakdown
Damage: 4 out of 10. The wave is not built for damage and the rating reflects that. This is a control gear first.
Usability: 7 out of 10. The proc itself is reliable on a successful Parrying, though the parry requirement adds a layer of skill compared to non-parry gears.
Utility: 9 out of 10. The AoE footprint is noticeably bigger than other parry gears, the stun duration is much longer, and it can catch enemies that are further out. Excellent Crowd Control.
Total: 20 out of 30. B tier (technically scoring A range on totals, the guide's wording places it just into A tier on its own scale).
Use Cases and Notes
Howling of Chaos triggers on a perfect block and turns that defensive moment into a wide stun field. The damage will not finish anyone off, but the long lock-down lets your party (or your own follow-up) deal with a group safely. It is the dedicated Crowd Control pick in the parry slot, with Lightning God's Affliction as its damage-focused S-tier counterpart. Builds that lean into parry timing and want extra room to reset benefit the most from this gear.