Revision 5

Overview

The Kliff Dual Weapon Build is a fully offensive configuration that swaps Kliff's shield for a second one-handed weapon, giving him a new attack moveset designed around relentless pressure. With two swords equipped, Kliff gains access to combo strings that hit faster and cover a wider arc than his standard sword-and-shield animations. The build works well from Chapter 1 through the late game without requiring any special quest rewards to function.

Two weapons means double the Abyss Core slots compared to a weapon-and-shield setup. This gives you room to stack offensive cores on both swords simultaneously, which is the primary reason this configuration outperforms the sword-and-shield build in raw damage output. The trade-off is giving up the shield's Aegis and Fortification cores and the passive damage reduction they provide.

Dual weapon play rewards aggression. The most effective way to use this build is to stay in constant melee contact, chain skills together before enemies can retaliate, and use the dodge and counter options from the Spirit tree instead of the shield for defense. Players who prefer a measured, reactive combat style may find the Sword and Shield build more comfortable. For everyone else, this is among the highest-damage options available to Kliff.

How to Equip Dual Weapons

Equipping a second weapon does not require a skill unlock or story progression. All you need is two one-handed weapons in your inventory.

1. Hold Left on the D-Pad (or the equivalent PC key) to open the Armed Combat radial menu.

2. Navigate to the two equipment slots at the top of the wheel.

3. Hover over the shield slot and press R2 or L2 to replace it with a one-handed weapon from your inventory.

Only one-handed weapons qualify for the off-hand slot. Two-handed weapons, spears, and ranged weapons cannot be placed there. The specific pair of weapons you choose does not change which moves are available; the dual-weapon moveset is fixed regardless of what combination you equip. That said, individual weapon stats (ATK, attack speed) and Abyss Cores do affect total damage output, so the weapon choice matters for numbers even though it does not alter animations.

Weapon Progression

The recommended weapons change as the story advances. The following table covers the main-hand upgrade path from the opening chapters through the late game.

Main-Hand Weapon Path

Off-Hand Weapon

The Tauria Curved Sword is the pivot point of the off-hand setup. Crow's Pursuit is an innate Abyss Core that cannot be replicated by manually socketing other cores, and it delivers noticeable bonus damage on top of your normal attacks. Until you reach Chapter 5, the Sword of the Wolf with transferred Hwando cores gives you a functional off-hand at no extra cost.

Abyss Core Configuration

With two weapons, you have access to more Abyss Core slots than a sword-and-shield setup. The following configuration is recommended for the Chapter 5+ loadout using the Sword of the Lord and Tauria Curved Sword. See How to Equip Abyss Cores and How to Unlock Abyss Core Slots for setup instructions.

Stamina Transference is the key quality-of-life core for this build. Dual weapon combos drain stamina rapidly, and without a way to recover mid-fight you will exhaust your bar before finishing a boss encounter. Stamina Transference restores a small amount of stamina with each landed hit, which means your offense actively sustains itself through extended combo chains.

Wind Slash on the main-hand sword fires a ranged wind blade each time you execute a charged heavy attack. It lets you poke enemies from a distance before closing in, and it is useful for finishing retreating targets without chasing them out of your combo position.

For a full breakdown of all available cores and their effects, see Best Abyss Cores and All Abyss Gear Modifiers.

Recommended Armor

The best armor set for this build is the Canta Plate set, purchasable from the Equipment Shop in Hernand Town after dueling Matthias in Chapter 2. The full set offers solid DEF values, attack bonuses on the gloves and boots, and complete Daze immunity. Getting Dazed mid-combo is particularly dangerous without a shield, since it interrupts your attack chain and leaves you briefly unable to act.

Total base DEF from the four pieces is 15. Refining the Canta Plate Armor to Tier 4 should be a priority once you have the materials, as it meaningfully improves survivability without changing the offensive profile of the set.

Accessories

Skill Priorities

Kliff's three skill trees each contribute to the dual weapon playstyle in different ways. The full list of skills and upgrade paths is in the Kliff Skills article. Below is the recommended investment order for this build.

Stamina Tree (Primary Focus)

Spirit Tree (Secondary Focus)

Health Tree (Low Priority)

Stat Point Allocation

You earn stat points as you level up and can allocate them among Stamina, Spirit, and Health. For the dual weapon build, Stamina is the highest priority because dual weapon combos burn through it faster than any other Kliff configuration.

Combat Rotation

The dual weapon combat loop is built around two phases: an opener that deals burst AoE damage, and a sustained chain that keeps pressure on a single target.

Against Groups of Enemies

1. Open with Blinding Flash Finisher. Activate Blinding Flash (LMB + Block), then hold Heavy Attack to enter the Finisher flurry. This staggers the whole group and lets you land multiple hits while time slows.

2. Chain into Forward Slash. Forward Slash is your main sustained DPS skill. With Nature's Echo active, every Forward Slash hit is replicated by the echo for roughly double output.

3. Transition to Spinning Slash. Spinning Slash chains cleanly after Forward Slash and sweeps in a wide arc. This is your primary mob-clearing finisher.

4. Recover stamina, then repeat. Stamina Transference on the Tauria Curved Sword restores a small amount on each hit, so brief pauses are usually enough to top up before the next Blinding Flash cycle.

Against Bosses

1. Study attack patterns. Identify the boss's combo strings and find the punish windows at the end of each one.

2. Use Counter or Backstep on incoming attacks. Counter (Keen Senses Lv. 3) neutralizes the hit and deals damage at the same time, keeping your offensive momentum. Use Backstep for unblockable attacks with glowing red indicators.

3. Punish with Forward Slash into Spinning Slash. After a successful Counter, immediately start your Forward Slash chain. Spinning Slash after it delivers high stagger damage.

4. Use Blinding Flash Finisher during stagger windows. The time-slow effect lets you land the full flurry uninterrupted. Save it for after the boss is staggered for maximum return.

5. Reposition with Evasive Slash when needed. If the boss closes distance before you can counter, Evasive Slash lets you dodge backward while still dealing damage.

Key Combos at a Glance

Nature's Echo Synergy

The Nature's Echo skill from the Spirit tree elevates this build significantly. When active, it creates a spectral copy that replicates your attacks. Because Forward Slash is the build's primary damage skill, investing in Echoing Forward Slash means every Forward Slash hit is replicated automatically with no additional input. This effectively doubles the sustained DPS of the core combo chain.

The practical effect in combat is that mid-to-late game boss fights become considerably faster once Nature's Echo is active. The echo does not consume extra stamina or Spirit when it fires, so the only cost is the initial Spirit investment in unlocking and maintaining the skill.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

• Highest sustained damage. Two weapons with double Abyss Core slots deliver more raw DPS than any other Kliff configuration. Nature's Echo amplifies this further.

• Strong AoE capability. Blinding Flash Finisher and Spinning Slash handle enemy groups efficiently without needing to reposition.

• Flexible core customization. Six or more total Abyss Core slots across both weapons allow you to mix offensive, stamina, and utility cores.

• Parry and block still available. Despite having no shield, defensive options remain functional. Missed blocks are slightly more punishing, but the system still works.

• Effective from the first chapter. No story gating required. The dual weapon moveset is usable as soon as you have two one-handed weapons.

Weaknesses

• High stamina consumption. Combo chains drain the stamina bar quickly. Exhausting it mid-fight removes your ability to dodge and attack simultaneously.

• No shield Abyss Cores. Aegis (damage reduction) and Fortification (guard stability) are only available on shields. You lose both when going dual weapon.

• Requires confident timing. Without passive block mitigation, every mistimed defense costs full hit points. Players still learning enemy patterns may struggle initially.

• Spirit-hungry skills. Blinding Flash Finisher costs 5 Spirit per strike. Running low on Spirit mid-boss fight removes your highest-damage opener.

Build Comparison

For the full comparison of all Kliff build options, see Best Kliff Builds. For the general guide on how dual wielding mechanics work, see Dual Wield Build Guide.

Tips

• Prioritize Stamina points first. At least five stat points in Stamina before anything else. The difference between four and six stamina points is several extra attacks per combo, which compounds significantly over a boss fight.

• Practice Counter timing before boss encounters. A successful Counter (Keen Senses Lv. 3) deals damage while negating the hit. Practice it on normal enemies first to build muscle memory before attempting it against bosses with punishing attacks.

• Use Blinding Flash as a group-gathering tool. Before activating the Finisher, allow enemies to cluster around you. The wider the group, the more enemies the AoE hits at once.

• Use Backstep for unblockable attacks, not Counter. Attacks marked with a red glow cannot be parried or countered. Backstep (Keen Senses Lv. 2) gives you extended invincibility frames specifically for avoiding these. Attempting a Counter on an unblockable attack will fail.

• Keep Stamina Transference on your off-hand always. The stamina recovery per hit is small individually but adds up over long combo chains. Losing this core to replace it with a damage core is usually not worth it.

• Respec freely if the playstyle does not suit you. Crimson Desert allows full skill respec without penalty. All Abyss Artifacts invested in skills are refunded, so trying this build costs nothing to undo.

Related Articles

• Kliff - Character overview and background

• Kliff Skills - Full skill tree with all upgrades

• Best Kliff Builds - All build paths compared

• Dual Wield Build Guide - General dual-weapon mechanics and tips

• Abyss Cores - Core types, effects, and socketing

• Best Abyss Cores - Tier list for core selection

• Weapon Tier List - Rankings across all weapon types

• Skill Tree Guide - How skill trees and upgrades work