Kliff Dual-Wield Build

Overview

The Kliff Dual-Wield Build is an aggressive, offense-first configuration for Kliff in Crimson Desert. It replaces the shield with a second one-handed weapon, unlocking a completely different moveset that prioritizes rapid attack chains and high sustained damage over defensive blocking. The build revolves around precise dodging, counterattacking, and overwhelming enemies with skills like Blinding Flash Finisher and Forward Slash.

This build is extremely powerful even in its early setup and allows players to breeze through early and mid-game content. It thrives on precise dodges and counterattacks, rewarding players who commit to an attack-first mentality. The combination of different Abyss Cores on each weapon adds a layer of build customization that single-weapon setups cannot match.

Despite losing a dedicated shield, you can still block and parry while dual wielding. The damage mitigation is comparable to a shield for most incoming attacks, so the defensive loss is smaller than it might seem. The real trade-off is giving up shield-specific Abyss Gears like Aegis and Fortification in exchange for double the offensive Abyss Core slots.

How to Enable Dual Wielding

Dual wielding is not a skill unlock or progression gate. It is available from the moment you have two one-handed weapons in your inventory. To equip dual weapons:

1. Hold Left on the D-Pad (or the equivalent keyboard key) to open the Armed Combat menu (weapon wheel).

2. Navigate to the two equipment slots at the top and top-right of the radial menu.

3. Hover over the shield slot and press R2 or L2 to swap the shield for a one-handed weapon of your choice.

Only one-handed weapons qualify for dual wielding. Two-handed weapons, spears, and ranged weapons cannot be placed in the off-hand slot. The combination of one-handed weapons you equip does not affect the available moves; dual wielding uses the same moveset regardless of which specific weapons are paired.

Recommended Weapons

The weapon pairing for this build changes as you progress through the story. The table below outlines the recommended setup at each stage of the game.

Primary Weapon Progression

Off-Hand Weapon

The Tauria Curved Sword is the centerpiece of this build's off-hand. Its innate Crow's Pursuit Abyss Core summons a murder of crows during attacks that deal bonus damage to targeted enemies. This makes it the single best off-hand weapon for sustained damage output. Before obtaining it in Chapter 5, pair the Sword of the Wolf in the off-hand with Abyss Gears transferred from the Hwando for extra damage and stamina recovery.

Abyss Gear Configuration

One of the biggest advantages of dual wielding is having Abyss Core slots on both weapons instead of a weapon and a shield. This doubles your offensive Abyss Gear options. The recommended configuration for the Chapter 5+ loadout is:

Why Stamina Transference matters: Dual wield combos consume large amounts of stamina. Without a way to recover stamina mid-combo, you risk becoming fatigued at the worst possible moment. Stamina Transference, originally found on the Hwando, restores stamina with every hit you land. Slotting it on the Tauria Curved Sword lets you sustain longer attack chains without pausing to recover.

Wind Slash on the primary weapon gives you a ranged option on charged heavy attacks. Each charged blow sends a wind blade that hits enemies from a distance, letting you open fights or finish retreating targets without closing the gap.

Armor Set

The recommended armor for this build is the Canta Plate set, available for purchase from the Equipment Shop in Hernand Town after dueling Matthias during Chapter 2. The Canta set provides solid defensive stats, attack bonuses on the gloves and boots, and complete immunity to the Daze status effect. Daze immunity is especially valuable for a dual-wield playstyle because getting dazed mid-combo can leave you wide open.

Total base DEF from the set is 15. With Tier 4 refinement, the armor becomes viable for nearly all early-to-mid-game bosses and enemy encounters. The gloves and boots also contribute ATK 13 and ATK Speed Lv. 1 each, which factors into your unarmed attack damage if you mix in grappling skills.

Accessories

Skill Tree Allocation

Kliff's three skill trees (Stamina, Spirit, and Health) each offer abilities that complement the dual-wield playstyle. Below is the recommended investment order.

Stamina Tree (Primary)

The Stamina tree contains the core offensive skills that define this build. These are the skills you should invest in first.

Spirit Tree (Secondary)

The Spirit tree provides the defensive reflexes and damage amplification that make the dual-wield build work at higher difficulties.

Health Tree (Tertiary)

The Health tree is the lowest priority for this build, but a few key investments improve quality of life significantly.

Stat Point Allocation

As you level up, you earn stat points to invest in Stamina, Spirit, and Health. The dual-wield build is hungry for Stamina because extended combos drain it rapidly. The recommended distribution is:

Combat Rotation and Combos

The dual-wield build has a clear combat flow that maximizes damage while managing stamina and spirit resources.

Standard Mob Rotation

1. Open with Blinding Flash Finisher to deal AoE damage and stagger the pack. Hold heavy attack during the Blinding Flash to trigger the Finisher flurry. This consumes Spirit but creates a large window where enemies cannot retaliate.

2. Chain into Forward Slash as your main sustained damage ability. With Nature's Echo active, every Forward Slash is replicated by an illusion for double damage.

3. Transition to Spinning Slash to hit multiple enemies around you. This chains naturally after Forward Slash and is your primary mob-clearing tool.

4. Recover stamina briefly if needed. Stamina Transference on the Tauria Curved Sword recovers stamina with each hit, so shorter pauses are usually sufficient.

5. Repeat with Blinding Flash Finisher once Spirit regenerates. The cycle continues until all enemies are down.

Boss Rotation

1. Study the boss's attack patterns and look for punish windows after their combo strings end.

2. Backstep or Counter incoming attacks using Keen Senses. Countering is the most rewarding option because it deals damage while neutralizing the hit, keeping your offensive momentum.

3. Punish with Forward Slash into Spinning Slash during openings. This two-hit chain deals high stagger damage and can trigger the stagger state on many bosses.

4. Use Blinding Flash Finisher when the boss is staggered for maximum burst damage. The time-slow effect of the Finisher lets you land the full flurry without interruption.

5. Use Evasive Slash to reposition if the boss closes distance too quickly. This gives you a backward dodge with an attack built in, maintaining damage while retreating.

Key Combos

Nature's Echo Synergy

The Nature's Echo skill from the Spirit tree is what elevates this build from strong to exceptional. When active, Nature's Echo creates a spectral illusion that replicates your attacks. For dual wielding, this effectively doubles the damage of every skill in your rotation.

Once you invest in Echoing Forward Slash, the illusion specifically replicates Forward Slash attacks. Since Forward Slash is the backbone of this build's sustained DPS, having it doubled with no additional stamina cost is a massive power spike. The same principle applies to Echoing Stab and Echoing Spinning Slash if you choose to invest further into the Nature's Echo branch.

The practical effect is that mid-to-late game, your Forward Slash chains deal roughly twice the damage they did before, making already-comfortable boss fights significantly faster.

Stamina Management Tips

Stamina is the most critical resource for this build. Running out of stamina during a boss fight typically means death, because you lose the ability to dodge, attack, and sprint all at once. Follow these guidelines to maintain uptime:

• Invest 5+ stat points into Stamina as your first priority. Each point extends your combo window significantly.

• Keep Stamina Transference on the Tauria Curved Sword at all times. It recovers stamina with each hit, effectively letting your offense fuel itself.

• Do not spam Spinning Slash endlessly. While it deals good AoE damage, it is one of the more stamina-hungry skills. Use it to finish a Forward Slash chain, not as a standalone ability.

• Watch the stamina gauge before committing to a Blinding Flash Finisher sequence. The Finisher consumes Spirit, but the follow-up combo chain still requires stamina.

• Use brief pauses between combo strings rather than attacking until completely drained. Even a half-second break allows partial stamina recovery.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

• Highest sustained melee DPS. Double weapons with double Abyss Core slots mean more raw damage than any other Kliff configuration.

• Excellent AoE. Blinding Flash Finisher and Spinning Slash handle groups of enemies efficiently.

• Build flexibility. Two weapons mean six Abyss Core slots instead of three (weapon) plus two (shield). You can customize offensive stats, stamina recovery, and ranged options across both weapons.

• Still has parry and block. Despite the lack of a shield, you retain defensive options that mitigate most incoming damage.

• Powerful from early game. Even with starting weapons and basic skills, the dual-wield moveset is strong enough to carry through the first several chapters.

Weaknesses

• Stamina hungry. Extended combos consume stamina quickly. Misjudging your stamina bar can leave you defenseless.

• No shield-specific Abyss Gears. You lose access to Aegis (damage reduction) and Fortification (guard stability) from shields.

• Punishing for passive players. The build rewards aggression and precise timing. Players who prefer turtling behind a shield will struggle with this setup.

• Relies on Keen Senses mastery. Without strong parry and dodge timing, you take significantly more damage than a shielded build.

Comparison to Other Kliff Builds

The dual-wield build sits at the aggressive end of Kliff's build spectrum. It trades the Sword and Shield build's comfort for substantially higher damage output, and it offers better AoE coverage than the Longsword build. The Spear build is the closest in philosophy (both rely on timing-based defense), but the dual-wield build deals more raw damage at the cost of the Spear's ranged poke and counter stance.

Skill Respec and Flexibility

Crimson Desert allows full skill respecification without penalty. All Abyss Artifacts invested in skills are refunded when you respec. This means you can try the dual-wield build without committing permanently. If the aggressive playstyle does not suit you, respec into a Sword and Shield build or any other configuration at no cost.

Septuple Strike Variant (Endgame)

The Septuple Strike build is an advanced endgame variant of the dual-wield configuration that maximizes the number of Abyss Gear effects triggered by light attack combo finishers. The core concept is simple but devastating: equip five different Abyss Gears that all proc on light attack finishers, so that a single light attack input produces seven simultaneous hits (two weapon strikes plus five Abyss Gear effects). This covers every elemental weakness, generates incredibly high stagger buildup, and can stagger-lock even endgame bosses when executed correctly.

Unlike the standard dual-wield setup described above, which focuses on general-purpose damage with Destruction and Stamina Transference gears, the Septuple Strike build sacrifices raw stat bonuses to stack five offensive proc gears. The payoff is a single input that unleashes a cascade of elemental slashes, each one contributing independent stagger damage and elemental buildup. Against bosses weak to a particular element, the effect is amplified further.

How the Septuple Strike Works

In Crimson Desert, dual-wield light attack finishers trigger all equipped light attack proc Abyss Gears simultaneously. The dual-wield stance has the highest frequency of light attack finishers among all weapon types, making it the ideal platform for stacking these gears. When all five are equipped and a light attack finisher connects, the following happens in a single frame:

1. Two weapon strikes from the dual-wield finisher animation land on the target.

2. Wind Slash fires a ranged wind blade.

3. Crescent Moon Slash releases a crescent-shaped energy arc.

4. Half Moon Slash sends a wider moon-shaped blade forward.

5. Full Moon Slash unleashes a full circular slash effect.

6. Abyssal Rays fires concentrated abyss energy beams.

Each of these five Abyss Gear effects deals its own damage instance, applies its own elemental stagger, and calculates its own critical hit independently. The combined stagger buildup from seven simultaneous hits is enormous, often enough to break an enemy's posture in one or two finisher cycles.

Core Combos

The Septuple Strike build uses two primary combo patterns. Both are designed to reach light attack finishers as efficiently as possible while managing stamina consumption.

Infinite Combo (Primary)

The Infinite Combo is the backbone of this build and the pattern you will use most often. The input sequence is:

Heavy Attack > Light Attack > Heavy Attack > Light Attack > Heavy Attack > Light Attack... (repeat indefinitely)

The key insight is that starting with a heavy attack skips the first two weak hits of the normal light attack chain and jumps directly to the finisher portion. Every light attack in this alternating pattern counts as a finisher, triggering all five Abyss Gear procs every time. With Stamina Siphon equipped, this combo is completely stamina-neutral, meaning you can loop it forever without running out of stamina. This makes it ideal for punishing staggered or flinched bosses and for clearing packs of enemies.

Burst Combo (Secondary)

The Burst Combo is shorter and works better against bosses that interrupt you before the Infinite Combo gets rolling. The input sequence is:

Heavy Attack > Light Attack > Light Attack

Both light attacks in this sequence trigger all five Abyss Gear effects, giving you 14 total hits (4 weapon strikes plus 10 Abyss Gear procs) in just three inputs. After the second light attack, you can either end the combo with an imbued Turning Slash for additional elemental damage, or restart the pattern with another heavy attack. The Burst Combo is your go-to pattern when you only have a small punish window before the boss retaliates.

Combo Comparison

Recommended Weapons for Septuple Strike

The standard dual-wield build recommends swords for their balanced stats, but the Septuple Strike variant benefits most from the Lambert Axe, a one-handed axe with superior critical rate. Since this build dedicates all weapon Abyss Gear slots to light attack proc gears, there is no room for crit rate gears on the weapons themselves. The Lambert Axe compensates by providing 2 base crit rate (increasing to 3 at max refinement), which is significantly better than most one-handed swords that only offer 1 crit rate (increasing to 2).

The recommended setup is two Lambert Axes, one in each hand. This gives you the highest possible crit rate from weapons alone, which is critical because the five Abyss Gear procs each roll for crits independently. Higher base crit rate translates to more critical hits across all seven simultaneous damage instances.

How to Obtain the Lambert Axe

The Lambert Axe is an RNG drop from low-tier bandits in the Hernand region. Look for bandits who carry a one-handed axe as their weapon. The most reliable method to obtain it is through the disarm technique:

1. Equip a sword and small shield loadout (not dual wield).

2. Engage a bandit who is wielding a one-handed axe.

3. Block an incoming attack from the bandit.

4. Immediately press heavy attack while still holding block to execute a Shield Bash.

5. The Shield Bash will knock the weapon out of the bandit's hands.

6. Pick up the dropped weapon to add it to your inventory.

You will need two Lambert Axes for the full build. Since the drop is RNG-based, you may need to farm several bandit camps in the Hernand highlands before obtaining both copies. The bandits respawn, so revisiting the same camps is a viable strategy.

Weapon Comparison for Septuple Strike

Abyss Gear Setup (Septuple Strike)

The heart of the Septuple Strike build is its Abyss Gear loadout. All five weapon Abyss Gear slots are dedicated to light attack finisher proc gears, plus Stamina Siphon in one slot to sustain the Infinite Combo. The table below lists each gear, its effect, and where to find it.

Weapon Abyss Gears

Important note on Full Moon Slash: The House Elmore faction quest line in the Demonis region involves a series of boss fights. After each boss fight, a weapon rack appears in the arena containing the reward gear. Full Moon Slash, Crescent Moon Slash, and Half Moon Slash are all obtained from these weapon racks. If you leave the arena without picking up the gear, it is permanently missable. Always check the weapon rack after every boss encounter in the House Elmore quest chain.

Stamina Siphon is the glue that holds the Infinite Combo together. Without it, the alternating heavy-light pattern drains stamina over time and eventually forces you to stop attacking. With Stamina Siphon equipped, the stamina restored per hit exactly offsets the stamina consumed, making the combo loop truly infinite. This is non-negotiable for the Septuple Strike build.

Armor Configuration (Septuple Strike)

The Septuple Strike variant uses a different armor philosophy than the standard Canta Plate setup. Since the build has no shield and dedicates weapon slots entirely to offensive gears, the armor must compensate with defensive Abyss Gears in certain slots while maximizing attack speed in others.

Terra Cloth Gloves and the Relentless Gear

The Terra Cloth Gloves are the only gloves in the game that grant attack speed for Kliff. They provide 2 base attack speed with an additional point at max refinement. You can purchase them from the tailor vendor in the town of Terra, located north of the letter M in "Demeniss" on the world map.

Inside the gloves, slot the Relentless Abyss Gear, which activates a combo meter. The combo meter grants approximately 1% bonus damage per consecutive hit and stacks as long as you keep attacking without a significant pause. In the context of the Infinite Combo, where you are chaining heavy-light attacks indefinitely, the Relentless bonus ramps up quickly and stays active throughout the entire sequence. To obtain the Relentless gear, find the Gloves of Wandering Faith in a waterfall cave located southeast of Demeniss, north of Delesia.

Bane and Greater Bane Gears

Once your attack speed reaches rank 5, additional attack speed investment yields diminishing returns. At that point, consider swapping your boot Abyss Gears to Bane gears, which grant 12% increased damage against a specific enemy type (beasts, humanoids, undead, etc.). For targeted boss farming, Greater Bane gears provide a massive 40% damage increase against the matching enemy type, though Greater Bane gears are consumable items with limited durability that break after extended use.

Jewelry (Septuple Strike)

The jewelry slots for the Septuple Strike build prioritize critical rate, movement speed, and attack speed. Jewelry is especially important for this build because it is one of the few remaining sources of crit rate after dedicating all weapon slots to proc gears.

Critical rate on jewelry counts double. This is a hidden multiplier that many players overlook. A necklace that displays 3 crit rate on its stat screen actually contributes 6 crit rate to your total. At max refinement, a 4 crit rate necklace provides 8 actual crit rate. This makes necklaces the single most efficient source of crit rate in the game.

The Serpent Marsh witch is a special vendor who sells the crit rate necklace. To access her, you must first encounter the witch near Pailune at the broken bridge outside the town of Ban. After this initial meeting, the witch relocates to the Serpent Marsh, south of Demeniss, where you can purchase the necklace. This necklace is the single most impactful piece of jewelry for the Septuple Strike build because the doubled crit rate applies to all seven simultaneous damage instances.

Skill Tree Modifications for Septuple Strike

The Septuple Strike variant requires some adjustments to the skill tree allocation compared to the standard dual-wield build. The core defensive investments remain the same, but you need specific offensive skills to support the alternating heavy-light combo pattern.

The key difference from the standard skill tree is the emphasis on Imbue Element and Nature's Echo. Imbue Element at rank 1 is enough to enable the elemental Turning Slash, giving your Burst Combo ender additional elemental stagger damage. Nature's Echo at rank 1 creates a follow-up animation after every heavy attack. Because the Infinite Combo starts with a heavy attack and alternates heavy-light, Nature's Echo triggers on every heavy input, essentially granting free bonus damage throughout the combo chain.

Stagger Mechanics and Elemental Coverage

The primary advantage of the Septuple Strike build over other Kliff builds is its unmatched stagger output. Each of the seven simultaneous damage instances contributes independently to the enemy's stagger gauge. Against most enemies, two to three Infinite Combo cycles are sufficient to trigger a full stagger state, at which point you can continue the Infinite Combo uninterrupted for massive damage.

Because the five Abyss Gear effects cover different elements, the build naturally hits multiple elemental weaknesses without any manual element switching. Wind Slash deals wind damage, the Moon Slash gears deal lunar or arcane damage, and Abyssal Rays deals pure abyss damage. This broad elemental coverage means you rarely encounter a boss that is resistant to all of your damage types simultaneously.

The stagger-lock potential of this build is its defining characteristic. Once an enemy enters the staggered state, the Infinite Combo maintains constant pressure. The stagger gauge does not reset while the enemy is being hit, and the sheer volume of hits from the Septuple Strike keeps the gauge topped off. Endgame bosses that would normally recover and counterattack between standard combo strings can be locked in an extended stagger state, sometimes for the entire duration of the fight.

Septuple Strike vs. Standard Dual-Wield

Build Progression Path

The Septuple Strike build is an endgame evolution of the standard dual-wield setup. You should not attempt to assemble it early. Follow this progression path:

1. Chapters 1 through 4: Follow the standard dual-wield build described in the sections above. Use Sword of the Wolf and eventually Sword of the Lord with basic Abyss Gears like Destruction and Swift.

2. Chapter 5: Obtain the Tauria Curved Sword from Crowcaller and slot Stamina Transference. Begin farming Lambert Axes from Hernand bandits using the disarm technique.

3. Chapter 5 through 7: Transition to Lambert Axes when obtained. Equip Wind Slash and Abyssal Rays (purchasable from the Demeniss back alley vendor for approximately 40 silver, available even without faction reputation). Begin acquiring the crit rate necklace from the Serpent Marsh witch.

4. Chapter 8: Complete the House Elmore faction quest line in the Demonis region to unlock Crescent Moon Slash, Half Moon Slash, and Full Moon Slash. Remember to check weapon racks after every boss fight in this quest chain, as these gears are missable.

5. Post-Chapter 8: The full Septuple Strike build is now online. Slot all five proc gears plus Stamina Siphon. Farm the Pailunese Signet ring and refine your gear. Optimize with Bane or Greater Bane gears in boots for specific boss encounters.

Advanced Tips for Septuple Strike

• Do not skip the weapon racks in the House Elmore quest chain. The Moon Slash gears appear on weapon racks after boss fights in the arena, and they cannot be obtained again if missed. This is the most common mistake that prevents players from completing the Septuple Strike build.

• Abyssal Rays is cheap and easy to get. Even if you have no reputation with the Demonis faction, the back alley vendor on the east side of Demeniss (outside the city walls) sells Abyssal Rays for about 40 silver. Pick it up early to start using a partial Septuple Strike setup before the Moon Slash gears become available.

• Use the Burst Combo against fast bosses. Not every boss gives you time for the Infinite Combo to ramp up. The Burst Combo (Heavy > Light > Light) delivers two full Septuple Strikes in three inputs and can be safely ended or restarted.

• Relentless stacks synergize with the Infinite Combo. The Relentless gear in the Terra Cloth Gloves builds a combo meter at roughly 1% bonus damage per hit. During a sustained Infinite Combo, this bonus ramps to significant levels within seconds.

• Greater Bane gears are temporary but powerful. For specific boss encounters, slotting Greater Bane in your boots provides a 40% damage bonus against the matching enemy type. These gears have durability and will break after extended use, so save them for difficult endgame bosses rather than general farming.

• Practice the Heavy > Light alternation. The timing of the Infinite Combo requires clean alternation between heavy and light attacks. If you accidentally double-tap light attack, you will perform the normal light combo chain, which has weaker opening hits. Practice the rhythm on low-level enemies before attempting it on bosses.

• Crit rate from jewelry is doubled. Always prioritize the crit rate necklace from the Serpent Marsh witch and the Pailunese Signet ring. These two pieces alone can contribute 12+ actual crit rate to your build, which dramatically increases your overall DPS across all seven simultaneous damage instances.

Tips and Tricks

• Practice Counter timing (Keen Senses Lv. 3) against weaker enemies before attempting it on bosses. A successful Counter punishes the attacker and keeps your combo rolling.

• Blinding Flash Finisher is most effective when enemies are grouped. Lure packs together before activating it to maximize the AoE.

• Refine the Canta Plate Armor to Tier 4 as soon as materials are available. The defense boost makes mid-game bosses far more manageable.

• Against unblockable attacks (glowing red), use Backstep (Keen Senses Lv. 2) instead of Parry. Backstep has extended invincibility frames that let you avoid grabs, magic, and ground slams.

• Mix in unarmed skills like Lariat and Pump Kick between weapon combos. Unarmed skills deal higher stagger damage than weapon attacks, which can break a boss's guard faster.

• The Wind Slash Abyss Gear on the Sword of the Lord fires automatically on charged heavy attacks. Use it to poke enemies from range before engaging.

• When facing bosses with fast attack strings, prioritize Backstep over Counter until you learn their full combo patterns. It is safer to dodge and punish after the string ends than to attempt mid-string counters.