Muskan

Overview

Muskan is a world boss in Crimson Desert and the undefeated champion of The Bonepit, a gladiator arena located in the Tommasoan Territory near the City of Tommaso in the Tashkalp region. He is a human of far greater size than normal, known for his dirty fighting and aggressive combat style. Unlike other humanoid enemies, Muskan does not use any weapons and relies entirely on his fists and brute strength to crush opponents.

The fight against Muskan takes place as part of an investigation at The Bonepit. A Greymane suspects the reigning champion of cheating and sends Kliff to investigate by entering the tournament. Players must win three consecutive unarmed fights to complete the challenge: first against Drakane, then Jaleel, and finally Muskan himself. No weapons but fists are permitted in The Bonepit, making this a pure test of unarmed combat skill.

Muskan is classified as an Epic-rarity boss with a Hard difficulty rating. The recommended level for this encounter is 26. While the first two opponents in the tournament are challenging but manageable, Muskan represents a significant difficulty spike and serves as the ultimate test of The Bonepit arena.

Boss Information

Stats

Muskan's base stats as listed in the game database are as follows. These values represent his raw combat attributes before any scaling adjustments.

Equipment

Muskan wears a distinctive set of armor during the fight. His equipment includes a full helm that covers his face, chainmail armor, and heavy shoes. These items define his visual identity as a heavily armored brawler who fights without weapons despite wearing protective gear.

Skills

Muskan possesses the passive skill "Boss Giant Creature," which reflects his oversized humanoid frame and enhanced physical power. This passive grants him increased reach, damage, and resistance compared to standard human enemies.

How to Reach the Boss

The Bonepit is located in the Tommasoan Territory near the City of Tommaso. Upon arriving in Tashkalp, a Greymane will approach Kliff with an investigation request. The Greymane suspects the reigning Bonepit champion of cheating and asks Kliff to enter the tournament to uncover the truth.

Before entering the arena, players must equip Ordinary Gloves as their weapon through the Weapons Wheel. No other weapons are allowed in The Bonepit. The tournament consists of three consecutive fights, and Muskan is the third and final opponent.

After defeating the first two opponents (Drakane and Jaleel), players can challenge Muskan as many times as needed without having to redo the earlier fights. This means there is no penalty for losing to Muskan; simply return and try again.

Attack Patterns

Muskan is a relentless brawler who relies on raw physical power and dirty fighting tactics. His attacks are heavy, punishing, and can catch players off guard if they do not maintain proper spacing. One of his most dangerous traits is his ability to counter any move that is used twice in a row, forcing players to constantly vary their attack sequences.

Counter Mechanic

Muskan has a unique and critical mechanic that sets him apart from other bosses in Crimson Desert: he counters any move that is used twice in a row. This means players must constantly vary their grapple finishers and attack sequences. Never repeat the same combo or grappling move consecutively, or Muskan will punish it with an immediate counter. This mechanic forces players to rely on fight IQ, tactical adaptability, and creative use of their full moveset rather than spamming a single effective strategy.

Strategy

Preparation

Before entering The Bonepit, invest skill points in Unarmed Combat and Grappling from the Skills menu. Upgrade your gloves and increase your Health and Stamina in the skill tree. Purchase Focused Insight and unlock Focus Lv 3, which allows you to press L1 during Focus (L3+R3) to counter attacks in slow motion. This ability is extremely valuable for this fight.

Grappling Focus

The most effective strategy against Muskan is to focus on Grappling (Triangle + Circle on PlayStation, or X + Square on Xbox). Spam Grappling and other Spirit attacks to whittle down Muskan's health. Use Focus (L3 + R3) to rebuild your Spirit meter and to counter Muskan's incoming hits by pressing L1 just before they connect.

Remember to vary your grapple finishers after every use. Muskan will counter any move repeated in succession, so alternate between different grappling techniques, strikes, and Spirit attacks to keep him guessing.

Patience and Timing

This fight rewards patience more than aggression. Dodge Muskan's heavy attacks and look for counterattack windows during his recovery frames. Parrying is more effective than evading for the final phase of the fight, as successful parries create longer openings for damage. Use heavy attacks during these windows to finish the fight quickly.

Freeze Status

If available, use the Freeze status effect at the start of the fight to secure a free opening combo. This gives you an immediate advantage before Muskan can begin his attack chains.

Arena Hazards

The Bonepit arena contains environmental obstacles that can be used to your advantage. Lure Muskan's charging attacks into these obstacles to interrupt his momentum and create additional counterattack opportunities.

Dealing With Invulnerability

When the screen darkens and Muskan enters his invulnerable combo state, do not waste Spirit or stamina trying to attack him. Focus entirely on dodging and staying mobile until the invulnerability phase ends and normal combat resumes.

Recommended Skills

Observation Learning

Muskan is one of the most valuable targets for Observation Learning in the game, particularly for players who focus on unarmed combat builds. By observing Muskan during the fight, players can learn two enhanced techniques:

To learn both techniques, deliberately let Muskan sustain a rhythm during the fight so he repeats his signature moves multiple times. Observe both the Body Slam and Grapple Follow-up before finishing the fight, then spend your Abyss Artifacts to unlock them. These enhanced versions are considered some of the best rewards in the game for unarmed combat builds, arguably better than several full skill tree unlocks.

Rewards

Defeating Muskan completes the Bonepit quest and grants the following rewards.

Combat God's Plate Gloves

The Combat God's Plate Gloves are the primary equipment reward for defeating Muskan. These gloves are built for aggressive playstyles that rely on consistent damage output and elemental enhancement. The Lightning Affinity allows attacks to scale with lightning-based effects, making them particularly effective for fast-paced melee combat builds.

Lore

Muskan is the undefeated champion of The Bonepit, a gladiator arena where fighters compete in unarmed combat for the entertainment of onlookers who cheer from the stands. His enormous frame and raw physical power have made him a dominant force in the arena, and his reputation for dirty fighting is well known throughout the Tommasoan Territory.

The name Muskan carries significance across the wider Pearl Abyss universe. In Black Desert Online, Muskan is a cold-blooded murderer and commander of the Kzarka Shrine priests at the Bloody Monastery in Serendia. That version of Muskan wears a helmet covering his entire face to hide his appearance after being struck by a matchlock bullet, and he serves as a guild boss alongside his brother Agrakhan. Both brothers worship Kzarka, the lord of destruction, and seek to bring about his resurrection.

While the Crimson Desert version of Muskan shares the name and the distinctive full-face helm with his Black Desert Online counterpart, the exact narrative connection between the two remains to be fully explored. Both versions are characterized by their immense physical power and violent tendencies, suggesting a deliberate thematic link between the two games developed by Pearl Abyss.

The Bonepit Tournament

The Bonepit is a three-round unarmed combat tournament. Players must defeat all three opponents in sequence to claim the championship. The first two fights serve as warm-ups for the main event against Muskan.

Tips

• Never repeat the same attack or grapple finisher twice in a row. Muskan will counter any repeated move, so always vary your sequences.

• Use Focus (L3 + R3) frequently to regenerate Spirit and slow down time. With Focus Lv 3 and Focused Insight, you can parry incoming attacks in slow motion.

• The Knee and Punching Combo is your best parry opportunity. Time your block at the moment of impact to create a counterattack window.

• Do not waste resources attacking during Muskan's invulnerable combo phase (signaled by the screen darkening). Just dodge and survive.

• Observe both the Body Slam and Grapple Follow-up techniques before finishing the fight. These Observation Learning rewards are extremely valuable for unarmed builds.

• If you lose to Muskan, you can retry immediately without having to fight Drakane and Jaleel again.

• Equip Ordinary Gloves through the Weapons Wheel before speaking with the Bonepit Host. You cannot use other weapons in the arena.

• Upgrade your Health and Stamina in the skill tree before attempting this fight. Muskan hits extremely hard and the fight requires endurance.

• Use arena environmental obstacles to interrupt Muskan's charging attacks. Position yourself so that his charges carry him into obstacles.

• The Combat God's Plate Gloves reward is excellent for aggressive melee builds. The Lightning Affinity scales well with fast attack chains.

Related Articles

• Bosses - Full list of bosses in Crimson Desert

• World Bosses - Guide to all world boss encounters

• The Bonepit - Arena location in the Tommasoan Territory

• Unarmed Combat - Guide to fist-fighting mechanics

• Grappling - Grappling skill and techniques

• Observation Learning - How to learn enemy techniques

• Combat God's Plate Gloves - Reward equipment details

• Abyss Gear - Special gear system overview

• Tashkalp - Region containing The Bonepit