Overview
Projectiles in Crimson Desert are a type of consumable Equipment used as ammunition for ranged weapons. They include arrows, bullets, poison arrows, and small cannon balls. Projectiles are loaded into a dedicated ammo slot and are consumed each time the player fires a ranged attack with a Bow, Firearm, or Hand Cannon. Players can swap between different ammunition types on the fly through the Quick Equipment Slots radial menu, changing the damage behavior of their ranged attacks mid-combat.
Projectiles can be obtained in several ways: purchasing from Equipment Vendors, crafting at a Smithy, or looting them from defeated Enemies. Managing ammunition supply is a core part of ranged gameplay, as running out of projectiles in the middle of a fight limits tactical options significantly.
Projectile Types
Icon | Projectile | Buy Price | Sell Price | Used With | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Silver | 1 Silver | A weapon to aim at targets from a distance in hunting or combat. Used when attacking with a bow equipped. | ||
| 3 Silver | 1 Silver | Spherical metal bullets fired using the explosive force of gunpowder. Since each shot consumes a significant amount of gunpowder, they are difficult to use as frequently as arrows. | ||
| Not yet confirmed | 4 Silver | An arrow with a deadly poison applied to its tip. On impact, the victim is poisoned, steadily losing Health and slowly succumbing to death. | ||
| Not yet confirmed | Not yet confirmed | Compact explosive projectiles designed for portable heavy firearms. Each shot creates a blast radius on impact, damaging all enemies in the area. |
Bullets cost more than arrows (3 Silver vs. 2 Silver) because each shot consumes more resources, particularly gunpowder. Poison Arrows carry a premium due to their status effect, inflicting the Poison debuff on targets, which drains their health over time. Small Cannon Balls are explosive rounds that deal area-of-effect damage, used primarily with hand cannons wielded by characters like Oongka.
Crafting Projectiles
Projectiles can be crafted at any Smithy or Blacksmith location. Crafting is often more cost-effective than buying from vendors, especially for players who gather their own materials.
Arrow Crafting
One quiver of 30 arrows requires 5 units of wood and 1 piece of Iron Ore. Wood is collected by chopping trees with a Logging Axe, and Iron Ore is mined from ore deposits using a Pickaxe. Given the low material cost, crafting arrows in bulk is recommended to avoid running dry during extended exploration or combat encounters.
Bullet Crafting
Bullets require 2 pieces of Iron Ore plus additional materials. The higher Iron Ore cost reflects the denser metal needed for firearm projectiles compared to arrowheads. A recipe must be unlocked before bullet crafting becomes available.
Poison Arrow Crafting
Poison Arrows can be crafted at a Smithy, though the exact material recipe has not been fully confirmed. They likely require standard arrow components plus a poisonous ingredient sourced through Alchemy or Gathering.
Small Cannon Ball Crafting
Small Cannon Balls can be crafted at a Blacksmith. The specific recipe and required materials have not yet been confirmed. Given the explosive nature of the projectile, the recipe likely requires metal components and possibly gunpowder or similar explosive ingredients.
Special Arrow Mechanics
Flaming Arrows
Players can ignite their arrows by approaching any fire source while in Aim mode. Point the arrowhead at the flame and wait for it to catch fire, then release the shot. Flaming arrows deal increased damage to enemies and can also clear environmental obstacles such as weeds blocking a path. This mechanic works with standard arrows; no special crafting is needed.
Elemental Imbuing
Beyond fire, players can use certain Skills to imbue arrows with elemental properties. This adds tactical variety to ranged combat, allowing different damage types and status effects depending on the skill used. Swapping ammunition types and pairing them with elemental skills gives ranged builds significant versatility.
Ranged Combat Tips
Carry at least one full quiver of arrows before heading into a Boss encounter. Running out mid-fight removes ranged options entirely.
Arrows and bullets are stored in the Quick Equipment Slots radial menu. Ranged gear is in the bottom-right slot, and the ammo type is just to the left of it.
Precision Focus is a slow-motion aiming mechanic activated while using a Bow. It slows time significantly, letting you line up precise shots. This is especially powerful when combined with aerial movement for raining arrows from above.
Use Poison Arrows on high-health targets like bosses. The ongoing Health drain stacks well with direct damage from melee follow-ups.
Flaming arrows can be created at any fire source, including campfires and torches. Always check for fire sources near boss arenas before engaging.
The Charged Shot skill (blue skill) lets you target ore deposits in hard-to-reach locations by charging shots with the aim trigger, doubling as both a combat tool and a gathering aid.
Save Small Cannon Balls for groups of enemies. The area-of-effect explosion is wasted on isolated targets where single-target ammunition like arrows or bullets would be more efficient.