Overview
Split Horn, also known as the Branchmaster, is the leader of the Goldleaf Merchants and one of the boss encounters in Crimson Desert. He is summoned through a Rakkash encounter during the main quest progression. The fight is a fast-paced, chaotic encounter that contrasts sharply with the slower, more methodical duels found in bosses like the Staglord. Where other bosses test patience and precise timing, Split Horn overwhelms players with speed, aggression, and unpredictable ranged attacks.
Pearl Abyss released a dedicated gameplay video showcasing the Split Horn boss battle, which became one of the earlier boss encounters shown to the public. The fight demonstrates how Crimson Desert's boss design varies dramatically in tempo and approach from one encounter to the next.
Boss profile
Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
Name | Split Horn (the Branchmaster) |
Race | Goblin |
Faction | Goldleaf Merchants |
Health Bars | 1 (single red bar) |
Combat Style | Fast, chaotic ranged attacks with rapid melee lunges |
Encounter Type | Main quest (Rakkash encounter) |
Region |
Quest context
The path to Split Horn begins when Kliff encounters the Goldleaf Merchants' soldiers in the Hernand region. After defeating a group of Goldleaf soldiers in combat, a hooded goblin named Shakatu appears and walks alongside Kliff. Shakatu explains that the Goldleaf Merchants are currently under the oppressive command of Split Horn, who has turned the guild hostile and aggressive.
Shakatu asks Kliff to challenge Split Horn to a duel, offering money and his merchant services in return. Kliff agrees, seeing the arrangement as useful for locating the missing members of the Greymanes. The quest leads to the Goldleaf headquarters, where Kliff must first fight through the soldiers guarding the entrance before the boss encounter begins.
Encounter context
Split Horn is summoned through a Rakkash encounter, a type of event where players face escalating threats. The goblin Branchmaster emerges as the culmination of this encounter, stepping into combat to find out who put the player up to the challenge. His goblin guards are known to use red mist as part of their battle tactics during the lead-up to the fight, creating a disorienting haze that makes the approach to the boss arena more dangerous.
Combat behavior
Split Horn fights with a combination of rapid melee strikes and ranged chaos attacks. He is small and fast compared to many of Crimson Desert's other bosses, darting around the arena rather than standing his ground. His attack patterns are designed to be overwhelming; he chains attacks together quickly and uses ranged projectiles to punish players who try to create distance.
Unlike bosses with multiple health bars (such as the Staglord with three or Kearush the Slayer with three), Split Horn has only a single red health bar. This means the fight is shorter but more intense, with less room for recovery between phases. There are no phase transitions or mid-fight pauses; the goblin Branchmaster maintains the same aggressive tempo throughout.
Mechanic | Details |
|---|---|
Rapid melee lunges: | Split Horn closes distance quickly with fast forward dashes into melee strikes. These come with little wind-up warning. |
Ranged chaos: | He fires projectiles and creates area-of-effect hazards at range. Retreating too far triggers more frequent ranged attacks. |
Unpredictable movement: | His small size and speed make him difficult to track. He constantly repositions between attacks, rarely standing still long enough for a full combo. |
Strategy
The key to fighting Split Horn is maintaining mid-range pressure. Getting too close invites his rapid melee lunges, while staying too far triggers increased ranged attacks. The sweet spot is a distance where the player can react to his dashes while still being close enough to counterattack during recovery frames.
Strategy | Details |
|---|---|
Stay at mid-range. | Too close and his melee combos overwhelm you; too far and his ranged chaos becomes the dominant threat. |
Punish dash recoveries. | After each forward lunge, Split Horn has a brief recovery window. This is the primary damage opportunity. |
Do not chase him. | When he repositions, hold your ground rather than sprinting after him. Chasing leads to running into his ranged attacks. |
Use the single health bar to your advantage. | Since there are no phase transitions, consistent damage output ends the fight faster. |
Heal aggressively. | The fight is short but punishing. Use consumables between his attack chains rather than waiting. |
Aftermath
After Kliff defeats Split Horn, Shakatu takes over leadership of the Goldleaf Merchants. The faction transitions from hostile to peaceful, and Shakatu's merchant services become available to the player. Shakatu deals in inventory distinct from standard town vendors, including uncommon and rare items. Completing this quest also contributes to Kliff's Contribution standing in the Hernand region and feeds into the broader faction system.
Boss roster context
Split Horn represents the fast, chaotic end of Crimson Desert's boss design spectrum. While bosses like the Staglord and Matthias are deliberate melee duels, and the Queen Stoneback Crab is a climbing puzzle, Split Horn tests the player's ability to handle speed and chaos. His single health bar makes him less of an endurance test than three-bar bosses, but his relentless aggression and unpredictable movement patterns create a different kind of challenge.