Sword Challenges
There are 6 Sword mastery challenges in Crimson Desert, collectively called the Sword of Trials series. Each challenge tests a different aspect of sword proficiency, from raw speed to precise technique. Completing all six unlocks the Master of Swords trophy and achievement.
Like all mastery challenges, each one is activated by finding and picking up a Sealed Abyss Artifact in the open world. Challenge progress only counts after you have collected the corresponding artifact, so it pays to explore early. You can track your progress through the Journal menu.
All Sword of Trials Challenges
Challenge | Objective | Location | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
Defeat 3 enemies within 30 seconds using a sword | Three Saints' Falls, south cliff overlooking the bridge to Meandering Hills | 1x Abyss Artifact, 1x Destruction I (Abyss Core, +1 Attack) | |
Sword of Trials 2 | Defeat 5 enemies using sword attacks within 60 seconds | Base of Steel Mountains, south of Spire of Insight | |
Sword of Trials 3 | Defeat 3 enemies with a sword without taking damage | Hernand, near Goldleaf Tradepost intersection (Sealed Abyss Artifact) | 1x Abyss Artifact, 1x Breath of Life I (Abyss Core) |
Sword of Trials 4 | Defeat 3 enemies at once with a Sword Turning Slash attack | Northwest of Kilnden Workshop (Sealed Abyss Artifact) | 1x Abyss Artifact, 1x Destruction I |
Sword of Trials 5 | Defeat 3 enemies in a row using only Sword Stab attacks | Demeniss, south of Reventine Monastery intersection (Sealed Abyss Artifact) | 1x Abyss Artifact, 1x Rend I |
Sword of Trials 6 | Defeat 5 enemies within 15 seconds using Sword Forward Slash attacks | Demeniss, south of Jijeong Temple | 1x Abyss Artifact, 1x Faded Abyss Artifact, 1x Destruction II |
Tips and Strategy
The sword is Kliff's starting weapon and generally the most familiar tool in your arsenal. Because of that, most sword challenges are straightforward as long as your gear is reasonably upgraded.
Swords belong to the one-handed weapons category. This means sword challenge completion also benefits from any skills or Abyss Tree nodes that boost one-handed weapon damage or speed.
Tip | Details |
|---|---|
Sword of Trials 1 | : Thirty seconds is generous. Target a group of weak bandits on the road and use heavy attacks to drop them fast. An upgraded sword with decent damage makes this trivial. |
Sword of Trials 3 | : The no-damage requirement rewards patience. Find isolated enemies, open with a strong attack from behind, and finish them before they can swing back. Dodge-canceling between targets keeps you safe. |
Sword of Trials 4 | : Turning Slash is an area-of-effect spin. You need three enemies to die from a single use, so soften a cluster with a few light hits first, then trigger Turning Slash to land the killing blow on all of them at once. |
Sword of Trials 5 | : Only Stab attacks count. Avoid accidentally using slash inputs. Stab is triggered by pressing the attack button during a forward movement. Pick weak enemies so each stab is a kill. |
Handling Timed Challenges
If you are struggling with any timed challenge, consider upgrading your sword at a blacksmith and investing skill points into sword damage nodes on the Abyss Tree. Higher damage means fewer hits to kill, which saves time.
Reward Summary
Each completed challenge rewards at least one Abyss Artifact. Three of the six trials also grant passive Abyss Cores that unlock combat abilities: Destruction I (bonus heavy attack damage from Trial 1), Breath of Life I (passive health recovery from Trial 3), and Rend I (armor penetration on stab attacks from Trial 5). Finishing all six earns the Master of Swords trophy, which counts toward 100% completion.
Abyss Core Drops
Three of the six Sword of Trials award an Abyss Core in addition to the standard Abyss Artifact. These cores unlock passive abilities tied to the combat system:
Trial | Effect | |
|---|---|---|
Sword of Trials 1 | Bonus damage on heavy attacks | |
Sword of Trials 3 | Passive health recovery during combat | |
Sword of Trials 5 | Bonus armor penetration on stab attacks |
The remaining trials (2, 4, and 6) still reward an Abyss Artifact but do not include an Abyss Core. Collecting all six artifacts from the Sword of Trials contributes to the total needed for the Sealed Abyss Artifact Locations achievement tracker.
Sword of Trials 6: This is the hardest sword challenge. You need to kill 5 enemies within 15 seconds using only the Forward Slash attack. Find a bandit camp with tightly grouped, low-level enemies and open with a Forward Slash into the cluster. The Destruction II reward is one of the strongest attack-boosting Abyss Cores for swords.