Sword of Greed

Overview

The Sword of Greed is a one-handed sword in Crimson Desert and the signature weapon of the Golden Greed Set. Unlike the other Golden Greed pieces, which are found in waterfall caves and puzzle vaults scattered across Pywel, the Sword of Greed is the only piece in the collection obtained by defeating a boss. Players must travel to a fortress in the southwestern portion of the Crimson Mountains and take down the Knight of Fortune to claim it.

The weapon arrives at Refinement 5 with 21 ATK, placing it above average for one-handed swords when you first pick it up. It also comes pre-loaded with several Abyss Gears, including a Crit Rate Lv. 1 bonus, bonus damage to walkers, a flat +1 ATK modifier, and its unique Abyss Gear: Order from Above. That unique ability sends rays of light raining down on the target area whenever Kliff kills an enemy, dealing area-of-effect damage to everything nearby. It makes the Sword of Greed one of the best options for clearing groups of regular enemies, though the ability is less useful in boss fights since you need a kill to trigger it.

Stats

Abyss Gears

The Sword of Greed comes equipped with multiple Abyss Gears already slotted. These provide a combination of offensive bonuses right out of the box, giving the weapon immediate combat value without needing to visit a Witch for Abyss Gear installation.

The Crit Rate Lv. 1 bonus synergizes well with fast attack chains. Because one-handed swords allow Kliff to land multiple hits in quick succession, each swing has a chance to critically hit, and the Lv. 1 boost makes those crits happen more frequently. The bonus damage to walkers is situationally strong in areas where walker enemies appear in large groups, and the flat +1 ATK stacks directly with the sword's base damage.

Players can visit a Witch to remove or replace the standard Abyss Gears if they prefer a different loadout. The unique Order from Above ability, however, is exclusive to this weapon and cannot be transferred or removed.

Order from Above

The defining feature of the Sword of Greed is its unique Abyss Gear, Order from Above. When Kliff kills an enemy while wielding the Sword of Greed, rays of light rain down on the area surrounding the fallen target. These rays deal damage to all nearby enemies caught in the impact zone, effectively turning every kill into an area-of-effect explosion.

This ability excels during encounters with groups of regular enemies. Kill one target at the edge of a group and the light rays cascade onto the others, softening or finishing off nearby foes. When fighting through bandit camps, monster dens, or any encounter involving clusters of standard enemies, the chain-reaction potential of Order from Above dramatically speeds up the clearing process. One clean kill can weaken or eliminate two or three nearby targets, which then triggers additional procs if those kills finish off more enemies.

There is an important limitation, however. Order from Above only triggers on kills. In a boss fight where there is a single target with a large health pool, the ability never activates because you cannot kill the boss until the fight is already over. This makes the Sword of Greed a weapon that shines in open-world mob clearing and multi-enemy encounters but offers no special advantage in one-on-one boss duels. Players who regularly alternate between exploration and boss encounters may want to keep a second weapon ready for boss fights where Order from Above does nothing.

How to Obtain

The Sword of Greed is located in a fortress in the southwestern portion of the Crimson Mountains region. Unlike most Golden Greed set pieces, which involve exploration puzzles and hidden cave entrances, obtaining this sword requires a direct boss fight.

Reaching the Fortress

Travel to the Crimson Mountains and head toward the southwestern section of the region. The fortress is visible from a distance as a stone structure built into the mountainside. There are no special traversal abilities required to reach it; simply follow the paths leading through the mountain passes until you arrive at the fortress entrance.

Defeating the Knight of Fortune

Inside the fortress, you will face the Knight of Fortune, a boss enemy guarding the Sword of Greed. The Knight of Fortune is a medium-difficulty encounter, roughly comparable to other mid-game world bosses. The fight takes place in the courtyard area of the fortress, giving you a reasonable amount of space to maneuver.

The Knight of Fortune's most dangerous attacks involve pillars of light that strike the ground in patterns around the arena. These light ray attacks deal heavy damage and cover a wide area, so staying stationary is risky. The key to this fight is constant movement.

• Dodge and roll away from light ray attacks. When you see the telltale glow on the ground indicating an incoming light strike, dodge immediately. Rolling provides invincibility frames that let you pass through the damage zone safely.

• Use Keen Senses Lv. 2 for perfect dodge windows. If you have Keen Senses upgraded to Level 2, activating it during the fight highlights the exact timing windows for perfect dodges. This makes avoiding the light ray patterns much more manageable, especially during the faster attack sequences in the second half of the fight.

• Stay close and punish recovery frames. After the Knight finishes a light ray sequence, there is a brief recovery window where he is vulnerable to melee attacks. Close the distance quickly after dodging and land a full combo before backing off for the next set of attacks.

• Bring healing items. Even with clean dodge timing, the light rays can clip you during transitions between attack patterns. Pack enough potions or healing consumables to survive a few mistakes.

Once the Knight of Fortune falls, the Sword of Greed drops as loot. Pick it up and it is immediately ready for use, already at Refinement 5 with all Abyss Gears pre-installed.

Refinement

The Sword of Greed arrives at Refinement 5 out of a maximum of 10. This is notably higher than most weapons you find in the world; many weapons start at Refinement 0 or 1, and even the Golden Greed Sword (the other golden one-handed sword from the same set) only starts at Refinement 3. The higher starting refinement means the Sword of Greed's 21 ATK already reflects five levels of upgrades, and you only need five more levels of refinement at a Blacksmith to reach its maximum potential.

Each additional refinement level increases the base ATK stat, requiring progressively more crafting materials and gold. Because you start at level 5, the materials needed per level are higher than the early refinement tiers, so budget your resources accordingly. Prioritize this weapon at the Blacksmith if you plan to use it as your primary sword for mob clearing content.

Combat Role and Playstyle

The Sword of Greed fills a specific niche among one-handed swords in Crimson Desert: it is a mob-clearing specialist. The Order from Above proc on every kill means that fights against groups of enemies play out very differently compared to using a standard sword. Instead of working through each enemy one at a time, you focus on killing the weakest target first. As soon as that first kill lands, the light rays soften everything nearby, accelerating the pace of each subsequent takedown.

For open-world exploration where you constantly run into groups of bandits, wildlife, or undead, the Sword of Greed is one of the most efficient weapons available. Clearing camps and enemy clusters takes noticeably less time because each kill contributes area damage to the remaining targets.

However, the weapon loses its defining advantage in any encounter with a single tough enemy. Boss fights, elite duels, and one-on-one arena challenges all deny the kill trigger that Order from Above needs. In those situations, the Sword of Greed is just a solid 21 ATK one-handed sword with Crit Rate Lv. 1, which is respectable but not exceptional. Players who rely heavily on this weapon should consider keeping a second one-handed sword (or a two-handed weapon) in their inventory for boss encounters where raw single-target damage matters more than area coverage.

Comparison to the Golden Greed Sword

The Golden Greed Set includes two one-handed swords, which can be confusing. The Golden Greed Sword (also known as the Golden Sword) is found at the Vault of Vengeance and has 16 ATK at Refinement 3 with three Abyss Core slots and Attack Speed Lv. 1. The Sword of Greed, by contrast, has 21 ATK at Refinement 5, comes with the unique Order from Above ability, but does not start with the same attack speed bonus.

The two swords serve different purposes. The Golden Greed Sword is more customizable thanks to its three open Abyss Core slots and has a natural attack speed advantage. It pairs better with the Golden Greed Shield for a fast sword-and-shield setup. The Sword of Greed trades that customization for higher raw ATK and a powerful mob-clearing proc. Choose between them based on whether you value build flexibility and speed or raw power and area-of-effect utility.

Comparison to Other One-Handed Swords

At 21 ATK with Refinement 5 already applied, the Sword of Greed sits near the top of the one-handed sword ATK rankings. Only a handful of weapons like the Darkbringer surpass it in raw damage. What makes the Sword of Greed distinct from everything else on this list is Order from Above. No other one-handed sword provides a built-in area-of-effect proc on kill. That ability gives the weapon a niche that pure stat comparisons cannot capture: in practice, its effective damage output against groups of enemies is significantly higher than its ATK number suggests.

Golden Greed Set Context

The Sword of Greed is part of the Golden Greed Set, a gold-themed equipment collection scattered across hidden locations in Pywel. The full set includes a helmet, plate boots, plate cloak, plate armor, plate gloves, a shield, a hammer, and two swords (the Golden Greed Sword from the Vault of Vengeance and the Sword of Greed from the Knight of Fortune).

Most Golden Greed pieces are found by exploring waterfall caves and solving environmental puzzles. The Sword of Greed breaks this pattern by being the only piece that requires defeating a boss. This makes it feel like a true capstone reward: you explore caves for the armor, solve puzzles for the other weapons, and then prove your combat ability against the Knight of Fortune to earn the set's signature sword.

Every piece in the Golden Greed set supports full refinement, so the entire collection can be upgraded to endgame viability. The set's natural gold finish does not require any dyes, and wearing the complete ensemble gives Kliff a distinctive golden king appearance.

Tips

• Focus the weakest enemy first. Order from Above triggers on kills, so in group encounters, target the lowest-health enemy to get the proc going as quickly as possible. The AoE damage from the first kill will soften the rest.

• Swap weapons for bosses. Since Order from Above does nothing in single-target fights, keep a second weapon in your inventory for boss encounters. A high-ATK weapon or one with attack speed bonuses will serve you better against lone targets.

• Keen Senses Lv. 2 makes the Knight of Fortune manageable. If you have Keen Senses at Level 2, use it during the boss fight to see perfect dodge timing windows. The Knight's light ray patterns become much easier to avoid.

• The fortress is in the southwest Crimson Mountains. If you are having trouble finding the location, head to the southwestern portion of the Crimson Mountains region. The fortress is a stone structure built into the mountainside, visible from the surrounding paths.

• Compare against the Golden Greed Sword before committing. If you already have the Golden Greed Sword and enjoy its three Abyss Core slots and attack speed, the Sword of Greed fills a different role. Consider which encounters you do most often. For farming and clearing, the Sword of Greed is better. For boss fights and customized builds, the Golden Greed Sword has more flexibility.

• Refinement 5 means higher upgrade costs per level. Because the sword already starts at Refinement 5, each subsequent upgrade requires more materials than the early tiers. Plan your crafting material stockpile before committing to pushing it to Refinement 10.

• The Crit Rate Lv. 1 stacks with other sources. The built-in Crit Rate bonus from the sword's Abyss Gear stacks with critical rate bonuses from armor, accessories, and other Abyss Cores. Building around critical hits with this weapon can produce impressive burst damage.