Overview
The Hound is a two-handed greatsword in Crimson Desert. It is one of the stronger early-game weapons available in the Hernand Region, rewarded for completing the quest chain that takes players from the Church of Hernand to the town of Senia and into Fort Hellwood. The weapon comes paired with a unique abyss gear called Hound's Claws, which replaces the default spinning attack on the R1+X ability with a wide, sweeping AoE strike from blood-stained claws that deals additional damage and covers a greater distance.
The Hound is a popular recommendation for players looking to bolster their two-handed weapon arsenal early in the game. Its AoE pressure makes it particularly effective in fights against groups of enemies, and it pairs well with buff skills like Nature's Echo for devastating combo damage.
Weapon Stats
Stat | Value |
|---|---|
Weapon Type | Two-Handed Greatsword |
Attack | +1 |
+1 | |
At base level, The Hound has an Attack Power of 14 and a Critical Rate bonus at Level 2. Players can further customize its performance through the Refining System and by socketing Abyss Cores into its available slots. The Critical Rate bonus is especially valuable on a two-handed weapon, since each individual hit already deals high damage. A critical strike from The Hound can remove large chunks of an enemy's health bar. Socket Abyss Cores that boost critical damage for maximum effect.
While the base stats of Attack +1 and Attack Speed +1 may appear modest, the true power of The Hound lies in its unique Hound's Claws abyss gear. The weapon is best evaluated as a complete package rather than by its raw numbers alone.
Hound's Claws Abyss Gear
The Hound's Claws is a unique abyss gear that comes attached to The Hound. When activated, it changes the weapon's R1+X ability. Instead of performing the default spinning attack, the player unleashes a wide sweeping AoE strike with blood-stained claws that deal additional damage to all enemies caught in the arc.
Key properties of Hound's Claws include an extended attack distance compared to the standard spinning attack, a broader hit area that catches enemies positioned at wider angles, and bonus damage from the blood-stained claw effect layered on top of the base weapon damage. This makes The Hound extremely effective when surrounded by multiple enemies, as a single activation can hit targets across a large area.
Crit Powerhouse Potential
The Hound is widely considered a high crit powerhouse weapon. Its built-in Critical Rate bonus at Level 2 synergizes with greatsword mechanics: each hit already deals heavy base damage, so critical strikes can remove massive chunks of health. The unique Hound's Claws Abyss Core further amplifies this by turning the RB+A (or R1+X) combo into a wide-reaching sweep that deals bleed damage to all enemies in the vicinity. This makes The Hound one of the best crowd control weapons available in the early-to-mid game.
How to Obtain
The Hound is obtained as a reward for completing The Rabid Hound of Hellwood, a quest given by House Celeste under their Outlaws and Monsters faction quests. The quest requires players to travel to Fort Hellwood near the town of Senia and defeat the boss Hemon Beindel along with his forces.
The quest chain is part of the broader Missing Relic storyline. To trigger the "Rabbit Hound of Hellwood" quest, you must first finish both the House Alfonso and House Roberts quest lines. Once both are completed, the next step in the Missing Relic chain sends you to Fort Hellwood to confront Heyman Bindall and claim The Hound.
Quest Chain
Travel to the Church of Hernand in the Hernand Region and speak with the NPCs there. They will direct you toward the quest "Where Lands Meet Sky," which starts the chain leading to the Senia area.
Follow the quest objectives into the Senia area. The chain involves speaking with monks and local figures who describe the threat posed by Hemon Beindel and his forces at Fort Hellwood.
Once the quest "The Rabid Hound of Hellwood" becomes active, make your way to Fort Hellwood and defeat Hemon Beindel in the boss arena to claim The Hound as your reward.
The quest becomes available during Chapter 4 of the main story. Completing it also grants an Abyss Artifact alongside the weapon, making it a highly rewarding detour.
Boss Tip: Heyman Bindall
To reach Heyman Bindall at Fort Hellwood, consider using the mountain path to the north. This path lets you jump the perimeter wall, bypassing the initial skirmishes with Hellhound forces outside the fort. Saving your healing items for the boss itself is well worth the detour.
During the fight, watch out for Heyman's multi-hit slash combo. This attack chains several rapid slashes together and can catch you off guard if you are mid-swing. Dodge the full sequence before committing to a counter-attack. Attempting to trade hits during this combo will almost certainly leave you on the losing end.
Prerequisite Quest Chain
The Hound is obtained by defeating the boss Human Biendow in the Hernandian House of Solomon quest "Missing Relic." The weapon is automatically added to your inventory upon defeating the boss. Reaching this quest requires completing a series of faction missions:
House Celest: Complete at least 3 Outlaws in Hernand bounties
House Roberts: Complete Estate in Dismay (rewards gold vein map and Mining Knuckle Drill)
House Roberts: Complete Continuing Concern
House Roberts: Complete Border from the Sky
House Seki unlocks: Complete Lord of the Mist Ruins
House Alfonso: Complete House of Spears and On the Speartip Once Again
House Alfonso: Complete Transcendent Structure
House Seki: Complete Flame Melting the Chains, Secret of the Lost Seal, Silent Anvil, and Who Should the Wind
House Celest: Complete Queen of the Silk Spun Citadel
Hernandian House of Solomon unlocks: Complete Where Land Meets Sky
Complete Missing Relic and defeat Human Biendow to receive The Hound
Combat Tips
The Hound excels in situations where multiple enemies are present. The Hound's Claws ability turns what would normally be a single-target spinning attack into a devastating area sweep, making it ideal for clearing groups of enemies in open-world encounters and during quest battles.
Nature's Echo synergy: One of the strongest combinations for The Hound is pairing it with the Nature's Echo skill. Nature's Echo creates an illusion that replicates your attacks, effectively doubling your damage output. When used alongside The Hound's already powerful AoE sweep, the mirrored attack covers even more ground and multiplies the total damage dealt to groups. This combination is especially punishing during encounters where enemies cluster together.
Parrying: While The Hound is primarily an offensive weapon, do not neglect parrying when fighting tougher enemies. Greatswords have slightly slower recovery windows, so successful parries create safe openings to follow up with the Hound's Claws sweep without risk of being interrupted.
Comparison to Other Greatswords
Compared to other early-game greatswords, The Hound stands out for its unique abyss gear rather than raw attack power. Weapons like the Darkbringer or Hwando may offer higher base stats, but The Hound's Claws abyss gear provides utility that those weapons lack. For players who frequently fight groups of enemies or prefer AoE-heavy playstyles, The Hound remains a strong choice well into the mid-game.
Later in the game, players may eventually replace The Hound with higher-tier weapons such as Frozen Anguish or the Absolute Justice Greatsword. However, the Hound's Claws abyss gear can be transferred to other compatible weapons, preserving the AoE sweep ability even after moving on from The Hound itself.
House Celeste Side Quest Unlock
Access to the boss that drops the Hound is gated behind the side-quest chain tied to House Celeste. Progress through those quests until the fight becomes available; the sword is a direct drop from that boss encounter.
Two Handed Sword Build Pick
The Hound sits in the built-in crit tier of two-handed swords, giving level three crit and 39 attack power at max refinement. Together with Righteous Verdict, it is the recommended weapon for the end-game turning slash two-handed sword build. Choosing between the two comes down to aesthetics and quest availability, since their max-refinement stats are identical in the crit weapon category.