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Warden of Darkness - Version 8 vs Version 9
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11Overview44Warden of Darkness is an Abyss Gear item in Crimson Desert that summons spectral knights to attack nearby enemies. It is a finisher proc, meaning it only triggers when the player lands a killing blow on an enemy. The spectral knights that spawn are the same ghostly spear-wielding soldiers encountered during the Antumbra of the Spear boss fight at the Sanctum of Revelation.66Warden of Darkness comes pre-equipped on the Thorn of Dark Pursuit spear. It can also be obtained separately and socketed into other equipment through a Witch found in each region. Witches have the power to embed or remove Abyss gears from equipment sockets.88Details1010PropertyValueCategoryAbyss GearTrigger ConditionFinisher (killing blow only)EffectSummons spectral knights that attack nearby enemies with spearsDamage PatternAoE (X/Y axis spread from player position)Default SourcePre-equipped on Thorn of Dark Pursuit1212How it Works1313When the player lands a killing blow on an enemy while Warden of Darkness is socketed, a group of spectral knights spawns around the player's position. These ghostly soldiers spread outward in X and Y axis patterns, thrusting their spears into any nearby enemies they encounter. The effect covers a wide area around the player, making it extremely effective when surrounded by multiple targets.1515Because the proc only fires on a killing blow, Warden of Darkness has no effect during one-on-one encounters with bosses or single tough enemies. Its strength lies entirely in situations where there are multiple enemies to chain kills through. When one kill triggers the spectral knights, their attacks can finish off weakened nearby enemies, which can in turn trigger additional procs if those kills also count as the player's kills. In dense mob packs, this chaining effect can clear entire groups in seconds.1717Best Use Cases1919Warden of Darkness shines in AoE-focused and open-world clearing builds. Below are the scenarios where it performs best:2121Open-world mob clearing: When traveling between objectives, groups of enemies along roads and in camps are the perfect targets. Land a killing blow on the weakest enemy first, and the spectral knights will soften or finish the rest.Dense enemy encounters: Any encounter with tightly packed groups of enemies benefits from the AoE spread pattern. The X/Y axis coverage means the spectral knights hit in multiple directions simultaneously.Pairing with wide-swing weapons: Weapons with sweeping attacks, like spears and other two-handed weapons, have a natural advantage because their wide arcs can hit multiple enemies per swing, increasing the chance of landing a killing blow to trigger the proc.AoE grinding builds: For players farming materials or experience from large groups of weaker enemies, Warden of Darkness significantly speeds up clear times. Pair it with Abyss Cores that boost damage to maximize the chaining potential.2323Limitations2525The finisher requirement is both the greatest strength and the biggest limitation of Warden of Darkness. Against single targets, especially bosses and elite enemies, the proc will never activate because there is no killing blow to trigger during the fight itself. Players who primarily engage in boss fights or Abyss Dungeon encounters with few adds may find other Abyss Gear options more consistently useful. The spectral knights also cannot target enemies that are behind walls or other obstacles, so positioning matters in enclosed spaces.2727How to Obtain2929Warden of Darkness comes pre-equipped on the Thorn of Dark Pursuit spear, which drops from the Antumbra of the Spear at the Sanctum of Revelation in northeastern Serpent March, just south of Demeniss. After defeating the boss and picking up the spear, the Warden of Darkness gear is already socketed and ready to use. Players can also remove it from the spear via a Witch and socket it into a different piece of equipment if desired.3131See Also3333Thorn of Dark PursuitAbyss GearAntumbraSanctum of RevelationAbyss CoresAbyss DungeonsEnchantments3535Community Tier List Rating: Warden of Darkness3737The following community rating comes from the Abyss Gears Tier List ranking guide, which scores every Abyss Gear out of 30 across three pillars: damage, usability, and utility. The breakdown below reflects that community ranking on Warden of Darkness, not an objective measurement from the game's data files. Treat the scores as a useful reference for build decisions, then test the gear in your own loadout.3939Tier breakpoints used by the guide: S covers 25 to 30 points, A covers 20 to 24, B covers 15 to 19, C covers 10 to 14, D covers anything under 10, and F is reserved for the lowest scorers under 8.4141Score Breakdown4343Damage: 9 out of 10. The hit chunks enemies for around 70 percent of their health bar in the guide's testing, easily the heaviest hitter in the finisher category.Usability: 7 out of 10. The proc is reliable once the finisher window opens, but you are gated on getting an enemy weakened first.Utility: 8 out of 10. The AoE footprint on the finish is solid, so it cleans up clusters once a single target enters the finisher state.Total: 24 out of 30. The reviewer slots it into B tier on the strength of the finisher requirement itself, despite the raw 24 score landing in A range, because Finisher gears are inherently less consistent than gears you can use whenever.4545Use Cases and Notes4747Warden of Darkness is the best of the finisher Abyss Gear picks in the rating guide. The damage and AoE payoff is genuinely strong, but the catch is structural: any finisher gear only fires when an enemy is weakened, so you do not get the on-demand value that S-tier gears like Greysoul Howling or Lightning God's Affliction provide. The guide's recommendation is to slot it when your loadout already controls the pace of fights well enough to set up finishers reliably, and to pair it with builds that focus on weakening enemies fast.
