Overview
Weapon Refinement is one of the primary methods of strengthening your equipment in Crimson Desert. By visiting a blacksmith, you can increase the base stats of any weapon or piece of armor through a straightforward material-based upgrade system. Unlike many RPGs that charge silver or gold per upgrade attempt, Crimson Desert's refinement system requires only raw crafting materials. This makes gathering and stockpiling resources a core part of your progression loop.
Every piece of gear can be refined up to Level 10. The first four levels require only standard materials that you can gather across the open world. Starting at Level 5, however, the system introduces a critical trade-off: you must spend Abyss Artifacts, the same currency used to unlock skills on your skill trees. This creates a meaningful decision point in your character build, forcing you to balance raw stat upgrades against new combat abilities.
How Refinement Works
To refine a piece of equipment, open the services menu at any blacksmith NPC. Select the Refinement option, then choose the weapon or armor piece you want to upgrade. The interface displays the current refinement level, the stat increase for the next level, and the materials required. If you have enough materials in your inventory, confirm the refinement and the item's base stats will increase immediately.
Refinement is deterministic. There is no random failure chance, no risk of item degradation, and no need for protective enhancement scrolls. As long as you supply the correct materials, the refinement succeeds every time. This stands in contrast to many online RPGs where enhancement attempts carry a risk of failure or item destruction.
Each refinement level adds a fixed amount of base stats to the item. Weapons gain increased Attack Power, while armor pieces gain increased Defense. The exact stat increase scales with the item's base quality. Higher-tier equipment gains more per refinement level than lower-tier pieces, which means you get the biggest return on investment by refining your best gear.
Primary Blacksmith: Turnali
The main blacksmith for refinement services is Turnali, located in central Hernand. Turnali's workshop is easy to find: look for the anvil icon on your minimap when you enter the town. He offers all refinement services for every equipment type, including weapons, shields, and all armor categories.
Other blacksmiths scattered across the world of Pywel also offer refinement, but Turnali is the most convenient because of Hernand's central position on the map and its proximity to major questlines. If you are running low on materials, Hernand's marketplace and surrounding gathering zones provide easy access to the common crafting materials needed for early refinement levels.
Material Requirements
Refinement does not cost any Silver Coins. The only requirements are raw materials, and the type of material depends on the equipment category. Below is a breakdown of which materials are needed for each type of gear.
Equipment Type | Primary Materials | Examples |
|---|---|---|
Metal Weapons (Swords, Axes, Maces) | ||
Leather Armor | Leather Vests, Gauntlets, Boots | |
Shields | ||
Soft Clothes / Cloth Armor | Robes, Cloaks, Light Armor |
The quantity of materials required increases with each refinement level. Early levels require only a handful of resources, while levels 8 through 10 demand significantly larger quantities. Planning your material farming routes in advance saves time, especially if you are refining multiple pieces of equipment simultaneously.
Where to Gather Materials
Iron Ore and Copper Ore are found at mining nodes scattered across rocky hillsides and cave interiors throughout Pywel. Hernand's surrounding hills are a reliable early source. Thin Hide drops from animals you hunt, including wolves, deer, and boars. Wood can be gathered from fallen logs and chopping spots near forests. Cloth Pieces and Fleece are obtained from certain vendors, loot drops, and by processing raw materials at crafting stations.
As you explore further into the world, higher-density gathering zones become available. The regions surrounding the Abyss entrances tend to have denser resource clusters, giving players who are already farming Abyss content a convenient source of refinement materials between runs.
Refinement Levels Breakdown
Each piece of equipment can be refined from Level 0 (base) up to Level 10. The process is split into two distinct phases based on the resource requirements.
Levels 1 Through 4: Standard Materials Only
The first four refinement levels use only the standard gathering materials listed above. These levels are straightforward to achieve early in the game and provide a solid baseline improvement to your stats. Most players can reach Level 4 on their primary weapon within the first several hours of play just by gathering materials during normal exploration.
Refinement Level | Materials Required | Abyss Artifacts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Level 1 | Small quantity of type-specific materials | None | Available from early game |
Level 2 | Small quantity of type-specific materials | None | Minimal investment |
Level 3 | Moderate quantity of type-specific materials | None | Noticeable stat boost |
Level 4 | Moderate quantity of type-specific materials | None | Last free-upgrade tier |
Levels 5 Through 10: Abyss Artifacts Required
Starting at Level 5, each refinement level requires spending Abyss Artifacts in addition to the standard materials. Abyss Artifacts are the same resource you spend to unlock nodes on the skill trees. This is the core progression trade-off in Crimson Desert: every Artifact you invest in refinement is one you cannot invest in a new skill or skill upgrade.
Refinement Level | Materials Required | Abyss Artifacts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Level 5 | Higher quantity of type-specific materials | Required | First tier requiring Artifacts |
Level 6 | Higher quantity of type-specific materials | Required | Artifact cost increases |
Level 7 | Large quantity of type-specific materials | Required | Significant stat jump |
Level 8 | Large quantity of type-specific materials | Required | High material investment |
Level 9 | Very large quantity of type-specific materials | Required | Expensive but powerful |
Level 10 | Maximum quantity of type-specific materials | Required | Full refinement cap |
The Abyss Artifact cost escalates meaningfully at each level. Going from Level 5 to Level 10 on a single item can consume a substantial portion of your total Artifact income. Because of this, most players choose to spread their refinement across multiple pieces rather than pushing one item to the maximum immediately.
Which Weapons Benefit Most from Refinement
Refinement adds a flat amount of stats based on the item's base values. This means that weapons and armor with higher base stats gain more absolute power per refinement level. In practice, two-handed weapons benefit the most from refinement because they have the highest base Attack Power values in the game. A refined two-handed greatsword or battleaxe at Level 10 delivers considerably more total damage than a refined one-handed weapon at the same level.
That said, one-handed weapons paired with shields offer a different kind of advantage. While each individual piece gains less from refinement, you are refining two equipment slots (weapon plus shield) rather than one. The combined defensive and offensive benefits can rival or exceed what a single two-handed weapon provides, though at a higher total material cost.
For ranged characters, refining bows and crossbows increases both base damage per shot and the effectiveness of elemental ammunition. If you rely on elemental skills to apply status effects through ranged attacks, the higher base damage from refinement also increases the potency of elemental procs.
Strategic Considerations: Skills vs. Refinement
The shared currency between refinement and skills is the single most important strategic choice in Crimson Desert's progression system. Abyss Artifacts are finite within any given play session. You earn them from completing Abyss challenges, defeating bosses, and finding hidden caches in the sky realm. Spending them wisely determines the shape of your build.
When to Prioritize Refinement
You already have the core skills unlocked for your build and additional skill points offer diminishing returns.
You are using a two-handed weapon build where the flat stat gains from refinement are maximized.
You are preparing for a difficult boss fight and need raw stat increases to survive or meet a damage threshold.
You have found a high-quality weapon drop that you plan to keep for a long time.
When to Prioritize Skills
You are early in the game and have not yet unlocked key combat abilities.
You want to unlock elemental imbues from the Red branch, which dramatically expand your combat options.
You are running a build that relies on active abilities rather than raw damage numbers.
You need utility skills like dodge upgrades, grapple enhancements, or movement abilities.
A balanced approach often works best. Refine your primary weapon to Level 4 using only standard materials (no Artifact cost), then invest in key skills. Once your build has its essential abilities, start putting Artifacts into refinement levels 5 and above on your most-used equipment.
Advanced Refinement Tips
Experienced players who have spent significant time in the combat system and explored the endgame Abyss content have identified several best practices for efficient refinement.
Prioritize refining your weapon over armor first. Attack Power gains have a more immediate impact on gameplay because faster kills reduce the amount of damage you take overall.
Do not refine low-tier weapons that you will replace soon. Wait until you acquire a weapon you plan to keep, then invest your materials.
Farm materials in bulk before starting a refinement push. Gathering interruptions break your momentum and waste fast-travel resources.
Two-handed weapon users should aim for at least Level 7 refinement as a mid-game goal. The stat gains at this tier significantly impact boss fight clear times.
If you use Abyss Gear abilities regularly, make sure you have unlocked the Gear slots and skills you need before committing Artifacts to refinement.
Check the vendor inventories in Hernand and other towns periodically. Some vendors restock crafting materials that can supplement your gathering.
Refinement and Abyss Gear Synergy
Refined weapons interact favorably with Abyss Gear abilities. Several Abyss Gear effects scale with your weapon's base Attack Power, which means a refined weapon amplifies the damage of those abilities beyond what the refinement stats alone suggest. For example, the Volcanic Eruption Abyss Gear fires projectiles whose damage is partially derived from your weapon's attack stat. A refined weapon makes those volcanic rocks hit significantly harder.
Similarly, Axiom Bracelet elemental imbues apply bonus elemental damage that scales with your weapon's base damage tier. Refining your weapon before committing to elemental builds ensures that each imbued strike carries a stronger baseline, improving both direct damage and status effect buildup rates.
Tips
Refinement is permanent. You cannot undo a refinement or reclaim the materials, so invest wisely.
There is no failure chance. Every refinement attempt succeeds as long as you have the materials.
Visit Turnali in Hernand for the most convenient refinement access in the early and mid game.
If you are torn between skills and refinement, refine to Level 4 first (free of Artifact cost), then reassess your skill tree needs.
Two-handed weapons gain the most from refinement due to their higher base stats. Prioritize these if you use that weapon class.
Stock up on materials while exploring so you are always ready to refine when you find a worthy weapon upgrade.
Late-game Abyss content rewards enough Artifacts to support both skill unlocks and high-level refinement, so the trade-off is most acute in the mid game.