Discover everything you need to know about the best early game weapons in Crimson Desert, including how to get them.
Weapons are central to combat and character progression in Crimson Desert. There are many weapon types, and each weapon can be upgraded and customized using materials from mining, bosses, quests, and exploration.
You must equip a weapon to benefit from its attack stat, but it doesn’t count toward your damage. Choosing the best beginner weapons is crucial to eliminating the enemies in the initial stages. Warspike Spear and Legionary’s Gladius are the best weapons to use early on due to their powerful abilities and damage-dealing capability.
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Weapons Overview
The weapon in Crimson Desert is the combat tool your character uses to deal damage to enemies in combat. Each weapon comes with its strengths and weaknesses, so choosing the best one is crucial. They are part of the gear-based progression system. Your strength is highly dependent on the type of weapon you’re using.
You can equip 2 weapons at the same time and swap via the equipment wheel. The best strategy is to initiate a fight with the sword and then switch to the spear for massive attacks. Weapons are not just cosmetics; they come with attack speed, range, and combo type. Weapons come from vendors, boss drops, hidden chests, quests, and crafting materials. Use the blacksmith upgrades and Abyss enchantments to improve the efficiency of the weapons.
Best Early Game Weapons
Below are the best early-game weapons to defeat the enemies in Crimson Desert.
1. Warspike Spear
The Warspike Spear in Crimson Desert is a two-handed weapon with long reach, allowing you to deal damage to enemies from a short distance. This weapon type is designed for distance control and sustained damage. Use this weapon while fighting multiple enemies in tough combat. Warspike Spear is the best early game weapon because it excels in wide thrust combos and can hit multiple enemies in front. It can deal 13 base damage to the enemy and has a level 1 attack speed.
You can find the Warspike Spear from the Greymane Shrine near the small island southeast of Hernand. Make your way over there till you locate the Greymane Shrine with a roof on it. Find the Warspike Spear on the right side and collect the Abyss Artifact inside the shrine.
2. Legionary’s Gladius
The Legionary’s Gladius is a one-handed sword that focuses on deadly combos, fast attacks, and close-range combat in Crimson Desert. This is the second-best weapon to use because it allows you to perform quick strikes and rapid combos, making it easier to eliminate enemies early on.
I recommend using this weapon if you prefer an aggressive playstyle and want to apply constant pressure on enemies. You can also chain light attacks, dodges, and grapples while using the Legionary’s Gladius. It’s slightly better than other starting weapons because it includes small attack boosts and faster handling. Just like other weapons, this sword comes with or accepts Abyss upgrades.
You can find the Legionary’s Gladius from the treasure chest during Chapter 1 near the Statue of Justice. Go all the way to the north of Hernand Castle till you find the bridge. Continue moving towards the top of the cliffs from the Three Saints’ Falls. Approach the Statue of Justice on the right side and light up the candles, which are held by the statue. Doing so lets you unlock the nearby gate, and you can find the chest with the Legionary’s Gladius inside.
3. Sword of the Lord
The Sword of the Lord is a unique one-handed sword that releases a wind-based projectile attack after the combo attacks. This weapon falls behind the Legionary’s Gladius because it doesn’t deal massive raw damage, and the ability requires a correct combo.
This sword adds ranged pressure via wind attacks, letting you hit enemies at a distance and maintain pressure in combat. I recommend pairing it with the shield to block, parry, and counterattack the enemy attacks in combat. It also works with the attack speed builds and dual-wield setups, allowing you to chain the combos.
The Sword of the Lord is obtained by defeating a boss called Kailok the Hornsplitter at the end of Chapter 2 in Crimson Desert. So, this weapon is obtained by just progressing the main storyline.
4. Hwando
The Hwando is a two-handed sword weapon in Crimson Desert that focuses on powerful strikes and extended reach. This is also one of the strong early-game weapons, which comes with massive damage dealing and wide attack capability. It can deal 19 base damage per attack and has a level 1 critical rate. Use this sword for killing enemies quickly and heavy combat encounters. You can get a big advantage early in the game if you use this weapon effectively.
The Hwando is found in a place called Lioncrest Manor near the Hernand region. It’s one of the earliest powerful weapons you can obtain through exploration. This sword is not located inside the manor building, but in the smaller building next to the main manor. Make sure to purchase the Thief’s Mask from the back alley near the windmill below the church in Hernand Town.
Go to the north side of the Lioncrest. You can get the shield for this weapon from inside the Treasure Chest in the main building. Go to the smaller manor building from the window. The entrance is heavily guarded, and passing through it can be challenging. All you need to do is climb the wall and go through the windows to find the crates inside. Open the Treasure Chest to obtain the Hwando and add it to your inventory.
5. Shield of Conviction
The Shield of Conviction is a unique, large shield in Crimson Desert that is designed for defensive and heavy shield-based combat. You can use this weapon while using the one-handed sword like a legionary’s Gladius. It provides better damage blocking and mitigates the incoming damage significantly. Make sure to use it to survive elite enemies and boss fights.
Unlike small shields, this is a large shield that protects more of your character in combat. When blocking, the shield becomes active and complements defensive and counterattack playstyle. It also comes with sockets and Abyss enchantments, making it more customizable and stronger. The additional abilities of this tall shield boost the damage reduction and mitigate the stamina cost.
The Shield of Conviction is found at the Church of Calphade in the north of Hernand. Open the treasure chest inside the bell tower of the Church of Calphade to get this shield. After getting inside the Calphade from the Hook Rapids to Deepfog Basin, go to the left side of the castle to find the town. Make your way to the north end to find the Church of Calphade. Get to the top of the bell tower and find the Treasure Chest near the broken window on the north side, just below the tower.
6. Tommaso Guard’s Dagger-Tipped Spear
The Tommaso Guard’s Dagger-Tipped Spear has a massive base attack and deals more raw damage than many early spears. This spear is powerful in both normal hits and combo chains, making it the best choice. It has increased critical hit chance and faster attack speed, allowing you to shred the enemies.
This rare weapon supports multiple Abyss cores and allows damage boosts and speed upgrades. It has 16 Attack and a Level 1 Critical Rate and Attack Speed in Crimson Desert. Tommaso Guard’s Dagger-Tipped Spear is located inside the Icemoor Castle, northwest of Hernand Castle.
7. Mining Knuckledrill
The Mining Knuckledrill is a special tool-type weapon that is used for mining ores and materials. You can’t use this weapon in combat, as it belongs to the game’s resource-gathering system. This utility equipment is mainly used on ore nodes and replaces the pickaxe-style mining.
You can climb up on walls and use the knuckledrill, allowing you to mine on vertical surfaces and cliff walls. It also increases the chance to yield more ore, increasing the resource efficiency. This weapon is obtained by eliminating the Marni’s Excavatron boss in the Karin Quarry.
The attack can only be used to mine when it shines. You get the task of defeating the enemies in Karin Quarry while completing the Estate in Dismay faction questline. Approach the two big doors and climb the wall from the north side. Eventually, you encounter Marni’s Excavatron boss in the arena once inside.
8. Hollow Visage
The Hollow Visage is a unique one-handed katana-style sword that offers fast, precise attacks and combo-heavy gameplay in Crimson Desert. This weapon allows for rapid combo chaining, making it great for aggressive play and continuous damage output. Even if base damage isn’t the highest, it has high speed and crit. Hollow Visage appears to have the Nature’s Echo skill, adding additional hits and energy effect. It comes with 15 Attack stat with level 1 Critical Rate and level 2 Attack Speed.
This katana is obtained from inside the Dawn Cave, west of Vellua and north of the Mountain of Frozen Souls. Go to the Hernand region’s southern mountain and move through the river near the west side. Go up from the left of the waterfall till you find the blocked path. Uncover the Dawn Cave by using the Stab attack to clear the path. Approach the treasure chest and open it to get the Hollow Visage.
