Crimson Desert Guide | How to Get the Best Weapons & Armors Early

Here’s a guide on how to get the best Weapons and Armors early in Crimson Desert.

Game Guide by TauxicPandA on Mar 24, 2026

You can find some great gear in Crimson Desert early on. You just have to stay alive long enough to reach these spots. This Crimson Desert guide shows you how to get these weapons and a dark armor set to keep you safe in the open world of Pywel.

The Vow of the Dead King Halberd

To finish your Plate Armor of the Shadows set, you need the Vow of the Dead King. Head to the Frost Veil Castle Ruins. This is on the map between the letters A and I in Pailune. Walk past the enemies and find the stone stairs. This leads to a jumping puzzle with lots of traps.

Bring plenty of healing items. Once you get past the hazards, use Force Palm on the enemies there. Light the brazier to lower the spikes at the back. Now you can take the Vow of the Dead King.

This halberd is one of the best early weapons because it deals extra damage to different enemies. If you use a Frost Elemental Imbuement on it, you can freeze targets almost instantly, making it a top-tier choice for controlling groups.

Crimson Desert, Guide, How to Get the Best Weapons & Armors Early, The Vow of the Dead King Halberd

The Hound Greatsword

The Hound is a long sword with a unique ability called Hound’s Claws. It hits everything around you in a circle and is perfect for hitting many enemies at once. It also works with your Echo ability if you have it at level three. To get it, play until Chapter 4.

Go to the church in Hernand and talk to the NPCs. They give you a quest called The Village of Saint Senia in Crimson Desert.

Follow the quests until you reach Fort Hellwood. This opens up a boss fight in the arena. Defeat the boss to get the Hound. Helping the church also gives you a 40% reputation bonus for your camp.

Getting Frost Resistance

You need to prepare before heading north to Demeniss. The area is very cold, and you will need a high frost resistance build. You can hunt bears near the Sanctum of Penitence or the Abyss Nexus teleporter. Skin them to get the Bear Helmet and the Bear Cloak.

The cloak gives you level five frost resistance. You can also go to the inn in Hernand City. Buy the new meal from Dahlia.

It provides HP regeneration and adds four more levels of frost resistance. With both, you will have level nine resistance, which is essential for surviving the Spire of Frost in Crimson Desert.

Crimson Desert, Guide, How to Get the Best Weapons & Armors Early, Dahlia

The Frozen Anguish Greatsword

The Spire of Frost is in Demeniss. This is where you find the Frozen Anguish long sword. It is a very strong two-handed weapon and a fan favorite in Crimson Desert combat discussions. You can start the quest Lantern-lit Frost in Chapter 6 to get the Frostcursed Plate Boots.

For the sword, go to the tower entrance. Use fire to melt the ice on the lanterns. Go inside and look under the stairs. Open the chest to get Frozen Anguish. It has high attack power and Abyss Artifact slots you can use at a Witch.

The Frostcursed Plate Armor Set

You can find the rest of the Frostcursed set in caves and ruins near the spire. This set provides the best frost resistance in the game. To get the Frostcursed Plate Armor, go to the Mistshard Cave to the right of the spire.

Use your Stab skill to get inside and open the chest. The Frostcursed Plate Boots are in the Well of Tragedy to the south. For the Frostcursed Plate Gloves, go to the Lunar Spirit Grotto in the same area in Crimson Desert.

Crimson Desert, Guide, How to Get the Best Weapons & Armors Early, Mistshard Cave

The Frostcursed Plate Helm is further west at the Chattering Rocks. Look for vines on the right and burn them with Sword Glint to find the chest. Finally, for the Frostcursed Plate Cloak, go to the Sanctum of Expiation.

Look for a small gap in the wall on the left side. Run through it fast to avoid the spikes. The chest is at the end. Note that some pieces cannot be upgraded, so you might want to mix them with the Plate Armor of the Shadows for better defense stats.

The Drake Shield

In Chapter 7, go to Demeniss city. Take the mission called Letter of Silence. It takes you to the Flame Knight’s Castle. Fight the Flame Knight, one of the more challenging boss encounters. After you win, look behind the boxes on the castle walls.

You will find the Drake Shield. It has a unique move called Dragon Counterattack. If you have cannonballs in your inventory, you can shoot them from the shield for extra range. You can also find the Spa Sword in a box near the target dummies to complete the set.

Crimson Desert, Guide, How to Get the Best Weapons & Armors Early, Drake Shield

Mixing Powers and Skills

You can make your weapons stronger by using different Abyss Artifacts and powers. Use Frost Spike from the Wraith boss and Wound of Darkness in Crimson Desert.

You get Wound of Darkness from Antumbra's Sword. To find it, defeat the boss at the Sanctum of Absolution in the Cloister of Ruination. You can take the power from that sword and put it on your halberd at a Witch.

This makes your attacks hit in multiple directions and freeze enemies quickly, which is great for solo play or managing large groups of mobs.

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