There are a lot of unique and strong weapons to find in Crimson Desert. These aren’t limited to the latter regions of the game either, as you can find some exceptional gear early on in your introduction of the open world. Here are the best Crimson Desert beginner weapons that you don’t want to miss.
Best Crimson Desert Beginner Weapons
We’ll be going over the five best weapons for Crimson Desert’s early game stage. You’re sure to find stronger options much later on, but these will serve you well as you explore Pywel. Of course, don’t forget that all of them can also be upgraded through multiple Refinement levels to keep them useful for longer.
Hwando
- How to get: Found in a side building at Lioncrest Manor, just west of Hernand Castle.
This is one of the earliest weapons you can find in the open world, and it can support you for a long time. Directly west of Hernand Castle is Lioncrest Manor. While the main building has some great gear to steal and a strongbox puzzle to solve, the Hwando is specifically located inside the left-side building.
You’ll need to open a window from the outside to climb in (the guards don’t mind this) and then use a key to open the door on the second floor. Inside this room will be a glowing chest with this amazing weapon inside.
You won’t be able to use a shield with this two-handed weapon, although the damage and range of this sword is a good trade-off. What makes Hwando better is that it comes pre-equipped with three Abyss Gears that not only strengthen its damage and critical rate, but also replenish Stamina as you inflict damage.
Tommaso Guard’s Dagger-Tipped Spear
- How to get: Found in Icemoor Castle, northwest of Hernand Castle.
Spears are a wonderful weapon to carry in Crimson Desert, thanks to their superior range that can hit enemies just out of their reach. Although the Warspike Spear you can find during an early side quest is great, a better one is available in the Icemoor Castle Ruins. When looking at the map, this location is right above the giant R and N letters in Hernand.
The Tommaso Guard’s Dagger-Tipped Spear here comes at Refinement Level 2. That means it has 16 Attack and an Lv 1 rating for both Critical Rate and Attack Speed.
Mining Knuckledrill
- How to get: Obtained after defeating the Marni’s Excavatron boss in the Karin Quarry.
As part of the Estate in Dismay faction questline for House Roberts, you’ll be tasked with clearing out the Karin Quarry. If you want a unique weapon sooner rather than later, simply circle to the north end of the quarry where two giant doors lead into a walled-off area.
Climb over the walls from the north side to start the Marni’s Excavatron boss fight. This boss deals big damage, so bring plenty of healing items and stick to a strategy of hitting it once or twice and then running away. Using Blinding Flash when it’s about to dig underground will stun it long enough to get quite a few hits in. Keep at it and soon one of its drills will be yours.
While the Mining Knuckledrill is technically a weapon, its sole attack is a continuous drilling thrust that’s only effective against an individual enemy. Where it shines is that this attack can be used to mine ores. It even works while climbing the side of a mountain! The weapon also features a 10% chance to double the ore amount you receive, with refinements raising this to 30%.
Hollow Visage
- How to get: Found in Dawn Cave, located west of Vellua and north of the Mountain of Frozen Souls.
This one will take you all the way to the Hernand region’s southern mountain line. Set your sights on the short river near the west side of the mountains. Climb up to the left side of the waterfall here until you find a path blocked by the rushing water. Use your Stab attack to rush through unharmed and discover the tiny Dawn Cave. Loot the glowing treasure chest to obtain the Hollow Visage sword.
What makes Hollow Visage so great is the boosted stats from its Refinement level as well as the Abyss Gears it comes with. 15 Attack is great for a one-handed weapon this early, but it’s made better with the Lv 1 Critical Rate and Lv 2 Attack Speed.
Sword of the Lord
- How to get: Obtained after defeating the Hornsplitter boss at the end of Chapter 2.
Crimson Desert’s best early game weapons aren’t limited to missables out in the world. The final quest in Chapter 2 pits you against a boss named Hornsplitter. What makes him particularly challenging is his one-handed sword’s ability to send out wind projectiles.
Make sure to bring some food to stay healed up in the fight. There should be a bonfire just outside his camp. Hornsplitter is fast and evasive, but all you need to do is dodge his projectiles and whack him with the Hwando or Hollow Visage to finish this pretty quickly.
His prized weapon becomes yours after the fight. While the damage and attack speed are decent enough, the highlight for Sword of the Lord is the Wind Slash Abyss Gear it comes with. This adds a ranged wind slash projectile after a basic combo, jumping slash, or evasive attack. It’s ideal for damaging groups, and most importantly, it looks really cool.
We hope this helps your adventures in Crimson Desert! If you’re in need of more guidance, check out our guides covering things to do first and every fast travel location.
