The difficulty in Crimson Desert is high. So, it’s not a shame, but even desirable, to occasionally struggle against bosses. What you can do when you’re stuck, we will explain.
Crimson Desert offers you no option to adjust the difficulty in the settings. However, boss fights and sieges can be tough – sometimes too tough. Are you constantly getting hit and unable to defeat the enemies before they send you to the afterlife?
Don’t worry, as the game provides various ways to ease tough challenges, even without adjustable difficulty. Here is our list of things you should do when you fail in battles:
- Pack as much healing through food as possible
- Upgrade equipment at the blacksmith
- Use equipment that protects you from certain types of damage
- Collect Abyss artifacts & upgrade abilities
- Maintain patience and play passively instead of rushing in
- Bonus: Expand the camp early
You can also access detailed tips and explanations for each point via the list.
Pack as much healing through food as possible
If an enemy seems difficult at first glance, more healing items are the easiest way to still succeed. The key when you face challenges is to optimize your healing management. You should pay attention to the following points:
- Gather and buy mainly one type of meat so that you don’t clutter your inventory
→ As much as you can and whenever you can - Always cook the best dishes possible at the cooking pot that heal you fully so you can better focus on the fight without needing to replenish every few seconds
- Don’t hesitate to also buy dishes from vendors and other merchants. Money will become less of a concern over time
- Use healing early to avoid dying during enemy combos
If you pay attention to these points, you have already gained a lot. Because the more healing you bring into the fight, the more mistakes you can afford and damage you can take, as long as you know you can withstand it.
If you also want to succeed in Crimson Desert, our YouTube video with 30 tips for beginners is just right for you:
Upgrade equipment at the blacksmith
The second major factor you should address when you’re stuck is your equipment. It’s worth upgrading it regularly at the blacksmith if there isn’t already significantly better equipment available somewhere. The best place for this is the blacksmith in Hernand, as he is centrally located – alternatively, you can access the blacksmith at your camp if you are already that far.
For that, you need to gather the respective resources that the blacksmith specifies. Most of it you can gather in the immediate area at the beginning, such as ores or types of wood. However, some items you will also need to acquire from vendors or enemies, such as cloth scraps.
This way, you can increase your stats strategically and provide a buffer. Resources that you find will also be marked on your map, so you can quickly return there to continue farming. This may take time, but it is worth it when you’re stuck.
Additionally, you should always use the anvil and whetstone, as their use is free, and you get a buff for your defense and attack, which can make a significant difference.
Collect Abyss artifacts & upgrade abilities
This point is a bit more complex than the other two – but it can provide you with crucial advantages if you are unable to progress through the faster methods. If you can’t get further through healing and your equipment, you need to upgrade your abilities.
The best way to do this is by collecting artifact points. You earn these by completing main quests, defeating bosses, exploring the map, solving Abyss puzzles, and mastering the tasks of the sealed Abyss artifacts.
Furthermore, by defeating enemies, you fill the yellow bar next to your minimap. Once it’s full, you gain another upgrade point for your abilities. Focus especially on your health points (the large red area), your stamina (large blue area), and attacks (the smaller blue areas) that support your playstyle.
If you have trouble finding the Abyss puzzles, look for high points and check with the reflection for clues. Alternatively, a larger area will be marked with a question mark if you have already explored the region but have not yet found the local marker or nexus.
Maintain patience and play passively instead of rushing in
This tip may seem trivial, but in the heat of battle, it can still help to remind yourself of it. Crimson Desert thrives on you learning the movesets of the enemies and finding suitable windows for your abilities.
In battles where you get stuck, it can help to play more calmly and to dodge more often and maintain distance, rather than rushing to deal damage at all costs. Thus, fights may take longer, but you ideally won’t have to fight them more often.
Many bosses have combos after which they pause briefly – your moment to deal as much damage as possible and then retreat. Prepare potent combos with your preferred character and weapon combination for these phases, with which you can strike fast and hard.
Additionally, it’s worth experimenting and regularly using the reflection to make the weaknesses of the opponent visible and to focus on them. A more passive playstyle suits this well until you get the hang of it.
Bonus: Expand the camp early & take companions with you
Not a direct aid to perform better against bosses, but in the long run, it’s a significant relief: Expand your camp with the graumähne (Silver-maned horses) as early as possible. The more you do this, the more access points you have gathered there, saving you long walks.
This way, you can ensure that you find, for example, a cook, a blacksmith, and other service facilities that will help you prepare for tough battles. Because once you’ve unlocked the teleporter at your camp, all you need to do when facing difficulties is return to your camp, and you can equip yourself without having to travel further for the respective boss or siege fight.
To expand your camp, you must complete all the side quests of the graumähne. So always accept them when you see the graumähne symbol on the map.
Additionally, in many battles outside the story, you can call Damiane and Oongka for help, significantly speeding up larger battles. You can learn how to do that here: Crimson Desert: Summoning companions – How to get support from your characters
Crimson Desert is a game that doesn’t hold your hand. Much will be explained little or not at all. While this encourages experimentation and puzzling, it can also quickly lead to frustration. If you get stuck or need help, check out our guide overview or leave us a comment if you can’t find what you need: Crimson Desert: All guides, tips, and lists at a glance
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