Best Starting Traits

As much as it’s about exploring the cosmos, Starfield focuses as much on different builds and backgrounds. You can choose specific traits that will shape your character in unique ways and start skills to gain an early edge, but the “best” options can often be subjective. That said, you can’t go wrong with traits like Alien DNA, which increases your max health and oxygen (don’t worry too much about the reduced healing from items), and Isolation, which massively buffs weapon damage and resistance if you’re solo.

Recommended Early Planets

The new pre-built outpost module in Free Lanes makes it easier than ever to create a home away from home, but you’ll still need Aluminum, Iron and Argon to craft it (at least according to the deep dive). Head to Andraphon for the first two and Kreet for the third. More importantly, these locations – alongside Linnaeus IV-b – are home to multiple elements. Once you’ve got some bases going, start working on those extractors ASAP to reap the rewards.

That Asteroid Won’t Pay for Itself

If you’re the type to see a base on an asteroid and decide that you immediately want it, then congrats. On top of not knowing when it becomes available (at least for now), it’s likely the cost will be exorbitant. One method to quickly farm Credits is to clear out PoIs with enemies, stealing their weapons, and then resting at your ship to reset the instance. When your cargo is full, sell them all off at a vendor. Alternatively, you can survey planets, especially those in high-level systems, or take on missions to hunt down ships. Whichever route you take, the Credits will follow.

Mine Much Faster

If you’re not the type to buy all your minerals wholesale (or can’t afford them), then expect to occasionally use the mining laser. But if it feels a little too slow, try zooming in and waiting for the white part of the reticle to align with the red. It effectively concentrates the laser’s power, making it much faster to mine materials.

Side Hustle

While it’s encouraged to play through the first few main missions, some side quests should be tackled as soon as possible. These include Mantis, which you’ll get after defeating Spacers anywhere. We won’t spoil the rewards, but they’re very much worth it. Groundpounder becomes available as soon as you enter the Altair system, which requires level 15, and it’s one of the more enjoyable combat-heavy scenarios (which also awards a nice weapon). There’s also Juno’s Gambit, which can kick off as early as Tau Ceti and depending on your choices, it can award a nice amount of credits. But more importantly, all of these side quests are some of the most standout in Starfield, and should be prioritized whenever they become available.

Anti-Robot Armaments

Free Lanes adds the ability to reroll Legendary effects with the new X-Tech (earned by completing anomalies, points of interest and dungeons). It also includes new Tier 4 effects, including Saboteur, which has a chance to instantly kill (and explode) robots on damaging them. Pretty good for those picking up Terran Armada, but if you don’t have the resources for it just yet, try picking up the Disassembler perk first. It increases damage dealt to robots by 20 percent, making it a solid choice in the early going.

Create a Posse

Of course, if the Terran Armada is content with fighting dirty, then why not bring some more backup? Starfield usually lets a single companion accompany you throughout every mission, but some will bestow temporary followers. If you don’t complete these, then that follower remains with you throughout. Some examples include Emma Wilcox from the mission “Deputized,” which is part of the Ranger faction questlines. However, you can discover more and have up to three temporary followers (at the cost of progressing certain stories and the occasional bug or three).

Disable Dialogue Camera

If you’ve played a Bethesda game before, then you’ll be familiar, perhaps uncomfortably so, with the dialogue camera. Zooms in close, stays locked on an NPC’s face in first-person, no deviation whatsoever – it’s exhausting. So head into the Accessibility options and turn it off, if you’re so inclined, thus creating a more traditional camera angle that showcases the world around you.

Run Rabbit Junk

When sprinting, you’ll notice a little meter denoting your O2/CO2 levels. When O2 depletes, CO2 starts building up, and your health begins to drop. You could keep sprinting in this state, but instead, try jumping in between sprints, since this will cease O2 consumption. A boost pack further aids in this and will also help you travel further.

Improve Your Piloting Skill

Among the many skills that you should look to improve is Piloting. The former unlocks thrusters, improves maneuverability and eventually lets you pilot Class B and C ships. Leveling it up requires destroying ships, but there’s a Piloting Simulator in the MAST Building on New Atlantis, where ship kills count towards this, so go ahead and grind that for some time.

They may not seem all that important early on, but with Cruise Mode offering threats like Interdictions and anomalies, not to mention Starborn ships having a chance to drop Quantum Essence, you’ll want some ship skills fairly quickly.

Quickly Level Up Starship Design

In the same vein, upgrade Starship Design immediately. It will allow for installing better ship modules. Best of all, it can be leveled very quickly (provided you have a decent amount of Credits). First, head to a place where you can purchase several different components, like the Red Mile on Porrima 3 in the Porrima system. Install as many unique modules as possible, which will count towards the skill, then remove them and repeat this process until it’s fully leveled. Again, this is something that will aid you in the mid-to-late game, so it’s better to have it maxed out early.

How to Get the Rover

As nice as the Moon Jumper looks to control, you can get another ground vehicle, the Rover, early on for quicker planetary exploration. All you need to do is visit a Ship Services Technician – you’ll find one in New Atlantis, the earliest major city – and pay 25,000 Credits. Voila – a faster way to traverse land masses, at least until you find the Moon Jumper for some serious hops.

Fast Traveling With the Scanner

It’s a good thing the scanner is tied to the DualSense’s touchpad, because it’s going to get a workout by identifying all the flora, fauna and resources that make up planets. However, you can also use it to quickly fast-travel to any points of interest that were previously discovered (or even your ship). Simply hover over it with the scanner active, and off you go.

Where to Find Muria

Model G may be the one new companion that players will want to recruit pronto, but there’s also Muria. She’s not technically a “new” character, but following years of requests from players on other platforms to make her recruitable, Free Lanes is finally making that happen. But when and where do you find her? Fortunately, it doesn’t take long. She’s located on New Atlantis in Jemison, which you’ll visit fairly early on in the story, specifically the lobby of the GalBank. You can beeline to her location and see what all the fuss is about.

Gameplay Options

Last but not least, tweak the experience to your liking with gameplay options, which include modifiers for enemy damage, player damage, carry capacity – you can even increase the weight of ammo. While you can dial things down for an easier time, certain settings can confer XP bonuses if you opt for something challenging. It’s win-win, and could be an excellent way to level up quickly.

This Crimson Desert guide is a listing of all known mounts, both loyal companions and fleeting, as well as some critical stats such as stamina and speed.

Crimson Desert Ground Mounts

Crimson Desert Flying Mounts

Those are all of the mounts you can ride in Crimson Desert.

This Crimson Desert guide is but a tiny selection of the best armor sets as well as how to get each individual piece.

Frostcursed Epic Armor Set

A plate set once worn by Skull Knight, the Frostwarden.

Frostcursed Plate Helm

• 2-21 Defense
• Daze Immunity
• Vitality I Abyss Gear

Inside a treasure chest in the southern of the pair of Chattering Rocks Ancient Ruins that are situated in north-western Demeniss. The chest room entrance is obscured by some vines in the same crumbling structure as the ladder.

Frostcursed Plate Armor

• 14 Defense
• Lv 2 Movement Speed
• Lv 7 Ice Resistance

Inside a treasure chest in the Misthard Cave situated north of Deadfire Mountain. Head due north of the ‘D’ in Deadfire and cross the water to reach the waterfalls on the opposite side. Stab through and shatter the destructible wall.

Frostcursed Plate Cloak

• 3 Defense
• Lv 5 Ice Resistance

Inside a treasure chest in the Sanctum of Expiation that is situated in north-western Demeniss.

Frostcursed Plate Gloves

• 2-19 Defense
• 11-35 Attack
• Frostward I Abyss Gear
• Aegis I Abyss Gear

Inside a treasure chest in the Lunar Spirit Grotto that is located in the Denn River of northern Demeniss. Stab at the waterfall to pass through it and access the grotto itself.

Frostcursed Plate Boots

• 2-19 Defense
• 11-35 Attack
• Service I Abyss Gear
• Ascent I Abyss Gear

Inside a treasure chest in the Well of Tragedy cave that is located in the Denn River of northern Demeniss. Stab at the waterfall to pass through it and access the cave.

Blackwing Epic Armor Set

A leather and plate set once worn by the Crowcaller.

Blackwing Mask

• 2-21 Defense
• Haste I Abyss Gear

A reward for defeating Crowcaller in Chapter 5.

Blackwing Leather Armor

• 3-32 Defense
• Lv 1 Lightning Resistance
• Vigor I Abyss Gear
• Haste I Abyss Gear
• Frostward I Abyss Gear

A reward for defeating Crowcaller in Chapter 5.

Blackwing Leather Cloak

• 0-12 Defense
• Lv 3 Lightning Resistance

Within a treasure chest in Pororin Village after completion of ‘The Unreachable Village’ quest. The chest is inside a shed at the farm near the sign. Break through the destructible wall to reach it.

Blackwing Leather Gloves

• 1-18 Defense
• 9-29 Attack
• Lv 2-3 Critical Rate
• Lv 1 Lightning Resistance
• Vitality I Abyss Gear
• Shockward I Abyss Gear

Within a treasure chest at the Sanctum of Penitence. Ascend to the upper floor and look for a place to crash down to the lower floor through a hole in the ground.

Blackwing Leather Boots

• 1-18 Defense
• 10-30 Attack
• Lv 1-2 Critical Rate
• Lv 1 Lightning Resistance
• Haste I Abyss Gear
• Vigor I Abyss Gear

Within a treasure chest in the House of Healing. Get to the roof using the ladder on the outside, then leap to the neighboring tower on the right. Bust through the floor to find the secret room with the chest.

Unyielding Warrior’s Rare Armor Set

A plate set worn by the finest warriors of Calphade.

Unyielding Warrior’s Plate Helm

• 2-21 Defense
• Daze Immunity

Craftable at a blacksmith using the Plate Armors of the World Vol. 3 Crafting Manual with:

• 3x Iron Ore
• 1x Copper Ore

Unyielding Warrior’s Plate Armor

• 4-41 Defense
• 1 Lightning Resistance

Craftable at a blacksmith using the Plate Armors of the World Vol. 3 Crafting Manual with:

• 5x Iron Ore
• 2x Copper Ore

Unyielding Warrior’s Plate Cloak

• 0-12 Defense
• Lv 3 Fire Resistance

Purchaseable from the village smith after completing Chapter 5. Also from the armor smith in Calphedon.

Unyielding Warrior’s Plate Boots

• 4-21 Defense
• 10-34 Attack

Craftable at a blacksmith using the Plate Armors of the World Vol. 3 Crafting Manual with:

• 3x Iron Ore
• 1x Copper Ore

Those are a small selection of the finest armor sets to be found in Crimson Desert.

This Crimson Desert guide is a shortlist of some of the most unique weapons to be found thus far, as well as where to locate them.

Best Dagger

Kylus Dagger

Rare Dagger

A dagger named after the legend of Kylus. Folk tales say Kylus expanded his lands without rest. The ancestors passed their tireless diligence to Pailune.

• 10-30 Attack
• Lv 1 Attack Speed
• Lv 5-9 Critical Rate

Complete the ‘Woman Who Lost Her Husband’ quest and receive it as a reward in Hernand’s Oakenshield Manor.

Best One-Handed Weapons

Survivor’s Solitude

Epic Sword

The sword held by the last king of a forgotten kingdom until his final moments. It is said to be engraved with a pattern symbolizing the ancient royal house, but no one remains who can decipher its meaning.

• 12-34 Attack
• Swift I Abyss Gear
• Insight I Abyss Gear
• Destruction I Abyss Gear

In a treasure chest secreted behind a waterfall in Death’s Grip Cavern which is located in Hernand’s Everfrost Basin. Stab at the waterfall to access the location.

The Grove’s Thorn

Rare Mace

A weapon crafted from thorns naturally shed by the Sacred Tree of Roothold. It is said that branches forcibly broken from the tree lack the strength required to make a weapon. Consequently, it is a custom in Roothold to offer sincere rituals to the tree and collect only the branches that have fallen.

• 11-33 Attack
• Lv 1-2 Attack Speed
• Spirit Transference Abyss Gear

Defeat Kearush the Slayer in Chapter 5.

Hollow Visage

Rare Sword

A sword once used by the Reed Devil. The people of Sunset Valley tell a legend of a demon who stained the reed fields with blood, but how much of the tale is true is hard to know.

• 10-30 Attack
• Lv 1-2 Attack Speed
• Insight I Abyss Gear
• Swift I Abyss Gear
• Destruction I Abyss Gear

In a treasure chest secreted behind a waterfall in Dawn Cave which is located in Hernand’s Mountain of Frozen Souls. Stab at the waterfall to access the location.

Best Shield

Shield of Conviction

Epic Large Shield

A shield that stands as the very symbol of the Marquis who rules Calphade. The conviction and resolve to never fall back can be felt from this shield.

• 8 Defense
• Aegis I Abyss Gear
• Fortitude I Abyss Gear

In a treasure chest hidden in the bell tower of Hernand’s Church of Calphade in Calphadean Territory.

Best Two-Handed Weapons

Soul Spear

Rare Two-Handed Spear

A spear forged from souls harvested by the followers of Antumbra. Delivering a finishing blow releases the trapped spirits within, eroding the sanity of nearby enemies. Requires a brief cooldown after the attack.

• 27 Attack

In a room within the Antumbra Ritual Grounds which is situated in The Argent Peaks of the Duchy of Hernand.

Frozen Anguish

Legendary Longsword

A longsword once wielded by the Skull Knight. Its cold blue blade radiates a chilling frost. A symbol of darkness and death, this longsword instills fear and intimidation, granting the power to deal devastating blows to the enemy.

• 16-43 Attack
• Stamina Transference Abyss Gear
• Swift I Abyss Gear
• Destruction I Abyss Gear

In a treasure chest under the stairway just inside the entrance to the Spire of Frost situated in the Eye of Ice, Demeniss.

Best Ranged Weapons

Sydmon Bow

Uncommon Bow

A bow bearing the name of the ordinary blacksmith, Sydmon. “Sydmon drew his last breath while sharpening the blade of the axe, having spent the last of his strength.”

• 11-33 Attack

Lying out in the open amongst a flower patch in the Hernand Highlands. On the map, head due north from the ‘S’ in Highlands.

Golden-Knotted Ancestral Bow

Epic Bow

A bow steeped in Pailune’s culture. In some regions of Pailune, a golden knot is added each time the bow is passed down, marking how many ancestors have wielded it.

• 11-33 Attack
• Destruction II Abyss Gear
• Insight I Abyss Gear
• Life Transference Abyss Gear

In a room at the end of a gauntlet of traps within Pailune Ancestors’ Ruins situated at the Silver Wolf Mountain. On the map, head due north from the ‘I’ in Silver and look for a ladder leading down a shaft camouflaged by undergrowth.

Those are some of the best unique weapons to be found in Crimson Desert.

This guide for Crimson Desert is about unlocking all four elements and the recommended skills to have for an easier experience.

Lightning Surge

Once you have reached Scholastone Institute in Scholastone by Chapter 4, continue on towards the Spire of the Stars. This location has a portal to the Abyss which will lead you to the Sanctorum of Insight. Solve the puzzle here and do a little platforming to arrive at the Secret Garden.

This location has a simple plug-and-play puzzle to solve. Enter the door and ascend to the surface to repair the device to proceed further. More platforming will eventually take you to the Vault of Vengeance.

Move the cubes into position, and then fire at the yellow targets simultaneously. Do the same multi-target shot in the laser room next. Proceed onwards through more laser fields and short puzzles till you reach the surface. Further platforming will bring you to the Courtyard of Precision.

The puzzle here is more of the same simultaneous multiple target variety, and at the end of it all is your prize: Lightning Surge, which creates a field of electricity for 10 Spirit.

Recommended Skills:

• Axiom Force
• Force Palm/Aerial Force Palm for easy platforming
• Flight/Swift Flight for easy traversal
• Force Current for puzzle solving
• Marksmanship/Focused Shot for targeted firing

Frost Mantle

Proceed to the Spire of Ringing Truth, south-west of Wayward Woods. This location has a portal to the Abyss which will lead you to the Ether Rest.

Ascend the air currents by gliding to reach another puzzle. Some platforming and more gliding later will bring you to Frostbitten Paradise.

This puzzle is entirely Axiom Force dependent, as you move objects around to activate switches. More platforming leads to the Path of Trials.

Ascend to the next puzzle, which requires you to extract a frozen chip and immerse it in a pool of lava. Once thawed, plug it into its socket in order to continue upwards to the very summit of this tower to receive Frost Mantle, which creates a barrier of frost around you.

Recommended Skills:

• Axiom Force
• Force Palm/Aerial Force Palm for easy platforming
• Flight/Swift Flight for easy traversal
• Force Current for puzzle solving

Flame Strike

This element’s gauntlet is linked directly to the end of Frost Mantle. Continue platforming from there to reach the Sanctorum of Darkness.

Move the laser to the button, then double back and descend one level to the spinning door. Once inside, grab the chip and ascend to the surface. Socket the chip to activate a new laser to focus on another button. Once set in place, don’t dawdle but quickly glide through the turbine to the other side before it spins up fully. Hit the button, and then head upwards and out for some more platforming till you reach the Loop of Life

Grab a chip and socket it to initiate the first ring into a spin, then grab the next chip for the sealed door leading up to the second ring. Once through the door, take both the chip here and the previous one to the second ring. Socket one chip, and take the remaining one to the third ring. Hit the button to wrap up this puzzle and platform onward to the Tree of Slumber.

Stand atop the columns and slam them until a ring of white appears around each one to light up the central one. Hit it to unlock Flame Strike, which performs a powerful strike while wreathed in flame.

Recommended Skills:

• Axiom Force
• Force Palm/Aerial Force Palm for easy platforming
• Flight/Swift Flight for easy traversal
• Force Current for puzzle solving

Storm Veil

Storm Veil is locked behind a lot more story progression, until you reach the Spire of Clockwork in Chapter 8. You will have acquired the key to access it in the previous chapter. Once through the Spire of Clockwork Main Gate, you will simply need to ascend through the clockwork mechanism to reach Riddle Square.

This is a timed challenge where you will be flying through a number of rings before hitting a button. And that’s it, you now have Storm Veil, which deploys a smoke cloud to escape enemy sight.

Recommended Skills:

• Axiom Force
• Flight/Swift Flight for easy traversal
• Force Current for puzzle solving

Those are all four elemental skills and how to get them in Crimson Desert.

This guide is all about earning copper, silver, and gold quickly and efficiently in Crimson Desert.

Red Croton Farming

Right from the start you have access to a resource farming location right next to a fast travel point. Head into the woods south of Hernand to find the Abyss Nexus in The Witchwoods. In the vicinity is an abundance of Red Crotons, a flower that you can store and sell in stacks of 50. Look around for any other farmable materials or resources, once you have stripped the location clean of the flowers themselves.

The Abyss Nexus can conveniently take you right back to Hernand to sell your wares for quick cash. Return to this location after a week or so, in order to farm it all over again.

Selling Loot

You will be amassing way more gear and equipment than you know what to do with, so simply dispose of it all with any merchant you come across.

Attempt to expand your inventory at every opportunity, just so that you can bring more loot home for selling.

Hunting

Wild fauna are a nice passive source for sellable materials, given that they will not fight back. Those materials will also come in handy for upgrades at some point.

As a matter of fact, you might be better served by first upgrading any armor you intend on selling, for a better profit margin.

Ore Farming

Most minerals are not quite abundant in Pywel, and so it is preferable to retain them for upgrades early on, even though they eventually respawn. If you need a quick infusion, and are confident you will not need the ores any time soon, feel free to exchange them for money.

Diamonds, however, are relatively more disposable in the early game as you will not be needing them in the short term, and by the time that you actually do, they will have respawned again anyway. Find a convenient diamond mine at a cave in a crater, west of Unicorn Cliff in Hernand.

At just over two and a quarter silvers per diamond, and up to eight diamonds per node, you can quickly amass a small fortune.

Bear in mind that the entirety of the map is open for almost immediate exploration, so there’s practically nothing stopping you from mining rare minerals in distant regions, well before you would normally come across them by following the natural story progression.

Thievery

Burglarizing the Hernand bank is a viable strategy, even in the early game, and you may randomly acquire close to a hundred silver by doing so. However, this is not recommended as it will tank your Hernadian Contribution in town, and hamper your progress until you course correct through questing.

You will need a Mask to accomplish this, which allows criminal behavior and can be either looted from defeated bandits, rewarded by a specific bounty, or purchased from Grimrak at the Back Alley Shop.

A Key is also required, and can be either a random drop, or a purchase from Grimrak.

The chests in the bank will respawn after a few days, but the strongboxes do not.

Gold Bar Alchemy Recipe

You can also make Gold Bars by acquiring the blueprint for it and then visiting the Witches or the Blacksmith. The required crafting materials are:

• Brimstone x3
• Mercury x3
• Silver Ore x10

Head to Silver Wolf Mountain in Pailune. The location of the blueprint is inside a well-hidden cave with a narrow entrance, situated in the WItch’s Hideout.

While viewing the map, this point of interest is in a straight line south of the ‘U’ in Pailune, and east of the ‘I’.

Those are some of the best ways to grind for money in Crimson Desert.

Auto Looting

Looting multiple items can become tiring, but there is a way to auto-loot. If you complete the Greymane quest, “The Nag and the Stubborn One” under Scattered Embers, Kliff will receive a brown dog that can run around and loot corpses. The catch is that you have no control over what it will loot, and it can’t collect materials like left-out food or ingredients. Nevertheless, it’s pretty worthwhile if you’re running around and liberating smaller locations.

Recommended Skills

Suplexing fools and pump kicking fools is fun and all, but what are some of the more notable skills to unlock and upgrade? Turning Slash is definitely one, especially since upgrades allow for quickly transitioning from another attack into it and even ignoring enemies’ super armor. Forward Slash is another must-have since upgrading it, and Keen Senses (which is also great for Dodge) are necessary to unlock Nature’s Echo. This skill creates an illusion that replicates your attacks, increasing the number of hits from Forward Slash and even Stab if you upgrade it. Make sure to focus on unlocking Quick Swap as well, since it allows for rapidly switching between primary and secondary weapons in the heat of battle.

Automated Item (and Ammo) Gathering

As much as I feel like the bow needs some help with damage, Poison Arrows can be pretty good for thinning herds of enemies, especially with Multishot and Evasive Shot. The best part is that you don’t have to wait for them to show up. After establishing the Greymane camp in Hernand and recruiting more comrades, you can dispatch them to missions in key locations to garner valuable resources. However, they need to meet the skill requirements, so if someone isn’t skilled in Engineering, then they can’t help produce Poison Arrows. The location itself must also not be blockaded, so clear it out beforehand. Keep in mind that Poison Arrows are only one example – if you’re lacking ingredients like Cabbage or Eggs, send out your Greymanes to gather them for you.

Missing in Action

One of the more intriguing mechanics is that sending out a Greymane means they won’t physically be at camp. Which is fine and all, except if you have to turn in materials for a request (because that inventory isn’t going to expand itself). Since expeditions are carried out non-stop in the background, go to Ross, select Manage Comrades, then Mission Dispatch. Highlight the mission to cancel, and said allies will reappear in camp shortly after.

Abyss Cores and How to Use Them

You’ll begin earning Abyss Cores pretty early, especially when completing the challenges from the Sealed Abyss Artifacts. These can add more attributes to a weapon, including increased Critical Rate, higher defense and so on. However, they’re unusable until you meet Elowen, the Witch of Wisdom, in Chapter 5. She’ll socket Abyss Cores into items with free slots (and even extract them at no charge). But if you’re opening slots, bring a hefty amount of Silver, since each new slot costs more than the last. Of course, your gear also needs to have unopened slots to begin with – don’t count on suddenly being able to load up earrings and rings with Abyss Cores.

Looting Even More Damaged Gear

If you thought looting enemy gear and weapons to sell in the early game was a waste of time, and a prelude for the rest of the game, good news: Later items sell for much more. Keep an eye out for damaged Plate Armor and weapons, especially post Chapter 5, since they’ll sell for decent amounts of Silver. Since liberation missions and activities will become more common, the chances of plundering enemy gear are higher, which means more Silver.

Crime and Punishment in Pywel

Kliff’s goody two-shoes act is nice and all, but who can deny the thrill of stealing stuff and not getting caught? Stealing anything requires a mask, so promptly beat up the first couple of bandits that you see. When committing the act, ensure there are no witnesses around – even if your Contribution level in that region drops and the bright red pulse goes out, no witnesses means no punishment.

Abyss Core Fusion

Not every Abyss Core is the bee’s knees, but thankfully, there is a way to transmute them into others. Three options are available – Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3, which are all tied to the corresponding tier of the Abyss Core. The results are randomized but if you’re starting at Tier 1, there’s a 46 percent chance that it could net a Tier 2. Crafting Tier 2s will have a 46 percent chance of a Tier 3, and crafting Tier 3s pretty much guarantees a Tier 3 Core. However, all options have a four percent chance for a Greater Abyss Core, so there’s plenty of reason to reroll.

Finding Abyss Cores

So there’s clearly an incentive to farm Abyss Cores, but where do you get them? Pywel is packed with mysterious rock creatures that can drop them – just beware that they’ll put up a fight. The Crookstone Walkers in the Crimson Desert near the Spire of the Sun are a good example, so keep an eye out and reap the rewards.

One With the Force

Force Current allows for grappling with an item and then transmitting Force Palm’s energy through it. You need to level 2 of Force Palm and Axiom Force first, but it’s worth it. Force Current can also be used to mine out-of-the-way ore nodes, though I would recommend using the Drillarm instead for a chance at extra drops.

Kuku Items

As you explore Pywel, you’ll discover Sanctums, which require clearing out enemies and then fixing their pillars to ultimately “cleanse it.” Completing all of them requires some story progression, but it’s well worth it since they unlock new Kuku items at Grimnir (who gives you a Kuku Pot for storing Power Cores, Abyss Cells, and whatnot). The more notable choices, like the Jetpack and Laser Helm, require late-game materials, but it’s still worth mopping up the Sanctums when you can.

Palmer Pills

I know that feeling of sitting on Palmer Pills and wanting to revive to smack that jerk in the Reed Field around. Believe me. However, save them for later against much tougher opponents. And don’t worry – helping the Jijeong School out in Chapter 9 will unlock a recipe for crafting an enhanced Palmer Pill, which fully recovers your health on revival.

Essential Research Institute Upgrades

The Abyss is a mysterious phenomenon, one that the Scholastone Institute is very interested in researching. After finishing Chapter 4, speak to Grunvar, complete his request for some Honey Tea, and you can then commission him for different research. These include weather balloons like the Cloudcruiser and Skystreaker, the latter capable of reaching the Abyss. You can even unlock a blueprint for crafting Faded Abyss Artifacts used for resetting skills.

Gang Warfare

After Chapter 8, you’ll discover a side quest that requires traveling to three Courts in Demeniss to take out their respective bosses. However, you’ll also need to slay the troops in the area. So why not send the Greymanes in first to clear out some of the riff-raff beforehand? Another big brain play is to rush in, defeat the boss, and then leave. Then go to Mission Dispatch and tell the Greymanes to clear out the remaining rabble, thus saving some time.

Resistance of 1000

Armor pieces offer different resistances against Lightning, Fire and Ice. However, simply equipping one with Level 3 resistance isn’t enough – you need at least Level 5 from the combined resistances to gain Immunity to the Cold, Heat and Shock. These will come in handy when exploring certain locations like the Crimson Desert, but that’s not all. Level 10 will offer resistance to status ailments like Burn, Freeze and Shock, and Level 15 means total immunity to them. Considering what some of those late-game bosses can dish out, keep at least three upgraded sets with corresponding resistances to gain an edge.

This guide is all about grinding for Abyss Artifacts quickly and efficiently in order to upgrade skills and equipment in Crimson Desert.

Abyss Cressets

Just like Abyss Nexuses, Abyss Cressets are denoted with a question mark symbol on the map for “Mysterious Energy”, but unlike them they additionally hold an Abyss Artifact in them. There are at least 22 in Hernand alone.

Some Cressets require you to solve a puzzle before you can use them for fast travel.

Sealed Abyss Artifacts

These particular variants of Abyss Artifacts prevent you from interacting with them until you complete the particular challenge that you are tasked with, including combat, exploring, and learning lore. Once done, simply crack them right open from your inventory, to collect your rewards including both regular Abyss Artifacts and Faded Abyss Artifacts.

Pay close attention to your minimap as you explore, as these items are identifiable as purple icons when in proximity to them.

Ancient Ruins Puzzles

Solving the puzzles in certain Abyss locations will reward you with Abyss Artifacts. There are at least fifteen locations scattered around the world waiting to be unlocked.

Shops And Merchants

While certainly not cheap to purchase at a cost of 28.50 in Silver each, Abyss Artifacts can be bought from a number of shops. Usually just one will be in stock, but bear in mind that wares are reset daily at midnight in-game. There is an upper limit to the total stock as well.

Combat

In case you were not paying attention, the curved yellow gauge on the left of the minimap is filled by eliminating enemies, and will earn you an Abyss Artifact every time you max it out.

A potential farm for combat XP are the infinite mob spawners on the mountain prior to the Reed Devil boss. This opportunity will no longer appear after defeating the boss, so stock up as much as you can stomach before boredom sets in.

Questing

A handful of quests explicitly reward you with Abyss Artifacts, as do some side missions. They are also rewarded for defeating certain bosses.

The Challenges tab in the Journal also holds a number of opportunities to earn Abyss Artifacts as rewards for completing them, usually the exploration or mastery ones.

Looting

Since Abyss Artifacts are a tangible form of skill points, you will find them just lying around in the open or in containers around Pywel. Either get familiar with their shape, so that you can pick them out easier visually while exploring structures with loot for the taking, or glance at your minimap to see their distinct yellow icon when nearby.

Respec

If you are starting to regret going down a particular path in the skill tree, remember that you can somewhat freely reset all of the skills upon which you explicitly spent Abyss Artifacts. This does require possession of another item though: the Faded Abyss Artifact, which is visible as the middle icon in the top-right corner of the Skills tab, along with how many you own. These can be purchased from Witches, crafted in a cauldron with a blueprint, rewarded from Sealed Abyss Artifacts, or just found randomly in the wild while exploring.

Also note that all skill trees are reset when you utilize the Reset All function, which might be annoying if you only intend to wipe a specific set of skills.

Those are all the best ways to amass Abyss Artifacts fast in Crimson Desert.

This guide for Crimson Desert is all about how to unlock both the use of Abyss Cores, as well as the sockets for them in your gear.

How To Unlock Abyss Cores

While you may stumble upon them well before being able to actually use them, Abyss Cores are finally unlocked for socketing after Chapter 5: Exposed Plot, over the course of the ‘Witch of Wisdom’ questline.

Speak with Elowen the Witch at Witch’s House in The Witchwoods of Hernand.

How To Use Abyss Cores

In order to start socketing Abyss Cores into your equipment, interact with a witch and select Embed Abyss Core. Your gear is listed at the bottom along with sockets, if any. Not all types of gear have the same number of maximum slots, and even that maximum may not be available by default when you acquire a given item.

You can also elect to Extract Abyss Cores if you want to move on to better Abyss Cores, or better gear for the same Cores.

Note that all Abyss Cores are not compatible with every type of item.

How To Add More Sockets

If you want to add more Abyss Cores to a particular item, but lack empty sockets, you can use the Create Socket function to do so, for a progressive cost in Silver. A total of 105 Silver is required in order to add the maximum of five sockets to equipment:

• 1st socket: 5 Silver
• 2nd socket: 10 Silver
• 3rd socket: 20 Silver
• 4th socket: 30 Silver
• 5th socket: 40 Silver

Note that different types of equipment have a maximum number of sockets possible:

• Head: 1
• Torso: 3
• Gloves: 2
• Boots: 2
• Ranged Weapons: 5
• Two-Handed Weapons: 5
• One-Handed Weapons: 3
• Off-Hand Equipment: 2

A number of item types simply cannot have sockets whatsoever, including Cloaks, Rings, Earrings, and Necklaces.

That is everything there is to know about using Abyss Cores and socketing gear in Crimson Desert.

This guide for Crimson Desert is all about getting the All-Terrain Armored Gear (ATAG) mech

How To Get The All-Terrain Armored Gear (ATAG)

The mech finally becomes accessible over the course of Chapter 10: Counterattack. This puts the unlock roughly 50 to 60 hours into the game’s main storyline, and involves use of the mech to destroy attackers in defense of Gorthak, bastion of the Ironflame Orcs. This unfolds during the questline of ‘Secret Weapon’ where you also initially learn how to operate the A.T.A.G.

How To Unlock The All-Terrain Armored Gear (ATAG) Blueprint

The actual blueprint required for the crafting of an A.T.A.G. of your own is earned in Chapter 11 by undertaking the ‘New Designs’ quest, which has you speak with the artisan, Marek at Zargan Tankworks in Gorthak Territory.

The reward is a ‘Small Kuku A.T.A.G. Design’, which lets you craft the mech at Hernand’s Mysterious Iron Pot Workshop. The required crafting materials are:

• Kuku Pot x1
• Abyss Cell x1
• Cogwheel x5
• Small Battery x5

Speak with Marek once more in order to get the blueprint for the regular A.T.A.G. that you are familiar with already. The required crafting materials are:

• Small Kuku A.T.A.G. x1
• Small Battery x300
• Cogwheel x300
• Power Core – Verse of Sowing x2
• Core of Benediction x1

All-Terrain Armored Gear (ATAG) Abilities

The ATAG is equipped with Iron Fists, machinegun, cannon, and an EMP. A variety of upgrades are also possible, including more offensive and defensive systems. Eventually, the mech will serve as your offensive mount of choice, especially during the long wait times between dragon summons.

That is everything there is to know about getting the A.T.A.G. mech in Crimson Desert.