Crimson Desert offers an interesting approach to weapons, as you’ll soon find that a lot of weapons that you can find early on all seem to have similar stats and effects, and even refining them often provides similar upgrades whether you choose to wield your starting weapon, a spear, or an axe. While you’re encouraged to play as you like and pick your own preferred weapon, there are a few you can find early on that are stronger than others, and often come with extra abilities already attached that you may otherwise have to wait until later in the game to enchant.
We’ve compiled some of the best weapons you can get early below.
Legionary’s Gladius
While it’s not exactly better than any of the other early weapons you can buy or start the game with, the Legionary’s Gladius is a unique weapon, and can be refined like any other if you happen to prefer your character using a short sword.
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To find it, head back up north of Hernand Castle to the large bridge you crossed when you started Chapter 1, and head along the top of the cliffs at the base of the Three Saints’ Falls. On the right side, you can find a Statue of Justice which has its own little puzzle:
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Light both the candles the statue is holding, and a nearby gate will open, revealing a treasure chest. Open the chest, and you’ll gain the Legionary’s Gladius.
Warspike Spear
Another early weapon that doesn’t quite have any extra stats to put it ahead of other early weapons, but it is a formidable secondary weapon that has great reach and a pretty nice strong attack combo.
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To find it, head directly east of Hernand Town down to the river that splits around a small patch of land. There’s a Greymane shrine here in the form of a small wooden structure holding a few valuables.
On the right side of the shrine, you can look to find the spear that can be picked up without fear of stealing!
Hwando
Though it’s technically a secondary weapon to your main one-handed sword, the Hwando is an incredibly powerful two-handed sword you can get very early while still in Hernand Town, and all you need is a single Key (and maybe a Thief’s Mask – both of which you can buy at a back alley merchant by the windmill below the church on the south side of town).
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You’ll find the Hwando at Lioncrest Manor in the north side of town, and honestly the place is amazing for finding everything from valuables to steal, a strongbox puzzle to solve, skills to watch and learn, and plenty more. While a Treasure Chest in the main building has a heavy shield, for this weapon, you’ll want to turn your attention to the smaller stone building to the west of the main manor.
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Note that all the entrances to the manor (including this side building) are heavily guarded and you’ll be rebuked from entering… but guards aren’t very observant about you simply climbing the walls to open the windows and make your own entrance. Once inside, head to the second floor and use a Key to unlock the door to a storage room. Inside you’ll find a ton of weapon crates, as well as a glowing Treasure Chest (which does not require a Mask to steal from) and you can open it to gain the Hwando. Even at level 1, its base damage is better than the other two-handed sword you can buy or find in various camps, and it comes already enhanced by cores that increase its critical rate, damage, and the ability to siphon stamina as you deal damage!
Sword of the Lord
Easily one of the best improved weapons you can find early, you’ll have to beeline the main quest for a bit longer to get it. This is because the Sword of the Lord is held by Chapter 2’s boss: Hornsplitter. He’s a bit of a chaotic fight and a departure from what you’ve been fighting up to this point, due to his ability to send waves of force outward from his sword.
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The good news is killing him nets you the Sword of Lord, which comes pre-packaged with that very same ability. Even better, it happens automatically when performing certain attacks! This includes both a 4-hit light attack combo, and a quick strike you can perform after an evade roll.
Shield of Conviction
A very strong shield awaits you in Hernand, but to reach it you’ll need to perform a bit of a trek, so make sure your horse is up to the task.
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The path will take your north of Hernand itself into the sub-region of Calphade to the north, which you can reach either by taking the road northwest of Hernand Castle up over Haunted Hill, or north across Rocca’s Hill before swinging left past the Hook Rapids to Deepfog Basin.
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Once in Calphade, look for the small town to the left of the large castle, and make your way to the north end to find the Church of Calphade. Climb up to the belltower (which incidentally uncovers the full map of this region), and just below the tower you can spot a Treasure Chest with one broken window on the north side you can climb through.
The Shield is fairly massive and thus doesn’t offer any extra movement speed, but comes already refined with a huge amount of defense, and has extra abilities that increase its damage reduction and also reducing stamina cost when blocking!
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