Early Game Gear & Upgrading: A Mercenary's Guide to Power (Full Release)

In the brutal world of Pywel, your skills are only half the battle. The other half is the steel in your hand and the plate on your chest. Crimson Desert (Full Release 2026) features a deep gear system with Abyss Cores and Refinement that can be overwhelming for new players.

Here is how to optimize your gear and where to spend your resources during the first 10 hours of the game—verified for the full release.

1. ⚔️ Best Early Game Weapon: The "Hwando"

While you start with a decent blade, there's a hidden powerhouse available immediately in Hernand.

• Where to find: Check the side buildings in Hernand (starting town). The Hwando is hidden in a side building and accessible from the very beginning.
• Why it's good:
  • +Crit rate
  • +Attack
  • Stamina Siphon Abyss Gear (recovers stamina on hits)
• Pro Tip: This is one of the strongest "starter" weapons that remains viable into late game. Grab it before leaving Hernand!

Alternative: Complete Chapter 2 for the Sword of the Lord—excellent for dual-wielding builds.

2. 🛡️ Recommended Starter Armor: The "Canta Plate Set"

Unlike many RPGs, equipment weight does not affect movement speed in Crimson Desert. This means you can wear heavy plate without slowing down!

• The Best Early Set: The Canta Plate Set provides balanced attack, defense, and attack speed across all four slots.
• Where to get: Purchase from Rhett (vendor next to the blacksmith in Hernand) after defeating the first boss.
• Cost: Affordable with in-game currency you'll easily earn early on.
• Why it's great: Mirrors Matthias's outfit and provides a major jump from starting gear. No Abyss Cores, but serves as your launchpad.

Plate Armor vs. Leather: Since there's no weight penalty, Plate Armor provides better defense than Leather/Soft Armor without any downside.

3. ⚒️ Understanding the Refinement System

In Crimson Desert (Full Release), upgrading is called "Refinement." There are 10 refinement levels (+1 to +10) for each item.

Key Points

• Where: Blacksmith in Hernand (starting town)
• Cost: No money required—only materials
• No Failure Penalty: Unlike early versions, refinement doesn't destroy items on failure

Material Types

Early Game Strategy

• Weapon: Upgrade your main weapon to +3 or +5
• Armor: Don't over-invest early—save rare materials for better drops
• Tools: Buy Pickaxe and Axe from the Provisioner's Shop (across from blacksmith)

4. 💎 Abyss Cores: The Game-Changer

The most important gear system in the full release. Abyss Cores are socketable modifiers that dramatically alter your build.

Early Game Cores to Look For

From Fallen Kingdom Helm (Sanctum of Benediction)

• Momentum Core: +35% Turning Slash Damage
• Location: Hernand region

From Odeck's Protector Plate Boots (Sanctum of Temperance)

• Aegis II: Damage reduction
• Haste I: Movement speed
• Location: Hernand region

Core Strategy

• More sockets = more power: Prioritize armor pieces with more Abyss Core slots
• Match to build: Offensive cores for DPS, defensive cores for survivability

5. ⚗️ Consumables: Patch 1.00.03 Update

Your gear isn't just what you wear. It's also what you eat and drink.

• Food Healing Buffed: Patch 1.00.03 significantly increased food healing effects. Don't neglect cooking!
• Essential Items:
  • Stamina recovery items — Keep your stamina topped up for dodging
  • Health items — For emergencies when parries aren't enough
• Elemental Oils: Apply Fire, Frost, or Lightning oils to weapons
  • Fire: Best against beast-type enemies
  • Lightning: Best against armored human knights

6. 🎒 Items You Should NEVER Sell

The inventory gets full quickly, but keep these items at all costs:

1. Boss Materials: Used for crafting boss gear later
2. Abyss Artifacts: Used for skill tree progression
3. Rare Ores: Needed for high-level refinement
4. Cooking Ingredients: Patch 1.00.03 made food much more valuable

What's Next?

Now that your gear is ready, it's time to test it against the biggest threats in Pywel. Check out our Boss Walkthroughs or learn about the Best Armor Sets to hunt for next.