With dozens of abilities to choose from, three stats to enhance, and a limited number of Abyss Artifacts at the start of the game, deciding which skills to learn in Crimson Desert can be daunting.
After spending over 30 hours with the game, and struggling with the choices quite a bit, I have identified the best skills to learn early to transform Kliff from a struggling mercenary who has lost his place in the world into an unstoppable force.
The Best Early Combat Skills
- Blinding Flash Finisher: This is one of the most important skill for managing the game's aggressive crowds.
- Deep Dive: For the full strategy on how to use this skill effectively, see our Blinding Flash Finisher Mastery Guide.
- Armed Combat Level 2 (for Evasive Slash): While Evasive Slash isn't too useful for many weapons, it unlocks the Spear’s Counter Stance, which is one of the best defensive tools in the game.
- Deep Dive: Check out our Broken Spear Counter Stance guide to master this crucial technique.
- Grappling Level 2 (for Lariat): By far the best grapple in the early game. Its animation is faster than other grapples, and the resulting shockwave pushes the enemy back.
The Best Early Traversal and Exploration Skills
- Aerial Force Palm (Force Palm Lv. 1): This skill enhances traversal a lot until you get better mounts. It allows you to use Force Palm in mid-air up to three times, which is the most efficient way to gain height without depleting your Stamina bar.
- Double Jump: Much like Aerial Force Palm, the ability to double jump makes vertical exploration much smoother. (Also available for any horse after reaching level 5)
NOTE: Spent all your Abyss Artifacts and can't learn this skill without searching for more? Don't forget you can respec in Crimson Desert and refund any spent artifact.
This concludes our guide. For more help, visit our Crimson Desert Complete Walkthrough and Guides Hub.
Guide based on a 30+ hours playthrough in the PC version of the game. Screenshots captured from the same version.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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