Best Weapons in Crimson Desert — Early Game Guide
Find the best early game weapons in Crimson Desert. Covers stats, locations, how to upgrade with Iron Ore, and the best starter loadout for new players.
Choosing the right weapons early in Crimson Desert makes a huge difference in how smoothly you progress. Here are the best options you can find in the first few hours, along with upgrade advice.
Top Early Game Weapons
Glenmore Sword
Sword — ATK 10
Your starter melee weapon. Reliable moveset with good reach and combo potential.
Balton Hammer
Hammer — ATK 10
Same ATK as the starter sword but deals stagger damage. Great for breaking enemy poise.
Bekker Dagger
Dagger — ATK 6
Lower damage but extremely fast attack speed. Ideal for hit-and-run playstyles.
Bekker Bow
Bow — ATK 8
Essential ranged option. Every player should carry a bow for aerial enemies and pulling aggro.
Grey Wolf Bow
Bow — ATK 12
A direct upgrade to the Bekker Bow. Found after completing early Hernand bounties.
Bekker Shield
Shield — ATK DEF 3
Not a weapon per se, but the defensive option for Sword & Shield builds.
Weapon Breakdown
Glenmore Sword
The Glenmore Sword is your starting weapon and remains viable well into the mid game when upgraded. Its balanced moveset includes horizontal sweeps for groups and thrust attacks for single targets. Pair it with the Bekker Shield for a classic tank build.
Balton Hammer
The Balton Hammer trades speed for stagger power. Enemies hit by heavy hammer attacks are frequently staggered, opening them up for critical hits. This is particularly useful against armored enemies early on.
Bekker Dagger
At only ATK 6 the Bekker Dagger looks weak on paper, but its attack speed more than compensates. You can land three to four hits in the time it takes to swing a sword once. Excellent for applying status effects.
Bekker Bow and Grey Wolf Bow
Never leave camp without a bow. The Bekker Bow is available almost immediately and handles ranged encounters adequately. Once you complete early Hernand bounties, the Grey Wolf Bow at ATK 12 becomes a significant upgrade.
Always carry both a melee weapon and a bow. Several bosses have phases where they are only vulnerable to ranged attacks.
Upgrade Tips
Early weapon upgrades require Iron Ore and Copper Ore, both found at mining nodes throughout the Hernand region. Focus your upgrades on one primary melee weapon and one bow rather than spreading materials thin.
- +1 to +3: Requires Iron Ore only — relatively cheap
- +4 to +6: Requires both Iron Ore and Copper Ore
- +7 and above: Requires rare materials from mid-game regions
Do not upgrade the Bekker Dagger past +3 early on. You will find superior daggers in the next region that outclass it even at base level.
Recommended Early Loadout
For most players, the best early setup is the Glenmore Sword (upgraded to +3) as your primary melee weapon with the Grey Wolf Bow for ranged encounters. This covers all situations you will face in the first ten hours.
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