How to Get the Dark Marksman Armor in Crimson Desert (All Piece Locations)

TL;DR

• The Dark Marksman’s Plate is a 4-piece armor set worn by Samara, the Sandwatcher
• No boss fight needed — all pieces are hidden in chests around Demeniss
• The Cloak is the most wanted piece — it visually covers your helmet with a hood
• There is no helmet in this set, but the cloak replaces the need for one visually
• Pieces are found at Fort Musket, Warrior’s Soul Cavern, and the Forgotten Watchtower

The Dark Marksman’s Plate is one of the most popular armor sets in Crimson Desert right now — and for good reason. It looks incredible. The cloak gives Kliff a hooded, masked look that covers whatever helmet you’re wearing underneath. If you’ve been frustrated that the game has no hide helmet option, this set is essentially your workaround.

The armor was originally worn by Samara, the Sandwatcher, a fearsome desert marksman. Lore-wise, she’s described as a figure who appears in sandstorms, shoots with perfect accuracy, and vanishes without a trace. The armor carries that energy.

Best of all — you don’t need to fight any boss to get this set. All four pieces are hidden in treasure chests across the Demeniss region. You just need to know where to look and which skills to use.

For a full overview of everything available in the game, check out our Crimson Desert guide hub before you set off.

Dark Marksman Armor Set — Quick Overview

There are 4 pieces in this set. Note that there is no helmet — the cloak visually replaces your headgear by covering it with a hood.

All four pieces sit in the Demeniss region, which makes this set much easier to farm than spread-out sets like the Armor of the Shadows. Once you’re in the area, you can grab multiple pieces in one run.

Dark Marksman’s Plate Armor (Chest)

Stats:

• Defense: 10
• Refinement: 3
• Abyss Gear Slots: 3
• Abyss Gears: Defense +3, Health +0.2 every 1 sec, Spirit +0.1 every 1 sec

Location: Fort Musket, north of Demeniss by the Valley of the Moon

The health and spirit regeneration on this chest piece make it stand out. Passive regen is useful in long fights and while exploring cold or hazardous areas. Three Abyss Gear Slots also give you plenty of room to customize it.

Here’s how to get it:

1. Head to Fort Musket, north of Demeniss near the Valley of the Moon.
2. Do not enter through the main entrance. Circle around to the back of the fort.
3. Look for a wall next to some wooden scaffolding. You’ll spot a gap in the wall that looks like a small door.
4. Enter through the gap, then crouch through the wooden panel inside.
5. A Treasure Chest is waiting on the other side with the chest armor inside.

It’s a low-risk pickup. No puzzles, no enemies to fight — just know to go around the back.

Once you have it, check out our guide on how to reinforce equipment so you can push those stats higher.

Dark Marksman’s Plate Cloak

Stats:

• Defense: 3
• Refinement: 3
• Special Effects: Fire Resistance Lv 3

Location: Warrior’s Soul Cavern, north of Drywind Valley, northeast of Demeniss

This is the piece everyone wants. The cloak covers your equipped helmet with a hood and mask, giving Kliff a completely different silhouette. Since there’s no built-in hide helmet option in Crimson Desert, this cloak is the closest thing to it.

Fire Resistance Lv 3 is also genuinely useful when fighting fire-based enemies like the Bleed Bandits, who use makeshift flamethrowers.

Here’s how to get it:

1. Travel northeast of Demeniss to the Warrior’s Soul Cavern, north of Drywind Valley.
2. At the river, you’ll find a waterfall. Make your way to the edge of it.
3. Use Stab (R1 + Triangle on PlayStation) to push through the waterfall and enter the cave behind it. On PC, this is your thrust attack — check our keyboard and mouse vs controller guide if you’re unsure of your key bindings.
4. Inside Warrior’s Soul Cavern, open the Treasure Chest to collect the Dark Marksman’s Plate Cloak.

No enemies need to be killed inside. Get in, grab the chest, and get out.

Dark Marksman’s Plate Gloves

Stats:

• Attack: 16
• Defense: 7
• Refinement: 3
• Abyss Gear Slots: 2
• Abyss Gears: Movement Speed +1, Lightning Resistance Lv 1

Location: Forgotten Watchtower, east of Demeniss (rooftop)

The gloves have a solid mix of attack and defense, plus a Movement Speed bonus which helps in combat and exploration. Lightning Resistance Lv 1 also gives a small edge in certain fights.

Here’s how to get them:

1. Head east of Demeniss to the Forgotten Watchtower.
2. Face the entrance, then climb up to the roof of the watchtower.
3. On the roof, look down at the ground for a square marked with rocks — it’s a different-looking floor tile.
4. Crouch (L3), then use Force Palm (R3) on the marked spot to flip the floor panel.
5. Drop into the room below and open the Treasure Chest for the gloves.

This is the same location as the boots, so grab both in one visit.

Dark Marksman’s Plate Boots

Stats:

• Attack: 18
• Defense: 3
• Refinement: 3
• Abyss Gear Slots: 2
• Abyss Gears: Movement Speed +1, Defense +3

Location: Forgotten Watchtower lower level (Flooded Watchtower’s Depths), east of Demeniss

The boots have the highest attack value in the set. Combined with Movement Speed and Defense bonuses from the Abyss Gears, they’re a strong pair for both combat and mobility.

Here’s how to get them:

1. Still at the Forgotten Watchtower (same location as the gloves).
2. Find the stairs inside the watchtower that lead to what looks like a dead end.
3. Face the north wall at the dead end.
4. Use Force Palm (R3) on the wall to flip it open and reveal a secret area.
5. Inside, open the Treasure Chest to get the Dark Marksman’s Plate Boots.

Since you’re already here for the gloves, this takes only a few extra minutes.

The Movement Speed bonus stacks nicely with general exploration. If you’re still working on building your character’s mobility and stamina, check out our guide on how to get max stamina.

No Helmet in This Set — Here’s What to Do

The Dark Marksman’s Plate set has no helmet piece. This is intentional. The cloak’s hood visually covers whatever helmet you’re wearing underneath, so the set doesn’t need one.

That said, you’ll still want a solid headpiece equipped for the defense stats. A few good early options:

• Frostcursed Plate Helm — found at Chattering Rocks, gives Daze Immunity
• Plate Helm of the Shadows — found by defeating Beloth, the Darksworn
• Any helmet from the early-game sanctums that gives useful stat bonuses

Don’t just leave the helmet slot empty. You lose defense and any special effects that come with it. The cloak hides it visually anyway, so equip the best helmet you have and let the hood do its job.

Our accessories guide has more info on filling out your loadout effectively.

Tips Before You Go

A few things worth knowing before heading into the Demeniss region:

• Bring a fast horse. The Demeniss area is large, and the pieces are spread out. Our horse guide covers how to get and upgrade your mount.
• Avoid unnecessary fights. You don’t need to kill anything to get most of these pieces. Stay focused and move fast.
• Stack Movement Speed. Both the gloves and boots give Movement Speed bonuses. Combined, they noticeably improve how Kliff feels to control. Pair this with tips from our parry, counter, and dodge guide to improve your combat mobility.
• Upgrade the chest piece first. Three Abyss Gear Slots and passive regen make it the most valuable piece in this set.
• Dye the set. It looks great with custom colors. Check out how to dye armor and weapons to personalize your look.

For more on building your character efficiently, our best early build guide is worth a read too.

Is the Dark Marksman Armor Set Worth Getting?

Yes — especially the cloak. It’s arguably the most practical fashion item in the game right now, and the stats across the set are genuinely solid for mid-game progression.

The chest piece’s passive regen keeps you topped up between fights. The boots and gloves hit hard and improve your movement. And the cloak solves the helmet cosmetics issue that a lot of players have been frustrated by.

Best of all, none of it requires a boss fight or deep story progression. You can grab everything relatively early and start looking the part of a desert marksman well before you’ve reached the endgame.

If you’re still figuring out how to get better gear in general, check out our guide to getting better equipment for a broader overview of the upgrade systems.

Where to Get Crimson Desert

New to the game or looking to jump in? Crimson Desert is available across all major platforms:

• Official Website
• PlayStation Store
• Xbox
• Steam
• Epic Games Store

For an in-depth look at what the game has to offer, read our full Crimson Desert review.