How to Get the Cowboy Armor (Helfryn Armor Set) in Crimson Desert

TL;DR

• The Helfryn Leather Armor is Crimson Desert’s secret cowboy set, exclusively for Kliff
• All five pieces are hidden in the City of Demeniss behind trick walls, boarded holes, and attic windows — none marked on the map
• The set includes: Leather Armor, Leather Cloak, Leather Gloves, Leather Boots, and the Black Sun shield
• Two pieces need Axiom Force + Force Palm to access — don’t try early if you don’t have these skills yet
• The Deceiver’s Fedora from Tashkalp completes the full cowboy look
• Entering Demeniss before Chapter 8 means guards attack on sight — easiest to collect after the city becomes accessible

Crimson Desert is full of hidden armor, but nothing quite turns heads like the Helfryn Leather set. Put it all on Kliff and he looks like a gunslinger who wandered into a fantasy world and decided to stay. The wide-brimmed fedora, the leather coat, the boots — it’s a full cowboy outfit tucked inside a medieval RPG, and Pearl Abyss hid every single piece in the City of Demeniss without a single map marker to help you find them.

This guide has every location, step-by-step directions, all the stats, and how to grab the bonus Deceiver’s Fedora that completes the look. For more on Crimson Desert, check the full guide hub.

What Is the Helfryn Armor Set?

The Helfryn Leather Armor set is a five-piece hidden collection exclusive to Kliff. It gives him a distinctly un-fantasy look — dark leather coat, sturdy boots, tactical gloves, and a cloak — which is exactly why players love it. It stands out in a game filled with plate armor and chainmail.

Every piece sits inside the City of Demeniss, the capital of the Demeniss region. None of them are marked on the map. Each one is hidden behind a trick wall, a boarded-up entrance, or an unlocked attic window. The full set is:

• Helfryn Leather Armor (chest piece)
• Helfryn Leather Cloak
• Helfryn Leather Gloves
• Helfryn Leather Boots
• Black Sun Shield (bonus matching piece)

The optional Deceiver’s Fedora, while not technically part of the set, is what ties the whole cowboy look together. More on that below.

Before You Go: Important Warning About Demeniss

If you haven’t progressed the main story far enough, entering Demeniss City means guards will attack you on sight. On top of that, some skills — including Force Palm, which you need to open certain trick walls — cannot be used inside the city while it’s in a hostile state.

Two pieces in particular, the Helfryn Leather Gloves and the Black Sun Shield, require Axiom Force (L2) and Force Palm (R3). If these aren’t working inside the city, wait until after Chapter 8 when Demeniss becomes properly accessible before running this collection route.

The Helfryn Leather Cloak and Boots don’t require those skills, so you can potentially grab those two early if you’re willing to dodge guards. The safest approach is to wait and do the whole set in one clean run once the city opens up — all five locations are close together and a focused sweep takes about fifteen minutes.

Make sure your gear is solid before heading into Demeniss. Check out the best early build and how to get better equipment if you need to prepare. If you’re pushing your armor toward higher tiers, the Bismuth Ore mining guide covers the refinement materials you’ll need for Tier 7 upgrades.

All Helfryn Armor Set Locations

1. Helfryn Leather Armor (Chest Piece) — Demeniss Bell Tower

Location: South district of Demeniss City, east side of the Bell Tower.

The Bell Tower is the tallest structure in the south district — you can’t miss it. Stand facing the front of the tower, then move left to face the east side of the building. Climb up toward the top, stopping just below the upper platform where two short pillars sit side by side.

Here’s the key: walk forward between the two pillars. Just pressing yourself through the gap between them pushes open a hidden wall panel. It swings inward to reveal a small secret chamber. The treasure chest inside holds the Helfryn Leather Armor.

Stats (Refinement Level 3): 9 Defense, Lightning Resistance 1, 3 Abyss Gear slots pre-loaded with health regen, swim speed, and damage reduction.

2. Helfryn Leather Cloak — Attic Window, North District

Location: A building with an attic window in the far northern part of Demeniss City.

Head to the north district of the city. Look for a building close to the vine-covered tower you’ll visit for the gloves. The building has a visible attic window on the upper floor — climb up to it and open the window. Drop inside the attic and check the back right corner for the treasure chest.

This is the simplest piece in the entire set. No Force Palm, no Axiom Force, no trick walls. Just climb and crawl through a window. If you’re going for the set early and want to minimize risk, this is one of the two pieces you can grab while guards are hostile.

Stats: 3 Defense, Ice Resistance 5. The ice resistance makes it genuinely useful when you reach Pailune and colder regions later in the story.

3. Helfryn Leather Gloves — Vine-Covered Tower, North District

Location: A white tower covered in vines in the northeastern part of Demeniss City, close to where you found the cloak.

Find the vine-covered tower just north of the attic building. Climb up the southern vine-covered face of the tower. Just below the roofline, on the left side of the vine section, there is a trick wall panel — but this one rotates rather than swings open.

This is where the technique really matters. You need to use Axiom Force (L2) first to press yourself against the wall surface, then trigger Force Palm (R3). The wall rotates and carries you into the hidden room behind it. If you skip the Axiom Force step and just hit Force Palm, you’ll get flung off the wall instead of going through it.

Once inside, the treasure chest holds the Helfryn Leather Gloves.

Stats (Refinement Level 3): 16 Attack, 4 Defense, Lightning Resistance 1, Critical Rate 1. Two Abyss Gear slots with a 10% bonus chance to find additional items when pickpocketing and a climb speed multiplier. For more on how pickpocketing works, see the guide on how to steal items in Crimson Desert.

4. Helfryn Leather Boots — Boarded Hole Outside the South Gate

Location: Outside the main entrance gate on the south side of Demeniss City, along the eastern stretch of the outer wall.

Exit through the main south gate of Demeniss City. Once outside, turn right and walk along the eastern stretch of the outer castle wall. You’ll spot a small hole in the wall patched up with wooden boards.

Attack the boards to break them open — any weapon works. Once they’re cleared, crouch to squeeze through the opening. Follow the short tunnel to a chest at the end. It contains the Helfryn Leather Boots plus a bonus Palmer Pill.

This is the only piece located outside the city walls, which makes it one of the easiest to grab even with hostile guards inside. You can collect this without ever entering the city proper.

Stats (Refinement Level 3): 15 Attack, 4 Defense, Critical Rate Level 2, Lightning Resistance 1. Two Abyss Gear slots with a 10% Silver acquisition bonus and Fire Resistance Level 1.

5. Black Sun Shield — Below the Bridge Near the Abyss Nexus

Location: Beneath the long bridge connecting the city streets to the main castle on the south side of Demeniss City, near the Abyss Nexus.

Head to the area near the Abyss Nexus in Demeniss. Find the long bridge that stretches from the city streets to the main castle. Drop down into the water below it and swim to the underside. Look for the archway that is farthest from the castle itself.

Face the castle wall from that underwater position. Use Axiom Force (L2) to grip the wall and then Force Palm (R3) to flip the trick wall panel inward. This opens a small hidden chamber behind the wall. The treasure chest inside holds the Black Sun Shield.

Stats (Refinement Level 4): 7 Defense, Movement Speed Level 2. Two Abyss Gear slots pre-loaded with Damage Reduction 1 and a Guard Stamina Cost reduction core. The movement speed bonus makes this a strong choice as a shield regardless of aesthetics.

How to Complete the Look: The Deceiver’s Fedora

The Helfryn set has no hat. Four pieces of cowboy gear and no cowboy hat. That’s where the Deceiver’s Fedora comes in — it’s not part of the Helfryn set officially, but it’s the piece that completes the full cowboy look.

The Deceiver’s Fedora also has a special effect: Gambler’s Sight, which lets you peek at other players’ hands during the Duo card minigame. If you play a lot of Duo in Crimson Desert, this hat is genuinely useful beyond just the style points.

How to get the Deceiver’s Fedora:

Step 1: Travel to the Bonepit in Tashkalp, which is in the Crimson Desert region.

Step 2: Clear out all the enemies at the Bonepit. Defeating the enemies here unlocks the Mineral Shop run by a merchant named Seratien.

Step 3: Gift Coin Purses to Seratien repeatedly until his Trust level reaches 100. Each gift moves the needle. For more on building merchant trust, see the guide on how to gain trust with merchants and trade agreements.

Step 4: Once Trust hits 100, enter Seratien’s Buy inventory. The Deceiver’s Fedora is now available for purchase. It costs 97 Silver.

Stats: 2 Defense, Gambler’s Sight special effect.

Money tip: If you’re short on Silver to buy the hat, the Demeniss Wildlife Park is a good spot. Wealthy NPCs there occasionally have Gold Bars in their pockets. Pickpocket one, exchange it at any bank for 500 Silver, and you’ll have more than enough. See the guide on how to make money fast in Crimson Desert for more Silver farming strategies.

Full Helfryn Set Stats at a Glance

Tips for Collecting the Helfryn Set

Do it all in one run. All five pieces are in Demeniss City and relatively close together. Once the city is accessible without combat, you can sweep the whole set in about fifteen minutes with this guide open.

Start with the boots. The boots are outside the city walls, so you can grab them first without stepping inside at all. Cross them off your list before dealing with the guards.

Axiom Force before Force Palm. This is the most common mistake when going for the gloves and the shield. If Force Palm keeps throwing you off the wall instead of opening it, you missed the L2 step first. Press L2 to grip the surface, then R3 to flip the panel.

Clear your bounty before going in. If you have an active bounty in Demeniss, guards will be even more aggressive. Remove it before your collection run. The how to remove your bounty guide walks you through it.

Refine everything once you have it. The boots and gloves both have Attack stats, which means they contribute offensively as well as defensively. Getting them to higher refinement levels amplifies that. Check the how to reinforce equipment guide and the how to upgrade weapons and armor guide to plan your refinement path.

Pair with Abyss Gear slots wisely. The chest piece has 3 Abyss Gear slots and the gloves have 2, which gives you a lot of flexibility for builds. The gloves come pre-equipped with a pickpocket bonus and climb speed multiplier — useful if you’re running a stealth-oriented Kliff. Learn more about how to use Axiom Force for better wall movement overall.

Compare against other sets. The Helfryn set is a solid mid-game option, but it’s worth comparing against the Frostcursed Armor Set, Armor of the Shadows, and Dark Marksman Armor as you push into endgame. Each set has its own strengths depending on your build.

Is the Helfryn Armor Set Worth Getting?

Yes — and not just for the look. The Leather Boots and Gloves both carry Attack stats, which makes them genuinely useful for offensive builds. The cloak’s Ice Resistance 5 becomes very practical in colder zones and against ice-type enemies. The Black Sun Shield’s Movement Speed Level 2 is one of the better shield passives in the game.

Beyond the numbers, this is one of those sets that makes you smile every time you load in. A cowboy in a dragon-filled fantasy RPG is exactly the kind of thing Crimson Desert’s world is big enough to accommodate. The hunt for it across Demeniss is also a great reminder of just how many secrets Pearl Abyss has packed into every city in the game.

If you’re hunting other hidden sets for comparison, the all strongbox puzzle solutions, buried treasure quest guide, and hidden treasure map piece 7 guide all lead to more unique loot worth chasing. The Reed Devil Armor and Hollow Visage Sword is another standout hidden set worth tracking down.

Crimson Desert is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Epic Games Store. For more, visit the official Crimson Desert site or the full Crimson Desert guide hub.