TL;DR
- Robot comrades are called Grey-0 Mecha Workers — available after Chapter 10 in the Delesyia region
- Two unlock requirements: complete Chaya Research at Dewhaven Research Institute AND liberate Marni’s Steel Armory (defeat the Mechanicus boss)
- Before Chaya Research, you must first complete “Electricity – Movement Conversion Mechanism Research” (starts at Rustfield Scrapyard or the Dewhaven Research Institute faction quest tab)
- Chaya Research costs 90 Silver and takes 16 in-game hours — it pauses at 8 hours and you must speak with the Research Assistant at Windrose Farm to resume
- Each Grey-0 costs: 5,000 Camp Weapons/Armor, 1,000 Camp Timber, 2,000 Camp Food, 10,000 Camp Funds — and takes 4 in-game hours to build
- Grey-0 stats: 1,120 Health, 45 Attack, 85 Defense — Miner skill only, +60% bonus to Mining missions at Level 3
- Never send them on attack missions — only mining or filler slots on non-combat dispatches
- No known cap — players have built 60, 90+ with no limit outside resource supply
- Remove any Mask or criminal disguise before speaking to the researcher or enemies will attack
Crimson Desert caps your human Greymane roster at around 37. That’s not nearly enough for late-game dispatch scaling. The solution is Grey-0 — a series of autonomous mecha workers you can craft and deploy infinitely, filling dispatch mission slots and multiplying your camp’s resource output. The game barely explains this system exists, let alone how to unlock it. This guide covers every step from the first research prerequisite through to deploying your robot army.
What Are Grey-0 Robot Comrades?
Grey-0 Mecha Workers are mass-produced robotic units you craft and add to your Greymane comrade roster. Unlike your human Greymanes, they have no personality, no story, and no individual skills to level up — but they’re infinitely craftable and serve as reliable filler workers that let you push past your human roster limit.
Grey-0 stats:
- Health: 1,120
- Attack: 45 (very low — do not use in combat missions)
- Defense: 85 (very low)
- Skill: Miner
- Mining bonus at Level 3: +60% reward on Mining dispatch missions
Every Grey-0 built comes with identical stats and the Miner skill. There is no randomness. They are purpose-built for one role: mining dispatch missions. At Level 3, the +60% Mining reward bonus is higher than most human Greymanes can offer for that role, making them genuinely excellent at their specific job.
The critical thing to know upfront: their combat stats are terrible. 45 Attack and 85 Defense means they’ll be destroyed on any attack mission with meaningful danger. Only ever assign them to mining dispatches or as filler headcount on non-combat missions where a skilled Greymane leads.
Requirements Before You Can Craft Grey-0
Two separate gates block crafting. Both must be cleared.
Gate 1 — Story progress past Chapter 10. The Grey-0 system is tied to the Delesyia region, which opens fully during Chapter 10: Counterattack. You cannot access the necessary research or crafting location before this point. For context on where you are relative to this, check our all main story quests and chapters guide.
Gate 2 — Liberate Marni’s Steel Armory. Marni’s Steel Armory in Delesyia is the physical location where Grey-0 crafting takes place. It’s controlled by the Mechanicus — a challenging boss encounter. You must defeat the Mechanicus and liberate the armory before the crafting mission option appears. Once cleared, the armory stays under Greymane control permanently.
Step-by-Step: How to Unlock and Craft Grey-0
Step 1 – Complete the Electricity – Movement Conversion Mechanism Research
Before you can access Chaya Research (the prerequisite for Grey-0 crafting), you must first complete an earlier research project: “Electricity – Movement Conversion Mechanism Research.”
You can start this from either:
- The Rustfield Scrapyard in Delesyia
- The “Dewhaven Research Institute” tab inside the Ironwheel of Dewhaven Faction Quests section
This research costs 9 Silver and takes 6 in-game hours. It’s fast and cheap — get it done as soon as you arrive in Delesyia. Completing it also unlocks dispatch missions to craft the Lightning Saw and increases Timber gathered from logging as a bonus.
Step 2 – Travel to Dewhaven Keep
Head to Dewhaven Keep, located south-southwest of Delesyia. Inside, find the Dewhaven Research Institute and speak with the researcher Heinrik to open the research tree.
Important: Remove any Mask or criminal disguise before speaking to Heinrik. If you approach with a Mask equipped, the researcher’s guards may treat you as hostile and attack, interrupting the interaction entirely.
Step 3 – Start Chaya Research
In the research tree, find and start Chaya Research — it’s listed in the second row, third option from the right (sometimes shown as a top row option depending on your view). Chaya Research costs 90 Silver and takes 16 in-game hours total.
There’s a catch: the research stops automatically at 8 in-game hours. You’ll need to manually resume it.
Step 4 – Resume Research at Windrose Farm
When Chaya Research pauses, travel to Windrose Farm and speak with the Dewhaven Institute Research Assistant there. This conversation triggers the second half of the research to complete. After resuming, wait for the remaining 8 hours and the research will finish.
Once Chaya Research completes, the dispatch mission option to craft Mecha Workers becomes available.
Step 5 – Liberate Marni’s Steel Armory
If you haven’t already done this, go to Marni’s Steel Armory in Delesyia and defeat the Mechanicus boss to liberate the location. This unlocks the armory as a craft site. If you’ve already cleared it as part of story progression or the Delesyia arc, this step is done. The Small Battery farming guide notes the Armory in detail — see our how to get small batteries guide for Armory context.
Step 6 – Craft Mecha Workers at Marni’s Steel Armory
Go to Marni’s Steel Armory. Access the Missions tab for the armory and select “Craft Mecha Worker.”
Cost per Grey-0:
| Resource | Amount Required |
|---|---|
| Camp Weapons/Armor | 5,000 |
| Camp Timber | 1,000 |
| Camp Food | 2,000 |
| Camp Funds | 10,000 |
| Build time | 4 in-game hours |
Queue the craft and wait 4 in-game hours. Rest at a bed or bonfire to speed up the timer. Once complete, the new Grey-0 appears in your comrade roster and can be assigned to Dispatch Missions through Ross at the Howling Hill Camp.
How to Deploy Grey-0 Effectively
Mining Missions — Their Primary Role
Grey-0 units are at their most efficient on Mining dispatch missions. At Level 3, the +60% Mining reward bonus exceeds what most human Greymanes provide for that same role. Fill mining dispatch slots with Grey-0 workers and lead with a human Greymane who has a relevant skill if the mission requires one.
For maximizing what those mining dispatches bring back, combine with church donations to boost Conversion in mining regions. Our how to complete camp donation quests guide explains the church donation system.
Filler Slots on Non-Combat Missions
Even outside mining, Grey-0 units are useful as headcount fillers. Many dispatch missions provide comrade-count bonuses — the more bodies on a mission, the higher the yield multiplier. Assign a skilled human Greymane as the mission leader, then pack remaining slots with Grey-0 workers to maximize the bonus without consuming your best comrades.
For example: assign a Greymane with Level 3 Farming as leader, then fill the rest of the slots with robots. You get the 60% Farming skill bonus from the leader and the comrade-count multiplier from the robots simultaneously.
Never Send Grey-0 on Attack Missions
With 45 Attack and 85 Defense, a Grey-0 will be destroyed in any dangerous attack dispatch. High-danger zones require comrades with actual combat stats. Keep robots strictly in Low or Medium danger mining missions to avoid breakage costs.
The Self-Sustaining Loop
The smarter approach is to build Grey-0 incrementally. Build one, assign it to a mining mission, collect the mineral output, and use those resources to fund the next robot. Over time the loop compounds: more robots means more mining output means more crafting fuel means more robots. Players have pushed their total workforce (human Greymanes + robots) to 70+ this way with no hard cap in sight.
Managing the Resource Costs
The 5,000 Camp Weapons/Armor cost tends to be the biggest bottleneck for most players. Two main methods for building this up:
Dispatch missions. Through Ross at Howling Hill, select Mission Dispatch and activate the “Warspike Spearmaker” mission in Hernand. This yields over 1,000 Camp Weapons/Armor every 16 hours, more if you assign 4 comrades with a Smith-skilled lead. Other Anvil icon missions in later regions produce similar amounts. See our how to dispatch Howling Hill expansion missions guide for more dispatch management tips.
Carl donations. Talk to Carl at Howling Hill, select Manage Provisions, then Camp Provisions. Donating Wool, Hide, Abyss Gears, Weapons, and Armor all count toward the Camp Weapons/Armor total. Clearing your inventory of junk equipment and funneling it into Carl builds the stockpile quickly.
For Camp Funds, keep Shield dispatch missions running continuously through Ross. These passively generate Camp Funds in the background. See our how to get camp funds guide for the full method.
Troubleshooting: Why Can’t I See the Craft Option?
If the Craft Mecha Worker option isn’t appearing, run through this checklist:
Haven’t completed Chapter 10: The entire system is locked until after the Chapter 10 siege. Push the main story forward.
Chaya Research not finished: Double check that both halves of the research completed — remember it pauses at 8 hours and requires the visit to Windrose Farm to resume.
Marni’s Steel Armory not liberated: The crafting mission lives at this armory. If Mechanicus hasn’t been defeated, the option won’t appear.
Mask equipped: Remove it before speaking to Heinrik. Guards will attack and block the research interaction if you’re flagged as a criminal.
Electricity research not done first: Chaya Research won’t appear in the tree at all unless the prerequisite Electricity – Movement Conversion Mechanism Research was completed first.
Tips for Efficient Grey-0 Production
Don’t rush to build 20 at once. The resource cost is steep and draining your entire camp stockpile in one session leaves you short for other things. Build steadily — one or two at a time, letting the mining output replenish your resources between crafts.
Keep your human roster strong too. Grey-0 units are filler, not replacements. Your skilled Greymanes are still essential for leading missions and unlocking skill bonuses. For building out your human comrade roster, see our how to get comrades guide and how to get level up comrades guide.
Pair with church donations for multiplied output. Donating Camp Funds to churches in each region permanently increases Dispatch Mission reward conversion in that region. Stacking this bonus alongside a robot-filled mining team dramatically increases per-mission yield. For full details on the church donation system, see our how to complete camp donation quests quickly guide.
Use this alongside the Shield of Conviction build for early survivability. If you’re investing in your camp heavily at this stage, make sure your combat loadout is also keeping up. Our Shield of Conviction guide and best early build guide cover the combat side in parallel.
For all other Crimson Desert content, visit the Crimson Desert hub page.
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