TL;DR
- The Elite Vanguard is a two-handed spear hidden in a cave at Bowsprit Cape, south Demeniss
- Fast travel to the Bowsprit Cape Abyss Nexus, face west, and climb the rock structure
- Watch out for explosive laser pillars on the way up — ignore or destroy them with Force Palm
- The weapon is inside a treasure chest at the top of the climb inside the cave
- It comes with 3 pre-loaded Abyss Gears: Critical Rate 1, Attack 1, and Attack Speed 1
- No combat required to get it — just navigation and climbing
The Elite Vanguard is one of the more interesting spears you can find in Crimson Desert. It’s a two-handed spear that doesn’t punish you with sluggish animations like most heavy weapons. Its high attack speed and long range let you stay aggressive without leaving yourself open, and its built-in auto parry mechanic can one-shot groups of weaker enemies when timed right. Better still, it comes with five Abyss Gear slots and three already filled. Getting to it takes a bit of climbing, but there’s no boss fight involved. Just some careful navigation at Bowsprit Cape.
Here’s exactly how to find it.
Elite Vanguard Stats and Abyss Gears
The Elite Vanguard is an Epic-tier two-handed spear with the following stats at full refinement:
- Attack: 12 → 35 (scales across 11 refinement levels)
- Attack Speed: Level 3
- Critical Rate: Level 1
It comes with 5 Abyss Gear slots, three of which are pre-equipped:
- Critical Rate 1 (Insight I) — boosts how often you land critical hits
- Attack 1 (Destruction I) — directly increases raw damage output
- Attack Speed 1 (Swift I) — makes your attacks faster and smoother
The remaining two slots are empty, which means you can customize the weapon to suit your build. For a critical rate-focused setup, slot additional Insight gears and pair it with our Critical Rate OP Boss Build guide. If you prefer raw damage, stack Destruction gears and increase your attack level for maximum output.
Refining the Elite Vanguard at a Blacksmith keeps boosting both Attack and Attack Speed — it scales well all the way to the refinement cap. See how to upgrade weapons and armor for the full process.
The lore describes it as a charging lance used by elite cavalry of the Wells Estate. Its slender tip is visually distinctive — some players describe it as looking like an ornate umbrella, which makes for some unique fashion builds too.
Where Is the Elite Vanguard?
The Elite Vanguard is inside a treasure chest in a small cave at Bowsprit Cape, located in south Demeniss, east of the Steel Mountains. On your world map, look directly south of the “N” in “Demeniss” to find the general area. Bowsprit Cape is the large coastal peninsula that juts out toward the ocean in the lower part of the region.
There is an Abyss Nexus fast travel point at the bottom of the crevice in Bowsprit Cape. If you’ve already activated it, getting back here is instant. If not, head south from Demeniss City and follow the road toward the coast.
Note that Bowsprit Cape also has a separate Abyss puzzle — the famous Bowsprit Cape cube puzzle that leads to the Path of Serpents. The Elite Vanguard chest is a completely separate find from that puzzle. You don’t need to touch the Abyss cube at all to get the weapon.
How to Get the Elite Vanguard Step by Step
Step 1 — Reach Bowsprit Cape. Fast travel to the Abyss Nexus at the bottom of the Bowsprit Cape crevice. If you haven’t unlocked it yet, travel south from Demeniss City and follow the coastal road down until you reach the cape. Activate the Nexus when you arrive for future convenience.
Step 2 — Face west from the Abyss Nexus. Once you’re at the Nexus, turn to face west. Look up at the rock structures rising above you. This is the formation you need to climb to reach the cave entrance.
Step 3 — Climb the rock structures. Start climbing the rocky cliff face to the west of the Nexus. The terrain is rough but climbable. Use Force Palm in the air to give yourself extra height and reach ledges that seem just out of reach. Take your time and look for the natural footholds on the cliff.
Step 4 — Watch for laser pillars. As you climb, certain rock pillars will open up and fire explosive laser shots at you. These are a nuisance but not a major threat. You have two options: ignore them and keep climbing while they miss, or destroy them with Force Palm to clear the path. Destroying them first makes the climb less stressful.
Step 5 — Enter the cave at the top. Once you’ve made it up the rock structure, you’ll find a small cave opening. Head inside.
Step 6 — Open the treasure chest. Inside the cave is a treasure chest containing the Elite Vanguard. Interact with it to collect the weapon. No Mask required — this is a standard chest, not stolen loot.
That’s the whole process. No enemies to fight, no puzzles to solve, just climbing and some laser dodging.
Is the Elite Vanguard Worth Using?
Yes, especially if you want a two-handed weapon that doesn’t feel slow. Most two-handed weapons in Crimson Desert lock you into heavy animation sequences that leave you vulnerable. The Elite Vanguard sidesteps this problem with Attack Speed Level 3 baked into its base stats. In practice, this means your heavy attacks come out faster, your combo chains don’t leave long gaps, and you can respond to enemy attacks without feeling stuck in an animation.
The auto parry mechanic is the standout feature. Against groups of weaker enemies, landing the parry timing with this weapon can clear entire packs in one hit. It changes how you approach mob encounters, making it feel more like an aggressive parry weapon than a slow bruiser. Pair it with the advanced combat guide to understand how parry timing works in extended fights.
The five Abyss Gear slots give it room to grow significantly. Two empty slots mean you can shape it toward critical hit builds, raw damage, or even hybrid setups depending on where you are in the game. For Abyss Gear farming, the Scholastone pickpocket method keeps your Abyss Cells stocked so you can keep filling those extra slots.
One thing worth noting: the Elite Vanguard is accessible relatively early in Demeniss. You don’t need to be deep into the story to visit Bowsprit Cape, which makes this a solid mid-game power spike pickup before fighting some of the region’s tougher bosses.
Other Weapons and Gear Worth Grabbing in Demeniss
While you’re working through the Demeniss region, a few other strong weapon and gear picks are worth collecting:
- Necklace of Lightning Location — one of the best accessories in the game, also found in Demeniss
- Mark of Darkness Ring — pairs well with fast attack spear builds for the Attack Speed bonus
- Demeniss Royal Guard Shield — if you want to pair the spear with a shield offhand
- Artisan’s Ornamented Shield — Damiane’s coastal shield also found in the Demeniss coastal area
- Bowsprit Cape Puzzle Solution — if you want to tackle the full Abyss puzzle at the same location
- All Bosses Locations — check which Demeniss bosses drop weapons or gear worth chasing next
For the complete overview of every guide in the game, visit the Crimson Desert hub page.
Crimson Desert is available on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation, and Xbox. Learn more at the official Crimson Desert website.
