Crimson Desert: How to Increase Attack Level

Table of Contents

TL;DR

Attack Level in Crimson Desert is raised through Destruction Abyss Gears, embedded in weapons via Witch vendors
You cannot use Abyss Gears at all until Chapter 3 — the Witch faction quest must be completed first
Pearl Abyss added a dedicated Abyss Gear tutorial quest at the start of Chapter 3 (Day 1 patch) — check your quest log if you’re confused about the system
Destruction Gears give +1 / +2 / +3 Attack at tiers I, II, and III — weapons have up to 4 sockets, giving a maximum of +12 Attack total from Destruction III in all slots
Destruction Gears go in weapons, gloves, and footwear — not helmets, chestplates, or shields. A common mistake is trying to embed them into full armor pieces
The child at Tommaso Fork requires 1x Bronze Coin (Alm) — not regular Copper Coins; check your inventory for the Alm currency specifically
Craft Destruction I with: 1x Attack Reagent (Orange-Barred Sulphur Butterfly, Shrubby Sophora, or Peony) + 1x Abyss Cell + 1x Garnet at any Witch
Greater Destruction (Attack +10 from a single socket) exists — obtained via Special Synthesis at a 4% chance. Worth pursuing in the late game
Alternative attack gears: Insight (critical rate — often ranked higher than Destruction for DPS), Swift / Gale (attack speed), Malicebane / Momentum (top-tier offensive options), Wind Slash (adds a new skill)
Creating a socket costs Silver — embedding, extracting, and swapping Gears is free

Two Paths to Higher Attack Damage

Like Defense, Attack in Crimson Desert doesn’t come from leveling up. There is no traditional XP system. Your damage output comes from:

Weapon upgrades at the Blacksmith — raises your weapon’s base Attack stat through refinement
Destruction Abyss Gears embedded via a Witch — adds flat Attack bonus on top of the base stat

Both methods stack. The Blacksmith raises the foundation; Abyss Gears are what you embed on top. This guide focuses on the Abyss Gear path.

For the Blacksmith upgrade path, see our how to upgrade weapons and armor guide. For Defense Gears using the same system, see our how to increase defense level guide.

How to find Areciel the Witch of Strength in Crimson Desert

Step 1: Unlock the Abyss Gear System (Chapter 3 Required)

You cannot embed any Abyss Gears — attack or otherwise — until Chapter 3 unlocks the Witch faction. This is the number one reason players end up with a full inventory of Gears and no idea how to use them.

The unlock: “The Hermit Witch” quest

At the start of Chapter 3, a white crow lands on your shoulder and delivers a letter. Read it to start the Witch of Wisdom faction quest. This sends you to a location in The Witchwoods, west of the Hernand Highlands. Fight the enemies surrounding the witch’s house, enter through the hole in the roof, untie the witch inside — Elowen — and speak to her. All Witch vendor services are now unlocked.

Day 1 Patch update: Pearl Abyss specifically added a dedicated Abyss Gear tutorial quest at the start of Chapter 3 because so many players were confused by the system. If you’re just entering Chapter 3, check your quest journal — this tutorial will walk you through the basics before you even need to find Areciel.

For the complete Abyss system unlock walkthrough, see our Witch’s Abyss Gears unlock guide.

Step 2: Find Areciel, the Witch of Strength

The Gear Blueprint: Destruction — which you need to craft Destruction Gears — is sold exclusively by Areciel, the Witch of Strength. She’s located in the Tashkalp region, in the Crimson Desert area of Pywel.

Here’s how to reach her:

1. Go to Tommaso Fork Posthouse

Head northeast from Tashkalp village. Just north of the village is the Tommaso Fork Posthouse. Look near the notice board outside — you’ll find a child NPC standing there.

Important: The child asks for 1x Bronze Coin (Alm). This is not regular Copper. The Alm is a separate currency item in your inventory — a small bronze coin that some NPCs give as rewards and that can be found while looting. Check your inventory specifically for “Bronze Coin” or “Alm” rather than looking at your Copper total. If you don’t have one, check nearby loot from enemies or chests in the Tashkalp area.

Give the child the coin. This triggers Areciel’s appearance at her hut.

how to find Areciel the Witch of Strength in Crimson Desert 2 — How to find Areciel the Witch of Strength in Crimson Desert

2. Travel Northwest to Urdavah

From Tashkalp, head northwest to the area marked Urdavah on your map.

3. Climb to the Hut

Areciel’s hut is on a mountainside — look for the structure to the left of the “U” in “Urdavah” on your map. The hut sits at elevation, so you’ll need to climb. Use your grapple hook (Axiom Force) to scale the rocky face if needed.

Areciel is on the roof of the hut. Walk up the side of the building or jump to the roof to speak with her.

Step 3: Learn the Destruction Blueprint

Once you’re speaking with Areciel:

Select “Buy” from her menu
Purchase Gear Blueprint: Destruction
Open your Inventory
Find the Blueprint document
Hold L1 (PS5) / LB (Xbox) / Q (PC) to examine it — this reads and learns the recipe
Destruction I is now permanently craftable at any Witch vendor

How to Craft and Upgrade Destruction Gears

Craft Destruction I

Go to any Witch vendor (Elowen, Sylvia, or Areciel). Select “Craft Abyss Gears” and choose Destruction I.

Materials needed:

Material	Amount	Where to Find
Attack Reagent (Orange-Barred Sulphur Butterfly, Shrubby Sophora, or Peony)	1	Any of these three plants/insects work. The Butterfly is found in flower-heavy meadows near Urdavah and warm fields in the Tashkalp region — collect by walking up and pressing interact. Shrubby Sophora and Peony are gathered from fields and hillsides throughout Pywel
Abyss Cell	1	Complete Sealed Abyss Artifact challenges (purple cubes along roads), purchase from Witch vendors, or earn through Abyss exploration
Garnet	1	Mine from cave interiors and rocky deposits in the Tashkalp and Crimson Desert region. Orange-red ore veins, mined with a Pickaxe

Upgrade to Destruction II

Craft 2x Destruction I Gears
At any Witch, select Craft Abyss Gears
Press R2 (PS5) / RT (Xbox) / Tab (PC) to switch to the Synthesis tab
Select Destruction II and confirm

The two Destruction I Gears are consumed and become one Destruction II.

Upgrade to Destruction III

Craft or obtain 2x Destruction II Gears
Use the same Synthesis tab
Select Destruction III and confirm

how to find Areciel the Witch of Strength in Crimson Desert 3 — Crafting and upgrading Destruction Gears at the Witch

Destruction Gear Attack Values and Full Stacking Math

Gear Tier	Attack Bonus	Materials
Destruction I	+1 Attack	1x Attack Reagent + 1x Abyss Cell + 1x Garnet
Destruction II	+2 Attack	2x Destruction I
Destruction III	+3 Attack	2x Destruction II
Greater Destruction	+10 Attack	Special Synthesis (4% chance from compatible cores)

Maximum weapon stacking: Weapons in Crimson Desert have up to 4 socket slots (5 for most standard two-handed weapons). Fill all four with Destruction III and you gain +12 Attack total from Gears alone — without upgrading the weapon’s base stats at all.

To reach this cap you need:

4x Destruction III (one per socket)
Each Destruction III requires 2x Destruction II → 4x Destruction I per socket
16x Destruction I total for a fully socketed weapon

That means 16x Attack Reagents, 16x Abyss Cells, and 16x Garnets to max out one weapon. Farm at your own pace — all materials are fully renewable.

Greater Destruction — The Late-Game Ceiling (Attack +10)

Beyond Destruction III sits Greater Destruction, which grants +10 Attack from a single socket. It is obtained through Special Synthesis at any Witch — a separate tab from regular Synthesis. Place a standard Abyss Gear in the first slot and a compatible gear in the second slot; there is a 4% chance the result is a Greater Abyss Gear variant. You can run up to 20 fusions at once.

Greater Abyss Gears are rare and resource-intensive to pursue, but a single Greater Destruction socketed into a weapon is worth more than three Destruction III Gears combined. Save Special Synthesis attempts for when you have a large surplus of Tier I cores.

Where Destruction Gears Can Be Socketed

Destruction Abyss Gears are compatible with weapons, gloves, and footwear. They cannot be embedded into helmets, chestplates, or shields — those use different Gear types.

Here is a quick reference for Destruction socket compatibility:

Equipment Slot	Destruction Compatible?	Notes
Weapons (swords, axes, staves, etc.)	✅ Yes	Primary choice — highest socket count
Gloves	✅ Yes	Useful for unarmed/melee-focused builds; glove Attack affects punches and kicks directly
Footwear (Boots)	✅ Yes	Same as gloves — affects kick-based and unarmed attacks
Helmet / Chestplate / Armor	❌ No	Use Fortification and other armor-specific Gears here
Shields	❌ No	Shields use Aegis, Fortification, and Fortitude Gears
Cloaks, Rings, Earrings, Necklaces	❌ No	Cannot have sockets at all

Practical note on gloves and footwear: Destruction in gloves or boots only boosts unarmed attacks (punches, kicks). If you use a weapon, put Destruction Gears in the weapon itself — not gloves. Gloves with Destruction are best saved for dedicated unarmed combat builds. For weapon builds, fill gloves with Attack Speed (Swift/Gale) instead, which is a universal buff that applies regardless of weapon type.

Fortification Gears (Defense) go into armor and shields. Destruction Gears (Attack) go into weapons, gloves, and footwear. The two systems are completely separate. See our defense guide for the armor side.

Socket Costs: What’s Free and What Isn’t

This is the same rule as all Abyss Gear work:

Creating a new socket in your weapon: Costs Silver
Embedding a Destruction Gear into a socket: Free
Extracting a Gear from a socket: Free
Swapping one Gear for another: Free

Pay once to create each socket, then experiment freely. If you need Silver for sockets, see our how to make money fast guide.

How Destruction Ranks Among All Offensive Abyss Gears

Destruction is the most direct route to raising flat Attack damage, but it is not always the highest-DPS option. Here is how it fits into the full offensive Abyss Gear picture:

Gear	Effect	Best Used For
Insight	Critical Rate +1 / +2 / +3 per tier	Generally ranked as the top offensive passive Gear — Critical Rate scales with build damage more broadly than flat Attack for many weapon types
Malicebane	Unique combat damage property	High-tier offensive option; pairs well with Insight and Destruction
Momentum	Unique combat property — damage under specific conditions	Excellent for aggressive melee builds
Infinite Arrows	Ranged-specific combat effect	Best-in-slot for bow/ranged builds
Destruction	Flat Attack +1 / +2 / +3 per tier (+10 for Greater)	Reliable flat damage increase; best when stacked in weapons. Ranked #5 in overall offensive Gears — still excellent, especially via Greater Destruction
Swift / Gale	Attack Speed Lv 1–5	Universal buff affecting all attacks; recommended for gloves and boots on most weapon builds
Wind Slash	Adds a new Wind Slash skill usable in combat	Early game priority — gives an additional combat ability, not just a stat number

Game8’s priority recommendation for early game: Wind Slash + Vigor + Gourmet before stacking Destruction. Wind Slash gives you a new ability rather than just a stat number, which changes how you actually play. Once you have Wind Slash embedded, pivot to Insight and Destruction for raw offensive increases.

Attack Speed (Swift/Gale) vs. Destruction: Attack Speed is a universal increment — it affects all offensive maneuvers including armed attacks, unarmed attacks, and skills. For most weapon builds, Swift or Gale on your gloves and boots will outperform Destruction there, since Destruction in gloves only boosts unarmed damage. Put Destruction in your weapon; put Swift/Gale in your gloves and boots.

For a full tier list and ranking of every Abyss Gear, see our Witch’s Abyss Gears unlock guide.

Getting Destruction Gears from Boss Weapons (Free Early Method)

Some boss-drop weapons come with pre-installed Abyss Gears already in their sockets. These can be:

Left in the weapon if the weapon is an upgrade for you
Extracted for free and transferred to your main weapon

The best early example is the Sword of the Lord, dropped by Kailok the Hornsplitter (the second major boss). It comes pre-loaded with Abyss Gears including Destruction I. Extract using the Witch’s “Extract Abyss Gear” option (free) and slot it into your preferred weapon.

Always inspect gear before selling or dismantling it — if a piece contains an Abyss Gear, extract it first. Selling without extracting permanently destroys the core inside.

See our Kailok the Hornsplitter guide to reach and defeat this boss.

Where All Witches Are Located

You can use any Witch to craft and embed Destruction Gears once you have the blueprint. Areciel is only required to buy the blueprint:

Witch	Location	Notes
Sylvia	North of Hernand	Easiest to reach; added Day 1. Craft Destruction Gears here once blueprint is learned
Elowen	Witchwoods, west of Hernand Highlands	First story-unlocked witch (Chapter 3)
Areciel (Witch of Strength)	Urdavah mountainside, northwest of Tashkalp	Sells Gear Blueprint: Destruction — visit once to buy the blueprint
Lyselia (Witch of Humility)	Serpent Marsh, south of Demeniss	Chapter 5 area; sells Gear Blueprint: Fortification

Skills That Also Increase Attack Power

Skills aren’t Abyss Gears, but they directly raise your damage output. Building the right skills alongside Destruction Gears gives you the biggest attack power jump in the shortest time:

Priority attack skills and their unlock order — see our best skills to level up first guide
How to get more skill points quickly — see our skill points guide
How to dual wield for maximum attack output — see our dual wield guide
How to respec if you’ve invested skill points poorly — see our respec guide

Crimson Desert: How to Increase Attack Level – Full Guide

TL;DR

Two Paths to Higher Attack Damage

Step 1: Unlock the Abyss Gear System (Chapter 3 Required)