TL;DR
- The Icewing Armor Set has 5 pieces: Helm, Armor, Gloves, Boots, and Cloak
- The Helm and Gloves and Boots are found in caves and sanctums in Pailune
- The Armor is a quest reward from defeating Gwen Kraber at the Eldertree
- The Cloak requires you to complete all 15 Witch Sanctums
- You need Force Palm and Stab skills to access most of the hidden locations
The Icewing Armor Set is one of the best-looking and most rewarding armor sets in Crimson Desert. It has a dark, Viking-inspired look — think bird deity helmet, black metal plates, and gold detail. It also comes with real combat benefits, especially when paired with Abyss Gears.
But it is not easy to get. No single merchant sells it. No single dungeon drops it all. Each piece sits in a different corner of Pywel, hidden behind waterfall caves, secret walls, boss fights, and long questlines.
This guide walks you through every piece, one by one. Follow it and you will have the full set.
Before you start, make sure you have unlocked Focus Force Palm — you will need it for multiple pieces here.
Icewing Plate Helm Location – Cave of the Ancients, Pailune
Head to Silver Wolf Mountain in Pailune. You are looking for the Cave of the Ancients. It sits north of the river, roughly in line with the “P” in “Pailune” on your map, just north of the Ancient Rift.
Go inside the cave until you hit a metal wall with a glowing golden orb. Regular Force Palm will not work here. You need Focused Force Palm (L3 + R3 + R3) to shatter the orb and open the path. Once through, grab the chest inside.
That is the Icewing Plate Helm.
Icewing Plate Armor Location – Eldertree, Hernand (Quest Reward)
This is the main chest piece, and it is the hardest to unlock.
You need to complete enough Hernand Faction Quests to open the House Celeste tab in your questlog. Then look for the quest under “Frozen Eldertree.” The Eldertree is located north of the “D” in “Hernand” on your map.
Once you trigger the quest, you will face Gwen Kraber — a boss with heavy frost attacks. Keep your fire resistance high and stay mobile. Beat her and you get both the Icewing Plate Armor and the Frostfang spear as rewards.
Note: Gwen Kraber will not spawn if you have not done enough Hernand quests. If she is not there, go do more quests in the region first.
This piece includes the Shattering Frost Abyss effect, which triggers ice burst damage every tenth hit — genuinely strong in longer fights.
If you want to be more prepared before this fight, check our Crimson Desert best early build guide for tips on damage output and resistance.
Icewing Plate Gloves Location – Claggy Chasm, Wayward Woods
Go to the northwest of Pailune, to Silver Wolf Mountain. Find the village of Longbranch. Then head west of Longbranch until you find a waterfall.
Stand directly in front of the waterfall and use Stab (R1 + Triangle on PS5 / R1 + Y on Xbox). This pushes Kliff forward through the water into a hidden cave called Claggy Chasm. Open the chest inside to get the gloves.
These gloves come with two Abyss Gear effects: Aegis (damage reduction) and Shockward (lightning resistance). That combo makes them useful well into the late game.
After you are done, check the top of the waterfall — there is Bismuth Ore up there. If you are farming crafting materials, our guide on how to get Bismuth Ore covers that too.
Icewing Plate Boots Location – Sanctum of Solace, Pailune
Head to the Sanctum of Solace. It is next to the “A” in “Pailune” on your map.
Inside the sanctum, find the large leafless tree. Face it, then turn right. You will see a tall wall and a tower. Climb the tower until you are just beneath the stone pillars. Now press R2 to cling to the wall, then press R3 to Force Palm. This rotates a hidden wall panel and reveals a secret room.
Open the chest inside to get the Icewing Plate Boots.
These boots have a swim speed bonus, which is more useful than it sounds. There are several water-heavy zones in the later parts of the game.
If you have not cleared this sanctum as part of the Witches questline yet, our full Sanctum of Solace puzzle solution guide will help you.
Icewing Plate Cloak Location – Complete All 15 Witch Sanctums
This is the longest grind of the five pieces.
You need to complete all 15 Witch Sanctums as part of the main Witches questline. Each sanctum you clear gives you a Witch Token. Once all 15 are done, travel to the Witchwoods, find the White Crow Witch, finish her dialogue, then enter her house and open the chest inside.
That chest contains the Icewing Plate Cloak.
The Witches questline starts properly in Chapter 5 when you meet Elowen the Witch during the Missing Seal main quest. She asks you to clear out sanctums across the world — that is your trigger.
We have guides for every sanctum if you need help. Here are a few:
- Sanctum of Solace
- Sanctum of Absolution
- Sanctum of Expiation
- Sanctum of Revelation
- Sanctum of Atonement
- Sanctum of Deliverance
- Sanctum of Exaltation
- Sanctum of Renunciation
Icewing Armor Set – Quick Reference Table
| Piece | Location | How to Access |
|---|---|---|
| Helm | Cave of the Ancients, Pailune | Focused Force Palm to break orb |
| Armor | Eldertree, Hernand | Beat Gwen Kraber (quest reward) |
| Gloves | Claggy Chasm, Wayward Woods | Stab through waterfall |
| Boots | Sanctum of Solace, Pailune | Climb tower, cling + Force Palm |
| Cloak | Witchwoods (White Crow Witch) | Complete all 15 Witch Sanctums |
Tips Before You Go Hunting
Skills to unlock first. You need Focused Force Palm for the Helm and Boots, and Stab for the Gloves. If you have not unlocked Focused Force Palm yet, check our guide on how to get and use Focused Force Palm.
Do Hernand quests early. The chest piece (Gwen Kraber fight) is locked behind faction progress. The sooner you start Hernand quests, the sooner that quest opens up. Check the [House Celeste] tab regularly.
Do not skip sanctums. A lot of players rush the main story and skip sanctums, then wonder why the cloak is missing. Make it a habit to clear sanctums as you discover them.
Abyss Gears are worth it. The Helm gives Defense +3, the Gloves give damage reduction and lightning resistance. Even partial pieces paired with other good armor are solid. Check our accessories guide for more on how to build around your gear.
Upgrade your armor when you can. Once you have a piece, do not leave it at base stats. Our guide on how to reinforce equipment explains how refinement works.
Is the Icewing Set Worth It?
Yes. The full set looks incredible — no other armor in the game has the same icy, winged look. But beyond style, it holds two Abyss Gear slots per piece on most parts and the Shattering Frost proc from the chest piece adds real damage in sustained fights.
It takes time to collect all five pieces, especially the Cloak. But if you play through the main story properly and clear sanctums along the way, you will naturally end up close to a full set without too much extra effort.
For a broader look at what else to chase in the game, our Crimson Desert hub page has guides for every major system, quest, armor set, and boss.
Crimson Desert is available on PC via Steam, PC via Epic Games, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. You can also visit the official Crimson Desert website for more.
