Weapon upgrades in Crimson Desert are not optional — they are the engine that drives your entire progression through Pywel. The further you venture from the starting town of Hernand, the harder enemies hit, and without a properly upgraded loadout, you will hit a wall fast. Whether you are pushing into a new region or preparing for a tough boss encounter, knowing how to upgrade weapons in Crimson Desert is one of the most important things you can learn early on.
The system is built around two separate mechanics: Refinement, which is handled by Blacksmith NPCs and boosts your weapon’s raw stats, and Abyss Gear, which is managed by Witch vendors and layers on powerful passive modifiers. Both paths are essential. This guide covers how each one works, where to find the relevant NPCs, what materials you need to gather, and how to get the most out of every upgrade.
Understanding the Two Weapon Upgrade Systems in Crimson Desert
Before you start farming materials, it helps to understand what you are actually working toward. Crimson Desert uses two distinct upgrade systems for weapons, and they serve different purposes.
The first is called Refinement. This is the primary upgrade path, handled by Blacksmith NPCs throughout the world. Refinement improves the core stats of your weapon — attack power, critical rate, attack speed, and other base values. Each piece of gear has ten Refinement levels, and working through them is what keeps your damage output competitive as enemy difficulty scales up.
The second system involves Abyss Gear, which are special modifier items that slot into your weapons and armor to add bonus effects on top of their base stats. These are not handled by Blacksmiths. You need to find a Witch vendor to create sockets and embed Abyss Gears. Think of Refinement as increasing a weapon’s floor, and Abyss Gear as raising its ceiling with custom effects.
Both systems work independently of each other, so you should be running both simultaneously rather than focusing on one and neglecting the other.
How to Upgrade Weapons Through Refinement (Blacksmith Method)
Refinement is where most players will spend the bulk of their upgrade time, especially in the early and mid-game. The process is straightforward once you know where to go.
Step 1: Find a Blacksmith
Your first and most accessible Blacksmith is Turnali, located in the center-north district of Hernand — the starting town. You can unlock him by completing a short side quest called “Turnali’s Request,” which you will find posted on a bulletin board in the area. After that, Turnali’s smithing table is available whenever you need it.
Turnali is just the beginning. As you explore Pywel and use fast travel in Crimson Desert to move between regions, you will find Blacksmith NPCs in every major city and settlement. The Refinement system works identically at every Blacksmith, so use whichever is nearest to you as you travel.
Step 2: Inspect Your Gear Before Farming
Before you start gathering materials, inspect any weapon you plan to upgrade. Open your inventory, select the item, and check its Refinement Information. This tells you exactly which materials are required for each level tier. Knowing what you need before you go out farming saves a significant amount of time.
Step 3: Choose Refinement at the Blacksmith
Approach any Blacksmith and select the Refinement option from the menu. You will see a list of eligible items in your inventory, along with a preview of how each upgrade will improve the weapon’s stats. Confirm the upgrade to apply it, provided you have the required materials on hand.
Refinement does not cost silver in the traditional sense — the primary investment is always the gathered materials, not currency. That said, higher Refinement levels may carry a small silver cost depending on the item, so keep some coin in reserve as you push toward the later tiers.
Step 4: Gather the Right Materials
Different weapon and armor types call for different materials. Here is a general breakdown of what you will need across the Refinement tiers:
- Weapons and metal armor — Iron Ore, mined from ore veins on mountainsides across the map. You can extract ore using a Pickaxe, or use the Force Palm skill while climbing to reach hard-to-access nodes.
- Wooden shields — Timber, gathered by felling trees with a Logging Axe or the Turning Slash skill.
- Leather and cloth armor — Hides and Bones, obtained by hunting animals in the open world. Larger animals drop larger bones; smaller animals drop small bones.
- High-level refinement (Level 5 and above) — Abyss Artifacts and Abyss Cores, which drop from powerful bosses and are required to push your gear into the late-game tiers.
You can buy both the Pickaxe and Logging Axe from the Provisioner’s Shop in Hernand, and Iron Ore is also available for purchase directly from merchants if mining feels too slow early on. Ore nodes are marked on the map once you have mined them, and they respawn over time, so establishing a regular mining route pays off.
One important note: non-unique weapons can be refined using gathered materials or by using a duplicate copy of the same item. Unique weapons require specific materials and cannot use duplicates. Always check whether your gear is unique before planning your farming route.
How to Upgrade Weapons Using Abyss Gear (Witch Vendor Method)
Abyss Gear represents the more advanced layer of weapon upgrades in Crimson Desert. These are special modifier items that attach to your weapons and armor to provide bonus effects beyond what Refinement can offer. Effects range from increased attack speed and bonus damage to unique properties like “Rampaging Insight.” This is also where the real build-crafting potential of the game opens up — much like the depth you find when investing in Crimson Desert skills and experimenting with different combat styles.
Where to Get Abyss Gear
Abyss Gear can be obtained through several methods:
- Enemy drops — Defeating bosses and powerful enemies is the most reliable source of high-quality Abyss Gears.
- Sealed Abyss Artifact challenges — Completing these challenges rewards Abyss Gear directly.
- Quest rewards — Certain main story and side quests hand out Abyss Gear as completion rewards.
- Open-world exploration — Some items found in the world already have Abyss Gears attached to them.
- Vendors — Some Witch vendors sell specific Abyss Gears directly.
When you pick up a new weapon or piece of armor, inspect it in your inventory to check whether it already has an Abyss Gear attached. If it does, you can extract it at any Witch vendor and transfer it to your primary gear — there is no penalty for doing so.
Finding Witch Vendors
Unlike Blacksmiths, who tend to operate in the center of towns, Witch vendors are usually found on the outskirts of major cities and settlements across Pywel. Each major region has at least one. Here are the five Witches you will encounter across the story:
- Hermit Witch Sylvia — Available early in the game after the “A Woman in White” quest in Chapter 1. Her cabin is located northwest of Hernand, near Shadow’s Whisper Cave.
- Witch of Wisdom Elowen — Appears automatically during the main story in Chapter 5 as part of the “The Missing Seal” quest in the Witchwoods, south of Hernand.
- Witch of Strength Areciel — Found in the Crimson Desert region, on the northern outskirts of The City of Tommaso.
- Witch of Kindness Bari — Located in the Pailune region, southeast of Wayward Woods. Light the fire at her feet to trigger her appearance, after which she moves to a cabin near Silver Wolf Mountain.
- Fifth Witch — Encountered by offering aid to strangers throughout Pywel.
Note that you will not be able to perform Abyss Gear upgrades or synthesis with the Hermit Witch from Chapter 3 onward. Full upgrade capabilities become available when you meet the Witch of Wisdom in Chapter 5.
How to Slot and Use Abyss Gear
Once you have found a Witch vendor and have Abyss Gear in your inventory, the process works as follows:
- Speak to any Witch vendor and select “Create Socket” to purchase an equipment slot on the weapon or armor piece you want to modify.
- Once a socket is open, select “Embed Abyss Gear” and choose which modifier you want to apply.
- To remove an Abyss Gear without losing it, select the extraction option from the Witch menu. Removing Abyss Gear carries no penalty — you keep the item and can slot it elsewhere.
You can mix and match different Abyss Gears across multiple equipment slots. A player who favors fast, aggressive combat might stack attack speed modifiers across several pieces, while someone who prefers high burst damage can focus on raw damage bonuses instead. The flexibility here is considerable, and experimenting with different combinations is part of what makes the system rewarding.
One important caution: if you plan to return Contribution gear to the Contribution Shop, always extract any Abyss Gears from it first. Selling gear with Abyss Gears still embedded could result in losing those items permanently.
Upgrading Abyss Gear Through Synthesis
If you collect duplicate Abyss Gears — for example, two copies of “Destruction Lv 1” — you can combine them into a higher-tier version through Synthesis. To do this, visit any Witch vendor and select “Craft Abyss Gear,” then press R2 or RT to access the Synthesis option. Two copies of a Level 1 Abyss Gear will combine into one Level 2 version.
Not every Abyss Gear can be upgraded through Synthesis. Some require a Blueprint to advance, while others have a hard level cap. Check the item description before committing to a synthesis route. You can also use Special Synthesis at any Witch to combine two random Abyss Gears from your inventory into something new, which is useful when you have spare modifiers you would not otherwise use.
Weapon Upgrade Tips to Know Before You Start
Getting the most out of both upgrade systems comes down to planning ahead and avoiding common resource-wasting mistakes. Here are the most useful tips to keep in mind:
Inspect before you farm. Always check a weapon’s Refinement Information before you head out to gather materials. Farming the wrong ore because you assumed what was needed is an easy mistake to make and costs valuable time.
Do not over-invest in gear you will replace. Pushing Abyss Artifacts past Level 4 on equipment you are likely to swap out soon is rarely worth the cost. Focus your best resources on weapons you plan to use for a significant stretch of the game.
Buy Iron Ore when mining is slow. Early on, your mining output might not keep pace with how quickly you want to upgrade. Most merchants carry Iron Ore for direct purchase, and buying a stack to bridge the gap is a completely viable strategy.
Keep Abyss Gears, never sell them. These items hold significant value in your build, and there is rarely a reason to sell one. Even Abyss Gears that do not fit your current setup can be used in Synthesis to create something better.
The Plate Armor near Turnali is worth buying early. The vendor standing directly in front of Blacksmith Turnali in Hernand sells Plate Armor that is genuinely competitive for the early game. Buy a set and start refining it as soon as you have the materials — it will serve you well for longer than most starter gear.
Check new weapon drops for embedded Abyss Gears. Any time you pick up a weapon or armor piece in the open world, inspect it. If it has an Abyss Gear attached, extract it before you decide what to do with the item itself.
Are Weapon Upgrades Required to Progress in Crimson Desert?
Yes. Unlike some open-world games where character progression is enough to carry you through most encounters, Crimson Desert’s enemy scaling is tied closely to gear power. Heading into a higher-level region with un-upgraded equipment will result in noticeably increased damage taken and longer fights that are difficult to manage, even with strong combat skills.
The game doesn’t have difficulty settings to provide some flexibility for players who want a less punishing experience, so, maintaining your weapon upgrades makes the experience significantly smoother. Refinement and Abyss Gear are the tools the game gives you to meet its challenges — using them is how you stay competitive as Pywel opens up.
It is also worth noting that some Crimson Desert achievements are tied to progression milestones that require reaching higher-level regions of the map, which in turn requires keeping your gear upgraded to a competitive standard. If trophy completion is part of your goal, treating weapon upgrades as a regular part of your routine rather than an afterthought is the right approach.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you upgrade weapons in Crimson Desert?
Visit any Blacksmith NPC and select the Refinement option. Choose the weapon from your inventory, confirm you have the required materials, and apply the upgrade. Each weapon has ten Refinement levels. For additional stat bonuses, find a Witch vendor to slot Abyss Gear into your weapon.
What materials do you need to upgrade weapons in Crimson Desert?
Most weapons require Iron Ore, which you can mine from ore veins using a Pickaxe or extract using the Force Palm skill. Higher Refinement levels also require Abyss Artifacts and Abyss Cores that drop from bosses. Materials vary by item type — shields use Timber, and leather gear uses Hides and Bones from hunting.
Where is the first Blacksmith in Crimson Desert?
The first Blacksmith you will encounter is Turnali, located in the center-north district of Hernand. You unlock his services by completing the “Turnali’s Request” side quest from a bulletin board in the town.
What is Abyss Gear in Crimson Desert?
Abyss Gear are special modifier items that attach to your weapons and armor via sockets to provide bonus effects such as increased attack speed, bonus damage, or unique properties. They are managed by Witch vendors, not Blacksmiths. You can earn Abyss Gear through boss drops, quest rewards, Sealed Abyss Artifact challenges, and open-world exploration.
Can you remove Abyss Gear once equipped in Crimson Desert?
Yes. You can remove Abyss Gear from any weapon or armor piece at any Witch vendor at no cost and with no penalty. The extracted Abyss Gear goes back into your inventory and can be slotted onto a different piece of equipment.
How many Refinement levels does each weapon have in Crimson Desert?
Each weapon in Crimson Desert has ten Refinement levels. The first few levels require basic gathered materials like Iron Ore and Timber. From Level 5 onward, you will also need Abyss Artifacts and eventually Abyss Cores, which drop from powerful bosses and are reserved for late-game progression.
Conclusion
Upgrading weapons in Crimson Desert comes down to two systems working in parallel: Refinement at Blacksmiths to raise your base stats, and Abyss Gear at Witch vendors to add powerful passive modifiers on top. Neither system is optional if you want to keep pace with the game’s difficulty curve. Start with Blacksmith Turnali in Hernand, build your material-farming habits early, and seek out Witch vendors in each new region you unlock.
The sooner you treat weapon upgrades as a regular part of how you play rather than a side task, the smoother your experience through Pywel will be. Getting comfortable with how to parry in Crimson Desert alongside keeping your gear current puts you in the best possible position for everything the game throws at you.
Keep your Refinement levels current, hold onto every Abyss Gear you find, and make a habit of checking Witch vendors whenever you reach a new area. That combination will carry you through Crimson Desert from the early game all the way to its toughest late-game encounters.
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