Your first foray into Crimson Desert will be a bit overwhelming if you don’t pick the right skills. Although you can respec, you can only reset all your skills at once, so you should still choose wisely. To make your decisions easier, here are the best skills we recommend you unlock first in Crimson Desert.
Best Skills in Crimson Desert
Other than the usual skills you unlock that give you brand-new maneuvers, we recommend you boost your Health and Stamina stats first. Those are at the ends of the skill tree, and you can invest up to 14 levels in each. When you’re not increasing your stats, these are the skills you should focus on unlocking first in Crimson Desert:
Dodge (Lvl. 2 Keen Senses)
Counter (Lvl. 3 Keen Senses)
Swift Flight (Lvl. 2 Flight)
Evasive Slash (Lvl. 2 Armed Combat)
Clothesline
Dodge
Once you raise Keen Senses to Level 2, you can unlock the Dodge ability, allowing Kliff to evade an enemy hit right before it happens. Although you get Parry unlocked by default, if you prefer to dodge rather than attempt a block at the right moment, the Dodge skill will be your best friend.
Counter
Boost your Keen Senses up to Level 3, and you’ll also now get the Counter ability. Instead of a Parry, which has you time a block right, Counter has you attack right before you’re hit to attempt to interrupt the enemy’s attack. This will also give you a chance to get in a hit of your own after the Counter.
Swift Flight
Although you automatically get the Flight ability during Chapter 1’s main quest, we recommend you boost that to Level 2, as you can get the Swift Flight skill. This ability will allow you to fly faster by reducing air resistance. At first, flying will seem more like gliding slowly, but Swift Flight makes this ability more useful and easier to control.
Evasive Slash
If you’re someone who will be using the Dodge skill often, you will probably also want the Evasive Slash maneuver to go with it. You can get it by raising Armed Combat to Level 2, and it essentially makes Kliff hit the enemy while dodging backward. You might as well get a hit in while avoiding danger.
Clothesline
Finally, another great skill to pick up early on is Clothesline. This will enhance combat with groups of enemies, as you can hook and slam an enemy into the ground while sprinting at them. It’s a great way to start combat if you’re far away and want to jump into the fray right away.
Now that you know a thing or two about the best skills to unlock, you should also learn how to increase your inventory slots in Crimson Desert.
