How to Min-Max Kliff’s Equipment: Crimson Desert Build Guide

This guide will show you exactly what you need to do to make a set that offers maximum Lv 15 Critical Rate, Attack Speed, Movement Speed, and Elemental Resistance for Kliff in Crimson Desert.

Appearance

As we all know, in any game, “you do more DPS if you look cool”, so we need to start with the appearance, which blends Scorchflame, Tariv Cloth, Dark Ringleader, and Aeserion elements together.

This set has been dyed using Hernandian Red and Tommasoan Orange dyes to unify the reds, browns, and golds.

Individual Build Pieces

This set is only usable by Kliff and features a combination of Cloth and Plate pieces that can be upgraded to offer a combined Defense of 100, including the Shield, putting it on par with the Defense provided by Leather armor.

The goal of this set is to offer Lv 15 Movement Speed, Attack Speed, and Critical Rate while also providing Fire Resistance Lv 10/15 and/or Ice Resistance Lv 5, depending on which Cloak you have equipped.

The number of Insight Abyss Gears are required to increase the Critical Rate on each weapon to level 15.

Dark Ringleader’s Cloth Helm

The Dark Ringleader’s Cloth Helm is not particularly special, and any Cloth Helm will offer the Movement Speed Lv 1 we’re looking for.

Kuku Flame-Resistant Armor

The Kuku Flame-Resistant Armor is the best general use armor in the game. It offers a special effect; more than 3 Flameward III Abyss Gears; the equivalent of an Insight III Abyss Gear; Plate-tier Defense; and a spare Abyss Gear socket.

Other Kuku armors are similarly powerful, but Fire is the most common element you’ll have to contend with in combat, and the environmental protection is well-suited to the late game—you’ll need it for the Crimson Desert.

The extra Critical Rate is also completely unique. Normally, you can only embed Insight Abyss Gears in Gloves and Boots, and they only apply to unarmed punches and/or kicks, but this crit applies to everything.

Scorchflame Plate Cloak

Besides being the coolest cape in the whole game (IMO), the Scorchflame Plate Cloak offers Movement Speed Lv 2, which is 1 extra level over what you usually get with the Elemental Resistance Lv 5 Cloaks. It also matches the Kuku Flame-Resistant Armor and allows you to become completely immune to Fire damage.

Tariv Cloth Gloves

The Tariv Cloth Gloves offer Attack Speed Lv 3 and can be dyed to match the rest of the set. There are no other Gloves that match the free Swift III Abyss Gear embedded here.

You could swap these out for the Champion’s Plate Gloves and use a Swift III Abyss Gear for the freebie slot, which will net you higher Defense and unarmed Attack at the cost of reduced flexibility.

Tariv Cloth Boots

The Tariv Cloth Boots offer Movement Speed Lv 3 and can be dyed to match the rest of the set. There are no other Boots that offer a free Haste III Abyss Gear, and you will hit the max with these boots.

One-Handed Weapon Pair

We recommend using a Mace and a Small Shield for your One-Handed Weapon pairing. You can absolutely make a build that uses dual wielding weapons instead, if you prefer.

Aeserion Mace

Any Mace or Sword that offers Critical Rate Lv 2 will work. Maces (and Axes) seem to have much higher Attack Speed when paired with Shields compared to pairing them with Swords, but you do need to upgrade the Dagger so your stab attacks aren’t garbage.

It’s not good to use an Axe with this build because you can’t get one that has Critical Rate Lv 2, but you can make a build with an Axe or two that accomplishes the same goal.

I recommend embedding Ator’s Orb or another Abyss Gear that empowers Forward Slash (RT | R2 | RMB) in the spare socket.

Balgran Shield

Any Small Shield that offers Attack Speed Lv 1 and Movement Speed Lv 1 will work. I personally prefer the appearances of the Balgran and Khaled Shields, but those aren’t available to everyone.

The Movement Speed and Defense on the Shield are always active, but the Attack Speed only applies while holding the Shield and One-Handed Weapon.

The recommended Abyss Gears give special bonuses for parrying, but they aren’t essential to the build, so feel free to use whatever you prefer.

Aeserion Spear

Any spear that offers Attack Speed Lv 1 and Critical Rate Lv 2 will work for this build. I recommend the Aeserion Spear because it matches the outfit and starts pre-upgraded to Tier 5.

The suggested Abyss Gears capitalize on the weapon’s high attack speed, particularly on Tactical Thrust (RB + A | R1 + ✖ | SHIFT + LMB)

Bow of the Fleeting

You don’t have to use the Bow of the Fleeting; it can be any Bow that offers Critical Rate Lv 2. Unfortunately, there are no Bows that are fully compatible with this build, so your Bow will only have Attack Speed Lv 14 unless you want to waste a few Attack to use a Swift Abyss Gear instead of Destruction III.

Pistols are the only Ranged Weapon that can have the correct stat profile, but Kliff can’t equip those, and infinite Explosive Arrows are waaaaay better anyway.

White Lion Necklace

The White Lion Necklace is interchangeable with any other necklace that offers Critical Rate Lv 4. I recommend this one in particular because it causes the least clipping issues with the medallion clasp on the Scorchflame Plate Cloak.

Mark of Darkness

The Mark of Darkness is the first of only two Rings in the whole game that offers Attack Speed Lv 4, so you have to use it.

Witch’s Ring

The Witch’s Ring is second of only two Rings in the whole game that offers Attack Speed Lv 4, so you have to use it.

Ancient Earring

Ancient Earrings offer the Movement Speed Lv 4 we’re after, but you can use any Earrings with that stat line.

King’s Dagger

All Daggers provide enough Critical Rate to hit the Lv 15 cap, but the King’s Dagger is the only one in the game that offers Attack Speed Lv 1 and the extra hides. You do overcap by 1 level compared to using something like the Goblin King’s Treasure Dagger, but then you miss out on that final point of Attack Speed.

Coldweather Alternatives

Equip these pieces when you need to endure the frigid peaks of Pailune and the Hernandian Everfrost.

Frostcursed Plate Cloak Stats

The Frostcursed Plate Cloak offers Ice Resistance Lv 5, enough to offer Cold Immunity and Movement Speed Lv 1 while looking okay with the other pieces of the set.

Rabit Cloth Boots

The Rabbit Cloth Boots are necessary to pair with the Frostcursed Plate Cloak to compensate for the reduced Movement Speed stat.

Acquisition

You’ll need to travel across all of Pywel to assemble this build.

Dark Ringleader Helmet Location

You can obtain the Dark Ringleader Helmet from Shadowheart Grotto, a waterfall cave north of The Witchwood in western Hernand.

Kuku Flame-Resistant Armor Location

You can craft the Kuku Flame-Resistant Armor at Kilnden Workshop in Hernand after obtaining the Blueprint for it from the Sanctum of Deliverance.

Scorchflame Cloak Location

You can loot the Scorchflame Cloak from a treasure chest behind a trick wall at Silent Falls Hideout, an unmarked cave near Twilight Grotto on the border between Demeniss and Hernand. To get through the wall, cling to it, Resist, and then use Force Palm.

Tariv Cloth Gloves and Boots Location

You can purchase the Tariv Cloth Gloves and Boots from the Tailor’s Shop in Tariv in northwestern Demeniss. You’ll need to reach 100 Trust before she’ll sell the entire set.

Aeserion Mace and Spear Location

You can find the Aeserion Gear Blueprint, which includes the recipes for how to craft all 10 Aeserion weapons, from a treasure chest near a ruined mural beneath the Serpent Shrine off the southwestern coast of Delesyia.

Bow of the Fleeting Location

You can craft the Bow of the Fleeting once you’ve learned the recipe from Ranged Weapons of the World – Bows, Vol IV, which you can purchase from the Back Alley Shop in Muiquun

You can’t access this vendor until you’ve completed the quest Crimson Desert Commission Faction Quest “Muiquun’s Black Market”, which starts at the Wagon Fence down the road to the south.

Shield Locations

The Balgran Shield comes with the Deluxe Edition and the Khaled Shield came as a pre-order bonus. The vast majority of the other Shields that offer Movement Speed and Attack Speed Lv 1 are common craftables, so pick whatever you prefer.

King’s Dagger

You can loot the King’s Dagger from a chest underneath the headstone at Totemfelt, just a little bit north of Pailune City. To get inside, stand on the Spirit leaf that’s revealed with your Lantern and do Force Palm at the headstone. That will open the secret passage.

White Lion Necklace Location

You receive the White Lion Necklace for defeating the White Lion legendary beast south of Varnia near some ruins east of the main road.

Mark of Darkness Location

You can steal the Mark of Darkness from a puzzle strongbox at Windmere Manor in northwestern Demeniss. To open the strongbox, you have to move the pieces to make a picture of a breaching whale.

Witch’s Ring Location

You receive the Witch’s Ring for defeating Goyen at the Nest of Valor in the Abyss during Chapter IX: Sage of the Desert.

Coldweather Alternatives

These alternatives only help to prevent the -50% Stamina Regen penalty from being in colder climates.

Frostcursed Plate Cloak Location

You can loot the Frostcursed Plate Cloak from a treasure chest hidden in a crawlspace at the Sanctum of Expiation, which is located west of Tariv near the border between Hernand and Demeniss.

The entrance to the crawlspace is beneath a weird outcropping you’ll have to crouch to climb up into. It’s a little bit of a maze and there are some spike traps.

Make sure you clear out all the members of the Antumbra Order before you go treasure hunting so you can teleport

Rabbit Cloth Boots

You can purchase the Rabbit Cloth Boots from the Tailor at the Demeniss Wildlife Park south of the region’s capital city.

If you would like to learn how to min-max other builds, read our comprehensive guide on how to max out your stats in Crimson Desert. It will teach you everything you need to know about each type of gear you can find, earn or craft and how to combine them to get the best results possible.

How to Maximize Stats in Crimson Desert