Crimson Desert: How To Unlock Elemental Attacks

3 days ago 6

Published Mar 20, 2026, 10:49 AM EDT

Nicholas Becher is a gaming journalist with an MFA in Creative Writing from FAU. With extensive experience playing video games, he covers all forms of gaming content at Screen Rant, from breaking news to the latest fan theories. Most-played games range from Clair Obscur to Civ to Elden Ring to Halo 2 and beyond.

Crimson Desert has an elaborate combat system with deep mechanics and unique skill trees for each character. If you're wondering how to unlock the elemental attacks and imbue your weapons with different elements, you can actually do this quite early if you know where to look.

Note: This guide is a work in progress and additional information will be added as it becomes available.

While you'd think the elemental attacks in Crimson Desert would be unlocked as part of the regular progression of the game, they're actually unlocked through the various Abyss puzzle challenges that players will only find if they ascend the different Spires located throughout each region.

How To Unlock Elemental Attacks In Crimson Desert

Elemental attacks are found in each character's skill tree in the red section, and cannot be unlocked by "traditional means" of just using Abyss Artifacts. Instead, each character's elemental attacks and the ability to imbue elements can only be unlocked by ascending Spires around the world and completing various Abyss puzzles.

Elemental attacks are associated with the 40 different "Restoration - The Abyss" challenges in your journal, which require players to complete a series of puzzles in the Abyss. To reach these Abyss sections, you'll first need to track down a few different Spires in the game, starting with The Spire of Ringing Truth.

All Elemental Attacks & Where To Get Them

Crimson Desert Spire of ringing truth location

The Spire of Ringing Truth is located in the western reaches of Pailune, between the Wayward Woods and Upper Nas River. It's the best starting point for unlocking your first elemental attacks for Kliff. After ascending the Spire of Ringing Truth, you'll need to follow the Abyss path until you reach the Path of Trials.

Completing the Path of Trials will unlock the Frost Mantle skill for each character, which allows players to create a barrier of frost around you to protect from incoming attacks and potentially freeze enemies that hit you. To unlock the fire skills, continue following this same Abyss path until you reach the Tree of Slumber.

Completing the Tree of Slumber puzzle in Crimson Desert will unlock Flame Strike for Kliff, as well as Flame Rush for Damiane and Flame Quake for Oongka. The remaining elemental attacks can be unlocked as part of the main questline, but will not be accessible until you complete Chapter 8 and receive the key to unlock the Spire of Clockwork in Demeniss.