Crimson Desert offers several standout early-game weapons that provide significant advantages over standard starter gear. While many weapons share similar base stats, a few come pre-equipped with powerful abilities that would otherwise require late-game enchantments. The Hwando two-handed sword, Sword of the Lord, and Shield of Conviction stand out as the strongest options you can obtain before leaving the Hernand region.
Quick answer: The Hwando is the best early two-handed weapon, found in a locked room at Lioncrest Manor. The Sword of the Lord drops from the Chapter 2 boss Hornsplitter. The Shield of Conviction is located in the Church of Calphade belltower in the northern Calphade region.
Hwando: Best Early Two-Handed Sword
The Hwando is an exceptionally powerful two-handed sword available as soon as you reach Hernand Town. It outperforms all other early two-handed weapons in base damage and comes with three pre-installed cores: increased critical rate, increased damage, and stamina siphon (which restores stamina as you deal damage). This combination makes it ideal for sustained combat.
You'll find the Hwando at Lioncrest Manor on the north side of Hernand Town. Before heading there, purchase a single Key and optionally a Thief's Mask from Grimrak, the back-alley merchant located by the windmill below the church on the south side of town. The mask costs 10 copper.
Step 1: Travel to Lioncrest Manor in northern Hernand. The manor has a main building and a smaller stone building to the west. Head to the smaller western building.
Step 2: All entrances are guarded, and you'll be turned away if you approach the doors. Instead, climb the exterior walls and open a window on the second floor to enter.
Step 3: Once inside, use your Key to unlock the storage room door on the second floor. Inside, you'll find weapon crates and a glowing Treasure Chest.
Step 4: Open the Treasure Chest to obtain the Hwando. This chest does not require the Thief's Mask and will not reduce your reputation.
The Hwando's strong attack combo clears groups of enemies efficiently. Many players report that it trivializes early-game content, making it the top choice for a secondary weapon slot.
Sword of the Lord: Chapter 2 Boss Reward
The Sword of the Lord is a one-handed weapon obtained by defeating Hornsplitter, the boss at the end of Chapter 2. This sword comes with a unique ability that automatically triggers during combat: it sends waves of force outward from the blade, dealing area damage to nearby enemies.
The force wave activates automatically during a 4-hit light attack combo and also when you perform a quick strike immediately after an evade roll. This makes the weapon extremely effective against groups and gives you strong crowd-control options early in the game.
Hornsplitter himself uses this same force-wave ability during the boss fight. The battle is chaotic and represents a difficulty spike compared to earlier encounters, so prepare with healing items and practice dodging his wide-area attacks. Once defeated, Hornsplitter drops the Sword of the Lord automatically.
After obtaining the sword, you can purchase Matthias's armor set from the vendor Rhett. Equipping both the Sword of the Lord and Matthias's gear creates a strong early-game loadout that makes farming contribution points significantly easier.
Shield of Conviction: High-Defense Early Shield
The Shield of Conviction is a massive shield with exceptional defense stats and two built-in abilities: increased damage reduction and reduced stamina cost when blocking. It's located in the Calphade region north of Hernand, requiring a short journey on horseback.
Step 1: From Hernand, travel north into the Calphade sub-region. You can reach it by taking the road northwest of Hernand Castle over Haunted Hill, or by heading north across Rocca's Hill and then swinging left past the Hook Rapids to Deepfog Basin.
Step 2: Once in Calphade, locate the small town to the left of the large castle. Make your way to the north end of the town to find the Church of Calphade.
Step 3: Climb up to the church's belltower. Ringing the bell will uncover the full map of the Calphade region.
Step 4: Just below the belltower, look for a Treasure Chest visible through a broken window on the north side. Climb through the window to access the chest.
Step 5: Open the chest to obtain the Shield of Conviction.
The shield's massive size means it does not provide any movement speed bonus, but the defense and stamina efficiency make it the best early-game shield for players who favor blocking over dodging.
Additional Strong Early Weapons
Several other weapons are worth collecting if you prefer different playstyles or want variety in your loadout.
Legionary's Gladius: This unique short sword is found north of Hernand Castle near the large bridge you crossed at the start of Chapter 1. Head along the top of the cliffs at the base of the Three Saints' Falls. On the right side, you'll find a Statue of Justice. Light both candles the statue is holding to open a nearby gate, revealing a treasure chest containing the Legionary's Gladius. While its stats are similar to other early one-handed swords, it's a distinctive weapon that can be refined like any other.
Warspike Spear: This spear offers excellent reach and a strong attack combo, making it a solid secondary weapon. Head directly east of Hernand Town to the river that splits around a small patch of land. A Greymane shrine sits here in the form of a small wooden structure. The Warspike Spear is on the right side of the shrine and can be picked up without triggering theft penalties.
Survivor's Solitude: This weapon is located behind a waterfall in Death's Grip Cave in the southwest portion of the map. You'll need the stab skill to break through the waterfall. The cave is in the same general area as a bounty target (a character with a basket on his head). The weapon has strong base stats and is worth the detour if you're exploring that region.
Fallen Kingdom's Sword: Some players report finding this weapon on a rack in Hernand Castle, in the first tower to the right after entering. However, the weapons on the racks appear to be randomized, so you may find different items. If the Fallen Kingdom's Sword is not present, check the rack near the vendor in the basement—it may be available for purchase for 1.74 silver. Alternatively, the Hwando is a superior choice and is guaranteed to be in the Lioncrest Manor chest.
Stealing and Reputation Impact
Many of the best early items in Crimson Desert are found in locked strongboxes inside manors throughout Hernand. To steal from these boxes, you must equip the Thief's Mask purchased from Grimrak. However, stealing reduces your reputation even if no one witnesses the theft.
Reputation loss affects your ability to purchase items from the contribution vendor in Hernand Castle. The vendor sells top-tier early armor, but you'll need high contribution to unlock it. Balancing theft with reputation-building activities (such as completing quests, greeting NPCs, and donating to beggars) is important if you want access to both stolen gear and contribution rewards.
The Hwando chest at Lioncrest Manor does not require the Thief's Mask and does not reduce reputation, making it a risk-free acquisition. Prioritize this weapon first, then decide whether to pursue other stolen items based on your playstyle and reputation goals.
Solving Strongbox Puzzles
Strongboxes in manors require you to solve a simple puzzle before opening. The puzzle involves aligning five vertical pins to the same height. Each pin has a thin black line across it, and you must rotate the dials to align all five lines with the horizontal split line on the strongbox.
The lighting can make this puzzle difficult, especially at night or with a lantern equipped. Turn on your lantern if the room is too dark, and use first-person view to see the pins more clearly. Once all five pins are aligned, the strongbox opens automatically.
After solving the puzzle, you must equip the Thief's Mask and use focus mode (hold L1 on PlayStation or the equivalent on other platforms) to highlight and steal the item inside. First-person view makes it easier to target the item. Hold the interact button without waiting for the prompt to appear—this speeds up looting and reduces the chance of being caught by patrolling guards.
Equipping the Thief's Mask is the only way to loot items from strongboxes. If you open a box but cannot interact with the item inside, check that the mask is equipped and try switching to first-person view.
Early Gear Route for Maximum Power
To optimize your early-game power, follow this sequence:
Step 1: Ring the bell in Hernand Town (located in the west of the village near the brawl area) to reveal the local map. This is not strictly required, but it helps with navigation.
Step 2: Purchase a Thief's Mask and three Keys from Grimrak, the merchant southeast of Hernand Town near the windmill.
Step 3: Visit Lioncrest Manor and collect the Hwando from the locked storage room in the western building. Also, grab the gold bar from the fireplace in the main building.
Step 4: Optionally, visit Bluemont Manor, Hillside Manor, and the house north of Bluemont Manor to steal jewelry from strongboxes. These items (gold necklace, Saint's Necklace, and two earrings) provide strong stat bonuses but will reduce your reputation.
Step 5: Progress the main story to Hernand Castle. In the first tower to the right, check the weapon racks for the Fallen Kingdom's Sword (if available). Use one of your Keys to unlock a room above the alchemist chamber and steal a recipe book, which you can read and then sell.
Step 6: Continue the story and defeat Matthias (Hornsplitter) at the end of Chapter 2. Immediately after the fight, purchase his armor set from Rhett.
Step 7: Equip the Hwando, Sword of the Lord, and Matthias's armor. This setup allows you to farm contribution points efficiently and unlock the best early-game armor from the contribution vendor in Hernand Castle.
Step 8: When you're ready for a longer journey, travel north to Calphade and collect the Shield of Conviction from the Church of Calphade belltower.
This route gives you the strongest possible early-game loadout with minimal reputation loss. The Hwando and Sword of the Lord are the two most impactful weapons, and both are obtained through non-theft methods (chest looting and boss drop).