Crimson Desert caps your Greymane comrades at around 37, but the game hides a powerful late-game system that lets you blow past that limit with robotic workers called Grey-0. These mecha units can be crafted infinitely at no hard cap, filling dispatch mission slots alongside your human comrades and dramatically scaling your camp's resource output. Unlocking them takes a bit of legwork — specific research, a boss fight, and a fetch quest — but the payoff is enormous.
Quick answer: Complete the Chaya Research at the Dewhaven Research Institute (which requires finishing the "Electricity – Movement Conversion Mechanism Research" first), liberate Marni's Steel Armory by defeating the Mechanicus boss, then select "Craft Mecha Worker" from the Armory's Missions tab. Each Grey-0 costs 5,000 Camp Weapons/Armor, 1,000 Camp Timber, 2,000 Camp Food, and 10,000 Camp Funds, and takes 4 in-game hours to build.
Prerequisites Before You Can Craft Grey-0
Grey-0 crafting is gated behind two separate requirements, and missing either one is the most common reason players can't find the option. You must be past Chapter 10 in the main story, which brings you into the Delesyia region where mechanical technology becomes available. You also need to have liberated Marni's Steel Armory — the fort guarded by the Mechanicus boss — since that location physically hosts the crafting mission.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Story progress | Complete Chapter 10 (Delesyia region unlocked) |
| Research prerequisite | Finish "Electricity – Movement Conversion Mechanism Research" (starts at Rustfield Scrapyard or via the Ironwheel of Dewhaven Faction Quests tab) |
| Chaya Research | Unlock and complete at the Dewhaven Research Institute in Dewhaven Keep |
| Marni's Steel Armory | Liberate the fort by defeating the Mechanicus boss |
Chaya Research — Full Unlock Walkthrough
Step 1: Travel to Dewhaven Keep, located south-southwest of Delesyia. Speak with Heinrik at the Dewhaven Research Institute to open the research tree. You need to have already completed the "Electricity – Movement Conversion Mechanism Research" before Chaya Research becomes available.
Step 2: Start the Chaya Research. In the research tree, it sits in the top row, third option from the right. Once initiated, the research runs for roughly 8 in-game hours and then pauses automatically.
Step 3: When research stalls, head to the Windrose Farm and speak with the Dewhaven Institute Research Assistant stationed there. The assistant will ask you to collect one Chaya herb.
Step 4: Gather x1 Chaya from the Beardtree Hills area. If you'd rather not hunt for it in the wild, you can buy Chaya Seeds from the Grocer in the City of Pailune and grow the plant in your Camp's garden instead.
Step 5: Return the Chaya to the Research Assistant at Windrose Farm. Research resumes and completes automatically after another 8 in-game hours. Once finished, the crafting option for Grey-0 mecha workers becomes available at Marni's Steel Armory.
Crafting Grey-0 at Marni's Steel Armory
With Chaya Research done and the Armory liberated, open your map and hover over Marni's Steel Armory. Press Triangle (PlayStation) or Y (Xbox) to interact, then press R1 / RB to switch to the "Missions" tab. Select "Craft Mecha Worker" to queue the build.
| Resource | Amount |
|---|---|
| Camp Weapons/Armor | 5,000 |
| Camp Timber | 1,000 |
| Camp Food | 2,000 |
| Camp Funds | 10,000 |
| Required members | 2 comrades assigned |
| Crafting time | 4 in-game hours |
The 5,000 Weapons/Armor cost tends to be the biggest bottleneck. Stockpile this resource through gathering dispatches and trading before you start mass-producing workers. The 4-hour build time is fast enough that you can churn through camp reserves quickly if you aren't careful, so keep an eye on your stockpiles.
Once the timer finishes, the new Grey-0 appears in your comrade roster and can be assigned to Dispatch Missions through Ross at the Howling Hill Camp.
Grey-0 Stats, Skills, and Best Use
Every Grey-0 rolls with identical stats and the Miner skill — there is no randomness. At Level 3, a Grey-0 provides a +60% reward bonus on Mining missions, making them ideal for that role. Their combat stats, however, are terrible.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Health | 1,120 |
| Attack | 45 |
| Defense | 85 |
| Weapon | None |
| Innate skill | Miner |
| Level 3 mining bonus | +60% rewards |
Never send Grey-0 units on attack missions. With 45 Attack, no weapon, and only 85 Defense, they'll get destroyed for no meaningful return. Stick to mining dispatches for the best value.
Using Grey-0 Beyond Mining Missions
While Grey-0 units natively excel at mining, they can still fill slots on farming, logging, or other non-combat dispatch missions. The trick is to assign a specialized Greymane comrade — one with Level 3 in the relevant skill — as the mission leader, then pack the remaining slots with Grey-0 workers. The leader's skill bonus drives the mission's efficiency, and the mecha workers simply fill the required headcount so you can run more missions simultaneously.
For example, if you want to run a large-scale farming dispatch, assign a Greymane with Level 3 Farming as the leader and slot Grey-0 units into every remaining position. You get the farming bonus from the leader and the comrade-count bonuses from the robots.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
| Problem | Cause / Fix |
|---|---|
| "Craft Mecha Worker" option missing | Either Chaya Research isn't complete or Marni's Steel Armory hasn't been liberated. Verify both. |
| Chaya Research not visible in the tree | You haven't finished the prerequisite "Electricity – Movement Conversion Mechanism Research." Complete it first via the Rustfield Scrapyard or the Ironwheel of Dewhaven Faction Quests. |
| NPCs hostile at Dewhaven Keep | Remove any criminal masks or disguises before interacting with the researcher. Enemies may aggro and interrupt the conversation. |
| Resources draining too fast | Each worker costs 10,000 Camp Funds alone. Prioritize dispatches that return tools, timber, and funds before queuing multiple builds. |
Grey-0 mecha workers are one of Crimson Desert's best-kept late-game secrets. The upfront resource cost is steep, but once you get a self-sustaining loop going — where your robot army generates enough materials to fund even more robots — camp management shifts from a chore to a passive engine that fuels everything else you want to do in Delesyia and beyond.