How to parry in Crimson Desert

Combat is one of the most key components of Crimson Desert, and I would even argue it’s probably its best feature, aside from the huge open world that you get to fight in. From swords to daggers to massive shields or your own fists, Crimson Desert really lets you take it out on the folks of Pywel whichever way you see fit.

Of course, no combat system would be perfect without a proper parry mechanic, and Crimson Desert really rewards you for using it, as many powerful enemies such as bosses can be truly put in their place through chaining proper parries.

So, here’s how you can do it.

Crimson Desert parry, explained

To be able to parry in Crimson Desert, you will first need to unlock it. You do so by earning an Abyss Artifact and then spending it on the Keen Senses skill group under the Spirit tree. Opening Keen Senses, you will find Parry in the top right, and it is the first passive ability you get from upgrading Keen Senses, while upgrading it further will also allow you to Counter enemy attacks.

Once you do have Parry unlocked, all you need to learn is timing. If an enemy strikes at you, you need to wait until they’re just about to hit you and then hit the Block button on your respective platform. You’ll know if you succeeded if your character blocks it in slow motion with a green effect surrounding them.

Whether intentional or not, you can “parry” the enemies attacking you, but apply the parry effect on the enemy you’re aiming at instead, potentially helping you take down and single out powerful mobs by using the weaker ones’ attacks against them.

That could end up being patched, though, but it is what I experienced during my time reviewing the game.

Parries can be performed using any weapon, but shields seem to be the easiest and most effective at this. Greatswords, axes, or spears are nonetheless useful and can still parry, but I found the extra protection provided by shields on top of their exceptional parry potential to be the most effective.

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Crimson Desert has plenty of Alchemy materials to find that will be required for Alchemy to produce various elixirs and materials with different purposes. Some of these recipes will need to be crafted on regular intervals, so you’ll need to stock up on the materials.

The massive size of Pywel means that it’s almost impossible to find exact locations for the materials. I have mentioned areas and estimated locations of all the materials that I have found. I will be adding more items to the table in the section below once I discover them on my adventures.

How to find all Alchemy materials in Crimson Desert

The exact location for almost every Alchemy material appears to be completely random. However, their zones/areas appear to be the same. This doesn’t change based on the items that I have tested with my buddy, who has been playing with his own setup. However, it’s safe to expect some location changes if the places I have explained in the table below don’t help you to find what you’re looking for.

Alchemy material	Approximate Location
Burrowing Toad	Typically found in ponds, you need to look in the muddy areas. I found one in the south of Hernand City near the Goldleaf Guildhouse.
Black Centipede	Look for rocky outgrowths in Hernand. I never found one in the daytime, so they might only spawn at night.
Bluewing Butterfly	They’re fairly common and can be found on flowers in Hernand City.
Banded Peacock Butterfly	I found it in the Black Forest, which can be found to the west of Hernand City.
Crimson Patch Butterfly	I found it once in Hernand and once in Celphade. Look for them in flowers (this is applicable for almost all types of butterflies I have discovered so far).
Centipede	Look for random rocky outgrowths in Hernand City. They appear to only spawn at night.
Camel Cricket	I found one near the Greymane Camp (along the main path).
Cockroach	I found the Cockroach at the same location as the Centipede in Hernand. However, it does appear to spawn during the day.
Coral Mushroom	This plant grows in Demeniss and Delesyia. I have found it in Demeniss, at several locations, but didn’t find it in Delesyia.
Diana Fritillary Butterfly	I also found this butterfly in the Black Forest, located to the west of Hernand City.
Firefly	Fireflies spawn at random locations all over Hernand City at night.
Hornet	They can be found in beehives. You have to destroy beehives to find them, but they will sting.
Grasshopper	You can find them in the forest areas in Hernand. They’re fairly common, and you can find them in the grass.
Long Horn	You’ll find deer in the wild in the Black Forest in Hernand City. You’ll need to hunt the deer and skin them to get the horn.
Dragonfly	Can be found in the forest areas around Hernand.
Lavender	Pretty commonly found in multiple areas in and around Hernand.
Mountain Moth	I have found it once in the Black Forest, and one near the Hook Ford in the north-east of Hernand City.
Oakwood Mushroom	An extremely common item that’s found around Hernand. You can also find them inside chests and barrels.
Marigold	One of the easiest materials to find, as it grows abundantly in the starter areas.
Pine Mushrooms	You can find them near large trees as they grow in moist areas. I found it near the Black Forest area in Hernand (not in the forest).
Peony	Found in the woodlands in Hernand.
White Lavender	Seems to spawn around Hernand, but not as common as Lavender.
Spider	Seems to spawn all around Hermand, and you need to look in the grass. They only seem to spawn at night.
Short Horn	This is an easy item to find, as it can be harvested from dead cows. You’ll find some along a main story quest where you will have to trace few missing cows of Bremer.
Red Croton	Look for high-altitude areas in Hernand, like the mountainside. You’ll find this item spawning in patches as a red-colored flower.
Rosemary	Very common material found all around Hernand.
Wild Silkworm Moth	I found it in a tree in the Black Forest region. I have also spotted it on trees throughout the Hernand region.
Sleepy Scarlet Butterfly	I found one in the grass near the town of Hernand Crossroads. I also spotted one in the Black Forest, but didn’t manage to get it.
Scorpion	To find the Scorpion, you’re likely going to have to reach the Crimson Desert (verified this with my buddy, and he didn’t seem to find it anywhere else).
Snail	I found one near the Greymane Camp and one at Hernand City. I seemed to find them both around water bodies (look in the grasses on the banks).

There are a bunch of materials (mostly butterflies) that I have yet to find. I will be updating their locations on the table above once I manage to find them.

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