The Reed Devil boss in Crimson Desert is incredibly tough, so if you’re struggling to defeat him, don’t blame it on your skills. There are, luckily, a few ways to make this battle much easier, such as taking half a grocery shop’s food stock with you and recognizing the opportune moment for an attack.
The Reed Devil boss fight is part of Chapter 3: Howling Hill. You will encounter him about halfway through this Chapter, during “The Face Behind the Mask.” Here’s how to properly prepare for the battle and how to defeat the Reed Devil boss in Crimson Desert.
How to prepare for the Reed Devil in Crimson Desert
No matter your strategy or skill level, get food. Without a large supply of snacks to restore your HP throughout this boss fight, you likely won’t survive your encounter with the Reed Devil. I recommend getting the equivalent of at least 10 times your max HP, so if you have a max HP of 420, bring 30 pieces of grilled meat (+140 HP each). It’s best to collect and buy ingredients to cook your own meals as it’s cheaper than buying ready-made dishes, but feel free to purchase food from the inn if you have a lot of money.
Next, stack up on palmar pills, the consumable that revives you with 30% HP. Around four of these should get you past the Reed Devil, but it can’t hurt to bring more. Collect the palmar pill recipe from the Witch’s house in the Shadow’s Whisper Cave (north of Hernand Castle) and craft them at a cauldron with 15 medicinal herbs (lavender, peony, marigold, etc.) and two water.
Next, improve your armor. If you’ve already gained enough reputation to claim a reward from the Hernand Contribution Shop, be sure to go there first and scoop up the best armor you can. Since you’ve defeated Knight Matthias earlier, you can also buy his canta plate armor set at the equipment shop near Hernand Castle. You probably don’t need the full set to beat Reed Devil, but try to get as many pieces as possible and refine the equipment at the smithy (see location below) — you don’t need any money for this, but it will require a large stack of iron and copper obtained through mining. One or two refinement upgrades per piece should suffice.
As for weapons, it’s best to fight the Reed Devil with a sword and shield. Firstly, because it’s much easier to block than to dodge his attacks, and secondly, because you’ve already obtained the amazing Sword of the Lord from the previous boss, Hornsplitter. Refine your sword at the smithy; you’ll need iron and copper for the sword, and timber for the shield.
Finally, upgrade your skills. It’s highly recommended to upgrade your stamina to at least level 6, so you can block Reed Devil’s attack flurry. Depending on your playstyle, consider using some of the following skills as well:
- Forward Slash allows you to move forward while swiftly attacking, which makes it easier to hit Reed Devil before he teleports.
- Stab is another great skill to use during the brief attack window. Like Forward Slash, it allows you to move forward while attacking. Upgrade it if possible, but keep in mind that you can unlock the Swift Stab variation by observing Reed Devil in phase one.
- Keen Senses to level 2 or 3, allowing you to counter and parry, respectively. It’s hard to pull this off consistently without taking damage, though, so only use it if you’re confident in your parrying ability.
- Evasive Roll allows you to dodge roll out of harm’s way even after getting hit, which will be quite useful against unblockable attacks.
How to beat the Reed Devil in Crimson Desert
Before you arrive in the boss arena, during the “Seed of Unease” quest, you’ll have to run through a never-ending onslaught of Reed Devil minions. Ignore them. Fighting them will only weaken you, and you’ll need your food for the boss himself. Sprint toward the reed field at the top of the mountain as quickly as possible (the minions won’t follow you there). Once you get past the minion hordes, be sure to use the grindstone at the small encampment to maximize your weapon damage before you start the boss fight.
Phase 1
The Reed Devil fight in Crimson Desert consists of three phases. During the first phase of the fight, as part of his standard attack pattern, the Reed Devil will constantly jump back, disappear, dash toward you, and unleash a flurry of very quick, almost undodgeable slashes. Whatever you do, keep your shield up. If you upgraded your stamina, you should be able to outlast these attacks. As mentioned earlier, you can parry these attacks, but the window is small, so blocking continuously is much safer.
So, wait out the flurry of attacks as shown below on the left, but be prepared to quickly launch your own series of attacks.
After each attack, the Reed Devil sheathes his weapon — this is your prime opportunity to get a few hits in. Try to stay as close as possible while the boss attacks, so you can quickly land a few hits before he disappears again. When the yellow stagger bar below the Reed Devil’s HP is full, he’ll be incapacitated for a while, so be ready to attack him ferociously when that happens.
Beware of the Reed Devil’s unblockable Swift Stab (forward charge) attack. Whenever he takes the “charge” stance shown in the picture below, accompanied by a reddish glint, he’s about to dash and stab you, thereby knocking you down. Be sure to dodge sideways! About halfway through phase one, when the screen darkens, you’ll get the opportunity to learn this attack and use it against Reed Devil (remember, only when he sheathes his weapon).
Phase 2
To complete the second phase of the Crimson Desert Reed Devil fight, you need to destroy the four totems. Don’t try to defeat the Reed Devil and his small army of clones, as you can’t fully dodge or block their attacks. Instead, sprint toward a totem as fast as you can and hit it with a heavy attack — one hit should be enough to break it. Immediately sprint toward the next totem and continue until all four are gone. Be ready to eat some food to restore your HP as you will get surrounded by Reed Devils.
Phase 3
The strategy for the final phase of this Crimson Desert boss battle is much the same as the first; stay close, block Reed Devil’s attacks, and use forward attacks when he sheathes his weapon. However, beware that Reed Devil may use a new ranged attack that shoots five bursts of fiery blades toward you; dodge-rolling sideways is your best chance of avoiding damage, as you can’t block this attack. If you stay close to Reed Devil, he’ll be less likely to use this attack.
At some point during phase three, the Reed Devil may summon a clone. This is very annoying, but it’s best to keep your focus on Reed Devil himself. If you’re quick enough, you may defeat the Reed Devil before the clone spawns.
Just starting out in Crimson Desert? We have guides to help you learn the basics and refresh your memory on how some of its systems work. The world of Pywel is huge, so you might have a hard time deciding where to go first, but you can make your journey a little easier with the help of our interactive map. Along the way, make sure to learn a few life skills like fishing, logging, cooking, and mining, all of which can help you make money.
We also have walkthroughs for main story quests like “Familiar Curses” and “Bustling Hill,” and puzzles in the Abyss like the Root’s End and the Precipice of Truth.
