Crimson Desert Advanced Combat: Hidden Moves, Suplexes, and Crowd Control
The game never tells you this, but you can absolutely grab a bandit and deliver a devastating German Suplex directly onto the cobblestone.
Once you finally understand how to survive a fight using the mechanics detailed in my parry and perfect dodge guide, it is time to actually go on the offensive. Mashing your standard attack button will only get you so far before a group of heavily armored mercenaries surrounds you and beats you into the mud.
Crimson Desert hides a massive layer of complexity underneath its standard skill menus. There are hidden inputs that transform your character from a standard swordsman into a medieval professional wrestler. You also have to manage the chaos of the battlefield by utilizing the environment, weaving ranged attacks, and keeping your summoned allies from dying immediately. Here is the dirty brawler guide to taking control of a fight.
Hidden Wrestling Moves The Game Hides From You
If you dig into the mechanics, you will find entirely undocumented attacks that deal massive damage and provide incredible crowd control.
These hidden inputs rely heavily on the Lariat skill and your positioning. They add an absurd level of flair to your fights and give you options to handle enemies that are constantly blocking your sword strikes. You will not find these listed in your standard ability menu, so you have to commit the button combinations to memory.
Force Palm And Weaving Ranged Attacks
If you are not weaving your skills between your standard attacks, you are leaving massive amounts of damage on the table.
Force Palm is arguably the most essential aggressive tool in your kit. Pushing the right stick clicks it into action, knocking enemies backward and drastically lowering their defense. If you approach an enemy holding a heavy guard, hit them with a Force Palm to shatter their defense, then immediately follow up with a heavy attack while they are staggered. If you need help prioritizing your upgrade points, read my breakdown of the best early skills in Crimson Desert to get your build on the right track.
You also need to embrace the bow. Melee combat is the default, but weaving ranged attacks into a sword fight keeps the pressure on retreating enemies. If you knock an opponent backward and they jump away to create space, instantly draw your bow and shoot them. It provides free damage and prevents them from catching their breath. Prioritize killing any enemy archers first. Their chip damage seems minimal at the start of a fight, but it adds up quickly while you are distracted by the frontline bruisers.
Keeping Your Allies Alive
You can summon allies to join you during most standard combat encounters. They are fantastic for drawing aggro away from you when you are outnumbered.
However, they are not immortal. If they take too much damage, they will retreat from the battlefield and trigger a massive cooldown period before you can summon them again. You have to monitor their health bars through the Freeswords radial menu.
You can actually heal them mid fight using your Healing Palm. It stuns them for a brief moment, but it restores their vitality without forcing you to waste your own food reserves. Speaking of food, you should always have a massive stack of grilled meat in your inventory before picking a fight. If your culinary skills are lacking, brush up on my Crimson Desert healing and cooking guide to learn how to prepare proper buffs.
Finally, pay attention to the environment. The physics engine in this game is chaotic. Exploding barrels and destructible wooden structures will absolutely damage and stagger you if they break while you are standing next to them. Keep your camera moving, use your suplexes, and never let yourself get backed into a corner.
