Crimson Desert Guide: How to Defeat Enemies with a Shield

Shield combat in Crimson Desert trips up a surprising number of players early on. The game never explicitly tells you that holding your guard button and tapping heavy attack are two separate inputs that need to happen together, and the Shield of Unchanging Will I challenge in Meandering Hills makes that gap in knowledge very obvious, very fast. Here's exactly how to pull off shield kills reliably and claim your reward.

How does shield combat work in Crimson Desert?

The shield is not just a defensive tool. You can actively strike with it, and the input is a two-button hold that most players never stumble into naturally.

To land a shield attack, you first need a one-handed weapon and a shield equipped. Then:

• Hold the guard button to raise your shield (this also locks onto the nearest target automatically)
• While keeping guard held, hold the heavy attack button to execute the Shield Bash

Releasing the guard button before the attack lands cancels the whole thing. Both inputs need to stay held until the strike connects.

How to complete the Shield of Unchanging Will I challenge

Finding the Sealed Abyss Artifact

Before you can make progress on this challenge, you need to pick up the Sealed Abyss Artifact that activates it. Head to the road running north from Hernand Town toward the Wycliffe Mappery. Just after you pass the Saddlery and Stable on that road, look for an altar on the east side. The Sealed Abyss Artifact sits on that altar waiting to be collected.

Artifact altar north of Hernand Town

Defeating enemies with your shield

Once the challenge is active, the process is straightforward but requires patience. The key is landing the killing blow with a Shield Bash, not just hitting enemies with it.

Here is the cleanest approach:

1. Equip a one-handed weapon and a shield.
2. Find a weak enemy, preferably one that will not kill you before you finish.
3. Whittle the enemy's health down with your regular weapon attacks, stopping before you accidentally finish them off.
4. Switch to Shield Bash by holding your guard button and heavy attack button together, and keep hitting until the enemy dies from a shield strike.
5. Repeat for 3 total kills.

The shield charge (running while holding guard) can knock back multiple enemies at once when you hit a group, which is useful for crowd control but less reliable for securing clean challenge kills. Stick to the standard Shield Bash for counting purposes.

Claiming your reward

After the third shield kill registers, the Sealed Abyss Artifact in your inventory will illuminate. To collect your reward:

1. Open your inventory.
2. Navigate to the Key Item | Abyss Item group.
3. Find the glowing Sealed Abyss Artifact.
4. Highlight it and use it.

This converts the Sealed Abyss Artifact into an Abyss Artifact, which is the currency used to upgrade your character's skills. Getting these early makes a real difference to how combat feels.

What reward do you get for Shield of Unchanging Will I?

Completing the challenge gives you one Abyss Artifact. These are used to level up skills, and the earlier you start collecting them the better. Shield Mastery challenges are a reliable source since they require specific combat techniques rather than exploration, meaning you can knock them out efficiently once you know the input.

Claiming the Abyss Artifact reward

Tips for making shield kills count faster

• Target low-health enemies like bandits or weak wildlife near Hernand. You want enemies that die in 2 to 3 Shield Bash hits after being softened up.
• Fight on flat terrain to eliminate any chance of fall damage stealing your kill credit.
• Do not rush the heavy attack input. Hold guard first, wait for the lock-on to confirm, then hold heavy attack.
• If a kill does not register, the fall damage bug is the most likely cause. Reposition before the next attempt.

For more Crimson Desert combat tips and challenge guides, browse more guides on GAMES.GG to keep building your character efficiently.