The reason the bosses are so tough in Crimson Desert is because they’re all such system shocks. While the minute to minute combat is easy and satisfying, and the puzzles, while frustrating, are pretty chill if you take your time and try every peg in every hole, as it were, many of the bosses are cold, hard nightmares. In the first third of the game, none more so than Kearush, the Slayer. If you thought the Devil of the Reeds was rough, you’re in for a treat now.
I say “first third” in terms of where he appears in the narrative. I met him in my 24th hour but your mileage will vary wildly depending on how you’re playing and where you choose to explore first. I didn’t beat him until my 29th hour, as I buggered off to do other stuff and get stronger before coming back and finally beating him.
He’s basically about 1000lbs of pissed off ape similar to Rajang in Monster Hunter, who escapes captivity during a banquet in Hernand Castle and goes nuts, killing a bunch of party goers and generally making a bit of a mess. Kliff, dependable idiot that he is, decides to fight him off alone while the Marquis’ champion gets the public to safety. I say “alone”, but there are some Hernandian soldiers there who do little more than shit their breeches and get in your way.
Before we get into mechanics, a pre-fight primer for you. A few things will make this much more manageable. First of all, head to Rhett, the arms dealer in town, and buy the Canta Helm, which has the Nullifies Roar affix. This will completely trivialise one of Kearush’s main Stun moves. Second, stock up on food, get as much as you can, preferably meat that heals upwards of 160 to 200 health in one go. There are packs of deer right next to Kliff’s house (near the Greymanes camp) that respawn fast and provide easy access to meat, or go buy as much as you can from the butcher in Hernand and cook it all. Don’t underestimate this, bring as much as possible, as you’ll need to spam heal if you get caught in any of Kearush’s combos.
Finally, this is a gear-check boss as much as a skill-check. Level up your gear to the point where you start needing Abyss Artefacts, and make sure you’ve around 4 to 5 levels in the red skill node to boost your damage mitigation. The trouble with this fight is that the cutscenes between phases are long and unskippable, and if you need to leave to stock up on more of anything you have to watch the entire intro cutscene again, which goes on for ages.
Now, the actual fight. He’ll start by pacing the banquet hall, beating his chest and roaring, before he moves in for the attack. He will usually attack in three-hit combos, which initially you can tank with a shield or dodge. Don’t try to parry him, as you can’t. The best method is to let him attack, dodge, and come back for a few hits. Don’t get greedy. Hit and run. When he beats his chest and you see blue circles, run. This charge attack is devastating and can kill you in seconds if you don’t heal fast enough. One method is to time the dodge right and get out of his way, another is to use the wall alcoves at the end of the hall for cover. Beat him down and you’ve still got two more full phases.
Now these phases don’t add many moves, but he becomes more aggressive. He’ll now jump on the balcony and then leap off, doing AoE damage, which you can avoid with distance or timing and punish with poisoned arrows or quick attacks. I favoured sword and shield on him, but the Spear is good if you have one as the range helps keep you out of his reach. He’ll also have a move now where he slams his fists into the floor, and drags them out, spraying you with stone shards. Don’t block this up close as he will launch you. Finally, he’ll grab your ankle and Hulk-smash you into the masonry. This hurts. Thankfully, Phase 3 adds no more moves, but he does get faster and angrier, and will barely give you time to breathe.
The important thing in this fight is to be aware of your surroundings. You can get pressed into corners easily, which will trigger the appalling camera, and you can be launched and bounced off walls with a single hit. His biggest weapon is aggression, so keep your distance and try to stay cool, and remember to Focus with R3 and L3 if you need to regain Spirit. Persevere, and you’ll eventually get the better of him.
