Crimson Desert: How to beat the Reed Devil
Summary
Having trouble beating the Reed Devil in Crimson Desert? The boss at the end of the Seed of Unease quest in Chapter 3 of Crimson Desert is a real force to be reckoned with, and the Reed Devil is still going to challenge most players even if he's been nerfed considerably from the game's early days, when he was flat-out unfair. Frankly, the Reed Devil's one of those bosses that really should belong more in a Soulslike than the action adventure that Crimson Desert professes itself to be, and if you don't want to break your controller in frustration, it's best to come into this fight prepared.
In this guide, we'll offer a brief rundown of how to beat the Reed Devil in Crimson Desert, making sure that you can surmount this tricky battle and avoid ending up as a bloodied body smeared across Reedwind Valley.
Having trouble beating the Reed Devil in Crimson Desert? The boss at the end of the Seed of Unease quest in Chapter 3 of Crimson Desert is a real force to be reckoned with, and the Reed Devil is still going to challenge most players even if he's been nerfed considerably from the game's early days, when he was flat-out unfair. Frankly, the Reed Devil's one of those bosses that really should belong more in a Soulslike than the action adventure that Crimson Desert professes itself to be, and if you don't want to break your controller in frustration, it's best to come into this fight prepared.
In this guide, we'll offer a brief rundown of how to beat the Reed Devil in Crimson Desert, making sure that you can surmount this tricky battle and avoid ending up as a bloodied body smeared across Reedwind Valley.
1. Upgrade your gear
The Reed Devil is ultimately a gear check. If you haven't been Refining your weapons or armour, it's time to start doing so. As far as weapons go for this particular fight, I utilised The Sword of the Lord, which you'll have acquired after beating Kailok the Hornsplitter. Whatever weapon you're using, try to get it up to Refinement level 3 or higher. Once you do so and get the buff from the Grindstone prior to this fight, you'll enter combat dealing much more damage to the Reed Devil and can hopefully make short work of his annoying straw-covered behind.
2. Prior to reaching Reedwind Valley, smash the Reed Devil's totems or ignore them
Part of the challenge is simply getting to the Reed Devil fight, as you'll have to chase him along a mountain path leading to Reedwind Valley. Totems will stand in your way along with several of the Reed Devil's followers, all of whom are prepared to whittle your health down before the main combat occurs.
To avoid taking on a slew of these pests, focus your attacks on destroying the totems. This will keep the Reed Devil's minions from spawning, and save you a bundle of time. Alternatively, if you've got enough Stamina, you can simply ignore both the totems and the minions and just run straight towards the boss arena.
3. Stockpile meals and use the Grindstone before combat
Once you're actually in the valley, there's a tent off to the side of the field that contains both a Grindstone for Reinforcing your weapons and a Bonfire for cooking food. If you've been following our guides on what to do first in Crimson Desert or our list of all recipes, you'll already know what to do with these.
Personally, I'd recommend stocking around 30+ pieces of Grilled Meat, though you can also prep soup or any other decent HP-regenerating cooked foods. Once you've buffed your weapon, you can kick off the boss battle when you examine the doll on the stone altar in the field.
4. In phase one, raise your shield and watch for openings
The Reed Devil fight consists of three phases, and in the first, he'll unleash a flurry of attacks at you that seem too fast to handle at first. Often, he'll charge at you immediately before his health bar's fully loaded in, requiring a roll on your part. If he doesn't take to this tactic, then close the distance.
In my opinion, it's easier to stay in the Reed Devil's face than it is to dash around the battlefield. This is a fight where careful blocking and retaliation will pay off. | Image credit: IGN/Pearl Abyss
Instead of getting too far from the Reed Devil (which will force you to deal with his knife throw and charge attacks), remain close with your shield raised high by holding LB (on a gamepad) or B (on the keyboard). This will lock on to the Reed Devil, and help you endure the series of flurry slashes that he inflicts, typically by teleporting extra close to you. If you can block or parry your way through all of these, there's a chance to strike the second he sheathes his weapon, ideally with a well-timed heavy attack (RT or the Right Mouse Button).
If the Reed Devil's flurry slashes stunlock you, perform an Evasive Roll to regain your bearings. You might also notice that a red circle will appear around Kliff at certain intervals, indicating that the Reed Devil's about to teleport down on you and unleash these strikes. This is another great moment to roll out of the way to avoid taking hits.
5. In phase two, break the totems
Surprise, surprise - once you've dealt enough damage to the Reed Devil, more totems will appear along the battlefield and he'll create clones of himself. Don't bother with these bozos, as they're just a smokescreen. Instead, run to each totem (signified by an orange dot on your mini-map) and break it with a heavy attack, or the Turning Slash skill if you've got it.
Focus on the totems - every attacking clone is only meant to distract you. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Pearl Abyss
Unfortunately, it's darn hard to avoid taking damage as the Reed Devil and his doppelgangers charge at you during this phase. That's why we suggested bringing all that Grilled Meat with us! Evasive Roll as much as you're able, frantically stuff that food down Kliff's mouth to heal, and don't forget the main objective here - those totems have got to go.
6. In phase three, watch out for ranged attacks
Once all that totem nonsense is done and dusted, the third phase begins. This one's much like the first, but the Reed Devil's got more ranged attacks. The first, and most common one, sees him blasting five red crescent-shaped bursts in your general direction. You can sideways roll to circumvent these, and if you're keeping close to the Reed Devil, he won't use this attack as much.
The first wave of these crescent bursts is also blockable, though chances are if the Reed Devil is throwing them at you, it's easier to dodge. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Pearl Abyss
The Reed Devil's second new ranged attack is telegraphed by him standing straight, gathering leaves, and briefly flashing red. You'll hear a slight "ding" sound before he fires a blast at you. As long as you pay attention to the sound and react accordingly, you can avoid this one too.
Last but not least, there's also a chance that the Reed Devil will summon another clone to attack you from behind. Once again, roll away from this guy and focus on ending the fight as soon as you can.
And that's a wrap - now you know how to beat the dastardly and oh-so-devilish Reed Devil in Crimson Desert. For more info on tricky boss fights in this expansive game, refer to our guide on how to beat Tenebrum. If you're having trouble on an early game bounty against a certain goblin, we've also got a guide on how to complete the Blix Bounty. And if you're simply interested in general Crimson Desert hints to help you on your quest, we've got a stellar list of tips and tricks ready for your perusal.