The 8 spires in Crimson Desert
The 8 spire challenges, climbing trials visible from far away, and why some of them do not appear until well into the story.
Completing them unlocks
Conqueror of SpiresBronze13.07%
Conqueror of SpiresBronze13.07%And it counts towards Expert Explorer, required for the platinum.
What they are and how many there are
There are 8 challenges built around climbing and traversal at height. Spires are towers and needles you can see from a very long way off, and the trial is about getting to the top.
Completing all 8 unlocks their trophy, and they all count towards Expert Explorer as well, the gold that demands all nine exploration subcategories at 100%: 207 challenges in total.
When they are worth doing
With only eight trials, 13.07% of players have it, well above Constellations despite having barely half the objectives. The reason is purely visual: you can see them from the other side of the map, so plenty of people climb them without meaning to.
What we recommend
Some unlock later in the story, so if you are two or three short when the initial sweep is done, do not go hunting: check the category again after the final chapter.
Key
No challenge counts until you have its Sealed Abyss Artifact, and progress is not recorded retroactively. Collect all 141 before getting serious about this subcategory.
The trophies involved
Each one links to its section inside the full Crimson Desert trophy guide.
Conqueror of SpiresBronze13.07%
Climbing ever higher has opened the way toward the skies above.
Original name: Conqueror of Spires
Expert ExplorerGold5.29%
Revelation of every corner of Pywel brings the entire land into clear view.
Original name: Expert Explorer
Other Crimson Desert guides
All 6 Sword Mastery Challenges in Crimson Desert
The six challenges in the Sword of Trials series, with the exact requirement for each one and how to clear it. Completing them all unlocks the Master of Swords trophy.
All 6 Shield Mastery Challenges in Crimson Desert
The six challenges in the Shield of Unchanging Will series, with the exact requirement and location for each. Only Kliff and Damiane can equip a shield.
All 6 Bow Mastery Challenges in Crimson Desert
The six challenges in the Bow Aimed at Fate series, with the exact requirement and location for each. Only Kliff can use bows.
All 5 Spear Mastery Challenges in Crimson Desert
The five challenges in the Sharpened Spear series, with the exact requirement and location for each. Only Kliff can use spears.
All 6 Two-Handed Weapon Mastery Challenges in Crimson Desert
The two series that make up the category, Overwhelming Slash and Ground Shaking Impact, with the requirement and location of all six challenges.
All 5 Cannon Mastery Challenges in Crimson Desert
The five challenges in the Barraging Cannon series, with requirement and location. Includes the fifth one, which you want to clear before liberating the enemy bases.
All 5 Rapier and Shield Mastery Challenges in Crimson Desert
The five challenges in the Dancing Blade, Shining Shield series, with the exact requirement and location for each. Only Damiane can use the rapier.
All 5 Firearm Mastery Challenges in Crimson Desert
The five challenges in the When Lightning Strikes series, with the exact requirement and location for each. All of them have to be done as Damiane.
All 10 Horse Challenges in Crimson Desert
The ten challenges in the Harmonious Hooves series, with the exact requirement and location for each. Completing them unlocks the Tamer of Legends trophy.
All 10 Training Challenges in Crimson Desert
The ten Training challenges with their exact requirement and the spot on the map where each one sits. Clearing them unlocks the Relentless Warrior trophy.
All 10 Battle Challenges in Crimson Desert
The ten Battle challenges with exact requirement and location, including the two you want out of the way before you liberate the enemy bases. They unlock Battlefield Conqueror.
All 10 Operation Challenges in Crimson Desert
The ten Operation challenges with requirement and location, including the missable one that disappears in chapter 7. They unlock the Brilliant Tactician trophy.
All 11 Hunting Challenges in Crimson Desert
The eleven Hunting challenges with exact requirement and location, including the hunt for the four legendary beasts. They unlock the Ultimate Hunter trophy.
All 12 Life Challenges in Crimson Desert
The twelve Life challenges with their exact requirement, including the 30 pets and the 76 insects. It is the rarest trophy in the game after the platinum.
All 5 Trade Challenges in Crimson Desert
The five Trade challenges with exact requirement and location, including the 300,000 Camp Funds one. They unlock The Golden Merchant.
All 10 Above the Law Challenges in Crimson Desert
The ten Above the Law challenges with requirement and location, including the one that does not count retroactively. They unlock the Shadowlord trophy.
All 10 Special Weapon Challenges in Crimson Desert
The ten special weapons with their challenge and location, and the three ways to lose this trophy for good. They unlock Grand Collector of Arms.
The 9 Challenges and Changes challenges in Crimson Desert
The nine challenges in the Challenges and Changes category, previously called Greymane's Vow, with the exact requirement and location for each one. They unlock the Lord of Honor trophy.
The 15 minigame challenges in Crimson Desert
The five minigame subcategories — shooting, test of strength, duel, racing and mind games — with how many challenges each one holds and how they work. They unlock True Gamer.
The 7 New Power challenges in Crimson Desert
The seven unique bosses in the New Power category, why they are not there from the start and how to unlock the one in each region. They unlock the Beast Slayer trophy.
The 40 Abyss challenges in Crimson Desert
What the Abyss challenges are, the 40 you have to clear for the Conqueror of the Abysses trophy and the point in the playthrough where they are worth doing.
The 60 Secret Places in Crimson Desert
The 60 Secret Places challenges, how to spot them on the ground and why you should clear the map before going hunting. They unlock Pilgrim of Wonders.
The 37 Ancient Ruins puzzles in Crimson Desert
The 37 Ancient Ruins puzzles and the good news almost nobody mentions: they are one of the few challenge sets that need no Sealed Abyss Artifact.
The 4 mazes in Crimson Desert
There are only four mazes in the entire game and they unlock a whole trophy. Where they fit into your playthrough and why they are the best effort-to-reward ratio on the list.
The 16 sanctums in Crimson Desert
The 16 sanctums that unlock the Lightbringer trophy, the most common of all the exploration trophies and the one you will probably get without looking for it.
The 13 constellations in Crimson Desert
The 13 constellation challenges and the number that explains why, with more objectives than the spires, half as many people get them.
The 22 Legendary Animals in Crimson Desert
The one exploration subcategory with no trophy of its own, and for that reason the one most people skip entirely without realising it is missing.
How to sweep the Crimson Desert map without covering the same ground twice
The order you cross Pywel in decides whether the platinum costs you 200 hours or 300. The three phases of the initial sweep, which subcategories you can close from minute one and which have to wait until after the campaign.
The 141 Sealed Abyss Artifacts in Crimson Desert
They are the key to the whole platinum: no challenge starts counting until you find its artifact, and they do not count retroactively. What they are, how to spot them and why you have to collect them before pushing the story.
The 5 missable challenges in Crimson Desert and the 4 trophies they block
Five Crimson Desert challenges disappear for good if you get there late. They block four mandatory trophies and can ruin a 250-hour platinum. Which ones they are and how to avoid them.
Clearing Pailune deletes the Operation 7 challenge: chapter 7's order cannot be undone
From chapter 1's 100% to the ending's 18.99%. Four of the five campaign trophies land on their own, but one demands an entire faction line and another hides a missable that deletes a challenge.