What to know
- Deferred Advance unlocks during Chapter 12 – “The Abyss” in The Final Battle questline.
- You must destroy three Ultimate Weapons: leftmost, central, and rightmost cores.
- The entire fight is airborne using your dragon mount, Blackstar.
- A known bug prevents Blackstar’s health from fully recovering after retrying.
The “Deferred Advance” quest in Crimson Desert is one of the most intense late-game encounters, pushing you into a fully aerial combat scenario where precision, stamina management, and situational awareness matter. As you approach Chapter 12, you’re no longer dealing with grounded enemies—instead, you’re battling massive airborne weapon systems that demand mastery of dragon mechanics.
Here is a quick overview of Deferred Advance quest in Crimson Desert:
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Quest Name | Deferred Advance |
| Chapter | Chapter 12 – The Abyss |
| Location | Between Demeniss and Tashkalp |
| Objective | Destroy 3 Ultimate Weapon cores |
| Mount Required | Blackstar (Dragon) |
| Combat Type | Fully aerial |
| Main Threats | Airships, rockets, artillery shells |
| Known Bug | Blackstar health not regenerating |
Location of Deferred Advance quest and what to expect
The fight unfolds in the skies between Demeniss and Tashkalp, placing you in a wide-open aerial battlefield filled with enemy airships and massive weapon cores. You’ll immediately notice that mobility is your biggest asset—and your biggest challenge. Unlike ground combat, there’s no cover unless you deliberately retreat behind terrain like mountains.
Enemy airships constantly pressure you with tracking rockets, forcing you to stay mobile at all times. Meanwhile, the Ultimate Weapons act as stationary but deadly objectives that require careful timing to destroy.
How to complete Deferred Advance in Crimson Desert
Step 1
Summon Blackstar immediately and gain altitude. Staying airborne and maintaining a good vantage point helps you track threats early.
Step 2
Prioritize nearby airships before targeting weapon cores. These ships fire tracking rockets that can quickly drain both health and stamina, making them the real danger.
Step 3
Engage the leftmost Ultimate Weapon (Gatling Gun). This is the easiest target. You can hover and strafe to avoid most incoming fire, making it a good starting point.
Step 4
Move to the central weapon and prepare for heavy rocket pressure. This section tests your dodging skills, as tracking rockets require precise aerial rolls.
Step 5
Target the rightmost artillery cannon last. This is the most dangerous weapon due to high-damage explosive shells, so approach cautiously and avoid direct paths.
Step 6
Use Blackstar’s fire ability to destroy each core quickly. Focus your attacks and avoid overextending while under heavy fire.
Step 7
Master aerial dodging mechanics. Double-tap your roll key (Alt or mouse button) to perform an aerial roll, but remember that this consumes stamina, so use it strategically.
Breaking down each weapon’s mechanics
Each Ultimate Weapon behaves differently, requiring you to adapt your approach mid-fight.
The leftmost Gatling Gun is relatively forgiving, allowing you to hover and reposition without taking constant damage. The central weapon introduces tracking rockets, which force you to rely on timing and stamina management. The rightmost artillery cannon becomes the biggest threat, as its shells deal massive damage and punish slow reactions.
Deferred Advance bug and how to fix it
One of the most frustrating issues in this quest is a bug tied to Blackstar’s health.
What causes the bug
If you retry or abandon the Ultimate Weapon fight after Blackstar’s health is depleted, the dragon may respawn with incomplete health. This creates a major disadvantage, especially in a fight that demands full durability.
How to fix or avoid it
- Avoid abandoning the quest mid-fight whenever possible. Try to complete it in one run.
- If the bug occurs, reload a previous save instead of retrying directly. This restores Blackstar’s proper health values.
- Fast travel away from the area and return. In some cases, this forces a reset of the encounter.
- Fully exit and reload the game session. This is the most consistent workaround if the issue persists.
Until an official patch resolves this, managing retries carefully is the safest approach.
Rewards for completing Deferred Advance
Deferred Advance stands out as one of the most demanding and cinematic quests in Crimson Desert, forcing you to fully master aerial combat with Blackstar. The combination of enemy airships, varied weapon mechanics, and stamina-based dodging creates a layered challenge that rewards precision and awareness.
| Reward Type | Details |
|---|---|
| Story Progression | Advances The Final Battle questline |
| Unlocks | Leads into final mission phases |
| Experience | High XP gain |
| Combat Mastery | Improves aerial combat skills |
If you stay disciplined—prioritizing threats, managing stamina, and avoiding the retry bug—you can clear the encounter efficiently without relying on slow regeneration tactics. Once completed, you’ll be well-prepared for the final stages of the game’s climactic battle.
