If you’ve spent any time grinding early endgame zones in Black Desert Online, you’ve probably heard players rave about the Asula’s Crimson Eye Necklace as one of the most accessible high-value accessories for new and returning players. I picked up my first drop back when I was grinding Helms Post on my seasonal Drakania, and it stayed in my loadout for three full months before I could afford a better option. It’s not the strongest necklace in the game by any stretch, but its accessibility and well-rounded stats make it a staple for anyone working their way up to PEN boss gear. You don’t have to drop hundreds of millions of silver or grind high-risk PvP zones to get it, which is a huge win for players who don’t have dozens of hours a week to sink into the game.
What Makes the Asula’s Crimson Eye Necklace Stand Out for BDO Players?
Unlike most high-value accessories in BDO that are locked behind endgame grind spots or expensive central market listings, this necklace is designed to bridge the gap between low-level green accessories and expensive boss gear. Base stats for the base (PRI) version sit at 7 AP, 5 DP, and 2 accuracy, which is nearly as good as a base PRI Ogre Ring for a fraction of the cost. The real draw, though, is its synergy with the rest of the Asula accessory set. Pair it with the Asula Crimson Eye Earring and you get a 4 AP set bonus, add the ring for an extra 5 DP and 100 HP on top of that. That stackable bonus makes it way more valuable than its standalone stats suggest, especially for seasonal players who are working to hit AP breakpoints fast. I ran the full 3-piece set on my seasonal Sage last year, and it pushed me to the 245 AP breakpoint two weeks faster than I would have gotten there using random green accessories. It’s also non-tradable on seasonal servers, so you don’t have to worry about other players griefing your grind to steal drops, and you can enhance it with free seasonal materials without risking it breaking. The only real downside of the base necklace is its low max enhancement cap compared to boss accessories. Even at PEN, it only hits 12 AP and 9 DP, which is lower than a TET Ogre Ring. But for players sitting under 260 AP, that tradeoff is more than worth it for the low effort required to get and upgrade it.
How to Farm the Asula’s Crimson Eye Necklace Efficiently
You don’t need high-end gear to farm this necklace, which is part of why it’s so popular with new players. Most of the drop spots require less than 150 AP to grind comfortably, so you can start farming it as soon as you finish the main Calpheon quest line. I’ve tested all the common farm spots over the years, and these are the only ones worth your time:
- Helms Post: The most popular spot for new players, with mobs that only require 120 AP to grind comfortably, and a roughly 0.03% drop rate per kill. The mobs are packed tightly too, so you can clear 3000+ trash loot an hour even with low gear.
- Elric Shrine: Slightly higher AP requirement (140 AP) but a 0.05% drop rate, plus you can pick up other Asula set pieces here too. It’s a little less crowded than Helms Post on most servers, so it’s a good pick if you hate competing for spawns.
- Seasonal server exclusive drops: Seasonal mobs in all Calpheon grinding zones have a 2x higher drop rate for all Asula accessories, so it’s best to farm it during your seasonal playthrough. You also get extra trash loot and seasonal rewards while you grind, so you’re not wasting time even if you don’t get the necklace drop right away.
Best Builds and Use Cases for the Asula’s Crimson Eye Necklace
This necklace isn’t for every build, but it’s a perfect fit for most early to mid-game playstyles. This necklace is especially good for PvE grinders who prioritize clear speed over min-maxed PvP stats. The extra accuracy helps you hit mobs 10+ levels higher than you without missing, which is a huge deal when you’re trying to push into higher level grind spots before you hit the recommended AP breakpoint. I used mine to grind Kratuga at 242 AP, which is 8 AP lower than the recommended minimum, and I only missed around 5% of my attacks compared to 20% when I was using a green necklace. It’s also a great pick for lifeskillers who do a little bit of grinding on the side. The mixed AP and DP stats give you enough protection to survive if you get ambushed by open world PvP players while you’re collecting materials, without sacrificing the AP you need to clear mobs fast. I keep one on my lifeskill main for when I have to grind sea monsters for ship materials, and it’s saved me from being sent back to the port more than once. You don’t want to use this necklace for ranked PvP or node wars, though. The low base AP and lack of PvP-specific stats means you’ll be at a huge disadvantage against players running boss accessories. Save it for PvE and casual open world play, and swap it for a boss necklace once you start doing large scale PvP content. You can easily enhance it to DUO or TRI with zero risk if you use seasonal enhancement stones. Seasonal stones don’t cause accessories to break if enhancement fails, so you can keep trying until you hit your desired enhancement level without wasting extra copies or cron stones. I got mine to TRI on my second try last season, which gave me an extra 3 AP for no extra cost.
Upgrading vs Replacing Your Asula’s Crimson Eye Necklace
A lot of new players wonder if it’s worth enhancing their Asula necklace all the way to PEN, and the short answer is no, unless you’re planning to use it on an alt. Even at PEN, the stats are lower than a TET boss necklace, and the silver you’d spend on non-seasonal enhancement materials would be better put toward saving for a boss accessory. Never use cron stones to enhance the Asula’s Crimson Eye Necklace, as the return on investment is virtually zero. Cron stones are expensive, and you’re better off saving them for boss gear or accessories that you’ll use long term. The only time it makes sense to enhance past TRI is if you have extra seasonal enhancement stones left over at the end of the season, since they disappear after graduation anyway. Once you hit the 265 AP breakpoint, you’ll want to start looking for a replacement. The best options depend on your playstyle: go for an Ogre Ring if you want pure AP for PvE grinding, a Laytenn’s Power Stone if you want extra HP for PvP, or a Sicil’s Necklace if you’re running a DP build for node wars. I swapped mine for a TET Ogre Ring once I hit 263 AP, and it gave me enough of a damage boost to cut my grind time at Stars End by 20%. You don’t have to sell your old necklace once you replace it, either. It’s a great option for alt characters, since you don’t have to spend extra silver gearing them up for casual grinding or lifeskilling. I have three extra Asula necklaces in my storage right now for alts, and I’ve never regretted keeping them.
At the end of the day, the Asula’s Crimson Eye Necklace is one of the most beginner-friendly accessories you can get in Black Desert Online, and it punches far above its weight class for the low cost and effort required to get it. It won’t carry you through endgame node wars or the highest level grind spots, but it’s the perfect stepping stone to help you build up your gear score fast without breaking the bank. If you’re just starting out or returning after a long break, it should be one of the first accessories you add to your loadout.