The Crimson Desert Hidden Ace mission is a pivotal moment in the game’s tenth chapter, where the player’s character, Macduff, comes face-to-face with Valgash’s ultimate weapon: the A.T.A.G., or Automated Terrain Assault Goliath. This walkthrough provides a complete, step-by-step guide to navigating the 141st main quest, detailing every objective, combat strategy, and environmental challenge from its starting point in Delesyia’s Gorthak region to its climactic conclusion. Successfully completing this mission is essential for advancing the ‘Counterattack’ sub-chapter and the broader narrative of Crimson Desert.
Mission Prerequisites and Starting Details
Before attempting the Hidden Ace mission, players must ensure they have met all necessary requirements. This quest becomes available only after the successful completion of the preceding main quest, ‘Master of the Ironworks.’ There is no direct monetary or item reward for finishing Hidden Ace; its completion is its own reward, unlocking critical story progression.
Location and Initial Objectives
The quest begins in the region of Delesyia, specifically within the Gorthak area. Upon activation, your primary objective is to locate and confront the A.T.A.G. The quest description frames this machine as a walking fortress, loaded with explosives and representing a technological terror unlike any previously encountered in the war against Valgash’s forces. Your first waypoint will typically guide you to a vantage point or reconnaissance area to observe the weapon’s patrol route or defensive position.
Phase One: Reconnaissance and Initial Engagement
The initial phase of the Hidden Ace mission is less about brute force and more about tactical observation and positioning. The A.T.A.G. is not a foe to be charged head-on without preparation.
Assessing the Battlefield
As you approach the designated area, take time to survey the environment. The terrain is likely a mix of rocky outcrops, ruined structures, or open plains that the A.T.A.G. patrols. Use high ground for scouting. The machine’s size and mechanical noise make it easy to spot from a distance. Note its patrol pattern, any accompanying smaller units (like infantry or light armored scouts), and potential environmental hazards that could be used to your advantage, such as explosive barrels or unstable cliffs.
Identifying Weak Points
Early dialogue and codex entries scanned during the mission will hint at the A.T.A.G.’s design. Visually, look for glowing components, exposed piping, or armored plates that seem less fortified. These are typically its weak points. Common vulnerabilities for such machines in Crimson Desert include the power core (often located in the rear or chest), leg hydraulics, and weapon hardpoints. Your first engagement should be a probing attack to confirm these weak points.
Phase Two: Direct Combat Strategies
Once you initiate combat, the mission shifts into a dynamic and demanding boss encounter. The A.T.A.G. employs a varied arsenal, including area-of-effect explosives, sweeping melee attacks with its limbs, and potentially long-range artillery strikes.
Mobility and Evasion
Your greatest asset in this fight is Macduff’s mobility. Standing still is a death sentence. Constantly circle the machine, utilizing dodges, rolls, and the grapple hook to reposition. The A.T.A.G.’s heavier attacks have significant wind-up animations and impact zones indicated on the ground. Learning to recognize these tells and evading to safe zones is crucial. Attack its legs to try and stagger it, creating a larger opening for damage.
Weapon and Skill Recommendations
A balanced loadout is recommended. A fast-hitting one-handed weapon is useful for applying consistent pressure and building stagger, while a heavy two-handed weapon or powerful bow is ideal for capitalizing on brief stun windows to target weak points. Ensure your skills are off cooldown before engaging. Skills that provide temporary damage buffs, inflict bleed or burn damage over time, or offer a momentary block/parry are exceptionally valuable. Do not waste high-damage cooldowns on the machine’s heavily armored sections; wait for an opening.
Managing Adds and Environmental Pressure
It is highly probable that the A.T.A.G. will summon reinforcements or have pre-positioned troops in the area. Your priority should always be the main machine, but you cannot ignore these smaller foes entirely. Use wide-sweeping attacks or area-denial skills to control the crowd. Kite smaller enemies into the A.T.A.G.’s own area-of-effect attacks if possible. The environment may also play a role; luring the machine into narrow passages can limit its mobility, while open areas give you more room to evade.
Phase Three: The Final Assault and Destroying the A.T.A.G.
As the A.T.A.G.’s health depletes, it may enter a more aggressive or desperate phase. This often involves faster attack sequences, new abilities, or a last-ditch area bombardment.
Recognizing Phase Transitions
The machine may glow with a different energy, lock certain damaged limbs, or focus entirely on one type of devastating attack. Audio cues and character warnings will often signal this shift. This is the most dangerous part of the fight. Your focus must shift from aggression to pure survival until the new pattern is understood. It may expose its core or a critical weak point during certain overcharge attacks—this is your primary window for dealing massive damage.
Executing the Finishing Blow
When the A.T.A.G.’s health is nearly exhausted, a final interactive sequence will likely be triggered. This may require you to grapple onto the machine, target a specific component with a ranged weapon, or perform a series of quick-time events to plant explosives or disable its systems. Follow the on-screen prompts carefully. Success in this sequence leads to the spectacular destruction of Valgash’s secret weapon.
Post-Mission Implications and Progression
Destroying the A.T.A.G. is a major strategic victory within Crimson Desert’s Chapter 10 narrative. With this ‘Secret Weapon’ eliminated, the path is cleared for the next phase of Macduff’s counterattack against Valgash’s forces.
Unlocking Subsequent Content
Completing Hidden Ace directly unlocks the next main story quests in the ‘Counterattack’ chain. It may also open up new side quests, vendor inventories, or region access as the balance of power shifts in Delesyia. There is no immediate tangible reward, but the narrative payoff and future opportunities are significant.
Preparation for Future Challenges
The tactics learned here—scouting, identifying weak points, managing phase transitions, and using the environment—are foundational for later, even more challenging boss encounters in Crimson Desert. Consider this mission a high-stakes training ground for the end-game conflicts to come.
Ultimately, the Hidden Ace mission is a testament to Crimson Desert’s blend of narrative-driven exploration and demanding action. It requires more than just combat prowess; it demands observation, adaptation, and resilience. Overcoming the A.T.A.G. is not merely about checking off a quest objective but about proving your capability to thwart a technological marvel of war, a moment that solidifies your role as the key figure in the struggle for the game’s fractured world. This victory, earned through careful strategy and precise execution, turns the tide of the conflict and sets the stage for the final confrontations ahead.
