In Crimson Desert, the developers at Pearl Abyss clearly didn’t skimp. At first, you run around with a sword and shield—classic fantasy. Then, a little further into the story, you gain access to a real walking tank. It is called the A.T.A.G., which stands for All-Terrain Armored Gear, and yes, it is a mech suit with automated turrets, cannonballs, and a jetpack for smooth movement.
There is no easy way to add it to your inventory. You first need to reach Chapter 10, “Counterattack,” and specifically, Step 9, called “Hidden Trump Card.” There, you will get your first taste of the mech. It is given to you by Marek, one of Gothrak’s two best engineers (the other being Valvash). After you aid Valvash’s forces, Marek will offer to create a personalized version for you.
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A.T.A.G. Quest Guide and Garage Search in Gotrak
Creating it isn’t the most obvious process, but the steps are simplified. After your first use, you will notice small garages scattered around Gotrak. You can pick up a fresh tank for a mission from them. However, to permanently acquire the Mech, you will need to complete the quest associated with Marek. Luckily, it is not particularly long.
The A.T.A.G. has its own health bar. When it is depleted, the suit turns into a pile of useless metal. It remains completely useless until you get a repaired copy. It is worth clarifying here: your progress in mechanics does not reset. Just pop into the garage, and your fresh Mech is back in action.
Another nice feature is the smooth controls, the boosters are responsive, and the jetpack allows you to fly over small obstacles.
This part of Crimson Desert feels like a hybrid of The Witcher and Armored Core. Coincidence? Hardly. The developers themselves said they wanted to mix genres. And here is the result: you are both a knight and a mech pilot.
A.T.A.G. Mech Control and Best Input Settings
The biggest mistake newbies make is rushing head-on. The A.T.A.G. Mech isn’t a classic damage-absorbing tank, but a heavy, mobile platform designed for intense positional pressure. In the current Crimson Desert environment, piloting it feels more like riding an armored mount, without the unnecessary simulator-like hardcore. The gameplay loop is intuitive: close in, aim, fire a burst, finish them off, and then immediately charge. Charging into a dense crowd of enemies (even if you are itching) is absolutely not recommended. The vehicle immediately loses momentum. Its key task is the safe annihilation of high-value targets and strict arena control, not the mindless exchange of blows typical of a melee player.
The arsenal here is impressive, but it requires a smart approach. The unit is equipped with a basic machine gun and a powerful cannon, and for close combat, Iron Fists and an EMP module are reserved.
The trick is juggling these weapons depending on the distance—the developers did not include a single, universal victory button. The correct initiation scheme works like this: level your hull, bombard the focal target with your primary fire, and save the jetpack and boosters (your primary escape) for last. Do not trade off. They will be critical for a quick repositioning, a flanking maneuver, or an emergency escape from the focal point.
Now for the most pressing issue—the layout. If you are playing with a gamepad, the optimal pattern boils down to the golden trinity of “camera, movement, fire.” Performing complex acrobatics with your fingers on the fly is simply inconvenient. You can fundamentally reconfigure the controls by going to Settings → Input → Shortcut and Input Settings. The tools there are, to put it mildly, spartan—complete freedom of movement within the client is not provided. However, Steam users can easily bypass this by rebuilding the controller profile via a system rebind.
Why bother with remapping? This behemoth has a solid pool of active actions. To avoid disrupting the rhythm of battle, basic mechanics (especially calling, aiming, and shooting) must be clearly accessible to the active finger. Feel free to move secondary modules to the far triggers. Otherwise, you will get lost in the action. A.T.A.G. severely punishes fussiness.
Control Customization Options for Steam and PS5
ATAG Crafting Recipes from a Small Cauldron to a Tank
So, Marek agreed to help. They usually do not give you a Mech suit like that—you will have to run around. It all starts with the “Cast Iron Cauldron and Weapon” quest chain for the Ironfire Orcs. Access to them becomes available after you have used the A.T.A.G. in Chapter 10 (“The Hidden Trump”) and helped the orcs. Next, talk to Marek, and he sends you to Grimnir. He is located in Kilnden, in the Ernanda location.
Grimnir is needed to craft the smaller version—the Small Iron A.T.A.G. Cauldron. Yes, you first get a mini-mech that follows you around like a pet. It sounds funny, but without it, you cannot reach the big tank.
Where Can I Find Parts and Resources to Build the A.T.A.G.?
The small cauldron requires the following:
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One Yellowbeak Iron Cauldron (crafted from five iron ore and five wood)
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One Abyssal Core
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Five Cogwheels
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Five Small Batteries
Did you assemble it? Take it to Marek in Gotrak. He will praise you, and you will get the opportunity to summon a mini-ATAG from your inventory—press “Use,” and the little mech is already stomping after you.
But the main goal is the full-size suit. For that, we return to Grimnir’s Iron Cauldron Workshop. And here the numbers are serious:
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One Small A.T.A.G. Iron Cauldron (the very same one we just made)
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300 Small Batteries
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300 Gears
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Two Power Cores — Verse of Sowing
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One Blessing Statue
Three hundred batteries and three hundred gears—a lot of farming. But that is not all. Power Cores like Verse of Sowing are dropped by Abyssal enemies. Rockworms, for example. And the cores need to be sealed: use “Axiom Powers” on them, select the “Seal” option, and place them in Yellowbeak’s Iron Cauldron.
How to Obtain the Blessing Effigy in the Sanctum of Grace?
The Blessing Effigy is a bit trickier to obtain. Head to the large crystal in the center of the Sanctum of Grace mechanism. Use Reflections on it and begin focusing the light at the right moments. The mechanism will automatically tell you the timing. If you catch the right moment, it will release the core. It is nothing too complicated, but it requires attention.
Once all the components are assembled, Grimnir will assemble a large A.T.A.G. for you—the very same walking tank with turrets and a jetpack. And yes, after that, you can summon it from garages throughout Gothrak whenever you want. Crimson Desert is not stingy in this regard: once you have unlocked the mech, use it as you please.
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