Choosing between the Kutum and Blackstar offhand inBlack Desert Onlineis one of the most important gear decisions for players focused on PvE, PvP, or a hybrid of both. The choice isn’t always straightforward it depends heavily on your class, playstyle, AP brackets, and the type of content you’re targeting. While both offhands serve similar roles in boosting your character’s effectiveness, they are designed with different goals in mind. Understanding their stats, enhancements, and ideal use cases will help you make the best decision for your character’s progression and performance.
Overview of Offhand Weapons in BDO
In Black Desert Online, the offhand slot is as critical as your main weapon and awakening weapon. Offhands can greatly affect your defensive stats, accuracy, AP, and special effects. The two most commonly debated options for endgame content are the Kutum and Blackstar offhand.
Both are PvE-focused gear choices, and each offers different advantages depending on your situation. Whether you’re grinding high-end spots like Gyfin Underground or simply pushing progression, the right offhand can significantly impact your clear speed and survivability.
Kutum Offhand: The PvE King
The Kutum offhand is often considered the go-to for PvE content due to its bonus monster damage and decent defensive stats. It provides:
- Additional Monster AP
- Bonus Damage Reduction
- Extra accuracy (with Caphras levels)
- Elemental resistances
These bonuses make it a reliable choice for both mid- and end-game grinding spots. With Caphras upgrades, it scales nicely in defense and adds more survivability, which is especially valuable in dangerous zones like Elvia or Ash Forest.
Pros of Kutum:
- Great for PvE due to monster AP bonus
- Has more DR and elemental resistance for survivability
- Affordable enhancement compared to Blackstar
- Caphras levels add useful defensive bonuses
Cons of Kutum:
- Lower AP than Blackstar
- Not optimal for high-end PvP
- Limited to PvE unless paired with niche setups
Blackstar Offhand: High Risk, High Reward
The Blackstar offhand is a newer option, and while it has fewer defensive stats than Kutum, it boasts significantly higher AP, especially against monsters. It provides:
- Higher sheet AP
- Bonus Monster AP
- Extra monster DR bypass (ignore DR effect)
Its most notable trait is the additional monster DR ignore, which allows you to shred through tanky mobs more quickly. However, it does not gain any Caphras levels, making its late-game progression more static. Blackstar offhands are also notoriously expensive and hard to enhance, especially to PEN level.
Pros of Blackstar:
- Highest AP potential among offhands
- Monster DR ignore allows faster grind efficiency
- Ideal for burst damage against tanky PvE mobs
Cons of Blackstar:
- No Caphras upgrades
- Weaker DR and DP compared to Kutum
- Extremely costly and risky to enhance
- Does not contribute to your DP brackets
Comparing Stats: Kutum vs Blackstar
Let’s compare both weapons at PEN (the highest standard enhancement level):
- PEN Kutum: 100 AP + 26 Monster AP | 12 Accuracy | 12 DR | 6 Evasion
- PEN Blackstar: 107 AP + 28 Monster AP | 15 Accuracy | No DR or Evasion
As you can see, the Blackstar offhand wins in raw offensive stats, but lacks defensive value. This makes it suitable for players who can maintain safe positioning, or who favor a glass-cannon build. Meanwhile, Kutum offers a better balance between offense and defense, helping players survive longer in tougher grind zones.
When to Choose Kutum
Kutum is generally better in the following situations:
- You’re grinding in Elvia zones, where monster damage is high
- You rely on Caphras levels to increase your DP bracket
- You’re still pushing for gear score and need durability
- You play a class that benefits more from DR-based defenses
It’s also a safer long-term investment due to its lower enhancement risk and Caphras flexibility. For many players, Kutum remains the best offhand until very late game or unless they have the silver and luck to push a PEN Blackstar.
When to Choose Blackstar
Blackstar offhand is better if:
- You’ve reached high AP brackets and want to maximize monster clear speed
- You’re grinding in zones with high HP, high DR mobs (like Gyfin Underground, Crypt of Resting Thoughts)
- You already have enough DP from other gear and can afford to lose the DR
- You play a high burst DPS class and can kill mobs quickly without taking damage
Blackstar is not for the faint of heart it’s expensive, risky, and hard to enhance. But in the hands of a skilled player, it unlocks another level of efficiency in top-tier PvE zones.
Hybrid Players: Which One Fits Better?
For players who do both PvE and PvP regularly, Kutum is usually the more versatile choice. It may not give you the burst of Blackstar, but it offers more survivability and reliable performance in both content types. If your focus is strictly PvP, you might lean toward Nouver instead but that’s another debate.
Blackstar, while dominant in some PvE content, doesn’t offer enough defensive stats to survive long in PvP, especially in large-scale fights. That makes it less suitable for hybrid players who need to do both types of content consistently.
Kutum vs Blackstar Offhand
The debate betweenKutum vs Blackstar offhandcomes down to one thing: your goals. If you’re a grinder who prioritizes damage output in high-end spots and can afford the cost, Blackstar is unmatched in PvE burst. However, if you value flexibility, defense, and steady progression, Kutum remains the more well-rounded option.
Both are powerful tools in the right hands, but they serve different purposes. Assess your playstyle, available silver, and class synergy before making the leap. Many players choose to have both offhands eventually, switching based on the content they’re doing that day. Whether you wield the storm of Blackstar or the balance of Kutum, the key is knowing when to use which and why.