How Crimson Moon Runs Work: 3 Missions, World Boss & Progression

VERIFIED OFFICIAL FACTS

The complete run structure

Team Metal defines a full Crimson Moon run as three missions followed by a World Boss. A return to Sanctus Clypeus between those missions is an intermission inside the same active run, not the end of it.

That distinction explains several systems that can otherwise look broken: mission number remains attached to the run, the prepared loadout stays committed, and the Loadout Station does not reopen just because the player is physically back in the hub.

• Mission 1 starts the active run
• Missions 2 and 3 continue the same run
• Sanctus Clypeus visits between missions are intermissions
• The World Boss is the fourth and final run stage
• Completing the World Boss or dying ends the active run

VERIFIED OFFICIAL FACTS

What to do before Mission 1

Treat the War Table and Loadout Station as a single departure checklist. Select the Ward, equip four armour pieces, two trinkets, a one-handed weapon and shield, and a two-handed weapon, then stock consumables and choose an Angel. Once the run starts, that baseline loadout is committed until the run ends.

• Check the Ward and expected difficulty
• Equip all nine gear slots described by the official build explainer
• Choose an Angel that covers the loadout's weakest area
• Bring consumables for the whole sequence, not only the first mission
• Confirm co-op roles before launching

VERIFIED OFFICIAL FACTS

Permanent progress versus run-only power

Equipment successfully brought through a hunt can be purified into the permanent collection. Lore Scrolls returned to Mereda unlock additional Boons for future hunts, while Nexus Gate Boons remain temporary choices for the current run.

This creates two planning layers: expand the permanent collection between completed runs, then adapt the current build through temporary Boons as the three missions unfold. A guide that merges those layers will give misleading advice about what survives failure.

VERIFIED OFFICIAL FACTS

Failure and restart checklist

The official run explanation says the Loadout Station becomes available after the full run is completed or the character dies. It does not document a mid-run checkpoint that preserves the active sequence as a completed run.

• Confirm whether the run truly ended before reporting a locked station
• Rebuild the loadout only after the station becomes available
• Check the Collection for purified—not merely found—gear
• Record the mission and World Boss stage when diagnosing repeat failures