Beginner's Guide

This is a Beginner's Guide for the First Descendant. Read on for tips to remember when playing, how to progress fast in the early game, as well as learn who is the best starting character in the game!

Beginner's Guide for The First Descendant

5 Tips to Remember When Playing
You Can't Pause the Game Get Familiar with the HUD and Status Pick Up Enemy Drops Increase Mastery Rank to Unlock More Skills Play Multiplayer with Your Friends

You Can't Pause the Game in The First Descendant

While you can play the game's missions solo, The First Descendant is also a multiplayer game with MMO elements which means you can't pause the game.

Opening the game menu or checking your inventory during combat will cause you to continue getting attacked, and the mission will continue to progress!

HUB Worlds and Lobbies are Safe Places

If you want to tweak your controller settings or check your inventory, we recommend doing so in HUB worlds or lobbies such as Albion.

While the game will still progress in lobby areas, these places are safe areas you can idle around!

Get Familiar with the HUD and Status

It's also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the game's HUD as well as the button map displayed on the screen.

Apart from the Grappling Hook and Active Skills, make sure to pay attention to your equipped weapons which are located in the lower right corner of the screen.

Status and HUD Explained

Enemies Drop Ammunition, Weapons, and Recovery Items

Enemies that you defeat will drop ammo for your weapons, as well as HP and Energy recovery items. It's better to pick these up during missions instead of running back to Munition Caches so pay attention to these drops!

Keep in mind that you can't pick up these drops if your HP, Energy, and Ammunition are full!

Increase Your Mastery Rank to Unlock More Skills

As you increase your Mastery Rank Level, you'll unlock more Active Skills that your Descendant can use during combat.

You can gain Mastery Rank Levels by defeating enemies and completing missions!

How to Rank Up Mastery

You Can Play Multiplayer with Your Friends

Although you can play The First Descendant solo, it's also a multiplayer game that you can play with your friends!

You can send a friend request from the Social Menu accessible from the Map screen, and either send a request to a nearby local player or directly add your friends by their ID using Player Search!

Multiplayer Guide

Best Starting Character in The First Descendant

Starting Descendant Tier List

Descendant	Ranking and Explanation
Lepic	Ranking: ★★★ Role: DPS ・Can deal high burst damage with his grenades ・Many of his attacks are AOE that can hit multiple enemies ・Can deal burning damage to enemies ・Close Call Passive Skill gives him a chance to survive fatal damage
Ajax	Ranking: ★★☆ Role: Tank ・Orbit Barrier grants a shield that can also reflect enemy projectiles ・Increasing Ajax's HP and Defense also increases the strength of Orbit Barrier ・Event Horizon Passive Skill allows Ajax to gather and enhance his skills with Void Energy
Viessa	Ranking: ★☆☆ Role: Debuffer ・Many of her Active Skills inflict the Ice Shackle debuff ・Easy to use and can attack enemies while debuffing them ・Ice Sphere Passive Skill creates an Ice Sphere around her when inflicting Ice Shackle

Best Starter Character

How to Progress Fast in the Early Game

12 Things to Remember to Progress Fast

Play the Tutorial and Starting Missions Use Assault Rifles Progress the Main Quest Increase Your Mastery Rank Defeat Enemies to Get More Weapons Check Surroundings For Encrypted Vaults Equip Reactors Befitting Your Descendant's Element Knock Down Enemies with Sub-Attacks Destroy Every Resource Box Equip Modules that Increase DEF and HP Increase your DPS Use Grappling Hook to Shatter Unbreakable Defense

Play the Tutorial and Starting Missions

Progressing the Tutorial and Starting Missions will teach you the basics of combats, such as how to use the grappling hook and the active skills.

These missions also give experience, which will increase your mastery rank level!

Use Assault Rifles

Thanks to their high DPS and fire rate, Assault Rifles are the best overall weapons for the early game.

Assault Rifles and their ammo are also fairly common in the game, and thanks to their low recoil, they're a great practice weapon to get used to the game's shooting mechanics.

Assault Rifles

Progress the Main Quest

You can start progressing the Main Quest after arriving at Albion. These missions are indicated with a Violet quest marker and are located in Outposts that you can fast travel to from the Map screen.

Main Quest Walkthrough

Increase Your Mastery Rank

How to Increase Your Mastery Rank
Collect Mastery EXP Rank Up using the Ancient Hand in Albion

Increasing your Mastery Rank not only unlocks more Descendant active skills, it also increases your capacity to equip Modules and Equipment Slots.

Once you receive the notification that you can level up your Mastery Rank, head back to Albion and use the Ancient Hand to increase it!

How to Rank Up Mastery

Defeat Enemies to Get More Weapons

After progressing enough at the start of the game, we recommend defeating enemies to get more weapons with different proficiencies, modules, and levels.

Even if you're already sticking to a certain weapon type, it's still a good idea to pick up weapons since you can dismantle them for materials that you can use later!

[:btn:Weapon Farming Fuide:(/games/The-First-Descendant/archives/460524:]

Check Surroundings For Encrypted Vaults

When exploring certain areas in the game, you may encounter tiny, square holograms beaming from the ground. This indicates that an Encrypted Vault is somewhere nearby, so be sure to check for them when exploring.

Encrypted Vaults can be opened by using Code Analyzers in your inventory. Various materials can be earned from unlocking Encrypted Vaults, such as Research Materials to help craft Descendants.

How to Find Encrypted Vaults

Equip Reactors Befitting Your Descendant's Element

It is advisable to equip Reactors that align with your Descendant's element, as it boosts your skill's damage. For example, use Frozen for Viessa, Burning for Blair, or Tingling for Bunny. This ensures their skills are more powerful and effective. By matching the Reactor to the Descendant's element, you can enhance the damage of their skills.

Reactors Guide: List of Reactors

Knock Down Enemies with Sub-Attacks

You can knock down most enemies using your sub-attack, which is particularly useful against tankier foes. However, keep in mind that you can't knock down bosses with it.

Combat Guide

Destroy Every Resource Box

These resource boxes contain valuable resources and materials that you might need to unlock Descendants and Ultimate Weapons. It’s a good habit to destroy every resource box you come across.

All Materials and How to Get Them

Equip Modules that Increase DEF and HP

In the early game, survival is crucial. Concentrate on modules that boost DEF, HP, and Elemental Resistance as your reactors already enhance your skill damage adequately.

Modules Guide - Modules List

Increase Your DPS

Increase your DPS by using weapons with higher levels and DPS ratings. Prioritize Firearm ATK for Weapon Modules over others like Critical Hit Damage or Weakpoint Damage, as they offer more practical benefits for enhancing your overall damage output.

How to Increase DPS

Use Grappling Hook to Shatter Unbreakable Defense

Enemies with Unbreakable Defense can be frustrating, as they deflect all bullets with their shields. Utilize the Grappling Hook to bypass and shatter their unbreakable defense, opening them up to attacks and turning the tide of battle in your favor.

What is The First Descendant?

A Looter Shooter

The First Descendant is a third-person looter shooter where you play as powerful individuals called Descendants who wield unique skills and powers alongside various firearms, take on waves of enemies, and challenge bosses to fight for the survival of the human race!

You can play the game solo or together with friends in cooperative play to take on challenging story missions and boss fights, all the while gathering loot to upgrade your weapons and Descendant skills.

All Tips and Tricks

All Starter Guides

The First Descendant Related Guides

The First Descendant Wiki

The First Descendant Walkthrough Wiki

The First Descendant Guides
Tier Lists	Tips & Tricks
News	Main Quests
Void Bosses	Characters
Weapons	Sub Quests
Materials	Reactors
Modules	External Components
Maps	Seasons