Complete Beginner Guide, New & Returning Player Guide - 2026 RELEVANT Changes - The First Descendant

Storyline / “What the game is about”

The First Descendant is structured around progressing through missions into progressively harder content, building stronger Descendants (playable characters), and unlocking higher-tier gear and endgame systems (reactors, components, modules, and ultimate/finalized upgrades).

The video frames progression as a journey from:

• Early-game onboarding
• Mid/advanced growth systems
• High-end endgame farming and optimization

—not as a single narrative plot summary.

Gameplay highlights & key systems (beginner → returning)

1) Starting character (Descendants)

On first login, you choose one of three Descendants:

• Pasa
• Ajax
• Lepic

Guide takeaway: Pick whoever you enjoy (“vibe with”). You can still clear content, and later research other Descendants.

2) Core growth: Modules (and how builds work)

Modules are the main growth system.

• Examples mentioned: cooldown reduction, range, damage, and more.

Modules are obtained via:

• Missions
• Enemy drops

Module Capacity limits what you can equip. It’s increased mainly by:

• Leveling Mastery Rank (new players)
• Using Energy Activators (+20 capacity)
• Using sub-modules (below)

3) Sub-modules + socket types (important building rule)

The guide suggests using mid-air maneuvering sub-modules for every Descendant.

Sub-modules behave differently:

• Regular modules reduce capacity
• Sub-modules add capacity as you upgrade them

Socket matching matters:

• If a module is placed into a socket type that doesn’t match, capacity cost increases
• Neutral sockets (square-marked) do not change cost

Socket assignment is done in module additional settings, and requires the descendant to reach level 40.

4) Catalysts & activators: who to spend resources on

• Crystallization Catalyst
  • Required for significant build resetting/upgrading actions (referenced alongside level resets)
  • Acquired via events, mission rewards, crafting

Strong tip: Avoid using Crystallization Catalysts or Energy Activators on anything except:

• Descendants
• Ultimate weapons

Ultimate-related gear is harder to obtain early.

5) Early-game weapons / early recommended Descendant

• Thunder Cage
  • Can be obtained early via a mission
  • Still described as strong later (“endgame”)
  • Suggested investment target to help you clear content
• Freya
  • Recommended as an early-available Descendant through missions

6) Ultimate versions & investment carry-over

Some Descendants have Ultimate variants that may change what you should invest in.

Carry-over method: Use a Foden Imprinter (obtained from events) to move investments to an Ultimate version.

7) Ultimate weapons & weapon ability upgrades

Per the guide, invest heavily only in Ultimate weapons.

Ultimate weapons can:

• Boost weapon damage
• Act as stat sticks for Descendants’ abilities

Improving an Ultimate weapon ability requires:

• Farming and researching multiple copies
• Using the Weapons Workbench

Weapon QoL: sub stats Unlocking/improving sub stats uses:

• Gold
• Adjustment Control (from dismantling weapons)

Tip: Get weapon level as high as possible first, then invest into sub stats—otherwise substat scaling will be poor.

8) Reactors (skill-damage foundation)

Reactors strongly affect skill damage calculations:

• Less critical early
• Central later

You generally want to match:

• Element
• Archetype with your Descendant/abilities.

Element types mentioned:

• Non-attributed
• Chill
• Toxic
• Fire
• Electric

Arcade types mentioned:

• Fusion
• Dimension
• Singular
• Tech

Matching bonus example:

• Reactor element + ability archetype

Archetype changes can occur using transcendent modules (example):

• Inz becomes Tech across abilities when equipped with Time of the Hunting Hounds transcendent module

Farming details:

• Reactor farming spots rotate weekly, but locations can also be checked via map/difficulty rewards.
• Reactor sub stats are random and can’t be directly changed—keep farming.

9) External Components (HP/defense/damage + set bonuses)

External Components boost:

• HP
• defense
• shield
• damage

They also include special effects and set effects:

• Ultimate external components provide extra bonuses when matching 2 sets / 4 sets

Components are farmed via:

• Specific bosses/dungeons/areas depending on the component

Sub stats are random:

• Rarity: blue → gold
• Enhancement occurs in the Auxiliary workbench

10) Blueprint/material sourcing & “target farming” system

Library

• Lists what you need and where to farm it using Acquisition Info.

Target farming (pity-like system):

• Works for blueprints and chests
• You can target up to four at once

Economy & farming strategies (gold, Kyper, experience)

Gold farming (and weapon leveling)

Gold is generally easy to accumulate.

Best/mentioned method:

• Invasion Missions daily (marked with an exclamation mark)
• Ties into leveling Invasion Reinforcer (seasonal system)

Best gold + weapon leveling area:

• Hard mode Special Operations
• Farming in Fortress and Kingston
• Guide names Fraina as best for this operation

Kyper farming

Early approach:

• Find vaults around the map

Vault rewards require:

• Code breakers dropped by special monsters

Descendant help:

• Enzo (and another “now” mentioned but unclear) reduces vault difficulty

Later module economy twist:

• Duplicates can be:
  • Dismantled for more Kyper
  • Combined to potentially receive higher-tier modules

Leveling experience (Descendants & reset mechanics)

Fast/efficient XP sources:

• Kyper Mine Blockade special operation (White Knight Gulch / Ser Land)

Crystallization Catalyst reset:

• Resetting a Descendant’s level returns them to level 1
• Stats remain
• You must level again to catalyze again

Weapon leveling:

• Best place: Albian resource defense special operations in Fortress/Kingston
• XP distribution:
  • Primary weapon gets full XP
  • Secondary/tertiary get reduced XP

Mastery Rank (account-wide power + unlocks)

Mastery Rank provides account bonuses for:

• Descendants
• weapons
• inventory systems

It also unlocks more content/areas/difficulties.

How it levels:

• First-time mission clears award mastery rank XP
• Many missions show a mastery rank XP symbol in details
• Leveling Descendants to 41 (default and ultimate versions) grants mastery rank XP
• Leveling a weapon to 40 grants mastery rank XP up through ultimate rarity once

Inventory management (don’t waste hard-to-get items)

Keep/favorite rules

• Favoriting:
  • When you obtain an Ultimate weapon, favorite it to prevent accidental dismantling
• Never dismantle ultimate weapons—even if you think they’re useless.

“Junk filter” guidance

• Use junk filters to avoid dismantling valuable gear.
• Beginner cautions:
  • Don’t dismantle ultimate reactors at level 100
  • Don’t dismantle ultimate external components at level 100
• Adjust reactor/external/weapon junk filters as you learn the system.

Quality-of-life improvements mentioned

Companions (“fellows”)

Fellows:

• Loot automatically
• Dismantle items tagged as junk

Positioned as a major QoL improvement.

New amorphous material opening flow

Open amorphous materials using the New Shaping Device terminal next to “Na”.

• No need to fight a boss or interact with a fusion reactor directly.
• Shape stabilizers:
  • Increase odds for rare materials
  • Advanced stabilizer reverses the odds (per guide)
• You can craft the advanced version.

Multiplayer and party finder

Use:

• Public queue
• party finder

Quick join after setting tags/conditions.

You can choose:

• preferred descendants
• content
• region
• mastery rank

Saved builds via presets

• Mastery Rank unlocks preset slots
• Save builds/Descendants and swap back to the exact saved setup

Event systems, event shop, and HQ/special orders

• Event shop
  • Resources/cosmetics and high-value items like Photon Imprint
• HQ orders / special orders
  • Quest-board style rewards (weapons, descendants, etc.)

ETA 0 shop rotation (time-limited)

ETA 0 shop hours:

• 12:00 a.m. Friday → 12:00 a.m. Monday (Pacific Standard Time)

Purchases use three currency types:

• “Red ticket” (from dungeons/missions)
• “Gold ticket” (from selling duplicate blueprints)
• “Green tickets” (from defeating Abyss Colossus)

Resets:

• Red & gold tickets reset weekly
• Green tickets reset each Abyss Colossus rotation

Settings & combat QoL recommendations

Under gameplay settings, suggested:

• Attack button hold mode (hold to continuously fire)
• Instant casting mode (cast immediately toward cursor)
• Skill cooldown details (see when abilities are ready)
• Optional:
  • reduce explosion effects clutter/lag
  • turn off motion blur for performance/clarity

Lab damage testing note:

Damage numbers are rough estimates because RNG affects real DPS.

Advanced/Returning systems (cores, arcade tuning, Axion Plains, endgame modules)

Battle-pass weapon access (via Deslin)

Previous battle pass weapons can be obtained from Deslin using support coins.

Support coins sources mentioned:

• enabling “accept other infiltration support” in an infiltration operation
• Void Vessel missions

Goal:

• let new/returning players obtain meta weapons previously locked to older battle passes

Weapon Cores (Void Erosion Purge)

Weapon cores:

• Improve weapons
• Come in socket types

Best/focused farm location:

• Void Erosion Purge (unlocks at Mastery Rank 18)

To craft:

• Create a core binder to unlock weapon sockets

Core constraints:

• Each core fits a socket type matching its color/symbol
• A weapon can have a rainbow socket that accepts any core type

Core value is random within ranges—farm until you get what you want.

External Component cores (Sigma sector)

External component cores are improved at:

• Sigma sector (best mentioned)

You can combine lower-level cores and convert core types, but it’s expensive.

Arcade Tuning board + mutant cells

Arcade tuning is a growth system leveled efficiently in Sigma sector.

It boosts:

• descendant skill or weapon damage
• sometimes QoL

Board progression lets you equip mutant cells for extra damage/QoL.

Shared leveling detail:

• Arcade tuning level is shared between normal descendant and ultimate version
• You don’t have to relevel after crystallizing to ultimate

Axion Plains (high-resistance endgame area)

Unlocked at:

• Mastery Rank 15

Described as high difficulty:

• high enemy resistances and damage

Major endgame focus:

• high-end growth resources and modules (including trigger modules)
• efficient formation of ancestor modules (highest-end)

Trigger modules

Provide special effects to abilities/weapons.

• Equip trigger modules that synergize with your descendant.
• The guide suggests filtering to find which trigger modules synergize automatically.

Ancestor modules (ultimate optimization)

Obtained via:

• jackpot drops from missions
• jackpot drops from Wall Crasher
• daily missions in Sigma sector
• operational missions
• ETA 0 weekly rewards (as described)

Characteristics:

• random substats (blue to red)
• cannot enhance sub stats
• instead you roll subsets using superconductive cooling unit

Farming constraints:

• Best location depends on whether the mission has a Fangs icon (operational area rotation)
• When not operational, farm using breach tracking dungeon

Stabilization keys:

• from roaming field colossus in Axion
• best during Wall Crasher

Trading system (buying ancestor/trigger modules)

If farming keys/resources is too punishing, you can trade via marketplace.

• Use the official website marketplace
• Filter/search by substats and value
• Purchase sends a private message to the seller in-game

Trading flow:

1. Form a party
2. Use trading terminal in-game
3. Buyer pays the fee in gold

Limits mentioned:

• up to 6 items per shipment
• up to 10,000 calibers per session

Companion app

Companion app features:

• view current descendant/build and resources
• view weapons/reactors/components
• check what you’re researching
• start new research from the app (even offline)
• app library like the in-game library
• earn gold via daily login

Additional note:

• unlocking Axion Plains adds global research time reduction buffs
• mentions hover bikes

Other QoL/community features

• Social
  • view other players by entering their ID
  • see descendant/build/weapons/components/location
• Leaderboards
  • view builds that achieved best times
• Laboratory
  • updated damage info options (still limited by RNG)
• Lounge
  • display collectibles/descendants with emotes
  • hover bike showroom, diorama showroom, etc.
• Spawn and quick actions
  • choose spawn location
  • customize wheel with quick actions (photo mode, abort mission, disband, etc.)
• Inventory search
  • search by name/type/substats; bulk search/filtering available
• Completionist pursuits
  • medals/titles via journal/awards and account missions
• Platform freebies
  • Xbox/PlayStation with Game Pass/PS Plus: claim in-game freebies from shop/caliber section

Gamers or sources featured (mentioned at the end)

• The subtitles state the guide includes “a wide selection of content creators from big to small,” pointing viewers to YouTube build creators generally.
• However: no specific gamer/YouTuber names are listed in the subtitles.

Featured specific brands/organizations:

• TFD
• Nexon

Featured in-game characters/NPCs/locations (not gamers):

• Na (terminal referenced)
• Silian (NPC referenced for modules)
• ETA 0, Deslin
• Wall Crasher (enemy/boss)
• Abyss Colossus (enemy/boss)
• White Knight Gulch, Ser Land, Fortress, Kingston, Sigma sector, Axion Plains, Void Erosion Purge, Axian (spelling as shown)