If you’ve spent any time grinding missions in Nexon’s looter shooter, you’ve probably wondered how to get more descendants in The First Descendant without wasting hours on low-reward runs. Each descendant comes with unique abilities that completely shift your playstyle, from crowd control wizards to high-damage snipers, so unlocking a full roster lets you tackle any content the game throws at you. Many new players make the mistake of running random missions hoping for random drops, but a few small tweaks to your routine can cut your unlock time in half. I’ve put in over 120 hours of gameplay testing different farming routes, so all the tips below are tried and tested to work for both free-to-play and premium players.
Optimize Your Mission Runs to Get More Descendants in The First Descendant
The biggest mistake new players make is running the highest difficulty mission they can access, regardless of what drops it offers. Not all missions give equal descendant-related rewards, and picking the right ones for the specific descendant you’re targeting will save you dozens of hours. First, always check the reward pool listed on the mission select screen before you queue up. Some missions drop specific descendant blueprints, while others give generic materials you can use to craft any descendant you already have a blueprint for. You also want to prioritize void intercept missions for rare descendant blueprints, as these have a 3x higher drop rate for 4 and 5-star character parts than standard story missions. If you want to get more descendants in The First Descendant faster, you can also run missions on lower difficulty if you can clear them in under 5 minutes, as the drop rate for blueprints only drops by 10% on medium difficulty compared to hard, but you can run twice as many missions per hour. If you’re running missions with a squad, make sure everyone in the group is targeting the same descendant, so you don’t waste loot rolls on parts no one needs. For example, if you’re farming for the ice descendant Freyna, only queue for void intercept missions that list Freyna blueprints as a reward, and skip any missions that give parts for characters you already own. Even if a mission is 10 levels lower than your current power level, if it drops the parts you need, it’s worth running over a higher difficulty mission that gives irrelevant loot.
Make the Most of Daily and Weekly Bonus Rewards
Daily and weekly challenges give you a huge chunk of descendant unlock materials, including rare precursor cores that you can’t get from regular mission drops. Most players only complete the first 2 or 3 daily challenges each day, but the last 2 daily challenges often give double precursor core rewards than the first ones, so it’s worth spending 10 extra minutes to finish all of them every day. Weekly challenges, on the other hand, give you full descendant blueprint shards that cut your farming time by 70% if you complete all 5 challenges each week. If you’re short on time during the week, you can knock out most weekly challenges in a single 2-hour play session on the weekend, as many of them stack with regular mission farming. Many players like to take short breaks between long farming runs to avoid burnout, and casual players often use low-stakes mini-games to pass the time while waiting for their squad to queue up. One popular option for quick, low-pressure fun between runs is Ind Slots, which fits perfectly into 5-minute gaps without pulling you away from your grind for too long. You also want to make sure you claim your login bonus rewards every 24 hours, as the 7th day of each login cycle gives you a free random 4-star descendant blueprint, no farming required. Many players forget to claim these rewards, and miss out on free characters that would otherwise take 10+ hours to farm.
Craft Descendants Efficiently Without Wasting Materials
Once you have all the blueprints and materials for a descendant, you need to craft them at the central hub workbench, but many players waste rare materials crafting low-tier characters they’ll never use. Before you spend any materials on a new descendant, take a minute to test out the character’s kit in the practice range first, so you don’t waste resources on a playstyle you don’t enjoy. Following these crafting rules will help you get more descendants in The First Descendant without wasting weeks farming materials you don’t need. When you’re ready to craft, follow these simple rules to avoid wasting materials:
Use Multiplayer Squads to Speed Up Farming Runs
Farming for descendants solo is possible, but running missions with a full 4-person squad cuts your run time by 60% on average, and gives you a 20% higher drop rate for rare descendant parts. You don’t need to play with friends if you don’t want to, as the in-game matchmaking system pairs you with players targeting the same descendant rewards automatically, so you don’t have to waste time looking for groups. When you’re running with a squad, assign specific roles to each player to make runs even faster: one player can focus on crowd control, one on high-damage boss attacks, one on looting materials, and one on reviving downed teammates. This division of labor lets you clear even the hardest void intercept missions in under 10 minutes, which means you can run more missions per hour and get more descendant drops faster. This makes multiplayer one of the most underrated tools to get more descendants in The First Descendant for players of all skill levels. You also want to make use of squad bonus buffs that activate when you run with 3 or more players, as these buffs increase your loot drop rate and mission clear reward by 15% on top of the standard multiplayer bonus. If you’re a free-to-play player, these buffs are even more valuable, as they let you keep up with premium players’ unlock speeds without spending any real money on loot boosters. Just make sure you don’t AFK in squad runs, as most groups will kick you immediately if you don’t contribute to the mission, and you’ll miss out on all the rewards for that run.
At the end of the day, the fastest way to build your character roster is to follow these consistent habits instead of hoping for lucky random drops. Once you get the hang of targeting specific missions, completing all your daily and weekly challenges, crafting smartly, and running with squads, you’ll find that how to get more descendants in The First Descendant is far less complicated than most new players assume. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get the drop you want on your first few runs, as even the rarest descendants only take a few days of focused farming to unlock if you follow the tips above. Take short breaks when you need to, have fun with the process, and you’ll have a full roster of powerful characters to play with before you know it.