How to Rank Up in The First Descendant: 7 Actionable Tips for Fast Progression

I’ve put over 120 hours into The First Descendant, and I know exactly how frustrating it is to hit a rank wall where progress feels impossible for days on end. A lot of new players waste hours running low-tier missions that barely move their rank bar, or dump scarce resources into gear that becomes obsolete two ranks later. If you’re tired of slow, unrewarding grind, this guide breaks down exactly what you need to do to climb ranks fast, no paid shortcuts required. It’s totally possible to go from Rank 10 to Rank 30 in less than two weeks if you follow the right steps, and I’m going to show you exactly how to rank up in The First Descendant without burning out.

Core Principles to Follow When You Learn How to Rank Up in The First Descendant

Rank progression isn’t just about how many missions you run. It’s about targeting the right content that gives you the maximum possible rank XP for your time. I’ve tested every mission type and reward structure over months of play, and these three principles are the foundation of any fast rank climb:

Always match your mission difficulty to your current rank threshold: Running missions 1 tier below your current cap gives 70% less rank XP, so don’t stick to easy content just to avoid dying. You’ll progress way faster even if you die a couple times on higher difficulty runs, since the XP payout is so much higher.

Complete weekly rank challenge objectives first: These give 3x more rank XP than standard missions, and they reset every 7 days. I usually knock these out first every week before I touch any other content, and it cuts my required grind by almost 40% every time.

Don't ignore interception and defense missions: A lot of players stick to extermination runs because they're faster, but interception and defense missions give 25% more rank XP per run when you clear them with an S rank. A 12-minute defense run gives almost the same XP as two 8-minute extermination runs, so the extra time is more than worth it.

That doesn’t mean you have to force yourself to run content you hate, but mixing in a few higher-difficulty defense runs every session will make a noticeable difference in how fast your rank moves. I used to only run extermination missions when I first started, and I was stuck at Rank 22 for almost two weeks before I switched up my mission rotation.

Optimize Your Loadout and Descendant Selection for Rank Progression

Your descendant choice and loadout have a way bigger impact on rank progression than most players realize, because faster clears mean you can fit more high-XP runs into each play session. You don’t need the rarest legendary characters to climb fast, either – even common descendants work great if you pick the right ones for your playstyle.

For early to mid rank climbs, stick to AoE-focused descendants like Viessa or Ajax – their wide area damage lets you clear waves of enemies in seconds, so you can hit S ranks on almost every mission without trying. If you prefer playing support, Lepic is a great pick too, since his healing buffs make it way easier for your team to survive higher difficulty runs, which means fewer failed missions and wasted time. If you’re playing solo, Gley is a solid option thanks to her self-healing and high single-target damage that works well against boss enemies.

Don’t waste resources upgrading low-tier gear, either. Only invest in gear that has a rank matching or higher than your current player rank – lower rank gear has capped stats, so it will be useless once you climb two or three more ranks. I made the mistake of pouring 200k credits into a Rank 15 shotgun when I was at Rank 17, and I had to replace it two days later when I hit Rank 19. Save your upgrade materials for epic or legendary gear that you can use for at least 5 rank tiers, and you’ll never run out of materials when you need them for endgame gear.

Maximize Reward Multipliers to Cut Grind Time In Half

There are a ton of hidden multipliers you can stack to get extra rank XP on every run, and most players don’t even know they exist. These multipliers stack on top of each other, so using all of them at once can almost double your XP gain per hour of play. That means you can get the same rank progress in 2 hours that most players get in 4, which is a game-changer if you only have a few hours a week to play.

First, always play with at least one other player if you can – the team play bonus gives you a 15% XP boost for every squad member, up to 45% for a full 4-person team. You don’t have to join a random public squad if you don’t want to, even playing with one friend will give you a noticeable boost. If you do play with randoms, try to join squads that are running the same high-difficulty missions you’re targeting, so you don’t waste time on content that doesn’t help your rank.

Always activate the daily XP booster before you start your play session – you get one free 2-hour booster every day from the in-game shop, and it stacks with the team play bonus for a total of up to 95% extra rank XP per run. I once forgot to activate mine during a 3-hour play session, and I only got half the rank XP I would have earned if I’d remembered to turn it on. You can also stack event-specific boosters if there’s an active limited time event, so always check the event tab before you start playing to see if there are any extra bonuses you can claim. One thing to note: boosters don’t apply to weekly challenge rewards, so you don’t need to activate them if you’re only knocking out those challenges.

Avoid These Common Mistakes That Slow Down Rank Climbs

Even if you’re following all the right strategies, small mistakes can add up and make your rank climb way slower than it needs to be. I’ve made all of these mistakes myself at one point, so I know exactly how much time they can waste if you don’t catch them early.

The first mistake I see all the time is abandoning missions halfway through when you’re losing. If you stick through a mission even if you’re at a disadvantage, you still get 60% of the rank XP you would have earned for a clear, but if you leave early you get nothing. It’s better to finish a run even if you only get a C rank than to leave and get zero progress, especially if you’re already 10 minutes into a 12-minute mission.

Another common mistake is wasting time on cosmetic side content that doesn’t give rank XP. Cosmetic skins and collectibles are fun to hunt for, but if your main goal is to rank up, save those for after you’ve finished your weekly challenges and high-priority missions. I once spent 3 hours hunting for hidden collectibles when I was trying to hit Rank 30, and I could have hit the rank that same day if I’d spent that time running high-difficulty missions instead.

Never skip the post-mission rank assessment bonus objectives – things like not using any revives, clearing the mission in under 10 minutes, or getting 100 critical hits give you an extra 20% rank XP per objective, and they’re usually easy to hit if you plan your run ahead. The last big mistake is ignoring your descendant skill upgrades. Even a small 10% boost to your main damage skill can cut your mission clear time by 20%, which means you can fit more runs into each session without playing longer.

At the end of the day, figuring out how to rank up in The First Descendant doesn’t have to involve endless grinding or spending real money on boosters. Small changes to your mission rotation, loadout choices, and how you use your in-game bonuses will help you climb ranks way faster than you would by just running random missions every time you log on. Try testing out one or two of these tips in your next play session, and you’ll probably notice a difference in your rank progress before you even log off for the day. Don’t get discouraged if you hit a temporary wall – every player hits a point where progress feels slow, but adjusting your strategy a little will help you push through in no time.