If you’ve spent hours grinding missions in The First Descendant only to hit a wall where you can’t unlock new characters, higher tier mods, or endgame content, you’re probably stuck on a low Mastery Rank. I’ve put 120+ hours into the game since launch, and I wasted almost 20 hours on low-yield activities before I figured out the most efficient path to rank up. This guide breaks down exactly how to upgrade mastery rank in The First Descendant without the mindless grind, using proven methods that cut progression time in half for most players.
How to Upgrade Mastery Rank in The First Descendant: Core XP Sources First
Mastery XP only counts from specific activities, so you can waste hours running random side missions that give barely any progress if you don’t know what to prioritize. The best sources of Mastery XP fall into three core categories, and you should focus almost all of your playtime on these if you want to rank up fast. I’ve tested every activity in the game to measure XP per hour, and these three sources make up 90% of my progression over the last two months.
- First-time story mission full clears: Each main story node gives 2-3x more Mastery XP on your first run than it does on repeats, and completing all side objectives on that first run adds an extra 50% XP bonus. Don’t rush through story content just to unlock endgame early, you’ll lose out on a massive chunk of easy early rank progression.
- Void Intercept tier 3+ runs: Once you unlock difficulty 3 Void Intercept battles, these become the most consistent source of repeatable Mastery XP in the game. A full clear of a tier 3 run gives 12,000 XP on average, and runs with a coordinated squad take 6-8 minutes each, making for a very strong XP per hour rate.
- Maxing descendant and weapon proficiency: Every time you level a new descendant or weapon from 1 to 40, you get a one-time 15,000 Mastery XP bonus. This is the single fastest way to gain ranks in the early to mid game, and you can knock out multiple of these bonuses in a single play session if you rotate through unleveled gear.
You don’t have to stick to these activities exclusively, but 70-80% of your playtime should go to these sources if you’re focused on ranking up. I still run random side content for fun sometimes, but I make sure I’ve hit my daily core activity goals first so my progression doesn’t stall.
Avoid Common Mistakes That Slow Down Mastery Rank Progression
Even if you’re focusing on the right XP sources, small mistakes can cut your XP per hour in half without you even noticing. The most common mistake I see new players make is grinding low-difficulty activities just because they can clear them fast. I used to spend 2 hours a day running tier 1 Void Intercepts that took 3 minutes each, but once I switched to tier 3 runs that took 7 minutes each, I was earning 3x more XP per hour even with the occasional wipe.
Another big mistake is ignoring daily and weekly challenge rewards. Each daily challenge gives 5,000 Mastery XP, and weekly challenges give 20,000 XP each, so you can earn 115,000 XP a week just from completing these quick, low-effort tasks. That’s enough to gain a full rank every week without even running core activities, so it’s foolish to leave them uncompleted.
When you’re stuck waiting for your squad to assemble for a high-difficulty run, or you just need a 10 minute break to reset after a failed void intercept, it’s easy to mindlessly browse menus or run low XP missions that don’t move the needle. Many players I know opt for a quick casual game to pass the time instead, and Rummy Grand is a popular pick for short, low-stakes play sessions that don’t require you to stay focused on boss mechanics or mod loadouts. Once you’re refreshed, you’ll be able to jump back into runs with better focus, which cuts down on failed attempts and wasted XP.
Don’t waste time replaying missions you already cleared for small XP gains either. Once you’ve gotten the first clear bonus for a story mission, the only repeatable content worth running is tier 3+ Void Intercepts and weekly bounty missions. All other repeat activities give less than half the XP per hour of these options.
Optimize Your Loadout and Squad Setup for Faster Clears
The faster you can clear core activities, the more XP you’ll earn per hour, so small optimizations to your loadout and squad can add up to huge progression gains over time. The first thing you should do is make sure you have at least one support descendant in your squad for high-difficulty runs. Characters like Viessa and Gley can boost group damage by 30% or more, and their healing abilities cut down on wipe rates significantly, so you won’t lose XP from failed runs.
If you’re playing solo, pick a high-mobility descendant like Bunny to zip through objectives faster. Slow tank characters like Ajax are great for endgame raids, but they drag out mission time for standard Void Intercept and story runs, lowering your XP per hour. You can always switch back to your main once you hit the rank you’re targeting.
You should also equip Mastery XP boost mods on your main weapon even if they drop your damage slightly. A 15% XP boost mod adds 1,800 extra XP per tier 3 Void Intercept run, which adds up to 18,000 extra XP for every 10 runs you complete. That’s a full proficiency bonus worth of XP for almost no effort, so it’s well worth the minor damage tradeoff.
If you’re grinding proficiency bonuses for new descendants, equip a set of low-level XP boost gear on them to cut down on leveling time. You can also run tier 2 missions with a high-level friend to power level new characters in 20-30 minutes each, instead of spending an hour or more leveling them solo.
Track Your Progression to Hit Milestones Without Burnout
Grinding for Mastery Rank can get boring fast if you don’t set small, achievable goals for each play session. Instead of aiming to gain 3 ranks in one weekend, set a daily goal of completing 3 daily challenges and maxing one weapon or descendant per day. That pace adds up to 7 proficiency bonuses and 35,000 extra XP from dailies every week, which is enough to gain 2-3 ranks a week without burning out.
Keep a list of all descendants and weapons you haven’t maxed yet so you can rotate through them as you grind. Playing the same character for 10 hours straight gets old fast, and rotating through unleveled characters keeps gameplay fresh while you earn those big one-time proficiency bonuses. I keep a note on my phone with my unmaxed gear list, and I cross them off as I go to stay motivated.
You should also take 5 minutes to claim all your Mastery Rank rewards as soon as you hit a new rank. Many of these rewards, like new mod slots, character unlocks, and higher tier weapon access, make your future runs even faster, so claiming them immediately will speed up your progression even more. Don’t save reward claiming for later, you’re just slowing yourself down.
If you start feeling burnt out, take a full day off from grinding core activities. Run some casual open world content, try out a new descendant you just unlocked, or take a break from the game entirely. You’ll come back more focused, and you won’t resent the grind as much if you give yourself regular breaks.
Learning how to upgrade mastery rank in The First Descendant doesn’t have to be a tedious, time-consuming slog if you prioritize the right activities, avoid common mistakes, and optimize your runs for efficiency. The biggest tip I can give new players is to never ignore those one-time proficiency bonuses, they’re the fastest XP gain you’ll get in the early and mid game, and they’ll carry you to endgame ranks far faster than mindless grinding of low-difficulty missions. With a little planning and focus, you’ll hit your target Mastery Rank in half the time you thought it would take.