If you’ve logged even a few hours of The First Descendant, you’ve almost certainly seen “MP” pop up in mission rewards, mod upgrade menus, and unlock screens, with zero clear explanation of what it actually does. I’ve put over 200 hours into the game across open beta and full release, and I’ve lost count of how many new teammates I’ve had to stop from wasting all their MP on useless upgrades before they can unlock endgame content. In this guide, we’re breaking down what is MP in The First Descendant, how to earn it fast, how to spend it wisely, and what mistakes to avoid so you never get stuck grinding for extra resources when you want to run harder content.
What is MP in The First Descendant, Exactly?
At its core, MP stands for Mission Points, but it pulls double duty as Module Points for your character builds, which is why so many new players get confused by its uses. Unlike other games that split mission unlock currency and build currency into separate pools, The First Descendant uses MP for both functions, so every point you spend on one thing is a point you can’t spend on the other. That shared pool is what makes MP one of the most valuable resources in the game, especially for players who haven’t hit max level yet.
You’ll use it to unlock higher difficulty Void Intercept missions, limited-time event stages, and exclusive boss runs that drop rare crafting materials. You’ll also use it to equip and upgrade mods for your Descendant, primary and secondary weapons, and reactive gear like shields or healing drones. If you run out of MP, you won’t just be locked out of new missions – you’ll also be stuck with a weak build that can’t clear the content you already have access to.
Fastest Ways to Earn MP Without Grinding Endless Missions
You don’t have to run 10 hours of low-difficulty missions to stock up on MP. I’ve tested every farming route in the game, and these are the only methods that give you a positive return on your time investment, no matter what level you’re at.
- Daily challenge completions: The three daily challenges reset every 24 hours, and each gives between 200 and 500 MP for tasks as simple as running two low-difficulty missions or defeating 100 enemies with a fire weapon. You can knock all three out in under 20 minutes, no endgame gear required.
- Void Intercept tier 2 runs: If you have a decently built level 20+ character, tier 2 Void Intercept runs take 7-10 minutes per clear and give a base of 300 MP, plus a chance for bonus MP drops from boss chests. This is the best method for mid-game players who haven’t unlocked tier 3 content yet.
- Event limited-time tasks: Almost every in-game event has repeatable tasks that reward MP. For example, the recent seasonal collab event had a repeatable task that gave 150 MP for every 5 common enemies defeated, which let me earn 2000 MP in an hour without running full missions.
- Weekly guild milestone rewards: If you join an active guild, hitting the top three weekly guild milestones gives a collective reward of 1200 MP per week, no extra work required beyond your regular gameplay. Just make sure your guild completes at least 80% of its weekly tasks to unlock the full payout.
Don’t waste your time running tier 1 missions for MP. The drop rate is so low that you’ll spend twice as long for half the rewards, even if you can clear them in 3 minutes flat. It’s always better to knock out your dailies first before you sink time into dedicated farming runs.
Smartest Ways to Spend MP to Boost Your Game Progress
A lot of new players blow all their MP on low-tier mod upgrades early on, and then can’t unlock endgame missions when they hit level 30. I made this exact mistake when I first started: I spent 1200 MP upgrading a common health mod I found in my first hour of play, and then had to wait three days of daily challenges to unlock the void boss mission I needed for my main character’s exclusive weapon. Always keep at least 800 MP in reserve before you spend any on mod upgrades, because unlocking tier 3 Void Intercept missions costs 750 MP, and that’s the only way to get legendary mods and high-tier crafting materials.
Once you’ve unlocked all the mission tiers you qualify for, you can start spending MP on mods, but be selective. Only upgrade S-tier mods that fit your main build. Don’t waste MP upgrading C or B tier mods just because you have them early on; you’ll replace them within 10 hours of gameplay anyway, and you’ll never get that MP back. If you main multiple Descendants, prioritize spending MP on universal mods that work for all your builds, like cooldown reduction or base damage boosts, before you invest in character-specific mods that only work for one of your characters.
Common MP Mistakes to Avoid as a New Player
Even if you’re earning MP fast, small mistakes can drain your stock before you know it. These are the three most common mistakes I see new players make every week, and they’re all easy to avoid if you plan ahead. First, don’t spend all your MP as soon as you earn it. I see this every time I play with new friends: they get 500 MP from a daily, immediately spend it on upgrading a random mod, and then can’t join our tier 2 mission runs later that week. Set a minimum MP threshold for your account and never dip below it unless you’re unlocking a new mission tier that you qualify for. I keep a 1000 MP reserve on my account even after 200 hours of play, and it’s saved me from missing out on limited-time event missions more than once.
Second, don’t waste MP on unlocking low-value event missions. A lot of event missions cost 100 MP to unlock, but only give 150 MP and a common cosmetic as a reward. That’s a net gain of 50 MP for 15 minutes of work, which is way worse than running regular Void Intercept runs. Only unlock event missions if they give exclusive crafting materials or legendary mod rewards that you can’t get anywhere else. Third, don’t ignore guild rewards. A lot of new players skip joining a guild because they think it’s only for hardcore players who want to run mandatory group content, but that’s not true. You don’t have to participate in guild PvP or scheduled runs to get the weekly MP rewards; most casual guilds only require you to log in a few times a week to count towards the milestones, and the free MP is worth the 30 seconds it takes to join a public guild.
Getting a handle on what is MP in The First Descendant is one of the first and most important steps to moving from a casual player to someone who can clear endgame content easily. You don’t have to grind for 10 hours a day to have enough MP, as long as you focus on the high-return earning methods we covered, spend it only on upgrades and unlocks that actually move your progress forward, and avoid the common mistakes that drain most new players’ stock. Take 10 minutes after you finish reading this to check your current MP balance, set your minimum reserve threshold, and make sure you’re not wasting points on upgrades you don’t actually need. You’ll be surprised how much faster your progress moves when you’re not constantly scrambling for extra MP.