If you’ve spent even a few hours running void intercepts, boss raids, or co-op missions in Nexon’s looter shooter, you’ve almost certainly asked what is the best gun in The First Descendant. The game’s massive weapon pool has options for every playstyle, from close-quarters shotguns to long-range sniper rifles, but not all are worth sinking your rare upgrade materials into. I’ve tested over 40 weapons across 120+ hours of endgame gameplay, so I can break down which guns actually pull their weight in every scenario, no fluff or generic tier list guesswork.
What is the best gun in The First Descendant for most playstyles?
A lot of new players ask what is the best gun in The First Descendant expecting a single one-size-fits-all answer, and while no weapon works perfectly for every scenario, the Void Typhoon Assault Rifle comes closer than any other option. It has an 820 RPM fire rate, 35-round magazine, and innate void damage that bypasses 30% of enemy armor, making it effective against both regular add waves and mid-tier bosses. It works for both solo and co-op play too, since its recoil pattern is easy to control even for new players, and it pairs well with almost every descendant’s passive skills.
The only real downsides to the Void Typhoon are that it doesn’t hit as hard as dedicated sniper rifles for boss weak point damage, and it lacks the burst damage of shotguns for tight, close-quarters maps. If you only have enough rare upgrade materials to max out one gun when you first hit endgame though, this is the pick you won’t regret. I’ve used mine for over 60 hours of gameplay across every mission type, and I only swap it out for specific high-difficulty runs.
Top niche guns for specific mission types
While the Void Typhoon works for most runs, there are a few niche guns that outperform it for specific content, and it’s worth keeping one or two of these in your loadout if you regularly run endgame content. For dedicated boss raids, the Plasma Eruption Sniper Rifle is unbeatable: it deals 12,000 base damage per charged shot, and its innate perk gives a 4x damage multiplier for hits to enemy weak points, letting you chunk boss health bars in seconds. For close-quarters void missions with dense add waves, the Ripper Shotgun is perfect: it’s fully automatic, has a 12-round magazine, and applies stacking bleed damage that melts grouped enemies faster than any assault rifle can. If you play PvP matches regularly, the Phantom SMG is the top pick, with a 1100 RPM fire rate, suppressed shots, and a 2x headshot multiplier that makes it perfect for flanking plays.
You don’t need to carry all of these guns with you on every run though. Swap in a niche gun only when:
- You’re running a dedicated boss raid squad with pre-assigned roles for damage dealers
- You’re playing a descendant whose passives buff a specific weapon type (like Viessa’s ice buff for shotguns)
- You’re tackling high-difficulty endgame content where generic weapons can’t keep up with enemy health pools
- You prefer a specific playstyle that doesn’t align with assault rifle use, like long-range sniping or close-quarters brawling
That means you don’t have to hoard 10 different guns for every possible scenario, but keeping 1-2 niche options in your storage alongside your all-rounder will make tough missions far easier. I used to carry 4 guns everywhere until I realized I only swapped to my sniper once per 3 missions, so I freed up inventory space for more crafting materials instead.
How to tell if a gun is worth upgrading
If you’re still wondering what is the best gun in The First Descendant for your specific build, start by checking a few key stats before you spend any rare upgrade materials. Always check the weapon's innate perk before spending upgrade materials first. A lot of high-rarity guns have useless perks that don’t scale into endgame, like extra damage to low-health enemies when most endgame threats have millions of HP. Even if a gun is marked as legendary, if its perk doesn’t fit your playstyle or build, it’s not worth upgrading.
Next, test the gun unupgraded first in a low-level mission. If it feels clunky to use, has too much recoil, or doesn’t fit your playstyle, don’t waste resources on it even if it’s S-tier on random tier lists. You’ll perform far better with a lower-rarity gun that feels natural to use than a high-rarity gun you can’t aim properly. Look for guns with innate elemental damage too – void, fire, ice, or electric – because they bypass a lot of enemy resistances that non-elemental guns struggle with in endgame content.
Common mistakes to avoid when picking your main gun
The biggest mistake I see new players make is chasing rarity just for rarity’s sake. I’ve seen so many players dump thousands of upgrade materials into a legendary gun that has a terrible perk, when a rare grade gun with a good perk would perform twice as well. Rarity only matters if the gun’s stats and perks actually work for your build, so don’t get caught up in chasing orange drops if they don’t fit your playstyle.
Another common mistake is copying streamer loadouts without testing them first. A lot of top players use high-recoil guns that require hundreds of hours of practice to control, and you’ll have a way worse time if you force yourself to use a gun that doesn’t feel natural for you. You don't need the highest damage number on the stat screen to have the most effective gun – consistency matters far more than burst damage for most content. A gun that lets you hit 80% of your shots will always outperform a gun with 20% higher damage that you only hit 30% of the time.
At the end of the day, what is the best gun in The First Descendant will always depend a little on your personal playstyle and what content you run most often, but the Void Typhoon is the safest, most versatile pick for 90% of players. If you take the time to test a few options, prioritize guns that fit your main descendant, and avoid wasting resources on overhyped bad rolls, you’ll have a loadout that lets you dominate every mission type without frustration. Don’t be afraid to experiment with less popular weapons too – I found my personal favorite sidearm, a low-tier electric pistol, completely by accident when I was testing crafting recipes, and it’s still part of my main loadout 6 months later.