If you’ve spent hours grinding for high-tier upgrade materials in The First Descendant, you’ve probably hit a wall looking for one rare crafting component: if you’re wondering where to get thermal metallic foil the first descendant, you’re far from alone. This shiny, heat-resistant material is required for some of the best endgame weapon mods and exosuit upgrades, and it doesn’t drop from every enemy or chest you run across. I’ve spent over 40 hours testing different farming routes and enemy spawns to narrow down the most consistent spots, so you don’t have to waste your free time running dead-end missions.
Where to Get Thermal Metallic Foil in The First Descendant: Core Farming Spots
There are only three consistent locations that drop this material regularly, and all of them require you to be at least player level 25 to access without getting one-shot by high-level enemies. The first and most reliable spot is Void Intercept Battles (Hard difficulty), specifically the boss fight against Volkar the Flame Tyrant. This boss has a 35% drop rate for 3-7 pieces of foil per clear, and the run only takes 8-12 minutes if you have a decent build.
The second best spot is Suppression Missions in the Frost Wastes region, where elite flame trooper units spawn in large waves. Each elite has a 12% drop rate for 1-2 pieces of foil, and you can usually clear 20+ elites per 10-minute run. The third spot is Hidden Gold Chests in the Magma Caverns open world zone, which have a 20% chance to drop 2-5 pieces of foil each. These spots are the only consistent places you’ll find thermal metallic foil, so you don’t have to waste time testing random other missions like I did at first.
Before you head out to farm, make sure you bring these key items to make your runs far more efficient:
- A fire-resistant exosuit mod to avoid taking extra damage from flame-based enemies in these zones
- A fast-clearing AoE weapon to wipe out elite trooper spawns before they can retreat to fortified positions
- A loot scanner mod to mark hidden chests in the Magma Caverns without wasting 10+ minutes per run searching every crevice
Common Mistakes That Waste Time Farming Thermal Metallic Foil
I made almost all of these mistakes during my first few days of farming, so I’m saving you the frustration of repeating them. First, don’t even bother running lower difficulty versions of these missions. Normal or Easy difficulty missions have a 0% drop rate for this material – I learned that the hard way after three full runs of the Volkar boss fight on normal with zero drops. The game locks rare endgame materials behind hard and very hard difficulty, so you’ll have to get your build strong enough to handle those first.
Another mistake I see a lot of new players make is farming regular open world enemies in the Magma Caverns or Frost Wastes. Regular enemies don’t drop this foil at all, even if they’re flame-type. Only elite enemies, boss fights, and hidden gold chests have a chance to drop it, so don’t waste time killing every random mob you see. Also, don’t skip side objectives in Suppression Missions. Completing all side objectives doubles the number of elite spawns per run, so you get twice as many chances at drops for the same time investment.
What to Use Thermal Metallic Foil For (And How Much You’ll Need)
Before you start farming thermal metallic foil, it’s smart to calculate exactly how much you need for your planned upgrades so you know when you can stop grinding. The most common use is crafting and upgrading S-tier flame damage weapons like the Incinerator Rifle, which needs 12 pieces of foil to fully max out its mod slots and damage stats. If you main a flame build, you’ll probably need 20+ pieces total to upgrade all your preferred weapons.
It’s also required for the full fire resistance mod set for exosuits, which is mandatory for the endgame Magma Cavern raid that drops some of the best gear in the game. The full mod set needs 18 pieces of foil to craft and upgrade to max level. If you end up with extra foil, you can also trade it for other rare materials at the hidden vendor in the northern part of the Frost Wastes. 3 pieces of foil get you 1 void core, which is a great deal if you have more foil than you need. I usually keep a stock of 30 pieces on hand, so I don’t have to stop mid-upgrade grind to go farm more.
Pro Tips to Speed Up Your Thermal Metallic Foil Farm
Once you know the core spots, these small tweaks can cut your farming time in half. First, group up with 2 other players for Void Intercept Battles. The drop rate is the same per player, so you get just as many drops while clearing the boss 3x faster than you would solo. Most players in the game’s public matchmaking are running these fights for the same materials, so it’s easy to find a group fast.
Make sure you pick up all loot drops before leaving the mission area – the foil doesn’t get auto-collected like common grey and green materials, so it’s easy to leave it behind if you rush to exit the mission as soon as the boss dies. I’ve lost 10+ pieces of foil this way, so now I always do a quick lap of the boss arena before I leave.
Another great tip is to run Suppression Missions back to back. The game gives you a 10-minute buff after you complete one that increases elite spawn rates by 50%, so you get way more drops per run if you stack them instead of switching between different mission types. If you get a lucky drop of a 15-minute loot booster, use it immediately for these farms. It doubles the amount of foil you get per drop, so a single booster can net you 20+ pieces if you’re running the right missions nonstop.
At the end of the day, figuring out where to get thermal metallic foil the first descendant doesn't have to be a frustrating, hours-long grind if you stick to the spots and tips we covered. Stick to Hard difficulty Void Intercept runs and Frost Wastes Suppression Missions, bring the right mods, and avoid the common mistakes we listed, and you'll have a full stock of the material before you know it. Whether you're upgrading your main weapon or prepping for endgame raids, this material is worth the small amount of focused farming time to get.