The First Descendant weapons tier list (August 2024) – Best and worst, ranked

Is your heart set on a particular build or do you want some balance in your life?

Lepic shooting his assault rifle, aimed towards the camera in The First Descendant opening
Screenshot by Dot Esports

There’s nothing like spending hours accumulating materials and researching your The First Descendant weapon into creation, only to discover your new weapon has unmanageable recoil and terrible mobility.

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Maybe it’s best to know which weapons in The First Descendant are worth the grind before you start. Here is our The First Descendant weapon tier list for August 2024.

The First Descendant weapons tier list: All Ultimate weapons ranked

First Descendant weapon tier list (July 2024), done on Tiermaker
What’s your top pick? Screenshot by Dot Esports via Tiermaker

The First Descendant weapons are obtained through the battle pass, missions, boss fights, dungeon farming, or purchasing them at the vendor, Deslin. Ultimate weapons can be researched via Anais inside Albion, requiring their corresponding blueprint and materials to craft them. Not all weapons are readily available to craft, however, as some can be locked inside the battle pass for future seasons.

Crafting materials aren’t always guaranteed either and each weapon requires various materials to be made at the Research Institute. Weapons have their strengths and weaknesses based on the Descendant that wields them. With elemental damage and buffs to specific characters, each weapon is unique to particular Descendants as they can strengthen or weaken their kit.

Therefore, our tier list ranking is based on the weapon’s primary strength, damage, and overall difficulty to use and master. The First Descendant weapon tier list is ranked from worst to best, with pros and cons given for each entry. Let’s dive in.

D tier

King’s Guard Lance

King's Guard Lance in The First Descendant
King’s Guard Lance, Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Decent range that is increased further upon successfully hitting shots while ADS-ing.
  • Balanced weapon for all Descendants.

Cons

  • Hard recoil pattern to control.
  • Low mobility.
  • Far lower damage compared to other The First Descendant weapons.

The Last Dagger

The Last Dagger in The First Descendant
The Last Dagger. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Damage is boosted at Max Stacks, only upon creating a chain by defeating enemies within quick succession.

Cons

  • While The Last Dagger can stun enemies it isn’t guaranteed, making it a weapon you cannot rely on.
  • Each effect of this weapon is granted in a particular order (Patience, Enhanced Rounds, and Patience again), making it a highly situational weapon to use.
  • Requires accuracy to hit enemy weak spots and kill them quickly enough to use the Enhanced Rounds.

Albion Cavalry Gun

Albion Cavalry Gun in The First Descendant
Albion Cavalry Gun. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Great weapon for stunning enemies.
  • Stunned enemies increase damage.

Cons

  • Only useful for Ajax players.
  • Low mobility.

Piercing Light

Piercing Light in The First Descendant
Piercing Light. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Critical damage is guaranteed upon getting a collateral with the Piercing Light.
  • Easiest sniper to use.
  • Best mobility sniper.

Cons

  • Purely situational weapon that requires you to hit multiple enemies with a single bullet to utilize its buffs.

Restored Relic

Restored Relic in The First Descendant
Restored Relic. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Offers a Guided Round that deals continuous damage.
  • Projectiles shoot in a straight trajectory, making it easy to aim with.

Cons

  • Only good when handling lower-tiered enemies near one another.
  • Low mobility.
  • Other weapons deal higher damage.

C tier

The Final Masterpiece

The Final Masterpiece in The First Descendant
The Final Masterpiece. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Offers either increased weak point damage, critical hit rate, or fire rate upon reloading.
  • Good damage per bullet,.

Cons

  • Bad for players looking to grind for a specific build as you cannot guarantee what buff you’ll get.
  • Low firing-rate.

Clairvoyance

Clairvoyance in The First Descendant
Clairvoyance. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Excellent at all ranges.
  • Can stun enemies with its Frostbite effect.

Cons

  • Only powerful in the hands of Viessa players.

Blue Beetle

Blue Beetle in The First Descendant
Blue Beetle. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Fast firing-rate.
  • Good mobility.
  • Balanced weapon.

Cons

  • Requires frequent use of abilities to make use of its damage buffs.

Nazeistra’s Devotion

Nazeistras Devotion in The First Descendant
Nazeistras Devotion. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Ally shield is restored upon shooting them, but MP is used in the process.
  • Good handgun for support Descendants.
  • Fast firing-rate.

Cons

  • Weak to those who play a more aggressive or balanced playstyle.
  • Only good when shooting one target.

Sigvore’s Proof

Sigvore's Proof in The First Descendant
Sigvore’s Proof. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Incredibly powerful if you can hit your shots.
  • Can inflict Burn.

Cons

  • Requires a ridiculous amount of accuracy.
  • Low mobility.
  • Weak to highly mobile enemies.

B tier

Divine Punishment

Divine Punishment in The First Descendant
Divine Punishment. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Buffs are offered to yourself and your teammates through using the Divine Punishment.
  • Best support gun in The First Descendant.

Cons

  • Only helpful when playing with teammates.
  • Viable for support Descendants only.
  • Doesn’t deal particularly high damage compared to other weapons.

Wave of Light

Wave of Light in The First Descendant
Wave of Light. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Critical hit rate is increased upon reloading the Wave of Light.
  • Excellent for crit builds where the first weapon slot focuses on crit damage also.
  • Lowers enemy defences.

Cons

  • Wave of Light requires more strategy than other weapons due to its reloading ability.

Enduring Legacy

Enduring Legacy in The First Descendant
Enduring Legacy. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Lowers fire resistance.
  • Damage is increased on a Burned enemy.
  • Accurate weapon in mid-range fights.

Cons

  • Only useful for Blair players.

Fallen Hope

Fallen Hope in The First Descendant
Fallen Hope. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Buffs poison damage over time.
  • Great mobility.
  • Really easy to use.

Cons

  • Only particularly useful for Freyna players.

A tier

Executor

Executor in The First Descendant
Executor. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Electrocutes enemies and increases its damage per pellet.
  • Great for highly aggressive playstyles where you will always fight up close (meaning you shouldn’t miss any shots).

Cons

  • Damage is reduced significantly if you miss your shots.
  • You must be highly accurate to make the Executor impactful in a fight.

Secret Garden

Secret Garden in The First Descendant
Secret Garden. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Offers a chance to increase attack and skill power upon using a Tech ability.
  • Easy recoil to control.
  • High firing-rate.

Cons

  • Only effective to those who use their abilities frequently enough to fully utilize this weapon’s full capabilities.

Greg’s Reversed Fate

Greg's Reversed Fate in The First Descendant
Greg’s Reversed Fate. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • You can stack damage on max-shielded enemies.
  • Damage is boosted on your first shot and for a further three seconds.

Cons

  • Accuracy is dropped as part of this weapon’s primary ability, therefore it’s highly likely you’ll whiff your shots, thus resetting the Reversed Fate’s damage.
  • Mastering this weapon is difficult but key to utilize its kit properly.

S tier

Perforator

Perforator in The First Descendant
Perforator. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Capable of damaging enemies even while shielded (so long as you hit their weak spots).
  • Excellent damage at all ranges.
  • Good mobility.
  • Stuns enemies without using your Descendant’s abilities.

Cons

  • Requires precision aim for high damage, meaning this isn’t suited to players who whiff their shots often.

Smithereens

Smithereens in The First Descendant
Smithereens. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Perfect for critical builds.
  • High mobility.
  • Best damage shotgun.
  • Can be useful for all Descendants.

Cons

  • Takes a while to master as you need to hit every shot to utilize the critical damage buff.
  • Mobility is lowered while aiming due to the high recoil per bullet.

Python

Python in The First Descendant
Python. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Reduces enemy resistance to status effects and elemental damage.
  • A great weapon in the hands of Freyna players.

Cons

  • Low mobility, meaning you can get overwhelmed easily.
  • Requires accuracy.

Afterglow Sword

Afterglow Sword in The First Descendant
Afterglow Sword. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Ridiculously high damage output.
  • Highly capable of one-shotting enemies.

Cons

  • Requires more patience and to play from afar, meaning you may feel like you’re missing out on all the action.
  • Mobility is slowed down completely to stationary, making your position on the field crucial to your survival.
  • Low reload speed if you miss those crucial weak spots.

Thunder Cage

Thunder Cage in The First Descendant
Thunder Cage. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Pros

  • Easy to use.
  • Great for all Descendants.
  • Powerful paired with Bunny.
  • Perfect weapon for a balanced loadout that includes the Thunder Cage and a sniper for the third slot.

Cons

  • Requires an aggressive playstyle as it is best suited for close-range battles.
Author
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Hadley Vincent
Writer for Dot since Oct. 2023. Just a Psychology graduate trying to find the meaning of life through gaming. An enthusiast of indie horror and anime, where you'll often find them obsessing over a great narrative and even better twists that'd make M. Night jealous. Their shocking twist? They think The Last of Us II is a masterpiece.