The First Descendant Leveling Guide

Leveling up your Descendants is the most direct way to increase their power. We’ve put together the first descendant leveling guide to help you understand why leveling matters and how to do it as efficiently as possible. With nearly 20 Descendants in the game, your roster will quickly grow as you play. That means learning how to level them up fast is essential, and this guide is here to walk you through it all.

If you’d rather skip the grind, you can always buy a TFD Character Leveling Boost from Gamer Choice. Our pro players will boost your Descendants to max level in no time, letting you jump into endgame content without the hassle. Upgrade your adventure now with Gamer Choice and conquer The First Descendant like a pro!

How To Level Up Fast In The First Descendant?

To begin, it’s important to know the difference between Mastery Rank and Descendant Level. They are entirely separate systems, and in this the first descendant leveling guide, we’re focused only on the latter.

Each Descendant can be leveled up to level 40, which is the maximum. Gaining levels brings a range of powerful benefits, including:

• Increased Max HP
• Increased Max Shield
• Increased Max MP
• Increased DEF
• Faster Shield Recovery in and out of combat
• Bonus Mastery EXP

These are core stat boosts that do not rely on modules or external enhancements. A level 40 Descendant is significantly tougher and better prepared for high-end content than a level 1 character.

So, what’s the best way to level up quickly in The First Descendant? The community has found a clear answer: farm the Special Operation called Defend Albion, found in the Kingston zone. Here, you and your squad must defend an objective against waves of incoming enemies. Whether by design or oversight, this mission provides incredible amounts of EXP—enough to reach level 40 in just a couple of hours!

The First Descendant Special Operations Overview

Special Operations are one of the main activity types in the game and can be completed solo or with a group. This is the core of how to level up fast in The First Descendant. You’ll also earn high-value loot while completing them. There are three kinds of Special Operations scattered across the global map.

You need to unlock Special Operations before you can farm them. For Kingston’s resource defense mission, you’ll first need to complete all standard missions in the zone, which will happen naturally as you progress through the story.

Special Operation Rewards

The Resource Defense Special Operation features 21 waves. You’ll receive one of three potential rewards after each wave, with full clears yielding the maximum possible rewards. Here’s an example of what you can earn:

Wave	Possible Reward	Aquisition Chance (%)
7	– Amorphous Material Pattern: 004 – Shape Stabilizer Form 1 – Gold 19,000	– 30% – 3% – 67%
10	– Amorphous Material Pattern: 004 – Shape Stabilizer Form 1 – Gold 50,000	– 50% – 5% – 45%
14	– Amorphous Material Pattern: 004 – Shape Stabilizer Form 1 – Gold 110,000	– 50% – 5% – 45%
18	– Amorphous Material Pattern: 005 – Shape Stabilizer Form 1 – Gold 480,000	– 80% – 8% – 12%
21	– Amorphous Material Pattern: 004 x2 – Amorphous Material Pattern: 005 x2 – Shape Stabilizer Form 1 x2 – Gold 700,000	– 50% – 25% – 7.5% – 17.5%

Additionally, completing the Resource Defense mission can reward you with one of the following items:

• Amorphous Material Pattern: 004 – 30%-50%
• Amorphous Material Pattern: 005 – 3%-8%
• Shape Stabilizer Form 1 – 12%-67%
• Gold 19,000 – 25%-80%

This mission's description says: “An Albion workforce transporting the Kuiper needed for the production of military equipment has been attacked by the Vulgus. Complete the mission of defending the acquired Kuiper from the Vulgus.”

Mission Modifiers

These missions are called “special” for a reason—enemy modifiers make things more challenging. These modifiers may rotate, but here are the ones currently present:

• HP UP – Increases elite monster’s Max HP
• Faster Speed – Boosts elite monster’s movement speed
• Power Attack – Raises elite monster’s ATK
• Regeneration – Enhances elite monster’s HP recovery in combat

Elites should always be your top priority. While the early waves may feel easy, the intensity increases sharply after wave 10. More enemies will spawn, and their difficulty rises rapidly. The final few waves are known for being particularly punishing.

Still, the Resource Defense mission remains the most efficient way to grind EXP in The First Descendant. You’ll often gain a level every other wave. Between waves, you’ll get a brief break to manage your inventory or tweak your modules. Optimize your build specifically for this mission type and you’ll hit level 40 in no time. The average time to complete this Special Operation is around 30 minutes, though it can be completed even faster with a skilled team.

F.A.Q.

How to level up fast in The First Descendant?

The fastest way to level up in The First Descendant is by repeatedly farming the Special Operation: Defend Albion mission in the Kingston zone. This activity delivers high EXP per run, often pushing characters to max level in just a few hours.

How to rank up Descendants in The First Descendant?

You can rank up Descendants efficiently by completing the Defend Albion Special Operation in Kingston. Each wave you survive grants significant experience, making it one of the best ways to power level quickly.

What's the best mission to level up in The First Descendant?

The most efficient mission for leveling is the Special Operation: Defend Albion in Kingston. It features wave-based combat and rewards players with substantial EXP in a short amount of time.

How long does it take to level up all the First Descendants?

If you consistently farm the Defend Albion mission in Kingston, it can take only a few hours per character to reach level 40, allowing you to level all Descendants fairly quickly.

Conclusion

When it comes to fast leveling, few methods can beat the Kingston Resource Defense Special Operation. If your goal is to hit level 40 quickly, this is the mission to farm. You unlock it by finishing all the regular missions in Kingston, which makes it easily accessible to any progressing player.

The mission requires you to defend a device from waves of increasingly difficult enemies. It’s perfect for XP farming since you’re awarded generous EXP every other wave. Thanks to its escalating difficulty, it also provides a good test of your builds. You can repeat this operation for every Descendant on your roster, making it the core of any smart the first descendant leveling guide.

Keep farming it until all your Descendants hit max level. We’ll continue to update the first descendant leveling guide as new methods for fast leveling are discovered!