Comprehensive guide to choosing the best starter character in The First Descendant with expert strategies and tips
Understanding The First Descendant’s Starter Character System
The First Descendant presents players with a crucial decision right from the start, limiting initial selection to just three distinct characters that will shape your early gameplay experience. Making the right choice can significantly impact your progression speed and enjoyment during those critical first hours.
While The First Descendant features an impressive roster of characters, your opening decision confines you to selecting just one of three available Descendants, each designed with completely unique combat philosophies and tactical approaches. This initial limitation forces players to carefully consider their preferred playstyle before diving into the action.
Many newcomers instinctively want to experiment with every available character in this looter shooter, but the game deliberately restricts early access to three specialized combatants. Ajax functions as a durable tank with exceptional defensive capabilities, Lepic specializes in demolition and area damage as a pure DPS unit, while Viessa manipulates ice elements to control and debuff enemy forces.
Each starter character maintains user-friendly mechanics but delivers distinctly different combat styles and strategic advantages. If you find yourself uncertain about which Descendant aligns with your preferences, our comprehensive analysis provides detailed recommendations for optimizing your starting character selection in The First Descendant.
Starter Character Deep Dive: Abilities and Playstyles
The competition primarily narrows to Lepic versus Viessa for most players, since Ajax’s support-oriented toolkit typically benefits from greater game mechanics familiarity before maximizing effectiveness.
Between the two remaining starter options, Lepic represents the superior selection for complete beginners, thanks to his straightforward Close Call survival mechanism and intuitively satisfying explosive combat style that’s particularly effective against enemy groups. His visual feedback and simple ability rotations make learning core game mechanics significantly easier.
Players with substantial shooter experience will likely find Viessa more rewarding as their starting character. Her sophisticated debuff mechanics demand deeper tactical knowledge for optimal utilization, but deliver exceptionally powerful and gratifying results when executed correctly. Her skill ceiling rewards game sense and positioning awareness.
Ajax operates as a frontline combatant with supportive capabilities, primarily through his versatile shield deployment techniques on the battlefield. He maintains respectable offensive potential, including valuable crowd control debuffs against enemies, provided you’re comfortable engaging at close quarters combat ranges.
Ajax utilizes a specialized resource called Void Energy, which gradually accumulates whenever the player activates any skill. Once the Void Energy meter reaches maximum capacity, it significantly empowers all of Ajax’s remaining abilities with enhanced effects.
Regarding defensive capabilities, Ajax commands Orbit Barrier, creating a rectangular shield wall, and Dimension, which generates a protective dome shield. When Void Energy becomes fully charged, both defensive structures reflect percentage-based damage retaliation against attacking enemies.
For offensive maneuvers, Ajax possesses Expulsion, which forcibly repels enemies backward, and Void Walk, executing a leaping stomp attack that can stun opponents. Remember that both offensive abilities operate within limited range parameters, requiring careful positioning awareness, especially when operating with diminished health reserves.
Ajax suits experienced shooter enthusiasts more appropriately. His comprehensive skill set demands constant awareness of teammate positioning and overall battlefield dynamics to optimally employ protective shields for squad survivability.
Lepic functions as a dedicated damage specialist employing fire-elemental explosives throughout his arsenal. With the notable exception of his Passive Skill, Lepic’s combat methodology revolves around synergizing his four offensive abilities into devastating burst damage combinations.
Lepic’s Grenade ability propels an explosive projectile toward enemies, while Overkill imbues his ammunition with Burn status effects that inflict damage-over-time at impact locations. Both abilities receive significant amplification through Overclock activation, though this continuously drains MP resources while active.
Additionally, Lepic commands Traction Grenade, utilizing gravitational forces to cluster enemies toward specific locations. The combo potential becomes immediately apparent, as Traction Grenade groups enemy mobs together, enabling follow-up Grenade or Overkill attacks while Overclock remains active for maximum damage multiplication.
Contrasting sharply with his offensive toolkit, Lepic’s passive ability, Close Call, functions as an emergency survival mechanism. Upon suffering fatal damage, Close Call grants temporary invulnerability before partially restoring health. However, this safety net has limitations since Close Call imposes substantial cooldown duration, leaving you exceptionally exposed after activation.
Lepic specializes in explosive devastation. His ability mechanics remain easily comprehensible and prove remarkably effective in scenarios involving numerous enemy groups. Success hinges on strategically combining multiple abilities to maximize their collective impact.
Viessa operates as a debuff specialist whose core mechanic involves her Ice Sphere passive ability. This hovering frozen orb autonomously strikes nearby enemies, applying the Ice Shackles impairment that synergizes with her complete skill set.
Viessa’s abilities focus on escalating Ice Shackles debuff tiers, since higher stack levels dramatically enhance their controlling and damaging effects against impaired targets.
Frost Shards generates a damaging ice beam that harms enemies while applying Ice Shackles, whereas Cold Snap creates a short-range arc with identical debuff application. Her most potent damage ability is Blizzard, delivering massive area damage across wide radii, with significantly amplified effectiveness against Ice Shackled targets.
She also maintains a self-buff through Frost Road. This ability not only boosts her movement velocity and Shield capacity, but also deposits Ice Sheets along her traversal path, automatically applying Ice Shackles to any enemies contacting the frozen trail.
Viessa demands comprehensive understanding of ability interactions for effective performance. Her gameplay revolves around maximizing Ice Shackles utilization to dramatically amplify skill damage during ability rotations.
Strategic Recommendations Based on Player Experience
Your shooting game background and preferred combat approach should heavily influence which starter character delivers the optimal experience. Consider these tailored recommendations based on player proficiency levels.
First-Time Shooter Players: Lepic’s straightforward mechanics and forgiving passive ability make him ideal for learning fundamental gameplay without overwhelming complexity. Focus on mastering his basic Grenade + Overkill combinations before advancing to more sophisticated Traction Grenade setups.
Intermediate FPS Veterans: Viessa offers the perfect balance of tactical depth and rewarding gameplay for players comfortable with ability management. Practice maintaining Ice Shackles stacks while positioning Frost Road effectively for both mobility and area denial.
Advanced Tactical Players: Ajax provides exceptional utility for team-oriented players who enjoy controlling battlefield flow. Master Void Energy management and shield placement timing to become an invaluable asset in cooperative engagements.
Remember that all characters become available through gameplay progression, so your initial choice primarily affects early to mid-game experience rather than locking you into a single playstyle permanently.
Advanced Strategies and Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Maximize your starter character’s potential by implementing these professional techniques while avoiding common beginner mistakes that can hinder your progression.
Lepic Optimization: Always activate Overclock before deploying other abilities for maximum damage amplification. Use Traction Grenade to group enemies before unleashing area damage. Conserve Close Call for emergency situations rather than using it recklessly.
Viessa Mastery: Prioritize maintaining Ice Shackles stacks on high-value targets. Use Frost Road strategically for both engagement and disengagement. Save Blizzard for moments when multiple enemies are debuffed to capitalize on the damage multiplier.
Ajax Expertise: Deploy shields proactively rather than reactively. Monitor Void Energy levels to time enhanced ability usage. Position Expulsion and Void Walk carefully due to their short range limitations.
Common Mistakes: Don’t underestimate the importance of ability cooldown management. Avoid using ultimate abilities on single targets when possible. Remember that positioning often matters more than raw damage output.
This comprehensive guide covers everything essential about the starting character selection in The First Descendant. For additional strategic insights, explore our specialized build guides covering Bunny, Freyna, Kyle, and Gley. Remain informed about current server status to ensure uninterrupted gameplay sessions.
No reproduction without permission：Games Guides Website » The First Descendant: Best starter character to pick Comprehensive guide to choosing the best starter character in The First Descendant with expert strategies and tips