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The First Descendanthas many different progression systems that aren’t thoroughly explained in-game. One example is Weapon Proficiency, a leveling system for every weapon in the game. How it works, its benefits, and ways to increase your Weapon Proficiency are never explained.
This guide aims to address that. Today, we’ll look at how Weapon Proficiency works in First Descendant, cover how exactly you increase it, and showcase all the benefits you’ll receive from increasing your Weapon Proficiency with each gun. But before we start, let’s explain what Weapon Proficiency is and how it relates to Mastery Rank.
What Is Weapon Proficiency?
Weapon Proficiency (WP for short) is a mechanic that tracks how much XP you’ve accumulated with a certain weapon.Every weapon in First Descendant has a Weapon Proficiency rating that you can increase by earning XP.By default, all weapons start with Weapon Proficiency 0 andcap out at Weapon Proficiency 40.
Weapon Proficiency isnotthe same as weapon level. Weapon level affects base damage and caps out at Level 100.
Increasing your Weapon Proficiency with various guns willgrant Mastery Rank, which is needed to unlock additional module slots and capacity. Additionally, you have the ability to install Crystallization Catalysts on any weapon at Weapon Proficiency 40. This is effectively a prestige system, allowing you to install a new module symbol onto the gun at the cost of resetting its Weapon Proficiency. We cover this process more in the “Weapon Proficiency Bonuses” section.
Unlike weapon levels,Weapon Proficiency is tied to your account, not the weapon itself.For example, if you get your Thunder Cage to WP40, then all future Thunder Cage SMGs you get will also be at WP40 by default; you don’t need to relevel your Weapon Proficiency unless you use a Crystallization Catalyst. If you reset a gun’s Weapon Proficiency, leveling it again willnotgrant Mastery Rank progress.
How To Check Your Weapon Proficiency
You can check your Weapon Proficiency values in theWeapons List tab of your inventory.Each weapon will display its name and current Weapon Proficiency level. This is tied to your account,notthe weapon, so don’t worry about losing Weapon Proficiency by dismantling any weapons you own. Once again, Weapon Proficiency caps out at Level 40 for all weapons.
Increasing Your Weapon Proficiency
you may increase your Weapon Proficiency by earning XP while that weapon is equipped.The more XP you earn, the more Weapon Proficiency you’ll earn with that weapon. Typically, the fastest way of increasing your Weapon Proficiency is tofarm open world activities with high enemy density.The Fortress Outskirts mission in White-Night Gultch is a popular location, as is the Ambush extermination mission in Rockfall, Sterile Land.
Weapon Proficiency Boosters
Weapon Proficiency boosters increase all Weapon Proficiency gains by 30%. This doesnotdouble-dip with a standard XP booster.
There are three benefits to increasing your Weapon Proficiency:
Mastery Rank XP
Weapon Proficiency grants a small amount of Mastery Rank XP, roughly 200 per WP level based on our limited testing. Leveling Descendants will grant slightly more Mastery Rank XP at roughly 300 per level, and your first clear of each open world activity—missions, Void Fragments, and dungeons—will also yield a small boost to MR.
Bear in mind that Weapon Proficiency only grants Mastery Rank XP for thefirst time you level a weapon.If you use a Crystallization Catalyst to reset its rank, leveling the gun’s Weapon Proficiency again willnotyield any extra Mastery Rank. You’ll need to level a new weapon to further your MR rank.
Higher Module Capacity
Similar to howWarframeworks,increasing your Weapon Proficiency does increase theweapon’s module capacity, albeit in a somewhat odd fashion. Starting module capacity is determined by your current Mastery Rank. The higher it is, the more capacity you’ll have to start with. This bonus doesnotstack with Weapon Proficiency but rather takes the place of Weapon Proficiency at earlier levels. Once your Weapon Proficiency bonus exceeds your MR bonus, you’ll begin to see module capacity gains.
That sounds more confusing than it is, so let’s give an example. If you’re MR7, you’ll have a starting module capacity of 38. Normally, you’d have to reach Weapon Proficiency 14 to receive the same amount.By being MR7, you basically get 14 Weapon Proficiency levels worth of module capacity for free.Once you hit WP15, you’ll start seeing module capacity gains.
Once you start getting your Weapon Proficiency to higher levels, you’ll start to earnone extra module capacity every 2-5 levels or so; it’s not a linear gain like Warframe. If you hit MR20, your starting capacity will cap out at 50, which is the maximum base capacity for Descendants and weapons. You’ll need to use Energy Activators or Sub modules (Descendants only) to gain additional capacity.
Crystallization Catalysts
When a gun reaches Weapon Proficiency 40, you can install a Crystallization Catalyst.Installing a Crystallization Catalyst will reset the gun’s Weapon Proficiency.In exchange, you’ll be able to install a module symbol of your choosing onto any slot, cutting a matching module’s capacity cost in half. This is required to fit the strongest, most expensive modules into your builds. For endgame min-maxing, Crystallization Catalysts are essential.
