When you first jump into loot shooter The First Descendant, you’ll think, “Wow, this is easy!” And for the most part, you’d be right. The gameplay is straightforward, character movement and power feel wonderful, and despite the numerous currencies and menus, everything is clear with some guidance. But then you hit the mid-game and everything slows to a crawl, leaving you to wonder why your Descendant feels so weak.
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The First Descendant’s difficulty ramps up significantly around the halfway point. After all, the game is grind-focusedIf you want to succeed, you must learn how to farm Kuiper Shards to boost your power levels. This unique currency is vital to upgrading modules, which increase health, damage, and critical hit chance and provide various buffs.
Why you need Kuiper Shards
Kuiper Shards, like Gold, are a vital resource in The First Descendant and are necessary to enhance your Descendant and Weapon Modules. When you first obtain a Module, like one that increases your maximum health, it only does so slightly. But by spending Kuiper Shards, you increase the overall buff to match your growing power level. As you level your Descendant, it’s wise to level your Modules to continuously improve the extra damage your weapons pump out, your maximum health, or the strength of your shields.
Where to Farm Kuiper Shards
The easiest way to farm Kuiper Shards, albeit in relatively small amounts, is to play as Bunny and run through a zone, clearing low-level mobs using her AoE ability, Lightning Emission. Lightning Emission works as Bunny moves swiftly through an area, dealing electric damage to enemies and inflicting Electrocute. To a low-level mob, it’s typically enough to one-shot everyone. If you move quickly enough, those Kuiper Shards add up. The downside to this is that the gameplay will become stale and repetitive if you just keep doing this over and over again.
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A more interesting method to farm Kuiper Shards is to choose the most lucrative missions in the game, such as Extermination, Anticipated Ambush Point, and Transport Disruption. These missions take a few minutes each and often reward up to 6,000 Kuiper Shards. The Sterile Land zone offers all three types of missions, making it the ideal zone to farm Kuiper Shards currently!
Dismantle Modules
An alternative method to obtain countless Kuiper Shards in The First Descendant is to dismantle Modules you no longer require. They’re either duplicates or too weak for your build, as you’ve likely uncovered something more potent.
To dismantle Modules:
- Return to Albion and find Silion near Anais.
- When speaking to Silion, select “Dismantle Modules.”
- Hold Shift to select duplicate Modules (on PC), then Dismantle them simultaneously.
You’ll earn Modules in abundance by tackling early-game missions in the starter zones. Some missions drop multiple Modules upon completion.
Alternatively, you can run Infiltration Operations to earn Modules.
You can also pay for Kuiper Shards
If you are okay with spending a little money to simplify the grind in The First Descendant, you can purchase Kuiper Shard Boosters from the in-game shop or unlock them as part of the Premium Battle Pass.
Read More: The First Descendant: Is The Premium Currency Worth Spending Real Money On?
These boosters increase the amount of Kuiper Shards you earn significantly, by around 30%
Alternatively, the game sells Kuiper Shards in the shop within the Premium Starter Package. It requires 750 Caliber, but you can purchase the bundle repeatedly. It comes with 70,000 Kuiper Shards, a not-so-insignificant amount in the early game!
At the end of the day, how you obtain your Kuiper Shards in The First Descendant is entirely up to you. These methods will net you more vital currency in less time, so long as you don’t mind a grind. But hey, that’s what the game is all about, right?
