Hailey Scott may be the new hotness in Season 1 but don’t forget the new weapon that came with her. Let me show you how to get the Excava in our weapon guide for The First Descendant and the best builds.
How to get the Excava in The First Descendant
All players can earn the Excava Assault Rifle as part of the Season 1 Battle Pass. You can access the weapon immediately if you purchase the premium track for the pass. If you’re not planning to buy the pass, you can still get the gun by reaching level 16, which will happen through regular gameplay.
The only downside to using the free track for the Excava is how many duplicates you’ll earn by the end of the season. You need four extra copies of the Excava to upgrade its Unique ability fully, and you’ll be two short.
It’s a minor difference, but you need the premium pass if you want the absolute best Excava you can build. With the best Excava, you can make the best Hailey Scott build.
How to build the Excava in The First Descendant
Sadly, the Excava suffers from poor base stats, so we must be careful with our Modules. The weapon has miserable Critical Hit Rate and Damage stats, and we’re limited with ways to improve those.
Still, here are the Modules I recommend to increase those stats:
| Module Name | Effect at Max Rank |
|---|---|
| Rifling Reinforcement | Firearm ATK +32% |
| Action and Reaction | Firearm ATK +61% Recoil +20% |
| Fire Rate UP | Fire Rate +25% |
| Expand Weapon Charge | Rounds Per Magazine +49% |
| Better Insight | Firearm Critical Hit Rate +39% |
| Concentration Priority | Firearm Critical Hit Damage +120% Reload Time Modifier -30% |
| Better Concentration | Firearm Critical Hit Damage +74.8% |
Rifling Reinforcement is mandatory on every weapon as it increases Firearm ATK. You get a +32% bonus damage with a fully upgraded Module, and it’s worth absolutely the Kuiper and Gold.
I use Action and Reaction on every weapon as it increases Firearm ATK by a further 61% at max rank. You do take a recoil penalty of 20%, but the damage is worth it.
Fire Rate UP and Expand Weapon Charge go hand in hand. One increases the Fire Rate, and the other boosts our Magazine capacity.
Finally, Better Insight and Concentration Priority boost our Critical Hit Rate and Damage. The numbers are still pretty lousy, but those orange numbers will pop up more often and be more punchy.
You can use Better Concentration as a budget replacement for Concentration Priority or use both for more Critical Hit Damage.
This Loadout is pretty solid for most Assault Rifles and SMGs in The First Descendant. Every Module I’ve mentioned is worth fully upgrading as they are so interchangeable.
Is the Excava worth building in The First Descendant?
Most weapons are decent if you invest in them, but I advise against spending an Energy Activator on the Excava unless you really like it.
Unfortunately, the Thundercage already exists and outshines the Excava in every way. The Shock Grenade ability certainly looks fancy, but the damage numbers don’t match the pretty effects.
In my opinion, the Grenade ability feels a little awkward, and the payoff isn’t worth it. That said, the developers have proven they are reciprocal to feedback, and there’s always a chance the Excava will become the go-to Assault Rifle in the future; it’s just not there right now.
If you’re looking for things to do in Season 1, you can always spend some time farming Ultimate Descendants. The grind is brutal, but you will unlock the most powerful Descendants in the game.
Published: Sep 4, 2024 01:27 pm