Video Gamer is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
Contents show
The First Descendant’s Warframe-like opening gives players three choices for a starting character, Ajax the tank, Viessa the frost mage, or Lepic the marine. In this guide, we’ll go over the best starting characters in the First Descendant, and help give you reasons why you should play all of them, helping you find the best for your experience and playstyle for these types of games.
Best starter characters in The First Descendant
In total, you have three characters to start with, each with their own unique playstyle
| Character | What they are best at |
| Ajax | Tank character with lots of mobility and defensive tools |
| Lepic | A marine-type character with lots of AOE control and mob-clearing skills |
| Viessa | A frost mage character specializing in mob control and splash damage around her main target. |
Each of the characters focus on a speciality, so it is largely picking the type of character you want to play the most. We’ll cover in more detail what each starter character is best at in the First Descendant with pros and cons for each one. This should help inform you of the character most akin to you.
Ajax
Pros
- Best defensive skills
- Good movement skills
- Great support tank character for coop parties
Cons
- Lacking damage-themed skills outside of enhanced wall reflection skill
- Enhanced effect can be somewhat complicated
Ajax is the best starter character in The First Descendant for players looking to play a tanky or support role in a coop party. You’ll find Ajax’s skills offer him incredible protection, with his wall reflection offering good damage for single targets and against packs of enemies.
In addition, Ajax has a movement skill which no other start character has. If you’re someone who likes to be on their toes, Ajax offers that unique advantage too. The only real downside is that outside of the enhanced reflect wall, Ajax doesn’t do so much damage. So, you’ll need to put all of your damage in your guns going forward. But, that’s fine, it’s just something worth noting.
Lepic
Pros
- Simple playstyle.
- Solid AOE combos with various skills like Traction Grenade and Frag Grenade.
- Cheat death passive for those looking for harder content and want some security
Cons
- Weaker single target damage outside of Overclocks burn effect.
- Extremely squishy once passive is down.
Lepic is a jack-of-all-trades character, which makes him fairly appealing to play. In terms of his skills, he offers a mixture of single target and AOE, making him a fairly good damage dealer. He is arguably the best all-around starter character. Moreso, his kit offers fairly decent combos for dealing with mobs and bosses alike. Throw your Traction grenade and combo it with frag grenade to easily control packs of harder enemies and chunk them down. If you’re against a boss, pop your Overdrive skill, and throw your abilities at it so the burn helps your boss damage out.
All in all, if you want something that easily kills enemies in your content, then Lepic is the best starter character in the First Descendant for you.
Viessa
Pros
- Strong CC skills with her Ice Shackle and Blizzard effects.
- Creative planning with Frost Road enables her to plan waves and fights ahead very well.
- Best single target damage of all starter characters.
Cons
- Complicated starter character
- Very low base shield recovery and max HP, forcing you to play around Ice Shackle very well.
Viessa is a support character all about controlling her opponents. She’ll easily throw skills around the battlefield, causing Ice Shackles to latch onto enemies, which then are hit by flying ice shards around the battlefield that she spawns passively. This gives her decent single-target damage, with some AOE mob clearing effects. If you want to kill bosses easily, then Viessa is the best starter character in The First Decedant.
However, be aware that Viesa is fragile, and her Frost Walk skill is very hard to use properly. It means you may find yourself dying by accident trying to walk around and use the skill, all the while being fairly low HP and a poor shield recovery. So, be advised that playing with an Ajax friend compliments each other very well. Keep it in mind if you’re a solo player, as Viessa may be a bad choice otherwise.
With that said, you should now have an idea of what the best starting character is for your playstyle and goals in the First Descendant. Good luck with your in-game progression.
