The First Descendant has numerous ways to make Descendants and weapons stronger. Season 2, Episode 2 introduces Arche Tuning – a new system focused on empowering individual Descendants. It works alongside other features that affect the Descendant’s strength, like the Inversion Reinforcement.
This guide explains everything you need to know about Arche Tuning in The First Descendant, including how to unlock and level it up.
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How to Unlock Arche Tuning in The First Descendant
To unlock Arche Tuning, you must complete the Into the Storm main quest that takes you to the Sigma Sector for the first time. Completing it introduces the Arche Tuning system alongside a corresponding tutorial quest to show the basics.
If you don’t have the quest, keep progressing the main storyline. Completing the Fortress zone unlocks seasonal content, including Arche Tuning.
After completing the tutorial quest, you can access the Arche Tuning screen from the inventory menu or using the Prime Hands in Albion. Arche Tuning works as a board of nodes that you can activate to grant permanent buffs to your Descendant. Level up the Arche Factor to gain Arche Tuning points and spend them on new nodes. You can only select nodes adjacent to already active ones, carving a path to the Ultimate buffs on the board’s edges.
How to Level Up Arche Tuning in The First Descendant
To level up the Arche Factor and gain points, you need to earn Arche Factor EXP. Arche Factor level and Arche Tuning progress are individual to every Descendant, meaning you must grind EXP on every character you want to make stronger. The only exceptions are the Ultimate Descendants, who share the Arche Tuning progress with their base versions. For example, increasing Freyna’s Arche Factor level also increases Ultimate Freyna’s level.
You can grind Arche Factor EXP from most endgame activities in The First Descendant. Whether you’re unlocking a Fellow or are looking to explore the latest content, you can earn Arche Factor EXP at the same time.
Here’s every source of Arche Factor EXP in The First Descendant:
- Normal difficulty Sigma Sector
- High-risk difficulty Sigma Sector
- Hard difficulty Void Vessel
- Void Erosion
- 400% difficulty Infiltration Operations
The best place to farm Arche Factor EXP is the Sigma Sector, as you also get bonus EXP for completing each zone on the high-risk difficulty for the first time every day. You can also pick up the Unique Arche Factor EXP Gain booster by exchanging High-Value Relics that drop from Sigma Sectors at Reina in Albion. Sigma Sector missions also have a chance to drop materials for Serena, Truly Deadly Arson shotgun, Ancient Knight assault rifle, and A-TAMS sniper.