Running out of Ammo in The First Descendant? (Tips & Tricks)

Running out of ammo in the First Descendant is a massive pain, especially in Void Intercept Battles. Here’s a guide on how to avoid it.

Running out of ammo in a The First Descendant Boss fight? You're not alone, and it happens surprisingly often. If you've taken on one of the boss fights such as the Grave Walker, you might run into the same issue I had, no ammo.

To understand the core root of the problem, here's a quick guide on ammo types in The First Descendant, and why you need to choose your weapons wisely before heading into a big boss fight or campaign.

Understanding Ammo in The First Descendant

Consider keeping at least one weapon that uses Standard Ammo to avoid running out of rounds
Consider keeping at least one weapon that uses Standard Ammo to avoid running out of rounds

Ammo in The First Descendant is not infinite, although it may feel like it during regular Battlefield Missions. Downed enemies can drop ammo, and considering you're typically facing swarms of them you might feel like you've got ammo for days. However, your weapon's ammo type can affect how easily you can find ammo in The First Descendant. Yep, it caught me off guard as well.

There are four types of Ammo in The First Descendant:

  • General Rounds (White)
  • Impact Rounds (Green)
  • Special Rounds (Orange)
  • High-Power Rounds (Purple)

Impact Rounds are more rare to find in drops than Standard Ammo, and High-Power Ammo is more rare than Special Rounds. This means that when it comes to picking your loadout, you will want to consider keeping at least one weapon that uses General Rounds (White).

Weapon Ammo types in The First Descendant
Weapon Ammo types in The First Descendant

These are the weapon classes and their typical Ammo type: (there are exceptions)

  • General Rounds (White): Handguns, Submachine Guns, Machine Guns, Assault Rifles
  • Impact Rounds (Green): Hand Cannon, Scout Rifle
  • Special Rounds (Orange): Tactical Rifles, Beam Rifles
  • High-Power Rounds (Purple): Shotguns, Snipers, Launchers

High-Power Rounds weapons obviously deal more damage, but you're more likely to run out of ammo for them on the battlefield. That's why rolling with three Shotguns might not be the play versus a Boss.

Rare weapons (Purple) can sometimes that Impact Rounds (Green), make sure to check
Rare weapons (Purple) can sometimes that Impact Rounds (Green), make sure to check

Important: Don't confuse weapon rarity with their ammo type. You can find Rare Weapons (Purple) that take Impact Rounds (Green). For example this Rare Hero's Scar Scout Rifle (above) I found in the first ten hours of playing The First Descendant.

Ruinning out of Ammo in Boss Fights in The First Descendant

The Grave Walker Colossus battle might be the first time you experience ammo shortage
The Grave Walker Colossus battle might be the first time you experience ammo shortage

When you face Void Intercept Battle Bosses such as the Grave Walker (Colossus) at Level 10, it will likely be the first time you run out of ammo on two or all three of your weapons. That's because you typically pick up ammo from mobs, but in this fight there are only a handful of mobs that appear. This means the chance for a higher rarity ammo type is even more unlikely.

While bringing all your highest DPS guns to the battle may seem like the best option, for Boss Battles like Colossus, maybe consider a General Rounds weapon and being a bit more patient. Otherwise you'll end up like me, just running around in circles hoping for a mob to appear and a good bit of RNG.

Additionally, Ammo is shared between all weapons of that ammo type in The First Descendant. So, if you have two weapons of the same Ammo type, they draw from the same Ammo pool (so you'll essentially have half the bullets).

Tips to not run out of ammo in the First Descendant

Aside from the usual "get gud" comments, here's some tips on how to avoid running out of ammo in The First Descendant -in particular in Boss Battles.

  • Run at least one General Rounds weapon such as an SMG or AR
  • Avoid having two High-Power Rounds weapons
  • Pay attention to magazine capacity of weapons you use
  • If a battle does not feature mobs, avoid bringing Shotguns, Sniper Rifles or Launchers
  • Increase your Mastery Rank to boost capacity of your weapon modules and perks

So in summary, having High-Power Rounds weapons is a huge disadvantage versus Void Intercept Battle Bosses, but an amazing vibe when you're just slaying on a Battlefield Mission.

If you run out of ammo remember you can still use Melee Attacks (or your abilities), but hopefully you won't after reading this guide. P.S. Get Gud.