The Best Hailey Build Guide for the First Descendant

Discover the Best Hailey Build Guide for The First Descendant and how to create a powerful character with Skills, modules, and weapons.

This build guide has been updated for Hotfix 1.1.0 of The First Descendant.

Best Hailey Build Guide for The First Descendant

Hailey is a sniper-based Descendant introduced in Hotfix 1.1.0, Season 1 Update. She is unique in blending Chill and Cyro damage with her passive, incentivizing players to play at 25 meters or greater. At further range, Hailey does more weak point damage and is a boss melting machine. Her playstyle is safe, allowing for range without being up close like Bunny or other close-quarters Descendants.

The downside of playing Hailey is being forced into range. Moreover, she has some restrictive movement and lacks high mobility. She’s a sniper and plays exactly like one. Max range, huge damage, and destroying single target bosses from afar.

Hailey Build Pro	Hailey Build Cons
Massive Damage	Restrictive Movement
Safe Playstyle	Forced Animations
AOE and Single Target Damage	Must Play at Range

Features and Mechanics for Hailey Build in The First Descendant

The following list presents all the best Hailey Build guide Features and Mechanics for the First Descendant:

• Best Modules: MP Conversion, Front Lines, Focus on Chill
• Best Reactor Stats: Chill and Singular
• Best Weapon: Afterglow Sword Sniper Rifle
• Best Weapon Mods: Sharp Precision Shot, Fire Rate Up, Expanded Weapon Charge
• Best External Component: Slayer
• Skills
  • Safe Strategic Retreat (Passive)
  • Cryo Round
  • Storm Snare
  • Cold Fury
  • Zenith
• Playstyle: Ranged Damage
• How to Unlock: Research four items and 400,000 gold or buy them with 900 caliber.
• Story: a sniper from the 33rd Sniper Squad

How to unlock Hailey in The First Descendant

Hailey is unlocked for free by researching four unique parts and 400,000 gold or you can buy the character immediately with 900 Caliber. Hailey has a unique material known as DNA that can only be obtained by completing invasion or certain hard infiltration operations. Players will want to prioritize obtaining DNA materials because they come from Invasion Dungeon with a 100% drop. Invasions event occurred daily in two dungeons, so there were limits when obtaining the material. However, you can complete Hard Mode Infiltrations and get the material from monster drops. To get started, progress through the new main story, unlocking Invasions and Inversion Reinforcement.

Below is a list of all the required research material for Hailey:

• Enhanced Cell
  • Monad Shard x246
  • Compound Coating Material x239
  • Polyatomic Ion Particle x96
  • Hailey Enhanced Cell Blueprint (DNA) x36
• Stabilizer
  • Nanopolymers x363
  • Reverse Charging Coil x455
  • Negative Ion Particle x47
  • Hailey Stabilizer Blueprint (DNA) x36
• Spiral Catalyst
  • Repton x422
  • Carbon Crystal x554
  • Common Carbon Activator x14
  • Hailey Spiral Catalyst Blueprint (DNA) x36
• Data Chip
  • Hailey Data Chips x36

Best Skill for Hailey

Storm Snare is the best skill for Hailey because it is one of the highest-power-scaled abilities in the game. The skill Storm Snare gives a brief animation, shooting a massive Cyro beam at one or more enemies. With Storm Snare, you gain over 8,000% skill power to direct damage hit. This is the highest in the game and is meant to nuke single-target bosses by stacking skill power. Storm Snare has a long animation, similar to Sharen’s Flash Shortsword ability. Your character turns a huge beam that projects up to 9 Cyro beams.

Since Storm Snare scales from Chill and Singularity, players will want to collect the Frozen Singularity reactor. Moreover, you build into Skill Power increase with mods and anything buffing chill, like focus on the chill mod. Playing at 25 meters or greater will also increase weak point damage, so Hailey will use this ability and or weapon attacks from a max distance if possible.

Lastly, Hailey can use her Cold Fury skill to decrease her movement speed but boost her critical hit rate. Using her skill kit, mods, and weapons, Hailey’s Storm Snare is the perfect boss-melting skill or mob clear.

Safe Strategic Retreat (Passive)

Safe Strategic Retreat Features in The First Descendant:

• Skill Description: Proportional to the distance between the target and Hailey, the “Weak Point Damage” decreases when attacking nearby enemies, and increases when attacking distant enemies.
• Minimum Distance: 12.5 meters
• Max Distance: 25 meters or more

How to Use Safe Strategic Retreat: you gain weak point damage from playing at 25 meters or more. Therefore, you’ll want to play Hailey at a distance when bossing due to this bonus. However, losing the weak point bonus isn’t critical when mobbing.

Cryo Round

Cryo Round Features in The First Descendant:

• Skill Description: Fires multiple Cryo Rounds at enemies to deal damage and inflict Cryo. Targets with Cyro stacks receive additional damage and lose 1 stack when hit by Hailey’s firearm attack.
• Cooldown: 8 seconds
• MP Cost: 22
• Damage: skill power x 78.1%

How to Use Cyro Round: Cyro Round is your trash mob skill, auto-targeting multiple enemies (up to 9). The skill power isn’t that powerful, but the amount of enemies is high. Therefore, use Cyro Rounds to clear multiple enemies, and Storm Snare is your single target’s direct damage skill.

Storm Snare

Storm Snare Features in The First Descendant:

• Skill Description: Unleashes a chill vortex around her, knocking back hit targets and firing a massive freezing beam in the direction of the crosshairs. Inflicts Cyro on targets hit based on enemy AoE.
• Cooldown: 50 seconds
• MP Cost: 60
• Duration: 12 seconds
• Freezing Beam Direct Damage: skill power x 8,628.4%
• Freezing Beam AOE Damage: skill power x 4,394.4%

How to Use Storm Snare: it’s best to use Storm Snare at a long distance because it has a long animation. Once activated, aim for weak point or a large group depending on enemies. You will need to aim this skill, and best to use to burst bosses down and be aware of the MP cost.

Cold Fury

Cold Fury Features in The First Descendant:

• Skill Description: Grants Hailey Cold Fury every second. The Cold Fury effect gradually decreases her movement speed, but greatly increases her firearm and skill critical hit rates and firearm penetration. When Cold Fury reaches
• Cooldown: 5 seconds
• MP Cost: 12

How to Use Cold Fury: Used to buff yourself, have active at all times for 100% skill critical hit rate

Zenith

Zenith Features in The First Descendant:

• Skill Description:
• Cooldown: 30 seconds
• MP Cost:
• Base Damage: same as equipped weapon
• Additional Damage: Skill power x 3,409.5%

How to Use Zenith: Zenith transforms your character’s weapon into a unique weapon that scales on your base weapon damage. It’s essentially a super sniper with four shots, which gains MP when hitting weak points. Forced in animation while firing, so be sure to do it from safety.

How to play Hailey in The First Descendant

The best way to play Hailey is building for maximum distance and skill power, maintaining cold fury for skill, and increasing firearm critical hit damage. Cold Fury will slow you down, but radically increase your damage. Once you’ve reached max stacks, activate Storm Snare for your burst damage at single targets or AOE. Regarding clearing mobs, Cyro Round is your passive damage skill, which will target up to 9 monsters.

To regenerate MP and continue to cycle, activate Zenith’s unique weapon, and aim for weak points at a maximum range of 25 meters or greater. At 25 meters or more, you gain weak point damage via Hailey’s passive. Zenith’s unique MP regeneration feature can restore 15% per shot, and you have a max of four shots.

In summary, maintain Cold Fury buff at all times. Use Storm Snare for your main kill shot at max range if possible. Cyro Rounds is used to destroy weak enemies, and then Zenith is used to regenerate MP. Repeat this skill cycle and rely more on Hailey’s skill than gunplay.

Descendant Modules for Hailey Build

MP Conversion, Front Lines, and Focus on Chill are the best modules mods for a Hailey Build because they decrease her cooldowns, help get to 100% skill critical hit rate, and boost chill damage. Hailye’s skill skit is centered on Chill damage and skills. Moreover, you want high-skill power critical hit rate and critical hit damage to take advantage of Hailey’s powerful skill scaling. As of the making of this guide, Hailey doesn’t have available transcendent modules. Those will be released later, and we will update this build accordingly.

Below are the priorities for obtaining the best Hailey Mods:

1. Front Lines: Skill Critical Hit Damage +16%, Skill Critical Hit Rate +7%.
2. MP Conversion: Skill Cooldown -9%, Max MP -4%
3. Focus on Chill: Chill Skill Power +19%, Skill Cooldown -6.1%
4. Focus on Singular: Singular skill power modifier +17%, skill cooldown -6.1%
5. Emergency Measures: Skill Critical Hit Rate +16%, Skill Critical Hit Damage +7%
6. Mid-Air Maneuvering: Modifies the Grappling  Hook to cast mid-air. Increase module capacity as you level up.
7. Spear and Shield: DEF +22%, Skill Power +8.1%
8. Shot Focus: Firearm ATK +4%, Skill Power Modifier -4%
9. Skill Concentration: Skill Critical Hit Damage +14%
10. Nimble Fingers: Skill Cooldown -6%.

Hailey Best Modules for Leveling

Below is a list of the best leveling mods for Hailey Build in the First Descendant:

• Focus on Singular: Singular skill power modifier +17%, skill cooldown -6.1%
• Focus on Chill: Chill Skill Power +19%, Skill Cooldown -6.1%
• Skill Concentration: Skill Critical Hit Damage +14%
• Mid-Air Maneuvering: Modifies the Grappling  Hook to cast mid-air. Increase module capacity as you level up.
  • Alternative: Use Dual Claw if you do not have this yet.
• Increase HP: Max HP 22%.
• Nimble Fingers: Skill Cooldown -6%.
• Skill Insight: Skill Critical Hit Rate +14%
• MP Conversion: Skill Cooldown -9%, Max MP -4%
• Flex: add Increase DEF or another offensive module here, depending on capacity.

Slot	Module	Quality
1 (Skill Module)	Empty	N/A
2	Focus on Singular	Rare
3	Focus on Chill	Rare
4	Skill Concentration	Standard
5	Flex	Standard
6	Empty	N/A
7 (Sub Module)	Dual Claw	Standard
8	Increase HP	Standard
9	Nimble Fingers	Standard
10	Skill Insight	Standard
11	MP Conversion	Rare
12	Empty	N/A

Hailey Best Modules

Below is a list of the best mods for Hailey Build in the First Descendant:

• Transcendant Module: these are not available yet for Hailey.
• Focus on Singular: Singular skill power modifier +17%, skill cooldown -6.1%
• Focus on Chill: Chill Skill Power +19%, Skill Cooldown -6.1%
• Spear and Shield: DEF +22%, Skill Power +8.1%
• Skill Concentration: Skill Critical Hit Damage +14%
• Front Lines: Skill Critical Hit Damage +16%, Skill Critical Hit Rate +7%.
• Mid-Air Maneuvering: Modifies the Grappling  Hook to cast mid-air. Increase module capacity as you level up.
  • Alternative: Use Dual Claw if you do not have this yet.
• Increase HP: Max HP 22%.
• Nimble Fingers: Skill Cooldown -6%.
• Shot Focus: Firearm ATK +4%, Skill Power Modifier -4%
• MP Conversion: Skill Cooldown -9%, Max MP -4%
• Emergency Measures: Skill Critical Hit Rate +16%, Skill Critical Hit Damage +7%

Slot	Module	Quality
1 (Skill Module)	Empty	N/A
2	Focus on Singular	N/A
3	Focus on Chill	Rare
4	Spear and Shield	Standard
5	Skill Concentration	Standard
6	Front Lines	Standard
7 (Sub Module)	Mid-Air Maneuvering	Standard
8	Increase HP	N/A
9	Nimble Fingers	Rare
10	Shot Focus	Rare
11	MP Conversion	Standard
12	Empty	N/A

Best Reactor Stats for Hailey in The First Descendant

Frozen Singularity is the best reactor for a Hailey build. It gives you skill power posts in Chill and Singular. Hailey’s most damage-producing skills are chill and singular, which is a great choice. Ideally, you can use rare and equip a Hand Cannon or Ultimate quality with an Afterglow Sword. Below is our recommendation for the best Hailey reactors:

• Optimization Condition: Hand Cannon (Nazeistra’s Devotion)
• Skill Power Boost Ratio: Chill and Singular
• Bonus Conditions: Skill Critical Hit Rate and ATK against Colossus

In The First Descendant, reactors are powerful enhancements significantly impacting a character’s abilities, stats, and overall performance. Each reactor comes with an “optimal condition,” which requires a specific weapon type to be equipped to activate. Therefore, this should be your primary weapon for the build. They function as core components that provide substantial boosts and unique effects, enabling players to tailor their characters to specific playstyles and strategies.

Weapons for Hailey Build

Thunder Cage Submachine Gun, Nazeistra’s Devotion Hand Cannon, and the Afterglow Sword Sniper Rifle are the best weapons for Hailey because they damage her at any range. Thunder Cage has a high rate of fire and an overcharge bonus. Overcharge grants the following special bonus: defeating an enemy prompts that enemy to unleash an electric shockwave, dealing firearm ATK to nearby enemies within 3 meters, with additional damage. Therefore, with Thunder Cage, you can gain even more AOE damage and boost weapon attacks as well. Afterglow Sword is your Sniper rifle to be used at 25 meters or greater, while Nazeistra’s Devotion is perfect for mid-range combat.

The following list presents the best weapon choices for Hailey Build:

• Thunder Cage – Submachine Gun
• Nazeistra’s Devotion – Hand Cannon
• Afterglow Sword – Sniper Rifle

Thunder Cage Submachine Gun

Thunder Cage features in the First Descendant:

• Firearm ATK: 18
• Fire Rate: 666
• Reload Speed: 1.4 seconds
• Effective Range: 23 meter
• Overcharge: defeating an enemy prompts that enemy to unleash electric shockwave, dealing firearm ATK to nearby enemies within 3 meters, with additional damage.

The Thunder Cage is helpful for Hailey because it can clear mobs using general rounds. The Overcharge effect gives a chain reaction kills when clearing mobs. Below are the best weapon mods for the Thunder Cage Submachine Gun:

• Action and Reaction: Firearm ATK +15%, Recoil +5%
• Fire Rate UP: Fire Rate +6%
• Electric Enhancement: Adds Electric ATK equal to 8% of Firearm ATK
• Better Concentration: Firearm Critical Hit Damage +19%
• Edging Shot: Firearm critical hit rate +11%, firearm ATK -4%
• Rifling Reinforcement: Firearm ATK +12%
• Concentration Priority: Firearm Critical Hit Damage +30%, Reload Time Modifier -8%
• Better Insight: Firearm Critical Hit Rate +10%
• Flex: put an elemental type of your choice or rounds per magazine in this slot, depending on your socket.
• Sweeping Squad: When defeating an enemy, Firearm ATK +10.6% for 5s at 33% chance (up to 3 stacks)

Nazeistra’s Devotion

Nazeistra’s Devotion features in the First Descendant:

• Firearm ATK: 81
• Fire Rate: 150
• Reload Speed: 25 meters
• Effective Range: 1.5 seconds
• Fanaticism: On hitting an enemy’s Weak Point, inflicts the unique ability Devotion Mark on the target enemy. On hitting an ally, that ally’s shield is restored at the cost of your MP. If your current MP is less than the MP cost, this effect is not triggered.

For Hailey, Nazeistra’s Devotion Hand Cannon is a valuable weapon because of the rounds and its defensive debuff on targets. This gives others in your team, including yourself, more damage if you run out of general rounds. Below are the recommended mods:

• Action and Reaction
• Better Concentration
• Better Insight
• Rifling Reinforcement
• Edging Shot
• Weak Point Expansion
• Chill Enhancement
• Deadeye

Afterglow Sword Sniper Rifle

Afterglow Sword Sniper Rifle features in the First Descendant:

• Firearm ATK: 240
• Fire Rate: 66
• Reload Speed: 2.5 seconds
• Effective Range: 55 meters
• Nightmare Reaper: on hitting an enemy’s weak point, inflicts the unique ability death propagation. On hitting an enemy commander or collossi, increase firearm critical hit rate and apply the effect to the attack.

The Afterglow Sword Sniper Rifle is the best choice for ranged precision weak point damage. Once you trigger Death Propagation, you gain increased reload and damage on weak points. Use this weapon for ranged headshots if possible. Below are the recommended mods for the Afterglow Sword Sniper Rifle:

• Weak Point Sight – Weak Point Damage +9%
• Special Sight – Movement Speed when Aiming -8%, Weak Point DMG when Aiming +8%
• Action and Reaction – Firearm ATK +15%, Recoil +5%
• Rifling Reinforcement – Explosive ATK +12%
• Better Insight – Firearm Critical Hit Rate +10%
• Edging Shot – Firearm Critical Hit Rate +8%, Firearm ATK -4%
• Better Concentration – Firearm Critical Hit Damage +19%
• Concentration Priority – Firearm Critical Hit Damage +30%, Reload Time Modifier -8%
• Fire Rate Concentration – Fire Rate +8%, Firearm Critical Hit Damage +6.5%
• Focus Fire – Weak Point Damage +8%, Firearm Critical Hit Damage +6.5%

External Component

Slayer is the best External Component for Hailey because it boosts her skill power. Hailey’s build centers on building max skill power; thus, a four-piece Slayer is recommended. However, Tomb Vanguard, Battle Aesthetics, and other easier sets can work in replacement.

Unlike other parts of our build, you cannot enhance External Components. These are random (RNG) based drops only when you are at max level. Therefore, they are the finishing touches on your build. Prioritize the following stats for External Components:

Below is a list and chart of the best stats for your External Component Parts bonuses for Hailey:

First Bonus:

1. HP
2. DEF
3. Shields

Second Bonus

1. Max Resource (HP, MP, DEF, Shields)
2. Elemental resistance (fire, chill, electric, toxic)

Auxiliary Power	Sensor	Memory	Processor
First Bonus Priority	First Bonus Priority	First Bonus Priority	First Bonus Priority
HP DEF Shields	HP DEF Shields	HP DEF Shields	HP DEF Shields
Second Bonus Priority	Second Bonus Priority	Second Bonus Priority	Second Bonus Priority
Max HP Fire Resistance	Max MP Chill Resistance	DEF Electric Resistance	Max Shields Toxin Resistance

Hailey’s Story in the First Descendant

“Take out every enemy in every mission, and everyone returns alive.”

The 33rd Sniper Squad’s operational mantra has never been followed, since the reality is that half of the unit is KIA in every operation. Perhaps that is why rumors of jinxes began to spread throughout the unit. The first, missions always go wrong. The second, someone will always be detected, and they’ll always die. The exact opposite of their operational mantra. These chilling jinxes also reached the ears of the youngest member of the unit, Hailey Scott.

Hoping that these jinxes could be broken, Hailey’s 33rd Sniper Squad and the 16th Recon Squad headed out to the Snowfields in search of the Vulgus Fortress. Thanks to the Recon Squad’s efforts, Hailey and her sniper squad were able to set up a vantage point and wait at a good location. Now all they had to do was launch a reconnaissance stealth drone. But here was when the first jinx struck. The Vulgus troops, who were armed with thermal sensors that could easily detect human body temperatures, spotted them. The Vulgus immediately pinpointed the Recon Squad’s location and began attacking them. Hailey and her sniper squad quickly pointed their rifles at the enemy and waited for their targets to walk into the crosshairs amid the ensuing chaos.

“Ugh…! 33rd Sniper Squad… cease fire and retreat! RUN!”

Hailey’s Story Continued

Hailey couldn’t believe her ears. She couldn’t turn her back on her allies who were still alive and fighting to the bitter end. This wasn’t what she became a soldier for. She’d never disobeyed her superiors before, but this time, she decided, she would. Hailey straightened her position, closed her eyes, and recited the operational mantra like a prayer.

“Take out every enemy in every mission, and everyone returns alive.”
“Hit every enemy locked in the crosshairs. And we’ll all return alive.”

After a few deep breaths that dispersed in the wind, Hailey opened her eyes calmly. Her icy cold eyes locked on the enemy with pinpoint precision. Even the sounds around her seemed to be frozen. One shot, then another shot. Each time Haley squeezed the trigger, an enemy crumbled like bent grass. The enemies panicked and turned up their thermal sensors, but they couldn’t find her. And so, the Vulgus forces were wiped out by a single unseen sniper.

Not only was it a victory, but it was also the moment when the squad’s operational mantra, which had never been achieved, was finally accomplished by Hailey, their youngest member. When asked by her superiors how it felt to be the exception to the rule, she smiled and said, “I’m happy. It happened just like our operational mantra says.” With that, everyone including Hailey who was deployed in the operation managed to return safe and sound.

The Best Hailey Build Guide for the First Descendant Story Conclusion

Upon reviewing the operation report, HQ wondered how Hailey was able to snipe so many Vulgus without being detected by their thermal sensors. Even if her body temperature did drop, it wouldn’t have been low enough to evade detection by the thermal sensors. It didn’t make sense unless she had Arche. Eventually, Hailey was tested for an Arche factor, and was found to have ‘Supercooling Arche’ abilities that enable her to drop her body temperature to extreme levels and fire Arche clusters instead of bullets. So, Hailey left the sniper squad that she had grown so fond of and officially became a Descendant. But even as a Descendant, Hailey vowed to keep the legend alive, still reciting the 33rd Sniper Squad’s operational mantra.

“Take out every enemy in every mission, and everyone returns alive.”

Build Summary – The Best Hailey Guide for the First Descendant

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