The Best EXCAVA Build Guide in The First Descendant

Discover how to get the EXCAVA, the best modules, best stats, and more in our weapon build guide for The First Descendant!

This guide has been updated for Season 1, Hotfix 1.1.0 of the First Descendant.

Best EXCAVA Build Guide in The First Descendant

The EXCAVA is an Ultimate weapon in The First Descendant, rewarded with a Season 1 Battle Pass. What makes the EXCAVA unique is its debuffing mechanic, which can lower electric resistances and increase your overall damage. With this ultimate weapon, you want to build into an electric attack using mods and weapon traits to take advantage of this effect. However, you must generate 36 stacks, so the buff and debuff mechanic can be difficult to trigger.

All EXCAVA features in The First Descendant:

• Weapon Type: Assault Rifle
• Unique Ability: Votage Accel Energy Grenade Launcher
  • Hitting an enemy grants the unique effect of Voltage Charge. When the voltage charge reaches Max Stacks, it changes to a unique effect called an energy grenade. While the energy grenade is active, it fires an energy grenade when shooting while aiming, which deals increased damage based on the number of stacks. Hitting an enemy with the energy grenade inflicts voltage accumulation. Voltage accumulation debuffs electric resistance.
• Pros: Electric Debuff
• Cons: Complex Unique Ability
• Best Characters: Bunny, Ajax, Kyle
• Best Mods: Firing Fiesta, Fire Rate UP, Expand Weapon Charge

EXCAVA Advanced Stats

Below are the base advanced stats for the EXCAVA at level 1:

• Firearm ATK: 32
• Fire Rate: 588
• Rounds per Magazine: 37
• Reload time: 2 seconds
• Crit rate: 3%
• Crit damage: 1.2x
• Status chance: 4.35%
• Weakpoint damage: 1.4x

How to Get EXCAVA in The First Descendant

To get the Ultimate EXCAVA Assault Rifle, you must level your Season 1 Battle Pass. If you pay for the Premium rewards (500 Caliber), then this launcher will unlock for you at Level 1. If you are not, then the launcher will unlock for free at Level 16.

You can increase your Battle Pass level just by playing the game. However, if you want to speed up this process, you can be more targeted in your approach by completing the set Challenges. There are rewards for completing daily, weekly, and seasonal challenges that will grow your level faster.

Furthermore, additional copies of EXCAVA will be available at levels 40, 64, and 88. You can use these copies to enhance your first EXCAVA and thus make the special ability more powerful. Below is a list of EXCAVA weapons and copies from the Season 1 Battle Pass:

1. Level 1 (Premium Upgrade Required)
2. Level 16 (All Players)
3. Level 40 (All Players)
4. Level 64 (All Players)
5. Level 88 (Premium Upgrade Required)

Best Modules for EXCAVA in The First Descendant

Firing Fiesta, Fire Rate UP, and Expand Weapon Charge are the best weapon mods for the EXCAVA because they increase the fire speed and magazine size. EXCAVA incentivizes you to keep firing and triggers the unique bonus voltage charge. With max stacks of Voltage Charge, you increase your critical hit rate and can even debuff the enemy’s electric resistance when aiming down sights. Therefore, the best mods will be anything to aid in more ammunition, faster fire rate, or quicker reload speed.

Best Beginner Mods for EXCAVA

Below are the best beginner weapons mods for the EXCAVA:

• 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
• Rifling Reinforcement: Firearm ATK +12%
• Expand Weapon Charge: Rounds per magazine +12%
• Weak Point Sight: Weak point damage +9%

Slot	Module
1 (First Row)	Action and Reaction
2	Fire Rate UP
3	Electric Enhancement
4	Empty
5	Empty
6 (Second Row)	Rifling Reinforcement
7	Expand Weapon Charge
8	Weak Point Sight
9	Empty
10	Empty

Best Advanced Mods for EXCAVA

Below are the best-advanced weapons mods for the EXCAVA:

• Action and Reaction: Firearm ATK +15%, Recoil +5%
• Fire Rate UP: Fire Rate +6%
• Flex: Use here for increased reload speed, magazine size, or your favorite mod.
• Have Aiming: Weak Point Damage +10%, Accuracy -5%
• Electric Enhancement: Adds Electric ATK equal to 8% of Firearm ATK
• Rifling Reinforcement: Firearm ATK +12%
• Expand Weapon Charge: Rounds per magazine +12%
• Weak Point Sight: Weak point damage +9%
• Firing Fiesta: When reloading, rounds are not consumed for 3 seconds (25-second cooldown)
• Electric Priority: Electric ATK +13%, Reload Time Modifer -8%

Slot	Module
1 (First Row)	Action and Reaction
2	Fire Rate UP
3	Flex
4	Have Aiming
5	Electric Enhancement
6 (Second Row)	Rifling Reinforcement
7	Expand Weapon Charge
8	Weak Point Sight
9	Firing Fiesta
10	Electric Priority

Best Weapon Stats for EXCAVA in The First Descendant

Firearm ATK and Electric ATK are the best weapon traits and bonuses for the EXCAVA Assault Rifle because they buff the weapon’s base damage. Firearm ATK increases the overall damage of the weapon, while Electric ATK adds an electrical damage component to every bullet. You can further enhance the electrical damage with mods on your weapon, and build into electric. The EXCAVA has a unique electric debuff effect, thus making your electric damage even more powerful. The other two recommended traits are Weak Point damage and Bonus Damage against Colossus for Void Intercept boss fights.

Here are the best weapon stats for EXCAVA in The First Descendant:

1. Firearm ATK
2. Electric ATK
3. Weak Point Damage
4. Bonus Firearm ATK (vs. Colossus)

In the First Descendant, weapon stats are randomly generated for all weapons when they are picked up as loot or picked up after crafting. You can change (or re-roll) them through the Weapon Readjustment system. Each weapon has four random traits or stats that can be rerolled to find the ideal trait. These regenerated traits are also random and so is their quality. Therefore, expect to spend a lot of materials to min-max the perfect roll.

How to Upgrade EXCAVA

To upgrade the EXCAVA weapon, you can increase module capacity, level transmissions weapon to your current level, readjust the weapon traits, or enhance the weapon’s unique ability. The First Descendant provides several different avenues for upgrading and improving your weapons by using their repair station Workbench. The Workbench is located in the same general area as Anais and weapons seller Deslin on the west side of Albion. Below are the various methods for upgrading weapons in the First Descendant:

• Max Capacity UP: increase the module capacity.
• Level Transmission: upgrades level to your current level.
• Readjustment: changes weapon traits and perks.
• Enhanced Unique Ability: increase ultimate weapons unique effect to max of 5.

Maximum Module Capacity

When upgrading weapon mods, be aware there is an increased cost and a max module capacity of 80. The material needed is Energy Activators, and you will get one of these after playing through the end of the campaign, or you can craft them with Anais. Therefore, you want to balance increasing mods and not attempt to max out every one. A balanced approach to firearm ATK, critical chance, and critical damage is the best (+3 or so to each).

Weapon Transmission

Each time you pick up a dropped weapon in The First Descendant, its level will correspond to the region and zone you are playing in. However, you can easily bring it up to your current weapon level by using the Weapon Transmission mechanic at the Workbench.

Finally, you will need to reach Mastery Rank 3.

To level up EXCAVA in The First Descendant you will need:

• Phase Exchanger
  • 50 Superalloy
  • 2,500 credits/gold
  • 2:30 of research time

To get Superalloy in the First Descendant you will need to dismantle many weapons you don’t want by junking them. This breaks down the weapon into crafting materials you can use to make other items. Consequently, we highly recommend breaking down all of your excess weapons instead of selling them. Credits are easier to earn just by playing the game and completing missions.

Weapon Readjustment

In The First Descendant, the Weapon Readjustment mechanic allows you to use the Workbench to re-roll your weapon stats. Moreover, you can re-roll all of your stats at once, or lock individual stats you like and only re-roll the ones you want to change.

Finally, you will need to reach Master Rank 4 in order to unlock Weapon Readjustment at the Workbench.

To change EXCAVA stats in The First Descendant you will need:

• Adjustment Control Axis x4
  • 340 Superalloy
  • 12,000 credits/gold
  • 15:00 of research time

Enhanced Unique Ability

Each Ultimate weapon in The First Descendant comes with a unique ability that gives it a powerful effect and you can enhance the power of these abilities. This is another mechanic that you will use at the repair station Workbench, and it unlocks at Mastery Rank 5.

However, unlike Weapon Transmission and Weapon Readjustment there is no unique crafting material you will need to create and use. To enhance the unique ability of The Last Dagger, you will have to craft a duplicate. Then, take that Level 1 duplicate to the Workbench and sacrifice it to upgrade the The Last Dagger ability to a stronger version.

How To Use EXCAVA

The best way to use EXCAVA in The First Descendant is to maintain a high fire rate to keep both proc conditions, Energy Grenade, and Voltage Charge active. You must keep firing and building up to 36 stacks of Voltage Charge. Once you reach 36 stacks, maintain firing once every 3 seconds to refresh the stacks. Then, the weapon starts building another stack, Energy Grenade. That increases your critical hit rate and doesn’t have a duration. Lastly, if you aim down sights while Energy Grenad is active, you gain Voltage Accumulation, an electric resistance debuff.

Therefore, you aim to shoot uninterrupted for 36 rounds to trigger the Energy Grenade. You can expand your default magazine size 37 to increase the likelihood of reaching the 36 rounds if interrupted. Once you generate Energy Grenade, build at least three stacks, then aim down sights to debuff a target. This is helpful for bosses who are resistant to electrical or if you’re using Bunny and want to increase her overall damage.

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