To rank up Mastery in The First Descendant, earn Mastery EXP from eligible progression, then visit Prime Hands in Albion and complete the rank-up interaction. Mastery Rank does not rank up automatically just because you have accumulated enough EXP.
How do you earn Mastery EXP?
Nexon lists four sources of Mastery EXP: leveling a Descendant, increasing a weapon’s Proficiency, completing a mission for the first time, and receiving quest rewards. The official Mastery Rank guide does not provide EXP totals or rates for these activities, so there is no supported basis for calling one the fastest source.
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- Level a Descendant: Descendant levels are one of the listed sources.
- Increase weapon Proficiency: Weapon Proficiency progression also grants Mastery EXP.
- Complete new missions: Only the first completion of a mission grants Mastery EXP. Nexon states, “You cannot acquire Mastery EXP through Missions from the second completion and onward.” Replaying a mission may still serve other gameplay goals, but it is not a Mastery EXP farm.
- Claim quest rewards: Quest rewards are the fourth official source.
Where do you claim a Mastery Rank?
- Earn enough Mastery EXP through the eligible sources above.
- Return to Albion and interact with Prime Hands to perform the rank-up.
Accumulating the EXP is not the last step: use Prime Hands to complete the rank-up interaction.
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Open Inventory > Mastery Rank to view information about your rank and its benefits. Nexon lists increases to Weapon and Descendant module slots and capacity, equipment inventory and storage slots, the Shape Stabilizer inventory limit, Tracking Count slots, and Consumable slots. Higher ranks can also make features available; the guide gives Weapon Level Transmission and Weapon Readjustment as examples. Which benefits change at a particular rank should be checked on the in-game screen rather than assumed to increase at every rank.
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What happens when a Descendant or weapon reaches level 40?
Descendants and Weapon Proficiency can be leveled to 40. At level 40, assigning a module socket type resets that Descendant or weapon to level 1, according to Nexon Support’s level-cap explanation. The support article does not say that leveling the reset item grants Mastery EXP again, so do not count on a second Mastery EXP award from that reset.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why does Mastery Rank matter?
Mastery Rank can be a requirement for content and features. For example, Nexon’s May 21, 2026 (PDT) Update 1.3.28 notes set Mastery Rank 18 as the requirement for Onslaught Mode. The September 17, 2026 (PDT) Update 1.4.3 notes say Cradle of Evolution unlocks at Rank 18, while Lounge Storage Trade requires Rank 15 as well as completion of associated quests. These are requirements in those specific updates, not a promise that rank gates will remain unchanged; check current patch notes for the activity you want to access.
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