Hive Master Build (The First Descendant) — Maximize Multi‑Hit and Weak‑Point Damage
Hive Master is a bursty, multi-hit specialist built around swarms, lingering damage, and rapid multi‑hit interactions. The class shines when it can stack its damage-over-time effects and trigger high-frequency attacks that exploit weak points and stagger windows. This guide walks through a complete progression from early unlocks to endgame modules, weapon core choices, stat priorities, playstyle loops, encounter microtechniques, and recommended loadouts for solo, duo, and four-player content.
Whether you want a stable, beginner-friendly setup or a hyper-optimized endgame variant that outruns content pacing, this guide gives clear, actionable steps, checklist-ready equipment goals, and annotated play patterns you can copy into your builds.
What makes Hive Master unique
Hive Master's toolkit focuses on producing persistent hazards (toxin clouds, swarms) and enabling rapid, repeated hits that scale with status effects.
Many of the class's skills interact with an internal stacking mechanic that buffs damage or attack speed for a short window, rewarding aggressive play and accurate weak-point hits.
Hive Master benefits from playstyles that keep pressure on enemies: consistent chip damage, frequent application of status effects, and short burst windows to maximize multi-hit multipliers.
Key advantages
Excellent sustained damage in crowded PvE situations.
Strong synergy with weapon cores that provide bonus damage per hit or per tick.
Flexible module choices that allow hybridization between burst and sustained builds.
Tradeoffs
Requires positioning to maximize overlapping effects and manage swarm placement.
Can struggle in tight encounters that disable movement or force long cooldown gaps.
Relies on specific weapon-core and module synergies to reach peak performance.
Build goals and play philosophy
Primary objective
Keep enemy health under continuous pressure by applying overlapping doT (damage over time) effects, then capitalize on multi‑hit windows and weak-point multipliers.
Secondary objectives
Maintain uptime on personal damage buffs.
Refresh hazardous zones often to deny enemy movement.
Use team-friendly crowd-control and debuffs to increase total party damage.
Tertiary objectives
Build for survivability through mobility and short cooldown defensive modules.
Prioritize modular flexibility so the same core kit works solo or in group content.
Stat priorities
Offensive Power (Primary)
Increases base damage and scales both direct hits and doT ticks.
Hit Rate / Attack Speed (Secondary)
Improves the number of triggers for multi‑hit interactions and weapon-core on‑hit procs.
Weak Point Damage / Critical Chance (Tertiary)
Ups the payoff when you land precision shots. Weak‑point multipliers are huge for short burst windows.
Survivability / Armor (Situational)
Only invest heavily if you’re running high-difficulty content or pushing time trials.
Suggested focus order for respec progression:
Early game: Offensive Power → Attack Speed → Weak Point Damage.
Mid game: Balance Offensive Power with Weak Point Damage.
Endgame: Slightly shift toward survivability if you find yourself being one‑shot in higher tiers.
Weapon selection and cores
Weapon archetypes that pair best
Rapid-fire rifles with high tick rates for multi‑hit scaling.
Shotguns with tight spread and high weak-point damage for short burst windows.
Tactical SMGs that can stack status quickly while keeping mobility.
Top cores to prioritize
Damage-per-hit cores: amplify each individual hit so multi‑hit windows yield exponential returns.
Status-application cores: increase toxin application rate and duration for lingering area denial.
Weak-point cores: boost damage to exposed parts during stagger phases.
Recommended starter weapon (flexible)
A rapid rifle with a status-boost core — great for learning spacing and consistent application.
If you prefer close-range aggression, early-game shotgun with a weak-point core offers strong burst.
Endgame recommended pairings
Primary: High-TPS rifle with a damage-per-tick core for sustained multi‑hit DPS.
Secondary: Close-range shotgun with weak-point core to finish off targets and punish bosses.
Modules and loadout choices
Core modules to run (must-have)
Module 1: Incubate Acceleration — reduces the internal cooldown on your stacking mechanic so you can refresh windows faster.
Module 2: Toxin Amplifier — increases damage-over-time potency and duration.
Module 3: Multi‑Hit Catalyst — converts a portion of single attacks into extra hits for better synergy with weapon cores.
Module 4: Weak‑Point Focus — raises damage done to weak points and increases the chance to expose them slightly.
Situational modules (swap as needed)
Defensive Dash Module — mobility and invulnerability microseconds for boss dives.
Hive Dispersion — creates additional mini-hives when you get criticals, great for add-heavy maps.
Energy Sustain Module — for builds that struggle with cooldowns and need more frequent skill use.
Team utility modules
Area Debuff Module — reduces enemy resistances in your hazard zones, directly amplifying party damage.
Hive Shield Link — grants an armor buff to allies who enter your swarm for laddered survivability.
Module progression roadmap
Prioritize modules that shorten cooldowns and increase tick damage.
Add weak‑point multipliers once basic uptime is comfortable.
Finish with team utility modules or extra survivability for high-tier content.
Skill choices and sequencing
Primary skill (core DPS)
Use your rapid-application skill as the default spam button to maintain stacks. It should have a low cooldown and high tick count.
Secondary skill (control / burst)
A targeted projectile that creates a toxic field on impact — use this to plant hazards at choke points and force enemy movement into your swarm.
Ultimate skill (situational finisher)
High-damage AoE that detonates existing hazards for massive burst. Best used when the enemy is locked in place or staggered.
Skill rotation template
Start on approach: deploy toxic field to pre-place hazard.
Apply a few basic attacks to stack your internal mechanic.
When stacks are high, trigger multi‑hit windows with weapon bursts and aim for weak points.
If the enemy clumps, detonate the ultimate to maximize overlap damage.
Reset with Incubate Acceleration to keep pressure high.
Notes on uptime
Always avoid letting your stacks fall off completely in extended fights; refresh early if needed.
Prioritize hazard placement where enemies must path through it — it’s not just damage but space control.
Gear progression and checklist
Early game (levels 1–20)
Focus: stable weapon with status core, a couple of defensive modules, and an Incubate acceleration module.
Checklist:
Rapid rifle with status core
Two offensive modules
One defensive module
Mid game (levels 21–40)
Focus: refine cores, start adding weak-point modifiers, and invest in Multi‑Hit Catalyst.
Checklist:
Damage-per-hit core on main weapon
Toxin Amplifier module unlocked
Weak‑Point Focus module equipped
Endgame
Focus: maximize multi‑hit triggers, fully stacked Incubate Acceleration, and tailor for content (boss vs. add waves).
Checklist:
Finalized weapon cores (Dmg/Tick + Weak‑Point)
Four optimized modules (including team utility if playing co-op)
Two situational weapons (rifle + shotgun or SMG)
Itemization tips
Prefer cores that scale multiplicatively with hit counts rather than flat damage increases.
Prioritize attachments that increase hit frequency (fire rate, burst count) while keeping recoil manageable.
Keep a secondary for instakill finishing: high-weak-point shotgun or secondary skill with burst.
Talent tree and passive selection
Essential passives
Multi‑Hit Efficiency: increases damage per extra hit.
Hive Bonding: extends duration of placed hazards.
Rapid Incubation: reduces cooldown of your stack-refresh skill after successful weak-point hits.
Optional passives (based on playstyle)
Agile Swarm: improved mobility while airborne or dashing.
Hardened Chitin: flat damage reduction when inside your own hazard.
Respec guidelines
For solo runs: invest more in survivability passives and Extended Hazard Duration.
For group runs: lean into Multi‑Hit Efficiency and Weak‑Point multipliers, letting teammates cover your mitigation.
Playstyle: Microtechniques and encounter tactics
Positioning fundamentals
Use hazards as lane control: place them on likely enemy paths rather than directly on targets to catch reinforcements.
Keep line-of-sight to your swarm to keep enemies inside the hazard longer.
When targeting bosses, place hazards behind or around them so their movement continues to walk through the damage.
Aiming and hits
Aim for moving weak points when the boss staggers — a few precision shots during your multi‑hit windows will spike massive damage.
When crowd controlled, switch to defensive modules and move to a safer hazard placement to return to the fight.
Mob fights
Spread hazards at chokepoints and funnel enemies into clustered detonation zones.
Let the swarm take aggro while you kite from a distance; your multi‑hit rifle will chew through health pools faster than melee alternatives.
Boss fights
Hold your ultimate until you can combine hazard detonation with a weak-point phase.
Use Incubate Acceleration early to ensure you have short window refreshes during stagger chains.
Team coordination tips
Tell teammates where you’ll place your hazards; coordinated CC and focus fire compounds your damage.
Use team utility modules to boost allies who will primarily target your hazard-enchanced enemies.
Sample builds
Beginner-friendly (balanced)
Primary weapon: Rapid rifle with status core
Secondary weapon: Close-range shotgun with weak-point core
Modules: Incubate Acceleration; Toxin Amplifier; Defensive Dash; Weak‑Point Focus
Playstyle: Kite and chip; refresh stacks between waves; finish with shotgun in close-quarters.
Solo dps (glass cannon)
Primary weapon: High-TPS rifle with damage-per-hit core
Secondary weapon: Tactical SMG with status application core
Modules: Multi‑Hit Catalyst; Damage Amplifier; Weak‑Point Focus; Energy Sustain
Playstyle: Maintain constant pressure; avoid standing in telegraphed boss attacks; burst on stagger windows.
Co-op support (utility + steady damage)
Primary weapon: Moderate-TPS rifle with status core
Secondary weapon: Projectile that plants large toxic fields
Modules: Area Debuff; Hive Shield Link; Toxin Amplifier; Incubate Acceleration
Playstyle: Hold hazards for team, amplify allied damage, swap to DPS mode when needed.
Speedrunning / content pushing
Primary weapon: Max-TPS with damage-per-tick core and high crit
Secondary weapon: Shotgun with huge weak-point damage
Modules: Multi‑Hit Catalyst; Weak‑Point Focus; Incubate Acceleration; Hardened Chitin
Playstyle: Go all-in during windows, avoid unnecessary movement, and position to maximize continuous damage.
Examples of encounter execution
Example 1 — Corridor ambush
Pre-place a toxic field at the choke.
Fire a couple of basic shots to stack your mechanic.
When enemies bunch, unload multi‑hit bursts and detonate the ultimate if available.
Example 2 — Mobile boss with stagger windows
Track movement and predict a stagger vulnerable phase.
Start stacking using the rifle; move to align weak-point shots.
At stagger, unload shotgun + ultimate for huge single-phase damage, then retreat and refresh stacks.
Example 3 — Add wave with air units
Use wide spread hazard placement to deny space.
Use weapon with higher tracking/TPS for consistent hits.
Use Hive Dispersion module to spawn mini-hives for extra area coverage.
Performance tuning and troubleshooting
If your damage feels low
Check hit counts per second. If your weapon only hits once per intended window, switch to a higher-TPS core or add Multi‑Hit Catalyst.
Confirm status application rates — toxin duration contributes to late-phase damage. Increase status cores or attachments.
If survivability is weak
Add Defensive Dash or Hardened Chitin to your module set.
Reallocate passive points to Armor or Extended Hazard duration that grants defensive bonuses.
If team synergy is poor
Swap a module to Area Debuff to help the whole group.
Communicate hazard placement so your team can funnel targets into your zones.
Farming, upgrade priorities, and economy
Efficient farming routes
Pick maps with linear paths to maximize hazard uptime and reduce wasted placement.
Prioritize missions with high mob density; this accelerates core-farming and module XP.
Upgrade order
Weapon cores first — they have the biggest multiplier effect once you unlock multi‑hit interactions.
Incubate Acceleration next — more windows = higher sustained DPS.
Modules for utility or boss damage last, unless you primarily play team content.
Resource investment
Combine moderate investment in two weapons rather than minimal investment across many; specializing yields higher returns for the Hive Master.
Save premium resources for final core upgrades on your main weapon.
Advanced tips and edge cases
Stack timing: learn the exact window your internal stack lasts. Refreshing one or two seconds early often nets better uptime than letting it fall off completely.
Environmental usage: place hazards to deny enemy teleport points or revive zones during objective missions.
Combos with allies: stacking your hazard with single-target stun/hold abilities from teammates creates perfect burst windows for your multi‑hit heavy shots.
Latency compensation: if your weapons rely on client-side hit detection, practice leading shots in high-latency matches to maintain accuracy during multi‑hit bursts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I start building my Hive Master?
Start with a rapid rifle that applies status and a Toxin Amplifier module. Focus early talents on attack speed and damage to build reliable multi‑hit outputs. Practice placing hazards on chokepoints to learn control-oriented play.
What is the best weapon type for Hive Master?
Rapid-fire rifles with high ticks per second are the most consistent, but pairing them with a close-range shotgun for weak‑point bursts creates an excellent hybrid that handles both adds and bosses effectively.
Which modules are mandatory?
Incubate Acceleration, Toxin Amplifier, Multi‑Hit Catalyst, and Weak‑Point Focus form the backbone of a competitive Hive Master build. Swap one for a defensive or utility module depending on content and team composition.
Should I play aggressive or passive with Hive Master?
Play aggressively when you can maintain stacks and control space; otherwise, play cautiously and use hazards to zone enemies. Hive Master rewards risk when you can consistently refresh stacks and land weak-point shots.
Is Hive Master good for endgame content?
Yes. With the right cores and modules, Hive Master scales extremely well. The class performs best in add-dense endgame scenarios and can be tuned to handle bosses with high weak‑point multipliers and short burst windows.
How do I maximize weak‑point damage?
Time your multi‑hit bursts during stagger windows, use Weak‑Point Focus module, and keep a close-range shotgun or precision secondary for finishers.
Are there recommended teammates or synergies?
Pair with teammates who provide crowd control or prolonged stuns; they create ideal moments for your ultimate and weak‑point bursts. Allies that lower enemy resistances further amplify your hazardous zones.
Final checklist before you queue
Primary weapon core finalized (Damage-per-hit or high-TPS with status).
Secondary weapon ready for weak‑point finishers.
Modules equipped: Incubate Acceleration, Toxin Amplifier, Multi‑Hit Catalyst, Weak‑Point Focus.
Passives set: Multi‑Hit Efficiency and Rapid Incubation.
Practice placement of hazards on two favorite mission maps.
Communicated hazard strategy with regular teammates.
Mastering Hive Master is about carving space and enforcing it with hazards, then turning that territorial control into repeated, high-value hits during your damage windows. Build around constant application, refresh with Incubate Acceleration, and finish with precision during stagger — that loop is what separates a casual player from a Hive Master specialist.
Loadout Card — Power Level 1200 (Mid‑High Competitive)
Overview: Single-page, copyable in‑game reference for The First Descendant — Hive Master. Tuned for Power Level 1200, balanced for solo and four‑player PvE where you want strong sustained multi‑hit damage, reliable weak‑point spikes, and enough survivability to survive stagger-heavy bosses.
Core Stats (Target values at PL 1200)
Power: 1200
Offensive Power: +48% (relative focus)
Attack Speed / Hit Rate: +30%
Weak‑Point Damage: +40%
Survivability (Armor/HP): Moderate (allocate remaining points to reach ~35–40% effective mitigation through gear/passes)
Primary Weapon (Slot 1)
Weapon: High‑TPS Rapid Rifle
Core: Damage‑Per‑Hit Core (Rank 5) — prioritizes per‑tick scaling for multi‑hit synergy
Attachments: High RPM barrel; stabilizer stock; precision sight (for weak‑point followups)
Target stats on weapon: +22% DPS; +12% Attack Speed; +8% Weak‑Point Hit Chance
Secondary Weapon (Slot 2)
Weapon: Close‑Range Shotgun (tight spread)
Core: Weak‑Point Amplifier Core (Rank 4) — raw burst to punish stagger windows
Attachments: Short choke; high‑impact rounds; quick‑swap grip
Target stats on weapon: +35% Weak‑Point Damage; +10% Crit Chance
Module Loadout (Exact ranks shown; adjust if lower PL limits apply)
Module 1 — Incubate Acceleration (Rank 5)
Effect: Reduce internal stacking cooldown by 30%; shortens refresh windows for continuous multi‑hit uptime.
Module 2 — Toxin Amplifier (Rank 5)
Effect: Increase DoT potency by +45% and duration by +12%; crucial for area denial and tick synergy.
Module 3 — Multi‑Hit Catalyst (Rank 4)
Effect: Converts 18% of single hit instances into additional hits; pairs with damage‑per‑hit cores.
Module 4 — Weak‑Point Focus (Rank 5)
Effect: +40% damage to weak points and slight increase to exposure chance on stagger.
Module 5 (Situational / Swap) — Hive Shield Link (Rank 3)
Effect: Grants allies inside your hazard an armor buff; use in coordinated groups.
Notes on ranks: Rank targets are chosen for PL 1200 viability. If you lack materials, prioritize Module 1 and Module 2 first, then Module 4, then Module 3.
Passive / Talent Allocation (Priority list)
Multi‑Hit Efficiency (Max) — increases damage per extra hit.
Rapid Incubation (Max) — further shortens refresh/stack windows after weak‑point hits.
Hive Bonding (3/5+) — extend hazard duration for sustained DoT uptime.
Hardened Chitin (2/5) — small mitigation for boss phases; bump if you find yourself one‑shot.
Remaining points into Mobility or Energy Sustain as needed.
Consumables / Temporary Buffs
Use attack‑speed elixir during boss phases.
Bring a short cool‑down booster to guarantee Incubate Acceleration uptime for first 2 minutes of engagements.
Swap to a damage‑over‑time amp when farming add waves.
Exact Stat Breakdowns (Estimated per‑item targets to reach PL 1200 mix)
Weapon DPS contribution: ~44% of offensive power
Module contribution (combined): ~28% of total damage multiplier
Passives and cores combined: ~18%
Remaining from attachments and player skill: ~10%
Aim to hit these proportions rather than chasing a single stat number.
In‑Game Quick Checklist (one‑tap read before queue)
[ ] Primary: Rapid Rifle w/ Damage‑Per‑Hit Core Rank 5
[ ] Secondary: Shotgun w/ Weak‑Point Core Rank 4
[ ] Modules equipped: Incubate Acceleration R5; Toxin Amplifier R5; Multi‑Hit Catalyst R4; Weak‑Point Focus R5
[ ] Passives: Multi‑Hit Efficiency maxed; Rapid Incubation maxed; Hive Bonding ≥3
[ ] Consumables: Attack Speed elixir; CD booster
[ ] Attachments: RPM barrel on rifle; precision sight; high‑impact rounds on shotgun
Playloadout Notes (how to use this card)
Open card mid‑match to confirm module cooldowns and priority weapon swaps.
If you must drop one module for resource reasons, remove Multi‑Hit Catalyst R4 first and replace with Hive Shield Link R3 in groups.
When entering boss stagger windows: shotgun + Weak‑Point Focus R5 combo; then immediately trigger Incubate Acceleration to reinitiate stacking loop.
Alternate PL Targets (if you want another tuned card)
Lower PL (600): prioritize Module 1 R3, Module 2 R3, Weapon cores R3.
High PL (1600+): push all modules to Rank 5, aim for tertiary weapon crit mods and higher Weak‑Point core ranks.
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