Welcome to The First Descendant Harris Build Guide for Season 3 Episode 2 Assemble. In this guide, we’ll show you how to unleash the full potential of Harris. Harris plays well as a melee character! The build will include the perfect weapons, stats, and modules, this guide covers everything you need to create a truly devastating build for Harris.
Harris is primarly a skill-based Descendant with a focus on melee combat. She also works well with swords!
Table of Contents for the Harris Build:
- How to play Harris: A Deep Dive
- Harris Builds Overview – Modules
- Trigger & Ancestor Modules
- Arche Tuning for Harris
- Harris Equipment Overview
- Harris Basics
- Harris’s Story
For builds on other Descendants, visit our The First Descendant Builds Database, or check out the Character Tier List or the Weapon Tier List.
TFD Wiki: We have expanded Alcasthq with tfd.alcasthq.com, a Wiki & Database for anything related to The First Descendant. Use the Character Editor or the Weapon Editor to theorycraft and create builds yourself. Browse Descendants, Weapons, Leaderboard Loadouts or use the Compare Tool. There are plenty of other features you can check out, too!
Here is a quick list of the strengths and weaknesses of the Harris Build for The First Descendant.
Harris’s Strengths
Harris Weaknesses
How to Play Harris in the First Descendant
In this section we are going to take a look at how Harris works in The First Descendant. Harris is a skill-based Descendant. Learn about her skills in detail in Harris’s Skill Explanation section.
- Mobbing: For more challenging mobbing or content, the Harris Mobbing Build balances AoE damage power with endless sustain and great survivability.
- Bossing: The Harris Bossing Build offers solid survivability, sustain and great damage with a short cooldown on Harris’s skills.
Harris’s Equipment: Make Or Break It!
To unlock Harris’s full potential, you need the right Weapons, Reactors, and External Components:
- Weapons: Focus on two general damage-dealing weapons and one weapon tailored to whatever you need for utility or special mechanics. See the Best Weapons for Harris section.
- Reactors: Selecting the right reactor can drastically boost your damage. Check out the Best Reactors for Harris section.
- External Components: These are critical for survivability. Properly configured, they double or tripple your HP or DEF. Learn more in the Best External Components for Harris section.
Building a top-tier The First Descendant Harris Build requires not only the right modules but also optimized weapons, reactors, and components.
Best Harris Builds Overview for The First Descendant
In this section, we are going to look at the different best Harris Build Setups for The First Descendant. The optimized setups require a lot of Crystallization Catalysts. We have a full guide on how to farm Crystallization Catalysts in The First Descendant. The Budget setup requires no Crystallization Catalysts.
All Harris build setups require an Energy Activator to increase the Module Capacity. We also have an in-depth guide on how to farm Energy Activators in The First Descendant. Additionally, you will need plenty of Kuiper Shards and Gold to increase Module Levels. Here are the Top 3 Kuiper Shard farm spots!
Equipment: I will cover Weapons, Reactors, and External Components in the Harris Equipment section. To maximize the power of any build, you must get the correct items!
- How to get Modules: Read the Module Farming section.
- 85 Module Capacity How? Read the basics Module section.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Harris Mobbing Build | Used for content that requires massive AoE damage. |
| Harris Bossing Build | Used against Colossus fights. |
Harris Mobbing Build
The purpose of this Harris Mobbing Build for The First Descendant is to clear dungeon content like 100%-400% dungeons, Void Vessel or Invasions on hard difficulty.
- Trigger Module Steel Vanguard: Steel Vanguard offers additional damage. Alternatively, can also use Battering Ram or Power Beyond.
- Ancestor Module Pioneer’s Resolution: Any stats that give extra damage and range will do fine. This is a non-crit build so for negative perks go with anything crit related.
| Module Slot | Module Name | Mod Level | Socket Type | Crystallized |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 (Trigger Module) | Vanguard Steel | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1 (Skill Module) | Empty | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2 | Increased HP | Max |  Cerulean |
Yes |
| 3 | Skill Extension | Max |  Rutile |
Yes |
| 4 | Skill Expansion | Max | Rutile |
Yes |
| 5 | Stim Accelerant | Max | Cerulean |
Yes |
| 6 | MP Conversion | Max |  Malachite |
Yes |
| 7 (Sub Module) | Mid-Air Maneuvering | Max | Malachite |
Yes |
| 8 | Shield Charge | Max | Rutile |
Yes |
| 9 | Toxic Amplification | Max | Rutile |
Yes |
| 10 | Nimble Fingers | Max | Malachite |
Yes |
| 11 | Power Increase | Max | Malachite |
Yes |
| 12 (Ancestor Module) | Pioneer’s Resolution | Max |  Almandine |
Yes |
Harris Bossing Build for The First Descendant
Trigger and Ancestor Modules for the Harris Build
Trigger and Ancestor Modules are also part of the module category, but they are a special type of module that are harder to unlock and acquire.
- Trigger Modules: Go into a special slot. Unlock special buffs and unique effects.
- Ancestor Modules: Go into a normal module slot. Enhance the build by adding additional stats.
Harris Trigger Modules
You need to first unlock the trigger module slot for each character. Learn how to unlock Trigger Modules in The First Descendant.
For our The First Descendant Harris Build we have a few good options when it comes to trigger modules. I prefer Steel Vanguard, but Battering Ram and Power Beyond are also great.
- Mobbing: Steel Vanguard – Battering Ram – Power Beyond
- Bossing: Work in progress
Harris Ancestor Module
Ancestor Modules can be slotted once you have acquired them. However, they are only worth it once you have an Ancestor module with good stat rolls on them.
Harris Ancestor Module: Pioneer’s Resolution
- Ideal Positive Rolls
- Fusion Skill Power Boost
- Toxic Skill Power Boost
- Defense
- Ideal Negative Rolls
- Skill Critical Hit Rate
Arche Tuning for Harris
The Arche Tuning System in The First Descendant is important for every Character; it buffs your stats by a good amount. For The First Descendant Harris, we are going both ways to be able to slot two Mutant Cells.
- Top Right Mutant Cell: Toxin Chain Catalyst
- Bottom Left Mutant Cell: Defense Neutralization
You level up Arche Tuning in the Sigma Sector Dropoff Operation. Mutant Cells also drop there with a small chance.
Harris Equipment Overview in The First Descendant
Equipment is the cornerstone of any successful The First Descendant Build. For Harris, having the right setup can mean the difference between dominating a dungeon and falling short. This section breaks down the essential equipment types—Weapons, Reactors, External Components, and Transcendent Modules and explains how they maximize her power.
| Equipment Type | Importance | Key Benefits |
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Best Weapon for the Harris Build in The First Descendant
Here, you will find the best weapons for Harris that I like to run. Generally, when I am using a skill-based setup I like to run Blue Beetle (Fusion) or Secret Garden (tech) to maximize skill damage. And the rest of the weapons I pick any of the powerful ones.
Top 3 Weapons for Harris
Otherwise, you can pick any of the weapons below that are very powerful on their own.
| Weapon | Category | Key Features | Why It’s Great for Harris |
|---|---|---|---|
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Tactical Rifle |
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Sword |
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Sword |
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Other Useful Weapons
| Weapon | Category | Key Features | Why It’s Great for Harris |
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Rocket Launcher |
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Beam Rifle |
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Submachine Gun |
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Best Reactor for Harris in The First Descendant
Selecting the best reactor for Harris in The First Descendant can significantly enhance her abilities, allowing you to maximize her effectiveness in various scenarios. Not only does the reactor determine your skill damage, but it also gives additional secondary benefits through modifiers. These are often hard to get and take time to grind out!
It is hard to get a Reactor with two best in-slot specs. However, you should be able to get a Reactor with at least one good spec. I will highlight the more important spec in bold in the table below.
| Best Reactor | Specs | Key Benefits | Best Builds |
|---|---|---|---|
 Toxic Mixture Reactor |
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Maximizing Bossing Damage | |
Toxic Mixture Reactor |
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Overall best damage for Mobbing. | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
How to find the Location of Reactors
Reactor drop locations change every day. Not many players know this. Now there is a reactor search function in-game. Go to the map and press on Difficulty Level Rewards. In here you can see where currently all the reactors drop.
Note: It is possible that no such reactors drop currently. Come back here every day and check if one drops.
If our specified reactor drops in an area, you go there and farm missions and monsters. There will be plenty of reactors dropping from monsters all over the place, any monster works. It will take a while to get a good reactor!
Best External Components for the Harris Build
The best External Components set that works with any of the Harris Builds is called the Plague Set. It drops in the Sigma Sector Broken Boundary, normal & hard difficulty.
Plague is an amazing set because it has 4x Max HP as base stat. Additionally, it obviously also suits Harris’s skills perfectly.
External Component Cores: Always go for HP and DEF cores.
Plague Set Bonuses:
- 2 Set Bonus:
- Tech Skill Power +5%
- Singular Skill Power +5%
- 4 Set Bonus:
- Firearm Critical Hit Rate -24%
- Firearm Critical Hit Damage +37%
- Toxic Skill Power +43%
- On acquiring Custom Resource, Toxic Skill Power +22%
| External Component Part | Base Stats | Selective Best Stats | Cores |
|---|---|---|---|
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Max HP |
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Max HP |
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Max HP |
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Max HP |
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Note: You can replace one or two DEF cores with attribute resistance if you fight against specific enemy types.
Inversion Reinforcements Setup for Harris
You can find the Inversion Reinforcements in the inventory, located on the bottom left side. This changes with every new season and needs to be leveled up again. You level up Inversion Reinforcements by doing any activity. However, the fastest way to advance it is by completing Disrupt Invasion (max 4 daily) in the dungeon terminal with the red dungeons.
At max level, you have unlocked everything. While the last perk is always active in each row, you can only slot three additional perks at the bottom. Here is what you want to prioritize:
- Hunt: Adrenaline Surge.
- Attribute: None.
- Recovery: None.
- Survival: Shield Particle Reconfiguration.
- Season: Sword Enhancement Mechanism.
All Harris Transcendent Modules Explained
- Focused Supervision
- Safety Training
- Pioneer’s Resolution (Ancestor Module)
Harris Basics in The First Descendant
If it is your first time playing Harris in The First Descendant, here are some useful things you should know.
- How to unlock Harris
- Harris Skills Explanation – Master Harris’s Abilities
- Module Basics Explained!
- Best Grapple Hook for Harris
How to Unlock Harris in The First Descendant
Let’s take a quick look at how to unlock Harris in the First Descendant. To unlock Harris, you have to purchase her from the store, or research her. You need the following items to research Harris:
- 1x Harris Enhanced Cells
- Location: Supermassive Receptor Dungeon Infiltration Mission hard difficulty
- 1x Harris Stabilizer
- Location: Supermassive Receptor Dungeon Infiltration Mission hard difficulty
- 1x Harris Spiral Catalyst
- Location: Supermassive Receptor Dungeon Infiltration Mission hard difficulty
- 1x Harris Code
- Location: Supermassive Receptor Dungeon Infiltration Mission hard difficulty
- 400k Credits
When you visit Magisters Anais at the Research Institute you can hover over each item. Then click on Acquisition Info and it will tell you where this specific item drops.
The First Descendant Harris Skills Explained
In this section, we will explain the skills available to our Harris Build in the First Descendant, how each skill works, and the best ways for you to use them.
Harris’s skill loadout is themed around electric, applying electric damage to many enemies at once in a big radius.
| Skill Name | Type | Effect | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
 Crushing Charge |
AoE | Charges forward, swinging the NOVA System to deal damage to the target. inflict Towed on enemies within range. Using Crushing Charge consecutively within the Combo Duration enhances the attacks. | AoE Damage |
 Site Intrusion |
AoE | Jumps forward and deals damage on landing. Gains Protective Barrier proportional to the number of enemies hit. If no target is hit, the Cooldown of Site Intrusion is partially refunded. | AoE Damage |
| Designate Danger Zone |
AoE | Enters Designate Danger Zone. Periodically consumes Toxin, to deal damage to nearby enemies. Grants buffs while in Designate Danger Zone. | AoE Damage |
 Waste Disposal |
AoE, Snare | The NOVA System emits a Cutting Laser over a wide area. Inflicts Toxic Contamination on enemies hit by Cutting Laser. Grants DEF proportional to the number of enemies hit by Cutting Laser. | ST Damage |
 Internal Toxin Control (Passive) |
Passive | Gains or consumes Toxin each time a skill is used. Grants a variety of effects based on the amount of Toxin. Maintaining a certain amount of Toxin for a certain period of time grants Best Condition for each stage. | Is always active |
Crushing Charge Skill
Site Intrusion Skill
Designate Danger Zone Skill
Waste Disposal Skill
Internal Toxin Control (Passive)
How Modules Work in The First Descendant
Modules are the bread and butter of all The First Descendant Builds. There are a few important things to remember about modules. This is for both Descendant and Weapon Modules.
While most builds require you to increase Module Capacity with an Energy Activator (you get two for free), they won’t require you to reduce the Module cost with Crystallization Catalyst. However, if you want to truly min-max a build, you will need plenty of these Catalysts.
- How to increase your Module Capacity
- Module Levels and Cost
- Reduce the cost of Modules
- How to farm Modules
How to Increase Module Capacity
You get a base of 45 Modules for every Descendant character. And you can increase this up to 85 currently. First off, always slot a Sub Attack Module (Slot 7). When you increase this to the max level you will get an additional 10 Module Capacity. if you use a Crystallization Catalyst on the Sub Attack Module, you even get 15 extra slots. You will see this in the setup below.
Additionally, you can use an Energy Activator to increase your Module Capacity by another 20. However, these are fairly hard to farm, only use them on your best Descendants.
Lastly, increasing your Mastery Rank will also increase Module Capacity. Rank 1 gives you 25 Module Capacity, Rank 20 gives you 50 Module Capacity. That is how we reach the 80 Module Capacity that you see on most builds.
- Slot a Sub Attack Module (and max it out to get +10 capacity, crystallize it for +15)
- Use an Energy Activator (2o extra capacity)
- Increase Mastery Rank (25 base capacity, max 50)
Weapons: Basically the same, but because you don’t have Subattack Modules, the Energy Activator gives you 30 instead of just 20 extra capacity.
You can also read my in-depth guide on how to increase Module Capacity in The First Descendant if you need more information. Or my Best Energy Activator Farm Spots and our Best Crystallization Catalyst Farm Spots. I tested all of the grind spots by myself and have already farmed plenty of these items with this method.
Module Levels and Cost
Modules can be enhanced (leveled up) with Kuiper Shards in The First Descendant. Enhancing Modules increases their power. At higher levels, the power will increase way more than at lower levels. Therefore it is always recommended to max out the most important Module first.
Here is an example of a must-have Module called Increased HP for our Descendant. You will notice that we start at 22%, but at the max level, we get a whopping 218.5% increase in health!
| Level | Capacity Cost | Power |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – Base | 6 | 22% |
| 1 | 7 | 31.2% |
| 2 | 8 | 41.4% |
| 3 | 9 | 54.4% |
| 4 | 10 | 69.8% |
| 5 | 11 | 87.2% |
| 6 | 12 | 108.2% |
| 7 | 13 | 130.2% |
| 8 | 14 | 155.2% |
| 9 | 15 | 184.5% |
| 10 | 16 | 218.5% |
Transcendent Modules are the exception; they decrease Capacity Cost with higher levels!
For an in-depth overview, please visit our How to Level Up Modules in The First Descendant guide.
How to Farm Kuiper Shards
Kuiper Shards are used to level up Modules. We have a guide on the Top 3 Kuiper Shard Farming Locations in the First Descendant. We explain how to most efficiently farm Kuiper Shards (300-500k/hour) and show the amount you need to level up mods. As a summary, to max out a Module you need:
- Normal Modules: 103’100 Kuiper Shards
- Rare Modules: 206’200 Kuiper Shards
- Ultimate Modules: 309’300 Kuiper Shards
- Transcendent Modules: 515’500 Kuiper Shards
Always max out the most important Modules first, we will showcase the order below.
How to Reduce the Cost of Modules
To reduce the cost of Modules you need Crystallization Catalysts in The First Descendant. These require a lot of time investment, most builds won’t require you to get many if any at all (Budget Setup). But if you want to completely min-max you need to get plenty of them as technically, every slot can have a specific socket type to half the cost.
Modules have Socket Types. Our Increased HP Module has the Cerulean Socket Type.
- Module: Increased HP
- Socket Type: Cerulean
This is important because if we place our Increased HP Module in the fitting Socket Type, it will half the cost of the Module!
How to farm Modules in The First Descendant
Most The First Descendant Modules can be acquired fairly easily, but the higher-quality ones (Ultimate, Transcendent) are more tedious to obtain. Here is the easiest process to farm Modules quickly.
Open Map > Swap to Access Info > Select Modules
Here, you can find all Modules and their drop locations. If a module drops from several locations, it is recommended to select drop locations with higher drop chances.
There isn’t really much more to this. Simply check the location and go farm. Normal and Rare quality Modules have 30-50% drop chances in most cases. Ultimate ones range around the 5% mark and Transcendent ones can be a tough cookie with around 2% drop chance.
We will list the best farming location of modules in the next step of the guide.
Smooth Grapple Hook for your Harris Build
Using the standard Grapple Hook in The First Descendant can be a pain, and it feels kinda frustrating at times. Don’t worry, there is a way better alternative that will make it a joy to use the grappling hook!
It is called the Mid-Air Maneuvering Sub Module. I use this on all my The First Descendant Builds because it improves grappling by so much.
With this Module, you can attach your Grapple Hook to anything, even air! That means you can simply aim towards the sky and Hook up your grapple hook there for guaranteed fast movement!
Here is a guide on how to get the Mid-Air Maneuvering Sub Module in The First Descendant. It won’t take a lot of effort, but it will improve your build and overall gameplay in The First Descendant.
Harris’s Story in The First Descendant
Harris has spent her entire life taking on challenges and proving herself. From becoming the youngest Construction Corps Captain, to organizing the Albion Aviation Strategy Team, Harris Works, to developing a range of Transport Ships, nothing has come easy to her.
The numerous nicknames the people of Albion have given her, Genius Construction Corps Captain, Young Kyle, and Iron-Willed Pioneer, weren’t earned by chance or luck. However, the recent incident in the Axion Plains was a trial even she found challenging.
Whenever she closed her eyes, the screams of Alpha and Harris echoed in her thoughts. Those horrific cries relentlessly haunted her, as if only death could silence them.
One day, completely broken, she heard news of a highly dangerous experimental procedure. The problem was that she couldn’t be sure whether it was a rotten lifeline that would destroy her completely or salvation that would lift her to the heavens.
Harris took on the challenge, true to the life she had lived where giving up wasn’t in her nature. She volunteered as the first test subject for an attempt to awaken Arche in the incompatible, based on Obliviant technology obtained from the very place that had broken her; the Axion Plains. It was an experiment in forced Arche awakening using an Obliviant Serum and Refined Axium Ore.
Failure meant death. If she succeeded against the overwhelming odds, she would gain the power of Arche she had so desperately desired, but thanks to the Obliviant Serum, would need to spend the rest of her life dependent on a drug, the Immunization Agent.
Harris felt she had nothing more to lose. Rather than continuing a life worse than death, she thought pioneering her own fate, as always, was the only choice left to her.
Thanks to an iron will that carried her through the horrific rehabilitation and active support from different Albion departments, Harris was able to stand on her own two feet again. Now, she can offer support not just as part of Albion’s Construction Corps, but as a Descendant.
Harris’s Exclusive Equipment – NOVA System
Exclusive Equipment, NOVA System
The Neural Operated Versatile Arms or NOVA System is an upgraded version of the multi-purpose exo-arms originally used by Harris’ Construction Corps, modified for combat. This specialized system was engineered to directly replace the neural network of the spine, a solution adopted because Harris sustained injuries from Karel severe enough to completely destroy her spine. In essence, the NOVA System itself is effectively her spine. For this reason, Harris remains the sole Descendant capable of currently equipping and controlling the NOVA System.
Thanks to the neural network replacing her spine, this system can exhibit significantly faster reaction speeds and precise movements compared to other exo-arms. Furthermore, new materials like Kuiper were utilized for combat applications, resulting in an exceptional high-strength coating that blocks most bullets without any visible damage. This coating also proves highly effective during close-quarters combat. However, since the wearer, Harris, is not invincible, recklessly charging into enemy lines during combat is discouraged.
Harris is well aware of these limitations, but she struggles to control the how liberated she feels when entering the battlefield with her Arche.
“Ah! Captain Harris. I’m sorry, but… it’s only a temporary position until the new Construction Corps Captain has been selected.” – Amelia
Related Guides for The First Descendant
- The First Descendant Builds Database
- The First Descendant Bunny Build
- The First Descendant Freyna Build
You can also check out our Ultimate Weapons Database for The First Descendant or the Builds Database for The First Descendant.
