Welcome to The First Descendant Whirlwind Build. This Whirlwind Build is updated for Season 3 Episode 4. The Whirlwind is a tactical rifle that started as stage prop for Luna and was weaponized based on an idea from Deslin. It fires compressed air at ultra-high pressure through a rotary vortex generator to create multiple, small whirlwinds.

Table of Contents:

You can also check out our Weapon Builds and Character Builds Database if you are looking for more optimized builds. We also have a The First Descendant Character Tier List and a META Weapon Tier List if you wonder what to prioritize first.

TFD Wiki: We have expanded Alcasthq with tfd.gameslantern.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!

Whirlwind Summary

The First Descendant Whirlwind Build Stats

The Whirlwind is a Tactical Rifle.

  • Name: Whirlwind
  • Type: Tactical Rifle
  • Tier: Ultimate
  • Unique Ability: Wind Snare

Unique Ability “Wind Snare”

  • When firing a firearm after a certain number of hits, fires Turbulence.
  • When firing Turbulence, grants Updraft to self and creates a Wind Snare at the location Turbulence hits.
  • Wind Snare grants Updraft to allies within range, deals damage, and inflicts Air Resistance to enemies at a fixed interval.
  • If a Wind Snare is created at the location of an existing Wind Snare, stacks to extend the range of the two Wind Snares, increases damage, and decreases the damage interval.
  • When Turbulence hits a Wind Snare at max stacks, forms a Gust and deals damage to targets within range.
  • If an additional Wind Snare is created beyond max stacks, removes the Wind Snare with the shortest remaining duration and triggers Down Burst that deals damage to targets within range.

Whirlwind Build for The First Descendant

Next, let us take a look at an optimized Whirlwind Build for The First Descendant.

Here is all the info you need to build a powerful Whirlwind:

Whirlwind Modules

The First Descendant Whirlwind Build Modules

Modules are an important part of every weapon build in The First Descendant.

Veil Analyzer is only needed if you are fighting enemies with shields.

Whirlwind Module Configuration Table
Module Slot Module Name
1 Rifling Reinforcement
2 Fire Rate Up
3 Chill Enhancement
4 Chill Priority
5 Action and Reaction
6 Expand Weapon Charge
7 Insight Focus
8 Better Insight
9 Better Concentration
10 Veil Analyzer

Weapon Readjustment

You can use the Weapon Readjustment at the Weapon Workbench in Albion. Here are the best Weapon Readjustments for the Whirlwind:

  • Firearm ATK
  • Chill Damage
  • Firearm Critical Hit Damage
  • Firearm Critical Hit Rate

In any order. Try to upgrade the Weapon Readjustments to at least purple quality.

Weapon Cores

Weapon Cores juice up your damage quite tremendously. However, especially the later-level Weapon Cores are difficult to get. So start with whatever weapon cores you have available. Weapon Cores drop in the Void Erosion Purge endgame activity.

Higher level Weapon Cores drop in the higher level Void Erosion Purge levels in The First Descendant. However, you can gradually work towards the highest level. I recommend trying to get to level six as soon as possible, since it won’t require to clear many stages and will already increase the power of your weapon tremendously.

Best Weapon Cores for the Whirlwind:

  • Free Augmentation Icon TFDSprint Speed (Free Augmentation)
  • Firepower Augmentation Icon TFDFirearm ATK (Firearm Augmentation)
  • Firepower Augmentation Icon TFDFirearm ATK (Firearm Augmentation)
  • Attribute Augmentation Icon TFDChill ATK (Attribute Augmentation)
  • Hit Augmentation Icon tfdFirearm Critical Hit Damage (Hit Augmentation)

Whirlwind Lore Info

The First Descendant Whirlwind Weapon Lore Icon

Not all weapons begin as an instrument of combat and destruction. The idea for a “machine that fires small whirlwinds” was conceived as stage equipment for Luna’s busking performances.

According to Luna, the scene was to be synchronized with the moment the emotional arc of the music exploded into a climax, featuring the setting sun, a gust of wind, and scattering flower petals. The Weapons Development Department, already overwhelmed by the never-ending research and grueling workloads, complained bitterly about having to be drafted into such a task, but they eventually surrendered when Luna’s sonic Arche amplifier blared out with her “Nagging Medley” for 2 hours and 37 minutes.

Following Deslin’s suggestion to create individual whirlwinds that are fired small but expand in area of effect when stacked, the developers began to work on the design. The operating principle was simple. Air is drawn in by a high-speed turbine, compressed and stored, and then instantly released through a rotary vortex generator. The air that passes through a narrow nozzle collides with the target while generating a powerful vortex, leaving a small whirlpool at that point.

Thanks to the painstaking efforts of the Weapons Development Department, Luna successfully completed her street performance. However, because most of the research time needed for new weapon development was spent on creating this stage device, subsequent weapons development meetings only yielded ideas for incorporating the technology used in the stage equipment into firearms.

Related Guides for The First Descendant

You can also check out our Ultimate Weapons Database for The First Descendant or the Builds Database for The First Descendant.