Best Viessa build in The First Descendant

It's always easier to freeze everything.

Viessa in The First Descendant character select
Screenshot by Dot Esports

Taking control of the battlefield in The First Descendant is what Viessa does best. Lock down enemies in place and destroy them while they have no way to answer back.

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Viessa is one of the starting characters in The First Descendant—and a great one at that. While her skills may seem underwhelming, she’s capable of crowd control and dealing decent damage with the right build. Here’s the best general build for Viessa in The First Descendant, including weapons, Modules, Reactors, and more.

All Viessa skills in The First Descendant

Viessa's skills in The First Descendant
No one can escape. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Viessa is a debuffer who focuses on slowing enemies by applying the stacking Ice Shackle effect with her skills. At the same time, her skills have solid burst damage potential once you invest enough resources in them.

Here are all Viessa’s skills in The First Descendant:

  • Ice Sphere (passive): Creates an Ice Sphere floating around her when inflicting enemies with the Ice Shackle effect, proportional to the effect stage. The Ice Sphere flies towards nearby enemies and deals damage.
  • Frost Shards: Fires an ice shard, dealing damage, and inflicting Ice Shackle around the area.
  • Frost Road: Enters the Frost Road state in which she has increased speed and leaves Ice Sheets behind her. Enemies that touch the Ice Sheets get Ice Shackle.
  • Cold Snap: Deals damage and inflicts Ice Shackle in a small area in front of her.
  • Blizzard: Creates a snowstorm that deals damage over time and inflicts Ice Shackle.

Best Viessa weapons in The First Descendant

Thunder Cage overview in The First Descendant
Works like a charm. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Unlike characters like Bunny or Freyna who have best-in-slot Ultimate weapons, Viessa doesn’t have one that synergizes. This means you can pick up whichever weapon you like. Thunder Cage is still a very strong option, but you can opt for something like Divine Punishment to take advantage of the increased damage after debuffs.

Best Viessa Modules in The First Descendant

Viessa module loadout in The First Descendant
Remember to upgrade the Modules. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The best Modules for Viessa focus on Skill Power, Skill Duration, and Skill Effect Range stats. The range is especially important because it affects all of your skills. The higher the range, the farther you can throw the ice shard, the longer is the Clod Snap, and the wider is the Blizzard radius. Outside of skill Modules, make sure to pick up a few defensive Modules to increase survivability.

Here are the recommended Modules for Viessa and what they do:

ModuleEffect
Skill ExpansionIncreases Skill Effect Range
Technician Increases Skill Power Modifier
Skill ExtensionIncreases Skill Duration
Chill SpecialsitIncreases Chill Skill Power
Amplification ControlIncreases Skill Effect Range and Max Shield
Nimble FingersDecreases Skill Cooldown
Increased ShieldIncreases Max Shield
Increased HPIncreases Max HP

When it comes to Transcendent Modules, there are a few options to chase down. Hypothermia and Cold-Bloodedness allow you to lean more into a damage-dealing role rather than crowd control. Cold-Snap Watch does the opposite and allows you to inflict more enemies with Ice Shackle.

Best Viessa Reactors in The First Descendant

Viessa reactor inspect screen in The First Descendant
Work with what you’ve got. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Finding the best Reactor might take a while with how randomly they drop in The First Descendant. You need a Reactor with Chill Skill Power Boost and Fusion Skill Power Boost. If you’re using an Ultimate weapon, you can also look for an Ultimate Reactor with the corresponding mounting effect.

Stats don’t matter as much because there’s usually not much choice when it comes to Reactors. Any offensive stats are good, but you can also get away with defensive stats, like HP Heal Modifier.

Best Viessa External Components in The First Descendant

External Components for Viessa in The First Descendant
Don’t think twice. Screenshot by Dot Esports

External Components work similarly to Reactors. It’s difficult to optimize them until you complete the story and unlock Hard mode where you can farm sets like Polar Night and Annihilation. In the meantime, equip the highest-level External Components you have.

If you aim to make the most out of what you have, here are the stats to look for:

  • DEF
  • Max MP
  • Skill Effect Range
  • Skil Duration
Author
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Edward Strazd
Freelance News and SEO Writer for Dot Esports, covering everything from live service games like Destiny 2 and Fortnite to new releases. Writing about games since 2021. When he's not writing, he's probably grinding for loot in Destiny 2.