How Season 4's repeatable rogue-lite mode works and where to enter it.
Enter Trials from the icon on the right side of the Map or from Laboratory Manager Siena in Albion. Unlock Hard Difficulty by completing The Stance of the Magisters; public play requires 83,980 Arche Activity.
How a run works
- Start a round and clear its connected combat zones.
- Use portals to move through a randomly connected route.
- Select a Variable Code after zones to strengthen the run.
- Defeat the Commander to finish the round.
- Choose Continue for a harder round while keeping selected effects, or Escape to end the mission.
The update describes four runs/rounds with increasing difficulty and a total of up to 20 Variable Code choices. Random routing means two runs can present different combat sequences.
Variable Codes
Codes range through Common, Rare, Ultimate, and Transcendent tiers. Selection also influences what traits are more likely to appear later, so early choices shape the build rather than merely adding flat stats.
Named Transcendent examples include Snare Shot, First Shot Explosion, Powder Keg, Skill Enhancement: Auto Load, and Infinite Magazine. The exact best choice depends on the equipped build and later options.
Optional Cracked Fissure
A Cracked Fissure can appear during a mission. Activating it starts an optional Tyrant fight without advancing the current Trials objective. The published reward is 15 Merit Tokens and 60 Superconductive Cooling Units.
Rotational Build
Rotational Build supplies a developer-configured Descendant, weapons, reactor, external components, Fellow, and Arche Tuning setup. It is useful when a player's current Descendant is below the requirement or when testing the mode without a complete personal build. The update says Weapon Proficiency and EXP are not earned while using it; separate Rotational Build rewards apply.
Current fix status
- Hotfix 1.4.0b improved Trials EXP rewards.
- Hotfix 1.4.1b fixed abnormal additional-damage calculation for HP Imprint and Shield Imprint Variable Codes.
Damage tests recorded before the August 28 hotfix should be repeated before becoming build advice.
Sources
QUICK ANSWERS
Questions players ask next
How do I enter Trials in The First Descendant?
Use the Trials icon on the map or speak with Siena in Albion after meeting the applicable quest and difficulty requirements.
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