The Thunder Cage stands out as one of the most potent weapons in The First Descendant, known for its electrifying attacks and impressive stats. This guide delves into every aspect of the Thunder Cage, from unlocking and upgrading it to optimizing its performance in various combat scenarios. You’ll learn to complete the Thunder Cage Research Request Sub Quest, gather essential materials, and understand the weapon’s base stats and unique abilities.
This guide also explores the best Descendants to pair with the Thunder Cage, ideal module combinations for different play styles, and strategies for overcoming the weapon’s limitations such as recoil and ammo capacity. Whether you’re preparing for intense boss battles or Void Intercept missions, you will have everything you need to maximize the Thunder Cage’s potential and dominate the battlefield.
What Is Thunder Cage in the First Descendant?
The Thunder Cage is an ultimate weapon in The First Descendant that stands out due to its immense power and unique abilities. Known for its electrifying damage output and versatile combat potential, Thunder Cage can significantly enhance a player’s arsenal when used correctly. However, it’s crucial to have the right build to unlock its true potential.
Thunder Cage
This ensures you maximize its strengths while compensating for inherent weaknesses, making it a formidable weapon in PvE and PvP scenarios. In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about crafting the perfect Thunder Cage build to dominate your enemies and conquer challenging missions.
How to Unlock Thunder Cage
The Thunder Cage SMG, classified as an Ultimate rarity weapon in The First Descendant, is one of the earliest Ultimate weapons players can acquire. Here’s more detail on obtaining the Thunder Cage, gathering the necessary Research materials, and understanding its stats.
To get the Thunder Cage, you must first achieve Mastery Rank 1. Then, collect the Thunder Cage Blueprint, Nano Tube, Polymer Syncytium, and Synthetic Fiber from various Battlefield Missions in the Sterile Land. Once you have these items, go to Anais in Albion and pay 100,000 Gold to start the Thunder Cage Research request. The research takes four hours, but you can speed up the process by using Caliber, available for purchase in the in-game shop.
The essential materials for initiating the Thunder Cage Research request include the Thunder Cage Blueprint, Nano Tube, Polymer Syncytium, Synthetic Fiber, and 100,000 Gold. With these materials, visit Anais in Albion to begin the research. You can either wait for four hours for the research to complete or pay 60 Caliber to finish it immediately.
After obtaining the Thunder Cage SMG at level 1, it’s advisable to enhance it at a Repair Station Workbench using the Weapon Level Transmission process, which upgrades it using a higher-level weapon. If you acquire additional Thunder Cage SMGs, you can enhance its Unique Ability, Overcharge, by merging duplicate SMGs into your primary Thunder Cage for 50,000 Gold per enhancement, up to four times. The Thunder Cage Blueprint specifically drops from the Logistics Facility Battlefield Mission in the Ironworks section of Sterile Land, with a 20% drop rate.
Essential Materials Locations
To acquire the Thunder Cage Nano Tube in The First Descendant, you need to engage in the High-powered Jammer Battlefield Mission, which is situated in the Restricted Zone area of Sterile Land. This item is classified as a Rare drop and has a 20% chance of being obtained from this mission.
Nano Tube
The Thunder Cage Polymer Syncytium is another essential material, which you can get by completing the External Reactor Battlefield Mission in the Rockfall area of Sterile Land. Similar to the Nano Tube, this material has a 20% drop rate, making it a Rare item. Ensure you repeatedly participate in this mission to gather the required Polymer Syncytium.
Polymer Syncytium
To gather the Thunder Cage Synthetic Fiber, you must head to the Kuiper Mine Battlefield Mission located in the Repository area of Sterile Land. This item is also a Rare drop with a 20% chance of being collected. Completing this mission multiple times will increase your chances of securing the Synthetic Fiber.
Synthetic Fibre
The precise locations for each of these Battlefield Missions are indicated in the map screenshots provided. These visuals will guide you to the exact areas in the game where you can find and complete the necessary missions to obtain the Thunder Cage materials.
Ultimate Thunder Cage Build
The Ultimate Thunder Cage Build leverages a combination of high-damage modules, strategic substat prioritization, and complementary Descendants to unlock the weapon’s full potential. By focusing on modules that enhance electrical damage and critical hits, and selecting substats that boost overall damage output and durability, players can achieve devastating results.
Pairing this build with the right Descendant, such as Bunny, further amplifies its effectiveness, ensuring the Thunder Cage performs exceptionally in both single-target and crowd-control situations. The below paragraphs will give more comprehensive detail.
Upgrading Thunder Cage
In The First Descendant, players can enhance their weapons using the repair station Workbench, found near Anais and the weapons seller Deslin on Albion’s west side. Before you delve deep into the Thunder Cage build, you must first make sure your weapon is upgraded.
To upgrade the Thunder Cage to match the player’s current weapon level, you would have to use the Weapon Transmission feature at the Workbench after crafting it. This process requires reaching Mastery Rank 3.
To upgrade the Thunder Cage, gather the following:
- Precision Phase Exchanger
- 250 Liquid Metal
- 50,000 credits/gold
- 10 minutes of research time
Superalloy and Liquid Metal can be obtained by dismantling unwanted weapons. This method is preferable to selling excess weapons, as credits are more readily earned through gameplay and missions.
Thunder Cage Stats
The Thunder Cage offers strong base stats, including damage, range, and durability, laying a solid foundation for combat effectiveness.
Base Stats at Level 1
| Stat | Value at Level 1 |
| Firearm ATK | 24 |
| Fire Rate | 666 |
| Rounds per Mag | 26 |
| Reload Time | 1.4 seconds |
| Crit Rate | 20% |
| Crit Damage | 2x |
| Status Chance | 4% |
| Weakpoint Damage | 1.2x |
At Level 1, the Thunder Cage boasts impressive base stats, setting the foundation for its effectiveness in combat. These include its initial damage output, range, and durability, providing a solid starting point for players.
Special Abilities and Unique Traits
The Thunder Cage is equipped with several special abilities and unique traits that distinguish it from other weapons. These include electrifying attacks that deal additional damage over time, enhanced critical hit chances, or special effects that can stun or debilitate enemies.
Thunder Cage Unique Ability
Understanding these traits is essential for maximizing the Thunder Cage’s potential in various combat scenarios.
Best Descendants for Thunder Cage
Certain Descendants are particularly well-suited for wielding the Thunder Cage due to their abilities and playstyles that complement the weapon’s strengths. These characters can maximize the Thunder Cage’s effectiveness by leveraging their unique traits and synergies with its special features.
Why Bunny Is an Ideal Choice
Bunny stands out as an excellent choice for the Thunder Cage due to her abilities that enhance electrical damage and boost overall combat efficiency. Her skill set complements the Thunder Cage’s electrifying attacks and special effects, allowing for optimal use of the weapon’s capabilities in various combat scenarios.
Best Modules for Thunder Cage
Below are the recommended Modules:
Action and Reaction Mod
- Action and Reaction
- Rifling Reinforcement
- Better Concentration
Substats
When optimizing the Thunder Cage build, prioritizing certain substats is crucial. Focus on substats that enhance damage output, increase critical hit chances, and improve shock damage effects. Substats that boost energy regeneration and weapon durability can significantly impact performance during extended combat encounters.
Substats play a vital role in refining the Thunder Cage’s effectiveness. Damage-related substats directly increase your overall damage output, making your attacks more formidable. Critical hit substats enhance your chances of landing critical hits, leading to higher burst damage. Shock damage substats amplify the additional electrical effects, making your attacks more potent against enemies weak to electricity.
Energy regeneration substats ensure you can use the Thunder Cage’s abilities more frequently, while durability substats help maintain the weapon’s performance during prolonged engagements. Prioritizing these substats will optimize your build and maximize the Thunder Cage’s potential in various scenarios.
Thunder Cage’s Limitations
To handle the Thunder Cage’s recoil, players should focus on modules or upgrades that stabilize weapon handling. Adjusting gameplay tactics, such as incorporating burst fire or using positioning to minimize recoil impact, can also help maintain accuracy and control during combat.
Modules
Also, to compensate for the Thunder Cage’s limited ammo capacity, players should prioritize resource management and efficient ammunition usage. Utilizing mods like Concentrate Support Ammo increases ammo and can alleviate this issue. Additionally, incorporating weapons or abilities that provide supplementary firepower can ensure sustained combat effectiveness.
To optimize the Thunder Cage in various scenarios, tailor your approach to maximize its strengths and mitigate its weaknesses. In general combat situations, utilizes its electrifying attacks to disrupt and damage groups of enemies, making sure to capitalize on its area-of-effect capabilities. For scenarios requiring precision, such as boss battles or Void Intercept missions, maintain distance and use the Thunder Cage’s special abilities to keep enemies at bay while dealing consistent damage.
Enhancing Its Unique Abilities
To enhance the Thunder Cage’s unique abilities, start by focusing on the Overcharge ability first. This can be achieved by investing in specific upgrades and modules designed to boost its power and effectiveness. Enhancing the Overcharge ability not only increases the damage output and duration of the electrical effects but also improves its ability to incapacitate or debilitate enemies.
By upgrading unique abilities, you gain significant benefits such as increased combat versatility, improved damage potential, and a greater edge in challenging encounters. These enhancements ensure that the Thunder Cage remains a formidable weapon throughout your gameplay.
To sum everything up, the Thunder Cage in The First Descendant can significantly bring your gameplay experience to the next level. This would offer unparalleled damage and fun unique electrical abilities. You hopefully now know how to unlock and upgrade the Thunder Cage and understand its base stats, special abilities, and ideal module combinations.
The guide has detailed how to gather the essential materials and complete the Thunder Cage Research Request Sub Quest effectively. Upgrading the Thunder Cage’s unique abilities and optimizing its use for different scenarios will maximize its potential. Whether facing challenging bosses or tackling Void Intercept missions, the Thunder Cage stands out as a significant tool for success in The First Descendant.
