The Best Warframe Builds for Simple to Tough Missions
With dozens of Warframes and hundreds of mods to choose from, Warframe players have near-endless freedom when it comes to building their Warframes the way they want. In many cases, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all build for any frame—instead, it depends on what you the player want out of that Warframe and, of course, what you find the most fun. That said, there are some tried-and-true builds you can depend on when the going gets tough. Here are some of the Best Warframe Builds to get you through even the toughest of missions.
Table of Contents
What kinds of Warframe builds are the Best?
Because there are so many different missions types in Warframe, there isn’t “one frame to rule them all,” so to speak. However, there are certain frames that lend themselves well to certain tasks, whether you’re looking for a survivalist tank, a devastating DPS, or effective support. The best Warframe builds are often the ones that take advantage of that Warframe’s abilities to specialize in one or a couple of these specific tasks. This guide will cover which Warframes you should build for these kinds of objectives and how you can build them to their highest potential.
For more Warframe, check this out: Shedding Some Light with a Warframe Leveling Guide
Which Warframe builds are best for Survivability?
Rhino
To start, Rhino is often considered the standard Warframe for survivability, as he’s both extremely hard to kill and fairly easy to acquire early in the game. His survivability potential comes from his ability Iron Skin, which covers Rhino in metal armor that absorbs incoming damage. Iron Skin can absorb thousands of points of damage before it needs to be refreshed and will prevent Rhino from taking any damage to health or shields. To optimize each cast of Iron Skin, Rhino builds should focus on Ability Strength, with mods like Intensify and Transient Fortitude. You’ll also want to ensure that Rhino always has enough energy to recast Iron Skin when necessary, so also consider Energy Efficiency and Capacity mods, such as Flow, Fleeting Expertise, and Streamline.
Inaros
A later-stage option for survivability is Inaros, a Warframe whose entire theme is coming back from the dead. Inaros’s passive ability Undying allows him to revive himself after being downed by absorbing health from enemies, an obvious boon if you’re looking for a survival-based Warframe. In addition, Inaros can use his fourth ability Scarab Swarm to increase his armor by up to 100% at the cost of health. But don’t worry about that: his first and second ability, Desiccation and Devour, both allow Inaros to absorb health from his enemies, making up for the loss. Your Inaros build should keep his health and armor high with a max rank Vitality and a Steel Fiber. Note that Inaros has no shields, so don’t bother with any shield-boosting mods. Instead, build for range with mods like Stretch and Over Extended to increase the range of Desiccation and definitely consider Hunter Adrenaline, which will convert a percentage of health damage received to energy.
Which Warframe builds are best for dealing Damage?
Excalibur
Though it may come as a surprise to hear that a starter frame is on our list of Best Warframe Builds, Excalibur truly is a great option for a high-damage Warframe early in the game. This is mostly thanks to his fourth ability, Exalted Blade, which replaces your melee weapon with a blade of light that both slices through enemies and shoots out waves of damage-dealing energy with each slash. Not only is this ability’s damage increased by Ability Strength mods on Excalibur, such as Intensify, but it also benefits from the mods placed on your melee weapon. However, be aware that every second you use Exalted Blade will drain energy, so build for high Energy Capacity with Flow, high efficiency with Streamline, and duration, with Continuity. Also definitely consider adding the augment mod Chromatic Blade, which will add a 50% status chance to Exalted Blade and an elemental damage type based on the color of Excalibur’s energy.
Mesa
A later-game DPS option is Mesa, a relatively delicate frame capable of outputting massive amounts of damage. Her most powerful ability is her fourth ability, Peacemaker, which causes her to draw two pistols and auto-lock onto random enemies inside her targeting ring. Once the casting button is pressed again or Mesa’s energy runs out, she’ll unleash a storm of bullets, easily clearing a room of enemies. Her first ability, Ballistic Battery, also makes her effective against single targets by storing damage inflicted by guns and channeling that damage into a single gunshot when triggered again. Because Mesa’s damage output with her weapons is so tied to energy-intensive abilities, build for Ability Strength with mods like Intensify, Energy Capacity with mods like Flow, and Duration with mods like Continuity.
For more Warframe, check this out: Insights About the Best Warframe Mods
Which Warframe build is best for supporting my team?
Trinity
When it comes to team support, Trinity is at the top of the game. Not only can she immediately restore the health and shields of nearby allies with her fourth Ability, Blessing, she can also keep team energy reserves topped up with her second ability Energy Vampire. Energy Vampire suspends one enemy in midair and causes it to release intermittent waves of energy that restore the energy reserves of nearby Tenno. Trinities built around Energy Vampire are highly sought after on teams, as they allow their squadmates to unleash the full force of their abilities without worrying about running out of steam. Because so many of Trinity’s abilities rely on an area of effect, your Trinity build should optimize ability range, with mods like Stretch, while also increasing Trinity’s restorative power with Ability Strength mods like Intensify. Ability Efficiency mods like Streamline can also ensure that Trinity always has the energy to support her teammates, even with her ability-intensive playstyle. Finally, if you’re going to be relying on Energy Vampire anyway, it may be worthwhile to pick up the augment mod Vampire Leech, which will convert excess energy gained from Energy Vampire into Shields, protecting your teammates while keeping their energy topped up.
Getting Built
These are but a few of the Best Warframe Builds out there, tried-and-tested by players. But even so, Warframe’s community is always coming up with new builds and Digital Extremes is always adding new content. So, while these might be some of the most reliable builds, they’re certainly not the only ones you should try. Get out there and experiment and find out which builds are truly best for you!
For more Warframe, check this out: Taking a Glance at the Best Warframe Weapons
