Warframe Index Guide
You’re low on Credits. Baro is arriving soon and you want to stock up on funds so that you can get the Primed mods you want. You’ve heard how “The Index” can help you farm credits, so you jump in right away. You are matched up with three random people who have no idea what they’re doing. You lose the match, and along with it, the little balance of credits you had.
All Warframe players have been through similar scenarios at some point. The Index isn’t a cakewalk, and an error on even one of the four players’ part can result in a devastating loss. What’s worse is that, if you lose, you will be left with fewer credits than before you started the Index. Having the right loadout, and the right teammates is essential when playing this mode.
Don’t worry though as our Warframe Index Guide has you covered. It will teach you everything you need to know about how to run the Index and rack up Credits quickly.
Table of Contents
What is the Index?
The Index is an arena-style mission accessible through its own node on Neptune in which you and up to three players fight against Corpus units to earn large amounts of credits and a unique set of mods. Note thatcredit income is doubled when using a Credit Booster, so if your daily reward popped one, be sure to farm the Index.
The Index requires you to invest a certain amount of credits. If you win the match, you earn a large amount of profit. If you lose, you lose all of the credits you invested. You can select one out of three Risk levels, each requiring a certain amount of credits, a return, and a corresponding point target.
Investment/Return/Points Target
- 30k/105k/50
- 40k/175k/75
- 50k/250k/100
As an example, investing 30k credits will return 105k if you win the match. In order to win that match, your target will be 50 Index Points by killing Corpus.
What are the rules?
You and your teammates (replaced by Specters if unavailable) are dropped into an arena with pre-determined spawns for Energy, Ammo, and Health. You are allowed to use the Operator, which can be useful for regenerating energy. Index Points are green, glowing crystals that are dropped when enemies die. Simply stepping over the Point picks it up. Your goal is to quickly rack up points by cashing them in the Bank. There are two of these, and only one is active at a time. A clock is also ticking down, and each Point banked (excluding bonuses) puts 10 seconds on it (and reduces 10 if banked by an enemy). Running out of time signifies a Loss. Each Point you carry will reduce your Health and Energy, which makes the Warframe carrying it quite vulnerable. This is called “Financial Stress”, and is intended to keep you on your feet when carrying a load of Points.
The more points you carry, the more you are rewarded when banking. However, this isn’t a linear bonus system, and the most optimal count is 15. At 15 points, you get 15+8 points, which is the most efficient bonus available. Always be sure to bank in your points when you hit a personal total of 15. Here’s the catch: dying makes you lose all of the points you’re carrying, with an extra Point as a penalty.
At the end of each round, you can either continue (for more rewards, facing against stronger enemies) or cash in your rewards. If you’re a beginner, make sure you cash in. Communicate with your team properly right from the start to fix on mutual goals.
Is there a proven team composition?
The Tank: Just as Chroma has been a must-have for Eidolon hunts, Rhino is the key player in the Index. With the Financial Stress debuff being so tricky to work around, a tanky Rhino is almost always the one who carries the Points. A great way to even further safeguard your points is to use the augment for Rhino in order to refresh Iron Skin. Make sure that you’re always keeping an eye on the ability counter that will allow you to gauge just how much of Iron Skin you have left.
Offense: I’ve found a high-DPS Mesa build to be incredible in this position. If modded properly, it will allow you to spam shoot and walk out with the highest damage score. You don’t even need to mod your weapons much as long as you have a solid Peacemaker and can keep up your energy count.
Support: As always, Trinity continues to be an incredible support for the team. You can mod it for Energy or Health, depending on what your team needs. Trinity will be especially useful during long runs, where you want to keep grinding the Index without cashing in.
Flexible Slot: I recommend picking either a Fatal Teleport Ash Build for quick assassinations, a Slow-va build for slowing enemies down and making them vulnerable, a Sonar Banshee for area of effect, and even a Nidus for grouping enemies and making those Points rain.
The best weapons to use are hands down snipers and close-range shotguns. Rubico, Hek/Vaykor Hek, and Tigris are pretty popular in the Index for their high single target damage, especially the Tigris, that can reliably Status enemies. When using Ash, make sure to bring a Dagger.
Final Thoughts
If you want to farm the Index for Credits, I highly recommend using Recruiting chat. Having a team that knows what it’s doing is key in winning the Index. Many Index rounds are lost because of inexperienced players simply ignoring the clock, losing points, or forgetting to bank. Having a coordinated team also allows you to assign proper roles to each player. This makes sure that only one person is focusing on picking points, making it easier for others to hit the target of 15 faster. Make sure to mod your Waframes and weapons that you’ll be using according to the requirement of the mode. Keep an eye out for energy and health refills, especially if you’re the one carrying the Points.
The Index can be a breeze if your team knows what it’s doing. It can be particularly satisfying to stand with a Mesa and spam the Peacemaker on your enemies, making Index Points rain. Following the strategies mentioned in this Index Guide will surely help you make the most of your time and credits invested.
Happy farming!
