Tenno are masters of the blade.
Attacking by slicing, punching, kicking and stabbing enemies never gets old. It’s a cornerstone of the Warframe experience.
After all, who doesn’t want to see all the different ways you can turn a Grineer Lancer into scrambled space eggs? The answer is nobody.
Melees are so unbelievably varied in Warframe. You have the dozens and dozens of regular ones, and their variants!
Worry not, Tenno, for we have a list of the top 10 mightiest melee weapons, in the system!
10. Kama (Good for Early Game)
“The Kama is a Tenno style hatchet, capable of making short work of any foe.” – Warframe
Oddly enough, the first entry on our list isn’t a sword or even a Bo staff. It’s…a sickle? As strange as it is, the Kama is actually a solid weapon for beginner Tenno, still early in their Warframe journey!
It can be had at mastery rank 1, with minimal effort. The Kama is sure to devastate your early game foes with its high slash damage and fast attack speed.
What makes the Kama awesome:
- High slash damage;
- Good critical chance;
- Possesses the highest attack speed of all machete class weapons.
How to get it:
Kama details: https://warframe.fandom.com/wiki/Kama
9. Orthos (Best Early Game Staff)
“The Tenno forged Orthos is a rare double bladed staff. Those who take the time
to master it speak of its impressive striking distance and ability to hit multiple targets.” – Warframe
Anybody a fan of the Ninja Turtles? That was a trick question. Everybody’s a fan of the Ninja Turtles. The question is, who’s a fan of Donatello? Go on, raise your hands.
If you’re among that crowd, the Orthos is the staff for you. This death stick is a far more lethal version of Donatello’s signature weapon.
Mastery rank 2 is all that’s required of you to access the amazing power of this staff. The high slash damage and decent status chance are sure to open up a multitude of build possibilities, for you!
What makes the Orthos awesome:
- High slash damage, which is very effective against health;
- Good status chance;
- Attack range of 3m.
How to get it:
Orthos details: https://warframe.fandom.com/wiki/Orthos
8. Silva and Aegis (Amazing Sword and
Shield for Early to Mid-Game)
“This fiery sword and shield combination perfects the balance of Tenno offense and defense
prowess. In the hands of a Master, even a defensive tool like a shield can be used as a weapon.” – Warframe
A sword and a shield. A knight’s classic set of equipment…if most knights’ swords and shields were also on fire 24/7.
The Silva and Aegis is a fiery melee weapon combo that basically feels like hacks in the early game. My disbelief grew even more, when I learned that it’s obtainable at mastery rank 0.
It’s an incredibly fun weapon with innate heat damage, which isn’t something many weapons can say they have (cough cough Heat Sword cough cough). Its shield also comes with its own set of properties. Not to mention, it comes with its own unique and highly useful augment mod!
What makes the Silva and Aegis awesome:
- Innate heat damage that is effective against various enemies, such as the Infested;
- High-status chance, which paves the way for you to use your favorite status builds;
- Blocking with the shield accumulates additive charges. Each charge boosts critical and status chances by 15% for the next strike, for a maximum of 4 charges;
- An Impact proc is guaranteed when shield bashing;
- “Avenging Truth” is an exclusive augment mod for the Silva and Aegis, which absorbs 50% of damage when blocking and returns it on the next attack.
How to get it:
Silva and Aegis details: https://warframe.fandom.com/wiki/Silva_%26_Aegis
7. Xoris (Good Throwable Melee)
“An obscure glaive weapon of Corpus provenance, intrinsically linked to Specter technology. The Xoris strikes rapidly and with great devastation. It is capable of chaining combos
infinitely.” – Warframe
I’m sure you’ve seen Batman throw around more than a dozen Batarangs, right? How would you like to do the same? Introducing the Xoris!
With visual effects that’ll make you rethink your graphics settings, the Xoris delivers swift death to your enemies, in the form of a Bataran- I mean frisbee that you can detonate at will!
The infinite combo duration means that racking up hits is essential to maximizing this
weapon’s sheer power (provided you have the correct mods).
What makes the Xoris awesome:
- High slash damage;
- Infinite combo duration, benefits highly from mods like “Blood Rush”;
- Second highest critical chance of all glaive style weapons (20%);
- Highest critical multiplier of all glaives;
- Glaive throw is silent;
- Can be used together with a one-handed secondary weapon.
How to get it:
Xoris details: https://warframe.fandom.com/wiki/Xoris
6. Broken War (One of The Best
Swords)
“A fragment of Stalker's War Sword, a symbol of his defeat.” -Warframe
I’m sure by this point you’ve had your fair share of encounters with the Stalker. After all, how could you not? Every boss you defeat enrages him to no end. If my Warframe inbox had a spam folder, it would be full of the Stalker’s threat emails.
In any case, upon completing “The Second Dream” quest, you’re rewarded with arguably one of the best swords in the game. Seriously, this weapon is broken both figuratively and literally.
During my more youthful days, as a Tenno, the Broken War raised my eyebrows with its incredible critical chance and awesome status chance!
What makes the Broken War awesome:
- High slash damage;
- Critical chance is the second highest of all swords;
- Good critical multiplier;
- High-status chance;
- Standard attacks guarantee an impact proc;
How to get it:
Broken War details: https://warframe.fandom.com/wiki/Broken_War
5. Skiajati (Best for Mid to High Level
Enemies)
“Forged of steel grafted from Umbra's flesh, this elegant nikana unites with its Warframe to form a single being of seething purpose.” – Warframe
The sheer badass aura that you emanate, when wielding a Nikana, is enough of a reason to make this one of your go-to weapons.
The Skiajati! A weapon that exudes elegance and style, while efficiently finishing your foes. I suppose the name’s the least elegant part of it, though (let’s see how many tries it takes you to pronounce it correctly!).
Your build options are, indeed, varied with this blade, as it excels at critical damage and status chance.
What makes the Skiajati awesome:
- High slash damage;
- High critical chance;
- Decent critical multiplier;
- Fastest attack speed and the highest status chance of all Nikanas;
- Performing a finisher grants you invisibility for 5 seconds.
This glorious blade can be had as a reward for completing the “Sacrifice” quest! Here’s an in-depth look at it:
Skiajati details: https://warframe.fandom.com/wiki/Skiajati
4. Venka Prime (Good for high level
play)
“Gleaming blades of white draw blood of the deepest red.” -Warframe
After you’ve clawed your way to the higher mastery ranks (pun may or may not be intended) and finished most of the starchart, you’ll need a dependable melee. One that could leave more than just a scratch on your foes (okay that one was intentional).
Enter, the Venka Prime. This melee weapon literally makes you feel like a furious feline. It promises to slice your enemies with devastating force, thanks to its immensely high critical chance, critical multiplier and status chance.
What makes the Venka Prime awesome:
- Base damage is third highest of all claw weapons;
- High slash damage;
- Possesses highest attack speed, critical multiplier and critical chance of all claw weapons;
- Possesses second-highest status chance of all claw weapons;
- Only weapon in the game that can reach a 13x combo multiplier.
How to get it:
Venka Prime details: https://warframe.fandom.com/wiki/Venka_Prime
3. Silva and Aegis Prime (Good for Steel
Path)
“A perfectly crafted pairing, this mace and shield combination is sculpted for exhibition but balanced for the battlefield.” – Warframe
Well, would you look at that? A weapon and its prime variant both made it onto the same list. Fortune favors the Silva and Aegis…or maybe DE does.
In any case, if the non-prime variant of this weapon feels like cheating in the early game, this one most definitely feels like cheating in the endgame.
Seriously, the stats on this weapon, with the exception of attack speed, completely outshine those of the normal Silva and Aegis, to the point where it’s not even funny anymore.
What makes the Silva and Aegis Prime awesome:
- Highest base damage of all sword and shield weapons;
- Innate heat damage;
- Second highest critical chance of all sword and shield weapons;
- Second highest status chance of all sword and shield weapons;
- Blocking with the shield accumulates additive charges. Each charge boosts critical and status chances by 15% for the next strike, for a maximum of 4 charges;
- An Impact proc is guaranteed when shield bashing;
- “Avenging Truth” is an exclusive augment mod for the Silva and Aegis, which absorbs 50% of damage when blocking and returns it on the next attack.
This weapon is vaulted, so you’ll need to buy it from your fellow Tenno.
Builds for the Silva and Aegis Prime:
Silva and Aegis Prime: https://warframe.fandom.com/wiki/Silva_%26_Aegis_Prime
2. Reaper Prime (One of The Best for
Steel Path)
“Reaper Prime is an ornamental scythe, with a blade forged from tempered rubidium.” – Warframe
Another scythe-style weapon on our list! The Reaper Prime is an old classic, that veteran Tenno, like yours truly, remember quite well.
This was the very first prime melee weapon in Warframe. Despite its age, it more than outdoes a variety of different weapons in the game.
The high slash damage and critical chance make this weapon a must-have for die-hard Steel Path players.
What makes the Reaper Prime awesome:
- High slash damage;
- Highest critical chance of all scythes;
- Highest critical multiplier of all scythes;
- Second highest status chance of all scythes;
- Fastest attack speed of all scythes.
This weapon is vaulted as well, so you’ll need to purchase it from your fellow Tenno.
Builds for the Reaper Prime:
Reaper Prime details: https://warframe.fandom.com/wiki/Reaper_Prime
1. Redeemer Prime (Best Melee in The
Game)
“Deal double-bladed, double-barreled death with this primed gunblade.” – Warframe
For our final entry, we have the strongest, mightiest and most powerful weapon in Warframe… a gunblade?
When I first came across the non-prime variant of the Redeemer Prime, confusion consumed me as much as it’s consuming you too, Tenno. Seriously, a gun with a sword attached? Or maybe it’s the other way around?
Regardless, do not mistake this weapon’s oddity for subpar performance. Not only are the Redeemer Prime’s stats breathtaking, but the perfect manner in which it synergizes with “Condition Overload” and “Healing Return” makes this our choice for Warframe’s best melee weapon.
What makes the Redeemer Prime awesome:
- Second highest base damage of all gunblades;
- Second highest critical chance and critical multiplier of all gunblade weapons;
- Highest status chance of all gunblade weapons;
- Each pellet has its own chance of procing a status effect, which therefore renders “Condition Overload” a must for this weapon;
- “Healing Return” can heal you with your first shot, and each of the 10 pellets can individually heal you;
- Shots possess innate blast damage;
- Shots possess a chance to knockdown or stagger enemies;
- Shooting within 4 meters of an enemy will cause them to ragdoll;
- No ammo required;
- Shots posses innate punch through.
Unfortunately, this weapon is vaulted, so you’ll need to purchase it from your fellow
Tenno (but it’s very worth it!).
Builds for the Redeemer Prime:
Redeemer Prime details: https://warframe.fandom.com/wiki/Redeemer_Prime
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