Warframe is a game that has over 56 different Warframes to choose from and everyday new Tenno join the fight to protect the Star Chart from evil. Oftentimes these fledgling Tenno find themselves overwhelmed by the vastness of Warframe, they would get confused by the system- by all the things they need to farm and stop playing. Today I’m here to help alleviate this problem with the 7 best starter Warframes for new players.
Before we get into the ranking, let me tell you about how I chose these Warframes and what makes them good for new Tenno. There are only a couple things to keep in mind here, these Warframes have to be easy to get, easy to use, and scale to at least early Steel Path, I don’t want new Tenno farming for Warframes that are only good early on what with limited Warframe slots and Forma/Reactor investment. I am also excluding viability through the Helminth system as that ship section isn’t available right away to new Tenno. Now then, let’s start the list!
7. Inaros / Inaros Prime
Desert Power!
Inaros, the Fear-Eater and friend to Baro Ki’teer, a very tanky Warframe that has recently been reworked in the Dante Unbound update. See, funnily enough Inaros used to be kinda bad, now he’s one of the best health tanks in the game, with access to easy health regeneration, armor buffing, status immunity and spreading, along with extended periods of invulnerability. The desert king has made a comeback for the better, so let's get into the specifics of what he can do.
Inaros’ first ability is called Desiccation. He throws sand at his enemies, blinding them, opening them up to finishers, and healing Inaros for each enemy hit. This is a fast and reliable CC option with decent healing.
His second ability, and by far the star for Inaros’ kit, is Sandstorm. Inaros transforms briefly into a whirlwind of sand that sucks in enemies around him, grouping them, applying slash procs, and healing Inaros for each enemy caught in the sandstorm. Inaros is also completely invulnerable for the duration of this ability.
Scarab Shell is Inaros’ 3. This is a self buffing ability that drains some of Inaros’ health for increased armor and Status immunity. The Status immunity portion of Scarab Shell functions like a shield, draining 5% of the ability per Status negated, the armor buff is also affected by this drain. Scarab Shell lasts indefinitely until either Inaros suffers a lethal hit or Scarab Shell is drained completely by Status negation.
Inaros’ fourth ability is called Scarab Swarm. Inaros summons flying scarabs that travel up to 30 meters in front of him by default. Enemies hit by the scarabs are disabled and receive a guaranteed Corrosion status effect that ticks every half second for fifteen seconds dealing 10% of Inaros health as damage along with the abilities damage itself. If an enemy dies under the effects of Scarab Swarm their corpse will summon a Swarm Kavat for 20 seconds that will fight for Inaros.
Inaros also has a special passive called Undying, where if Inaros dies in a mission he entombs his real body in a sarcophagus and summons a sand copy of himself that siphons the life force of enemies with its melee attacks. Once the sand copy of Inaros has meleed enough enemies Inaros will revive from the tomb.
Inaros strengths:
- Keeping himself alive through Desiccation, Sandstorm, and Scarab Shell.
- Shrugging off any Status effect as long as Scarab Shell is active.
- Crowd controlling enemies with Sandstorm, Desiccation, and to a certain extent Scarab Swarm.
How to get Inaros:
Inaros’ base blueprints and parts are primarily earned from the optional quest Sands of Inaros that is sold every two weeks by Baro Ki’teer. Once Sands of Inaros is complete Tenno should have all the blueprints required to build a copy of base Inaros. Base Inaros can also show up in the base star chart Circuit reward choices.
Inaros prime on the other hand is farmed through opening certain Void Relics in Void fissure missions. These relics are:
Chassis, an uncommon drop for:
Axi K6
Axi O5
Lith H4
Lith N6
Neo A10
Neo P3
Neo T3
Neo V10
Systems, a common drop for:
Axi A13
Axi G7
Axi T7
Lith M6
Meso C7
Neo K4
Neo N13
Neo T5
Blueprint, a uncommon drop for:
Axi K12
Axi W1
Axi W2
Lith G4
Lith N10
Meso N12
Neuroptics, a rare drop for:
Axi I1
Axi I2
Axi I3
Meso I1
Meso I2
Inaros Prime sets and relics can also be traded with other Tenno for Platinum.
Inaros and Inaros Prime details:
Inaros Codex description:
“Inaros commands the fearsome desert. He survives like the ever-shifting sands that empower him. Legend recalls Inaros as the Fear-Eater.”
Inaros base stats at max rank:
- Max Rank: 30
- Health: 2310
- Shields: 0
- Armor: 240
- Energy: 150
- Sprint Speed: 1
- Aura polarity: Naramon
- Exilus polarity: Naramon
- Mod slot polarities: 2 Vazarin
Inaros Prime Codex description:
“Rise, eternal, to cast the fear of Inaros into them. Featuring alternate mod polarities for greater customization”
Inaros Prime base stats at max rank:
- Max Rank: 30
- Health: 2415
- Shields: 0
- Armor: 240
- Energy: 190
- Sprint Speed: 1.05
- Aura polarity: Naramon
- Exilus polarity: Naramon
- Mod slot polarities: 1 Madurai, 2 Vazarin
6. Excalibur / Excalibur Prime / Excalibur Umbra
The master of gun and blade!
Excalibur! The poster boy of Warframe and one of three starter Warframes given for free during the tutorial of the game. Excalibur is a melee specialist and one of the easiest to use Warframes with his super simple but flexible skill set that can do pretty much everything you want a starter Warframe to do. Let’s get into his kit.
All variants of Excalibur come with a passive called Swordsmanship where they receive an additive 10% bonus to attack speed and damage to weapons in the classes of: Nikana, Sword, Dual Sword, and Rapier.
Excalibur Umbra comes with a unique passive called Sentience. Whenever the Tenno goes into Transference, Umbra, unlike all other Warframes, will retain control and follow the Tenno around for the duration of Transference like a Specter. Umbra can use all equipped weapons and some skills during Sentience.
Excalibur’s first ability is called Slash Dash, this is available for all variants. Excalibur will dash in a straight line either towards an enemy or in the direction of the crosshair. Once Excalibur makes contact with an enemy he deals slash damage and, if there are other enemies in range, will chain the dash at them. Excalibur is completely invulnerable during Slash Dash.
Radial blind is the second ability for Excalibur and Excalibur prime. Excalibur will emit a bright flash of light blinding and opening enemies up to finishers for a short time within a decent radius. Excalibur Umbra comes with a variant of this ability called Radial Howl that will instead stun enemies and cause Sentient type enemies to shed all built up resistances.
Radial Javelin is the third ability for all Excalibur variants. This ability summons a sword in front of any enemy within its range that then impales them with a guaranteed Slash proc and Stagger. Radial javelin like the rest of Excaliburs kit requires line of sight.
All variants of Excalibur also come with a shared fourth ability called Exalted Blade. Once cast Excalibur will draw his moddable Exalted Weapon the Exalted Blade. This blade takes the appearance of an ethereal Skana and will launch waves of energy with every melee attack. The Exalted Blade comes with a few bonuses; wall attacks, slam attacks, and aerial attacks do bonus damage and slide attacks perform a mini Radial Blind at the end of the animation.
Excalibur’s strengths:
- Mobility through good use of Slash Dash.
- Reliable CC with Radial Blind and in the case of Umbra users also a counter to Sentient damage adaptation.
- Decent crowd control and AOE damage with Radial Javelin.
- Great melee focused gameplay from Swordsmanship and Exalted Blade.
How to get all variants of Excalibur.
Base Excalibur is one of three starter Warframes you can receive for free at the start of the game if chosen. If you didn’t choose Excalibur you can farm for him by buying his blueprint from the Orbiter market and killing Lt. Lech Kril on Mars for Excalibur’s parts or wait for Excalibur to be available as a reward from the base version of the Circuit.
Excalibur Prime cannot currently be obtained in the game. Excalibur Prime was a Founders’ program exclusive, the program ended back on the 1st of November 2013.
Excalibur Umbra is given to the player during The Sacrifice questline for free with an installed Orokin Reactor and his own Warframe slot.
Excalibur, Excalibur Prime, and Excalibur Umbra details:
Excalibur Codex description:
“Excalibur optimizes the warrior spirit. His master swordsmanship deals high damage. He is the embodiment of martial excellence.”
Excalibur base stats at max rank:
- Max Rank: 30
- Health: 370
- Shields: 370
- Armor: 240
- Energy: 150
- Sprint Speed: 1
- Aura polarity: Blank
- Exilus polarity: Blank
- Mod slot polarities: 1 Vazarin, 1 Madurai
Excalibur Prime Codex description:
“The Sentients had won. They had turned our weapons, our technology against us. The more advanced we became, the greater our losses. The war was over unless we found a new way. In our desperation we turned to the Void. The blinding night, the hellspace where our science and reason failed.
We took the twisted few that had returned from that place. We built a frame around them, a conduit for their affliction. Gave them the weapons of the old ways. Gun and blade. A new warrior, a new code was born. These rejects, these Tenno, became our warriors. Warrior-Gods cast in steel and fury striking our enemies in a way they could never comprehend. Excalibur was the first.
-Orokin ‘Warframe’ Archives”
Excalibur Prime base stats at max rank:
- Max Rank: 30
- Health: 370
- Shields: 370
- Armor: 315
- Energy: 225
- Sprint Speed: 1
- Aura polarity: Madurai
- Exilus polarity: Blank
- Mod slot polarities: 1 Vazarin, 2 Madurai
Excalibur Umbra Codex description:
“From the shadow of the long night emerges a new Excalibur.”
Excalibur Umbra base stats at max rank:
- Max Rank: 30
- Health: 370
- Shields: 370
- Armor: 315
- Energy: 225
- Sprint Speed: 1
- Aura polarity: Madurai
- Exilus polarity: Blank
- Mod slot polarities: 1 Madurai, 3 Umbra
5. Volt / Volt Prime
Shocking!
Volt, another of the three starter Warframes and one of the fastest in the game! Volt isn’t actually just for new Tenno, many veterans swear by Volt’s many capabilities including, but not limited to, damage buffing, nuking, and speedrunning potential. Now, let’s check out Volt’s kit.
Shock is Volt’s first ability. Volt shoots lightning from his hand that chains between enemies, shocking and stunning them. This is a great early CC and damage ability. Shock also has a notable augment called Shock Trooper that, when the ability is held, creates a wave of energy that buffs Volt and allies in range weapons with Electric damage.
Speed is Volt’s second ability. This is a simple and straightforward speed buff that can affect both Volt and his allies in range. Speed is a great ability for getting missions done quicker and easier as it can even speed up certain objectives.
Volt’s third ability is called Electric Shield. This ability deploys a one-way directional shield in the direction Volt is facing. Volt and his allies can shoot through this shield gaining Electric and double the critical damage for every shot. Volt can also pick up the shield by interacting with it, this is useful either to reposition the shield and place it elsewhere or to maintain access to the directional damage buff while flaking enemies.
Discharge is Volt’s fourth ability. Volt lifts up into the air and discharges a massive wave of electricity that chains between enemies, damaging ang paralyzing them. This is a great nuking ability for lower levels and can serve as a decent crowd control option in higher levels like the Steel Path once damage falls off. Discharge also sees a lot of use in game modes like Sanctuary Onslaught for Affinity farming.
Finally Volt has a passive that stores up to 1000 Electric damage per meter he travels by walking, running, or sliding. The Electric damage stored is then released in Volt’s next weapon shot or damaging ability use. This isn’t the strongest passive in the game but sees some use during Eidolon hunts or certain in-game activities that require large single instances of damage.
Volt’s strengths:
- Easily accessible and powerful mobility through Speed.
- Good early game nuking with Discharge.
- Damage buffing through Shock (with Shock Trooper) and Electric Shield.
- Particularly favorable kit for one-shotting Eidolon limbs with his passive, an augmented Shock, and Electric Shield.
How to get Volt and Volt Prime:
Like Excalibur, base Volt can be chosen for free at the start of the game. If Volt was not chosen his base blueprint and constituent parts can be replicated at your Clan Dojo.
Volt Prime, as with most other Prime Warframes, can be farmed by opening certain Void Relics in any Void Fissure missions. These Relics are:
Chassis, a uncommon drop for:
Axi V8
Meso O3
Meso V2
Meso V3
Blueprint, a common drop for:
Neo O1
Axi N3
Lith O2
Neo V1
Systems, a uncommon drop for:
Neo O1
Axi L4
Lith V1
Neuroptics, a rare drop for:
Axi V8
Axi V1
Neo V8
Volt Prime Relics and sets can also be traded with Platinum with other Tenno.
Volt and Volt Prime Details:
Volt Codex description:
“Electricity flows through Volt. His attacks deal high damage. His enemies will be shocked.”
Volt base stats at max rank:
- Max Rank: 30
- Health: 370
- Shield: 555
- Armor: 105
- Energy: 150
- Sprint Speed: 1
- Aura polarity: Madurai
- Exilus polarity: Blank
- Mod slot polarities: 1 Naramon, 1 Madurai
Volt Prime Codex description:
“A glorious warrior from the past, Volt Prime features the same abilities as Volt, but with unique mod polarities for greater customization.”
Volt Prime base stats at Max Rank:
- Max Rank: 30
- Health: 370
- Shield: 555
- Armor: 135
- Energy: 300
- Sprint Speed: 1
- Aura polarity: Madurai
- Exilus polarity: Blank
- Mod slot polarities: 1 Naramon, 2 Madurai
4. Mag / Mag Prime
Seriously, mad Hal 9000 vibes from that helmet man.
Mag, the third of the three free starter Warframes. Mag is a projectile weapon and crowd control focused caster Warframe and is one of the earliest Warframes accessible that comes with Shield restoration capability. Mag also scales very well into later levels as she comes with her own defense strips. Now, let’s go over Mag’s kit.
Mag’s first ability is called Pull. This is a simple crowd control ability that pulls enemies towards mag and deals a little bit of damage. Pull is a great early game grouping tool and can even ground flying enemies.
Magnetize is Mag’s second ability that is a two in one ability. When Magnetize is pressed Mag will enclose a single target in a magnetic field that pulls in other enemies within the targets range, projectiles fired by Mag or enemies inside and outside of the magnetic field are then absorbed and continue to orbit within the field damaging enemies for the projectiles whole lifetime. When Magnetize is held Mag will surround herself with the magnetic field instead and absorb any ranged attack to then reflect it back in a cone. Magnetize is one of the strongest skills Mag has access to as it acts as a three in one grouping, survivability, and DPS tool.
Polarize is Mag’s third ability. This one emits an energy pulse from Mag that depletes enemy shields and armor while restoring Mag and her allies’ shields. This pulse also generates Polarize Shards that are affected by Pull and Magnetize, in the latter case acting as free Slash based projectiles. Polarize is a strong shield support option and is great against heavily shielded enemies like the Corpus.
Crush is Mag’s fourth ability where she will magnetize the very bones of her enemies, lifting them up into the air dealing considerable Magnetic damage. This is a great early game nuking ability and can scale fairly well into the late game with its augment Fracturing Crush that also strips the defense of enemies affected by Crush and leaves them crowd controlled for longer.
Mag’s strengths:
- Heavy CC with Crush, Magnetize, and Pull.
- Great team and self-sustain with Polarize.
- Defense strips with Polarize and an augmented Crush.
- Strong projectile weapon synergy with Magnetize.
How to get Mag and Mag prime:
Base Mag is given for free at the start of the game if chosen over Volt and Excalibur. If you didn’t choose Mag her main blueprint can be bought from the Orbiter market and her constituent parts can be farmed from defeating The Sergeant on Iliad, Phobos.
Mag Prime can either be traded for with Platinum from other players (either Relics or whole sets) or if you have her Void Relics on hand you can farm her by opening them in Void Fissure missions. Mag Prime’s Relics are:
Chassis, an uncommon drop for:
Meso B1
Meso B3
Meso F4
Neo B3
Blueprint, a rare drop for:
Lith M1
Lith M2
Lith M8
Meso M1
Systems, a common drop for:
Axi R1
Axi S4
Lith L4
Neo D1
Neuroptics, a uncommon drop for:
Axi D4
Axi V2
Lith B1
Neo N9
Mag and Mag Prime details:
Mag Codex description:
“Take down your enemies with magnetic force. Mag alters magnetic fields to provide crowd control and strip enemy defenses. Few can resist her attraction and her repulsion.”
Mag base stats at max rank:
- Max Rank: 30
- Health: 280
- Shields: 555
- Armor: 105
- Energy: 190
- Sprint Speed: 1
- Aura polarity: Madurai
- Exilus polarity: Blank
- Mod slot polarities: 2 Naramon
Mag Prime Codex description:
“Warframe Archive - Debrief excerpt
We sat strapped in, safeties off, waiting for the punch. Waiting for death. Through my filthy porthole I saw stars among the outlines of the other splinter ships queuing for the Solar Rail. It would soon grip us with an incomprehensible power and cast us through the void into the mouth of our enemy.
I watched the ships one-by-one bending and gone. Each crammed with zero-tech soldiers sucking stale air, white knuckling their percussion rifles. Each filled with a desperation that comes with extinction. Our ship would be the last to cross the gap. Our ship had special cargo.
It was essentially empty. Just ten men, like me, strapped in with the best zero-tech suits and weapons the Empire could build… and “it”. “It” stood in the aisle, a slender and eyeless metal form. A Tenno inside its Warframe. Vaguely human, vaguely feminine. Was this armor or some ornate carapace for the monster that lived inside? I strained against the harness as the ship yawed for final approach. I could see the Tenno standing there freely. Solemn and gold-gleaming, oblivious to the inertial force.
I had been, until then, a Tenno denier. They were ghosts, propaganda, twisted casualties of the void era. Not possibly real. Yet here it was in the flesh. The Empire, in their desperation, was going to turn the demons loose and hope for the best. Who did we fear more, the enemy or this monster? We had our safeties off, could we trust it? Then it didn’t matter anymore. The punch came - and our windows became blinding. When we could see again our ship was somewhere else, shattered and dead in an instant.
My lungs were flattened, eyes full of death. Ship debris glittered like a night snow. The alien blue star was dark and blinding beyond us. The countless articulating worm-ships of our enemy, ringed in glowing discs, undulating and heat-bursting the surviving soldiers like me. This is where I died. I was in R-disc, sweeping over my right and setting my blood on fire. My vision flattened, the hearing muffled and buzzed. I could feel the side of my face going slack and wet.
I was in a dying dream. I saw a bright spot blurring and weaving toward me. I felt a tug toward it from the metal clasps on my suit. It reached me, rising up - a gleaming beast, a plume of golden wings rising and unfolding behind it. An angel. It snatched me from my death. I could feel my lungs fill as it wrapped me in its wings. Its Void Shield shimmered blue, strained under the enemy beams. I felt a sudden tug of acceleration. I closed my eyes and held on to it like a child.
I awoke on the floor, the sting of crisping flesh on my face and side. It was standing over me, the wings gone. I heard the cracking of weapons echoing down the corridor. Maybe the mission would be saved, but I was dying and so I waved my hand to send it away. I felt a pistol thrust in my hand as I was heaved to my feet. The angel had saved me, pulled me from hell, but it would not pity me. I was to die on my feet, by its side. I turned my good side toward the gunfire and raised the gun. It nodded, its outstretched metal hand surging and pulsing in ancient shapes as blue shimmered around me. It turned, drawing its blade and together we surged headlong into the hailstorm of death and fire that awaited us.”
Mag Prime base stats at max rank:
- Max Rank: 30
- Health: 370
- Shields: 555
- Armor: 135
- Energy: 265
- Sprint Speed: 1
- Aura polarity: Madurai
- Exilus polarity: Blank
- Mod slot polarity: 2 Naramon, 1 Madurai
3. Wukong / Wukong Prime
Double trouble!
A different non-starter Warframe this time, we have the Monkey King Wukong! Don’t get me wrong though Wukong is still a very easily accessible Warframe for new players and he is one of the hardest to kill Warframes in the game with multiple instances of invulnerability and the unique ability to clone himself. Let’s go over his kit then shall we?
Wukong comes with a special passive that lets him defy death three times per mission, instead applying one of five buffs called his Immoral Techniques. These Immortal Techniques are;
Primal Forces: 300% Elemental damage for 60 seconds.
Heavenly Cloak: Invisibility for 30 seconds that is not broken when Wukong attacks.
Cosmic Armour: Invulnerable for 30 seconds.
Monkey Luck: Enemies killed yield extra loot drops for 30 seconds.
Sly Alchemy: Health and Energy orbs are 4x more effective for 60 seconds.
Wukong’s first ability is called Celestial Twin. Wukong splits himself in two, essentially creating a free Specter that the community has affectionately dubbed “Wuclone”. Wuclone will melee if Wukong has a ranged weapon out and will use ranged weapons when Wukong has a melee out. Wuclone lasts indefinitely or until he dies wherein the ability can be freely re-cast to summon him again. Wuclone is great for taking some of the heat of Wukong and for helping clear enemies as he uses your equipped arsenal and even matches Wukong as they both cast skills simultaneously.
Wukong’s second ability is called Cloud Walker. Wukong evaporates into a cloud of mist, flying invulnerable through the air while regenerating health and shedding any negative status effect. In cloud form Wukong will stun any enemy he passes through and cannot be detected by cameras or lasers. This is quite possibly the best Spy mission tool in the game and also a very fast mobility tool and get-out-of-jail free card.
Wukong’s third ability is called Defy. Wukong will briefly summon his Exalted weapon Iron Staff and strike a pose. While Wukong is in this pose he absorbs all damage dealt to him and deals all of it back in a single vicious strike at the end of the ability. Defy also grants bonus armor based on the amount of damage it absorbs. This is another great panic-button ability and defensive buffer.
Wukong’s fourth ability is called Primal Fury. Wukong will summon his moddable Exalted weapon the Iron Staff and use it as his melee weapon. Iron Staff comes with its own unique stance mod and, when summoned, is also used by Wuclone if he is on the field. Primal Fury is definitely a cool ability, but it just isn’t as strong as the rest of Wukongs kit; Primal Fury doesn’t scale well but is fairly powerful in early levels.
Wukong’s strengths:
- Very high survivability with Cloud Walker and Defy.
- Decent DPS and aggro manipulation when Wuclone is on the field.
- Great mobility and stealth capability from Cloud Walker.
- Very hard to kill with all his defensive options and his passive.
- Possibly one of the least lonely Warframes as he can summon Wuclone at will.
How to get Wukong and Wukong Prime:
The base Wukong blueprint and parts can be replicated at your Clan Dojo provided you are in one and your Clan has researched his blueprints.
Wukong Prime sets and Relics can be traded for with other Tenno with Platinum. Alternatively if you have Void Relics containing Wukong prime parts you can farm him by opening them in any Void Fissure mission. Wukong Prime’s Relics are:
Chassis, an uncommon drop for:
Axi A10
Axi T6
Lith K3
Lith N13
Meso B4
Meso K3
Neo N13
Neo S12
Blueprint, a rare drop for:
Axi W1
Axi W2
Lith W1
Lith W2
Meso W1
Meso W2
Systems, a uncommon drop for:
Axi A11
Axi P3
Axi R3
Meso K2
Meso T4
Neo I2
Neo Z9
Neuroptics, a common drop for:
Axi G2
Axi T4
Axi Z1
Lith D2
Lith S13
Neo I1
Neo T2
Neo Z7
Wukong and Wukong Prime details:
Wukong Codex description:
“The simian warrior is a mountain of strength. Wukong deals heavy damage and has high survivability. His quick trickster tactics are unforgettable.”
Wukong base stats at max rank:
- Max Rank: 30
- Health: 555
- Shields: 370
- Armor: 265
- Energy: 180
- Sprint Speed: 1
- Aura polarity: Madurai
- Exilus polarity: Blank
- Mod slot polarities: 1 Naramon, 1 Vazarin
Wukong Prime Codex description:
“The trickster-warrior ascends to his ultimate incarnation.”
Wukong Prime base stats at max rank:
- Max Rank: 30
- Health: 555
- Shields: 445
- Armor: 290
- Energy: 195
- Sprint Speed: 1.05
- Aura polarity: Madurai
- Exilus polarity: Blank
- Mod slot polarities: 1 Naramon, 1 Vazarin, 1 Madurai
2. Revenant / Revenant Prime
Can’t really go wrong with laser beams man.
We’re starting to see a trend here. Warframes that are hard to kill are great for new Tenno, they enable them to learn the game mechanics in a safe-ish manner and really reduce the panic and stress mid-mission to allow them to really process and internalize what’s really going on. So then, Revenant, the infamously immortal “easy-mode” Warframe of course makes this list. I’m not going to argue the fact that Revenant is basically invincible with one cast of one ability but I do find that his kit overall is quite selfish and very one-note so he isn’t getting the number one spot. Now, let’s dive into Revenant’s kit.
Enthrall is Revenant's first ability. Revenant mind-controls one target enemy within range to fight for him, any enemy struck by Revenant's thralls (either with melee or ranged attacks) are also enthralled to a maximum of seven thralls. Enthrall has some pretty good synergy with his second and third ability and is a great aggro manipulation tool and priority-enemy disabler.
Mesmer Skin, Revenant’s 2, is by far the most powerful and infamous skill in his kit. Revenant coats himself in sentient energy that functions like a charge-based (6 by default) shield that blocks any instance of damage Revenant receives then makes him invulnerable for one second before Mesmer Skin can be depleted again. Any enemy that depletes a Mesmer Skin charge gets all of their damage reflected back at them and is stunned. Enemies stunned by Mesmer Skin can be Enthralled at no cost. Mesmer Skin can also be re-cast while there are charges still active.
This ability is quite possibly the best survivability tool in the game as you are immune to most forms of CC, self-stagger, and damage, Mesmer skin is not health based so the amount of damage taken (even damage in the millions) does not matter, and Mesmer Skin has no duration- it lasts until it is depleted or nullified by enemies.
Reave is Revenant’s third ability. This is a two-in-one mobility and DPS tool. Revenant transforms into a wall of Sentient energy and dashes in the direction of the crosshair. If Revenant hits an enemy while in Reave he siphons their shields and health for himself. Health and shield siphon is enhanced when passing through thralls. Reave does a lot of damage with the right setup, as long as enemies are affected by Enthrall Reave can two or three shot them. This goes for most enemies as the damage is percentage based and even works for enthralled Steel Path Acolytes.
Revenant’s fourth ability is called Danse Macabre. Revenant starts spinning in a ballerina-like pose and shoots a fan of Eidolon energy beams from his hand. The damage from the beams is adaptive to the weakness of the enemies currently being hit and the damage can be boosted by holding left-click at the cost of increased energy drain. Revenant can move while in Danse Macabre and can also cast Reave to get around. Danse Macabre is good DPS for early levels but falls off drastically the higher you go, especially in the Steel Path.
Revenant’s strengths:
- He is all but unkillable while Mesmer Skin is active.
- Great aggro manipulation through Enthrall.
- Good assassination combo with Enthrall and Reave.
- Decent early game room-clear with Danse Macabre.
How to get Revenant and Revenant Prime:
The main blueprint for base Revenant is acquired after the early game quest Mask of the Revenant. The base Revenant component blueprints can be farmed from Plains of Eidolon bounties.
Revenant Prime sets and Relics can be traded with other Tenno for Platinum. Revenant Prime can also be farmed if you already have Void Relics that contain his parts and blueprints, these Relics can be opened in any Void Fissure mission. The Revenant Prime relics are:
Chassis, a common drop for:
Meso H6
Neo A11
Axi G12
Meso N13
Neo K5
Neo N23
Neo S17
Blueprint, a rare drop for:
Lith R5
Lith R2
Lith R3
Lith R4
Meso R5
Systems, an uncommon drop for:
Meso H5
Axi A16
Meso C9
Meso K5
Meso P9
Neuroptics, an uncommon drop for:
Axi D5
Neo Z10
Lith S14
Revenant and Revenant Prime details:
Revenant Codex description:
“Macabre spectral power has risen. Infused with the power of the Eidolon, Revenant has strong survivability and deals high damage. Enemies become his thralls.”
Revenant base stats at max rank:
- Max Rank: 30
- Health: 370
- Shields: 835
- Armor: 135
- Energy: 190
- Sprint Speed: 1
- Aura polarity: Naramon
- Exilus polarity: Blank
- Mod slot polarities: 1 Madurai, 1 Vazarin
Revenant Prime Codex description:
“The lost one rises. Wield the essence of the Eidolon as you wield Revenant Prime’s power.”
Revenant Prime base stats at max rank:
- Max Rank: 30
- Health: 370
- Shields: 925
- Armor: 135
- Energy: 225
- Sprint Speed: 1.1
- Aura polarity: Naramon
- Exilus polarity: Blank
- Mod slot polarities: 1 Naramon, 1 Madurai, 1 Vazarin
1. Rhino / Rhino Prime
The unstoppable force!
Finally, here we have every new Tenno’s dream, Rhino! The all purpose Tank that's good in basically any content Warframe has to offer. Rhino has an incredibly versatile kit with mobility, overguard, crowd control, damage, and the best team wide damage buffing ability in the game. Now, let’s see his kit.
Rhino Charge is Rhino’s first ability. Rhino charges in the direction of the crosshair, damaging and ragdolling enemies in his path. Rhino Charge has a notable augment called Ironclad Charge that increases Rhino’s armor rating by 50% for each enemy hit. Ironclad Charge has good synergy with Rhino’s second ability.
Rhino’s second ability is called Iron Skin. Rhino hardens his skin, going briefly invulnerable and afterwards creating a third health bar (Overguard) that scales with the amount of damage taken during the invulnerability window, Rhino’s armor rating at the time of casting, and his power strength. Rhino is also immune to all status effects and knockdowns while Iron Skin is active.
Roar is Rhino’s third ability. Rhino roars, buffing him and all allies in range with increased factional (multiplicative) weapon and ability damage. This is one of only a few abilities in Warframe that actually buffs team ability damage. With the Roar buff also being faction damage it doesn’t really matter what you’re going up against it will always work and thus is always good to have.
Rhino’s fourth ability is called Rhino Stomp. Rhino stomps the ground with enough force to disrupt time, enemies caught in the stomp’s radius are damaged, sent up in the air, and held in stasis. This is a great early or late game crowd control ability and can even nuke at the lowest levels. Rhino Stomp also has a notable augment called Reinforcing Stomp that replenishes the health of Iron Skin for each enemy hit by the stomp.
Rhino’s strengths:
- Incredible versatility with arguably the most flexible kit in the game.
- Great CC with Rhino Stomp.
- Super strong survivability and stagger immunity with Rhino Skin.
- Decent mobility with Rhino Charge.
- Possessing the ability to cast Roar at full strength ( Helminthed versions of Roar are weaker).
How to get Rhino and Rhino Prime:
The base Blueprint for rhino can be bought at the Orbiter market. His constituent parts can then be farmed from The Jackal boss on Fossa, Venus.
Rhino Prime sets and Relics can be traded with other Tenno with Platinum. If you already possess the Void Relics that contain Rhino Prime parts they can be opened in any Void Fissure mission. The Rhino Prime Relics are:
Chassis, a uncommon drop for:
Meso M1
Meso N6
Systems, a common drop for:
Axi S3
Neo B3
Blueprint, a rare drop for:
Axi R1
Neo R1
Neuroptics, a uncommon drop for:
Lith B1
Lith B4
Rhino and Rhino Prime details:
Rhino Codex description:
“Rhino packs a punch. He boasts high survivability and crowd control. The wise would do well to stand clear when he charges.
Rhino base stats at max rank:
- Max Rank: 30
- Health: 370
- Shields: 555
- Armor: 240
- Energy: 150
- Sprint Speed: 0.95
- Aura polarity: Madurai
- Exilus polarity: Blank
- Mod slot polarities: 2 Vazarin
Rhino Prime Codex description:
“Red lights flashing on stark, white walls. Davis is running ahead of me, dropping his notes. We're running for our lives. The fear gives me a strange perspective - I'm out of my body. I've forgotten how I got here. I don't recognize this place.
Davis and I slam, pinned against a cell door and he shouts at me. I give him a dumb look. I can't hear him, the sirens, anything, only the muffled throb of terror in my head. I turn away from Davis down the hall and I see it. The hulking mass, flickering red, glinting like steel and fresh blood. Its skin changes, flowing like mercury when I'm blinded by the sudden muzzle-flashes. They do no good. The beast surges forward and the security men become crimson mist and gore.
I'm a statue, a cornered animal. A gate opens inside me and recognition floods in. I have seen this monster before. I have cut its shell and eviscerated its brothers. I have given it pain and measured its response. I have crafted then rejected countless like it. But I've never seen this beast so close, without the shield, without restraints. I have never seen it... free.
I know I will die so I just watch with curious acceptance. The beast squats down, shoveling a heap of gore into its mouth. It is watching me with vague eyes, a sense of recognition, ancestral memory. It knows who I am and what I've done. It rears up like a bear and roars, shattering the lights and casting us into darkness. I can hear it lumbering toward me, its metal fingers rending the walls, but I know I am dead. I close my eyes and stand ready to pay.
I feel the pull on my arm and realize Davis got the cell open. He tugs me into the cell beyond and I fall on my back. I see Davis standing at the open door, waiting, as the monster tears towards us.
Suddenly I could live through this. I shout, "Davis, close the goddamn door!" - But he shakes his head, eyes wide as moons. He shouts, "Watch!" over the roaring and rending of metal.
Then silence. Davis is panting, laughing? The beast fills the doorway, inches from him, dripping in blood, but still without violence. It stands there, looking at its hands. Davis whispers, "No one would have believed me."
I crawl up the wall to stand, opposite the door. I've never seen this cell, a cold place with an array of shelves. A morgue? "Where are we, Davis?"
"This is where they keep them. The ones from Zariman." I'm thrown, what was the Zariman? The ship that never returned? "Davis, what's going on?"
Davis turns to me, a smile forming - "What's going on is..." he turns back to the beast now silent and calm.
"...big, fat promotions."”
Rhino Prime base stats at max rank:
- Max Rank: 30
- Health: 370
- Shields: 555
- Armor: 290
- Energy: 150
- Sprint Speed: 1
- Aura polarity: Madurai
- Exilus polarity: Blank
- Mod slot polarities: 2 Vazarin, 1 Naramon
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