What is The Best Warframe?
With 40 Warframes, it’s sometimes difficult to pick the right one. You want to build Oberon, but you don’t have enough platinum or Warframe slots; I’ve been there. Who do you level to 30 and sell?
Because there are so many Warframes, and each one has 4 unique abilities, it can be hard to rank them too. Ember’s abilities are completely different than Mirage’s abilities, making it hard to compare the two.
Warframe has thousands of players, and everyone has own personal favorite. Player lists are often subjective, based off who they like to play. Below is a tier list for all 40 Warframes, ranked as objectively as possible.
The Tiers are classified by when you can use the Warframe, as well as how good their abilities are and overall damage.
The categories below aren’t in a specific order, but later is a ranking from weakest to strongest from Tiers S and A.
S Tier
These Warframes are the best of the best. All four abilities are fantastic, and they are great for higher level missions. Some of them specialize in defense or offense, but overall, they can do pretty much anything with the right build.
- Inaros
- Chroma
- Zephyr
- Ivara
- Mesa
- Octavia
- Trinity
A Tier
These Warframes are just below S Tier. They can be used for a wide variety of content and all their abilities are great. They aren’t quite S Tier yet though because of either 1) damage 2) health/recovery or 3) armor/shield. They are all still good choices though, so definitely try to build a few (or all).
- Excalibur
- Gara
- Mirage
- Nekros
- Rhino
- Wisp
- Equinox
- Nidus
B Tier
These Warframes usually specialize in one thing (like stealth) or are averagely good at everything. Like C Tier, some are not the best choice for high level missions or missions with one target (assassinations and Eidolon Hunts).
- Frost
- Valkyr
- Volt
- Banshee
- Khora
- Revenant
- Baruuk
- Hydroid
- Garuda
- Nova
- Harrow
- Hildryn
- Saryn
- Ash
C Tier
The Warframes below aren’t necessarily the worst, but they can’t really be used in a wide variety of situations. These Warframes also aren’t very suitable for high level missions; their abilities are not strong enough. It’s important to know that Wukong’s rework just came out, so it’s hard to rank him just yet. His abilities have changed, and through personal experience playing as him, he has improved.
- Nyx
- Wukong
- Nezha
- Titania
- Ember
- Vauban
- Mag
- Loki
- Oberon
- Atlas
- Limbo
Zephyr (S-Tier)
This is Zephyr, light, yet deceivingly lethal. Zephyr brings graceful destruction to the battlefield. Look up, Tenno.
Zephyr is the center of many ‘best Warframe’ debates. Some players think she isn’t that great, while others praise her and think she’s great if you put the time (and forma) into her. Her abilities don’t focus on direct damage, they focus on survival and mobility. With strong melee and primary weapons, Zephyr can plow her way through Sorties.
Stats (Rank 30):
- 450 Health
- 450 Shield
- 15 Armor
- 150 Energy
What’s Good About Zephyr:
- Can stay airborne for longer than others, and falls slower to ground (you can avoid hard falls)
- Higher Shield and Heath than average
- Turbulence ability redirects all bullets and projectiles
- When Tornados (ability) are shot, the bullets will be distributed to all nearby enemies
All of Zephyr’s blueprints can be researched in the Tenno Lab of your dojo.
Rating: 82/100
Trinity (S-Tier)
This is Trinity, the healer, the equalizer. Trinity is a must for any high-stakes mission. She'll save your life, Tenno.
Trinity is the ultimate healer of all Warframes. All her abilities function as support to allies, restoring health, energy, and shields. If you are planning on doing high rank missions with others, it is essential that you make Trinity. Her parts are difficult to get because of a low drop rate, but Trinity is definitely worth it.
Stats (Rank 30):
- 300 Health
- 300 Shield
- 15 Armor
- 225 Energy
What’s Good About Trinity:
- Can revive enemies faster and from farther away
- The best support Warframe
- Blessing ability can instantly restore up to 80% shields and health of all allies
- Health restoration abilities can basically make her invincible for periods of time
You can buy Trinity’s main blueprint from the market. Her chassis, neuroptics, and systems have a 22-40% chance of dropping from Ambulas on Pluto.
Rating: 85/100
Ivara (S-Tier)
This is Ivara, the huntress, the thief. Don't roam around the forest looking for a fight, Tenno. Ivara is always on guard.
Ivara is one of the few Warframes that comes equipped with an Exalted Weapon; the Artemis Bow. She is the master of stealth, with an ability that makes her invisible. Ivara can be built for stealth, but her bow can become deadly with the right build too.
Stats (rank 30):
- 225 Health
- 300 Shield
- 65 Armor
- 262 Energy
What’s Good About Ivara:
- Innate enemy radar of 20 meters
- Prowl ability to become invisible
- Makes any level Spy missions incredibly easy
- Great for soloing Sorties (especially Spy Sorties)
All Ivara blueprints are acquired from Spy missions. To have a chance of a blueprint dropping, you must complete all data extractions. Different blueprints drop depending on the level of the spy mission. See video link for specifics.
Rating: 85/100
Chroma (S-Tier)
This is Chroma, an ancient legend, master of the elements. When all the land is in ruins, Tenno, only Chroma will remain.
Chroma is a tank. His ability Vex Armor can boost his armor and damage to insane levels in addition to his existing armor at 350. Chroma’s abilities focus on buffing himself and his allies, making him excellent for Eidolon Hunts. Chroma also has the unique passive ability of changing what his abilities do based on the color of his energy.
Stats (Rank 30):
- 300 Health
- 300 Shield
- 350 Armor
- 225 Energy
What’s Good About Chroma:
- Elemental Ward ability buffs allies depending on energy color
- Can do Heat, Electric, Toxin, or Cold damage depending on energy color
- Many players first choice for Eidolon Hunting
- Vex Armor ability increases armor is shields are hit and weapon damage if health takes a hit
Chroma’s main blueprint can be obtained through The New Strange quest. His neuroptics, chassis, and systems can be gotten at Uranus Junction, Neptune Junction, and Pluto Junction, respectively.
Rating: 87/100
Mesa (S-Tier)
This is Mesa, the vagabond, the outcast. Do you feel lucky, Tenno? Mesa's got the fastest guns in the stars.
Mesa is the Cowgirl of Warframes, taking 3rd place with her deadly Exalted Pistols. Mesa’s abilities are the best for targeting a single enemy. Without buffs, her guns are already incredibly strong, and can become way stronger. This is good for assassinations and Sorties, or even high-level missions with strong enemies.
Stats (Rank 30):
- 375 Health
- 225 Shield
- 56 Armor
- 150 Energy
What’s Good About Mesa:
- Health bonus (50) when no melee weapon equipped
- Faster fire rate and reload speed for all secondary weapons
- Shooting Gallery buffs allies and jams the guns of nearby enemies
- Peacemaker ability draws pistols, doing a crazy amount of damage to enemies
You can buy Mesa’s main blueprint off the market. Her chassis, neuroptics, and systems have a 20-40% chance of dropping from Mutalist Alad V on Eris.
Rating: 90/100
Octavia (S-Tier)
This is Octavia, the melodic, the maestro. If music be the food of death... play on, Tenno.
Octavia is themed around music, and her abilities make her one of the most fun Warframes to play. Octavia has access to the Mandachord, a unique song that can be customized, and plays in the background of the mission. You can find popular songs transcribed for Mandachord online, from Doom to Mortal Kombat, even the Pirate of the Caribbean theme.
Stats (Rank 30):
- 300 Health
- 225 Shield
- 125 Armor
- 225 Energy
What’s Good About Octavia:
- Using an ability or using your Operator will spark Inspiration, replenishing energy for nearby allies
- Can compose songs on Mandachord, affecting abilities
- Mallet ability scales damage based off enemies (great for high level or a lot of enemies)
- With Metronome ability, her and allies get buffs when moving to Mandachord music
The main blueprint for Octavia can be obtained through Octavia’s Anthem quest. Her chassis is a reward for the music puzzle on Lua, while neuroptics are a reward from Orokin Derelict Survival and systems are a reward from the crossfire mission on Lua (Plato)
Rating: 95/100
Inaros (S-Tier)
This is Inaros, the savior, king of the desert. Whether denizens of the sky or the earth, Tenno, the fear of Inaros is within.
Coming in 1st place is Inaros. With 2200 base health (but no shield) and abilities that steal the health of enemies, he can easily go through high level missions without dying. If Inaros does take fatal damage, he is instead put into his Sarcophagus, allowing him to siphon life from nearby enemies, giving him the opportunity to revive himself. When I first started playing Inaros, I realized that at pretty much any rank, he is basically immortal. I took my rank 20 Inaros into high-level missions just to see what would happen and to my surprise, I didn’t die.
Stats (Rank 30):
- 2200 Health
- 0 Shield
- 200 Armor
- 150 Energy
What’s Good About Inaros:
- 300% more health than most Warframes
- Scarab Swarm ability turns health into armor (when discharged, the armor will damage enemies)
- Desiccation blinds enemies so he can steal their health
- Essentially Immortal
All of Inaros’ blueprints can be obtained through the Sands of Inaros quest. This quest can be bought from Baro Ki’Teer.
Rating: 99/100
Rhino (A-Tier)
This is Rhino, an immovable force and highly resilient. Rhino can survive alone or become the cornerstone of any squad, Tenno. The choice is yours.
As his name implies, Rhino comes with a large amount of armor, allowing you to plow through a mission not taking as much damage as you would with others. His abilities allow him to charge into battle without dying, and with his Roar ability, your allies get a damage buff too.
Stats (Rank 30):
- 300 Health
- 450 Shield
- 190 Armor
- 150 Energy
What’s Good About Rhino:
- A tank; great for Survival and Exterminate
- Ability Iron Skin basically makes him invulnerable for a short time
- Damage buff for allies
- Good starting Warframe; easy to get and does a decent amount of damage
Rhino’s blueprint can be bought from the market. His chassis, neuroptics, and systems can be acquired from the boss Jackal (on Fossa, Venus). Each part has a 20-40% chance of dropping.
Rating: 70/100
Wisp (A-Tier)
Invisible in the air and swift on the ground, she moves like the wind. This is Wisp. Summoner of the ethereal. Her grace is only balanced by her destruction. Do not get lost in its wake, Tenno.
Wisp is the newest Warframe added to the game with the Jovian Concord update. She is invisible while airborne, and has an incredible sprint speed, making her well suited for Spy missions. Her Sol Gate ability delivers an extreme sun blast to all enemies in its path.
Stats (Rank 30):
- 300 Health
- 225 Shield
- 150 Armor
- 300 Energy
What’s Good About Wisp:
- Reservoirs ability can summon Motes that can help allies in battle (speed and health)
- Incredibly agile
- Sol Gate ability opens a sunbeam portal, doing an insane amount of damage
- Invisibility great for stealth or avoiding groups of enemies
All four parts needed to build Wisp drop from the Ropalolyst on Jupiter. The parts have about a 25% of dropping.
Rating: 73/100
Nekros (A-Tier)
This is Nekros, manipulator of souls. Nekros possesses the battlefield, Tenno. Death is his playground.
Nekros is the necromancer of Warframes. His ability Shadows of the Dead summons fallen enemies to fight for him. With duration mods, this ability can last much longer, and become helpful in solo missions or missions with a lot of enemies. Digital Extremes is also gifting Nekros Prime to users who link a Twitch account and watch the Tennocon stream on July 6th, 2019.
Stats (Rank 30):
- 300 Health
- 270 Shield
- 65 Armor
- 150 Energy
What’s Good About Nekros:
- Shadows of the Dead essentially creates an entire army to fight for you
- Regenerates 5 health when an enemy dies near him
- Desecrate ability makes enemies drop more loot, perfect for resource farming
- Shield of Shadows Augment Mod for Shadows of the Dead disperses damage to Nekros (less damage the more shadows he has)
You can buy Nekros’ blueprint from the market, but the chassis, neuroptics, and systems can all be found in the Orokin Derelict. To enter, build the Assassination Orokin Derelict key (bought from market), and kill Lephantis. Each part has a 33% chance of dropping.
Rating: 75/100
Mirage (A-Tier)
This is Mirage, a sly conjurer. Do you believe in magic, Tenno? Mirage's deceiving influence on the battlefield might make you.
Mirage can manipulate light to her advantage, creating traps, clones, and buffs. Her low health and shield are made up for by her ability to create up to 4 clones of herself. The clones confuse enemies and copy her melee attacks as well. Mirage is small and agile but can deal an incredible amount of damage with all 4 abilities.
Stats (Rank 30):
- 240 Health
- 240 Shield
- 65 Armor
- 225 Energy
What’s Good About Mirage:
- Sleight of Hand ability disables traps, security cameras, and laser barriers
- Has more agility when moving (a good Mirage is a moving Mirage)
- Eclipse ability makes it harder to be seen in shadows, and boost damage in sunlight
- Prism ability creates a giant disco ball that bounces around room, dealing a crazy amount of Radiation Damage
All Mirage parts can be obtained through the Hidden Messages quest.
Rating: 75/100
Gara (A-Tier)
This is Gara, the unbreakable warrior. Manipulator of glass, she fractures the resolve of her enemies. The shattered remains of her enemies are all that Gara leaves behind. Tread lightly.
Often underrated, Gara can deal an insane amount of damage with her abilities. Gara quickly became my favorite Warframe due to her ability Splintering Storm. With this, her glass armor shatters and encircles her, dealing damage and buffing allies that contact it.
Stats (Rank 30):
- 300 Health
- 300 Shield
- 125 Armor
- 225 Energy
What’s Good About Gara:
- Mass Vitrify ability creates glass ring, preventing enemies from entering (great for defense)
- When in light, Gara has chance to blind nearby enemies
- Augment Mod on Splintering Storm to regenerate health
- Can solo Sorties
Gara is the Warframe of Eidolon, so her chassis, neuroptics, and systems can all be obtained through bounties (drop rate depends on level). Her main blueprint can be obtained by finishing the quest Saya’s Vigil.
Rating: 76/100
Excalibur (A-Tier)
This is Excalibur, a master of gun and blade. No matter your style, Tenno, the Excalibur Warframe is a formidable choice.
Excalibur is an iconic Warframe, and many player’s first choice in the game. If you are like me, you picked Excalibur as your starting frame, and cut down entire groups of enemies with Exalted Blade, without thinking about his other abilities. Although he is a starter Warframe, Excalibur shouldn’t be taken lightly. His strong abilities and large amount of shield can carry him through high level missions.
Stats (Rank 30):
- 300 Health
- 300 Shield
- 225 Armor
- 150 Energy
What’s Good About Excalibur:
- Three different versions (Main, Prime, Umbra)
- Bonus damage with certain melee weapons
- Exalted Blade is ridiculously strong, and can take out several enemies at once
- The best Warframe to start with; easy to understand abilities while still doing a lot of damage
If you don’t pick him as a starter Warframe, his chassis, blueprint, and systems have a 20-40% chance of dropping from the Lieutenant Lech Kril Assassination on Mars. You can buy his main blueprint off the market.
Rating: 78/100
Nidus (A-Tier)
This is Nidus, the adaptive, the scourge. Nidus is a deadly plague for which there is no cure. You must control the strange disease.
You know that infested room in the back of your orbiter? Out of all 40 Warframes, Nidus is the only one that can enter the room at any given time. Nidus is an ‘infested’ Warframe, dealing with energy and Mutation Stacks, which he uses for his last two abilities in place of energy. His Stacks are acquired by damaging enemies with his abilities; one Stack is five enemies damaged. Along with Inaros, Nidus has no shields, but has more than enough health and armor to make up for it.
Stats (Rank 30):
- 450 Health
- 0 Shield
- 450 Armor
- 150 Energy
What’s Good About Nidus:
- Health is always continuously regenerating
- Parasitic Link can be attached to enemies, reducing the damage Nidus takes by 50%
- If he dies with at least 15 Stacks, Nidus immediately revives and consumes them
- Ability Ravenous creating health regen buff area for allies
Nidus’ main blueprint is obtained from The Glass Gambit quest. His chassis, neuroptics, and systems all have a 14% chance of dropping on rotation C (round 4) of Infested Salvage on Eris.
Rating: 78/100
Equinox (A-Tier)
This is Equinox, a deadly duality. A true Tenno must master the divide between night and day. Do you have what it takes?
Equinox is one of the most unique Warframes. She can split between Day and Night form, each having a different set of abilities. If you master her abilities in both forms, you can become a deadly force in missions, and an important ally. With Equinox, you basically have 7 different abilities at your command.
Stats (Rank 30):
- 300 Health
- 300 Shield
- 100 Armor
- 225 Energy
What’s Good About Equinox:
- Day form gives bonus health and speed, Night form gives bonus shields and armor
- Innate Equilibrium (health orbs converted to energy, and vice versa)
- All abilities differ depending on if she is in Day form or Night form
- Ability Mend & Maim gives health buff for allies
Because Equinox is divided into day and night, she has twice the amount of required parts. You need day and night versions of her chassis, neuroptics, and systems as well as day and night aspects. Each of these have a 11-12% chance of dropping from Tyl Regor on Uranus. You can buy her main blueprint on the market.
Rating: 80/100
You May Also Be Interested In:
- Top 3 Warframe Best Sniper Rifles and How To Get Them
- Top 5 Warframe Best Bows and How to Get Them
- Warframe: Top 10 Best Secondary Weapons That Rock Hard!
- Warframe: Best Melee Weapons (Top 5) And How To Get Them
