First introduced with the Archwing update, Arch-guns are enormous firearms that the Tenno can only wield in the zero-gravity environments of space and underwater.
That is, until you are able to get your hands on a Gravi-mag, an equippable device that allows you to call down an Arch-gun in atmospheric environments. Even so, the large size and weight of Arch-guns, as well as limited ammo supplies, make them clunky and slow despite their overwhelming firepower.
Arch-guns have their own stats and sets of mods, and also take up their own slot in your arsenal, so you can still bring a primary and secondary weapon to missions where you plan to use an Arch-gun.
While you’ll mostly use your Arch-guns in space-basedArchwing or underwater “sharkwing” missions, they are still a useful tool to have in your arsenal for missions taking place within the atmosphere.
They also become a requirement, along with the Gravimag, if you ever want to take on a Profit-Taker Orb in the open-world of Venus, Orb Vallis.
This list of the top Arch-guns in Warframe is your guide to the best Archwing weapons to have in your loadout.
5. Cyngas
About the Cyngas
The Cyngas is a burst-fire arch-gun with high accuracy and critical chance, as well as amazing status chance and reload speed. As far as jack-of-all-trades weapons go, this is it.
An incredibly straightforward weapon with a balanced damage distribution, you can take the Cyngas into any mission and perform great with it.
How to Get the Cyngas
Cyngas blueprints can be purchased in the market for 35,000 credits.
In order to build it, you need to collect Cyngas parts which can be purchased from Syndicates for 20,000 reputation each. Required components:
- Cyngas Barrel: Arbiters of Hexis Offering “Lawful” 20,000 standing
- Cyngas Receiver: Cephalon Suda Offering “Intelligent” 20,000 standing
- Cyngas Stock: The Perrin Sequence Offering “Executive” 25,000 standing
- 2 Tellurium, rare resource drop from Archwing missions
If you are opposed to any of these syndicates, you can also trade with other players to get the parts.
Cyngas Stats
- Fire Rate: 9 rps
- Magazine Size: 30 rounds
- Total Damage (Impact, Puncture, Slash): 120 (39.6, 39.6, 40.8)
- Crit Chance (Multi): 20% (2.2x)
- Status Chance: 30%
4. Phaedra
About the Phaedra
If the Soma had a big sister, it would be the Phaedra. This automatic Arch-gun spools up as you fire, doubling its fire rate and absolutely shredding anything under your reticule.
The Phaedra’s fire rate and high status chance make it an excellent status weapon, spreading procs on any enemies you can find in free space.
How to Get the Phaedra
Phaedra blueprints can be purchased in the market for 35,000 credits.
In order to build it, you need to collect Phaedra parts which can be purchased from Syndicates for 20,000 reputation each. Required components:
- Phaedra Barrel: Arbiters of Hexis Offering “Lawful” 20,000 standing
- Phaedra Receiver: The Perrin Sequence Offering “Senior Associate” 20,000 standing
- Can also be obtained rarely as a reward from Archwing Exterminate missions
- Phaedra Stock: New Loka Offering “Bountiful” 25,000 standing
- 2 Tellurium, rare resource drop from Archwing missions
If you are opposed to any of these syndicates, you can also trade with other players to get the parts.
Phaedra Stats
- Fire Rate: 18.8 rps
- Magazine Size: 250 rounds
- Total Damage: 56 (14, 36.4, 5.6)
- Crit Chance (Multi): 14% (2x)
- Status Chance: 30%
3. Imperator Vandal
About the Imperator Vandal
An upgraded version of the starting Arch-gun, the Imperator Vandal boasts upgraded stats in every category, while still being the automatic-fire minigun that players know and love.
Much like the Cyngas, the Imperator Vandal is an easy-to-use jack-of-all-trades that you can bring to any mission and perform well with. If you’re unsure which of your Archwing weapons you’d like to install a Gravimag with, this is your best choice.
How to Get the Imperator Vandal
As with all Vandal weapons, the Imperator Vandal can only be acquired through time-limited events, originally beginning with the Eyes of Blight Operation.
Fear not if you’ve missed it, though, as the Imperator Vandal returns as a potential reward every so often when the Balor Fomorian returns.
Completing time-limited Fomorian Invasion gets you a 10% chance of receiving an Imperator Vandal part, of which you need the Blueprint, Barrel, and Receiver to build the weapon in your Foundry.
Imperator Vandal Stats
- Fire Rate: 25 rps
- Magazine Size: 300 rounds
- Total Damage: 50 (20, 17.5, 12.5)
- Crit Chance (Multi): 28% (2.4x)
- Status Chance: 12%
2. Velocitus
About the Velocitus
The Velocitus is the closest weapon to a sniper rifle that you can wield in Archwing.
Technically a charged gauss-rifle, the Velocitus does tremendous damage at full charge, while also boasting an insanely high critical chance and innate punchthrough.
While its slow rate of fire and reliance on charging each shot make it considerably harder to use than the Imperator, the Velocitus is the epitome of “one shot, one kill” weapons in Warframe.
How to Get the Velocitus
Velocitus blueprints can be acquired through Clan Research in the Tenno Lab of the Clan Dojo. Research requirements are based on clan size. After research is complete, any member of the clan can replicate a blueprint for 15,000 credits.
In order to build it, you need to collect Velocitus parts which can be purchased from Syndicates for 20,000 reputation each. Required components:
- Velocitus Barrel: Cephalon Suda Offering “Intriguing” 20,000 standing
- Velocitus Receiver: Steel Meridian Offering “Valiant” 20,000 standing
- Velocitus Stock: Red Veil Offering “Honored” 20,000 standing
- 2 Control Modules, rare resource drop from Neptune, Europa, and the Void
If you are opposed to any of these syndicates, you can also trade with other players to get the parts.
Velocitus Stats
- Fire Rate: 5 rps
- Magazine Size: 10 rounds
- Total Damage (I, P, S, Magnetic): 600 (150, 150, 150, 150)
- Crit Chance (Multi): 30% (3x)
- Status Chance: 25%
1. Kuva Ayanga
About the Kuva Ayanga
Bring the thunder: the Kuva Ayanga is a giant minigun that fires explosive mortar-type rounds. This Kuva weapon can only be obtained from a Kuva Lich, and for good reason. The Kuva Ayanga is devastating, whether you’re firing at a single target or a crowd.
If the thought of an automatic grenade launcher doesn’t make you excited, you probably shouldn’t be playing Warframe. This weapon is explosively effective, with high damage and critical stats, as well as a decent status chance to boot.
In addition, you’ll also get an elemental bonus depending on the Lich you had to defeat for the weapon. All this and more makes the Kuva Ayanga the best Arch-gun in Warframe.
How to Get the Kuva Ayanga
In order to get a Kuva Ayanga, you must first spawn a Kuva Lich that wields the weapon. Defeating the Kuva Lich requires a complex process of collecting and equipping the right requiem mods, then confronting the Lich in a planet under his/her control.
Once you vanquish the Lich, their weapon will appear in your Foundry. See detailed information on Kuva Liches at the Warframe Wikia.
Kuva Ayanga Stats
- Fire Rate: 4.6 rps
- Magazine Size: 33 rounds
- Total Damage: 274 (87 grenade, 187 explosion)
- Crit Chance (Multi): 35% (2x)
- Status Chance: 20%
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