Warframe of Mind: Massively OP’s guide to finding your ‘Frame

When I first tried Warframe , I found that I enjoyed the movement system, and I discovered that I really loved headshots with a bow. (Trust me, either of those two elements was surprising enough separately!) I was having a fun time. I thought I liked the game. But that was before. Before I found The One. My Frame. And my Warframe life changed forever.

You might think I am sounding a bit melodramatic there, but I am telling you the difference was that pronounced when I started playing a frame whose abilities clicked with me. I went from enjoying the game to really loving the game. In this frame I wanted to play more! And because I loved being in this frame so much, I started playing enough to discover which weapons I preferred. (Who knew I’d ever really love melee?! But that’s another story.) I even began taking an interest in mods. Now, if you know me, you know that mods are my least favorite thing of any game, so this was huge! I loved my frame that much.

That how I got hooked: It came down to finding a frame with abilities that I have a blast playing with. For me, that first love is Frost Prime. For you, it could be any of the 39 warframes or 24 prime warframes. Now you can’t necessarily know which frame you would enjoy playing until you actually play it; some intriguing frames have ended up not really clicking with me, and I’ve gravitated back to my favorite. But you know you, so you might have a good idea which abilities will gel with your playstyle and you can start from there. Here’s a quick guide on frames to help you find a favorite or two. (When starting the game, you choose between three available frames for your first one: Excalibur, Mag, or Volt.)

Regular frames

All frames have four abilities that unlock as XP is earned. The abilities, as well as the stats of the frame, might predispose them to certain types of playstyles. In no way, however, does that mean that is how they have to be played — especially once you start considering mods and weapons. But that very leaning might be just want you need to lean more in favor of checking one out. I’ve separated the frames loosely into general traditional categories, though some very easily overlap into others. For exact details on all four warframe skills, be sure to check out each link to the official site.

Damage

• Gara: Attacks with glass and mirrors; creates shield of glass
• Inaros: Sand elementalist; quicksand traps and enemy health drain that goes to allies
• Khora: Comes with kavat pet; uses whip and traps
• Nidus: Fights with fungus; creates parasitic links and maggot swarms
• Wukong: Melee staff-centered skills; can evaporate into mist and float around as well as escape death by getting influx of health when killed

Tank

• Atlas: Third-highest base armor; earth elementalist
• Hildryn: High shields and armor; can shield allies and create energy orbs

Support

• Baruuk: Can put enemies to sleep
• Garuda: Blood-based; takes life from enemies and health from self to fuel damage and also heal allies
• Harrow: Can heal and boost allies’ energy; roots enemies
• Nezra: Cleanses and heals allies; stuns enemies
• Octavia: Fights with music; buffs allies and charms foes
• Revenant: From Eidolon; enthralls enemies (that can enthrall others), stuns, and leeches shields and health
• Titania: Flying shrinking pixie that buffs allies; can mesmerize foes with swarm of razorflies

Stealth

• Ivara: All about the bow; can guild projectiles and becomes invisible

Prime frames

Some of the frames have both a regular and a prime version. The primes are not necessary to play the game, but they do add a few extras to the frame, such as more polarities (so you can add more mods), higher base stats, and a unique passive when played in the void. The primes also have a different aesthetic. Prime versions have been given away as Twitch Prime rewards (that’s how I got some of mine, including Frost Prime), but mostly they are built by farming relics, by trading in game, or bought from the cash shop. Primes are not always available in the shop, however, and you have to wait until frames come out of the Prime Vault before you can nab them. The following are the frames that also have a prime version.

Damage

• Chroma: Elementalist whose damage type changes by color; armor and damage increase as shields and health are hit, respectively
• Ember: Fire elementalist — that says it all; watch the world burn
• Excalibur: Highly mobile and great for new players; can blind enemies
• Hydriod: Water elementalist; summons tentacled water beast and has water trap to drown enemies
• Mesa: Geared toward guns; rapid shot, reflects damage, jams enemy guns while buffing allies
• Nova: Glass cannon that harnesses electromagnetic energy and anti-matter; creates wormhole for fast travel
• Saryn: Plague and poison attacks that spread; molts skin to form decoy
• Vauban: Focuses on traps; can crowd control
• Zephyr: Air elementalist; attacks from above and can shield self from projectiles

Tank

• Rhino: Low stats but charges enemies and gores enemies, knocks enemies down, and can become invulnerable to all damage; buffs allies’ damage

Support

• Equinox: Switches between day (damage) and night (defense/support) forms; can sleep targets and heal allies
• Frost: Ice elementalist; can place stationary shield blocking weapons fire from allies and objectives; great for defense missions
• Limbo: Crowd control using rifts to alternate plane; freezes enemies and their weapon fire
• Mag: Crowd control; uses magnetic energy to stun, move, and snare enemies
• Mirage: Uses booby traps, distracts enemies with clones, and blinds enemies
• Nekros: Fears enemies and raises dead enemies as shadow minions; grants extra loot
• Nyx: Crowd control with psychic attacks and mind control; uses confusion and charms enemies as pets
• Oberon: Heals allies as well as damages foes; can spawn health orbs
• Trinity: Most dedicated healer; also replenishes ally energy
• Valkyr: Almost tanky with highest armor and a hook that pull enemies to her or propels her forward; buffs speed (faster allies, slower foes) and can stun
• Volt: Elementalist harnessing electricity; chain damage, paralyses enemies, and buffs ally speed

Stealth

• Ash: Very stealthy with smoke screens and teleports; great for spy missions
• Banshee: Sonic attacks, including a silence that stuns and sonar; also damage and support
• Loki: Favored by advanced players; uses invisibility, holographic decoy, and teleportation switch