Warframe can be quite an overwhelming game at first. There are so many different frames to farm for or buy, so many weapons, and so much more. To make things easier and get you started for versatile and straightforward builds, check out the best mods to get early in Warframe.
Best early game mods to get in Warframe
Of course, some of the best mods in the game are obtainable when you’re several hours into the game. You can get your hands on them if you are “taxi’d” or brought into those levels in the game. They can also be obtained by buying them off other players via the trade chat, oftentimes with Platinum.
If you want a handful of these mods to get you started, consider looking into the following general mods:
| Mod | Description |
| Flow | +% Energy Max (100% at max rank) |
| Continuity | +% Ability Duration (30% at max rank) |
| Intensify | +% Ability Strength (30% at max rank) |
| Vitality | +% Health (100% at max rank) |
| Redirection | +% Shield (100% at max rank) |
| Stretch | +% Ability Range (45% at max rank) |
| Streamline | +% Ability Efficiency (30% at max rank) |
Most of these general mods will be used early in the game and can be found by most common enemies. Using these as starters is best to help you ease into the more complex stuff.
Pay attention to what stats benefit your Warframes most. For example, if you use Loki. You’re better off not using mods like Vitality or Redirection. Instead, use the ability mods like Continuity and Streamline so that you can cast his Invisibility at a reduced cost and with a longer duration to offset his low survivability.
Aura Mods
Aura Mods are very important in all builds in Warframe. They increase your overall mod capacity, allowing for additional mods to be put on. Bonus points if you match the polarities (the symbols on the top right of the mod card).
The following are the best Auras to get early in the game. They will be listed by what they do and where you can acquire them:
| Mod | Effect | How to get |
| Steel Charge | Squad receives +% Melee Damage (60% max rank) | Duviri Circuit, Nightwave Cred Offerings |
| Corrosive Projection | Enemies lose -% Armor (18% max rank) | Nightwave Cred Offerings |
| Rejuvenation | Squad receives + Health Regen / s (3 Health at max rank) | Nightwave Cred Offerings |
| Energy Siphon | Squad receives + Energy Regen / s (0.6 Energy at max rank) | Nightwave Cred Offerings |
| Dreamer’s Bond | Squad receives + Energy Regen and Health Regen / s (0.3 Energy / 1.5 Health at max rank) | Complete the Earth Junction to Venus, Nightwave Cred Offerings |
If you decide to play the game with the more straightforward path, look out for these mods. We’ll break down how they are good and how you can acquire them.
Augur Mods
These mods in particular are good at boosting a specific stat in your weapon or Warframe. They don’t have the same output as base ones, but for min-maxing early on, they will do well. Plus, the more Augur Mods you have on your build, the more its secondary effect will have, which is to convert energy spent on abilities into shields.
| Mod | Effect | How to get |
| Augur Message | +% Warframe Ability Duration (24% at max rank) | Cetus Bounties (Lv 30-50), Plague Star Event, Recon Commander |
| Augur Reach | +% Warframe Ability Range (30% at max rank) | Cetus Bounties (Lv 30-50), Recon Commander |
| Augur Secrets | +% Warframe Ability Strength (24% at max rank) | Cetus Bounties (Lv 30-50), Recon Commander, Tusk Thumper |
| Augur Pact | +% Damage to Pistols (90% at max rank) | Cetus Bounties (Lv 20-40), Recon Commander |
Aside from secondary shield gain from these mods, these are all additive to their normal counterpart mods. For example, you can use Augur Message in our Loki example. Stack that with Continuity to extend the duration of his abilities like Invisibility even longer.
Corrupted Mods
These mods are even stronger in min-maxing your build as they will give you a positive stat at the cost of another. For example, you want to run a Trumna with an even higher critical hit chance. Use the Critical Delay mod that heavily boosts the weapon’s crit chance but at the cost of fire rate. That can help the weapon sustain more accurate fire and conserve ammo.
Some Corrupted mods to look out for include:
| Mod | Effect |
| Blind Rage | + Ability Strength, – Ability Efficiency (+99% Strength, – 55% Efficiency at max rank) |
| Critical Delay (Rifle) | + Critical Change, – Fire Rate (+200% Critical Chance, -20% Fire Rate at max rank) |
| Transient Fortitude | + Ability Strength, – Ability Duration (+55% Strength, -27.5% Duration at max rank) |
| Overextended | + Ability Range, – Ability Strength (+90% Ability Range, -60% Ability Strength at max rank) |
| Narrow Minded | + Ability Duration, – Ability Range (+99% Duration, -66% Range at max rank) |
| Fleeting Expertise | + Ability Efficiency, – Ability Duration (+60% Efficiency, -% Duration at max rank) |
| Heavy Caliber (Rifle) | + Damage, – Accuracy (+165% Damage, -55% Accuracy at max rank) |
| Vicious Spread (Shotgun) | + Damage, – Accuracy (+90% Damage, -60% Accuracy at max rank) |
| Critical Deceleration (Shotgun) | + Critical Change, – Fire Rate (+200% Critical Chance, -20% Fire Rate at max rank) |
| Creeping Bullseye (Pistol) | + Critical Change, – Fire Rate (+200% Critical Chance, -20% Fire Rate at max rank) |
| Hollow Point (Pistol) | + Critical Damage, – Damage (+60% Critical Damage, – 15% Damage at max rank) |
| Magnum Force (Pistol) | + Damage, – Accuracy (+165% Damage, -55% Accuracy at max rank) |
| Spoiled Strike | + Damage, – Attack Speed (+100% Damage, -20% Attack Speed at max rank) |
All of these mods can be obtained by opening Orokin Vaults in Deimos missions. You will need to be in a clan with an Orokin Lab room. There, you can replicate blueprints for Dragon Keys which are used to open these said vaults.
With the huge downsides to the mods, make sure that the negative stat you’re given doesn’t take away from the kind of build you want. It would be counterintuitive to, once again, use Loki with Fleeting Expertise. Invisibility Lokis should have as much duration as possible to survive stealthily.
Nightmare Mods
These mods are the opposite of Corrupted mods in that you get two positive stats. They aren’t as potent but are good for topping off or complementing certain stats in a build. You should never replace a base mod for a Nightmare one since you’re potentially losing out on higher stats. In any case, look out for any of the following:
| Mod | Effect |
| Chilling Reload (Shotgun) | + Cold, + Reload Speed (+60% Cold, +40% Reload Speed at max rank) |
| Blaze (Shotgun) | + Damage, + Heat (+60% Damage, +60% Heat at max rank) |
| Hammer Shot (Rifle) | + Critical Damage, + Status Chance (+60% Critical Damage, +80% Status Chance at max rank) |
| Drifting Contact (Melee) | Increase Combo Duration by x Seconds, + Status Chance (Combo Duration +10 Seconds, +40% Status Chance at max rank) |
| Seeking Fury (Shotgun) | +Reload Speed, + Punch Through (15% Reload Speed, +1.2 Punch Through at max rank) |
| Shred (Rifle) | + Fire Rate, + Punch Through (+30% Fire Rate, +1.2 Punch Through at max rank) |
| Animal Instinct (Companion) | + Loot Radar, +Enemy Radar (+30 Loot Radar, +18 Enemy Radar) |
| Constitution (Warframe) | +Faster Knockdown Recovery, +Ability Duration (+40% Faster Knockdown Recovery, +28% Ability Duration at max rank) |
| Lethal Torrent (Pistol) | +Fire Rate, +Multishot (+60% Fire Rate, +60% Multishot at max rank) |
To obtain Nightmare mods, you have to first complete every mission node on a planet. Upon doing so, you will unlock Nightmare missions. They’re at a higher level than base missions on the planets with a random debuff or negative modifier. Upon completing the mission, you will receive a random mod.
Multishot Mods
Damage, crit, and status are all sort of the standard go-tos for increasing a weapon’s lethality. Don’t forget about multishot. With that, you can quite literally shoot extra projectiles from your weapons without expending additional ammo. It works a bit differently on beam weapons, but those are also staples on your guns and bows. Early on in the game, look out for these mods:
| Mod | How to get |
| Split Chamber (Rifles) | Grustrag Three, Sargas Ruk |
| Split Flights (Bows) | Baro Ki’Teer |
| Barrel Diffusion (Pistols) | Grustrag Three |
| Lethal Torrent (Pistols) | Nightmare missions |
| Hell’s Chamber (Shotguns) | Grustrag Three |
| Vigilante Armaments (Primaries) | Plains of Eidolon Bounties |
Miscellaneous Mods
Condition Overload – Despite the nerfs and status changes over the years, this is an extremely strong mod that almost feels like a must-have for all melee weapons. Sustained damage on enemies with inflicted status debuffs makes them more susceptible to damage, thanks to this mod.
This is a rare mod that is farmed, killing the infested enemies in the Cambion Drift.
Published: Nov 22, 2023 12:22 pm