Best Weapons For Beginners In Warframe

Summary

Warframe showcases the live-service model effectively, offering new content constantly to engage players.
Selecting the best weapons for newer players is crucial, with each weapon having a corresponding Mastery Rank requirement.
Some standout weapons in Warframe include the Xoris, Boltor, Atomos, Hek, Ceramic Dagger, Nukor, and Torid.

Celebrating its 12th birthday in 2025, Warframe is possibly one of the greatest examples of the live-service model done right, having successfully drawn in new players since 2013. As is the case with all live-service games, new content is added to Warframe constantly, making it a confusing beast to tackle for a new player.

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With over 700 individual items to collect, Warframe can be an overwhelming experience. As such, here's a detailed rundown on the best weapon choices for newer players, some of which can carry through into endgame content if upgraded correctly.

Every item in Warframe has a corresponding Mastery Rank requirement, so not all of these weapons will be available straight away. However, each is worth working towards.

Honorable Mention: Dread, Despair, Hate, And War

Mastery Rank Required: 5, 4, 8, 10
Acquisition Method: Random drops from The Stalker

These weapons are unique, thanks to their incredibly low drop chances from a specific enemy that only has a chance to appear at any given time. The Stalker is an enemy that hunts Tenno (the player characters) to enact revenge for the killing of the game's various bosses. Each time he is vanquished, he has the chance to drop one of these weapons.

While some are better than others, with Dread and Hate being standouts, each has its merits. Where these weapons are different from others is that, while they do have Mastery Rank requirements, players can get them very early or not see them until hundreds of hours in. Therefore, they find themselves with an honorable mention rather than a full entry, simply due to their inconsistent acquisitions.

7 Xoris

Best Early Game Glaive

Mastery Rank Required: 4
Acquisition Method: Rewarded during the Deadlock Protocol quest

The Xoris is a member of a melee subfamily that many Warframe players are huge fans of, that being the glaive. Glaives in Warframe function as hybrid melee and ranged weapons, able to be used to fight close-up as well as be thrown to deal huge damage to distant enemies.

The Xoris is the first example of a glaive most players will see, with the weapon being given during one of the main story quests. Players are then taught how to effectively use it to cleave through hordes of enemies. The Xoris is a great melee option for the early game, and it can easily carry a player through to the higher-level content, only falling off once they reach some of the hardest content in the game.

6 Boltor

Jack Of All Trades

Mastery Rank Required: 2
Acquisition Method: Blueprint can be bought from the Market, or a pre-built Boltor is rewarded by completing the Venus to Mercury Junction

The Boltor is a fully automatic rifle that fires out bolts akin to a crossbow, which can puncture enemies and pin their bodies to walls. While not the highest damage weapon in the game, the Boltor can handle most early game content and has two easy-to-manage acquisition methods.

If a player really likes the Boltor, there are two upgraded versions (Boltor Prime and Telos Boltor) available later in the game that provide base-stat upgrades and extra abilities to the weapon, as well as being able to obtain an Incarnon Genesis for the weapon in the endgame.

Incarnons will be mentioned throughout the list, as they are huge upgrades to base weapons that give them base-stat upgrades as well as secondary fire modes, all of which can be obtained by completing The Circuit in Duviri on Steel Path difficulty.

5 Atomos

Decent Beam Secondary

Mastery Rank Required: 5
Acquisition Method: Blueprint can be bought from the Market

One of Warframe's most popular weapon types is beam weapons, firing streams of elemental damage that can often chain between enemies. The Atomos is one of the earliest examples of this, firing a beam that deals Heat damage and chains between enemies, with the option to get an Incarnon that turns it into a grenade launcher.

While not one of the best weapons in the game, the Atomos is a solid beam secondary that can easily clear rooms and deal elemental procs to several enemies in quick succession. The Atomos can be used to great effect; however, it is quite quickly replaced by a weapon later on once a player joins a clan.

4 Hek

Packs A Heck Of A Punch

Mastery Rank Required: 4
Acquisition Method: Blueprint can be bought from the Market

Shotguns are an incredibly powerful weapon type in Warframe, blowing holes through enemies with ease, playing into the high-intensity, fast-paced gameplay the game encourages. The Hek is a fantastic early option for any Tenno looking for a shotgun to mow through enemies with. With a high base status chance, the Hek is also a great choice for elemental damage builds.

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The Hek also has two upgraded versions (Kuva Hek and Vaykor Hek), which provide further upgrades to the base weapon, making it even more of a powerhouse. While these are harder to obtain, they are well worth the grind if a player enjoys the Hek's playstyle, as they simply make it more potent.

3 Ceramic Dagger

A Great Investment

Mastery Rank Required: 3
Acquisition Method: Obtained from Nightwave store

The Ceramic Dagger may appear underwhelming at first, having low base stats outside of a high attack speed and status chance. It also suffers from only being available through the Nightwave Offering store, which is on a rotation, meaning that the Ceramic Dagger is somewhat time-gated. However, if a player spends the time to build into this weapon, it can hold its own throughout the star-chart missions and the game's main story.

This dagger also has access to an Incarnon form, firing spectral daggers out in front of the player whenever they heavy attack while the weapon is transformed. This addition turns the Ceramic Dagger into an incredibly powerful melee option that is worth the time it takes to fully upgrade.

2 Nukor

One Of The Best Weapons In The Game

Mastery Rank Required: 4
Acquisition Method: Blueprint can be researched in the Chem Lab in a Clan Dojo

Another beam weapon, this time in Radiation flavor, the Nukor can dispatch enemies with frightening speed during the early game, cooking its way through the star chart. This weapon is best used as a primer, however, by placing several status effects on an enemy before swapping to a primary or melee weapon to finish up the kill.

Later in the game, the player gets access to an upgraded version of this weapon known as the Kuva Nukor, which marginally lowers the base damage but gives the beam the ability to chain between enemies, transforming this weapon into an incredible room-clearing machine. The Kuva Nukor is also one of the only weapons in Warframe able to be leveled up to 40, 10 levels higher than the regular limit, making it an incredible pick-up for any player.

1 Torid

Becomes An Absolute Beast

Mastery Rank Required: 4
Acquisition Method: Blueprint can be researched from the Bio Lab in a Clan Dojo

One of the most popular weapons in Warframe is the Torid. By default, this weapon is an infested grenade launcher, firing projectiles that leave behind toxic clouds. It can take some getting used to and requires a bit of work to get to its full potential, but this weapon is an investment worth making.

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Once a player unlocks the Steel Path Circuit in Duviri, they gain access to the Incarnon Genesis for the Torid, turning this grenade launcher into one of the most powerful beam weapons in the game, able to tear through enemies faster than anything else. Many players will agree that this weapon is a must-have for every Tenno, and crafting it early on will make its eventual power spike that much more satisfying.

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