Warframe is a big game and can feel daunting to newcomers. This guide is designed to help players understand the types of elemental damage their weapons can deal, and how these different damage types can benefit the Tenno in their battles against the many foes that infest the solar system.
Warframe has a wide variety of weapons and weapon mods that allow players to deal damage with a wide variety of elements. Each element has its own special qualities, making each of them useful for facing off against the many kinds of foe players will face throughout the Solar System. With Cold, Electricity, Heat, and Toxin damage types to choose from, this guide will help players make the most of their weapons.
Cold
Cold Damage is a very useful damage type against enemies with shields and inflicts a status effect that slows down targets. Specifically, Cold Damage deals 50% more damage against shields and 25% more damage against the Alloy Armor Health Class (frequently seen on Grineer enemies) and the Infested Sinew Health Class. Of the three enemy factions, the Corpus make heavy use of shields and can be torn apart with Cold Element attacks. The same is true of any shields utilized by other enemy types, such as Grineer Sensor Regulators.
Cold Damage performs much worse against the Infested Flesh (dealing 50% less damage) Health Class and the Fossilized Health Class (dealing 25% less damage). Thus, bringing Cold Damage on a mission where Infested are expected to be encountered is not recommended.
Cold Damage inflicts the Freeze status effect, which reduces the target's movement speed and fire/attack rate by 25% over 6 seconds when inflicted. Triggering further instances of the status effect increases the reduction by 5% per stack, to a maximum of 70% in total at 10 stacks. Each stack has its own duration.
When used as ship-mounted weapons in Railjack missions, Cold Damage-inflicting weapons will instead apply the Immobilize status effect to enemy ships. This disables the target ship's weapons and slows them to a complete stop for 6 seconds. The duration of Immobilize can be refreshed by inflicting it again.
Electricity
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The Electricity Damage type shines when dealing with robotic foes of various kinds. It inflicts the Tesla Chain status effect, which stuns the target and inflicts electricity damage at regular intervals. Electricity Damage deals 50% more damage against the Robotic and Machinery Health Classes. Unfortunately, the Alloy Armor worn by many Grineer enemy types is resistant to Electricity. Enemies with that Health Class take 50% less damage from this damage type.
Meanwhile, the Tesla Chain status effect stuns the target and inflicts electricity damage every 6 seconds. When used as ship-mounted weapons in Railjack missions, Electricity Damage-inflicting weapons will instead inflict the Scramble status effect, which causes enemy ships to spiral erratically forward for 6 seconds with their weapons disabled.
Heat
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Heat Damage is best used against infested enemies and can inflict the Ignite status effect to weaken armor. This damage type deals 50% extra damage against enemies with the Infested flesh Health Class, and 25% extra damage against foes of the Infested and Cloned Flesh Health Classes. Heat Damage is decidedly less effective against the Proto Shield Health Class, used by many Corpus special units.
Heat Damage's Ignite status effect sets enemies ablaze. This causes them to panic, flailing around wildly while reducing their armor by up to 50%. After a 1-second delay, the status effect also deals Heat Damage every second for 6 seconds.
When used as Ship-Mounted weapons in Railjack missions, Heat Damage weapons inflict the Sear status effect instead, which deals damage to the target 6 times over the next 5 seconds.
Toxin
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Toxin Damage is an exceptional damage type against the majority of Corpus enemy types. It can also inflict the Poison status effect, which, after a 1-second delay, inflicts Toxin damage once every second for 6 seconds.
Toxin deals 50% extra damage against the Flesh Health Class (used by many Corpus enemies after getting through their shield), and 25% extra damage to the Proto Shield Health Class. Additionally, Toxin completely bypasses the Shield and Proto Shield Health Classes, dealing damage to the Flesh health bar behind them. It fares worse against the Machinery and Robotic Health Classes, dealing 25% less damage to them. It also deals 50% less damage to the Fossilized Health Class.
When used in Ship-Mounted weapons in a Railjack mission, Toxin Damage inflicts the Intoxicate status effect instead, which changes the faction of the target for 12 seconds, allowing friendly fire to occur between it and its allies. This status effect can be refreshed by inflicting it again during the duration.
Warframe is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.