Warframe
Warframe

Essential Early Game Progression — Warframe Guide

Master early Warframe progression. Focus on quests, Star Chart, essential mods, and crafting your first Warframe, Rhino.

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Essential Early Game Progression

The early stages of Warframe can feel overwhelming, but focusing on a few key progression paths will set you up for success. This guide highlights the essential steps to take in your first few hours and days as a new Tenno, ensuring you build a solid foundation for your galactic adventures.

Your initial journey begins with choosing your first Warframe and weapons. The Star Chart is your primary roadmap, and understanding how to unlock planets and complete missions is crucial. Prioritizing certain activities will help you acquire the resources and gear needed to tackle more challenging content.

Your First Steps:

  1. Choose Your Starter Warframe: Excalibur (balanced), Mag (magnetic abilities), or Volt (speed and electricity). Each is viable, but consider your preferred playstyle.
  2. Complete the Vor's Prize Quest: This introductory quest guides you through basic movement, combat, and introduces you to the Foundry.
  3. Understand the Foundry: This is where you'll craft new Warframes, weapons, and companions using blueprints and resources. Always have something building!
  4. Level Up Your Gear: Equip your starting weapons and Warframe and head into missions. Enemies drop experience points that level up your gear. Higher levels unlock more mod capacity.
  5. Collect Resources: Loot everything! Common resources like Ferrite, Alloy Plate, and Plastids are essential for early crafting.

Unlocking the Star Chart:

  • Planet Junctions: To unlock new planets, you must complete the Junction requirements. These often involve completing specific mission types, acquiring certain mods, or leveling up your gear.
  • Prioritize Junctions: Focus on clearing Junctions to expand your access to different planets and mission types.
  • Early Planets: Start with planets like Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. These offer common resources and introduce you to different factions.

Essential Gear and Mods:

  • MK1 Weapons: Your starting MK1 weapons are functional but will be outgrown quickly.
  • Craft New Weapons: As soon as you have the blueprints and resources, craft new weapons from the Foundry. Look for weapons with good base stats and damage types.
  • Core Mods: Prioritize acquiring and leveling up essential mods:
    • Warframe: Vitality (Health), Redirection (Shields), Streamline (Energy Efficiency), Intensify (Ability Strength).
    • Primary/Secondary Weapons: Serration (Damage), Hornet Strike (Pistol Damage), Point Blank (Shotgun Damage), Barrel Diffusion (Multishot), Split Chamber (Multishot).
    • Melee Weapons: Pressure Point (Damage), Fury (Attack Speed), Blood Rush (Critical Chance on combo).
  • Mod Capacity: Use Orokin Catalysts (for Warframes and Melee) and Orokin Reactors (for Primary/Secondary Weapons) to double mod capacity. These are premium items, so use them wisely on gear you plan to keep.

Early Game Goals:

  • Unlock Mars: Mars is a key planet as it's where you can start farming for the Rhino Warframe components.
  • Acquire a Kubrow/Kavat: These companions provide valuable support. You'll need to build an Incubator Segment for your Orbiter.
  • Join a Clan: Clans offer access to research for powerful weapons and Warframes (like Volt Prime or Rhino Prime) and a supportive community.
  • Start Farming for Rhino: Rhino is an excellent early-game Warframe due to his Iron Skin ability, which provides damage immunity.

By focusing on these early progression steps, you'll quickly build a strong foundation, acquire essential gear, and be well-prepared for the vast content Warframe has to offer.