Warframe
Warframe

Archon Hunts

Conquer Archon Hunts in Warframe to earn Archon Shards. Learn strategies for defeating Archons Amar, Boreal, and Nira in these weekly challenges.

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Archon Hunts

Archon Hunts are weekly challenges designed for seasoned Tenno, offering a chance to acquire powerful Archon Shards and other valuable resources. These high-level missions culminate in a direct confrontation with one of the formidable Archons: Amar, Boreal, or Nira. Success demands meticulous preparation, a strong understanding of Warframe mechanics, and often, coordinated team play.

Unlocking Archon Hunts

To access Archon Hunts, you must first complete the main questline up to and including The New War. Once this prerequisite is met, the Archon Hunt node will appear on your Navigation screen, rotating weekly to feature a different Archon and mission set.

Mission Structure

Each Archon Hunt consists of three distinct missions, culminating in the Archon boss fight. These missions are typically drawn from standard mission types but feature significantly increased enemy levels, modifiers, and often, unique challenges. Expect enemies to be level 100+ and possess enhanced resistances and damage output.

Recommended Loadouts & Strategies

Given the high difficulty, careful loadout selection is paramount. While specific recommendations vary based on the weekly Archon and mission types, here are some general guidelines:

  • Warframes:
    • Damage Dealers: Frames like Saryn, Mesa, Octavia, or Xaku excel at clearing high-level threats. Ensure your builds are optimized for maximum damage output and survivability.
    • Support/Utility: Trinity (Energy Vampire), Wisp (Haste/Health Motes), Harrow (Crit Chance/Energy), or Rhino (Roar/Iron Skin) can significantly boost team performance and survivability.
    • Crowd Control: Limbo (Cataclysm/Stasis), Khora (Strangledome), or Vauban (Bastille/Vortex) can help manage overwhelming enemy numbers.
  • Weapons:
    • Primary/Secondary: Bring weapons with high critical chance/damage and appropriate elemental combinations to strip armor (Corrosive/Heat) or shields (Magnetic/Toxin). Weapons like the Kuva Bramma, Tenet Arca Plasmor, or Phenmor are strong contenders.
    • Melee: A strong melee weapon with a robust build (e.g., Galatine Prime, Stropha, Reaper Prime) can be invaluable for burst damage and survivability through Life Strike/Healing Return.
    • Archon Shard Compatibility: Consider weapons that synergize with potential Archon Shard upgrades.
  • Companions:
    • Smeeta Kavat: For its Charm buff, offering resource and affinity boosts.
    • Panzer Vulpaphyla: For its survivability and viral spore spreading.
    • Helios Prime/Carrier Prime: For scanning and ammo utility, respectively.
  • Focus School:
    • Vazarin: For instant revives and healing.
    • Madurai: For increased operator damage and energy regeneration.
    • Zenurik: For consistent energy regeneration.

Archon Boss Fights

The final mission of an Archon Hunt pits you against one of the three Archons. Each Archon possesses unique abilities and resistances, requiring specific strategies to overcome.

General Archon Fight Mechanics

  • Vulnerability Phases: Archons are not always vulnerable to direct damage. You'll need to use your Operator/Drifter to strip their defenses during specific phases. This usually involves Void Blasting the Archon to expose their weak points.
  • Archon Shards: Archons are immune to status effects and Warframe abilities that directly affect them. Focus on raw damage and Operator abilities.
  • Environmental Hazards: Be aware of the arena and any environmental hazards the Archon might deploy.
  • Team Coordination: Communication is key, especially when coordinating Operator attacks and damage phases.

Specific Archon Strategies

Archon Amar

Amar is a heavily armored Archon with powerful melee attacks and a tendency to charge. He also summons Sentient drones that provide him with damage reduction.

  • Phase 1: Amar will be invulnerable. Use your Operator's Void Blast to stun him and expose his weak points. Focus fire on these glowing points with your Warframe.
  • Phase 2: Amar will summon Sentient drones. Prioritize destroying these drones as they grant him significant damage reduction. Use area-of-effect abilities or high-damage weapons.
  • Phase 3: Repeat the Operator stun and damage phase. Be mindful of his powerful ground slams and charges. Keep moving and use cover.
Archon Boreal

Boreal is a flying Archon that unleashes devastating energy attacks and summons flying Sentient units. He often retreats to higher ground, making him difficult to hit.

  • Phase 1: Boreal will fly around, firing projectiles and summoning aerial Sentients. Use your Operator's Void Blast to knock him down to a lower altitude, making him vulnerable.
  • Phase 2: Once grounded, Boreal will be open to Warframe damage. Focus fire on his exposed core.
  • Phase 3: Boreal will periodically regain flight and summon more Sentients. Repeat the process of grounding him with your Operator and dealing damage. Consider bringing weapons with good accuracy and range.
Archon Nira

Nira is a swift and agile Archon that uses toxic attacks and creates toxic pools. She can also teleport and summon ground-based Sentient units.

  • Phase 1: Nira will be highly mobile. Use your Operator's Void Blast to briefly stun her and make her vulnerable to Warframe damage.
  • Phase 2: Nira will deploy toxic pools and summon ground Sentients. Avoid the toxic areas as they deal continuous damage. Clear the Sentients to prevent them from overwhelming you.
  • Phase 3: Nira will often teleport to different locations. Anticipate her movements and be ready to use your Operator to stun her again. High burst damage is effective during her vulnerable windows.

Rewards

Successfully completing an Archon Hunt guarantees an Archon Shard. These powerful new mod-like items can be socketed into Warframes to provide permanent stat bonuses. The type of Archon Shard (Crimson, Azure, or Amber) depends on the Archon defeated. Additionally, you'll receive other valuable rewards such as Endo, Riven Slivers, and occasionally, Steel Essence.

  • Archon Shards:
    • Crimson Shards: Primarily enhance offensive stats like Ability Strength, Weapon Damage, and Critical Chance.
    • Azure Shards: Focus on defensive stats such as Health, Shield Capacity, and Armor.
    • Amber Shards: Provide utility bonuses like Casting Speed, Parkour Velocity, and Energy Max.
  • Archon Shard Fusion: You can fuse five identical Archon Shards into a Tauforged Archon Shard, which offers a significantly stronger bonus than a regular shard. This process requires a special resource called Archon Shard Helminth Segment, obtained from Chipper in the Drifter Camp after completing The New War.

Archon Hunts are a challenging but rewarding endgame activity. Master these encounters to unlock the full potential of your Warframes and dominate the Origin System!