Melee combat is a fundamental and powerful aspect of Warframe, often capable of out-damaging firearms. Melee weapons are categorized by stance and weapon type:
- Swords: Balanced, versatile (e.g., Nikana Prime, Skiajati, Galatine Prime).
- Heavy Blades: Slow, high damage, wide swings (e.g., Gram Prime, War, Scindo Prime).
- Polearms/Staves: Long reach, good crowd control (e.g., Orthos Prime, Guandao Prime, Lesion).
- Fists/Claws: Fast, high combo potential (e.g., Venka Prime, Tekko Prime, Furax Wraith).
- Whips: Excellent range and status application (e.g., Atterax, Scoliac, Reaper Prime).
- Glaives: Throwable, often with explosive properties (e.g., Glaive Prime, Xoris, Cerata).
Acquisition: Blueprints from Market (Credits), Clan Dojo, quest rewards, enemy drops, or Void Relics (Prime). Kitguns (Fortuna) and Zaws (Cetus) are modular melee weapons you can build.
Modding: Focus on base damage (Pressure Point), critical chance/damage (True Steel, Organ Shatter), attack speed (Fury), and elemental combinations. Combo Counter mods (Blood Rush, Weeping Wounds) are essential for endgame melee builds.