Warframe: Best Bows

Warframe


has tons of different weapon types across its Primary, Secondary, and Melee options. Players have a lot to do in this game with many different areas and mission types to play through, meaning there are different loadouts required at times and the need for players to have multiple options for the great PvE multiplayer combat they will encounter.

Not all bows in

Warframe

are created equally, with some having naturally higher base stats or more potential for upgrading over others. Bows play into the space ninja aesthetic and are some of the most satisfying weapons that players can use to vanquish their enemies and progress through the Star Chart.

Updated on November 20, 2023, by Rhenn Taguiam:



With

Prime

versions of Nezha, Octavia, Mag, and Frost available in Prime Resurgence, fans of Warframe have access to some of the more reliable Warframes in the Tenno’s arsenal. However, on top of using specific Warframe skills for different combat conditions, players who want to dominate play should consider the versatility of the long-ranged Bow. Among must-tries of Bows in Warframe include weapons that can make hits explode on contact, an armament with a powerful knockback effect, a highly customizable weapon, a charge-dependent bow, and an AOE powerhouse.

15


Lenz

Primary Fire Damage: 50

The

Lenz

is a Corpus Bow that is pretty dissimilar from other bows with its own unique mechanics and different base stats compared to most normal bows. The Lenz has a small ammo pool but mitigates this by firing Cold procs that later turn into Blast procs.

When upgraded with

Warframe’s

must-use mods, the Bow has the potential to deal consistent damage to foes at close range, especially when focusing on effect procs. Players can obtain the Lenz via the Energy Lab in the Dojo, which players must join a Clan to access.

14


Zhuge

Primary Fire Damage: 100

Players enjoying their long-distance plays can put a spin to their

Warframe

gameplay with the

Zhuge

, an automatic Crossbow notable for its high accuracy and silent nature. Among its accolades include having the highest critical multiplier (3%) among bows, and ties with the Attica and the Panthera alongside their Prime counterparts for full-auto armaments.

The Zhuge also possesses the special on-kill Crossbow visual, wherein bodies killed will follow the bolt until they get pinned on walls and damaging creatures in their path. Since mods count the Zhuge as a Bow, it can benefit from effects that grant an additional Fire Rate and the Bow-only 30% Chance to Explode (Thunderbolt).

13


Attica

Primary Fire Damage: 80

While the

Attica

is the second Crossbow the game introduced, Attica was the first in

Warframe

gameplay to ever feature a full-sized type of armament. Inspired by the Repeating Crossbow of the Chinese, the Attica retains the high critical chance and decent firing rate as with its similar counterpart Zhuge.

When using the Attica, its Auto trigger is more practical to use in bursts to maximize aim, especially with its limited mag size. However, Attica’s natural knockback stat incentivizes focusing on one target or strafe-firing multiple foes, as both will push enemies further from the player. Using the Thunderbolt Mod with the Attica is more practical compared to other Bows, especially the Crossbow’s multiple shots per second can trigger the Explode effect much faster.

12


Rakta Cernos

Primary Fire Damage: 235

Although most Bows in the RPG further diversify

Warframe

gameplay with more tactical long-ranged incursions via its charged attacks, the

Rakta Cernos

boasts the fastest charge time among Bows in the game. The Red Veil-exclusive Bow also packs a punch with higher base damage and a natural Blight effect, although it suffers from a slightly lower status chance and critical chance compared to its counterparts.

Compared to the base Cernos, Rakta Cernos does boast much higher DPS, be it through burst or sustained. Its possession of more Polarities also paves the way for better customization, making the Rakta Cernos a more practical ranged weapon to train with, especially when higher-level Bows could make better use of the crit chance this weapon is missing.

11


Zhuge Prime

Primary Fire Damage: 50

The

Zhuge Prime

is the upgraded version of the original Zhuge automatic crossbow, boasting higher firing rates, magazine size, and critical chance in exchange for overall dec recess in reload speed, reserve ammo, and status chance. Since the caveats of the Zhuge Prime make it deal less overall DPS, it’s not the kind of heavy weapon players will want to carry like the Zhuge.

However,

Warframe

gameplay may enjoy the presence of the Zhuge Prime with faster empty magazine reloads and bolts that explode upon hit. Despite its disadvantages, Zhuge Prime as a primary weapon still has the distinction of having the second-highest base damage among all full-auto weapons, falling behind the tie-breaker of the Panther and the Zhuge. The bow’s high base accuracy and innate silent nature make the Zhuge Prime perfect for stealth builds that go into more action-heavy gameplay.

10


Cernos Prime

Primary Fire Damage: 276

The Primed version of the original Cernos Bow, this brilliantly designed

Cernos Prime

excels at killing multiple enemies at once due to its horizontal arrow spread when fired. It also has an Alternative Firing Mode that shoots arrows vertically and deals extra Headshot damage.

The Cernos Prime can be obtained through the Abandoned Derelict Caches on Corpus Railjack missions, having been permanently unvaulted by Digital Extremes. Players should pair the Cernos Prime with a great melee weapon to make it extra effective against enemies.

9


Dread

Primary Fire Damage: 168

Obtained from the Stalker that spawns in to kill players who have recently assassinated a boss, the

Dread

is one of

Warframe’s

best Bows and is advised for any early-game or mid-game player. It has extremely high Slash damage and the highest Critical Chance stat out of the game’s Bows. It also has a very high Status Chance. Pair this with one of the best original

Warframes



for a fun, nostalgic loadout.

Players should definitely look to get the Dread as soon as possible, especially if they enjoy using bows. However, there are multiple better bows available that players should look to move on to when they are at the appropriate stage of the game.

8


Paris Prime

Primary Fire Damage: 180

Compared to the original Paris, the

Paris Prime

adds a flair of elegance to the

Warframe

weapon alongside higher base damage, status chance, as well as higher critical chance on top of a double critical damage multiplier. Despite possessing a slower reload speed, players can circumvent this setback through charge-cancelling.

At its core, players should use the Paris Prime remembering that they can maintain a Charge while sprinting as well as sliding from the air and do charge cancels via reloads. Doing so maximizes a player’s per-shot damage while they evade enemies for another reload-to-charge maneuver.

Tenno who uses the Paris Prime efficiently at further distances can develop the weapon into a critical firehouse. Players can do this by using the Point

Strike

Mod, which at Level 5 can add a whopping +150% Critical Chance to the Bow, practically guaranteeing each shot as a crit.

7


Prisma Lenz

Primary Fire Damage: 56

While the Lenz is already useful in

Warframe

gameplay as an AOE-specializing exploding Bow, the

Prisma Lenz

upgrades the weapon’s performance not just with higher maximum ammo, but also faster charge time, status chance, and critical multipliers. Its arrows explode immediately after making contact with an enemy, releasing guaranteed Cold Damage before unleashing another Blast-heavy burst.

Due to this inclination towards heavy AOE, the Prisma Lenz can enhance their gameplay with Warframes and Mods that significantly increase the radius of AOE bursts (Firestorm), as well as reducing self-Stagger from self-inflicted bursts (Cautious Shot). Players should also consider using Fire Rate mods, as this essentially doubles the bonuses their attacks receive on impact.

6


Mutalist Cernos

Primary Fire Damage: 205

The

Mutalist Cernos

is an Infested variant of the Cernos, trading the original weapon’s critical chance for an immense increase in status chance. Additionally, the Cernos produces damage clouds with each arrow impact, wherein its Toxin spores translate into its Infested

Warframe

lore origin.

Due to its nature as an Infested weapon, the Mutalist Cernos as a primary weapon possesses the highest status chance among all bows in the game. Moreover, the bow’s pinpoint accuracy and inherent silent properties make it a decent sniper for some of the best

Waframes

in the RPG, with the Toxin kicker making it an excellent initiating weapon. After all, a clear headshot to the face followed by a DOT that spreads around the target’s comrades can

signal

the Tenno to rush in for the kill.

5


Kuva Bramma

Primary Fire Damage: 187

The

Kuva Bramma

is a Kuva Bow that has a small ammo capacity but deals massive Blast damage, allowing players to deal with higher-level enemies even when they are formed into a group. It is essential for keeping up with the pace of the game’s frequent speedy ninja battles.

Players will obtain this after unlocking the Kuva elements of

Warframe

and kill a Kuva Lich that has been generated with the weapon. As with all Kuva weapons, players can trade certain Kuva Liches with others, helping them to obtain different weapons.

4


Nagantaka

Primary Fire Damage: 159

With a skeletal wing-like aesthetic with bloody undertones, the

Nagantaka

is a thematically appropriate signature Crossbow for the Warframe Garuda. The bow’s semi-auto firing with a high-status chance is complemented with an alternate fire that releases all other rounds in rapid-fire action. Moreover, the Nagantaka gets a reload speed boost whenever it kills an enemy via headshot. Garuda also grants punch-through when wielding the weapon – making it much deadlier when working with the merciless Warframe.

At its core, the Nagantaka as a primary weapon boasts incredible base accuracy and high ammo reserves, with its silent primary fire making it a decent stealth weapon. Moreover, while it only ranks third among bows with the highest status chance, it ranks the highest among all semi-auto rifles. The Nagantaka also has the second-highest base damage across all weapons of the same rank.

3


Proboscis Cernos

Primary Fire Damage: 279

The

Proboscis Cernos

is a variant of the Cernos family of Bows and is an enhanced version of the Mutalist Cernos. This weapon pulls enemies in before activating a large explosion dealing Viral damage, making it great for crowd control and capable of taking down higher-leveled enemies due to its higher damage output. Players using the best

Warframes

and this weapon will find that more often than not they carry the team.

The Proboscis Cernos can be acquired by purchasing the Blueprint of the market, making it extremely more accessible than a lot of the other best

Warframe

bows. There is no reason not for players to look at obtaining this weapon as quickly as they can.

2


Daikyu

Primary Fire Damage: 700

Despite its asymmetrical nature, the

Daikyu

is one of the most potent

Warframe

weapons for players who know their way around Bows. Its higher projectile speed and status chance have a caveat of a longer draw time, with the absence of decreased damage on early release, making Daikyu a timing-intensive weapon. However, the Daikyu’s charged shots have a 3-meter punch through, the highest of all bows.

Additionally, the weapon as a primary firearm boasts overall high damage, giving it the highest base shot damage among all bows and the fastest projectile speed in the same category. Meanwhile, it places second regarding status chance on bows and projectile speed for all primary weapons. Players who can work around the Daikyu’s lack of a high-speed charge can have a sniping bow on their hands.

1


Nataruk

Primary Fire Damage: 450

Among

Warframe

Bows, the

Nataruk

boasts some of the highest damage stats courtesy of its high Critical Chance that can get even higher when charged. Releasing an attack just before a full charge already boasts much higher DPS, with both Full and Perfect Charges having infinite Punch-Through that can devastate grouped mobs in this free open-world game.

The Nataruk is obtained by completing The New War quest, which will require players to complete many different precursor quests, have a strong loadout, and have good knowledge of the game.