Top 5 beginner frames in Warframe

Being a newcomer to Warframe can be quite an overwhelming experience. You have an arsenal of different things to choose from for your first mission with only some explanations, and finding the best frames as a beginner can be daunting.

With all that is seemingly at your disposal, where do you start? Luckily, we’re here to help you pick some of the most beginner-friendly frames to use in Warframe. 

The 5 best Warframe frames for beginners

For this list, we’ll be discussing the five best beginner frames in Warframe. However, bear in mind that every frame listed (except for Excalibur) has a Prime variant. Prime Warframes are identical to their normal counterparts but have some stat boosts and more customization options. Also, while these are considered the ‘top beginner frames,’ that doesn’t mean they won’t hold up during Warframe‘s more challenging later missions.

While we won’t be focusing on builds, this list will offer a general idea of what mods are needed to unleash the potential for each and how to acquire Warframe’s best beginner frames.

Excalibur

This is the poster boy of Warframe. Excalibur excels in melee combat, specifically with swords, dual swords, nikanas, and rapiers. You won’t bother too much with his first ability, Slash Dash. Still, Excaliber’s other abilities allow you to control the battlefield and decimate enemies before they do too much damage to you. Excalibur might be melee-focused, but it’s still an all-rounder for beginners.

To acquire Excalibur, you can choose him as a starter. You can also farm the boss on Exta, Ceres. Alternatively, the fully-built frame can be bought for 75 platinum.

Frost

A handful of missions in Warframe require you to defend an objective (i.e., Mobile Defense, Excavation). This is where Frost comes in handy. The Frost frame is all about defense and crowd control with abilities that slow and freeze enemies. Where Frost truly shines is with his Snow Globe. Cast that over a defense objective, and your teammates will greatly appreciate you, as it creates an ice-coated protective AOE.

To acquire Frost, you must farm the boss on Exta, Ceres. Alternatively, he can be purchased as a fully-built Warframe for 375 platinum in the market.

Loki

Spy missions really shake up how you approach gameplay in Warframe, but they aren’t the type of mode where you defend an objective or kill a certain number of enemies. As a ninja, you must practice stealth, which Loki exceeds in. Thanks to his Invisibility, Loki can trivialize the difficulty of the various spy vaults. The only things you’ll have to worry about are tripping lasers, alerting enemies, and managing invisibility uptime. 

To acquire Loki, you must farm the boss on Psamathe, Neptune. Alternatively, you can purchase him for 175 platinum in the market.

Rhino

If you like to play more of a tank role in Warframe, Rhino will be your best introduction to that role. He’s typically played by focusing on his Roar and Iron Skin abilities. He gains damage mitigation with his Iron Skin, and his aforementioned Roar increases the damage output for you and nearby allies. Sure, Rhino Charge and Stomp are fun for mowing through enemies, but the buffs scale a bit better against higher-level mobs.

To acquire Rhino, you must farm the boss on Fossa, Venus. Alternatively, he can be bought in the market for 375 platinum.

Valkyr

This is another one for the tank mains out there, though Valkyr is arguably the ‘better’ starter tank frame, thanks to her incredibly high Armor stat. What makes Valkyr stand out compared to Rhino is that she’s more melee-focused. If you want the melee damage output of Excalibur but the tankiness of Rhino, Valkyr is your girl.

To acquire Valkyr, you must farm the boss on Themisto, Jupiter. Alternatively, she can be bought in the market for 300 platinum.