In Warframe, there are numerous frames to choose from, each offering its unique advantages. However, a select few Warframes stand out as must-haves above the rest, regardless of the content you are running.
The best Warframes for any challenge
Each Warframe on this list is exceptionally equipped to tackle any challenge in the game. Their powerful abilities and robust survival tools make them capable of excelling in any scenario Warframe presents. That said, thanks to Warframe‘s extensive modding system, there are always ways to make any frame work. If the frame you think is best is not on this list, worry not. It means you’ve got a winning strategy that most aren’t aware of.
Wisp
Wisp has undoubtedly earned her place as one of the most popular Warframes, and for good reason! Her buffs provide some of the most potent bonuses in the game, excelling in both solo and group play. Plus, her passive ability grants her complete invisibility to all enemies while airborne—a ridiculously powerful perk. Pair this with the Aerodynamic aura mod, which lets Wisp stay airborne longer using the Aim Glide mechanic, and you’ve got a recipe for some serious shenanigans on the battlefield.
Mesa
Mesa is a strong frame for many reasons, but her most famous and potent reason is her deadly Ultimate ability, Peacemaker. Peacemaker makes peace with all the enemies around her—by completely decimating them and mincing them into bite-size bits. Its insane range and damage make it one of the best abilities in the entire game, and often teams with Mesa find themselves standing around doing nothing because Mesa has already killed all the enemies in the vicinity. Mesa is a force of offensive reckoning, and you can never go wrong pulling her out of your arsenal.
Octavia
Octavia is another very famous Warframe because of how just unique she is compared to the rest of the cast. Octavia constantly plays a rhythm game to dish out ridiculous amounts of AoE (Area of Effect) damage and support buffs. Her kit is insanely loaded with additional abilities, such as team-wide invisibility, tied to the rhythm in which she takes action. This makes it exceedingly difficult to play her consistently, which is her sole caveat, but the effort is well worth the end reward.
Saryn
In terms of raw damage, Saryn sits near the top of the list of Warframes capable of dishing it out. Unlike most o damage-orientated frames, Saryn’s damage has an infinite ceiling and insane spread potential. Through the use of her Spores ability, Sayrn can stack an infinite DoT (Damage over Time) effect on targets she casts it on. Bursting the Spores that appear on a target causes the DoT to spread, amplifying its damage. This DoT ramps up very quickly and will continue to do so until everything is dead from the affliction. If that wasn’t enough, her Ultimate ability, Miasma, is a nuke that deals massive damage to the afflicted.
Dante
Dante is one of the single strongest support frames in Warframe thanks to his ability to stack Overguard to ridiculous heights for his entire team, including himself. His ability to stack it is so influential that squishier frames are able to run without defensives so long as he keeps up the process. Even beyond this, though, his unique gameplay tied to his Exalted tome, Noctua, via Light Verse, Dark Verse, and Final Verse, allows him to dish out significant damage while still providing superior survivability to his allies. He is truly an unstoppable force.
Protea
If you’re looking for a Warframe that truly has its hands in every basket, then Protea is the one for you. She is a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ down to the last word of the definition, and it is this versatility that lands her on this list. Thanks to her most famous ability, Dispensary, Protea can supply her team with Health, Energy, and Ammo drops provided she has enough Energy to continuously cast the ability. This is incredibly useful for obvious reasons, but her ingenuity doesn’t stop there. Her second most famous ability, Blaze Artillery, allows her to summon a turret that dishes out monstrous damage in a wide AoE. They only last a few seconds, but she can place multiple turrets down at a time, and their durations can be increased using Duration-based mods. These two abilities combined with the rest of her equally powerful kit let Protea play any role in a team composition.
Mag
Despite being one of the oldest Warframes, Mag has defied the power creep odds and stayed relevant in the game. After a revamp that happened quite a while ago, she reclaimed her top-tier status. Mag’s unique ability to restore shields for herself and her allies, while also stripping significant shields and armor from enemies, makes her incredibly powerful. She also excels as a crowd control (CC) frame via her Pull ability. Her unwavering consistency and effectiveness in her role are what secure her spot on this list. Plus, there’s something oddly satisfying about yanking enemies around like they’re on invisible strings. Let’s be honest about that.
Khora
Khora is a unique frame because she comes with her own pet, which is beyond what you can normally bring into a mission. Venari, her Kavet pet, fights alongside Khora and provides her with more abilities than most frames have access to, all of which are very useful. This gives Khora a level of versatility similar to that of Protea’s, though in a very different way. Venari is fully upgradable in your Arsenal, meaning she can specialize in dealing and soaking damage, crowd control, and even armor stripping. Khora can command Venari to assume Attack, Protect, and Heal stances to alter how Venari acts and responds to further order on the battlefield.
Beyond Venari, Khora herself specializes in grouping up enemies via her Ensare ability, holding them hostage via her Strangledome Ultimate, and destroying those trapped using her Whipclaw ability. All of Khora’s kit is incredibly useful for different situations, and it is what lands her on this list.
Nekros
Nekros might seem like an oddball on this list compared to the other heavyweights present, but don’t let that fool you—his presence is no joke. Sure, summoning the dead to your bidding and scaring foes into submission with Terrify are cool tricks, but Nekros’s true claim to fame is his Desecrate ability. This nifty trick lets him re-roll the loot table of fallen enemies, effectively giving you double the chances to snag those precious rewards. So, if you’re on the hunt for specific items, Nekros is your go-to Warframe, making farming sessions feel like hitting the jackpot—every time.
Mirage
Mirage is a quirky Warframe built for both offense and defense, with a flair for deception. Her Hall of Mirrors ability summons holographic clones that mimic her attacks, drawing enemy fire and dealing impressive damage based on the weapon used. However, it’s her Eclipse ability that truly shines. Eclipse offers two buffs: top-tier defense or superior offense, depending on activation. Combined with Hall of Mirrors, this makes Mirage an almost invincible powerhouse, dealing out serious weapon-based damage and confusing foes in style.
