Which Warframe to take first, and what to farm after it
The question sounds like a decision for life and is really a decision for the first ten hours. So: what the starter frame actually changes, and which frames after it are easiest to get.
The starter choice
Right at the beginning, in the Awakening quest, you pick one of three: Excalibur, Mag or Volt.
The thing to know: it is not permanent. All three are farmable later by the ordinary route, so the choice shapes your first hours, not your account.
- Excalibur is a sword and direct damage. The clearest start: his abilities do exactly what they say.
- Mag pulls enemies into a pile and works on shields. Strong against the Corpus.
- Volt is speed and electricity. He speeds up the squad, which tells in long runs.
If in doubt, take Excalibur: he forgives mistakes and asks nothing of mechanics you have not learned yet.
What actually decides your first hours
Not the frame. Early on, the gap between the three starters is smaller than the gap between having a levelled damage mod and not having one. Roughly in order of importance:
- Mods and their ranks. One maxed damage mod changes more than swapping frames. What to rank them with is in the Endo guide.
- Weapons. Early on the frame mostly moves and survives; the weapon kills.
- Slots. You start with two and they run out before anything else.
- The frame itself. It starts to matter around the middle of the star chart.
The frames that are easiest to farm
A new player has one practical criterion: how many places do I have to visit. Some frames drop all three parts from a single node, so they farm as one repeated run. From our own drop data:
| Warframe | Where all three parts drop |
|---|---|
| Rhino | Venus, the Fossa node |
| Excalibur | Mars, the War node |
| Mag | Phobos, the Iliad node |
| Frost | Ceres, the Exta node |
| Ember | Saturn, the Tethys node |
All five are bosses: run the node, kill the boss, take one of the three parts, repeat. Dull, but predictable, and it needs no standing and no quests.
Rhino is the most common first farm for good reason: Venus is the second planet, and his survivability ability solves the beginner's actual problem, which is dying to everything.
By comparison Nekros comes from rotation C of an Orokin Derelict Assassinate, and Oberon drops from enemies across several Earth and Saturn nodes. Both are slower and less predictable, so neither suits a first frame.
The frames you are given
Some Warframes are not farmed at all, the story hands them over. The clearest is Excalibur Umbra, who arrives from a quest at rank 30 with a Reactor and a slot. There is no need to chase him; he turns up as the story does.
What not to do early
- Do not buy a Warframe with platinum. Frames can be farmed, slots cannot. Starting platinum is worth most on Warframe and weapon slots.
- Do not potato everything. A Reactor only comes off with the item, and early on it is easy to sink one into something you stop playing in a week. Details in the potato guide.
- Do not sell prime parts to a vendor. They are worth platinum to players, and that is your first income: how to earn platinum.
How to tell a frame suits you
Look at the passive and the first ability, not the fourth. The fourth is usually flashy and expensive in energy; what you actually play with is the first and second. If those feel good after half an hour, the frame is yours.
Where Orikon helps
While you farm a first frame, the same missions rain prime parts, and a new player has no idea which of them are worth money. The app prices them on the reward screen, so the first platinum comes out of what was dropping anyway.
Common questions
Which Warframe should I pick at the start?
Of the three starters Excalibur is the simplest: his abilities are straightforward and need no knowledge of the game's systems. Mag is strong against the Corpus, Volt speeds the squad up.
Can I get the other starter frames later?
Yes. All three are farmable the ordinary way, so the starting choice only affects your first hours.
Which Warframe is easiest to farm?
The ones whose three parts all drop from one node: Rhino on Venus (Fossa), Excalibur on Mars (War), Mag on Phobos (Iliad), Frost on Ceres (Exta) and Ember on Saturn (Tethys).
Should I buy a Warframe with platinum?
Not early. Frames can be farmed, while slots can only be bought, so early platinum goes further on slots.
What should I look at when choosing a frame?
The passive and the first ability. The fourth is usually energy-hungry and used less; the first and second are what you play with constantly.
