Choosing Your First Warframe: A Guide to Excalibur, Mag, and Volt
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The initial choice in Warframe can feel monumental for new players. You’re presented with three distinct options, each offering a different playstyle and approach to the game’s fast-paced combat. The question on every new Tenno’s mind is always, “Which Warframe should I pick?”. Let’s dive into what makes Excalibur, Mag, and Volt the cornerstone of the Warframe experience, helping you make an informed decision for your journey.
The Starting Trinity: Excalibur, Mag, and Volt
The three starting Warframes are Excalibur, Mag, and Volt. These frames are designed to introduce players to the core mechanics of Warframe, each highlighting a different aspect of gameplay. While you’ll eventually be able to acquire all of Warframe’s extensive roster, these three will define your initial experiences. Let’s break down each frame.
Excalibur: The Melee Maestro
Excalibur is arguably the most popular starting choice and is often referred to as Warframe’s mascot. He excels in close-quarters combat, making him a great choice for players who enjoy a more aggressive and hands-on playstyle.
- Abilities: His abilities revolve around his sword. Slash Dash allows Excalibur to dash through enemies, dealing damage. Radial Blind is a crowd-control ability that stuns enemies in a wide area, providing an opening for attacks or escapes. Super Jump is his mobility tool. Finally, his ultimate ability, Exalted Blade, allows him to summon a powerful energy blade, transforming his standard attacks into devastating melee strikes.
- Playstyle: Excalibur is a very straightforward frame that’s easy for new players to pick up. His combination of melee damage and crowd control makes him highly versatile in early missions. He’s especially powerful once you unlock Exalted Blade, turning him into a melee powerhouse. He’s also a very popular choice in the later game, as well, due to his adaptable kit.
- Why Choose Excalibur? If you enjoy a strong, direct approach with a focus on melee combat and want a frame that’s easy to learn, Excalibur is the perfect choice. He’s forgiving, powerful, and a great all-around pick for both solo and team play.
Mag: The Magnetic Manipulator
Mag is a Warframe that utilizes magnetic fields to control and manipulate her enemies. While perhaps not as immediately accessible as Excalibur, she can be incredibly powerful in the hands of a player who understands her kit.
- Abilities: Her abilities focus on manipulating shields and dealing damage through magnetic fields. Pull draws enemies towards Mag, making them vulnerable. Magnetize creates a magnetic field around an enemy, trapping and damaging them. Polarize strips enemies of their shields and armor, while also damaging them based on those stats. Finally, her ultimate ability, Crush, collapses magnetic fields on surrounding enemies, dealing considerable damage.
- Playstyle: Mag is a more tactical Warframe, requiring players to think about positioning and ability combinations. Her strength lies in weakening enemy defenses and controlling the battlefield.
- Why Choose Mag? If you enjoy strategic gameplay, crowd control, and the satisfaction of watching enemies fall apart under the might of magnetic manipulation, Mag could be the perfect starter for you. She’s especially effective against Corpus factions, known for their shields.
Volt: The Speed Demon
Volt is the Warframe for those who want speed, crowd control, and electrifying damage. He’s versatile and shines in both offense and support, making him an attractive option for many playstyles.
- Abilities: Volt’s abilities are centered around his mastery of electricity. Shock fires a bolt of electricity, stunning and damaging enemies. Speed increases Volt’s movement and melee speed, and that of his allies. Electric Shield creates a portable shield that blocks enemy fire and boosts the critical damage of shots fired through it. Discharge unleashes a massive burst of electricity that can stun and damage multiple enemies in a large area.
- Playstyle: Volt’s speed and crowd control are invaluable. He can quickly move across the map and dish out significant damage while supporting his team. Volt is also a very powerful end-game Warframe due to his ability to boost crit damage.
- Why Choose Volt? If you like fast, engaging combat with a blend of offense and utility, Volt is a great choice. His speed buffs and electric powers make him highly versatile in a variety of missions. He is also very tanky, thanks to his Electric Shield, arguably making him the most survivable of the starting frames.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Was Loki ever a starting Warframe?
Yes, Loki was one of the original three starting Warframes. However, he was replaced by Volt in Update 14.0.
2. Which of the three is most recommended for beginners?
Excalibur is often the most recommended starting Warframe for beginners due to his straightforward abilities and balanced combat style.
3. Which starting Warframe is the most popular?
Excalibur is by far the most popular choice, with over 60% of players selecting him as their starting frame.
4. Which starter frame is better: Excalibur or Volt?
Both frames are powerful in their own right. Excalibur is more durable due to his armor stats, while Volt arguably has higher survivability due to his Electric Shield and can also deal more crit damage. It depends on your playstyle preferences.
5. Which Warframe is considered the most powerful?
While power can be subjective based on a player’s skill and build, Mesa is often cited as one of the most powerful Warframes in the game due to her devastating damage potential. Octavia, Wisp, Xaku, Protea, Saryn, Revenant, and Khora are often considered near the top as well.
6. What Warframe should I pick in Duviri?
For newcomers in Duviri, Excalibur is also recommended due to his straightforward, powerful moveset.
7. Which Warframe is the easiest to play?
Aside from the starting three, Rhino is another highly recommended easy-to-learn Warframe, known for his tankiness.
8. What is the best Warframe for most situations?
Limbo is often considered one of the best generalists for a wide variety of missions. Other notable mentions are Volt, Trinity, and Mesa.
9. Which secondary weapon is good for early Warframe play?
The Gammacor, Sonicor, Aklato, Afuris, Aklex, Hikou Prime, and Nukor are all recommended as strong secondary weapons for early game use.
10. Which is the easiest Warframe to farm?
Hydroid, Mag, Excalibur, Nova, Ember, Valkyr, and Loki are all considered some of the easiest Warframes to farm.
11. Can I have more than one of the same Warframe?
Yes, you can have multiple instances of the same Warframe. This is often done to utilize different builds for various missions or simply for collection purposes.
12. Who is the fastest character in Warframe?
Gauss has the highest potential speed in the game. However, Titania is arguably the most practical for quick movement.
13. Is Warframe still popular?
While Warframe’s player counts have decreased from its peak, it is still a very popular game with a large and active community, particularly on Steam.
14. What is a good early primary weapon to use in Warframe?
The Vectis, Strun, Hek, Prisma Tetra, Torid, and Paris are all good options for a primary weapon.
15. What is the best support Warframe?
Trinity is widely regarded as the best support Warframe due to her healing, damage redirection, and energy replenishment abilities.
By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of Excalibur, Mag, and Volt, you can make an informed decision that will align with your preferred gameplay style. Regardless of your choice, the Warframe universe has a lot to offer, and each of these starting frames will guide you down a unique and engaging path as you begin your Tenno journey.