What is the Best Warframe to Start With Reddit?

The consensus on Reddit and the wider Warframe community generally leans towards Rhino as the best Warframe for new players. His straightforward kit, survivability, and utility make him forgiving to play and highly effective in early-game content. While Excalibur is the initial choice, Rhino quickly outpaces him in usefulness and ease of acquisition.

Why Rhino is King for Beginners

Rhino’s popularity stems from a few key features that directly address the challenges faced by new Warframe players:

Iron Skin: Unmatched Survivability: Iron Skin is Rhino’s defining ability. It provides a substantial layer of temporary health that absorbs incoming damage. This allows new players to survive mistakes, experiment with builds, and learn enemy attack patterns without constantly dying. In the early game, when modding options are limited and player skill is still developing, Iron Skin is an invaluable asset.
Rhino Charge: Mobility and Crowd Control: While not the flashiest ability, Rhino Charge allows for quick movement and staggers enemies in its path. This can be used to escape dangerous situations, initiate combat, or set up follow-up attacks. It’s a simple but effective tool.
Roar: Team Utility and Damage Buff: Roar increases the damage output of Rhino and his allies. This significantly improves weapon effectiveness, allowing players to contribute meaningfully to team efforts even with relatively unmodded weapons. Roar scales well with ability strength, making it a powerful ability to invest in.
Stomp: Area-of-Effect Crowd Control: Rhino Stomp suspends enemies in mid-air, making them vulnerable to attacks. This provides breathing room in chaotic situations and allows for focused fire on key targets. It’s a potent crowd control ability that scales with range and duration.
Easy to Acquire: Rhino’s blueprint and parts are obtained by defeating the Jackal boss on Fossa, Venus. This is a relatively early-game boss that is accessible to new players. Farming Rhino is a good introduction to boss fights and resource gathering.

Alternatives to Rhino

While Rhino is a top recommendation, other Warframes can also be suitable for beginners, depending on their playstyle preferences:

Volt: Volt offers speed and electricity-based abilities. He is good for players who enjoy fast-paced gameplay and dealing electrical damage. His Electric Shield is useful for defense. Volt is acquired from your Clan Dojo’s Tenno Lab, adding an early clan-related goal.
Mag: Mag is a frame focused on manipulating magnetic fields. She’s powerful against Corpus enemies and has good crowd control. She requires understanding of her abilities to be effective, making her potentially rewarding for players willing to learn. Mag is also available from the Vor’s Prize quest.
Excalibur: While often considered a starter, Excalibur becomes incredibly potent later with his Exalted Blade, making him more of a mid-game powerhouse. Early on, he’s decent for damage but less survivable than Rhino.