Warframe is a game that keeps evolving, constantly adding new missions and weapons into the game. Some of the weapons are as unique as Halo's Needler, further adding to the difficulty of choosing a weapon to upgrade. With the vast array of unique weapons this game has, it can be hard to keep track of what is good or dated.
Related: Warframe: A Complete Guide To Railjack
The Old Blood update has added a whole new category of weapons into the game. These Kuva weapons come from Kuva Liches—endgame enemies players must use special Mods to defeat. While the grind is daunting, the reward for fighting them is a powerful weapon variant with an added random damage bonus. Here are the highlights of what Kuva Liches can drop when defeated.
Updated July 24th, 2021, by Charles Burgar: The Sisters of Parvos update has shaken up the primary and secondary meta with Galvanized Mods, new weapon Arcanes, and the inclusion of Tenet weapons—a Corpus version of Lich weapons. Kuva Liches also received three new weapons for players to farm for.
Beyond adding the new weapons introduced in Update 30.5, we've reordered and rewrote virtually every entry on the list. The meta for Warframe has shifted quite a bit since this article was originally written, and previous updates didn't take these shifts into account properly. We've given much more consideration to a weapon's primary role, how it competes with the meta, and any notable differences between variants in the same weapon family. Good luck farming these weapons.
19 Kuva Grattler
The Kuva Grattler is the only weapon on this list that could be classified as a "lackluster" weapon. This Archwing weapon is effectively a flak cannon, firing explosive shells at targets that deal moderate damage. At least, they're supposed to. For whatever reason, Digital Extremes decided that the Kuva variant's base damage should be halved. A Kuva progenitor bonus offsets this negative, but is the farm for a 60% element worth it?
Absolutely not. You're getting a Grattler with 2% more critical chance, a 0.1x higher crit multiplier, and the removal of a spool-up time, although the weapon fires a little slower. For how much work it takes to kill or convert a Lich, that's just not worth it. It does have double the magazine and reload rate, meaning it's much better for ground missions, yet the weapon's innate punch through really harms its AoE killing potential. Only get this weapon for Mastery points or if you really like the default Grattler.
18 Kuva Karak
Lukario Warframe (YouTube)[EMBED_YT]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4MD0ltmplE[/EMBED_YT]
While certainly generic, the Kuva Karak manages to carve its own cult following thanks to its reliability. Nearly everything about this assault rifle is solid: 23 base damage, 23% critical chance with a 2.1x multiplier, and 31% status chance.
On paper, this weapon is a solid AR. But this weapon's jack of all trades nature lends itself to Star Chart content only. Steel Path? The gun doesn't deal enough damage and can't scale Slash procs enough. Endurance missions? Good luck maintaining the kill efficiency of AoE and melee weapons. If you are determined to use an assault rifle in Warframe, the Kuva Karak isn't a bad choice, but we highly recommend you give the Stahlta or Tenet Tetra a look instead. Those weapons are much better for dealing with crowds while maintaining the power fantasy of firing a high-damage assault rifle.
17 Kuva Tonkor
Once the undisputed damage king, the Tonkor has fallen from grace over the years. While it can still be a fantastic option with certain Warframes, the weapon frequently staggers its beholder if they were caught in the blast, making this launcher hard to use.
Staggers are still a serious problem with the Kuva variant of the Tonkor, although this version packs a much stronger punch. A progenitor buff, stronger AoE explosions, and higher critical and status chances make for a solid grenade launcher. Since this weapon doesn't have an arming distance before it detonates, be sure to run Primed Sure Footed or Cautious Shot before you give this weapon a spin. But if you're going to go through all of that trouble for an AoE weapon, you'll likely prefer the Kuva Bramma, Kuva Ogris, or Tenet Envoy since they are easier to use.
16 Kuva Twin Stubbas
Known by some as the "dubba Stubbas," the Kuva Twin Stubbas is a textbook example of what a bullet hose secondary looks like. They have a moderate fire rate of 10, great status chance, solid critical stats, and good base damage for an archetype that fires dozens of bullets a second.
Related: Warframe: The Best Secondary Weapons
The issue is that bullet hose secondaries have fallen to the wayside in recent years. AoE weapons, guns that can create Slash procs via Hunter Munitions or Hemorrhage, and even melee weapons have made rapid-fire weapons far from a meta contender.
Even if these pistols aren't the greatest, they are certainly one of the best in their archetype. The Aksomati Prime has better critical stats, yet their lower base damage and status chance lead to weaker Slash and Heat procs. You could farm the Tenet Diplos instead, but those weapons have a strange alt-fire while aiming that could deter some fans of this archetype. If you just want to fill a target with holes, you'll love the Kuva Twin Stubbas.
15 Kuva Kraken
This is a surprise to see on any best weapons list. The original Kraken is arguably the worst weapon in the game, maybe one of the worst weapons in any video game. It dealt slightly more damage than a sneeze, fired slowly, and looked downright ugly.
While looks may not have improved with the Kuva Kraken, virtually everything else has been significantly improved. It fires more bullets per burst, deals critical damage and status effects nearly every shot when built right, and can now empty its magazine in an instant through its new alt-fire. Drastically better base stats still aren't enough to bring this weapon's main fire mode up to today's standards, but this gun's alt-fire should not be underestimated.
Firing 21 bullets in less than a second leads to some absurd burst DPS, something that you can reliably maintain with Arcane Pistoleer. It requires some setup, but the payoff is worth it for fans of bullet hose secondaries. As a burst pistol, skip this gun. There are far better workhorse secondaries than this.
14 Kuva Ogris
For a Mastery Rank 15 weapon, the Kuva Ogris is a solid workhorse weapon that can also serve as a primer for Condition Overload weapons. Every shot deals 687 radial Blast damage and has a 47% status chance, although the Ogris has a low 9% critical chance and three-round magazine.
What this weapon does exceptionally well is damage targets through walls. Nightwatch Napalm and Heavy Caliber allow this weapon to cover entire hallways with flame, dealing great amounts of passive damage to weaker foes while inflicting a ton of status effects on tougher foes, making it a solid primer for Condition Overload melee weapons. If you're just looking for a primer weapon and are willing to farm Liches, the Kuva Nukor will outperform this. As a status rocket launcher and general workhorse weapon, the Kuva Ogris is a great weapon. But it does fall behind the likes of the Kuva Zarr and arguably the Tenet Envoy.
13 Kuva Drakgoon
Warframe veterans might be shocked the Kuva Drakgoon is this high on the list. This gun got a serious buff from the Sisters of Parvos of update. The buff to Critical Deceleration and the introduction of Galvanized Mods have made this shrapnel-spewing shotgun a real menace.
With the right build, this gun can deal over one million burst DPS without accounting for Hunter Munition's Slash procs. All of this plays nicely with this gun's unique Exlius Mod Fomorian Accelerant, allowing the gun's projectiles to ricochet four times. A single charged shot is enough to clear a hallway with this gun and leave tougher opponents with multiple Slash procs.
All of this power comes with a rather large negative: you need to charge every shot. Charging a shotgun whenever you want to fire can feel extremely clunky, especially for players that prefer to use melee or rapid-fire guns. If you can get past this negative, the Kuva Drakgoon is a surprisingly powerful shotgun that not many players give a proper chance.
12 Kuva Shildeg
Lukario Warframe (YouTube)[EMBED_YT]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJswneo-rXo[/EMBED_YT]
Sometimes the best solution to a problem is a giant hammer. The Kuva Shildeg is one of the strongest hammers in Warframe, featuring a monstrous critical multiplier of 2.7x and a high 31% critical hit chance. When paired with a 60% progenitor buff, this weapon can dish out some truly absurd damage.
Unfortunately, most of this weapon's damage is Puncture and Impact, two of the worst damage types in the game. Slash procs from this weapon aren't going to hit very hard or occur much at all, leading to some problems when dealing with heavily armored targets in Steel Path. But if you don't care about following the meta and want to crush every bone in a Grineer's body, you won't find many hammers better than the Kuva Shildeg.
11 Kuva Kohm
The Kuva Kohm is a hard weapon to rank. On the one hand, the Kohm family of weapons is nothing short of incredible, applying multiple status effects per pellet. On the other hand, the Kuva Kohm is arguably a worse version of the standard Kohm. This is due to two factors:
- Riven Disposition
- Damage falloff
We try not to discuss Rivens when ranking weapons, but we can't ignore just how much stronger Rivens are on the default Kohm. The Kuva variant's base stats are marginally better than the default Kohm, making the default Kohm's Riven Disposition of 1.3 (as of writing) much more impactful. What really hurts this weapon is its effective range of 13 meters. Past that, this gun only deals 6% damage at 26 meters. The default Kohm, for comparison, only drops down to 27% damage at 25 meters. Galvanized Acceleration certainly helps, but it can also be used on the default Kohm.
If you don't want to deal with Riven Mods in any capacity, you should consider grabbing the Kuva Kohm. This weapon's innate progenitor bonus and absurd 90% status chance make it a nightmare against all faction types. A bias towards Slash damage, plus its ability to land critical hits reliably, can lead to hundreds of damaging ailments that only the Kuva Nukor can compete with. You'll need an ammo mutation effect and Galvanized Acceleration to get the most out of this gun. If that isn't a big ask, this gun is more than worth farming for.
10 Kuva Hind
The Grineer finally made a competitor to the Tiberon Prime, one of the best burst rifles in the game. The Kuva Hind is very similar to the Tiberon Prime in its use and gimmick.
Related: Warframe: The Best Assault Rifles
Three fire modes are available on the Kuva Hind: semi-auto, burst, and full-auto. Each mode shifts the Hind's stats in some fashion. Full-auto focuses on status effects, while the semi-auto mode is better at critical hits. All modes are useful, but the weapon should mainly be used in its burst-fire mode. It doesn't have the absurd critical multiplier of 3x as the Tiberon Prime, although its higher status chance of 33% more than makes up for this. Build this weapon as a hybrid with Hunter Munitions for a good time.
9 Kuva Quartakk
Compared to the default Quartakk, the Kuva variant features a full-auto mode while hip-firing and better base stats across the board. Just like the Tiberon Prime and Kuva Hind, you want to ignore the full-auto mode if you can. Burst fire is where it's at.
Four accurate shots fire with each trigger pull, dealing great critical damage with a high chance to apply status. With a relatively high base damage value for an assault rifle, the Kuva Quartakk can easily down fodder enemies and weaken tougher foes with a couple of rounds. And with how fast each round fires, this gun is closer to a Hek with no damage falloff than a TIberon or Hind. Keep your eyes out for a Lich with this weapon. A good Kuva Quartakk build can clear Arbitrations and Steel Path without much issue.
8 Kuva Hek
The Kuva Hek has caused quite a stir in the Warframe community due to its inability to equip the Scattered Justice Mod, a Steel Meridian Mod that grants 200% Multishot to the default Hek. It's disappointing, to say the least, but many community members are overlooking the strengths of this weapon.
- It has a progenitor bonus, giving it a free elemental damage type.
- Damage falloff begins much later.
- You can fire all four rounds simultaneously.
It's true that the Vaykor Hek has a much higher Riven Disposition, but that can't compete with the Kuva Hek's ability to fire four shots simultaneously. Are there fodder enemies nearby? Use your main fire to kill them. Is a heavy unit giving you trouble? Unload all four barrels and watch their body disintegrate. You effectively have a pocket Tigris Prime as an alt-fire whenever you need it. Unless you have a fantastic Riven for the Vaykor Hek, the Kuva Hek has better DPS values, can one-shot most enemies with its alt-fire, and doesn't receive damage falloff until a greater distance.
7 Kuva Seer
Captain Vor's signature weapon has gotten a rather massive upgrade with the Kuva Seer variant. This version has the unique property of firing explosive bolts that detonate on impact, dealing Corrosive damage to anyone nearby.
While explosive rounds are certainly useful, the base Seer lacked good critical and status values. Luckily, the Kuva version has very respectable critical and status chances. Combining the weapon's innate Corrosive explosions with Radiation and Viral allows this weapon to hard-counter every tough enemy in the game. It's a great weapon for priming targets and clearing out fodder enemies.
6 Kuva Brakk
Kuva Lich weapons have a theme of bringing older weapons that used to be good back into the spotlight. Even though the standard Brakk is still a decent sidearm today, it is far from the meta secondary it once was.
Meet the Kuva Brakk. This variant features a larger magazine, higher critical and status chances, better fire rate, more base damage if you have a 60% progenitor buff, and larger ammo reserves. It packs a serious punch, although you'll want to use Lethal Momentum to counteract the gun's horrendous damage falloff. We also recommend that PC players have a second keybind for "fire" set to their mouse wheel. This allows you to realistically fire this gun at its listed fire rate without breaking your fingers.
5 Kuva Ayanga
We were rather harsh with the Kuva Ayanga with our original ranking. After the release of Necramechs and the importance of Railjack in recent patches, it's become clear that players will want a good Archgun for The New War and future updates.
You won't find a better gun for Archwing or Necramechs than the Kuva Ayanga. This weapon has everything you'd want from an Archgun: AoE damage, high base damage, excellent critical stats, and solid status chance. But it should be emphasized that this gun is best in Archwing and Necramech content. For ground missions and Railjack, you're better off with the Mausolon. With only a 10% fire rate buff, this gun will fire so fast that your shots will ricochet backwards, causing you to get staggered. Even if you run Primed Sure Footed, this gun can't compete with the Mausolon's alt-fire. That gun's alt-fire is much better for killing bosses and clearing groups of enemies in ground missions.
4 Kuva Chakkhurr
The Kuva Chakkhurr is a new weapon with no original counterpart. This heavy flintlock rifle fires high explosive rounds that deal large amounts of headshot damage, pairing nicely with Hunter Munitions and Primary Deadhead.
With a slow fire rate and a reload that takes an eternity to finish, the Kuva Chakkhurr makes up for it with its very respectable base damage and critical effects. Enemies don't stand a chance when you land a headshot with this gun, which can then create devastating Slash procs with Hunter Munitions or Internal Bleeding. Devastating is really an understatement; the Slash procs from this gun can kill Steel Path enemies in an instant. Just be sure to use Firestorm or its Primed variant if you want to main this weapon, as its default AoE blast radius is rather small.
3 Kuva Bramma
Nerf after nerf hasn't stopped players from using the Kuva Bramma, an explosive bow that packs a serious punch.
839 Blast damage and 35% critical chance per shot is nothing short of incredible. A status chance of 21% also means it can apply Viral rather reliably. Slap on a few elemental Mods and Hunter Munitions, then go to town carpet-bombing areas with this deadly AoE bow.
Players will likely find the staggers and ammo economy to be the two most glaring issues with this weapon. To fix both, use a Primed Sure Footed Mod in a Warframe's Exilus mod and run some form of ammo mutation in the Kuva Bramma's Exilus slot to fix both issues.
2 Kuva Zarr
Do you love shotguns? Get the Kuva Zarr. Do you love AoE weapons? Get the Kuva Zarr. Do you want to kill Steel Path enemies with little effort? Get the Kuva Zarr.
Digital Extremes gave the Zarr some of the largest buffs a weapon variant has ever seen: over double base damage, much higher critical stats, nine times the status chance, and an alt-fire that deals almost five times as much damage. This gun is effectively a Kuva Bramma and Kuva Hek built into one gun. Clear out a room of enemies with this gun's cannon mode, then kill any stragglers with a barrage mode that acts like a shotgun. It's versatile, packs a serious punch in every situation, and is just plain fun to use. Everyone should have a Kuva Zarr in their arsenal.
1 Kuva Nukor
Easily the strongest secondary in Warframe currently is the Kuva Nukor, a beam weapon that chains between targets when it makes contact with a foe. An absurd 50% status chance makes the beam cause status effects every damage tick if modded properly.
The true power of the Kuva Nukor comes from giving it additive critical chance. A whopping 5x critical damage multiplier is just begging to be used. Arcane Avenger, Galvanized Crosshairs, and Harrow are all good sources of critical chance, allowing this weapon to kill the toughest Steel Path foes in an instant. Even if you don't build for the gun's critical damage, it applies so many status effects that it pairs exceptionally well with a Condition Overload glaive or similar melee weapon. Good luck finding a better secondary than this.
Next: Warframe: Galvanized Mods And Weapon Arcane Guide
