Power fantasy and Warframe are practically synonymous with each other. Every Warframe, weapon, and ability in this game is built around making the player feel as powerful as possible. Nothing is a better example of this than the game’s wide range of melee weapons.
From greatswords to whips, Warframe has hundreds of melee weapons that allow the player to carve a path through hundreds of enemies at dizzying speeds. With the changes to damage types and Melee 3.0, melee has never been stronger. While no melee weapon is bad, certain archetypes rise above the rest. Here are the 10 best melee weapon archetypes in Warframe ranked from great to incredible.
10 Nunchaku
Warframe’s take on nunchucks is terrifying with how powerful they are. While only three Nunchakus exist in the game currently, they are each incredibly strong when used properly.
Every Nunchaku can use the Atlantis Vulcan stance. This stance has tons of multi attacks baked into it, the most notable of which being Blazing Vortex, which attacks targets up to 12 times in under a second. The Ninkondi Prime is the best of the bunch with its incredible critical and status stats. If this weapon category had more range or had a stance with more mobility, it would be higher on this list.
9 Scythe
Scythes have the opposite problem that Nunchakus do. Scythe stances are some of the best in the entire game, packing a lot of sweeping attacks alongside incredible mobility. The issue is that there are few good Scythes in Warframe excluding Zaws and the Reaper Prime.
That said, the high range on Scythes alongside their stances make this weapon archetype equally fun and devastating to wield.
8 Sword And Shield
Sword and Shield weapons might not have the damage that the best weapon archetypes do, but they make up for this with a mixture of utility and mobility.
These weapons have a great block angle compared to other melee weapons, and Sword and Shields have incredible mobility thanks to the Final Harbinger stance. Guardian Derision and the Ack & Brunt’s Electromagnetic Shielding mods allow for players to become literal tanks against hordes of foes. It’s a very different playstyle compared to most melee weapons, but that ability to draw aggro and keep teammates safe makes it invaluable in Steel Path endurance runs.
7 Claws
Claws are similar to Nunchaku in that they deal incredible damage up close. Unlike Nunchaku, Claws have certain stances that grant lunges and mobility. The Ripkas and Venka Prime are devastating weapons that can quickly apply criticals and status effects on targets, further amplified with just how many attacks Vermillion Storm and Four Riders have in their combos.
If Claws ever get a wider selection of options, they would be much more frequently used.
6 Tonfas
Tonfas are seriously underutilized by most of the Warframe community. These weapons have great range, great combos that force slash procs, and include a solid selection of weapons to choose from.
The Kronen Prime is a monster for applying rapid critical status effects on targets with its great attack speed and auxiliary stats, but players that want more mobility can trade their Kronen Prime for a Telos Boltace instead. For a larger focus on status builds, the Ohma is an incredible choice as it only does elemental damage. No matter the playstyle, Tonfas have players covered.
5 Nikanas
It wouldn’t be a proper game about space ninjas if space katanas didn’t exist. Warframe’s Nikanas are some of the most versatile weapons in the entire game. They pack a serious punch, have good range, and have some of the best stances in the game. Tranquil Cleave has built-in finishers and slash procs.
Decisive Judgement is great against Infested or swarms, and Blind Justice has the best mobility out of any stance. Considering players can craft Zaw Nikanas, there’s no reason not to own one.
4 Polearms
Polearms have overtaken Whips after the Melee 3.0 and damage changes were released. While Polearm stances might not be the best in the game, the base stats on Polearms more than remedy this.
Nearly every Polearm in Warframe can critically hit or apply a multitude of status effects in a single attack, further amplified by the sheer range of these weapons. When players get their hands on an Orthos Prime or Vaykor Sydon, they become a whirlwind of death that can take down the toughest foes in a few strikes.
3 Heavy Blade
Some of Warframe’s most iconic weapons are Heavy Blades, including the likes of the Gram Prime and Paracesis. These greatswords pack a serious punch and a surprising amount of mobility thanks to the Tempo Royale stance.
For those that need to pack as much damage into each swing as possible, Cleaving Whirlwind is unrivaled with its 2x to 3x damage multipliers with each swing.
2 Dual Swords
It might be surprising to see Dual Swords make it on the list, but players forget how strong the base stats on Dual Swords are. Some of the strongest weapons in Warframe are the Prisma Dual Cleavers, Twin Krohkur, and Nami Skyla Prime to name a few.
Carving Mantis has done much to make Dual Swords more viable—granting constant knockdowns and slash procs with each swing—but the changes to Melee 3.0 have made these rapid-attacking weapons overkill for virtually all content.
1 Gunblade
Gunblades aren’t just strong in Warframe, they’re arguably overpowered. Take the sheer power of a Tigris Prime shot and combine it with an infinite magazine and a much faster fire rate. The result is a Gunblade or, more specifically, the Redeemer Prime.
This category of weapon is perfect for clearing out entire hallways of enemies with punch-through pellets and mobile slashes between every shot. High attack speed can make any Gunblade shoot multiple times a second, synergizing perfectly with a high status chance and the Healing Return mod. There’s little need to use a proper weapon when a player is wielding a Gunblade.
NEXT: Warframe: 10 Facts You Don’t Know About The Game
