A Quick Guide to Understanding Mods in Warframe
Success and survival in the end game of Warframe is not entirely dependent on skill and ability. It’s also a matter of properly applying and understanding one thing: Mods.
When I first started playing, I wouldn’t pay much attention to the Mods in Warframe. I threw them on where they fit, not comprehending exactly how minutely optimal you could make a certain loadout. But now that I’m mostly playing through end game content, I’ve realised how important the understanding of the Mod system truly is. So, this little guide will attempt to detail and explain the Mod system in the quickest, most digestible way possible. Let’s get started.
Function and location of Mods in Warframe
To put it simply: Mods are your source of combat enhancement. They can change anything from the elemental damage of a weapon to the effectiveness of your Waframe’s bullet jump. They are the key to unlocking more power and crafting specific builds for specific enemies and missions. The large majority of Mods are found as loot drops from downed enemies. Some are rewarded for Alerts, others can be found as Syndicate standing rewards, while top tier Riven mods can be found through doing Sorties. Anything you choose to do, or anywhere you choose to go, odds are you’ll find a Mod waiting for you there.
Mod Inventory and Actions
Aboard your ship, directly across from your Foundry is your Mod table. This hub lets you do a number of things, namely examining and managing your Mods. Here, you can sell Mods for Credits, dissolve them into Endo (which is used to upgrade them), level them through Fusion, or Transmute them. The number of Fusions you can do to a Mod varies, and that is shown at the bottom of the card. This tool in your ship is where you will do the vast majority of dealings with your Mods. But to understand Mods in Warframe, you need to understand what each piece of them means.
Reading the Mods
This probably sounds idiotic and simple up front, but there is a lot of information on each Mod that you should understand.
Underneath the name, you’ll see the benefit of the Mod (known as the upgrade) which details its specific ability. Below that, is the item for which that Mod is used and it will say something like Rifle, Kavat, or Warframe. Below that is a series of dots, donating the level of applied Fusion. Once all dots are filled, the Mod is fully upgraded. The top right of the Mod has a little tab, with a number and a symbol. The number denotes the Drain, or how much of a given Frame’s or weapon’s Mod capacity it will take away.
Lastly, and most importantly, is the symbol or the Polarity. Mod slots on Waframes and weapons will have symbols occasionally, and these correlate to the symbols on the Mods. If the symbols match, the Drain decreases. If they don’t, the Drain increases.
Mod placement and build creation
Here’s a look at a Mod setup that was Auto-Installed by Warframe, not by my hand. This gives you a good idea how Mods affect your Frame. You can see in the left the green numbers showing the positive changes these Mods are making. Also, in the centre where the Mods are equipped, you can see red and green Drain and Polarity markers, denoting where the game matched and didn’t match the Polarity of certain slots. Now, this isn’t optimised for anything in particular, but merely showcases what an equipped Mod loadout looks like. Here, on the other hand, is a specific weapon build:
Though not perfectly optimised, this Mod setup shows a purposeful build with a goal in mind: bolster this shotguns abilities and critical chance, increase its damage to a specific enemy, and apply the desired elemental damage. Notice how the Mods have much higher Drains than above, as they are all upgraded. Once you are comfortable with Mods, these are the types of builds (and better versions of these, since I’m not an expert quite yet) you can, and should, be crafting.
Mod rarity, Mod capacity, and Riven Mods
The last thing you want to understand is rarity and capacity. The outline of the Mod marks its rarity with Gold being the rarest, Silver being uncommon, and Bronze being common. Apart from the basic rarity scale, there are also Damaged and Riven Mods. Damaged Mods are easily identifiable as they have cracks in the picture and will visibly say “Damaged”, usually under the Mod name. Riven mods also stick out like a sore thumb, with a purple border. These are high-end mods that have a task you must complete (while they’re equipped) to unlock their true potential. Generally, they have more than one benefit and may also possess a negative quality. You obtain your first from The War Within quest, and the rest are rewards from Sorties (found in the Navigation, in the tab to the right of Void Fissure missions).
Mod Capacity can be increased on both Warframes and weapons. For Warframes you’ll need an Orokin Reactor, and for your weapons you’ll need an Orokin Catalyst. They’re both 20 Platinum each in the Market, or they can be crafted from their Blueprints which drop as rewards from Alerts, Sorties, and Daily Tributes to name a few.
That’s a (somewhat) quick guide to understanding how Mods operate in Warframe. Hopefully with this information you can start crafting your own personal loadouts and can breakaway from the Auto-Installation process. Trust me, it makes a huge difference. Once you nail down the mechanics of this system, your lethality and ability in the game will vastly improve. Happy hunting, Tenno!
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