Introduction

 

You've probably heard all of the praises that are sung about Warframe and there's a good reason for that. It's one of the most generous free-to-play games out there. It gives you everything it has to offer for free and you can have a blast pretending to be a Space Ninja without spending a dime.

 

However, the game has a fair amount of complexity when it comes to its systems. If you're a beginner Warframe player in 2021, you'll want to get your ducks in a row with our handy tips that'll give you a running start.

 

 

Get the Community Handbook

 

Warframe's community, especially on Reddit, is an incredibly hard-working lot. You can tell they love this game to death. A group has even gone as far as to create a highly detailed and comprehensive handbook for the game. Before anything else, you should absolutely download it, bookmark it, and even cuddle up with it in bed. It's that good. Not only will it save you a ton of Google searches, but it'll also serve as a reminder on how the game's systems work.

 

Finish the Star Chart

 

The Star Chart is where you progress through the campaign and take on missions. Reading that, you might now think, "duh, of course, I'll go through the campaign". The thing about Warframe, though, is that it's very proud of its content and will start bombarding you with its possibilities. Therefore, it's pretty easy to lose sight of the end goal of completing the Star Chart, which can effectively slow your progress with unlocking features and key quests.

 

Focus on Mastery Rank

 

Early on, you'll notice that Warframe doesn't have a traditional leveling system found in other RPGs but don't let that fool you. Progression does exist, and it's done through Mastery Ranks. As the name implies, Mastery involves using your weapons and frames. The more you use a particular piece of equipment, the more it will rank. Mastering different types of gear contributes to your overall Mastery Rank. Therefore, you'll want to build different weapon types even if you're not planning on using them.

 

 

Hold Onto Your Platinum

 

As a free-to-play game, Warframe follows the same pattern as other titles in the space by including a premium currency called Platinum. By no means is this necessary to enjoy the game. Warframe is actually one of the few games that don't gate content behind a paywall. Naturally, you'll need to grind a fair bit to get new frames and other gameplay-related content. Platinum's role is more of a quality-of-life support mechanism. For instance, you can use the currency to unlock new slots to add more frames to your collection. Again, this will only come up as you need it, which is why it's essential to not spend whatever Platinum you come across. Playstation Plus subscribers can receive 250 Platinum for free with a special starter pack available to them. On PC, bundles often go on sale for as low as 75%, which is an excellent opportunity to buy a bit. There are also other sources of free and discounted Platinum. Anyway you may acquire Platinum, you'll want to save it so that you can open up QoL features when you need them.

 

Get Acquainted with Upgrades and Mods

 

What makes Warframe an addictive and exhilarating game is that it makes you feel like a badass Space Ninja. To become the strongest, you've got to keep powering up your frames and weapons through mods. Now, the mod system can look somewhat intimidating at first with all of its nodes. There's a polarity system that also restricts you from adding mods in whatever combination you wish. It's the game's way of balancing upgrades, so getting accustomed to it is crucial. We highly recommend you check out this handy-dandy comprehensive guide on modding over at framemastery.com.

 

 

Prioritize Building These Weapons and Warframes

 

Warframe is a massive game. Over the course of its existence, the scope of its world and gameplay elements has increased exponentially, meaning there's a lot of content to experience and stuff to acquire. It's the latter that can quickly become overwhelming for a budding Space Ninja as they just start out. All the Warframes and weapons look incredibly cool but which ones to build first is challenging to pin down. After all, it takes a bit of time for each build to complete.

 

Once you've progressed a fair bit through your Star Chart, you'll want to focus on building the following frames and weapons first:

• Warframes 
  • Rhino - Great for tough missions and challenging boss fights
  • Garuda - The perfect frame for any other type of mission
• Weapons 
  • Boltor - An assault rifle that has outstanding crowd control
  • Hek - A high-powered shotgun that'll make quick work of bosses
  • Ignis - A Grineer flamethrower that can be an excellent crowd control alternative to Boltor
  • Orthos - A double-bladed staff for melee situations that's all style and substance

 

Is Warframe Hard to Get into as a Beginner in 2021?

Warframe in 2021 only looks intimidating on the surface. Because of the number of systems the game throws at you in one go, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and end up never accomplishing anything. Staying the course with your Star Chart and being patient with building some of the more impressive-looking frames will help keep you on track.

 

Gameplay-wise, it's a fairly straightforward game. There aren't any complex combos and attack patterns to follow. You can easily have a good time running, gunning, and slicing as it strikes your fancy. The actual complexity lies in the modding and building systems, but that will kick in once you've gotten acquainted with the basics and you're ready to focus on endgame stuff.