Between the various throwing knives, shotguns, pistols, and launchers in the game, there are 122 Secondary Weapons in Warframe. There are some variations between them, so the number ends up being bigger when counting all these. Each one uses the same mods and ammo type, but a few stand out out out of all of them.
The Best Secondaries
- Kuva Nukor - A Radiation beam weapon with the highest crit multiplier in the game, this pistol is one of the best weapons for any build. The crit chance is only seven percent, but the beam it fires can chain to multiple enemies each shot. With a 5x multiplier, this weapon is powerful in every situation.
- Tenet Cycron - The Tenet version of the Nukor, this pistol deals Heat damage and has higher base damage while sacrificing the crit multiplier. With a 20 percent crit chance and a 1.8x crit multiplier, this weapon deals more consistent damage but won't reach as high of numbers as the Nukor. Players may favor one over the other, but they are both extremely powerful.
- Pyrana Prime - With middling stats all around, this shotgun uses its high crit chance to its highest potential. After three kills in a row, a second Pyrana Prime comes out as an akimbo style weapon, double its effectiveness.
- Sporelacer - A Toxic damage-dealing Kitgun that can be used as either a Primary or Secondary weapon. As a Secondary weapon, its shots split into three bomblets that fall from midair. Increasing the weapon's blast radius can further increase its damage capabilities when facing large groups of enemies.
- Epitath - This weapon deals Cold damage and can be charged for extra damage and a 48 percent crit chance. Uncharged, it is guaranteed to proc Cold with a 50 percent status chance.
Related: All Warframe Damage Types, Explained
Powerful Secondaries
- Tenet Detron - A shotgun capable of firing its entire magazine in one burst, this weapon can deal devastating amounts of damage quickly. It deals with Radiation damage and reloads fairly quickly, making it easy to keep using its alternate fire continually.
- Kuva Brakk - Although the Brakk has more base damage, this version of the weapon has a high magazine size and 29 percent crit chance, making it much more effective. It also has the highest status chance of all shotgun pistols at 11.1 percent.
- Aksomati Prime - These machine pistols have an impressive crit multiplier at 3x and a 24 percent crit chance. They build status effectively with an 18 percent status chance and deal Slash damage. Perfect for status builds.
While Secondaries usually pale in comparison to Primary weapons, they shouldn't be overlooked when equipping Warframes. The damage of these weapons has great potential and can outpace some primaries when it comes to certain builds. Figuring out whether to go for damage, status, or just crowd control is key to knowing which weapon is the right fit.
For more lists on the other weapons in Warframe, check out Best Primary Weapons in Warframe on Pro Game Guides.
Adam Aguilar has been playing a variety of genres since childhood but gravitates towards story driven RPGs like the Final Fantasy series or horror games like the Resident Evil and Silent Hill series. He enjoys analyzing themes found within video games and has been writing about them for over 5 years now. As a Contributing Writer for PGG, Adam has been known to cover anything from Phasmophobia to Genshin Impact!