Nekros is one of Warframe’s most iconic farming frames, known for his ability to force extra loot drops from enemies. But new players often wonder if he is a good choice early on, when resources and mods are limited. This guide breaks down his viability in the early star chart, how to get him, his ability synergies, and whether you should invest in him as a beginner.
Obtaining Nekros as a New Player
Nekros’s main blueprint is purchased from the Market for 100,000 Credits. His component blueprints drop from the Lephantis boss fight on Deimos (formerly the Orokin Derelict). Accessing Lephantis requires completing the “Heart of Deimos” quest, which is available after reaching Europa Junction. For most new players, this means Nekros is not an “early early game” frame unless you get a taxi to the node or purchase him with Platinum. If you join a clan, you can research the Dragon Key blueprints needed to craft Derelict keys (though Derelict missions were reworked into Deimos nodes). Realistically, by the time you can reliably farm Nekros, you may already be comfortable with a starter frame and have accumulated some basic mods.
Alternative Acquisition
You can buy Nekros directly from the Market for 375 Platinum. This is one of the fastest ways to get him early, but it is not recommended unless you have spare Platinum, as he can be farmed for free later. New players should prioritize spending starting Platinum on Warframe and weapon slots.
Nekros’s Abilities and Their Early Game Utility
Nekros brings a mix of crowd control, defense, and loot generation. Here is how each ability performs when you have limited mods.
Soul Punch (1st Ability)
Soul Punch deals a small amount of Impact damage and ragdolls a single target. Early on, this ability is largely underwhelming. Without strength mods, the damage is negligible even against low-level enemies. The ragdoll can occasionally knock a heavy unit off its feet, but it is not spammable due to energy costs. Most early builds ignore Soul Punch entirely.
Terrify (2nd Ability)
Terrify causes nearby enemies to flee in fear and strips a percentage of their armor (based on power strength). This ability shines in early game content because the armor reduction can make tougher enemies like Bombards or Heavy Gunners much easier to kill. Even with no strength mods, a base 20% armor strip and the fleeing behavior provide solid survivability for you and your squad. The enemy cap per cast is low without range mods, but for early solo play, it is effective crowd control.
Desecrate (3rd Ability)
This is Nekros’s signature skill. Desecrate consumes a corpse and has a chance to re-roll its drop table, essentially giving you a second chance at loot. In the early game, this is invaluable for farming rare resources like Neurodes, Orokin Cells, or Morphics. The ability drains energy over time per corpse, so without efficiency mods it can be taxing. However, even a rank 2 or 3 Desecrate with a partially ranked Streamline can help you maintain energy while dramatically boosting your resource income. For new players struggling to build weapons or frames, Desecrate can accelerate progression significantly.
Shadows of the Dead (4th Ability)
Summons shadow copies of recently killed enemies. These shadows draw aggro, deal some damage, and provide a makeshift distraction team. In early missions, the damage output of shadows is minimal because they scale off enemy level and your strength mods (which you likely lack). Their real value is survivability: enemies will attack them instead of you. Without duration mods, the shadows last a short time, but they can buy you breathing room to revive an ally or hack a console.
Early Game Modding Strategy
When modding Nekros with starter mods, focus on efficiency and durability. A high-level Desecrate is your top priority, but you need the energy economy to sustain it. Use a ranked-up Streamline (or a damaged one if you have no better) and possibly a Flow to increase your energy pool. For survivability, prioritize Vitality and Redirection. Nekros has decent base shields and health. Steel Fiber is less effective because his base armor is only 65. A low-level Stretch can help Desecrate’s range and the fear range of Terrify, but it is not mandatory early on. Avoid trying to build for strength or duration at first, as those mods are harder to come by and offer less immediate benefit.
Aura and Exilus
The Nekros frame has a Naramon polarity aura slot (matching Corrosive Projection). If you can get your hands on even an unranked Corrosive Projection, it synergizes with Terrify’s armor strip to further debuff enemies. Energy Siphon is also a great choice for sustaining Desecrate. Exilus slots can be ignored early on; the mods that fit there are niche.
Comparing Nekros to Starter Frames
Mag, Excalibur, and Volt are the traditional starters. Nekros does not directly compete with them in terms of straightforward killing power, but he carves a niche as a force multiplier for loot and squad support. If you are playing solo and struggling with damage output, Nekros may feel weaker than Excalibur’s Exalted Blade or Volt’s chain lightning. In public squads, however, a Nekros who spams Desecrate is always welcome, and you can ride the coattails of higher-level players while collecting extra resources. For solo progression, his survivability tools (Terrify and Shadows) are enough to clear standard star chart missions, though he may struggle with certain bosses or defense objectives that require killing power.
Farming Efficiency and Resource Boosts
One of Nekros’s strongest early game appeals is his ability to pair with loot abilities from other frames or with a Smeeta Kavat (if you can get one). Desecrate stacks with Hydroid’s Pilfering Swarm or Khora’s Pilfering Strangledome, but those are mid-game frames. Even alone, a Desecrate Nekros can double your drop rate of essential resources. This means you spend less time grinding for polymer bundles, ferrite, or rare components. For a new Tenno, that efficiency can ease the early resource bottleneck and let you build more weapons and frames faster.
Should You Invest Forma or Reactor?
For an early player, using an Orokin Reactor on Nekros is a solid choice if you enjoy his playstyle and plan to use him for farming long-term. Doubling his mod capacity lets you fit a full Desecrate-centric build much sooner. However, if you only want to try him out, hold off. A Forma investment is less critical early on, because you can get by with a simple efficiency and survivability setup. Save Forma for weapons that will carry you through the star chart.
