Few decisions in Warframe carry as much weight as what to do with a defeated Kuva Lich. After hunting down your nemesis, stealing its territory, and finally cracking the Requiem sequence, you are presented with a critical choice: Kill or Convert. Both options have permanent consequences for your inventory, your Railjack crew, and even future Lich encounters. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to make the right call for your playstyle, goals, and collection.
The Kuva Lich system is a personal nemesis mechanic introduced in Update 26.0. A Lich is born when you mercy kill a Kuva Larvling in a standard Grineer mission (after completing The War Within quest). It rises through the ranks, spreads influence across the Star Chart, and mocks you until you hunt it down with the right Parazon mods. Once you learn the correct sequence and confront the Lich in its flagship confrontation, you must decide its fate. Below, we examine every angle of this choice.
What Happens When You Kill a Kuva Lich?
Choosing to kill your Lich ends its existence permanently. This is the straightforward path most players take, especially early on. Here are the immediate and long-term outcomes:
Kuva Weapon Drop
The primary reason to kill a Lich is to claim its Kuva weapon. Each Lich generates with a specific weapon (such as a Kuva Bramma, Kuva Nukor, etc.), which you can see by hovering over the Lich in the menu. After killing, the weapon is added to your Foundry ready to claim, complete with a random bonus elemental damage percentage (between 25-60%). You can later fuse duplicate Kuva weapons to increase this bonus, making repeated killing essential for min-maxing.
Kuva and Requiem Relic Refunds
A killed Lich also drops a hefty amount of Kuva (the resource used for Riven mod rerolls). The exact amount scales with the Lich’s rank. Additionally, you get back any Requiem Relics you used, though the specific Requiem mods are consumed. This softens the resource strain of your hunt.
Mastery Rank and Progression
Each unique Kuva weapon variant grants Mastery Rank (MR) experience. Killing Liches is the only way to acquire most of these weapons. If you are an MR completionist, you will eventually need to kill dozens of Liches to collect every weapon and maximize their bonus damage.
No Future Interactions
Once killed, the Lich is gone forever. There is no way to bring it back. If you later regret the decision because you wanted the Lich as a Railjack crewmate or for trading, you will need to spawn an entirely new Lich with that weapon.
What Happens When You Convert a Kuva Lich?
Converting a Kuva Lich turns it into your ally. Instead of killing it, the Lich becomes a friendly NPC that can assist you in specific ways. This option is less common but extremely powerful for certain purposes.
Railjack Crewmate
A converted Lich can be assigned as an on-call crewmate in your Railjack. They function like other crewmates but with one critical advantage: they can revive you when you go down. Their combat effectiveness depends on their weapon and bonus element. A converted Lich with a high-damage AoE weapon like a Kuva Bramma can solo entire mobs. They also cannot permanently die, making them a reliable summon in missions via the Tactical Menu.
Trading and Platinum Generation
Converted Liches can be traded to other players. This is a significant source of platinum. Players often convert Liches with popular weapons and high elemental bonuses (60% is ideal) to sell on the market. The trade takes place in the Crimson Branch room of a Clan Dojo. Only one conversion trade can be active per player at a time, and once traded, the Lich becomes the buyer’s active nemesis to defeat.
Free Spectre Appearances
A converted Lich has a small random chance to appear in your missions as a temporary ally. It will fight alongside you for about a minute before vanishing. While not game-breaking, it is a fun flavor mechanic and can occasionally save your life.
No Weapon or Mastery from Conversion
The biggest downside: you do not get the Kuva weapon from a converted Lich. The weapon is lost unless you later trade for it or spawn a new Lich with the same weapon. You also do not gain mastery points. If the Lich had a weapon you still need for your collection, killing is almost always preferable.
Factors to Consider Before Making Your Choice
Weapon and Bonus Percentage
Check the Lich’s weapon and its innate element. If the bonus is low (under 30%) and the weapon is one you already own with a higher bonus, converting may be more profitable. If the bonus is high (55%+) or the weapon is one you have never owned, killing is likely the better move. Weapon preference matters: meta weapons like the Kuva Zarr or Kuva Nukor are always in high demand for trading, so a 60% bonus version can net hundreds of platinum.
Your Mastery Rank Goals
If you are still climbing to Legendary ranks, prioritize killing. Every new Kuva weapon grants 100 mastery points per level (up to 40, for a total of 4,000 mastery), and you will need dozens of unique weapons to reach MR30+. Conversion sets you back because you must spawn and hunt another Lich for that weapon.
Your Platinum Economy
Veteran players often convert mid-tier Liches to sell. The market is healthy for high-roll weapons, but demand fluctuates. Check recent trade chat or third-party sites for prices. If you need plat for slots, cosmetics, or prime parts, converting and selling can be a viable side hustle.
Ephemeras
Some Liches spawn with a cosmetic Ephemera (Vengeful Charge, Vengeful Flame, etc.). These are purely visual and are unlocked irrespective of kill or convert. However, if you convert a Lich that has an Ephemera, the buyer will also receive the Ephemera upon killing the Lich. This makes Ephemera Liches inherently more valuable for trading.
Step-by-Step: How to Kill or Convert
When you finally down the Lich in the final confrontation, you will see two interaction prompts: Mercy Kill and Convert (on PC, default keys ‘X’ to kill and ‘F’ to convert; on console, check on-screen prompts). The game pauses while you choose, so you are not under time pressure. Make absolutely sure you are pressing the correct button, as the decision is irreversible.
After converting, the Lich will bow and then disappear from the mission. You will immediately receive a confirmation message and the Lich will appear in your Codex under the Kuva Lich History. To assign it as crew, go to the Railjack customization console in your Dry Dock and choose the “Converted Adversaries” tab. To trade it, visit the Crimson Branch in a Dojo with a trading partner and use the console there.
Common Scenarios and Recommendations
- First Lich Ever: Kill it. You want the weapon for mastery and to experience the reward loop.
- High-Damage Meta Weapon (60% bonus): If you don’t own it, kill it. If you already have a maxed version, convert to sell or keep as a powerful crewmate.
- Weapon You Already Own with Better Bonus: Convert to sell or use as crew.
- Lich with Ephemera: Consider converting even if weapon is mediocre; the Ephemera adds trading value.
- Grinding for a Specific Lich Weapon: Always kill until you get the weapon, then evaluate subsequent spawns for conversion.
The Impact on Future Lich Hunts
Converting or killing has no direct effect on future Lich spawns, but there is a subtle meta consequence: if you convert a Lich with a weapon you still need, you must go through the entire RNG process again to spawn that weapon. This can take hours of mission farming. Always check your Lich checklist before converting.
Moreover, if you plan to fuse Kuva weapons, killing gives you immediate duplicate fodder. Converting delays that progress unless you buy the weapon from another player later.
Final Piece of Advice
Ultimately, the kill versus convert decision comes down to your immediate needs. Are you a collector? Kill. Are you a trader or obsessed with decking out your Railjack? Convert. A balanced approach is to kill until you have all weapons at maximum bonus, then convert any subsequent high-roll Liches for crew or plat. This ensures you never miss out on mastery while still reaping the benefits of conversion. Whatever you choose, be deliberate, because that choice is forever.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo a kill or convert decision?
No. Once you choose, the outcome is permanent. There is no way to revert it, even by appealing to support. Always double-check the weapon and bonus before pressing the button.
Does converting a Lich grant any mastery points?
No. Mastery is only awarded when you claim a Kuva weapon from a killed Lich. Converted Liches do not contribute to your profile progress.
Can I convert a Lich and later decide to kill it?
No. A converted Lich becomes an ally permanently. The only way to get its weapon is to obtain a new Lich with the same weapon and kill that one, or trade for it.
How many converted Liches can I have?
You can have an unlimited number of converted Liches. However, you can only assign one as your on-call crewmate at a time, and you can only trade one Lich at a time (the active trade slot).
What happens if I trade a converted Lich?
The other player receives the Lich as their active nemesis. They must then hunt and kill it using their own Requiem mods. Upon killing, they get the weapon and any Ephemera. You get whatever you agreed upon in trade (usually platinum).
Do converted Liches use their abilities when they help me?
Yes, they use all their learned abilities, including movement powers (like Void Dash) and attack abilities. Their effectiveness is based on their rank and weapon mods.
Is there any downside to converting besides losing the weapon?
Not directly. You lose the immediate Kuva and Requiem relic refund, but the long-term utility of a powerful crewmate or platinum can outweigh that. The main cost is the time you invested hunting that Lich without gaining a weapon for mastery.
