Primary Weapons

Master Warframe's primary weapons! Learn about Assault Rifles, Heavy Machine Guns, Shotguns, Snipers, and more to dominate the battlefield.

Alright, let's talk about your primary weapons in Warframe. These are the big guns you'll be relying on for most of your fights, and knowing what each one does best can make a huge difference. Think of them as your bread and butter for taking down enemies.

We've got a solid lineup here, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. We'll go through them one by one so you know exactly what you're packing.

• Assault Rifle: These are your standard shooters. They might not be the flashiest, but they've got tons of ammo (starting at 600, going up to 1200 with upgrades) and a nice, quick rate of fire. They aren't the most accurate and don't have the best range, but having one means you're unlikely to run out of bullets mid-fight. Picking up another assault rifle instantly refills your ammo, which is super handy. Some upgrades even boost your magazine size.
• Heavy Machine Gun: This beast packs more punch than an assault rifle and fires faster, but it's less accurate and chews through ammo quickly. Its range isn't great either. However, it does more damage over time. A headshot can take down a regular enemy or stagger a tougher one, showing it hits harder. It's awesome to have, but you'll want to conserve ammo by aiming for headshots. A cool trick: doing a physical attack with this lets you somersault, and you can enter AR mode during it to jump over obstacles and shoot at the same time. Upgrades can increase its damage.
• Shotgun: If enemies get up close and personal, this is your go-to. It's incredibly strong at very short ranges, especially if you aim for the head, as its shots are always straight. Beyond a few meters, though, it becomes pretty useless. It shines when you can get multiple shots into an enemy's weak point. It's a lifesaver when enemies start rushing you. Be aware, though: sometimes if an enemy is *too* close, your shot might just knock them down without doing damage. It also has limited ammo, starting at 20 and doubling when fully upgraded.
• Sniper: Perfect accuracy and decent power, but it comes with only 10 ammo initially and a really long reload time. It's fantastic for hitting enemy weak points from afar, but not so great for general damage. The projectile is fast but not instant, so keep that in mind for moving targets. You can zoom in by pressing R3 (the analog stick). It pairs surprisingly well with the Heavy Machine Gun's somersault trick – you can clear obstacles and get a great vantage point. Fully upgraded, you get 22 ammo, and reload time gets shorter with upgrades.
• Disc Launcher: This weapon is brilliant for dismembering enemies. It suffers from low ammo but deals area damage thanks to its wide blade. If the disc hits an object, it often bounces upwards and can hit another enemy. It's one of the few weapons you can use effectively from cover, as the disc can bounce off walls to hit enemies behind you. You can even take off Romanov heads with precise shots, causing them to go blind and eventually die. Upgrades can increase its damage.
• Lock-On Laser: Great for clearing out hordes of standard robotic enemies. The downside is the lasers travel a long distance, so they might not always work indoors, though there are some indoor spots where it's possible with some effort. It's not super powerful, but it aims for the head, making it effective even against tougher robots. Like the Disc Launcher, it's one of the few weapons that lets you shoot from cover. It has a huge lock-on range. There's a trick to firing it almost horizontally by running away while shooting, but it's not super practical as you have to be out of cover and shots can hit the ground.
• Rocket Launcher: The classic heavy hitter. It deals the most damage per shot and has an area of effect. However, firing without locking on makes the rocket wildly inaccurate. To lock on, aim at the target until two squares overlap, indicated by a beeping sound and the reticule turning red. Rockets will then home in. It has a very slow reload time, and you only get 3 ammo. Upgrades can improve damage, lock-on time, and blast radius.
• LFE: This weapon instantly kills common robotic enemies and can knock down or knock back others it doesn't one-shot. It starts with 10 ammo, doubling when fully upgraded. Upgrades can increase the range of the LFE blast.
• Grenade: These explode after 5 seconds. Be careful, you can take damage from your own grenades! You can also shoot friendly or hostile grenades before the timer runs out to detonate them early. A fun tactic is to toss a grenade over a group of enemies, then activate AR to shoot it mid-air for a stylish, guaranteed kill.
• EMP Grenade: These detonate on impact. You can throw them quickly while boosting.

DLC Weapons

• Laser Cannon: This one has unlimited ammo, but it's tied to your suit's power. Holding the fire button too long will overcharge your suit, and you'll have to wait for it to recharge. It has a very long range, similar to a sniper rifle but without zoom. It's great for taking out enemies from a distance without worrying about ammo and is effective against weak spots, quickly draining enemy health. It can also penetrate most armors.
• Anti Armor Gun: Comes with 20 ammo and is very powerful, comparable to a sniper rifle against regular robots but fires much faster with quicker reloads. It has a single zoom level, enough for long-distance heavy damage, though the sniper can reach farther. Headshots are instant kills on basic robots, or two body shots. As the name suggests, it's great against armor. You can shoot the armor of vehicles or rolling enemies, and it will deal damage. Hitting weak spots magnifies this, but you can still do significant damage to armor directly.
• Boost Machine Gun: With 250 base ammo, this is the most powerful machine gun, but you'll need to reload it more frequently.