Best Riot-848 Builds In Warframe

The Riot-848 is Temple’s signature SMG in Warframe, and it’s one of the most unique secondaries in the game. This pistol fires explosive rounds that only detonate once you reload, creating a chain reaction that reuses the same ammo—meaning no reserves and technically infinite shots. It’s a high-damage, AoE-focused weapon perfect for clearing groups fast, and its reload-based gimmick makes it incredibly fun to use once you master the rhythm. In this guide, we’ll break down how to get your hands on the Riot-848, how its reload mechanic actually works, and share a powerful endgame build that can handle Steel Path and Archimedea missions with ease.

How To Get The Riot-848 In Warframe

To get your hands on the Riot-848, you’ll need to dive into the Solstice Square Defense mission in Hollvania, part of the Warframe 1999 content. You unlock this content after completing “The Hex” story quest. From there, play through waves in Solstice Square for a chance at the Riot-848’s components. If the drops aren’t on your side, don’t worry—you can also buy each part from Flare in the Hollvania mall using Beating Heartstrings, a currency you earn from the same mission. Once you’ve gathered everything, head to your Foundry to build the weapon.

Riot-848 Crafting Requirements:
• Riot-848 Barrel
• Riot-848 Receiver
• Riot-848 Stock
• Riot-848 Blueprint
• 3 Orokin Cells
• Credits: 25,000
• Build Time: 24 Hours

It’s a bit of a grind, but totally worth it for one of the coolest secondaries in the game.

Riot-848 Stats And Features In Warframe

The Riot-848 is a slick, fast-firing pistol that feels more like a mini grenade launcher than your typical sidearm. Each shot deals Puncture damage on impact, but the real power comes when you reload—the bullets you fired explode on reload, dishing out Blast damage in a small AoE. This mechanic makes timing your reloads key to maximizing your damage output. It holds 16 rounds, and if you fire more than that before reloading (like with Multishot), the oldest projectile auto-detonates to make room.

With 26% crit chance, a 2.2x multiplier, and 26% status per shot, the Riot-848 is well-rounded. It’s great for mowing down clustered enemies, especially if they’re unarmored. Against tankier foes, it may need a damage boost from mods or Arcanes like Pistoleer for better efficiency. And because of its high status on the explosions, it can even function as a solid primer for condition overload setups. This thing rewards smart play and feels super satisfying once you get the rhythm down.

Best Riot-848 Builds

The Riot-848 may seem simple on the surface, but with the right setup, it becomes a blast-spamming powerhouse that’s perfect for high-level content. This build focuses on cranking up its explosive damage, improving reload synergy, and boosting status procs for crowd control. It’s not some off-the-wall gimmick — just a reliable, high-damage setup that thrives in Steel Path and even holds up in Temporal Archimedea missions.

We’re stacking damage and status with Galvanized Shot and Hemorrhage to capitalize on the explosion effect when reloading. Add in Lethal Torrent and Barrel Diffusion for multishot and fire rate, giving you more detonations with every clip. To cover scaling, Primed Target Cracker and Primed Pistol Gambit boost critical stats, while a Heat + Viral combo via Pathogen Rounds and Scorch works well against heavily armored targets. If you want to lean into utility or ammo support, slot in Pistol Ammo Mutation or go for Eject Magazine for faster reloads. Simple, deadly, and super satisfying to play with — this build turns Riot-848 into a grenade-spitting menace.

Endgame Riot-848 Build

Forma: 4 (4V)
Variant: Riot-848

This build focuses on getting the most out of Riot-848’s reload explosion mechanic, which means we’re skipping Galvanized Shot since it doesn’t scale those detonation effects. Instead, we’re leaning hard into flat damage, multishot, and crit scaling to amplify every burst.

Start off with Hornet Strike for solid base damage, and pair it with either Secondary Deadhead or Merciless—both offer reliable scaling depending on your preference for headshots or general kills. Galvanized Diffusion and Lethal Torrent stack multishot and fire rate, giving you more explosive rounds in each clip and quicker detonations overall.

For crit, Primed Pistol Gambit is the go-to, but Creeping Bullseye works just fine if you’re short on the former. Galvanized Crosshairs ramps your crit chance to orange-tier levels after headshots, which is ideal for maximizing your reload AoE crits. Primed Target Cracker rounds it out with a boost to crit damage.

To finish, slot in your favorite elemental pair based on the enemies you’re facing—Viral + Heat works great for general use, or Corrosive + Heat for armored targets. This setup turns Riot-848 into a status-spreading, crit-blasting, reload-booming sidearm that feels incredibly fun and hits hard in endgame content.

Conclusion

The Riot-848 isn’t just a flashy secondary—it’s a powerhouse when built right. Its unique reload mechanic gives it infinite ammo and explosive potential that’s perfect for clearing groups and shredding tougher enemies in Steel Path and Archimedea missions. Whether you prefer to focus on raw crit damage, status overload, or just want to have fun blowing up rooms nonstop, the Riot-848 has the flexibility and power to match your playstyle. Build it right, and it quickly becomes one of the most satisfying secondaries in Warframe’s entire arsenal.