Warframe: 10 Best Shotguns

Warframe takes players to a far-future solar system filled with advanced technology, from laser rifles to exoskeletons far beyond modern engineering. Yet, despite all the sci-fi innovations, nothing beats the satisfying power of a classic shotgun. These close-range powerhouses have remained a favorite for Tenno, blending devastating firepower with the simple joy of blowing enemies away.

Shotguns in Warframe are some of the most formidable weapons available, capable of shredding through heavily armored foes and decimating groups of enemies with a single blast. Whether you prefer precision strikes or wide-range devastation, there’s a shotgun to suit every playstyle, and many of them rank among the best weapons in the game.

In this article, we’ll highlight the 10 best shotguns in Warframe, showcasing their strengths and why they’re must-haves for any arsenal. Prepare to obliterate your enemies in style as we dive into the ultimate boomsticks that dominate the Origin System!

#10: Tenet Arca Plasmor

The Tenet Arca Plasmor is a powerful upgraded version of the original Arca Plasmor, featuring enhanced damage, range, and versatility, making it one of the best shotguns in Warframe. It fires wide plasma blasts dealing significant Radiation damage, which is highly effective against robotic and alloy-armored enemies. Each shot guarantees an Impact status effect, providing reliable crowd control by staggering foes, while the projectiles can ricochet off surfaces, enabling creative strategies to hit enemies behind cover. The Tenet Arca Plasmor also boasts a longer falloff range compared to its predecessor, allowing for effective engagements at greater distances. Acquiring this weapon requires vanquishing a Sister of Parvos who wields it, and pairing it with mods like Galvanized Hell, Critical Deceleration, and Primed Point Blank can significantly enhance its performance. Selecting a progenitor Warframe that provides a Toxin bonus further amplifies its already impressive damage. With its devastating plasma blasts and crowd-control capabilities, the Tenet Arca Plasmor excels in clearing groups of enemies and tackling high-level missions.

#9: Kuva Kohm

The Kuva Kohm is a devastating powerhouse of a shotgun in Warframe, designed for sustained fire and overwhelming crowd control. As the Kuva variant of the classic Kohm, this weapon boasts improved base stats, including increased critical and status chances, as well as a customizable elemental bonus depending on the progenitor Warframe used to create it. The Kuva Kohm fires a continuous stream of pellets that increases in fire rate and projectile count the longer the trigger is held, making it particularly effective at close range and against heavily armored enemies. With its incredible status potential, it excels at applying corrosive, viral, or radiation procs, which can shred even the toughest foes. This shotgun is best paired with mods like Galvanized Hell, Primed Point Blank, and Hunter Munitions to capitalize on its critical and status synergies. To obtain the Kuva Kohm, players must defeat a Kuva Lich wielding the weapon. With its ability to deliver relentless damage and adapt to various mission types, the Kuva Kohm remains a top-tier shotgun for high-level content.

#8: Tigris Prime

The Tigris Prime is a powerhouse in Warframe and one of the most devastating shotguns available, known for its incredible burst damage and ability to annihilate even the toughest enemies in a single shot. As the Prime variant of the Tigris, it features improved stats, including higher base damage, critical chance, and status chance, making it a top choice for high-level missions and boss fights. The Tigris Prime operates with a unique double-barrel mechanic, firing two rounds per trigger pull, with its innate Slash damage ensuring consistent bleed procs that bypass enemy armor. This shotgun pairs exceptionally well with mods like Hunter Munitions, Viral damage mods, and Primed Point Blank, further amplifying its damage output. Its burst potential makes it particularly effective against heavily armored foes, such as Grineer and Corrupted units. To acquire the Tigris Prime, players can farm its relics or trade with other players. For Tenno who value overwhelming single-target damage, the Tigris Prime remains an iconic and indispensable weapon for endgame content.

#7: Vaykor Hek

The Vaykor Hek is a Syndicate shotgun in Warframe that combines raw power with excellent utility, making it a standout choice for both crowd control and single-target damage. As an enhanced version of the standard Hek, the Vaykor Hek features improved base damage, critical chance, and status chance, making it effective in high-level missions. It also comes with the Justice Blast, a unique Syndicate effect that triggers an AoE explosion, restores health, and grants bonus armor upon reaching the affinity threshold, providing additional survivability and crowd-clearing power. The Vaykor Hek excels at mid- to close-range combat, with its concentrated pellet spread ensuring precision and devastating damage output, especially against heavily armored enemies. Pairing it with mods like Primed Point Blank, Galvanized Hell, and Hunter Munitions further enhances its critical and status capabilities. Acquired through the Steel Meridian Syndicate, the Vaykor Hek is a must-have for Tenno seeking a reliable and versatile shotgun that thrives in both solo and team-based missions.

#6: Corinth Prime

The Corinth Prime is a versatile and hard-hitting shotgun in Warframe, combining exceptional single-target damage with a devastating AoE secondary fire. As the Prime variant of the Corinth, it features improved stats, including higher critical chance, critical multiplier, and status chance, making it a powerhouse for both precision and crowd control. Its primary fire mode shoots a tight spread of pellets, ideal for obliterating enemies at close to medium range with devastating crits. The secondary fire launches a grenade that detonates after a short delay, dealing massive AoE damage, perfect for clearing groups of enemies or hitting high-value targets behind cover.

With innate Blast damage and high base stats, the Corinth Prime shines in builds focusing on critical damage and status procs. Mods like Galvanized Hell, Primed Point Blank, and Hunter Munitions enhance its already impressive performance, while adding Viral or Radiation ensures versatility against different enemy types. Acquiring the Corinth Prime requires farming its relics or trading with other players. For Tenno who value a balanced shotgun capable of excelling in multiple roles, the Corinth Prime is a top-tier weapon for endgame content.

#5: Bubonico

The Bubonico is a unique arm-cannon shotgun in Warframe that excels in both crowd control and sustained damage, making it a standout choice for high-level missions. Unlike traditional shotguns, the Bubonico features infinite ammo, with its magazine replenishing over time, ensuring consistent uptime and eliminating the need for ammo pickups.

The primary fire releases a spread of viral-infused projectiles, dealing innate Viral damage with a high status chance, making it incredibly effective against health-based enemies. Its secondary fire launches a toxic grenade that creates a lingering cloud of Corrosive damage, perfect for softening up armored enemies or controlling crowds in tight spaces. This combination of Viral and Corrosive damage ensures versatility against all factions, making the Bubonico a reliable option for a variety of missions.

To maximize its potential, use mods like Galvanized Hell, Primed Point Blank, and Vigilante Armaments to boost its critical and status capabilities. The Bubonico is acquired by crafting it using components dropped from Necramechs on Deimos and purchasing its blueprint from Father in the Necralisk. For Tenno who value high damage output and infinite sustain, the Bubonico is an exceptional shotgun that performs exceptionally well in both standard and endgame content.

#4: Felarx

The Felarx is a formidable Incarnon shotgun in Warframe, offering unparalleled versatility and raw power, making it one of the best shotguns for high-level missions. As part of the Incarnon weapon series, the Felarx can transform into its Incarnon Mode, granting it devastating upgrades and unleashing its full potential in combat.

In its standard mode, the Felarx delivers heavy-hitting, close-range shots with high critical and status chances, excelling against heavily armored enemies. Once in Incarnon Mode, its fire rate increases dramatically, transforming it into a rapid-fire powerhouse capable of clearing waves of enemies or shredding high-priority targets. With its innate Radiation damage and customizable upgrades, the Felarx adapts to various mission types, making it incredibly versatile.

To unlock the Felarx’s Incarnon Mode, players must build charges by landing consecutive headshots. Pairing it with mods like Galvanized Hell, Primed Point Blank, and Hunter Munitions further amplifies its critical and status capabilities. The Felarx is acquired during the Angels of the Zariman questline and upgraded through the Incarnon evolution system. For Tenno seeking a shotgun that combines brutal firepower with unmatched adaptability, the Felarx is an essential addition to any arsenal.

#3: Exergis

The Exergis is a hard-hitting single-shot shotgun in Warframe, delivering unparalleled burst damage in a single, devastating blast. Known for its high base damage and innate Slash, Radiation, and Impact procs, the Exergis is a powerhouse for taking down heavily armored enemies and high-value targets.

What sets the Exergis apart is its ability to deal massive damage per shot, making it one of the most effective weapons for burst damage builds. Its high status chance ensures frequent elemental and Slash procs, which can shred enemy health and armor. While it has a low magazine capacity of one round, its reload speed is manageable with mods like Primed Fast Hands, allowing for consistent firing.

The Exergis pairs exceptionally well with mods like Galvanized Hell, Primed Point Blank, and Hunter Munitions, which amplify its already devastating critical and status potential. Adding Viral damage ensures maximum synergy with its innate Slash procs, making it lethal in Steel Path and other endgame content.

To acquire the Exergis, players can craft it using a blueprint available in the Market. For Tenno who value precision and raw stopping power, the Exergis is an essential shotgun capable of obliterating enemies with surgical efficiency.

#2: Phantasma

The Phantasma is a unique and powerful shotgun in Warframe, renowned for its high-status capabilities and versatility in both crowd control and sustained damage. As a beam-style shotgun, the Phantasma fires continuous streams of energy that deal Radiation damage with high status chance, making it excellent for applying status effects and shredding through enemy defenses.

Its primary fire delivers a steady stream of Radiation projectiles, ideal for clearing groups of enemies and rapidly proccing status effects like Viral or Corrosive when modded accordingly. The secondary fire launches explosive orbs that detonate on impact, dealing AoE damage and applying additional crowd control, making it highly effective in high-density missions.

The Phantasma’s innate Radiation damage is particularly useful against shielded and robotic enemies, and its high status chance makes it versatile against all factions. Mods like Galvanized Hell, Primed Point Blank, and Vigilante Armaments enhance its damage output, while adding Viral or Heat further increases its effectiveness against high-level foes.

Acquiring the Phantasma requires crafting it using a blueprint purchased from the Market. With its blend of sustained firepower, status procs, and explosive crowd control, the Phantasma is a top-tier shotgun that excels in both standard missions and endgame content.

#1: Cedo

The Cedo is arguably the best shotgun in Warframe, combining incredible damage output, high utility, and unique mechanics that make it a top-tier weapon for any mission type. Introduced with the Heart of Deimos update, the Cedo is a status powerhouse that excels at both single-target damage and crowd control.

The primary fire launches explosive projectiles with innate Viral damage, making it ideal for stripping enemy health. Its high status chance ensures that enemies are constantly afflicted by procs, while its AoE damage clears groups of enemies with ease. The secondary fire deploys a glaive-like disc that bounces between enemies, dealing damage and applying additional status effects, further amplifying its utility and effectiveness in high-level missions.

The Cedo synergizes exceptionally well with status-heavy builds. Mods like Galvanized Hell, Primed Point Blank, and Hunter Munitions amplify its already devastating potential. Adding Corrosive or Heat complements its innate Viral damage, ensuring it can handle any faction with ease.

To acquire the Cedo, players must purchase its blueprint from Father in the Necralisk on Deimos after ranking up with the Entrati family. With its unmatched versatility, powerful status effects, and unique mechanics, the Cedo stands out as the ultimate shotgun in Warframe, perfect for any Tenno looking to dominate the battlefield.

Conclusion

Shotguns in Warframe are some of the most versatile and powerful weapons available, offering devastating damage and unique mechanics that cater to a wide range of playstyles. Whether you’re vaporizing enemies with the Cedo, delivering massive burst damage with the Tigris Prime, or obliterating groups with the explosive Phantasma, these weapons dominate the battlefield in both standard and endgame missions.

Choosing the right shotgun depends on your needs, whether it’s crowd control, single-target destruction, or status application. The weapons on this list represent the best of the best, excelling in their roles and offering incredible synergy with various mods and builds.

Experiment with these shotguns to find the one that suits your playstyle, and enjoy unleashing their raw power against the Origin System’s toughest foes.