Warframe: Xaku Prime build guide
With the right build, Xaku Prime can comfortably beat any Warframe content. To summarize (and possibly generalize) his kit: you can run-and-gun, armor-strip in a large room, buff your weapons, and have theoretically infinite scaling in endurance modes.
Since the health and status rework in 2024, Xaku is also less Strength-hungry to build, since you don't need to hit the full armor-strip breakpoint. However, do note that his power ceiling is also less than what it was since enemies have higher raw health.
In this Xaku build guide, we'll go over a mod setup for the Warframe that you can tweak to fit different criteria, as well as potential Helminth combos to try.
There are only minor stat differences between Xaku and Xaku Prime, so all of these builds are also applicable on regular Xaku - but the Forma cost may be higher.
Warframe Xaku Prime builds for end-game Steel Path (1-4 Forma)
Forma Setup: Xaku Prime natively comes with two D polarities (Vazarin) and a V polarity (Madurai). You can make do with a serviceable build just with one Forma to add one more V polarity. However, for our build setup, we use the following:
- Forma 1: V polarity (Madurai)
- Forma 2: Dash polarity (Naramon)
- Forma 3: D polarity (Vazarin) - on the Exilus Slot
- Forma 4: Aura Forma or V polarity (Madurai) - on the Aura Slot
The Formas are listed in order of priority, i.e. the final two are more optional if you want to min-max.
Build goals for Xaku Prime
Generally, the first thing a Xaku build should aim for is 200% Strength so that Gaze can fully armor-strip opponents. However, full armor strip is less necessary than it used to be in Warframe, so you can do with less Strength and more sustainability.
There are two major concerns you'll run into when playing Xaku: one is Energy Economy, and the other is durability (if you're playing Steel Path and don't have a buddy to soak the aggro).
With that in mind, here's what you get from each modifier:
- Ability Strength: As mentioned earlier, the main thing here is the 200% break-point for full armor strip on Gaze (The Lost sub-ability). It also gives you additional damage on Xata's Whisper, and increase the intensity of the enemy slow cc applied when you cast The Vast Untime.
- Ability Range: It affects the range of Gaze and Accuse, but more importantly, the number of guns you can steal with Grasp of Lohk. You want to keep this at at least 175% (10 guns cap).
- Ability Duration: Quality-of-life modifier, letting you keep your Vast Untime for longer, meaning fewer recasts, better Energy economy, and less hassle overall.
- Ability Efficiency: Your abilities eat up a large amount of Energy, but you need so much of everything else that this will generally be the neutral or dump stat in any build.
Also Read: Trumna Prime build guide
Mods, Arcanes, and Archon Shards
No build makes both survivability and energy economy easier to juggle without sinking some Archon Shards. We have used a mixture of Azure Archon Shards (+Energy) and Crimson Archon Shards (+Ability Strength or +Ability Duration). If you get 5x Azure Archon Shards, it lets you forego Primed Flow completely, so here's the build we're left with afterward:
- Aura Slot: Growing Power / Corrosive Projection
- Exilus Slot: Primed Sure Footed (you can skip this completely if you use Madurai and refresh the passive in a timely manner)
- Primed Redirection
- Transient Fortitude / Blind Rage
- Stretch
- Augur Message / Primed Flow (depends on Archon Shards)
- Adaptation
- Equilibrium
- Augur Reach
- Primed Continuity
- Arcane Slot 1: Arcane Aegis
- Arcane Slot 2: Arcane Energize
This is a general-purpose build for base-level Steel Path, where you rely on Shield-tanking stray hits with Arcane Aegis. For Energy, you'll have to rely on Arcane Energize and Health Orbs (Equilibrium conversion) combined with Synth Deconstruct on your companion.
This keeps your Vast Untime up for 38 seconds. For higher-level content, you can replace Transient Fortitude with Blind Rage for a higher uptime on Vast Untime as well as 100% armor strip with Gaze.
If you want to go to four-digit levels on Steel Path, consider replacing Primed Redirection and Adaptation with Catalyzing Shields and Rolling Guard. In this case, Arcane Aegis is also useless, so drop it for Molt Augmented.
Helminth options
Xaku's kit is more or less self-sufficient, as all of his abilities offer something meaningful. That said, here are some common Helminth ability options:
- Roar (replaces Xata's Whisper) lets you lean into ability damage fully. It's worthwhile to run it alongside Stalk from Huras Kubrow for perma-invisibility as long as you don't use weapons.
- Nourish (replaces Xata's Whisper) can make Energy much easier to handle. You lose the Void bubble and damage instance shenanigans, but gain some free Viral damage on top.
- Ophanim Eyes/Terrify (replaces The Lost): These two are alternative ways to approach armor strip that lets you stay mobile.
Check out our other guides on the game:
- All Warframes tier list
- Everything we know about Warframe 1999
- Warframe Incarnon weapons tier list
- Kuva weapons tier list
- All Warframe Twitch drops this week
- Best stat-stick weapons in Warframe