In the sprawling, digital cosmos of Warframe, players slip into the role of a Tenno, ancient warriors awakened from cryostasis to engage in a forever war. These space ninjas wield an arsenal that would make any interstellar arsenal enthusiast green with envy. Among the myriad of combat-ready personas you can adopt, one stands out with an almost viral fervor: Nidus Prime. This guide will inoculate you with everything you need to know about this relentless, plague-bearing warframe, from his basic stats and how to acquire him, to optimizing his build with power mods and understanding his unique polarities. We’ll also give you our no-holds-barred review of how this prime variant stands up in the current meta.

Stats#

Nidus Prime, a virulent variant of its base version, boasts improvements that make him a standout choice in sustained combat situations. Here’s a breakdown of his base stats:

• Health: Starts at 150, scaling up to 450 at rank 30, a testament to his ability to survive the most unforgiving onslaughts.
• Shield: Interestingly, Nidus Prime, much like his standard counterpart, eschews this stat entirely, relying instead on his formidable regeneration abilities.
• Armor: Sitting at a hefty 450, this frame’s armor is a thick carapace designed to shrug off blows that would fell lesser warriors.
• Energy: Beginning at 100 and escalating to 150 by rank 30, this pool powers Nidus’ unique suite of abilities.

Procurement#

To embrace the pestilence that is Nidus Prime, one must excavate into the depths of the Void, seeking out the rare relics that contain his components. These artifacts are dispersed across the star chart, ribbons of potential tucked into the fabric of various mission types. Players will primarily hunt for these relics in:

• Void Fissure missions: The bread and butter for relic hunters. Keep an eye out for Nidus Prime relics here.
• Bounties in the Plains of Eidolon or Orb Vallis: These open-world locales offer another avenue to amass the necessary relics.

Upon securing and cracking open these relics, be prepared for the RNG gods to test your resolve. You’ll be hunting for Nidus Prime’s blueprint, chassis, neuroptics, and systems. Should the stars align and these components fall into your grasp, a substantial sum of resources—coupled with a dose of patience—will see Nidus Prime rise from the foundry.

Power Mods#

To truly unleash the pandemic potential of Nidus Prime, your build must synergize with his infestation-centric abilities. Here are essential mods to consider:

• Intensify and Blind Rage: Increasing power strength enhances nearly every aspect of Nidus’ abilities, from damage to healing.
• Stretch and Overextended: Nidus’ plague reaches further with increased range, ensnaring more foes with his devastating Virulence.
• Rage or Hunter Adrenaline: Given that Nidus does not possess a shield, these mods ensure energy replenishment via damage to health, maintaining his cycle of abilities.
• Continuity and Augur Message: Extend the duration of Nidus’ Parasitic Link and Ravenous, creating zones of death and regeneration longer.

Augment mods can also play a pivotal role in refining Nidus Prime’s playstyle. Larva Burst allows for strategic detonations, turning trapped enemies into explosive outcomes. Meanwhile, Insatiable ups the ante during missions where staying power is challenged, granting more chances to generate mutation stacks.

Polarity#

Dipping into the customizability of Nidus Prime requires understanding his polarity slots. Out of the box, Nidus Prime greets modders with a mix of Madurai (V), Vazarin (D), and the unique Naramon (-) polarities. This predisposes him to a balanced build but leaves room for adaptation with forma, allowing Tenno to tailor the warframe to suit personal playstyles or niche builds. Typically, players will opt to add more Madurai or Naramon polarity slots to maximize the efficiency of their chosen mods.

Review#

Nidus Prime, in essence, is a magnificent beast, embodying the relentless fortitude of an infestation left unchecked. His ability to scale into the late game is unmatched, offering a crescendo of destruction that few frames can parallel. In missions that test the limits of survival, Nidus Prime thrives, feeding off the very strife that would doom others.

That said, his playstyle might not cater to all. The reliance on building and maintaining Mutation stacks demands a level of engagement and plan that some might find cumbersome. This is not a frame for those who prefer a hit-and-run approach; Nidus is the embodiment of attrition, turning the tide of battle with calculated plays and an inexorable advance.

Is Nidus Prime for you? If the thought of standing amidst a mound of enemies, transforming their attempts at offense into fuel for your undying machinations brings a twisted smile to your face, then yes. Nidus Prime is a warframe that rewards patience, technique, and a touch of malevolence, a testament to the beauty of decay and the power that lies within perpetual destruction.

In conclusion, Nidus Prime stands as a monolith among the pantheon of available warframes, a prime example of how adaptability and resilience can carve a path through even the most chaotic of battlefields. As with any entity of such complex nature, mastering Nidus Prime demands time and experimentation. But for those willing to walk this path of pestilence, the rewards are as infectious as the frame itself.