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The Duviri Paradox update in Warframe dropped with a new twist to spice up old gear. While many veteran players had their eyes set on the huge boosts to legacy equipment, the patch also shipped with six all-new weapons. Save for the Cinta bow, all of them are melee weapons used by the various Dax enemies in Duviri. They can all be purchased from Teshin's Cave, accessible from The Duviri Experience, in exchange for Pathos Clamps.
More importantly, you can use these melee weapons on your Drifter exclusively in Duviri. On the Drifter, they all have individual special attacks to make quick work of the Dax spawns in the new open world. Not all of these special attack combos are available in general Warframe gameplay outside Duviri, but these are still endgame-worthy melee weapons.
The five weapons in this list have been ranked in terms of overall performance, which takes into account not only their damage and scaling potential but also ease of use both in and outside of Duviri.
Note that with a decent build, the difference in their viability only materializes in high-level Steel Path content. Outside of endurance runs, the best weapon of the lot is a matter of personal preference and playstyle.
Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer
The Syam and 5 other new Duviri melee weapons in Warframe, ranked from worst to best
6) Sun and Moon
The Sun and Moon is the debutant dual-Nikana in the Duviri Paradox update and also the default Drifter melee weapon. In Duviri, its rapid slashes make for an easy low-commitment melee experience, while the high wind-up in its special attack makes it only mediocre.
The Sun and Moon is also the signature weapon wielded by Teshin throughout the game, including his segment in the New War quest. Except for this nostalgic value, the Sun and Moon is not as good as the other Drifter melee alternatives. It is, however, a Mastery Rank 0 beginner-friendly freebie that can carry you through the Starchart.
5) Sampotes
When used as a Drifter weapon, the Sampotes is a great hammer that functions as advertised. Its blows are sluggish but damaging, and its special attack is a close-range shockwave that deals continuous Fire damage in a cone.
The gimmick for the Sampotes outside Duviri remains in its heavy slam attack. Instead of the regular effects of a heavy slam, the Sampotes creates three lines of shockwave, covering an area comparable to Rhino's Stomp. These do not retain the Fire tick damage of the original special attack but do launch large mobs into the air, including Eximus units.
Treat it as a weaker Kuva Shideg that doubles as a pocket aggro control tool.
4) Syam
The Syam has the smallest range of all melee weapons. It compensates for it with high attack speed and overall higher damage output than the default Sun and Moon.
The real damage potential of the Syam in Duviri shines through in its special combo. It is a melee-range whirlwind attack that also temporarily procs the 'Lift' status on all affected enemies.
The Syam's main schtick, however, also carries over to general Warframe gameplay. Its heavy attack, instead of the regular Nikana slash, sends out a vertical wave of heat that even climbs up steep terrain and walls as it goes.
The only issue is that in the average close-quarter tileset commonly encountered in Warframe, the waves tend to reach the ceiling and then clip through it, severely limiting its effective use case. In open areas, it is a decent Nikana with corridor-clearing ability.
3) Argo & Vel
Argo & Vel is a pair of shield and mace released with the Echoes of Duviri Warframe update. As one would expect from the first Drifter equipment to feature a shield, this weapon has a unique mechanic related to blocking.
Blocking either melee or ranged attacks fasten your special attack cooldown when your Drifter is equipped with Argo & Vel. However, the special attack itself is nothing extraordinary. It is a melee-range vertical strike with the shield that deals moderate damage and knocks down a target upon a direct hit.
Used in the Origin System, Argo & Vel launches a spectral glaive from the shield that hits up to three enemies. Due to lackluster damage, it is ill-advised to make your entire build around this gimmick. Instead, the best-case use of this weapon for damage potential is as a true-blue hack and slash melee weapon.
In its subclass, this sword and shield boasts the highest critical damage and critical multiplier, alongside respectable damage and status chance. This also benefits from a very easy-flowing and versatile moveset in Duviri, making it arguably the best Drifter melee for light attack spam
2) Edun
In the valleys of Duviri, the Edun is likely the most effective melee usable by the Drifter. It combines both high attack speed and the breeziness of the default polearm moveset with respectable damage. To top it off, the special attack is a pocket sand ability that perfectly addresses the lack of crowd control in Duviri gameplay.
Much like the Azothane, the Edun is a critical powerhouse compared to most polearms in Warframe. To be sure, it is not the best polearm in the game stat-wise. Yet it is a narrow toss-up between the Edun, the Guandao Prime, and the Orthos Prime if Riven Mods are taken out of the equation.
The Edun also has a different special property applicable to non-Duviri Warframe content. The heavy attack on this weapon hurls it forward in a steep arc, damaging and exploding on contact before it immediately returns to you. This is subpar to the wave-clearing abilities of an Exodia Contagion, but nevertheless, a welcome addition.
1) Azothane
You may have already witnessed the Azothane in the hands of the Duviri Dax Equitem miniboss. In the hands of the Drifter, this two-handed Nikana is a much more impressive blade that dishes out high burst damage in slow, methodical strikes.
The Duviri-exclusive special attack on it sends out an area-of-effect cone attack that damages enemies and procs Cold status in its wake. It boasts high critical and status chance along with the highest range and attack speed in its weapon class, capable of shredding through steel path content with a hybrid build.
Furthermore, this is the best Drifter melee in Warframe for a heavy attack build, given:
- It has the highest critical chance out of all Drifter melee weapons.
- The two-handed Nikana stance, Wise Razor, has a forced Slash proc on both its heavy attack moves.
Right off the bat, the Azothane is the second-best two-handed Nikana in Warframe, outclassed only marginally by the Tenet Livia. If you are looking to get only the mathematically best weapon with your first 50 Pathos Clamps, look no further.
Check out other guides on this game from Sportskeeda:
All Warframes tier list ||Warframe Incarnon weapons tier list || Kuva weapons tier list || All Warframe Twitch drops this week || Best stat-stick weapons in Warframe || Latest Baro Ki'teer Inventory || All Warframe Promo Codes || Best weapons in Warframe for each Mastery Rank
