Ash Prime · Loadouts

Ash by progress

Progression path first. Specialist cards after. Each progression card is the peak you can run at that rung — not a second identity.

New to Warframe? Open the glossary

Progression path

Starter0–1 FormaStarterHigh confidenceStar ChartLevel capShards optional

Smoke and Steel

Learn the frame.

Best for: Star Chart, first Ash, anyone without an exalted melee grid yet

Invisible, armor-stripped, cheap. Learn Smoke Screen before you touch Blade Storm.

Smoke Screen is Ash. Duration keeps you untargetable while you strip and stab.

Investment: 1 Forma · Reactor · 1 shard

Inventory unknown · Codex Checked 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Update 43.5

High — How strongly the Codex recommends this for its stated purpose — not a test log.

Dmg: 5/5 Dmg
Sur: 5/5 Sur
En: 2/5 En
Mob: 3/5 Mob
Ease: 5/5 Ease

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Smoke and Steel — Star Chart.

Star Chart2–3 FormaModerateHigh confidenceStar ChartSteel Path

Smoke and Steel — Star Chart

First serious version.

Best for: Junctions through the Outer Terminus. Steel Path is the next card, not this one.

Invisible, armor-stripped, cheap. Learn Smoke Screen before you touch Blade Storm. Primed Continuity and Primed Flow are the first real upgrade — not Blind Rage.

Smoke Screen is Ash. Duration keeps you untargetable while you strip and stab.

Investment: 3 Forma · Reactor · 2 specialised mods

Inventory unknown · Codex Checked 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Update 43.5

High — How strongly the Codex recommends this for its stated purpose — not a test log.

Dmg: 5/5 Dmg
Sur: 5/5 Sur
En: 3/5 En
Mob: 3/5 Mob
Ease: 5/5 Ease

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Wrathful Clones — Steel Path.

Steel Path3–4 FormaAdvancedMedium confidenceStar ChartSteel PathShards optional

Wrathful Clones — Steel Path

Your first endgame-capable version.

Best for: Steel Path Star Chart, Circuit, first Archon. Helminth is the next card.

Shadow Clones are a real melee now. Wrathful Advance dumps flat crit onto them until rooms vanish. This is the peak you can run the day Steel Path unlocks — galvanized / arcanes, no Helminth.

Blade Storm was reworked into an exalted melee. If the clone grid is empty, this loadout does nothing.

Investment: 4 Forma · Reactor · 1 shard · 4 specialised mods

Not yet · Codex Checked 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Update 43.5

Medium — A solid recommendation with more situational dependencies. Confidence is not verification.

Dmg: 5/5 Dmg
Sur: 5/5 Sur
En: 2/5 En
Mob: 3/5 Mob
Ease: 4/5 Ease

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Wrathful Clones — Optimised.

Optimised4–5 FormaEndgameMedium confidenceNetracellsArchon HuntsHelminthShards optional

Wrathful Clones — Optimised

Spend resources to push it.

Best for: Netracells, Archon, EDA. You have Helminth or you don't need it.

Shadow Clones are a real melee now. Wrathful Advance dumps flat crit onto them until rooms vanish.

Blade Storm was reworked into an exalted melee. If the clone grid is empty, this loadout does nothing.

Investment: 5 Forma · Reactor · Helminth (Wrathful Advance (Kullervo)) · 2 shards · 5 specialised mods

Not yet · Codex Checked 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Update 43.5

Medium — A solid recommendation with more situational dependencies. Confidence is not verification.

Dmg: 5/5 Dmg
Sur: 5/5 Sur
En: 2/5 En
Mob: 3/5 Mob
Ease: 3/5 Ease

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Wrathful Clones — Endgame.

Needs Helminth or shards. Open the Starter first if those are locked.

Endgame5–6 FormaEndgameExperimentalLevel capHelminthShards optional

Wrathful Clones — Endgame

Only if you actually need it.

Best for: endgame / endurance, level cap, anyone who wants Ash to press 4

Shadow Clones are a real melee now. Wrathful Advance dumps flat crit onto them until rooms vanish.

Blade Storm was reworked into an exalted melee. If the clone grid is empty, this loadout does nothing.

Investment: 6 Forma · Reactor · Helminth (Wrathful Advance (Kullervo)) · 2 shards · 5 specialised mods

Not yet · Codex Checked 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Update 43.5

Experimental — Interesting interaction — less proven or more demanding. Not the same as untested.

Dmg: 5/5 Dmg
Sur: 5/5 Sur
En: 2/5 En
Mob: 3/5 Mob
Ease: 2/5 Ease

Your next step: stop here unless a specialist card fits the mission.

Needs Helminth or shards. Open the Starter first if those are locked.

Specialist builds

Not part of the path

Same frame, different job. These are not missing rungs — they are optional identities once the path feels easy.

Steel Path3–4 FormaAdvancedMedium confidenceBossesShards optional

Fatal Teleport

Your first endgame-capable version.

Best for: Eximus hunting, Liches, anyone who likes teleport-stab-repeat

Press 3, enemy dies. Fatal Teleport plus Savage Silence is a finisher factory.

Fatal Teleport is the augment that makes 3 a gun.

Investment: 4 Forma · Reactor · 2 shards · 4 specialised mods

Not yet · Codex Checked 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Update 43.5

Medium — A solid recommendation with more situational dependencies. Confidence is not verification.

Dmg: 5/5 Dmg
Sur: 3/5 Sur
En: 3/5 En
Mob: 3/5 Mob
Ease: 4/5 Ease

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Wrathful Clones — Optimised.

Endgame4 FormaEndgameMedium confidenceSteel PathHelminthShards optional

Savage Room

Only if you actually need it.

Best for: Dense Steel Path, Eximus rooms, people who hate radios and Noxes

Subsume Silence over Shuriken. Blade Storm clones inherit the finisher window.

You give up Seeking Shuriken. Finishers and Slash do not care.

Investment: 4 Forma · Reactor · Helminth (Silence (Banshee)) · 2 shards · 3 specialised mods

Not yet · Codex Checked 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Update 43.5

Medium — A solid recommendation with more situational dependencies. Confidence is not verification.

Dmg: 5/5 Dmg
Sur: 3/5 Sur
En: 2/5 En
Mob: 3/5 Mob
Ease: 2/5 Ease

Your next step: stop here unless a specialist card fits the mission.

Needs Helminth or shards. Open the Starter first if those are locked.

Steel Path3 FormaAdvancedMedium confidenceSpyHelminthShards optional

Invisible Guns

Your first endgame-capable version.

Best for: Incarnons, snipers, people who picked Ash for invisibility not clones

Ash as a stealth gun platform. Eclipse or Roar over Blade Storm. Smoke Screen is the buff.

Not every Ash wants clones. This is the 'I picked the ninja to stay invisible' loadout.

Investment: 3 Forma · Reactor · Helminth (Eclipse (Mirage) or Roar (Rhino)) · 2 shards · 4 specialised mods

Not yet · Codex Checked 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Update 43.5

Medium — A solid recommendation with more situational dependencies. Confidence is not verification.

Dmg: 5/5 Dmg
Sur: 5/5 Sur
En: 2/5 En
Mob: 3/5 Mob
Ease: 4/5 Ease

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Wrathful Clones — Optimised.