Caliban — Razor Mortar
Steel Path build. Ortholysts with Razor Mortar. Gyre groups, they mortar, Fusion Strike strips the pile. This is the peak you can run the day Steel Path unlocks — galvanized / arcanes, no Helminth.
Codex Checked · Compared against current game data for this update. · Update 43.5 · 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Current
Steel Path Star Chart, Circuit, first Archon. Helminth is the next card.
Wrong drop or mechanic?
Why this build?
Steel Path for Steel Path Star Chart, Circuit, first Archon. Helminth is the next card.
Health: Not yet — Helminth, Steel Path, or Archon Hunts still closed. Play the Starter.
- Razor Mortar is the Caliban augment. Ortholysts are the summon you build this around.
- 200% Strength is the Fusion Strike full-strip line.
- Overextended looks painful. Range is every ability.
Don’t use this for: Star Chart only · loadouts that need Helminth
Stronger mods, Arcanes, real synergy
You don’t need the shards to run the loop. They are a later ceiling, not a gate.
Bring: Summons — Ortholysts are the gun Sentients. Razor Mortar makes them focus the Gyre pile with Electricity damage and fire rate. Arcane Camisado stacks summon damage as they get kills.
Alternative if…
- Star Chart only → First Brood
- This is too much Forma / cost → First Brood — Star Chart
My test
Did this still work for you?
Your note, in this browser. Separate from Codex verification — the stamp on the card is editorial, this is yours.
Readiness
Inventory unknown
Not checked — add your collection. You have not failed a test.
- Required mods 0/9 · required — 0/9 named
- Forma 0/4 · required — 4 on the card. Codex does not track installed Forma.
- Helminth · optional — Not required
- Arcanes · recommended — 0/2 recommended
- Shards · optional — Optional unless the card says a breakpoint
Investment: 4 Forma · Reactor · 1 shard · 4 specialised mods. Typical farm ~4–6 hours. Trade if a route is vaulted.
Codex Checked · Compared against current game data for this update. · Update 43.5 · 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Current
Medium confidence. A solid recommendation with more situational dependencies. Confidence is not verification. Verification is separate: Codex Checked against Update 43.5.
Your next step
Next: Razor Mortar — Optimised
Unlock Helminth, Steel Path, or Archon Hunts before this upgrade is honest.
Razor Mortar — OptimisedPlan
Today → next → later
Inventory unknown — mark “I own this” on a few mods. Until then this is a plan, not a score of zero.
- NextGet Growing PowerThe Silver Grove quest
- After that3–4 FormaOne slot at a time. Rank 30 after each polarize.
- LaterCrimson · StrengthHelminth and shards are the last rungs. They are not the Starter.
- FinalRazor Mortar — Steel PathSteel Path · Advanced · 3–4 Forma
Upgrade from here
Razor Mortar — Optimised
Locked behind Helminth, Steel Path, or Archon Hunts. Tick those on Progress first.
Open Razor Mortar — OptimisedFarm the gap
- Razor Mortar — Razor Mortar
Helminth & shards
What to put on the body
- 1 Crimson · Strength — Pay back Overextended, hit 200% strip.Archon locked
Tonight
What is actually up
30 minutes, one hour, or two — matched to this loadout, not a dump of the Origin System.
30 minutes
Farm Growing Power
One named gap. The Silver Grove quest
60 minutes
Growing Power, then Forma
Finish the missing named card, then spend a Forma if a polarity is still fighting you.
120 minutes
One Archon Hunt
If you are logging off after this, stop at the named component. Do not start a second Forma session tired.
- Farm Growing Power
The Silver Grove quest
Who this is for
Play this build from zero
Steel Path. Mortar is bought. You want the brood to kill.
- Time to a playable copy
- After Razor Mortar and ~200% Strength.
- First mission to practice in
- SP Exterminate. You want clumps.
2 button drills · 12 parts · tick the lists as you go
Before you start
0 of 3 done
Put it on the Warframe
0 of 4 done
Keep this up
Mortar loop
Pocket card. Stick this on a second screen; the long version is the mission below.
- 1Summon Ortholysts. Wait a beat for Camisado if you can.
- 2Wrath (2) the pack.
- 3Gyre (1) — group, shields, Mortar proc.
- 4Fusion Strike (4) the ball. Strip field lingers. Repeat Gyre.
First mission — press these buttons
- 1
Brood out
3Wait a second if you run Camisado.
- 2
Wrath, Gyre, Strike
1Lift, group, strip. Ortholysts mortar the ball.
Common mistakes
Gyre into empty air
Mortar needs a group. Wrath or a hallway first.
When this feels easy
- 1CamisadoDon't recast summons every room. Let the arcane stack.
- 2Strength shardsPay back Overextended.
Parts checklist
0 of 12 owned. Tap How on anything you still need.
Dependencies
15 dependencies
Frame → mods → unlocks. Tick Collection and Progress. This is a decision graph, not a wiki tree.
- 1●calibanframe
- 2○Growing Powermod
- 3○Cunning Driftmod
- 4○Razor Mortaraugment
- 5○Blind Ragemod
- 6○Transient Fortitudemod
- 7○Intensifymod
- 8○Overextendedmod
- 9○Primed Continuitymod
- 10○Primed Flowmod
- 11○Arcane Camisadoarcane
- 12○Molt Augmentedarcane
- 13○Crimson · Strengthshard
- 14○Steel Pathunlock
- 15○Archon Hunts (shards optional)unlock
Depends on
What this loadout needs
Required is a gate. Recommended is a ceiling. Optional is a later farm — don’t stall the card for it.
Required
Growing Powermissing · The Silver Grove quest
Cunning Driftmissing · Lua Halls of Ascension
- Razor Mortar
missing · Caliban's syndicate / The Hex · 25,000
Gyre groups; Ortholysts mortar the ball.
Blind Ragemissing · Run Orokin Vaults
Transient Fortitudemissing · Same vaults as Blind Rage
Intensifymissing · Fight Lieutenant Lech Kril
Primed Continuitymissing · Wait for Baro Ki'Teer
Primed Flowmissing · Baro Ki'Teer
Recommended
- Arcane Camisado
missing · 1999 / trade
Summon damage per melee hit they land. Let them work before you recast. Rank 0 is legal. Rank 3 is the Steel Path version.
Molt Augmentedmissing · Unlock the Zariman
Strength. Strip and summons both want it. Rank 0 is legal. Rank 3 is the Steel Path version.
Optional
Strength
~200%+ (full Fusion Strike strip sits at 200%)
Duration
127%+ so Progeny lasts
Range
175%+ Gyre / Mortar / Strike field
Strength triple-dips: progeny damage, Mortar electric, Wrath vulnerability, Strike strip.
From the mods
Live power
Additive from max-rank Codex mods. Efficiency clamped 15–175%. Umbral set is +11% Strength per extra piece.
- Strength
- 224%
- Duration
- 128%
- Range
- 205%
- Efficiency
- 45%
- Energy
- +275%
- Capacity
- 52 / 67
Weapon HUD
Arsenal numbers
Base × damage mods × crit expectation × fire rate × multishot. No faction, no quantization. Galvanized kill stacks are a slider, not assumed.
- Damage
- 35
- Crit
- 12% × 2.00
- Status
- 26%
- Fire rate
- 9.58
- Multishot
- 1.00
- Avg hit
- 39
- Arsenal DPS
- 376
Toggle common mods
Caliban mods
- AuraGrowing PowerSilver Grove
- ExilusCunning DriftLua
- 1Razor MortarGyre groups; Ortholysts mortar the ball.The Hex / Caliban augment · 25k
- 2Blind RageVaults
- 3Transient FortitudeVaults
- 4IntensifyMercury / Venus
- 5OverextendedRange on Gyre, Wrath, Strike. Strength shards pay it back.Vaults
- 6Primed ContinuityBaro
- 7Primed FlowBaro
| Slot | Mod | Source | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aura | Growing Power | Silver Grove | |
| Exilus | Cunning Drift | Lua | |
| 1 | Razor Mortar Gyre groups; Ortholysts mortar the ball. | The Hex / Caliban augment · 25k | |
| 2 | Blind Rage | Vaults | |
| 3 | Transient Fortitude | Vaults | |
| 4 | Intensify | Mercury / Venus | |
| 5 | Overextended Range on Gyre, Wrath, Strike. Strength shards pay it back. | Vaults | |
| 6 | Primed Continuity | Baro | |
| 7 | Primed Flow | Baro |
Summons
Ortholysts are the gun Sentients. Razor Mortar makes them focus the Gyre pile with Electricity damage and fire rate. Arcane Camisado stacks summon damage as they get kills.
Arcanes
Arcane Camisado
Summon damage per melee hit they land. Let them work before you recast. Rank 0 is legal. Rank 3 is the Steel Path version.
1999 / trade
Molt Augmented
Strength. Strip and summons both want it. Rank 0 is legal. Rank 3 is the Steel Path version.
Zariman
Archon shards
- 1
Crimson · StrengthPay back Overextended, hit 200% strip.1 · Netracells
| # | Shard | Qty | Source | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crimson · Strength Pay back Overextended, hit 200% strip. | 1 | Netracells |