Chroma — Everlasting Hide
Steel Path build. Everlasting Ward plus Guardian Armor. You are the squad's coat. Adaptation does the rest. 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.
- Guardian Armor no longer dumps the squad's damage onto your health — 2025 patched that. It is just DR now.
- Everlasting Ward is why Chroma is still a Profit-Taker / squad-buff pickup.
- Adaptation plus Scorn is the solo survive layer. The auras are the squad layer.
Don’t use this for: Star Chart only · loadouts that need Helminth · solo level-cap
Stronger mods, Arcanes, real synergy
You don’t need the shards to run the loop. They are a later ceiling, not a gate.
Bring: Tank weapons — A primer (Epitaph / Kuva Nukor) and a real primary. You are a walking Vex aura, not a caster nuke.
Alternative if…
- Star Chart only → First Scales
- This is too much Forma / cost → First Scales — 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 · 3 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: Everlasting Hide — Optimised
Unlock Helminth, Steel Path, or Archon Hunts before this upgrade is honest.
Everlasting Hide — 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 Brief RespiteThe Index / Nightwave
- After that3–4 FormaOne slot at a time. Rank 30 after each polarize.
- LaterTauforged Azure · ArmorHelminth and shards are the last rungs. They are not the Starter.
- FinalEverlasting Hide — Steel PathSteel Path · Advanced · 3–4 Forma
Upgrade from here
Everlasting Hide — Optimised
Locked behind Helminth, Steel Path, or Archon Hunts. Tick those on Progress first.
Open Everlasting Hide — OptimisedFarm the gap
- Dragon augments — Guardian Armor · Everlasting Ward · Guided Effigy · Afterburn · Vexing Retaliation
Helminth & shards
What to put on the body
- 1 Azure · Armor — Scorn multiplies a bigger seed.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 Brief Respite
One named gap. The Index / Nightwave
60 minutes
Brief Respite, 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 Brief Respite
The Index / Nightwave
Who this is for
Play this build from zero
Steel Path groups. You own both Ward/Vex augments.
- Time to a playable copy
- After Guardian Armor, Everlasting Ward, Adaptation.
- First mission to practice in
- A Steel Path Defense. Stand on the pod.
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
Coat loop
Pocket card. Stick this on a second screen; the long version is the mission below.
- 1Pick Heat or Cold on 1. Heat if the squad is health-tanking. Cold if you want the armor coat.
- 2Ward (2), then Vex (3). Shoot until Fury is full. Eat a melee or a shield slap for Scorn.
- 3Stand near people. Guardian Armor is Affinity Range, not ability Range.
- 4Recast Vex before it dies. Guardian Armor's kill extension helps, but do not trust it in a dead hallway.
First mission — press these buttons
- 1
Coat the squad
2 3Ward then Vex. Stand in Affinity Range — that is 50 m, not your Stretch number.
- 2
Let them kill
Guardian Armor heals you and extends Vex on squad kills. You are the coat.
Common mistakes
Wandering 80 m away
Affinity Range is the DR. Come back.
When this feels easy
- 1Azure armor shardsScorn multiplies a bigger seed.
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●chromaframe
- 2○Brief Respitemod
- 3○Power Driftmod
- 4○Guardian Armoraugment
- 5○Everlasting Wardaugment
- 6○Blind Ragemod
- 7○Primed Continuitymod
- 8○Steel Fibermod
- 9○Adaptationmod
- 10○Primed Flowmod
- 11○Arcane Blessingarcane
- 12○Molt Efficiencyarcane
- 13○Tauforged Azure · Armorshard
- 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
- Brief Respite
missing · The Index / Nightwave
Power Driftmissing · Unlock Lua
- Guardian Armor
missing · Cephalon Suda / Perrin · 25,000
75% squad DR. Squad kills heal Chroma and add Vex duration.
- Everlasting Ward
missing · Cephalon Suda / Perrin · 25,000
Allies keep Ward after they walk off. This is the support augment.
Blind Ragemissing · Run Orokin Vaults
Primed Continuitymissing · Wait for Baro Ki'Teer
Primed Flowmissing · Baro Ki'Teer
Recommended
- Arcane Blessing
missing · Orphix / trade
Health orb pickups pad the pool Vex wants to nibble. Rank 0 is legal. Rank 3 is the Steel Path version.
- Molt Efficiency
missing · Zariman
Duration while shielded. Cold Ward helps. Rank 0 is legal. Rank 3 is the Steel Path version.
Optional
Strength
~220–280%
Duration
180%+ so Ward and Vex outlast the tile
Range
145%
Guardian Armor gives 75% DR to allies in Affinity Range. Their kills heal you and extend Vex.
From the mods
Live power
Additive from max-rank Codex mods. Efficiency clamped 15–175%. Umbral set is +11% Strength per extra piece.
- Strength
- 214%
- Duration
- 155%
- Range
- 100%
- Efficiency
- 45%
- Energy
- +275%
- Capacity
- 50 / 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
Chroma mods
- AuraBrief RespiteThe Index / Nightwave
- ExilusPower DriftOrokin Vaults / Lua
- 1Guardian Armor75% squad DR. Squad kills heal Chroma and add Vex duration.Cephalon Suda / The Perrin Sequence · 25k
- 2Everlasting WardAllies keep Ward after they walk off. This is the support augment.Cephalon Suda / Perrin · 25k
- 3Blind RageOrokin Vaults
- 4Primed ContinuityBaro Ki'Teer
- 5Steel FiberArmor seed. Scorn multiplies it.Drops
- 6AdaptationStatus DR on top of Scorn.Arbitration
- 7Primed FlowBaro / relics
| Slot | Mod | Source | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aura | Brief Respite | The Index / Nightwave | |
| Exilus | Power Drift | Orokin Vaults / Lua | |
| 1 | Guardian Armor 75% squad DR. Squad kills heal Chroma and add Vex duration. | Cephalon Suda / The Perrin Sequence · 25k | |
| 2 | Everlasting Ward Allies keep Ward after they walk off. This is the support augment. | Cephalon Suda / Perrin · 25k | |
| 3 | Blind Rage | Orokin Vaults | |
| 4 | Primed Continuity | Baro Ki'Teer | |
| 5 | Steel Fiber Armor seed. Scorn multiplies it. | Drops | |
| 6 | Adaptation Status DR on top of Scorn. | Arbitration | |
| 7 | Primed Flow | Baro / relics |
Tank weapons
A primer (Epitaph / Kuva Nukor) and a real primary. You are a walking Vex aura, not a caster nuke.
Arcanes
Arcane Blessing
Health orb pickups pad the pool Vex wants to nibble. Rank 0 is legal. Rank 3 is the Steel Path version.
Cavia / trade
Molt Efficiency
Duration while shielded. Cold Ward helps. Rank 0 is legal. Rank 3 is the Steel Path version.
Zariman
Archon shards
- 1
Azure · ArmorScorn multiplies a bigger seed.1 · Netracells
| # | Shard | Qty | Source | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Azure · Armor Scorn multiplies a bigger seed. | 1 | Netracells |