Chroma — Empty Coat
Steel Path build. Park the pelt as a sentry. You run around as a skinny dragon. This is the meme. It still credits-farms.
Codex Checked · Compared against current game data for this update. · Update 43.5 · 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Current
Credit boosters, Index-adjacent jokes, people who want a turret that looks like them
Wrong drop or mechanic?
Why this build?
Steel Path for Credit boosters, Index-adjacent jokes, people who want a turret that looks like them
Health: Not yet — Helminth, Steel Path, or Archon Hunts still closed. Play the Starter.
- Effigy is why veterans still own a Chroma they never take to level cap.
- Credit multiplier plus a parked Heat/Cold turret is the entire joke — and it still prints.
- If you want to survive Steel Path, use Everlasting Hide. This config is for fun and credits.
Don’t use this for: content this card does not name
Stronger mods, Arcanes, real synergy
You don’t need the shards to run the loop. They are a later ceiling, not a gate.
Bring: Credit weapon — A credit booster and a fast primary. Effigy is a loot / credit multiplier sentry, not a Steel Path nuke.
Alternative if…
- Star Chart only → First Scales
- This is too much Forma / cost → First Scales — Star Chart
- You wanted to fight, not farm → Heat Inherit Dragon
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 0/3 · required — 3 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: 3 Forma · Reactor · 1 shard · 1 specialised mods. Typical farm ~1–2 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
Experimental. Interesting interaction — less proven or more demanding. Not the same as untested. 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 Steel ChargeInvasion / Nightwave
- After that3 FormaOne slot at a time. Rank 30 after each polarize.
- LaterAmber · Casting SpeedHelminth and shards are the last rungs. They are not the Starter.
- FinalEmpty CoatSteel Path · Advanced · 3 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 Amber · Casting Speed — Throw the pelt, recast Vex, run.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 Steel Charge
One named gap. Invasion / Nightwave
60 minutes
Steel Charge, 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 Steel Charge
Invasion / Nightwave
Who this is for
Play this build from zero
You want the credit sentry and you accept being squishy.
- Time to a playable copy
- After Guided Effigy.
- First mission to practice in
- A dark sector or any mission you run with a credit booster.
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
Sentry loop
Pocket card. Stick this on a second screen; the long version is the mission below.
- 1Vex (3) first so you are not a wet paper dragon.
- 2Effigy (4) on an objective, a loot pile, or a Profit-Taker credit pad. The sentry converts nearby pickups / credits and breathes your element.
- 3Guided Effigy: recast 4 to yeet the pelt at a pack, recast again to park it.
- 4You are squishy. Rolling Guard is not optional. Recast Vex. Do not confuse this with the tank config.
First mission — press these buttons
- 1
Vex, then peel
3 43, then 4 on the loot pile / objective.
You will know it worked when: A dragon turret. You look skinny.
- 2
Throw it
Recast 4 with Guided Effigy to send the pelt at a pack.
Common mistakes
Forgetting you peeled the armor
Rolling Guard. Recast Vex. Do not stand in the open.
When this feels easy
- 1Do not take this to level capEverlasting Hide is the war config. This prints credits.
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○Steel Chargemod
- 3○Cunning Driftmod
- 4○Guided Effigyaugment
- 5○Intensifymod
- 6○Stretchmod
- 7○Primed Continuitymod
- 8○Flowmod
- 9○Vitalitymod
- 10○Rolling Guardmod
- 11○Arcane Energizearcane
- 12○Arcane Guardianarcane
- 13○Amber · Casting Speedshard
- 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
- Steel Charge
missing · Invasion / Nightwave
Cunning Driftmissing · Lua Halls of Ascension
Intensifymissing · Fight Lieutenant Lech Kril
Stretchmissing · Enemy drops
Primed Continuitymissing · Wait for Baro Ki'Teer
Flowmissing · Enemy drops
- Rolling Guard
missing · Arbitrations
Recommended
Optional
Strength
~200%
Duration
155%
Range
145% so the sentry's aura is not a postage stamp
Guided Effigy lets you throw the pelt. You lose the pelt's armor while it is off.
From the mods
Live power
Additive from max-rank Codex mods. Efficiency clamped 15–175%. Umbral set is +11% Strength per extra piece.
- Strength
- 130%
- Duration
- 155%
- Range
- 160%
- Efficiency
- 100%
- Energy
- +155%
- Capacity
- 45 / 69
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
- AuraSteel ChargeInvasion / Nightwave
- ExilusCunning DriftLua Halls
- 1Guided EffigySteer the sentry. Recast to send it.Cephalon Suda / Perrin · 25k
- 2IntensifyMercury / Venus
- 3StretchEnemy drops
- 4Primed ContinuityBaro Ki'Teer
- 5FlowEnemy drops
- 6VitalityYou are naked without the pelt. Health matters.Drops
- 7Rolling GuardArbitrations
| Slot | Mod | Source | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aura | Steel Charge | Invasion / Nightwave | |
| Exilus | Cunning Drift | Lua Halls | |
| 1 | Guided Effigy Steer the sentry. Recast to send it. | Cephalon Suda / Perrin · 25k | |
| 2 | Intensify | Mercury / Venus | |
| 3 | Stretch | Enemy drops | |
| 4 | Primed Continuity | Baro Ki'Teer | |
| 5 | Flow | Enemy drops | |
| 6 | Vitality You are naked without the pelt. Health matters. | Drops | |
| 7 | Rolling Guard | Arbitrations |
Credit weapon
A credit booster and a fast primary. Effigy is a loot / credit multiplier sentry, not a Steel Path nuke.
Arcanes
Arcane Energize
Effigy drains. Pay the tax.
Eidolon / trade
Arcane Guardian
You peeled your armor off. Buy some back.
Eidolon / trade
Archon shards
- 1
Amber · Casting SpeedThrow the pelt, recast Vex, run.1 · EDA
| # | Shard | Qty | Source | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amber · Casting Speed Throw the pelt, recast Vex, run. | 1 | EDA |