Chroma — Everlasting Hide
Endgame build. Everlasting Ward plus Guardian Armor. You are the squad's coat. Adaptation does the rest.
Codex Checked · Compared against current game data for this update. · Update 43.5 · 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Current
endgame / endurance groups, Profit-Taker support, anyone who picked the dragon to not die
Wrong drop or mechanic?
Don’t build this yet
First Scales first
This loadout sits at Endgame. It wants Forma, Helminth, or shards you may not have. Play the Starter until those systems are open — then this page is the upgrade, not the homework.
Open First ScalesWhy this build?
Endgame for endgame / endurance groups, Profit-Taker support, anyone who picked the dragon to not die
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 · new accounts · solo level-cap
Specialised investment for hard content
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
- New account or low investment → First Scales
- This is too much Forma / cost → Everlasting Hide — Optimised
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 0/5 · required — 5 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: 5 Forma · Reactor · 3 shards · 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.
Plan
Today → next → later
Inventory unknown — mark “I own this” on a few mods. Until then this is a plan, not a score of zero.
- TodayPlay First ScalesThe Starter is the loadout you can actually take into a mission tonight.
- NextGet Brief RespiteThe Index / Nightwave
- After that4–5 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 — EndgameEndgame · Endgame · 4–5 Forma
Farm the gap
- Dragon augments — Guardian Armor · Everlasting Ward · Guided Effigy · Afterburn · Vexing Retaliation
Helminth & shards
What to put on the body
- 2 Tauforged Azure · Armor — Scorn multiplies a bigger seed.Archon locked
- 2 Tauforged Crimson · Strength — Higher Vex caps.Archon locked
- 1 Tauforged Amber · Casting Speed — Recast Ward / Vex on tempo.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 · 14 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 14 owned. Tap How on anything you still need.
Dependencies
17 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○Umbral Fibermod
- 9○Adaptationmod
- 10○Primed Flowmod
- 11○Arcane Blessingarcane
- 12○Molt Efficiencyarcane
- 13○Tauforged Azure · Armorshard
- 14○Crimson · Strengthshard
- 15○Amber · Casting Speedshard
- 16○Steel Pathunlock
- 17○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
Optional
Watch it played
YouTube for this loadout
How To Use Your Chroma - A User's Manual
Elemental Ward, Vex Armor, Effigy, the energy-color alignment. Long-form kit, not a 2016 tank recap.
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
- 51 / 67
1 Umbral piece
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
- 5Umbral FiberArmor seed. Scorn multiplies it.The Sacrifice
- 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 | Umbral Fiber Armor seed. Scorn multiplies it. | The Sacrifice | |
| 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.
Cavia / trade
Molt Efficiency
Duration while shielded. Cold Ward helps.
Zariman
Archon shards
- 1
Tauforged Azure · ArmorScorn multiplies a bigger seed.2 · Netracells - 2
Tauforged Crimson · StrengthHigher Vex caps.2 · Netracells - 3
Tauforged Amber · Casting SpeedRecast Ward / Vex on tempo.1 · EDA
| # | Shard | Qty | Source | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tauforged Azure · Armor Scorn multiplies a bigger seed. | 2 | Netracells | |
| 2 | Tauforged Crimson · Strength Higher Vex caps. | 2 | Netracells | |
| 3 | Tauforged Amber · Casting Speed Recast Ward / Vex on tempo. | 1 | EDA |