Inaros — First Sand
Star Chart build. Charge Scarab Shell, blind with Desiccation, finish. You have no shields. Health is the whole bar. Primed Continuity and Primed Flow are the first real upgrade — not Blind Rage.
Codex Checked · Compared against current game data for this update. · Update 43.5 · 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Current
Junctions through the Outer Terminus. Steel Path is the next card, not this one.
Wrong drop or mechanic?
Why this build?
Star Chart for Junctions through the Outer Terminus. Steel Path is the next card, not this one.
Health: Inventory unknown — Mark what you own. Until then this is a recommendation, not a test you failed.
- Inaros has 0 shields. Scarab Shell is your status immunity and a chunk of armor. Charge it every mission.
- Desiccation is the beginner button — blind, steal health, open finishers.
- Do not play him like a shield-gate frame. You stand there and out-heal the room.
Don’t use this for: Steel Path endurance · level-cap content · solo level-cap
Accessible mods and a working energy / survivability loop
Bring: Melee (finisher-friendly) — A melee with a decent finisher. Desiccation blinds; you walk up and execute. Guns still work.
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 — 0/1 recommended
- Shards · optional — None listed
Investment: 3 Forma · Reactor · 2 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
High confidence. How strongly the Codex recommends this for its stated purpose — not a test log. Verification is separate: Codex Checked against Update 43.5.
Your next step
Next: Scarab Tide — Steel Path
Unlock Helminth, Steel Path, or Archon Hunts before this upgrade is honest.
Scarab Tide — Steel PathPlan
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 that2–3 FormaOne slot at a time. Rank 30 after each polarize.
- FinalFirst Sand — Star ChartStar Chart · Moderate · 2–3 Forma
Upgrade from here
Scarab Tide — Steel Path
Locked behind Helminth, Steel Path, or Archon Hunts. Tick those on Progress first.
Open Scarab Tide — Steel PathTonight
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
Two farm routes, then a test run
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 just finished Sands of Inaros and have never charged a scarab.
- Time to a playable copy
- Same day. Vitality and Intensify.
- First mission to practice in
- Any Grineer Exterminate. You want to feel the health bar and the blind.
3 button drills · 10 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
Sand loop
Pocket card. Stick this on a second screen; the long version is the mission below.
- 1Hold Scarab Shell (3) at mission start until the armor bar fills. You spend health; pick it back up with Desiccation.
- 2Desiccation (1) a pack. They go blind. Walk in and Finisher, or shoot.
- 3Scarab Swarm (4) a heavy. Corrosive scarabs jump. Damage scales with your health.
- 4Sandstorm (2) is a panic heal and a group. Starter can tap it and leave.
First mission — press these buttons
- 1
Hold 3 at the door
3Health drains, armor climbs. Release when the scarab bar is full. You now ignore status.
You will know it worked when: A scarab meter. Your health dips, then Desiccation fills it.
- 2
Desiccation a pack
1Cone of sand. They clutch their faces. Walk up and melee Finisher, or shoot.
You will know it worked when: Enemies staggered and glowing sand.
- 3
Swarm a heavy
44 on a Bombard. Beetles eat armor.
Common mistakes
Letting the shell empty
A Slash proc on 2,000 HP with no immunity is still a Slash proc. Recast 3.
When this feels easy
- 1Umbral VitalityThe Sacrifice. Health is the frame.
- 2Then GloomThat is Slow Dunes.
Parts checklist
0 of 10 owned. Tap How on anything you still need.
Dependencies
11 dependencies
Frame → mods → unlocks. Tick Collection and Progress. This is a decision graph, not a wiki tree.
- 1●inarosframe
- 2○Steel Chargemod
- 3○Power Driftmod
- 4○Intensifymod
- 5○Vitalitymod
- 6○Steel Fibermod
- 7○Primed Continuitymod
- 8○Stretchmod
- 9○Primed Flowmod
- 10○Streamlinemod
- 11○Arcane Gracearcane
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
Power Driftmissing · Unlock Lua
Intensifymissing · Fight Lieutenant Lech Kril
Steel Fibermissing · Enemy drops
Primed Continuitymissing · Wait for Baro Ki'Teer
Stretchmissing · Enemy drops
Primed Flowmissing · Baro Ki'Teer
Streamlinemissing · Enemy drops and early missions
Recommended
Arcane Gracemissing · Buy it
Health regen that scales with your giant pool. Skip until you can afford it. Skip until you have it — Star Chart does not need Eidolon arcanes.
Strength
~145%
Duration
130%
Range
145%
Strength fattens Scarab Shell's armor bonus. Range is Desiccation cone and Swarm spread.
From the mods
Live power
Additive from max-rank Codex mods. Efficiency clamped 15–175%. Umbral set is +11% Strength per extra piece.
- Strength
- 145%
- Duration
- 155%
- Range
- 145%
- Efficiency
- 130%
- Energy
- +275%
- Capacity
- 48 / 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
Inaros mods
- AuraSteel ChargeInvasion / Nightwave
- ExilusPower DriftOrokin Vaults / Lua
- 1IntensifyMercury / Venus
- 2VitalityInaros is a health pool. This is not optional.Earth / drops
- 3Steel FiberEnemy drops
- 4Primed ContinuityBaro Ki'Teer / relics
- 5StretchEnemy drops
- 6Primed FlowBaro Ki'Teer / relics
- 7StreamlineEnemy drops
| Slot | Mod | Source | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aura | Steel Charge | Invasion / Nightwave | |
| Exilus | Power Drift | Orokin Vaults / Lua | |
| 1 | Intensify | Mercury / Venus | |
| 2 | Vitality Inaros is a health pool. This is not optional. | Earth / drops | |
| 3 | Steel Fiber | Enemy drops | |
| 4 | Primed Continuity | Baro Ki'Teer / relics | |
| 5 | Stretch | Enemy drops | |
| 6 | Primed Flow | Baro Ki'Teer / relics | |
| 7 | Streamline | Enemy drops |
Melee (finisher-friendly)
A melee with a decent finisher. Desiccation blinds; you walk up and execute. Guns still work.
Arcanes
Arcane Grace
Health regen that scales with your giant pool. Skip until you can afford it. Skip until you have it — Star Chart does not need Eidolon arcanes.
Eidolon / trade
Archon shards
| # | Shard | Qty | Source | How |
|---|