Khora — Big Cat Energy
Steel Path build. Venari Bodyguard. The cat soaks, you whip. Heal posture on command. A tankier, pet-forward Khora.
Codex Checked · Compared against current game data for this update. · Update 43.5 · 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Current
Solo comfort, people who like Venari, anyone who refuses to Helminth the cat button
Wrong drop or mechanic?
Why this build?
Steel Path for Solo comfort, people who like Venari, anyone who refuses to Helminth the cat button
Health: Not yet — Helminth, Steel Path, or Archon Hunts still closed. Play the Starter.
- Most Khora guides Helminth 3. This one does not, on purpose.
- Venari Bodyguard is a real tank tool. It is not a DPS tool.
- If the cat annoys you, take Accumulating Crack and give 3 to Pillage.
Don’t use this for: solo level-cap · players without 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: Whipclaw + Venari — Whip grid still matters. Venari uses companion-style survival; Bodyguard redirects damage to her.
Alternative if…
- Star Chart only → First Crack
- This is too much Forma / cost → First Crack — 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 · 2 shards · 1 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: Accumulating Crack — Optimised
Unlock Helminth, Steel Path, or Archon Hunts before this upgrade is honest.
Accumulating Crack — 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 that3–4 FormaOne slot at a time. Rank 30 after each polarize.
- LaterAzure · Health / armorHelminth and shards are the last rungs. They are not the Starter.
- FinalBig Cat EnergySteel Path · Advanced · 3–4 Forma
Upgrade from here
Accumulating Crack — Optimised
Locked behind Helminth, Steel Path, or Archon Hunts. Tick those on Progress first.
Open Accumulating Crack — OptimisedFarm the gap
- Khora augments — Accumulating Whipclaw · Pilfering Strangledome · Venari Bodyguard
Helminth & shards
What to put on the body
- 2 Azure · Health / armor — You and the cat both live longer.Archon locked
- 1 Amber · Casting Speed — Whip and recast Venari.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 like the cat and you bought Bodyguard.
- Time to a playable copy
- After Venari Bodyguard.
- First mission to practice in
- A solo Survival. Notice hits landing on her.
2 button drills · 13 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
Cat loop
Pocket card. Stick this on a second screen; the long version is the mission below.
- 1Hold 3 until Heal or Protect if you are dropping. Attack otherwise.
- 2If Venari dies, tap 3 — instant revive. Bodyguard does nothing on a dead cat.
- 3Ensnare, Whipclaw, same as always.
- 4Dome if you camp. The cat still fights inside it.
First mission — press these buttons
- 1
Keep the cat up
3If she drops, tap 3 immediately. Bodyguard needs a living pet.
- 2
Heal posture if you are dropping
Hold 3 until Heal, then fight as normal.
Common mistakes
Leaving her on Heal all mission
Attack is damage. Heal is a panic. Swap back.
When this feels easy
- 1Do not compare DPS to Pillage KhoraThis is a tank cat. Accumulating Crack is the deleter.
Parts checklist
0 of 13 owned. Tap How on anything you still need.
Dependencies
16 dependencies
Frame → mods → unlocks. Tick Collection and Progress. This is a decision graph, not a wiki tree.
- 1●khoraframe
- 2○Steel Chargemod
- 3○Power Driftmod
- 4○Venari Bodyguardaugment
- 5○Accumulating Whipclawaugment
- 6○Intensifymod
- 7○Primed Continuitymod
- 8○Stretchmod
- 9○Vitalitymod
- 10○Adaptationmod
- 11○Arcane Furyarcane
- 12○Arcane Blessingarcane
- 13○Azure · Health / armorshard
- 14○Amber · Casting Speedshard
- 15○Steel Pathunlock
- 16○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
Power Driftmissing · Unlock Lua
- Venari Bodyguard
missing · Steel Meridian / Red Veil · 25,000 standing
Damage you take hits Venari first. The cat is a health gate.
- Accumulating Whipclaw
missing · Steel Meridian / Red Veil · 25,000 standing
Intensifymissing · Fight Lieutenant Lech Kril
Primed Continuitymissing · Wait for Baro Ki'Teer
Stretchmissing · Enemy drops
Vitalitymissing · Jackal
- Adaptation
missing · Arbitration / Arbitrations
Recommended
Optional
Strength
~180%
Duration
155%+
Range
160%
Bodyguard is the augment. Heal posture is the panic button. Attack posture is damage.
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
- 100%
- Energy
- base
- 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
Khora mods
- AuraSteel ChargeInvasion / Nightwave
- ExilusPower DriftOrokin Vaults / Lua
- 1Venari BodyguardDamage you take hits Venari first. The cat is a health gate.Steel Meridian / Red Veil · 25k
- 2Accumulating WhipclawSteel Meridian / Red Veil · 25k
- 3IntensifyMercury / Venus
- 4Primed ContinuityBaro Ki'Teer
- 5StretchEnemy drops
- 6VitalityEarth / drops
- 7AdaptationArbitrations
| Slot | Mod | Source | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aura | Steel Charge | Invasion / Nightwave | |
| Exilus | Power Drift | Orokin Vaults / Lua | |
| 1 | Venari Bodyguard Damage you take hits Venari first. The cat is a health gate. | Steel Meridian / Red Veil · 25k | |
| 2 | Accumulating Whipclaw | Steel Meridian / Red Veil · 25k | |
| 3 | Intensify | Mercury / Venus | |
| 4 | Primed Continuity | Baro Ki'Teer | |
| 5 | Stretch | Enemy drops | |
| 6 | Vitality | Earth / drops | |
| 7 | Adaptation | Arbitrations |
Whipclaw + Venari
Whip grid still matters. Venari uses companion-style survival; Bodyguard redirects damage to her.
Arcanes
Arcane Fury
Whip damage.
Eidolon
Arcane Blessing
Health pile so Bodyguard has something to share.
Duviri / trade
Archon shards
- 1
Azure · Health / armorYou and the cat both live longer.2 · Netracells - 2
Amber · Casting SpeedWhip and recast Venari.1 · EDA
| # | Shard | Qty | Source | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Azure · Health / armor You and the cat both live longer. | 2 | Netracells | |
| 2 | Amber · Casting Speed Whip and recast Venari. | 1 | EDA |