Lavos — First Mix
Starter build. You have no energy. Abilities are cooldowns. Hold 1/2/3/4 to imbue, tap to cast. Never slot Flow.
Codex Checked · Compared against current game data for this update. · Update 43.5 · 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Current
Star Chart, first Lavos, learning the vial
Wrong drop or mechanic?
Why this build?
Starter for Star Chart, first Lavos, learning the vial
Health: Inventory unknown — Mark what you own. Until then this is a recommendation, not a test you failed.
- Lavos has 0 energy. Flow, Streamline, Primed Flow, Arcane Energize — dead slots. Do not copy a Rhino grid.
- The hold-to-imbue is the kit. Tap-only Lavos is half a Warframe.
- Catalyze is the nuke. Statuses before 4 are the multiplier.
Don’t use this for: Steel Path endurance · level-cap content
0 Forma, basic mods, no Helminth or shards required
You don’t need the shards to run the loop. They are a later ceiling, not a gate.
Bring: Any status gun — Catalyze wants statuses already on the enemy. A primer (Epitaph, Nukor, a status shotgun) makes the first 4 actually pop.
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 0/2 · required — 2 on the card. Codex does not track installed Forma.
- Helminth · optional — Not required
- Arcanes · recommended — 0/1 recommended
- Shards · optional — Optional unless the card says a breakpoint
Investment: 2 Forma · Reactor · 1 shard. 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
Open First Mix — Star Chart
The next rung on this frame is unlocked. Mark I run this, then step up.
First Mix — Star ChartPlan
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 Corrosive ProjectionOpen Nightwave
- After that0–2 FormaOne slot at a time. Rank 30 after each polarize.
- LaterAmber · Casting SpeedHelminth and shards are the last rungs. They are not the Starter.
- FinalFirst MixStarter · Starter · 0–2 Forma
Upgrade from here
First Mix — Star Chart
You have no energy. Abilities are cooldowns. Hold 1/2/3/4 to imbue, tap to cast. Never slot Flow. Primed Continuity and Primed Flow are the first real upgrade — not Blind Rage.
Open First Mix — Star ChartHelminth & shards
What to put on the body
- 1 Amber · Casting Speed — Imbue-then-cast feels like one button.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 Corrosive Projection
One named gap. Open Nightwave
60 minutes
Corrosive Projection, 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 Corrosive Projection
Open Nightwave
Who this is for
Play this build from zero
You just bought him from Father and your energy bar is a lie.
- Time to a playable copy
- Same day. Intensify, Stretch, Continuity. No Flow.
- First mission to practice in
- Any Exterminate. Practice hold then tap on each ability once.
2 button drills · 11 parts · tick the lists as you go
Before you start
0 of 3 done
Put it on the Warframe
0 of 5 done
Keep this up
Mix loop
Pocket card. Stick this on a second screen; the long version is the mission below.
- 1Hold 3 to imbue Electricity, or hold 2 for Cold, hold 1 for Toxin, hold 4 for Heat. The next TAP of any ability spends that extra element.
- 2Transmutation Probe (3) a pack — orbs become universal, enemies get shocked, other cooldowns drop.
- 3Catalyze (4) after something is already statused. Damage doubles per unique element on the target.
- 4Vial Rush (2) is a dash with an ice trail. Ophidian Bite (1) is a heal bite. You will never run out of energy because there is none.
First mission — press these buttons
- 1
Hold 4, then tap 3
3You loaded Heat, then spent it on Probe. Enemies should cook and zap.
You will know it worked when: A vial icon. Probe sparks. Heat on the zap.
- 2
Prime, then tap 4
4Shoot someone until they have a status, then Catalyze. Numbers should jump on the already-statused ones.
Common mistakes
Waiting for an energy orb to 'cast 4'
4 is on cooldown, not on energy. Probe to shave it. Or wait. Do not look at the orb.
When this feels easy
- 1Blind RageFree Strength. Next config.
- 2Valence FormationIf you wanted the gun.
Parts checklist
0 of 11 owned. Tap How on anything you still need.
Dependencies
13 dependencies
Frame → mods → unlocks. Tick Collection and Progress. This is a decision graph, not a wiki tree.
- 1●lavosframe
- 2○Corrosive Projectionmod
- 3○Power Driftmod
- 4○Intensifymod
- 5○Continuitymod
- 6○Stretchmod
- 7○Vitalitymod
- 8○Steel Fibermod
- 9○Redirectionmod
- 10○Adaptationmod
- 11○Arcane Tankerarcane
- 12○Amber · Casting Speedshard
- 13○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
Corrosive Projectionmissing · Open Nightwave
Power Driftmissing · Unlock Lua
Intensifymissing · Fight Lieutenant Lech Kril
Continuitymissing · Run low-level Defense or Survival
Stretchmissing · Enemy drops
Vitalitymissing · Jackal
Steel Fibermissing · Enemy drops
- Redirection
missing · Drops
- Adaptation
missing · Arbitration / Arbitrations
Skip until you have it. Do not put Flow here. Flow does nothing.
Recommended
Optional
Strength
~145%
Duration
145% (status lifetime, vial trail)
Range
145%
Efficiency does NOT make casts cheaper — there is no energy. Efficiency shortens Probe's cooldown shave. Strength is Catalyze. Range is coverage.
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
- 130%
- Range
- 145%
- Efficiency
- 100%
- Energy
- base
- Capacity
- 45 / 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
Lavos mods
- AuraCorrosive ProjectionNightwave
- ExilusPower DriftOrokin Vaults / Lua
- 1IntensifyMercury / Venus
- 2ContinuityEnemy drops
- 3StretchEnemy drops
- 4VitalityEarth / drops
- 5Steel FiberEnemy drops
- 6RedirectionEnemy drops
- 7AdaptationSkip until you have it. Do not put Flow here. Flow does nothing.Arbitrations
| Slot | Mod | Source | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aura | Corrosive Projection | Nightwave | |
| Exilus | Power Drift | Orokin Vaults / Lua | |
| 1 | Intensify | Mercury / Venus | |
| 2 | Continuity | Enemy drops | |
| 3 | Stretch | Enemy drops | |
| 4 | Vitality | Earth / drops | |
| 5 | Steel Fiber | Enemy drops | |
| 6 | Redirection | Enemy drops | |
| 7 | Adaptation Skip until you have it. Do not put Flow here. Flow does nothing. | Arbitrations |
Any status gun
Catalyze wants statuses already on the enemy. A primer (Epitaph, Nukor, a status shotgun) makes the first 4 actually pop.
Arcanes
Arcane Tanker
Armor. Optional. You are not energy-gating anyone.
Arbitration / trade
Archon shards
- 1
Amber · Casting SpeedImbue-then-cast feels like one button.1 · Archon Hunt
| # | Shard | Qty | Source | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amber · Casting Speed Imbue-then-cast feels like one button. | 1 | Archon Hunt |