Mag — Shrapnel Engine
Steel Path build. Pull, Magnetize, empty the gun into the bubble. Polarize shards feed it. This is 2026 Mag. This is the peak you can run the day Steel Path unlocks — galvanized / arcanes, no Helminth.
Codex Checked · Compared against current game data for this update. · Update 43.5 · 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Current
Steel Path Star Chart, Circuit, first Archon. Helminth is the next card.
Wrong drop or mechanic?
Why this build?
Steel Path for Steel Path Star Chart, Circuit, first Archon. Helminth is the next card.
Health: Not yet — Helminth, Steel Path, or Archon Hunts still closed. Play the Starter.
- The 2026 Mag identity is 'I brought a bubble and a real gun,' not Crush spam.
- Shards from Polarize orbit you, then get sucked into Magnetize. That loop is free Slash.
- Hold-2 absorb is a panic reflect. Do not confuse it with the tap bubble.
Don’t use this for: Star Chart only · loadouts that need 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: AoE / multishot primary — Torid Incarnon, Kuva Nukor, a shotgun with galvanized multishot. The bubble multiplies projectiles. Beams are comfort. Bows are slow.
Alternative if…
- Star Chart only → First Bubble
- This is too much Forma / cost → First Bubble — Star Chart
- You wanted the ability loop, not guns → Everyone Here
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 0/8 · required — 0/8 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 · 1 shard · 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.
Your next step
Next: Shrapnel Engine — Optimised
Unlock Helminth, Steel Path, or Archon Hunts before this upgrade is honest.
Shrapnel Engine — 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 Growing PowerThe Silver Grove quest
- After that3–4 FormaOne slot at a time. Rank 30 after each polarize.
- LaterCrimson · StrengthHelminth and shards are the last rungs. They are not the Starter.
- FinalShrapnel Engine — Steel PathSteel Path · Advanced · 3–4 Forma
Upgrade from here
Shrapnel Engine — Optimised
Locked behind Helminth, Steel Path, or Archon Hunts. Tick those on Progress first.
Open Shrapnel Engine — OptimisedHelminth & shards
What to put on the body
- 1 Crimson · Strength — Bubble damage and Polarize strip both scale.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 Growing Power
One named gap. The Silver Grove quest
60 minutes
Growing Power, 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 Growing Power
The Silver Grove quest
Who this is for
Play this build from zero
Steel Path. Crush is Nourish or Roar. You came to dump magazines into spheres.
- Time to a playable copy
- After a Helminth subsume and Blind Rage.
- First mission to practice in
- SP Exterminate. Packed rooms.
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
Shrapnel loop
Pocket card. Stick this on a second screen; the long version is the mission below.
- 1Nourish or Roar (4) once per tile.
- 2Pull (1) the pack. Magnetize (2) the densest body. Empty the gun into the sphere.
- 3Polarize (3) — shards fly into the bubble and add Slash. Your shields snap back.
- 4If the bubble is leftover junk, recast 2 or detonate with Magnetized Discharge.
First mission — press these buttons
- 1
Buff, yank, bubble
24, 1, 2. Empty the gun.
- 2
Polarize into it
33. Shards fly in. Slash happens.
Common mistakes
Magnetizing an empty hallway
The bubble needs a body and a pile. Pull first.
When this feels easy
- 1Strength shardsBubble and Polarize both scale.
- 2Archon StretchIf the gun is electric, energy ticks.
Parts checklist
0 of 11 owned. Tap How on anything you still need.
Dependencies
14 dependencies
Frame → mods → unlocks. Tick Collection and Progress. This is a decision graph, not a wiki tree.
- 1●magframe
- 2○Growing Powermod
- 3○Cunning Driftmod
- 4○Blind Ragemod
- 5○Transient Fortitudemod
- 6○Intensifymod
- 7○Stretchmod
- 8○Primed Continuitymod
- 9○Primed Flowmod
- 10○Molt Augmentedarcane
- 11○Arcane Energizearcane
- 12○Crimson · Strengthshard
- 13○Steel Pathunlock
- 14○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
Growing Powermissing · The Silver Grove quest
Cunning Driftmissing · Lua Halls of Ascension
Blind Ragemissing · Run Orokin Vaults
Transient Fortitudemissing · Same vaults as Blind Rage
Intensifymissing · Fight Lieutenant Lech Kril
Stretchmissing · Enemy drops
Primed Continuitymissing · Wait for Baro Ki'Teer
Primed Flowmissing · Baro Ki'Teer
Recommended
Molt Augmentedmissing · Unlock the Zariman
Strength stacks as the tile dies. Bigger bubbles, bigger Polarize. Rank 0 is legal. Rank 3 is the Steel Path version.
Arcane Energizemissing · Buy 20–40 Platinum worth
Pull-Magnetize-Polarize is three casts a room. Rank 0 is legal. Rank 3 is the Steel Path version.
Optional
Crimson · Strengthmissing · Netracells / Archon Hunt / Bird 3
Bubble damage and Polarize strip both scale.
Strength
~250%
Duration
155–180% so the bubble lasts a mag dump
Range
175%+ Pull / bubble absorb radius
Magnetize tap = bubble on a target. Hold 2 = personal absorb cone. Learn tap first.
From the mods
Live power
Additive from max-rank Codex mods. Efficiency clamped 15–175%. Umbral set is +11% Strength per extra piece.
- Strength
- 284%
- Duration
- 128%
- Range
- 205%
- Efficiency
- 45%
- Energy
- +275%
- Capacity
- 51 / 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
Mag mods
- AuraGrowing PowerSilver Grove specters
- ExilusCunning DriftLua Halls
- 1Blind RageOrokin Vaults
- 2Transient FortitudeOrokin Vaults
- 3IntensifyMercury / Venus
- 4StretchEnemy drops
- 5Primed ContinuityBaro Ki'Teer
- 6Primed FlowBaro / relics
- 7StretchIf you run electric on the gun, Stretch procs energy. Regular Stretch is fine.Kahl / Archon Hunts
| Slot | Mod | Source | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aura | Growing Power | Silver Grove specters | |
| Exilus | Cunning Drift | Lua Halls | |
| 1 | Blind Rage | Orokin Vaults | |
| 2 | Transient Fortitude | Orokin Vaults | |
| 3 | Intensify | Mercury / Venus | |
| 4 | Stretch | Enemy drops | |
| 5 | Primed Continuity | Baro Ki'Teer | |
| 6 | Primed Flow | Baro / relics | |
| 7 | Stretch If you run electric on the gun, Stretch procs energy. Regular Stretch is fine. | Kahl / Archon Hunts |
AoE / multishot primary
Torid Incarnon, Kuva Nukor, a shotgun with galvanized multishot. The bubble multiplies projectiles. Beams are comfort. Bows are slow.
Arcanes
Molt Augmented
Strength stacks as the tile dies. Bigger bubbles, bigger Polarize. Rank 0 is legal. Rank 3 is the Steel Path version.
Zariman
Arcane Energize
Pull-Magnetize-Polarize is three casts a room. Rank 0 is legal. Rank 3 is the Steel Path version.
Eidolon hunts
Archon shards
- 1Crimson · StrengthBubble damage and Polarize strip both scale.1 · Netracells
| # | Shard | Qty | Source | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crimson · Strength Bubble damage and Polarize strip both scale. | 1 | Netracells |