Warframe · Nova Prime

Tap to crawl. Hold to sprint.

Nova uses antimatter to collapse crowds. Molecular Prime paints a tile slow or fast on one button. Null Star is the shield she never had.

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Kit Fashion Loadout Builds Watch Farm Find a build

New to Warframe? Every guide on this site uses the same six rooms — Kit, Fashion, Builds, Farm, Watch, Find a build. Open the New Tenno walkthrough.

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Nova reloaded is a BLAST! - Nova Guide

TheKengineer. Molecular Prime slowva vs speedva after the rework. Null Star DR.

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Update 9 (13 Jul 2013) · Prime vaulted on a cycle · Molecular Prime tap/hold rework Update 37. MR No mastery lock. Sprint 1.2. two Madurai.

Works on base Nova and Nova Prime. Polarities differ; the mods on these cards do not require Prime.

By stage

Pick where you are

Just crafted

First Slowva

Tap 4. Learn the slow. Null Star always up.

Farm missions

Hold To Sprint — Endgame

Same config, hold 4. 150% Strength still.

Want a cannon

Charged Particle

Charge the ball. Helminth Wormhole.

Steel Path guns

Neutron Gun

Molecular Fission. Eclipse over Drop.

Capture taxi

Taxi Window

Escape Velocity. You are fast travel.

The kit

Prime the tile. Stars are the armor.

Null Star

Orbiting antimatter particles. Each one is damage reduction. They seek nearby enemies.

Antimatter Drop

Launch a steerable particle. Shoot it to charge. It detonates for Blast.

Wormhole

A portal. Hold to preview the exit. Escape Velocity sprints anyone who walks through.

Molecular Prime

Tap to slow. Hold to speed. Primed enemies take extra damage and explode.

Loadouts

Five builds

All builds

Starter0–1 FormaStarterHigh confidenceStar ChartDefenseShards optional

First Slowva

Learn the frame.

Best for: Star Chart, first Nova, Defense and Mobile Defense

Tap Molecular Prime. Enemies crawl. Null Star is your health bar. Cheap mods, zero drama.

Slowva is how you learn Nova. Duration keeps the Prime on the map. Range makes the wave a room.

Investment: 1 Forma · Reactor · 1 shard

Inventory unknown · Codex Checked 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Update 43.5

High — How strongly the Codex recommends this for its stated purpose — not a test log.

Dmg: 3/5 Dmg
Sur: 4/5 Sur
En: 2/5 En
Mob: 3/5 Mob
Ease: 5/5 Ease

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then First Slowva — Star Chart.

Star Chart2–3 FormaModerateHigh confidenceStar ChartSteel Path

First Slowva — Star Chart

First serious version.

Best for: Junctions through the Outer Terminus. Steel Path is the next card, not this one.

Tap Molecular Prime. Enemies crawl. Null Star is your health bar. Cheap mods, zero drama. Primed Continuity and Primed Flow are the first real upgrade — not Blind Rage.

Slowva is how you learn Nova. Duration keeps the Prime on the map. Range makes the wave a room.

Investment: 3 Forma · Reactor · 2 specialised mods

Inventory unknown · Codex Checked 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Update 43.5

High — How strongly the Codex recommends this for its stated purpose — not a test log.

Dmg: 3/5 Dmg
Sur: 4/5 Sur
En: 3/5 En
Mob: 3/5 Mob
Ease: 5/5 Ease

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Hold To Sprint — Steel Path.

Steel Path3–4 FormaAdvancedMedium confidenceStar ChartSteel PathShards optional

Hold To Sprint — Steel Path

Your first endgame-capable version.

Best for: Steel Path Star Chart, Circuit, first Archon. Helminth is the next card.

Hold Molecular Prime. Enemies sprint into the objective. Farm rotations finish faster. Same 150% Strength cap as Slowva. This is the peak you can run the day Steel Path unlocks — galvanized / arcanes, no Helminth.

Old Speedva was negative Strength. That is gone. Tap/hold on one loadout is the 2024–2026 Nova.

Investment: 4 Forma · Reactor · 1 shard · 2 specialised mods

Not yet · Codex Checked 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Update 43.5

Medium — A solid recommendation with more situational dependencies. Confidence is not verification.

Dmg: 2/5 Dmg
Sur: 3/5 Sur
En: 4/5 En
Mob: 4/5 Mob
Ease: 4/5 Ease

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Hold To Sprint — Optimised.

Optimised2–3 FormaEndgameMedium confidenceNetracellsArchon HuntsShards optional

Hold To Sprint — Optimised

Spend resources to push it.

Best for: Netracells, Archon, EDA. You have Helminth or you don't need it.

Hold Molecular Prime. Enemies sprint into the objective. Farm rotations finish faster. Same 150% Strength cap as Slowva. Shards and a finished config. Tauforged is the last card.

Old Speedva was negative Strength. That is gone. Tap/hold on one loadout is the 2024–2026 Nova.

Investment: 3 Forma · Reactor · 2 shards · 2 specialised mods

Not yet · Codex Checked 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Update 43.5

Medium — A solid recommendation with more situational dependencies. Confidence is not verification.

Dmg: 2/5 Dmg
Sur: 3/5 Sur
En: 4/5 En
Mob: 4/5 Mob
Ease: 3/5 Ease

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Hold To Sprint — Endgame.

Needs Helminth or shards. Open the Starter first if those are locked.

Endgame2–3 FormaEndgameMedium confidenceFarmingDisruptionShards optional

Hold To Sprint — Endgame

Only if you actually need it.

Best for: Defense, Disruption, Index, any mission where spawn rate is the loot rate

Hold Molecular Prime. Enemies sprint into the objective. Farm rotations finish faster. Same 150% Strength cap as Slowva.

Old Speedva was negative Strength. That is gone. Tap/hold on one loadout is the 2024–2026 Nova.

Investment: 3 Forma · Reactor · 2 shards · 2 specialised mods

Not yet · Codex Checked 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Update 43.5

Medium — A solid recommendation with more situational dependencies. Confidence is not verification.

Dmg: 2/5 Dmg
Sur: 3/5 Sur
En: 4/5 En
Mob: 4/5 Mob
Ease: 2/5 Ease

Your next step: stop here unless a specialist card fits the mission.

Needs Helminth or shards. Open the Starter first if those are locked.

Steel Path3–4 FormaAdvancedMedium confidenceDisruptionBossesHelminthShards optional

Charged Particle

Your first endgame-capable version.

Best for: Bosses, Demolysts, people who like a second fireball

Antimatter Drop is a snowball you shoot. Dump a magazine into the ball, steer it, delete a hallway.

Drop is the original Nova nuke. It still deletes single threats when you actually charge it.

Investment: 4 Forma · Reactor · Helminth (Nourish (Grendel) or Roar (Rhino)) · 2 shards · 3 specialised mods

Not yet · Codex Checked 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Update 43.5

Medium — A solid recommendation with more situational dependencies. Confidence is not verification.

Dmg: 3/5 Dmg
Sur: 2/5 Sur
En: 2/5 En
Mob: 2/5 Mob
Ease: 4/5 Ease

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Hold To Sprint — Optimised.

Steel Path2 FormaAdvancedMedium confidenceSpyCaptureShards optional

Taxi Window

Your first endgame-capable version.

Best for: Capture, Rescue, Spy, any tileset with long hallways, friends who hate walking

Wormhole is a door. Escape Velocity is a sprint buff. You are the squad's fast travel.

Wormhole is the ability people Helminth off — except on this config, where it is the whole joke.

Investment: 2 Forma · Reactor · 1 shard · 2 specialised mods

Not yet · Codex Checked 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Update 43.5

Medium — A solid recommendation with more situational dependencies. Confidence is not verification.

Dmg: 2/5 Dmg
Sur: 2/5 Sur
En: 2/5 En
Mob: 5/5 Mob
Ease: 4/5 Ease

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Hold To Sprint — Optimised.

Endgame4–5 FormaEndgameMedium confidenceSteel PathHelminthShards optional

Neutron Gun

Only if you actually need it.

Best for: Steel Path weapons-platform, mobile tiles, people who hate standing in a Prime wave

Molecular Fission primes with Null Stars. Neutron Star pops the cloud. Your gun does the rest.

Molecular Fission is the 2026 Nova identity for people who move. Prime without waiting on the wave.

Investment: 5 Forma · Reactor · Helminth (Eclipse (Mirage) or Roar (Rhino)) · 2 shards · 4 specialised mods

Not yet · Codex Checked 5 Sept 2026 · PC · Update 43.5

Medium — A solid recommendation with more situational dependencies. Confidence is not verification.

Dmg: 2/5 Dmg
Sur: 2/5 Sur
En: 2/5 En
Mob: 3/5 Mob
Ease: 2/5 Ease

Your next step: stop here unless a specialist card fits the mission.

Needs Helminth or shards. Open the Starter first if those are locked.

First week

Starter rotation

Don't

Key mistakes

Building negative Strength for Speedva
That was the old bug. Hold 4 on a 150% Strength loadout. Overextended-only Speedva is slower than the cap.
Letting Null Star expire
105 armor. The particles are the tank. Recast.
Uncharged Antimatter Drop
If you are going to press 2, dump a magazine into the ball first.