Vauban Prime · Loadouts

Vauban by progress

Progression path first. Specialist cards after. Each progression card is the peak you can run at that rung — not a second identity.

New to Warframe? Open the glossary

Progression path

Starter0–2 FormaStarterHigh confidenceStar ChartDefenseShards optional

First Bastille

Learn the frame.

Best for: Star Chart, first Vauban, Defense / Interception

Tap 4 to lift a room. Hold 4 to vortex the leftovers. Photon Strike is the later nuke — learn the cage first.

Bastille is Vauban. The 2026 kit is a lift-strip cage, not 2016 bounce pads.

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

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

Star Chart2–3 FormaModerateHigh confidenceStar ChartSteel Path

First Bastille — Star Chart

First serious version.

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

Tap 4 to lift a room. Hold 4 to vortex the leftovers. Photon Strike is the later nuke — learn the cage first. Primed Continuity and Primed Flow are the first real upgrade — not Blind Rage.

Bastille is Vauban. The 2026 kit is a lift-strip cage, not 2016 bounce pads.

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

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Artillery Officer — Steel Path.

Steel Path3–4 FormaAdvancedMedium confidenceStar ChartSteel PathShards optional

Artillery Officer — Steel Path

Your first endgame-capable version.

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

Photon Repeater plus Photon Strike. Drop the beacon, laser the Bastille pile, double damage on Overguard. This is the 2026 Vauban nuke. This is the peak you can run the day Steel Path unlocks — galvanized / arcanes, no Helminth.

Photon Strike deals double to Overguard. That is why Vauban still has a nuke job in 2026.

Investment: 4 Forma · Reactor · 1 shard · 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: 4/5 Dmg
Sur: 3/5 Sur
En: 2/5 En
Mob: 2/5 Mob
Ease: 4/5 Ease

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Artillery Officer — Optimised.

Optimised4–5 FormaEndgameMedium confidenceNetracellsArchon HuntsHelminthShards optional

Artillery Officer — Optimised

Spend resources to push it.

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

Photon Repeater plus Photon Strike. Drop the beacon, laser the Bastille pile, double damage on Overguard. This is the 2026 Vauban nuke.

Photon Strike deals double to Overguard. That is why Vauban still has a nuke job in 2026.

Investment: 5 Forma · Reactor · Helminth (Nourish (Grendel) 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: 4/5 Dmg
Sur: 3/5 Sur
En: 2/5 En
Mob: 2/5 Mob
Ease: 3/5 Ease

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Artillery Officer — Endgame.

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

Endgame4–5 FormaEndgameMedium confidenceSteel PathHelminthShards optional

Artillery Officer — Endgame

Only if you actually need it.

Best for: endgame / endurance, Overguard Eximus, people who want Vauban to kill not just hold

Photon Repeater plus Photon Strike. Drop the beacon, laser the Bastille pile, double damage on Overguard. This is the 2026 Vauban nuke.

Photon Strike deals double to Overguard. That is why Vauban still has a nuke job in 2026.

Investment: 5 Forma · Reactor · Helminth (Nourish (Grendel) 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: 4/5 Dmg
Sur: 3/5 Sur
En: 2/5 En
Mob: 2/5 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.

Specialist builds

Not part of the path

Same frame, different job. These are not missing rungs — they are optional identities once the path feels easy.

Steel Path3 FormaAdvancedMedium confidenceArchon HuntsDefenseShards optional

Nervos Net

Your first endgame-capable version.

Best for: Mobile Defense, hallways, people who like pets that zap

Tesla Nervos rollers latch and arc Electricity. Tesla Bank dumps extra damage when they die. Doorways become electric.

Tesla is the CC config, not the nuke config. Hallways love it. Open tiles less so.

Investment: 3 Forma · Reactor · 1 shard · 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: 4/5 Dmg
Sur: 2/5 Sur
En: 3/5 En
Mob: 2/5 Mob
Ease: 4/5 Ease

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Artillery Officer — Optimised.

Steel Path3–4 FormaAdvancedMedium confidenceSteel PathFarmingShards optional

Vector and Nails

Your first endgame-capable version.

Best for: Speedruns, Index, people who like gadgets more than cages

Minelayer is two tools. Tap Tether-Flechette to nail and hold. Hold Vector-Overdrive to yeet allies (and enemies) down a hallway with a damage buff.

Minelayer got folded into one button with two holds. People skip it. Speedrunners do not.

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

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Artillery Officer — Optimised.

Optimised4 FormaEndgameMedium confidenceFarmingDefenseShards optional

Loot Vortex

Spend resources to push it.

Best for: Farming tiles, Sanctuary Onslaught, grouping for a loot frame teammate

Hold Bastille to collapse every cage into one vacuum. Repelling Bastille keeps new spawns out — or skip it and suck the map for loot + grouping.

Hold-Bastille is the 2026 vacuum. Old Vortex as a separate 4 is gone — it lives in the hold.

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

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Artillery Officer — Endgame.

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