Warframe · Zephyr Prime

Stay up. Then the weather arrives.

Zephyr owns the air. Turbulence bends bullets, Tail Wind hovers, Tornadoes eat the lane, and airborne guns crit for free.

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Zephyr is the ULTIMATE CRIT WARFRAME... (real numbers!)

MHBlacky. Airborne crit passive, Tornado, Turbulence. 2025 numbers.

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Update 12 (5 Feb 2014) · Tenno Lab. MR No mastery lock. Sprint 1.10. Madurai · Naramon.

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

By stage

Pick where you are

Just crafted

First Gust

Learn hover and Turbulence.

Want grouping

Funnel Farm — Endgame

Funnel Clouds. This is 2026 Zephyr weather.

Want to nuke

Target Fixation

Target Fixation.

Want to not die

Umbrella Forever

Jet Stream umbrella.

Hover guns

Tail Wind Air

Nourish/Roar over Airburst.

The kit

Hover, pull, umbrella, weather

Tail Wind

Hold in air to hover. Tap in air to dash. Aim down to dive-bomb. Ground tap is a launch.

Airburst

Tap pulls, hold pushes. Damage ramps per enemy hit. Target Fixation is the nuke augment.

Turbulence

A wind shield that redirects projectiles. Jet Stream adds move speed. Do not Helminth this.

Tornado

Seeking or parked tornadoes that engulf enemies and inherit the element you shoot into them.

Loadouts

Five builds

All builds

Starter0–2 FormaStarterHigh confidenceStar ChartShards optional

First Gust

Learn the frame.

Best for: Star Chart, first Zephyr, learning to hover

Turbulence is a projectile umbrella. Tail Wind is a hover and a dive. Tornado is later. Stay airborne — passive crit wants it.

Turbulence is Zephyr. 105 armor does not matter if bullets miss.

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

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

Star Chart2–3 FormaModerateHigh confidenceStar ChartSteel Path

First Gust — Star Chart

First serious version.

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

Turbulence is a projectile umbrella. Tail Wind is a hover and a dive. Tornado is later. Stay airborne — passive crit wants it. Primed Continuity and Primed Flow are the first real upgrade — not Blind Rage.

Turbulence is Zephyr. 105 armor does not matter if bullets miss.

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

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Funnel Farm — Steel Path.

Steel Path3–4 FormaAdvancedMedium confidenceStar ChartSteel PathShards optional

Funnel Farm — Steel Path

Your first endgame-capable version.

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

Tornadoes pick people up. They inherit the element you shoot into them. Funnel Clouds makes many small ones. This is 2026 Zephyr grouping. This is the peak you can run the day Steel Path unlocks — galvanized / arcanes, no Helminth.

Tornado is grouping, not an old-world nuke. Funnel Clouds is the coverage augment.

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: 4/5 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 Funnel Farm — Optimised.

Optimised4–5 FormaEndgameMedium confidenceNetracellsArchon HuntsShards optional

Funnel Farm — Optimised

Spend resources to push it.

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

Tornadoes pick people up. They inherit the element you shoot into them. Funnel Clouds makes many small ones. This is 2026 Zephyr grouping. Shards and a finished config. Tauforged is the last card.

Tornado is grouping, not an old-world nuke. Funnel Clouds is the coverage augment.

Investment: 5 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: 4/5 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 Funnel Farm — Endgame.

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

Endgame4–5 FormaEndgameMedium confidenceFarmingDefenseShards optional

Funnel Farm — Endgame

Only if you actually need it.

Best for: Defense, grouping for a loot / nuke teammate, the identity press-4

Tornadoes pick people up. They inherit the element you shoot into them. Funnel Clouds makes many small ones. This is 2026 Zephyr grouping.

Tornado is grouping, not an old-world nuke. Funnel Clouds is the coverage augment.

Investment: 5 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: 4/5 Dmg
Sur: 2/5 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.

Optimised4 FormaEndgameMedium confidenceSteel PathShards optional

Target Fixation

Spend resources to push it.

Best for: Dense tiles, the press-2 nuke, people who like stacking a multiplier

Airburst tap-pulls or hold-pushes. Target Fixation stacks damage per enemy hit. Dive-bomb Tail Wind into the pile. This is caster Zephyr.

Target Fixation is the reason Airburst is a Steel Path button.

Investment: 4 Forma · Reactor · 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: 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 Funnel Farm — Endgame.

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

Steel Path3–4 FormaAdvancedMedium confidenceFarmingEidolonsShards optional

Umbrella Forever

Your first endgame-capable version.

Best for: Eidolon / projectile-heavy tiles, endurance, people who picked Zephyr to not get shot

Jet Stream adds movement speed to Turbulence. Duration so the umbrella never drops. You are a flying brick that bullets cannot find.

Turbulence is projectile DR, not melee DR. Ancients still slap. Know the difference.

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

Your next step: run this until it feels easy. Then Funnel Farm — Optimised.

Endgame4 FormaEndgameMedium confidenceSteel PathHelminthShards optional

Tail Wind Air

Only if you actually need it.

Best for: Weapon platforms, hover snipers, people who want Zephyr as a flying gun

Nourish or Roar over Airburst. You live in the sky. Hover-guns with passive crit, Turbulence up, Tornado grouping. The dive is mobility.

Airburst is the Helminth slot on gun Zephyr. Target Fixation people keep 2 instead.

Investment: 4 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: 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

Letting Turbulence drop
105 armor. Recast 3 before the timer, not after the shotgun.
Standing on the floor
Passive crit is airborne. Hover.
Hold-Airburst when you meant pull
Hold yeets. Tap groups. Target Fixation people have ended their own stacks this way.