What is the best primary weapon in Warframe?

By computed burst DPS from base stats, Exergis ranks first of 193 primary weapons. That is a statistical ranking, not a verdict — it excludes mods, arcanes and Incarnon evolutions.

Primary weapons Tier List

All 193 primary weapons ranked by damage computed from Digital Extremes’ published stats.

What is the strongest primary weapon on paper?

Exergis — highest computed burst DPS of 193 primary weapons.

“On paper” is doing real work in that sentence. This is base-stat damage only: no mods, arcanes, Incarnon evolutions or faction damage, and no allowance for how the weapon actually handles.

Full ranking

#	Weapon	Band	Score	Burst DPS	Sustained	MR
1	Exergis	A	100 out of 100	5,573	880	8
2	Tigris Prime	A	62 out of 100	3,432	1,226	13
3	Kuva Tonkor	A	60 out of 100	3,366	585	13
4	Tonkor	A	57 out of 100	3,157	495	5
5	Strun Prime	A	50 out of 100	2,782	1,098	14
6	Felarx	A	49 out of 100	2,736	960	14
7	Sancti Tigris	A	49 out of 100	2,709	1,084	12
8	Drakgoon	A	44 out of 100	2,450	1,169	5
9	Tigris	A	41 out of 100	2,310	825	7
10	Kuva Zarr	A	39 out of 100	2,154	699	15
11	Coda Bubonico	A	37 out of 100	2,068	1,139	17
12	Vaykor Hek	A	35 out of 100	1,969	1,068	12
13	Vadarya Prime	A	35 out of 100	1,926	1,324	15
14	Kuva Drakgoon	A	33 out of 100	1,854	1,154	13
15	Boar Prime	A	31 out of 100	1,717	1,046	11
16	Perigale Prime	A	30 out of 100	1,686	789	14
17	Kuva Hek	A	30 out of 100	1,653	815	15
18	Purgator 1	A	29 out of 100	1,644	1,134	14
19	Acceltra Prime	A	29 out of 100	1,630	1,222	14
20	Fulmin Prime	A	29 out of 100	1,621	936	12
21	Perigale	B	27 out of 100	1,509	600	8
22	Fulmin	B	26 out of 100	1,473	707	8
23	Bubonico	B	26 out of 100	1,458	889	13
24	Cedo Prime	B	24 out of 100	1,347	1,120	15
25	Acceltra	B	24 out of 100	1,324	883	8
26	Opticor	B	23 out of 100	1,300	929	14
27	Hek	B	22 out of 100	1,251	601	4
28	Carmine Penta	B	22 out of 100	1,247	748	6
29	Astilla Prime	B	22 out of 100	1,237	908	14
30	Kuva Sobek	B	22 out of 100	1,225	971	15
31	Strun Wraith	B	22 out of 100	1,216	540	10
32	Vectis Prime	B	22 out of 100	1,213	569	14
33	Rubico Prime	B	22 out of 100	1,207	489	12
34	Phantasma Prime	B	21 out of 100	1,187	768	14
35	Corinth Prime	B	21 out of 100	1,178	972	14
36	Daikyu Prime	B	21 out of 100	1,170	731	15
37	Kuva Ogris	B	21 out of 100	1,167	569	15
38	Coda Bassocyst	B	21 out of 100	1,146	1,022	17
39	Kohm	B	20 out of 100	1,132	1,099	5
40	Vinquibus	B	20 out of 100	1,128	722	14
41	Steflos	B	20 out of 100	1,121	701	8
42	Javlok	B	20 out of 100	1,120	545	7
43	Opticor Vandal	B	20 out of 100	1,107	820	14
44	Ogris	B	20 out of 100	1,103	630	9
45	Phantasma	B	20 out of 100	1,096	709	9
46	Sobek	B	17 out of 100	971	726	7
47	Corinth	B	17 out of 100	970	631	8
48	Astilla	B	17 out of 100	949	616	10
49	Kuva Bramma	B	17 out of 100	947	677	15
50	Secura Penta	B	17 out of 100	945	551	12
51	Daikyu	B	17 out of 100	938	586	10
52	Kuva Kohm	B	17 out of 100	935	899	13
53	Tenet Arca Plasmor	B	17 out of 100	927	713	16
54	Synoid Simulor	B	16 out of 100	912	644	12
55	Tenet Ferrox	B	16 out of 100	896	723	16
56	Tenet Envoy	B	16 out of 100	893	630	16
57	Cedo	B	16 out of 100	883	729	8
58	Rauta	B	16 out of 100	882	711	8
59	Evensong	B	15 out of 100	845	528	10
60	Basmu	B	14 out of 100	800	572	11
61	Strun	B	14 out of 100	778	304	1
62	Boar	B	14 out of 100	770	493	2
63	Rubico	B	14 out of 100	768	337	6
64	Coda Sporothrix	B	14 out of 100	758	535	17
65	Arca Plasmor	B	13 out of 100	747	571	10
66	Cernos Prime	B	13 out of 100	745	452	12
67	Ferrox	B	13 out of 100	735	593	14
68	Kuva Chakkhurr	B	13 out of 100	705	522	15
69	Nataruk	C	12 out of 100	696	—	0
70	Sporothrix	C	12 out of 100	694	448	13
71	Simulor	C	12 out of 100	672	316	5
72	Miter	C	12 out of 100	656	525	6
73	Vulkar Wraith	C	12 out of 100	655	374	7
74	Cinta	C	11 out of 100	640	457	6
75	Rakta Cernos	C	11 out of 100	634	397	12
76	EFV-5 Jupiter	C	11 out of 100	608	467	14
77	Haalvu	C	11 out of 100	590	543	14
78	Supra Vandal	C	10 out of 100	580	516	14
79	Nagantaka Prime	C	10 out of 100	573	376	12
80	Komorex	C	10 out of 100	570	326	8
81	Supra	C	10 out of 100	548	454	12
82	Tiberon	C	10 out of 100	546	324	10
83	AX-52	C	10 out of 100	546	364	12
84	Sybaris Prime	C	10 out of 100	540	367	12
85	Trumna Prime	C	10 out of 100	530	493	15
86	Tenet Quanta	C	9 out of 100	527	440	16
87	Coda Synapse	C	9 out of 100	524	424	17
88	Latron Prime	C	9 out of 100	524	314	10
89	Paris Prime	C	9 out of 100	522	307	8
90	Panthera Prime	C	9 out of 100	519	426	14
91	Cernos	C	9 out of 100	517	323	6
92	Boltor Prime	C	9 out of 100	515	368	13
93	Snipetron Vandal	C	9 out of 100	512	307	5
94	Tiberon Prime	C	9 out of 100	511	385	14
95	Tenet Glaxion	C	9 out of 100	506	399	16
96	Buzlok	C	9 out of 100	504	367	11
97	Phenmor	C	9 out of 100	504	394	14
98	Dread	C	9 out of 100	504	296	5
99	Shedu	C	9 out of 100	504	409	13
100	Zhuge	C	9 out of 100	500	329	10
101	Phage	C	9 out of 100	500	395	11
102	Alternox Prime	C	9 out of 100	496	404	13
103	Burston Prime	C	9 out of 100	493	348	12
104	Trumna	C	9 out of 100	493	441	13
105	Ambassador	C	9 out of 100	484	356	10
106	Tenora Prime	C	9 out of 100	482	416	14
107	Reconifex	C	9 out of 100	481	401	14
108	Mutalist Cernos	C	9 out of 100	477	298	7
109	Nagantaka	C	9 out of 100	475	290	9
110	Penta	C	8 out of 100	468	312	6
111	Aeolak	C	8 out of 100	458	353	10
112	Latron Wraith	C	8 out of 100	455	253	7
113	Prisma Gorgon	C	8 out of 100	453	334	11
114	Gotva Prime	C	8 out of 100	448	340	14
115	Prisma Grakata	C	8 out of 100	447	328	11
116	Attica	C	8 out of 100	440	290	7
117	Prisma Grinlok	C	8 out of 100	436	384	11
118	Dex Sybaris	C	8 out of 100	422	292	7
119	Vectis	C	8 out of 100	422	169	2
120	Zarr	C	8 out of 100	418	186	7
121	Veldt	C	7 out of 100	417	333	8
122	Baza Prime	C	7 out of 100	416	319	10
123	Paris	C	7 out of 100	416	252	0
124	Stradavar Prime	C	7 out of 100	415	340	12
125	Snipetron	C	7 out of 100	414	151	0
126	Scourge Prime	C	7 out of 100	411	358	14
127	Karak Wraith	C	7 out of 100	409	294	7
128	Gorgon Wraith	C	7 out of 100	409	283	7
129	Quanta Vandal	C	7 out of 100	408	321	10
130	Baza	C	7 out of 100	405	256	7
131	Vulkar	C	7 out of 100	405	231	3
132	Paracyst	C	7 out of 100	403	294	7
133	Coda Hema	C	7 out of 100	403	344	17
134	MK1-Strun	C	7 out of 100	403	175	0
135	Tenet Tetra	C	7 out of 100	401	352	16
136	Synapse	C	7 out of 100	399	317	11
137	Sybaris	D	7 out of 100	398	222	5
138	Telos Boltor	D	7 out of 100	398	318	12
139	Glaxion Vandal	D	7 out of 100	397	326	12
140	Dera Vandal	D	7 out of 100	389	291	7
141	Quartakk	D	7 out of 100	387	338	10
142	Tenet Flux Rifle	D	7 out of 100	383	312	16
143	Grinlok	D	7 out of 100	382	290	7
144	Enkaus	D	7 out of 100	379	263	12
145	Harpak	D	7 out of 100	378	298	7
146	Braton Prime	D	7 out of 100	376	295	8
147	Quellor	D	7 out of 100	373	345	12
148	Stahlta	D	7 out of 100	372	307	10
149	Amprex	D	7 out of 100	365	278	10
150	Tenora	D	6 out of 100	358	300	10
151	Zenith	D	6 out of 100	358	300	10
152	Dera	D	6 out of 100	354	244	4
153	Karak	D	6 out of 100	354	199	1
154	Convectrix	D	6 out of 100	353	—	7
155	Ignis Wraith	D	6 out of 100	351	329	9
156	Kuva Hind	D	6 out of 100	348	282	15
157	Stradavar	D	6 out of 100	347	266	8
158	Zhuge Prime	D	6 out of 100	347	224	14
159	Battacor	D	6 out of 100	341	305	10
160	Gorgon	D	6 out of 100	339	214	3
161	Glaxion	D	6 out of 100	337	253	8
162	Scourge	D	6 out of 100	337	289	6
163	Kuva Karak	D	6 out of 100	336	262	13
164	Panthera	D	6 out of 100	336	280	7
165	Argonak	D	6 out of 100	334	269	7
166	Alternox	D	6 out of 100	314	245	8
167	Hema	D	6 out of 100	313	261	7
168	Kuva Quartakk	D	6 out of 100	310	284	13
169	Braton Vandal	D	5 out of 100	305	241	4
170	MK1-Paris	D	5 out of 100	299	193	0
171	Proboscis Cernos	D	5 out of 100	297	185	15
172	Prisma Tetra	D	5 out of 100	296	240	4
173	Ignis	D	5 out of 100	293	265	5
174	Flux Rifle	D	5 out of 100	290	205	6
175	Soma	D	5 out of 100	288	199	6
176	Soma Prime	D	5 out of 100	288	235	7
177	Quanta	D	5 out of 100	286	204	4
178	Grakata	D	5 out of 100	275	153	5
179	Thornbak	D	5 out of 100	266	202	0
180	Latron	D	5 out of 100	257	154	0
181	Mutalist Quanta	D	5 out of 100	253	169	2
182	Burston	D	4 out of 100	243	181	0
183	Torid	D	4 out of 100	242	160	4
184	Boltor	D	4 out of 100	236	171	2
185	Afentis Prime	D	4 out of 100	236	172	13
186	Braton	D	4 out of 100	225	162	0
187	Tetra	D	4 out of 100	218	178	3
188	Hind	D	3 out of 100	194	163	0
189	Higasa	D	3 out of 100	179	155	2
190	MK1-Braton	D	3 out of 100	140	112	0
191	Prisma Lenz	D	2 out of 100	125	78.4	12
192	Afentis	D	2 out of 100	109	79.5	8
193	Lenz	D	2 out of 100	90.0	56.2	8

Methodology

Rankings are computed from Digital Extremes’ own published weapon stats. Damage per shot = base damage × (1 + crit chance × (crit multiplier − 1)) × multishot. Burst DPS multiplies that by fire rate. Sustained DPS accounts for magazine size and reload time, and is left blank where either is missing. These figures use BASE stats only: no mods, arcanes, Incarnon evolutions, faction damage or status synergy, and no allowance for how a weapon feels to use. This is a statistical ranking, not a verdict on what is best.

Weapons whose stats we cannot compute are left out entirely rather than ranked last — an unstatted weapon is unknown, not bad, and putting it at the bottom would be a claim we cannot support.