My Favourite Archguns in Warframe

Sometimes in Warframe, a normal gun just isn’t big enough. Sure our weapons can do vast amounts of damage and kill huge swathes of enemies, but sometimes you just need something massive. A gun so large that you have to add an anti-gravity component so you can use it. Sometimes you need an Archgun.

Archguns are great. Originally appearing in Archwing missions, Archguns are massive, mostly two-handed weapons that can only be used in space because they are so heavy and powerful. Over the years though, we’ve been able to use Archguns more often, either via our Necramechs or by using Vox-Solaris-made anti-gravity Gravimags that can be added to an Archgun, so they can be deployed on land. But not all Archguns are the same. Here are my five favourite Archguns.

Imperator Vandal

The Imperator Vandal is a massive upgrade to the default Imperator that you get in the Archwing quest. It shoots plenty of bullets, most of which are hitscan, and works great as a basic Archgun. You can get Imperator Vandal parts via the Balmor Fomorian missions that pop up when enough Grineer invasions have been completed. The mission is very easy, easy enough that anyone who has done the Archwing quest can do the Balor Fomorian mission. The Vandal version was originally very hard to get, as one of its components was insanely rare compared to the other parts, but now it’s much easier to get your hands on.

Grattler

The Grattler and its brother, the Kuva Grattler, are massive guns that shoot explosive projectiles. It used to be quite easy to blow yourself up with the Grattler on ground missions, as the projectile bullets have a larger area of effect than you’d expect. This also means that the Grattler has some punch-through, and can catch multiple enemies with a single bullet if they’re close enough.

What I think makes the Grattler great is the fact that it’s the second easiest Archgun you can get – you can buy the blueprint in the Grineer labs in a clan dojo, and it uses standard resources, rather than having to source components from various Syndicates. However, the Kuva Grattler is only a sidegrade. The damage output is basically the same on both, so if you don’t want to hunt a Kuva Lich, the normal Grattler works fine.

Fluctus

Somewhat Corpus-themed, the Fluctus’s unique mechanic is its insane punch-through. Each wave of energy fired can pass through terrain and kill enemies behind thick walls. Before the Kuva weapons and Necramechs, the Fluctus was one of the best weapons around. However, the Fluctus’s ammo runs out quickly, and you have to wait for a recharge. On the ground, the Fluctus’s ammo supplies are even lower, but you can get a lot done with such a small ammo pool.

Kuva Ayanga

The Kuva Ayanga is the second of two Archguns obtained via Liches, the other being the Kuva Grattler. However, unlike the Grattler, there’s no non-Kuva version, the Ayanga is a weapon in its own right.

Mausolon

The Mausolon is the default weapon of a Necramech, and bloody hell is it a good weapon. The gun has insane stats and is basically a far superior Imperator Vandal. Unfortunately, the Mausolon is a little bit hard to obtain since you need to build a Necramech to obtain it. Once you do though, those bullets tear through pretty much everything. Really, the only thing that holds the Mausolon back is the fact that farming for a Necramech takes a huge amount of time and quite a bit of luck. However, it’s definitely worth the effort, and the Mausolon remains my preferred Archgun to this day.

Really, all Archguns are worth a try, but these five are my favourites.