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Nidus draws strength from the Infestation. It bolsters him with survivability as he deals high damage and provides crowd control. Plague your enemies.

This is Nidus, the adaptive, the scourge.

Nidus is a deadly plague for which there is no cure. You must control the strange disease.

Release Date: December 22nd, 2016

Epitome of the endlessly evolving Infestation, Nidus bends the vile corruption to his will, mutates his genetic potency to adapt and assimilates his victims with an insatiable parasitic hunger. Nidus and his strain developed in Update 19.5 (2016-12-22).

Acquisition

Nidus' main blueprint is acquired from The Glast Gambit quest; additional main blueprints can be bought from Cephalon Simaris for 50,000 Standing. Nidus' component blueprints are acquired from Rotation C of Infested Salvage on Oestrus, Eris.
Item Source Chance Expected Nearly Guaranteed
Systems Systems Blueprint Infested Salvage / C 14.29% ~ 6 C Rotations 44 ± 14 C Rotations
Helmet Neuroptics Blueprint Infested Salvage / C 14.29% ~ 6 C Rotations 44 ± 14 C Rotations
Chassis Chassis Blueprint Infested Salvage / C 14.29% ~ 6 C Rotations 44 ± 14 C Rotations

All drop rates data is obtained from DE's official drop tables. See Mission Rewards#Standard Missions for definitions on reward table rotations.
For more detailed definitions and information, visit here.

Alternatively, upon completion of The Duviri Paradox, Nidus's main and component blueprints can be earned from The Circuit. By selecting him on the rotating week he is available, players can earn his blueprints after reaching Tier 2 (Neuroptics), 5 (Chassis), 8 (Systems), and 10 (Main) rewards.

Crafting

Manufacturing Requirements
📝 Edit blueprint requirements
Credits
25,000
Helmet
1
Chassis
1
Systems
1
Kuva Kuva
2,000
Time: 3 Day(s)
Rush: PlatinumLarge 50
MarketIcon Market Price: PlatinumLarge 225 Blueprint2 Blueprints Price: N/A
Nidus Neuroptics Blueprint
Credits
15,000
MutagenSample Mutagen Sample
10
PolymerBundle Polymer Bundle
2,600
Plastids Plastids
1,000
NeuralSensors Neural Sensors
3
Time: 12 Hour(s)
Rush: PlatinumLarge 25
Nidus Chassis Blueprint
Credits
15,000
PolymerBundle Polymer Bundle
6,000
NanoSpores Nano Spores
5,000
Plastids Plastids
1,400
Neurodes Neurodes
3
Time: 12 Hour(s)
Rush: PlatinumLarge 25
Nidus Systems Blueprint
Credits
15,000
NanoSpores Nano Spores
6,000
Circuits Circuits
3,500
Morphics Morphics
14
OrokinCell Orokin Cell
6
Time: 12 Hour(s)
Rush: PlatinumLarge 25

Lore

Fair, but the Myconians aren't asking for charity. Their ancestral understanding of the Infestation comes from an Old War relic. A relic that I know, will be of extreme interest to you. Return the Triuna, and the relic will be yours. Fair compensation for the risk.
Ergo Glast on Nidus during The Glast Gambit

Little is known about the history of the Nidus Warframe aside from its Orokin era origins. However, the Myconians have apparently used information learned from their time possessing the relic, the Nidus blueprint, to produce the Triuna, an infection passed down from generation to generation, which the Infestation fears due to the hybrid nature of the resulting host, allowing the Myconians to harvest Infested flesh as part of their livelihood.

Nidus has a mysterious connection with the Helminth being that resides in the Orbiter, being the only Warframe that can purposely command the Helminth to infect him with the Helminth Virus; the extent of this relationship is currently unknown.

Notes

20161227215853 1

Nidus with 100 Mutation Stacks

  • Nidus has unique interactions due to his lack of shields:
  • Nidus can uniquely access the Orbiter's Helminth Infirmary without the Helminth Segment prerequisite. If he sits in the infirmary's chair, he will be injected with the "Helminth Virus", forming an Infested cyst on the left side of his neck after 24 hours and grows to full size after 7 days, while simultaneously "awakening" the Helminth which will begin to communicate to the Tenno. Nidus can also spread this virus to other players he comes into contact with in combat and in a Clan Dojo or Orbiter, causing the cyst to grow on their Warframe, and those Warframes can also further propagate the virus.
    • The injection will only occur once, and will not happen again to additionally built Nidus. However, Nidus can still receive the cyst from another infected player.
  • When entering the Helminth room, Nidus will automatically switch to his fully infested form (as he appears with 10 Mutation Stacks). As he leaves the room, he will revert to his normal appearance.
  • Nidus' appearance changes as he accumulates Mutation Stacks:
    • At 3 stacks, tendrils will protrude from his neck and upper spine, while the carapace around his ribs will open.
    • At 5 and 7 stacks respectively, the carapace around his thighs and arms will open to reveal more infested flesh and tendrils beneath.
    • At 10 stacks, the sides of his head extend outward to form a pair of horns, also exposing many more tendrils.

Trivia

Nidus

Nidus infecting another Warframe

  • The word nidus (Latin root: "nest") is defined as the site of origin for disease or bacteria or a place where bacteria multiplies.
  • Nidus is the first Warframe to use Kuva Kuva as a blueprint ingredient.
  • Nidus is the second Warframe after InarosIcon272 Inaros to have no base shields whatsoever.
  • Nidus is also the first Warframe to use another type of ability resource besides energy, in the form of Mutation stacks.
  • Nidus is the first and only Warframe to innately regenerate Health.
  • Nidus is the first frame to have extra stat bonuses when leveling up.
  • The screech of Nidus' fourth ability was done by Digital Extremes sound designer, Willem Schonken.[1]

Reference

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AladVPortrait d
“Market forces dictate that you need to evolve or die.”
Nidus Prime is Vaulted.
The Void Relics for this item have been removed from the drop tables and do not drop during missions at this time. Check the current Prime Resurgence rotation to see if Varzia offers relics for this item. Vaulted Void Relics already contained in player inventories are not affected and can still be either opened or traded between players.
Mutation is endless. The ravening plague-bearer returns in a long-unseen form, seething with a primal strain of the Infestation. Features altered Mod polarities for greater customization.

We cast our shining child adrift on strange seas. For with time, these starless currents black as mourning may work a sea-change. And if, one grisly dawn, the skies should hurl you, herald-like, back to Earth, remind us, foundling, of what we immaculate ones have lost.

What succulent riches disease's kiss may bring.

My festering demigod. My Nidus.

Release Date: September 8th, 2021

Nidus Prime is the Primed variant of NidusIcon272 Nidus, sporting enhanced Health, Energy, and Armor, as well as an additional Naramon Pol polarity. He was released alongside the StrunPrime Strun Prime and the MagnusPrime Magnus Prime.

Acquisition

Vaultings

  • On July 27th, 2023, Nidus Prime, along with Strun Prime and Magnus Prime, entered the Prime Vault and were retired from the reward tables. Any preexisting components or fully-built items will remain as is.

Crafting

Manufacturing Requirements
📝 Edit blueprint requirements
Credits
25,000
PrimeHelmet
1
PrimeChassis
1
PrimeSystems
1
OrokinCell Orokin Cell
5
Time: 3 Day(s)
Rush: PlatinumLarge 50
MarketIcon Market Price: PlatinumLarge 375 Blueprint2 Blueprints Price: N/A
Nidus Prime Neuroptics Blueprint
Credits
15,000
ArgonCrystal Argon Crystal
2
Cryotic Cryotic
600
Circuits Circuits
1,100
NanoSpores Nano Spores
4,975
Time: 12 Hour(s)
Rush: PlatinumLarge 25
Nidus Prime Chassis Blueprint
Credits
15,000
Tellurium Tellurium
2
Plastids Plastids
450
PolymerBundle Polymer Bundle
1,425
AlloyPlate Alloy Plate
5,500
Time: 12 Hour(s)
Rush: PlatinumLarge 25
Nidus Prime Systems Blueprint
Credits
15,000
NitainExtract Nitain Extract
2
Neurodes Neurodes
3
Rubedo Rubedo
1,250
Salvage Salvage
3,800
Time: 12 Hour(s)
Rush: PlatinumLarge 25

Notes

  • Nidus Prime, compared to NidusIcon272 Nidus:
    • Higher Health (550/650 vs. 455/555)
    • Higher Armor (425/525 vs. 350/450)
    • Higher Energy (140/190 vs. 100/150)
    • Higher Starting Energy (75 vs. 50)
    • Additional Naramon Pol Polarity (Madurai PolNaramon PolVazarin Pol vs. Madurai PolVazarin Pol)
  • As with any other Prime Warframe, moving close to the location of an Orokin Void Death Orb will restore a pulse of 250 Energy to nearby allies, even if that Death Orb is inactive, destroyed, or non-present. This effect can only occur once per orb.
  • Nidus Prime's appearance changes as he accumulates Mutation Stacks:
    • At 3 stacks, black tendrils form on the left side of his face, as well as his entire left arm.
    • At 5 stacks, the tendrils extend to cover his chest and back.
    • At 7 stacks, the right side of his fleshy body becomes covered in a black mass, as the golden metallic spikes on his right arm protrude outward, while tendrils form on his lower body.
    • At 10 stacks, the tendrils extend to cover his entire face and thighs.
  • Virulence130xWhite Virulence, Larva130xWhite Larva, Ravenous130xWhite Ravenous' Maggots and its Infested nests have unique models of Orokin design, appearing twisted and overtaken by Nidus' Infestation.

Trivia

  • Nidus Prime was revealed during TennoCon 2021 on 17th July 2021. Players in the TennoCon Relay were granted an up-close look of his in-game model.
  • Nidus Prime's concept art was illustrated by Mike Brennan, the original designer of NidusIcon272 Nidus.
  • Nidus Prime is the ninth Primed Warframe whose non-Primed variant was unlockable through a quest (The Glast Gambit), after GaraIcon272 Gara, OctaviaIcon272 Octavia, InarosIcon272 Inaros, TitaniaIcon272 Titania, AtlasIcon272 Atlas, ChromaIcon272 Chroma, LimboIcon272 Limbo, and MirageIcon272 Mirage.
  • When Nidus Prime becomes invisible, his transparent silhouette will be in fully mutated form, regardless of current mutation stack.

Media

Edit Tab

The Infestation dwelling within NidusIcon272 Nidus mutates rapidly when used against his foes, fueling his abilities and yielding various symbiotic benefits. Nidus possesses various passive mechanics highlighted in the tabs below:

MutationGauge

Mutation gauge at 100 stacks.

Mutation Stacks are a resource unique to Nidus, indicated by the Mutation counter and gauge displayed in the lower-right on the HUD, above the ability icons.

  • The gauge is divided into 5 sections which represent the number of hits dealt to enemies via Nidus' abilities, while the counter at the center of the gauge keeps track of the number of Mutation stacks up to a maximum of 100.
    • When generating Mutation, the sections light up clockwise. Once all 5 sections have lit up, the gauge completes a cycle and the sections become unlit again, while the counter increases by 1 Mutation stack. The following abilities generate 1/5th of a Mutation stack:
      • Each enemy hit with Virulence130xWhite Virulence.
      • Each enemy hit by Ravenous130xWhite Ravenous' maggot explosion.
      • Each enemy killed from any source while held by Larva130xWhite Larva at a 50% chance.
      • Abilities are not required to deal damage to enemies, only ability contact is needed to increase Mutation stacks.
      • When gaining or losing large numbers of stacks, the gauge only changes one at a time, making it difficult to estimate the actual count.
        • This can be bypassed by briefly switching to the Operator, as this will instantly refresh to the current amount of stacks.
    • Mutation stacks are stored until used by the player. Stacks will not disappear in the event of a host migration.
    • Ability-nullifying enemies such as Nullifier Crewman will drain 1 Mutation stack every 2 seconds, ramping up the drain rate the longer Nidus remains in their radius.
    • Each Mutation stack causes the gauge to gradually appear more infested, and upon reaching maximum stacks the counter is hidden and the gauge is overlapped by Virulence's ability icon colored in red and black.
  • The amount of Mutation stacks stored benefits Nidus' abilities:
    • Increases the damage of Virulence and Ravenous' maggot explosion.
    • ParasiticLink130xWhite Parasitic Link costs 1 stack to activate instead of using energy.
    • Ravenous costs 3 stacks to activate instead of using energy.
  • Nidus' appearance changes as more stacks are collected:
    • With the base skin:
      • At 3 stacks, tendrils will protrude from his neck and upper spine, while the carapace around his ribs will open.
      • At 5 and 7 stacks respectively, the carapace around his thighs and arms will open to reveal more infested flesh and tendrils beneath.
      • At 10 stacks, certain sections of his currently-equipped helmet will open up.
        • With the base helmet, the sides of his head extend outward to form a pair of horns, also exposing many more tendrils.
        • With the Nidus Prion Helmet, the "mouth" and the ligature open up, revealing Void-like energy underneath.
        • With the Nidus Myxini Helmet, the helmet opens up down the middle to reveal a monstrous mouth-like face.
    • With the Nidus Phryke Skin:
      • At 3 stacks, he gains protective armor on his thighs, and his shoulder pads are covered in a cage-like armor with a protruding spike on the top.
      • At 5 stacks, a large curved blade appears on each of the shoulder pad spikes.
      • At 7 stacks, his forearms are lined with a curved blade that extends two large spikes.
      • At 10 stacks, his face becomes covered with a crown-like visor.
    • With NidusPrimeIcon272 Nidus Prime:
      • At 3 stacks, black tendrils form on the left side of his face, as well as his entire left arm.
      • At 5 stacks, the tendrils extend to cover his chest and back.
      • At 7 stacks, the right side of his fleshy body becomes covered in a black mass as the golden metallic spikes on his right arm protrude outward, while tendrils form on his lower body.
      • At 10 stacks, the tendrils extend to cover his entire face and thighs.
    • When stacks fall below the required triggers, Nidus' appearance will revert to the appropriate stage.

If Nidus suffers fatal damage with at least 15 stacks of Mutation, Nidus will consume the 15 stacks to avoid bleedout while receiving 5 seconds of invulnerability and restoring 50% of his health.

  • A UI banner displaying "Undying" and an invulnerability timer will appear at the top-center of the screen while this passive is activated. The required amount of Mutation stacks will be visibly subtracted from the counter and gauge.
  • If Nidus has fewer than 15 Mutation stacks, all stacks will be consumed without benefit.
  • If Nidus has 15 or more stacks while Mod TT 20px Quick Thinking is equipped, Undying will be given a higher priority, triggering before any energy is drained by Quick Thinking.
AbundantMutationMod
Main article: Abundant Mutation

Abundant Mutation is a Warframe Augment Mod for NidusIcon272 Nidus' passive that increases the amount of max stacks that he can carry but adds a cooldown of 30 seconds to his Undying passive.

Rank Additional max stacks Cost
0 +50 6
1 +100 7
2 +150 8
3 +200 9

Unlike most Warframes, when Nidus ranks up he receives a special set of rank bonuses which are indicated at the middle-left of the Warframe Upgrade screen:

At rank 30, this results in a total of:

  • +100 Health
  • +100 Armor
  • +15% Ability Strength
  • +50 Energy capacity
  • +15 Health/s regeneration
Note that these bonuses are gained only by leveling up. Gaining Mutation stacks will not increase said bonuses.

Abilities 

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VirulenceModx256 Virulence130xWhite
1
EnergyOrb40
Virulence

Rupture the ground with a damaging fungal growth that steals energy from each enemy it strikes. For every five enemies hit, the Infestation mutates, multiplying its destructive force.

Introduced in Update 19.5 (2016-12-22)

AbilityStrengthBuff Strength:150 / 160 / 175 / 200 (DmgPunctureSmall64 Puncture damage)
AbilityDurationBuff Duration:N/A
AbilityRangeBuff Range:10 / 11 / 13 / 16 m

Misc: 4 m (fungal growth width)
10 (energy refund per hit)

Info

  • Nidus expends EnergyOrb40 energy to rupture the ground to unleash a linear growth of fungal infestation AbilityRangeBuff10 / 11 / 13 / 16 meters long and 4 meters wide toward the targeted location. Enemies struck by fungal growth are RollingDroneAvatar Staggered, dealt AbilityStrengthBuff150 / 160 / 175 / 200 DmgPunctureSmall64 Puncture damage amplified by the number of Mutation stacks accumulated, as well as refunding EnergyOrb10 energy for each enemy hit.
    • Virulence's total damage uses the following expression when accounting for AbilityStrengthBuff Ability Strength and Mutation stacks:
      Amplified Damage = Base Damage × (1 + Ability Strength rank bonus + Ability Strength) × (1 + Number of Stacks)
      • With a maxed Mod TT 20px Intensify, 15% Ability Strength rank bonus, and 100 stacks, rank-3 Virulence's total damage will be increased to:
        200 × (1 + 0.15 + 0.3) × (1 + 100) = 29,290 damage (decimals are rounded down to the nearest whole number during calculations).
    • Energy refund scales inversely with EnergyOrb Ability Efficiency, meaning less Efficiency increases the amount of energy refunded.
      • Energy refund value is equal to 1/4th of the ability's energy cost, meaning hitting at least 4 enemies minimum will restore the energy used to cast Virulence.
    • Fungal growth will only travel along terrain that can be simply walked upon, such as slopes.
  • Ability Synergy:
    • Virulence increases Nidus's Mutation stacks by 1/5th per enemy hit.
    • While Nidus is connected to a target via ParasiticLink130xWhite Parasitic Link, using Virulence will spawn a second instance from the linked target that grows toward the targeted location, converging with the first instance from Nidus.
      • Enemies hit by the second instance also increase Mutation stacks.
    • Maggots spawned from Ravenous130xWhite Ravenous will immediately explode when hit by Virulence, stacking with Ravenous' Mutation gain.
  • Holding the ability key displays a rectangular range indicator on the horizontal plane in front of Nidus. Releasing the key casts Virulence. Range indicator color is affected by the chosen energy color.
    • Player can move the aiming reticle while holding down the button to aim Virulence at the desired direction.
    • While held, the player can still perform other actions such as moving, jumping, firing weapons, and casting other abilities. Releasing the key while in midair will exit range indicator mode without casting Virulence.
    • While connected via Parasitic Link, a second range indicator visible to Nidus only will also appear around the linked target.
    • While held, Maggots from Ravenous will be marked on the HUD, allowing increased visibility for selective detonation using Virulence.
  • Virulence will cast toward the targeted location regardless of Nidus' orientation.
  • If cast in midair, Nidus will instantly drop to the ground to perform this ability.
  • Cannot be recast until the fungal growth's maximum length is reached or until it cannot spawn any further due to obstruction. Therefore, Casting Speed only affects the speed of Nidus' stomping animation.
  • Virulence does not spawn up or down high terrain elevations, but does flow up and down stairs and ramps.

Augment

TeemingVirulenceMod
Main article: Teeming Virulence

Teeming Virulence is a Warframe Augment Mod for NidusIcon272 Nidus that grants increased critical chance for Nidus' primary weapon upon hitting 4 enemies with a single use of Virulence130xWhite Virulence.

Teeming Virulence

Tips & Tricks

  • Can stagger enemies to help keep them in place for recasts.
  • Can completely refund its cost when it hits at least 4 targets. 5 or more targets allow Nidus to earn extra energy.
    • Due to the refund per hit always being kept at 1/4th the ability's cost, negative efficiency can be used to gain more energy over 4 hits at the cost of a higher initial cast cost.
  • Collect Mutation stacks to amplify Virulence's damage drastically over the course of a mission.
  • Hold the ability key to line up Virulence on groups of enemies before releasing to cast. This is an efficient method to gather extra energy and collect hits for stacks.
  • Use Larva to gather enemies in one spot, then unleash Virulence to optimize damage and stack collection.
  • Casting Virulence while Parasitic Link is active allows both Nidus and the linked target to create a line of fungal growths from your positions toward where you aim. This allows Nidus to effectively extend his reach on Virulence, and collect double hits for stacks if both lines hit the same enemies. Hold the ability key to help determine where you and your linked targets' lines will spawn.
  • Can detonate Maggots spawned from Ravenous by you and any Nidus players in your squad. Hits from both the fungal growth and maggot explosion each count toward the Mutation gauge. Blow up anyone's Maggots to help you and your brethren gather more stacks quickly!
  • If the fungal growth cannot spawn any further because of obstruction, you can immediately recast Virulence.
    • Since the speed of fungal growth increases with length, having a high Ability Range means the growth will hit the obstruction faster, allowing for much faster recasting.
Expand/Collapse
LarvaModx256 Larva130xWhite
2
EnergyOrb25
Larva

Spawn an Infested pod that erupts with tendrils, latches onto nearby enemies and pulls them in.

Introduced in Update 19.5 (2016-12-22)

AbilityStrengthBuff Strength:N/A
AbilityDurationBuff Duration:4 / 5 / 6 / 7 s
AbilityRangeBuff Range:
8 / 9 / 10 / 12 m (grab radius) 5.33 / 6 / 6.67 / 8 m

(grab radius for subsumed version)

Misc: 50 % (Mutation stack chance)
3 s (unaffected targets release delay)

Subsumable to Helminth

Info

  • Nidus expends EnergyOrb25 energy to eject an infested larva at high speed toward the targeted location over unrestricted range. Upon impact or reactivation by pressing the ability key again (default 2 ), the larva rapidly matures into a floating mass of infested tentacles that sprouts tendrils to grab all enemies within Line of Sight and a radius of AbilityRangeBuff8 / 9 / 10 / 12 meters, forcefully Ragdoll b Ragdolling and pulling them into the mass, becoming unable to move or attack while grotesquely meshing together within the writhing whirlpool of flesh. Larva will wither away when it has no enemies to grip, is cast when no enemies are in range, or after AbilityDurationBuff4 / 5 / 6 / 7 seconds have elapsed, dropping enemies to the ground upon expiration.
  • Ability Synergy: Each enemy killed from any source while being held by Larva have a 50%[1] chance to generate 1/5th of a Mutation stack.
  • Enemies gripped by tendrils will float helplessly and rotate around the Larva, similar to the Vortex portion of Bastille130xWhite Bastille and Sandstorm130xWhite Sandstorm. Dealing damage or killing enemies in this mass can cause other affected enemies to bounce outward, swing wildly in an orbit, then be pulled back in.
  • If enemies cannot be ragdolled by Larva after being attached to tendrils, they will be released after 3 seconds.
  • Cannot be recast while active.
  • Larva is a One-Handed Action that allows movement and doesn't interrupt reload, but restricts other actions.
  • Enemies grabbed by Larva are alerted to the player's presence.
  • Enemies latched onto by its tendrils visually appear to be covered in infestation, while robotic targets appear encrusted in rust.
  • Subsuming Nidus to the Helminth will offer Larva and its augments to be used by other Warframes.
    • However, Subsumed Larva's range is reduced to AbilityRangeBuff5.33 / 6 / 6.67 / 8 meters.
    • When Larva is injected onto a Prime Warframe, it will gain the appearance of NidusPrimeIcon272 Nidus Prime's Larva.

Augment

LarvaBurstMod
Main article: Larva Burst

Larva Burst is a Warframe Augment Mod for NidusIcon272 Nidus's Larva130xWhite Larva that allows the player to detonate Larva by recasting the ability, dealing DmgToxinSmall64 Toxin damage proportional to the enemies trapped in Larva beforehand in a small area of effect.

Larva Burst

Tips & Tricks

  • Combine with Virulence130xWhite Virulence to deal high damage to multiple enemies and earn Mutation stacks quickly.
  • It is highly recommended to build for range to allow Larva to catch as many enemies as possible.
  • Weapons and abilities with splash damage and/or punch through can be used to quickly dispatch enemies stuck in Larva.
  • When Larva expires, enemies will drop to the ground and begin to recover from their ragdoll state. Recast Larva to immediately disable them again.
  • Combine with Ravenous130xWhite Ravenous to group up enemies for your Maggots to feast and explode on.
  • Maggots underneath or attached to enemies in this infested mass will hit all enemies when they are detonated by Virulence, dealing high damage and collecting hits for stacks very quickly as each explosion counts as 1 hit to all enemies in its splash radius.
  • Enemies linked to Ancient Healers are immune to the ragdoll and pull effects and are not disabled, but will remain attached to tendrils showing their positions.
  • Larva will attach to enemies affected by Bastille130xWhite Bastille; however, it will not pull them.
  • Larva cannot be recast while active, meaning players should either build for low duration at the expense of ParasiticLink130xWhite Parasitic Link and Ravenous130xWhite Ravenous or try to maximize the amount of enemies caught by a single instance of Larva.
    • It's possible to overcome this problem with the augment Mod TT 20px Larva Burst equipped, allowing players to cut Larva's duration short and react to situational changes more easily.
  • Infuse Larva into a speed-build NovaIcon272 Nova to allow her to both pull many enemies into the trap for quick dispatch and also reduce the risk of getting too many enemies swarming close.
Expand/Collapse
ParasiticLinkModx256 ParasiticLink130xWhite
3
Parasitic Link

Bind to a target with a parasitic link. For allies, both the host and Nidus gain increased Ability Strength. Linked enemies take the damage inflicted on Nidus.

Introduced in Update 19.5 (2016-12-22)

AbilityStrengthBuff Strength:
10% / 15% / 20% / 25% (strength bonus)10% / 15% / 20% / 25% (damage bonus)

20% / 30% / 40% / 50% (damage redirection)

AbilityDurationBuff Duration:30 / 35 / 45 / 60 s
AbilityRangeBuff Range:24 / 28 / 34 / 40 m (ally link)
10 / 13 / 16 / 20 m (enemy link)
RavenousModx256 Ravenous130xWhite
4
Ravenous

Gluttonous maggots swarm nearby enemies, feasting until they burst with Infestation. The maggots benefit from Mutation and each enemy consumed adds to the Mutation stack.

Introduced in Update 19.5 (2016-12-22)

AbilityStrengthBuff Strength:100 / 110 / 125 / 150 (explosion DmgBlastSmall64 Blast damage)
10 / 13 / 16 / 20 (health regen per second)
AbilityDurationBuff Duration:25 / 30 / 35 / 40 s
AbilityRangeBuff Range:4 m (explosion radius)

Misc:

8 m (ability diameter)9 (number of maggots)1000 (maggot health)

10 (maggot DmgToxinSmall64 Toxin damage)

Info

  • Nidus expends 3 Mutation stacks into ravenous Infestation, which spreads outward from Nidus and across the surrounding landscape to create spawning grounds with a diameter of 8 meters, lingering for AbilityDurationBuff25 / 30 / 35 / 40 seconds. Nidus and his allies will regenerate AbilityStrengthBuff10 / 13 / 16 / 20 health per second when inside the spawning grounds.
    • Health regen buff area is an invisible cylinder, allowing eligible targets to retain the buff up to a height of 8 meters above the spawning grounds.
    • Ravenous' health regeneration is visible to players as a buff icon beside the shield and health indicators on the HUD, indicating the health regen rate.
    • Affected allies includes all Warframes, Companions, Eidolon Lures, summoned allied units such as Specters, allied Invasion units, Hostages, Kavor Defectors, Sortie and Arbitrations Defense Operatives, and Defense Objects.
  • Infested cysts form on the spawning grounds, hatching up to 9 Maggots that seek out nearby enemies to feast upon. Once enemies are detected, Maggots frenzy with increased movement speed and leap toward their prey to latch onto them. While attached to an enemy, each Maggot will continuously stun its target and inflict 10 DmgToxinSmall64 Toxin damage per second until the target dies or Maggot expires.
    • DmgToxinSmall64 Toxin damage is amplified by the number of Mutation stacks accumulated using the following formula: Toxin Damage × (1 + Number of Stacks)
    • Multiple Maggots can attach to the same enemy target simultaneously.
  • When Maggots are killed or are hit by Virulence130xWhite Virulence, when their hosts die, or when Ravenous duration expires, Maggots explode to deal AbilityStrengthBuff100 / 110 / 125 / 150 DmgBlastSmall64 Blast damage to all enemies within a AbilityRangeBuff4 meter radius.
    • Explosion total damage uses the following expression when accounting for Ability Strength and Mutation stacks:
      Base Explosion Damage × (1 + Ability Strength rank bonus + Strength Mods) × (1 + Number of Stacks) =
      • With a maxed Mod TT 20px Intensify, 15% Ability Strength rank bonus, and 100 stacks, rank-3 Ravenous's total damage will be increased to:
        150 × (1 + 0.15 + 0.3) × (1 + 100) = 21,967.5
      • Due to the total damage calculation accounting for Mutation stacks after the cost of Ravenous, it is not possible to reach amplified damage results above 97 Mutation stacks.
  • Health regen per second and Maggot explosion and DmgToxinSmall64 Toxin damage are calculated and predetermined when Ravenous is cast. All three will not be recalculated if any changes in Ability Strength and Mutation stacks occur while Ravenous is active.
  • Ability Synergy:
    • Maggots hit by Virulence130xWhite Virulence will immediately explode.
    • Exploding Maggots increases Nidus's Mutation stacks by 1/5th per explosion per enemy hit.
      • If the maggot host dies to the maggots or Virulence, the host and any nearby enemy will count towards Mutation. This stacks with Virulence's Mutation gain per enemy hit.
      • If the maggot host dies to other sources, the host itself is not an eligible target and will not count towards Mutation.
  • Has a casting time of 1.5 seconds.
  • Ravenous can be recast while active.
    • Only 1 instance can be active at a time.
    • Recasting Ravenous while on the spawning grounds will refresh its duration without relocating it.
      • Upon refresh, timer on the ability icon will continue countdown from previous remaining duration to 0, but spawning ground will not vanish until the newly refreshed duration expires.
  • Maggots and spawning grounds possess unique properties as independent entities from Nidus:
  • Maggots possess a base health of 1000 and draw enemy aggro.
  • Maggots have their own rank equal to Nidus' rank (e.g., a rank-25 Nidus' Maggots will be level 25).
  • Maggots are considered friendly to the Tenno.
  • When Maggots cannot attach to enemies, they will instead bite or seek other enemies to latch on to.
  • Maggot lifespan is tied to the duration of the ability, during which they will actively seek out enemies or wander around or away from the spawning grounds.
  • Maggots will automatically explode when killed, when Ravenous' duration expires, when their hosts die, or when detonated by Virulence.
  • On death, Maggots respawn from cysts throughout the duration of Ravenous, up to the maximum number of 9 active Maggots.
  • Maggots will not attach to small enemies, such as a Brood Mother's Maggots and Kuva Jesters.
  • Maggots use a custom model to differentiate them from a Brood Mother's Maggots.
    • Nidus maggots are affected by his chosen Warframe energy color.
  • After casting Ravenous, there will be a 4 second delay before the Maggots start running towards/attacking nearby enemies.
  • Maggots are not affected by Strain Mods.
  • Spawning grounds is created at the location where Nidus casts the ability.
  • Spawning grounds' infestation does not expand up or down high terrain elevations, but does flow up and down stairs and ramps.
  • Within the spawning grounds, various unique models will spawn for visual representation only. Players and AI can path through them unhindered.
    • Textures on the ground are blended with an infestation mesh.
    • Three infested nests erupt on the edges of the infestation, positioned in triangular vertices. Nests glow, pulsate, and emit spore particles, which are affected by the chosen energy color.
      • Nests also serve to maintain the Infestation. If a Nullifier bubble comes in contact with a nest, it will dissipate; when all three infested nests are dissipated, Ravenous will expire automatically.
    • Numerous patches of infested flora resembling tall grass encompass the ground, rustling when brushed past by players and AI while glowing in the chosen energy color.
    • Several infested branches sprout from the infestation to attach to nearby walls and objects in vertical and diagonal axis. Branches glow in the chosen energy color.
  • Augment

    InsatiableMod
    Main article: Insatiable

    Insatiable is a Warframe Augment Mod for NidusIcon272 Nidus's Ravenous130xWhite Ravenous that grants him a chance to generate an additional Mutation stack when gaining one while standing on the spawning grounds.

    Insatiable

    Tips & Tricks

    • Mod TT 20px Energy Conversion and/or Mod TT 20px Growing Power synergize well with Ravenous, especially if players are planning on camping a specific area as players will only need to cast Ravenous once with either's buff active and simply refresh Ravenous' duration to keep the buffed maggot damage and health regen rate active.
    • Constantly detonating Maggots using Virulence130xWhite Virulence helps maximize damage output and Mutation gained as Maggots will continuously respawn throughout the duration of Ravenous.
    • Maggots can pick up motes from WispIcon272 Wisp's Reservoirs130xWhite Reservoirs ability.
    Expand/Collapse

    Strength Mods

    IntensifyMod

    Duration Mods

    ContinuityMod

    Range Mods

    StretchMod

    VirulenceIcon VirulenceIcon
    LarvaIcon LarvaIcon
    ParasiticLinkIcon ParasiticLinkIcon ParasiticLinkIcon
    RavenousIcon RavenousIcon RavenousIcon
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    Hotfix 37.0.2 (2024-10-03)

    • Fixed indefinitely stacking unintended amount of Health from a combination of the Strain Consume mod and any of the following: Helminth Charger, Nidus Maggots and Pathocyst.

    Update 35.0 (2023-12-13)

    • Increased the Starting Energy of the following Prime Warframes so that they have higher Energy Capacity compared to their base version:
      • Nidus Prime from 50 to 75
    • Fixed certain Sentient enemies being pushed away by Nidus’ Larva, instead of being pulled in as intended.
    • Fixed an issue where Nidus' Virulence Energy refund per enemy hit was incorrectly displayed as zero when Zenurik's Inner Might was equipped.

    Update 34.0 (2023-10-18)

    Base vs Final Stats in Modding - Health / Energy / Shield / Armor Stat Overhaul

    If you’ve spent any time invested in the deeper nuances of Modding, you may be familiar with “Warframe Math” - math that upon first glance doesn’t really make sense, but once you learn the inner workings of the game, it all comes together. While we can appreciate the value that complex systems offer to a certain subsect of players, there are other aspects of the game that should have clear and understandable outcomes. Namely: Shield, Health, Energy, and Armor Modding.

    Pop quiz: what is 300 + 440%? If you answered 740, you may just be an Excalibur player.

    Vitality (+440% Heath), Redirection (+440% Shields), Flow (+150% Energy), and Steel Fiber (+110% Armor) come with large modifier values that don’t seem to match their outcome in-game. This is because these Mods apply their multiplier to the base stats of the Warframe - i.e., the stats you have at Rank 0. In the Excalibur example, a Rank 30 Excalibur’s Health stat of 300 earns an additional 440 Health from max rank Vitality (+440% Heath) since it applies to his base rank Health stat of 100, resulting in 740 total health.

    In this update, we have removed this obfuscation by having Health, Shield, Energy, and Armor Mods apply to the stats of Warframes at their current rank. Continuing our Excalibur example, instead of Vitality always applying to Excalibur’s base rank 100 Health, it would apply to his Health stat based on his rank - namely, the stat you can actually see in your Arsenal. If your Excalibur were Rank 30, his Health stat would be 300, which means Vitality’s multiplier would be calculated off of 300.

    With previous Health and Mod values, additional adjustments are needed to make this revision work while maintaining game balance. By only changing where the multiplier applies, a Rank 30 Excalibur would receive an extra 1,320 Health from max rank Vitality, resulting in a total health stat of 1,600. This outcome is a significant buff, which is not the intention of this system change.

    To remedy this, we approached this problem in two ways:

    1 - We reduced the overall multiplier for Health, Shield, Energy, and Armor Mods.
    Since these now affect Max Rank Warframe stats, these Mods need to scale differently to maintain the status quo. Additionally, we wanted these new values to be as clear and understandable to all players as possible! Here are a few examples of these value changes:

    • Vitality: Reduced from +440% to +100% Health
    • Redirection: Reduced from +440% to +100% Shield Capacity
    • Steel Fiber: Reduced from +110% to +100% Armor
    • Flow: Reduced from +150% to +100% Energy Max

    Note: These are not all of the Mods affected by this change. We share the comprehensive list further down in this section of the update notes.

    Doing some quick math, this means that a Rank 30 Excalibur (300 Health) with a reworked Vitality Mod (+100% Health, applied to the final Health stat) would receive 300 extra Health, for a total of 600. That, in contrast, is a nerf, which we also don’t want to do.

    So, our next step:

    2 - We adjusted Warframe Health, Shield, Energy, and Armor values to keep the end result of the revised Mods as close to the original values as possible.

    With this change, Excalibur’s Rank 30 Health stat is 370. With +100% Health from a max Vitality Mod, his resulting Health stat would be 740, which matches what it was originally.

    While this path to the same result may seem a little complicated, the outcome matches our intention: we want players to be able to look at their Health, Shield, and Armor Mods, and be able to understand how they affect the stats they see in their Arsenal.

    In addition to everything above, we also increased the base stat values for Warframes so that these revised Mods offer similar value for lower-ranked Frames. To do so, we reduced the amount of Health/Shield/Energy that Warframes earn per rank in half, and transferred the sum of that value to their base stats.

    For Armor, this is the one stat that does not increase with your Warframe’s level (with some exceptions). Armor values across the board have been slightly increased to compensate for the Mod changes.

    Not to beat a dead Kaithe, but Mods will now be applying to the Max Rank stat instead of the Base Rank. You may look at these numbers and think “nerf” or “buff” depending, but the outcome is that total Modded values are the same, if not a little higher in some cases. Here are a few outliers before we get into the nitty-gritty of it:

    • Nidus and Nidus Prime all have buffs to their Armor values as a result of this change.
      • Ex: Nidus Prime’s Armor stat increased from 910 (previous) to 1,050 (new with this update) with max Steel Fiber Equipped. With all 3 Umbral Warframe Mods equipped, this buff results in a difference of 1198 Armor (previous) to 1470 Armor (new with this update).

    Warframe Stat Changes:

    NIDUS Health: Base Rank - 455 (from 150) / Max Rank - 555 (from 450) Shields: Base Rank - 0 (from 0) / Max Rank - 0 (from 0) Armor: Base Rank - 350 (from 300) / Max Rank - 450 (from 450) Energy: Base Rank - 100 (from 100) / Max Rank - 150 (from 150)

    NIDUS PRIME Health: Base Rank - 550 (from 175) / Max Rank - 650 (from 525) Shields: Base Rank - 0 (from 0) / Max Rank - 0 (from 0) Armor: Base Rank - 425 (from 350) / Max Rank - 525 (from 525)

    Energy: Base Rank - 140 (from 125) / Max Rank - 190 (from 188)

    While there may be significant changes to Warframe Stats and Mod values as a part of this overhaul, the end result is that your Builds should mostly stay the same. The key difference is the added clarity of what your Health / Shield / Energy / Armor Mods do in your Upgrade screens!

    Update 33.5 (2023-06-21)

    Update 33.0 (2023-04-26)

    Hotfix 32.2.10 (2023-01-18)

    Update 32.0 (2022-09-07)

    WARFRAME AUGMENT BUFFS PART 2

    Nidus’ Insatiable

    Nidus’ Larva Burst

    Hotfix 31.6.4 (2022-07-14)

    Update 31.6 (2022-06-09)

    Hotfix 31.5.8 (2022-05-11)

    Hotfix 31.5.3 (2022-04-29)

    Hotfix 31.1.7 (2022-02-23)

    Update 31.0 (2021-12-15)

    Update 30.9 (2021-11-11)

    Hotfix 30.7.5 (2021-09-16)

    Hotfix 30.7.3 (2021-09-10)

    Hotfix 30.7.1 (2021-09-08)

    Update 30.7 (2021-09-08)

    Hotfix 29.5.4 (2020-11-25)

    Update 29.5 (2020-11-19)

    Hotfix 29.0.8 (2020-09-10)

    Update 28.3 (2020-08-12)

    Hotfix 28.2.1 (2020-08-01)

    Hotfix 27.5.4 (2020-05-20)

    Update 27.4 (2020-05-01)

    Hotfix 27.1.2 (2020-02-18)

    Update 27.1 (2020-02-04)

    Update 25.7 (2019-08-29)

    Hotfix 25.3.3 (2019-07-16)

    Hotfix 25.0.8 (2019-05-31)

    Update 25.0 (2019-05-22)

    Hotfix 24.7.3 (2019-04-22)

    Update 24.7 (2019-04-10)

    Update 24.6 (2019-04-04)

    Hotfix 23.0.6 (2018-06-27)

    Hotfix 22.20.8 (2018-06-05)

    Hotfix 22.20.1 (2018-05-17)

    Update 22.20 (2018-05-17)

    Hotfix 22.16.4 (2018-03-20)

    Update 22.16 (2018-03-15)

    Hotfix 22.13.2 (2018-02-16)

    Update 22.11 (2018-01-31)

    Update 22.10 (2018-01-25)

    Hotfix 22.8.2 (2018-01-04)

    Hotfix 19.6.1 (2017-01-13)

    Update 19.6 (2017-01-11)

    Hotfix 19.5.7 (2017-01-06)

    Hotfix 19.5.5 (2017-01-03)

    Hotfix 19.5.4 (2017-01-03)

    Hotfix 19.5.2 (2016-12-23)

    Hotfix 19.5.1 (2016-12-22)

    Update 19.5 (2016-12-22)