Productive Forma Use. A Guide.

[SCP1548]

What this guide will have?

In this guide, I will discuss how to use forma productively when upgrading your weapons, Warframe, and sentinel.  The reason for this is due to the rare drop of forma and forma patterns (I have cleared maybe 12-15 towers with friends and seen none), many if not most of us will be spending platinum on them.  I will break down what you should spend them on as far as polarity slots.

 

 

Post Key:

There are 5 Types of Polarities:

Attack: Signified with a V.

Defense: Signified with an Upside Down Triangle.

Tactic: Signified with a Bar

Power: Signified with a Scratch.

Precept: Signified with a Y.

 

*Note: The final two polarities, although listed, are not used in this guide.  You cannot select them as slot upgrades with forma.

 

Warframe:

I am starting with this one, but it is the hardest to qualify.  Each Warframe starts with different polarity slots already, and depending on your play-style / who you started as, it will effect the outcome greatly.

 

Now, in my personal experience, using a shield mod is the most important thing you can do. 

Redirection: Improved Shields: Costs 14 fully upgraded and is a Defense Polarity.

Now, unless you start as one of the Warframes with a Defensive slot already (Excalibur, Frost, Loki, Rhino, Saryn, and Trinity), you will want to choose the Defensive Polarity.  

 

Aside from that, you get to basically choose from the relevant abilities below:

Focus: Power Strength: Costs 11 fully upgraded and is an Attack Polarity.

Continuity: Power Duration: Costs 9 fully upgraded and is an Attack Polarity.

Rush: Sprint Speed: Costs 11 and is a Tactic Polarity.

Streamline: Power Efficiency: Costs 9 and is a Tactic Polarity.

 

Again, you really need to consider your play-style, strengths, and weaknesses.  Maybe you want more defensive, up to you.

 

Rifle (Primary Weapon):

*Note that below is a section for Shotguns

 

The primary weapon we use, either an assault rifle or some form of sniper.  Here are a list of the polarities you will want to consider for this slot.

 

**First and foremost, unless your rifle starts with an Attack Polarity, you need to select an Attack Polarity for the best 2 mods that rifles have.**

 

Serration: % Bonus Damage: Costs 14 fully upgraded and is an Attack Polarity.

Split Chamber: Multishot: Costs 15 fully upgraded and is an Attack Polarity.

 

These are by far the most relevant damage increases for rifles, so selecting another is a waste of the Forma.

 

Shotgun (Primary Weapon):

Like most, the multishot mod is the best choice for shotguns.

Hell's Chamber: Multishot: Costs 15 fully upgraded and is an Attack Polarity.

 

How shotgun damage works, there is no reason not to select this mod.  It is just a huge damage increase.  

 

Now, I'm not a fan of this mod on shotguns, but if you have (or they come out with) a shotgun that starts with an Attack Polarity, you will want to select this.

 

Seeking Force: Puncture: Costs 15 fully upgraded and is a Tactic Polarity.

 

The elemental I would select for shotguns if you don't want puncture, would be:

 

Chilling Grasp: Freeze: Costs 9 fully upgraded and is a Defensive Polarity.

Charged Shell: Electric: Costs 11 fully upgraded and is a Tactic Polarity.

Incendiary Coat: Fire: Costs 11 fully upgraded and is a Tactic Polarity.  

 

Due to their costs, FIre / Electric are better choices for this since they reduce the cost by more.

 

Pistol (Secondary Weapon):

Like others, this is a very simple selection.  There are two very good mods that are Attack Polarity.

 

Hornet Strike: % Bonus Damage: Costs 14 fully upgraded and is an Attack Polarity.

Barrel Diffusion: Multishot: Costs 11 fully upgraded and is an Attack Polarity.

 

The only other mention for this is:

 

Seeker: Puncture: Costs 15 fully upgraded and is a Tactic Polarity.

 

As far as pure damage output, the first two are the best options though.  

 

Melee:

There are a few options here; no clear victor.  If you use a charge attack constantly, I would go with:

 

Killing Blow: % Bonus Charge Damage: Costs 11 fully upgraded and is an Attack Polarity.

 

If you don't sure charge attacks often (Maybe an ash build with smoke screen and some dual zorens), I would select:

 

Molten Impact: Fire Damage: Costs 11 fully upgraded and is a Tactic Polarity.

 

As far as damage output, Fire for melee has the highest return.

 

Sentinel:

Currently, all Sentinel mods are Defensive, so this one is the only thing you could select to be productive.  You could always wait on your Sentinel until they come out with some more mods for them.

 

 

 

 

Feel free to post any questions you have in here, I will check up on them.  Thanks folks.

[Churpy]

Some good advice in this thread quite honestly, cheers for making the effort to write it all out. I'll be coming back here when I'm polarizing stuff and can't think straight!

[BadAimbot]

You forgot Shotgun damage (Point Blank), but besides that yeah, just load up on attack polarities and you're pretty much fine.

[Quetzhal]

OH GOD IT'S THE HATEFUL STAR

why are you suddenly transmitting helpful advice D: what plans are you hiding

But yes, in all seriousness, great guide.

[ralwn]

Two suggestions

 

1) I would recommend placing an emphasis on how many additional mod points you get from using a specific polarity + mod. I recommend this because the fact that the game rounds up can make certain mod + polarity combos deceptive in what you actually get refunded (for example: a 15 point mod saves you 7 points but a 14 point mod also saves you 7 points so the two mods are equivalent with regards to forma expenditure).

 

2) Planning ahead. Ex: If your hornet strike isn't yet maxed, its still better to "plan ahead" by grabbing a V polarity for it rather than to get a polarity for an elemental mod, even if the elemental mod is currently costing more mod points to equip than your hornet strike.

[SCP1548]

OH GOD IT'S THE HATEFUL STAR

why are you suddenly transmitting helpful advice D: what plans are you hiding

But yes, in all seriousness, great guide.

You sir, are amazing.  BEST SCP IMO.  SCP 294 is also amazing.

 

Two suggestions

 

1) I would recommend placing an emphasis on how many additional mod points you get from using a specific polarity + mod. I recommend this because the fact that the game rounds up can make certain mod + polarity combos deceptive in what you actually get refunded (for example: a 15 point mod saves you 7 points but a 14 point mod also saves you 7 points so the two mods are equivalent with regards to forma expenditure).

 

2) Planning ahead. Ex: If your hornet strike isn't yet maxed, its still better to "plan ahead" by grabbing a V polarity for it rather than to get a polarity for an elemental mod, even if the elemental mod is currently costing more mod points to equip than your hornet strike.

1) Yes.  The majority of the mods I listed are either 10 or 11 points (with the exception of clear important ones such as Hornet Strike @ 14 points).  So the reduction of 11 to 6 or 10 to 5 is a net gain of exactly the same amount.

 

2)Yes, planning ahead is a good idea.  Even if you do not have the required level mod, you can only use 1 Forma per item, so selecting the correct one from the start is the way to save the most Plat (or time lol void farming).

[JackKerras]

OH GOD IT'S THE HATEFUL STAR

why are you suddenly transmitting helpful advice D: what plans are you hiding

But yes, in all seriousness, great guide.

 

I am so glad that you came here.

 

I wanna get in a hug fight with you.

[SCP1548]

You forgot Shotgun damage (Point Blank), but besides that yeah, just load up on attack polarities and you're pretty much fine.

I didn't forget it.  Point Blank is an amazing mod, but it will not save you as many points using a polarity slot for it as it would for Hell's Chamber or Fire / Electric damage.

[ralwn]

you can only use 1 Forma per item,

you can use as many as you like O.o

 

(as long as you are willing to relevel each time)

[Meltina]

Yep trinity with 2 forma here

[D3ST]

Thx for sharing, made some valid points ill take into consitteration, when i finally get my hands of some forma..

[SCP1548]

Yep trinity with 2 forma here

Well that changes everything.  Going to just have to write BIS Guides for everything.  This guide can at least serve as a helpful first selection guide.

 

Also, the wording of the patch notes lead me to believe that the forma worked similarly to Orokin Reactors in that they stayed in the slot on the Frame / Weapon.  What a shockingly overpowered discovery.

[ra9una]

One point, For melee, sundering strike costs less, gives 90% (like molten impact) and is effective 100% against practically everything which generaly makes in more popular, of course fire dmg is good too, just thought I'd point it out. 

[Ddublu]

Bumping this thread; hopefully it can be made into a pinned guide and stuff :D It's got some really important info imho.

[Oranjeboom]

Kinda annoying that the TL;DR is..use 2 V slots for primary / secondary

[Phoenix86]

Nice guide for begginers/not so experienced players, well written

[smithf]

Just a note: Sentinel WEAPONS (do not confuse with the Sentinel itself) can be forma-ed and can be worth it. It can turn your Dethcube into a Dethier Cube (load it with maxed multishot without sacrificing damage/status effects)

 

My own short version for Forma Tips:

- Do not Forma before Potato.

- Do not Forma before you actually have mods high level enough to utilize it

- Do not Forma something you don't use often (no matter what other people says)

Edited July 10, 2013 by smithf