I run a Shadow Clan specifically for Solo/PUG players, which leads to a pretty high turnover rate. I wanted to take a moment to jot down some things that I think any new player to the game looking to run mostly as a PUG/solo player should know.
Most guides of this nature concentrate on Frames and weapons...and I'll get there, but here's some things you need to work on that is specific to solo players moreso than folks that join large active clans.
You need this: http://warframe.wikia.com - Warning - it's FULL of spoilers...so use at own risk. I recommend that you "try first" then "research as needed". And there will be times you'll need to research. Warframe is not always a forgiving game.
Don't build your own dojo - It's just a waste of resources. There are plenty of clans out there you can get lost in and there are clans that have solo player allowances - you want to be in a clan that already exists because they already have access to all the research you need.
Work the star chart- as a solo player, you're on your own. Unless you want to be dependent on the goodwill of folks int he region giving you a taxi to all those juicy alerts you see for mods you don't have, you need to open the entire star chart.
Work your Mastery Rank - Not just because it opens up new weapons, but because it makes it easier to earn standings with the various groups in the warframe universe.
Run Syndicate missions-You can start these as of Mastery Rank 3 but can access them earlier from a relay. The reason I point folks to this is because of the Large Energy Restore blueprint. You'll need to hit up The Perrin Sequence or Arbiters of Hexis and get to ranks three in order to purchase it - but it's worth it. It will take quite a while for you to be able to generate your own energy through the Focus schools, so this will make do. Back before there was Focus in warframe, you had to carry these with you at all times if you didn't have a trinity in the group.
Work the Quests- Not just for the rewards, but because they're fun. Don't treat them as optional.
Work the Focus trees - Start with Zenurik
Get to Cetus - Embrace the Plains - A lot of content in the game now centers around the plains. Get there and start working on your amps as soon as you can.
Don't bleed out unless absolutely necessary when you're in a PUG.
Frames
When it comes to frames, personal play styles and preferences are what makes Warframe fun. But when you're starting out or are an intermediate player - you need to complete the mission in front of you. And if you are soloing or running in PUGs, you can only depend on yourself to do it. To that end, I recommend that everyone have a few frames in their arsenal, that they keep in their arsenal because you'll always find a use for them.
Rhino- Rhino may be the most important frame in the game. He's available from the boss fight on Venus (which is the second planet so he's available early in the game) and with minimal modding, can get you through most, if not all, of the star chart. He's not an endgame frame by any means, but if you have a mission you're having issues with, pull out a Rhino. I recommend Strength and Armor builds for him. Concentrate on using his Ironskin. He's not a casting frame, so spec to his strength; which is survivability.
Loki- Loki is not easy to get for newer players. His parts drop from a particularly tough boss fight on Neptune. But at some point, you're going to want/need a stealth frame. Loki isn't just for Spy missions. He's fantastic for Syndicate missions and I use him for the Plains Free Roam on Earth. And for some reason he makes a lot of Riven challenges easier and there are some Mastery Rank tests that he is designed for. He can do a lot of things, but for a stealth build, you max the Duration...anything past that is up to you though I recommend speed. There are other stealth frames out there; Ivara, Octavia, and Ash. Ivara is the only one that can really compare to Loki - but she's even harder to farm and there's no prime version as of this writing. Octavia is even worse to farm, and Ash is really a stealthy DPS. More like a "rouge" in RPG terms than a straight stealth frame.
Frost - Frost is also no joke to attain. Not that it's hard to get him, it's just that the boss fight on Ceres where he drops is kind of infuriating. Recommend you check the wiki for that one before attempting. Frost is one of the most powerful and versatile frames in the game. Be forewarned though, he is slow. Frost was the first defensive frame released and he's still one of, if not the best ways to protect an objective. Frost just gets it done. And it may be worth it to get the Prime Version from the trade chat because as a solo player...you'll be using him quite a bit. If you get the prime version, you can then not worry about wasting forma and other resources on Frost and then having to do it all over again on Frost Prime.
Nova - Nova just makes everything easier for horde mode instances like Mobile defense and Survival. I've always seen her as a support frame because she makes all the other Frames in a group more effective. But she will make life rough for Octavias and Hydroids...so if you are grouping up, make sure your frames aren't fighting each other. You'll have to get to Europa to unlock her, but she's worth it. Strength and Duration builds are key. And she's naturally fast.
Those four frames will get you through most, if not all of the star map with proper modding.
Farming Frames- It has been said that Warframe is a game where you farm to get better at farming. This is absolutely true. However, some of us really like it. To that end, you need a farming frame. There are two that you'll want to consider.
Hydroid - Tough to get, and needs a Syndicate Mod to be farming capable. Has the best drop rates, but is quality over quantity. In order to use him the best you'll need to PUG with folks that are looking to farm. He requires some teamwork to be super effective.
Nekros - even tougher to get and needs a Syndicate mod and a Mod from Cephelon Simaris to be top tier...but he's the original farming frame and can farm as soon as you build him and level him to open up his third power. He's a support frame and a farming frame and has some great augment mods.
Both Hydroid and Nekros have Prime versions. You can buy their parts on the trade market...just be forewarned - Nekros Prime has some stiff resource requirements. So make sure you have access to the resources needed before buying any parts.
Outside of that, knock yourself out. That's the thing about warframe, it's about your choice of frame and playstyle. Just understand, that there will be times you have to go outside of your preference to complete a mission until you are able to mod and forma your frames to be able to jump into any mission level.
Weapons
Playstyle matters. But so does your Mastery Rank cap. I'm not going to tell you what guns to get or how to spec them, instead, I'm going to list some things that, as a MR25 from the PS4 Year One release...I still use or remembering being vital when I went through the star chart years ago That are all Mastery Rank 10 or lower weapons.
Ignis - The ignis is something I still use today, though I use the Wraith variant. The Wraith variant is very hard to come by. It's a flamethrower that is useful against the grineer, but it's real value is against the infested. I cannot stress how much easier life will get after getting this weapon. It's got a Mastery Rank cap of 5, so you can acquire it pretty early - but does require a forma to build. It's only drawback is it's limited range - which against the infested really doesn't matter. It comes from your dojo.
Sonicor - I can't tell you how many times this sidearm saved my bacon. Mastery rank 2 cap means you can get it quick. Range sucks and the blast damage doesn't do well against armored enemies...but the knockdown factor from this weapon means they can't hurt you when they are laying on the ground. It helped me stretch that survival mission I had no business being in to rotation C many times.
Vectis- If you're going to need a sniper rifle, might as well be this one. MR 2 cap, and it can hang pretty much anywhere. Don't be scared off by it's single shot 2 round magazine.
Lenz- A bow that acts like a grenade launcher. It's got drawbacks...but the positives greatly outweigh the negatives
Amprex - Think of it like an electrical version of the Ignis. But a bit more dangerous since it jumps from one enemy to another without any extra work by you. Effective against everything based on modding, and is a go to against the Corpus. It's one of the few weapons that can be spec'd for Crit and status at the same time.
Melee - Lesion, Guandao, Galatine - all solid weapons for any playstyle. Just understand that no matter what you go with - make sure you understand if it's more of a Critical or Status weapon. Based on the mods you have available to you....even though the weapon itself may be good, it may not be as much of an "upgrade" if you can't mod it properly as you move through the Mastery Ranks.
ZAWS - Zaws are freaking awesome. I'm not much of a melee main, I'm from the old vanilla game before you could melee main. Used to be it was just for CQC and you relied on charge attacks. It takes time to farm the resources for them but boy are they worth it. Out of the my static 18 loadout slots; 12 of them use Zaws. And a lot of them use zaw daggers (riven and Covert Lethality for the win). Since I don't main melee with most of my specs, I build "quick hitters" - though I have quite a few main melee zaws and they are stupidly overpowered. The best part about them is that you can build them to your own spec.
Remember, if you're going to primarily solo/PUG, then the ability to finish a mission lies solely on you. This means you need to have the proper gear for the fight in front of you. 5 minutes of research can save you a ton of headaches if you're struggling to complete.
And when you hit a "grind wall", remember, it's ok to go do something else. The grind will be waiting for you when you come back.
Question
(PSN)BattleCry1791
I run a Shadow Clan specifically for Solo/PUG players, which leads to a pretty high turnover rate. I wanted to take a moment to jot down some things that I think any new player to the game looking to run mostly as a PUG/solo player should know.
Most guides of this nature concentrate on Frames and weapons...and I'll get there, but here's some things you need to work on that is specific to solo players moreso than folks that join large active clans.
You need this: http://warframe.wikia.com - Warning - it's FULL of spoilers...so use at own risk. I recommend that you "try first" then "research as needed". And there will be times you'll need to research. Warframe is not always a forgiving game.
Learn it, live it, love it - http://warframe.wikia.com/wiki/Damage when in doubt, go with corrosive.
Don't bleed out unless absolutely necessary when you're in a PUG.
Frames
When it comes to frames, personal play styles and preferences are what makes Warframe fun. But when you're starting out or are an intermediate player - you need to complete the mission in front of you. And if you are soloing or running in PUGs, you can only depend on yourself to do it. To that end, I recommend that everyone have a few frames in their arsenal, that they keep in their arsenal because you'll always find a use for them.
Those four frames will get you through most, if not all of the star map with proper modding.
Farming Frames - It has been said that Warframe is a game where you farm to get better at farming. This is absolutely true. However, some of us really like it. To that end, you need a farming frame. There are two that you'll want to consider.
Both Hydroid and Nekros have Prime versions. You can buy their parts on the trade market...just be forewarned - Nekros Prime has some stiff resource requirements. So make sure you have access to the resources needed before buying any parts.
Outside of that, knock yourself out. That's the thing about warframe, it's about your choice of frame and playstyle. Just understand, that there will be times you have to go outside of your preference to complete a mission until you are able to mod and forma your frames to be able to jump into any mission level.
Weapons
Playstyle matters. But so does your Mastery Rank cap. I'm not going to tell you what guns to get or how to spec them, instead, I'm going to list some things that, as a MR25 from the PS4 Year One release...I still use or remembering being vital when I went through the star chart years ago That are all Mastery Rank 10 or lower weapons.
Remember, if you're going to primarily solo/PUG, then the ability to finish a mission lies solely on you. This means you need to have the proper gear for the fight in front of you. 5 minutes of research can save you a ton of headaches if you're struggling to complete.
And when you hit a "grind wall", remember, it's ok to go do something else. The grind will be waiting for you when you come back.
Keep Calm and solo on Tennos!
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