Noob question about Saryn Prime and Primes in general

[LunarWolf302]

So, i finally made my way to Sedna and i REALLY wanted to get Saryn from the very beginning but from what i've read the Prime version is just better enough that it makes regular Saryn not very optimal, i've also been doing my fair share of trade so buying her should be possible in the next couple days but my question is. Are vanilla frames obsolete at this point? i skipped most frames and i've only built two of them aside from Excal and i really don't like the idea of having expensive trophies and vessels to level up that aren't going to be useful later on.

[(XBOX)motionROTATION]

ALL primes are straight upgrades for on non-primes. However, there are usually only 2 stat increases and maybe an extra polarity or two. The upgrades are not always in the “preferred” or maximization for the frames. You can consult the wiki for individual differences. 

So are non primes obsolete? Well there isn’t a Prime for everything, some people don’t want to spend platinum on a frame (or before they try them out) and all content can be done without primes, so you tell me. 

Edit: That being said, many people also find normal Saryn a pain to farm either for judgement points, the dumb platform before the boss, or the boss itself.  Trinity Energy Vampire makes quick work of it though (with percentage damage)

Edited April 25, 2018 by (XB1)motionROTATION

[Bunny]

It is beneficial to get the non-Prime version of Warframes for Mastery, and also some of them will have a long time yet to get a Prime version. For Saryn, I would get both her regular version and her Prime so that way you will have completed her  Mastery and can see if you really enjoy her. You can keep the ones you like, and get rid of the ones you don't enjoy. Each Frame is useful in their own way for different purposes. 

[GinKenshin]

the only difference is slightly higher stats, which in most cases isn't very much, 1-2 more polarities, and the biggest thing is more bling!!!!

[Railgun]

Normal warframes can be just as viable as prime warframes. Most prime warframes have minimal buffs to their stats like an extra 25 armor or energy here and there (the only significant one is Volt, which goes from 15 to 100 armor) and look cooler. Building regular frames if you don't have access to prime frames is still a good idea for a few reasons. First, you wanna eventually level everything so you can get the mastery points. Second, it's a good way to test play the frame before investing in the prime version. Third, not every frame has a prime or has a prime that's still available (google vaulting and un-vaulting).

[Ferah_Frithu]

They're not obsolete at all. They are (most of the time) easier and faster to obtain than their Prime counterparts. Also (if I recall correctly), some frames are locked behind a certain mastery rank as well, so getting the vanilla version first may or may not contribute to your MR enough, so that you're able to build the primed frame. Another reason to get all frames at some point (Vanilla and Prime (and later maybe Umbra as well)) is Mastery in general. Saryn and Saryn Prime both count towards your MR, instead of counting as just one frame.

Edited April 25, 2018 by Ferah_Frithu

[Arezael]

You can get by with the normal version of every frame just fine. The differences are mostly aesthetic since the stat changes are rarely earth shattering.

However there are some frames where the normal version is actually harder to obtain than the Prime, so bear in mind the path of least resistance would be to just start with the Prime in that case.

They all give the same amount of Mastery points, so it’s worth levelling both versions in every case for the MR.

[(PSN)CannaWhoopazz13]

Umm, well if there's a primed version of the warframe then you'll probably end up replacing the non-prime version with the primed version eventually, but that's not necessary.  The primes aren't so much better that you can't use the non-primes.  However, I don't invest a potato or forma into a warframe if it has a primed version to it.  

Besides, you'll want to level up the non-primes to 30 anyway for MR points.  In my opinion, always get the non-prime!  It helps you figure out if you really like the warframe, and then you'll know whether or not to invest in the prime.

 

Also, there's not a prime version of every warframe, so many of them are worth investing a potato and forma in.  It's going to be more than a year before Ivara Prime comes out, so I'm fine with putting a potato and a forma in her.  Gara Prime is probably about 3 years away, so definitely feel free to use the non-prime version!

[(PSN)Onder6099]

I'm afraid that your only option is to farm "regular" Saryn because Prime was Vaulted, well except u will make decision to buy her with Plat thru trade.

[Lewdcifer]

A lot of primes are significantly better than its original counterpart.

The MOST distance imo between the two is between the Rhinos.

Other than that, a frame that has either health, armor, or energy increase are almost must get. OberonP, BansheeP, VoltP, so on and forth, although those 3 I mentioned are my personal recommendation.

[DustyScrolls]

Like others before me said, getting and leveling non-prime frames is a great way to get both mastery and the experience of playing that frame (Though I feel you don't really "Know" a frame until you've played it at lvl 30 for a little bit- leveling it can be misleading in some cases). If you like it, go for the prime! But if that's not feasible, that's okay, Prime frames are only very slight upgrades.

Weapon variants (Braton Prime vs. Braton, for example) tend to be larger upgrades than prime upgrades. In some cases (Cernos Prime and Venka Prime come to mind), they actually come with unique bonuses.

Personally, I never, ever upgrade anything I know has a prime (or vandal, prisma, etc.), but that's my broken brain, not yours.