Summary
Warframeis a space opera video game set in the farthest future imaginable for the solar system. Thus, it’s not surprising anymore to see laser weapons or exoskeletons that are too impossible for contemporary engineering comprehension. Yet, a lot of players keep coming back to the good old-fashioned boomsticks in the game: shotguns.
Some of the most powerful weapons inWarframeconsist of a healthy selection of these futuristic blunderbusses. Turns out shotguns are still superweapons in their own right as they occupy the top tiers of weapon rosters in the game. Make sure to sate Ordis' closeted bloodlust by using these shotguns to vaporize the usual Tenno enemies.
Updated on July 30, 2025, by Rhenn Taguiam:While July 2024’s TennoCon is poised to bring more surprises to fans and newcomers to the Warframe experience, players eager to get a taste of Warframe’s future can enjoy the Dante Unbound update to try the game’s newest Players who want to devastate clusters of opponents up close may want to consider using some support-leaning Frame, Dante. Players who want to maximize Dante’s buffing and debuff kit might want to do so close to both his allies and enemies, which means using the game’s deadliest shotguns. Among recommended shotguns for players to use include firearms that mesh well with a Warframe’s loot-gathering capabilities and another Warframe’s support capabilities, a pair of burst-damage specialists, and a shotgun that packs a deadlier punch with an Incarnon Form which fully converts the shotgun into another weapon.
25Kuva Kohm
Primary Fire Damage: 20
Don’t be fooled by the apparent low damage output per pellet. The Kuva Kohm, like its regular Kohm cousin, is one of the best automatic shotguns in the game. Not only does it fire in automatic mode but each succeeding shell fired also adds an additional bolt.
This ramps up Kuva Kohm’s damage exponentially. Coupled with the incredibly high and effortless Status Chance, most enemies standing in front of the Kuva Kohm are subject to disappear within a couple of seconds of introduction to millions of shotgun pellets.
Kuva Kohm Secondary: Use The Pox
While the Kuva Kohm boasts its Kohm counterpart of dealing primarily Slash damage, its extra component of applying a Status based on the Warframe equipped can make it an extremely adaptable weapon. Using Nezha Prime alongsidePoxcould give the Kuva Kohm the ability to deal massive Heat Damage, on top of the Pox synergizing with Heat as its bullets explode more efficiently when making contact with surfaces. In turn, the Kuva Kohm-Pox combo could proc Corrosive to get through enemy armor quickly, making them extremely vulnerable.
24Convectrix
Primary Fire Damage: 24
Unlike traditional shotguns, theConvectrixas a weapon touts two barrels that shoot converging beams, hence the name. When hit, enemies are seemingly sliced into pieces. Translated intoWarframegameplay, the Convectrix is a Slash-damage shotgun that is always multi-hitting with two beams at a time. It also possesses an alternate fire where the beams are spread outwards instead, sweeping back and forth to hit enemies.
The Convectrix’s speed is tied with Phantasma and Phage with the shotguns that possess the fastest fire rates. Despite its middling damage, players looking for a speedy companion in close-range shootouts can’t go wrong with the Convectrix.
Convectrix Secondary: Use The Twin Kohmak
The Convectrix being a Slash-heavy Shotgun with a high-status chance means it functions best with Mods that increase both Slash proc and Slash Damage for maximum DPS. In turn, the Convectrix works well with theTwin Kohmak (Dual Shotguns), boasting the largest mag size among all Shotgun Secondaries with a decent firing rate and Slash Damage. When equipped with the Twin Kohmak Hexadra Mod, this weapon enjoys a much higher firing rate and status chance, allowing a Convectrix-Kohmak combo to tear through enemy armor much faster.
23Kohm
Primary Fire Damage: 30
The circular and tubular motif of theKohmmatches its Grineer origin, matching the faction’s penchant for aggression with its unique design. Unlike other shotgun weapons that can be used by some ofthe game’s best Warframes, the Kohm has a hold-trigger function. At its core, this means a shot can contain up to 12 pellets depending on how long players hold the trigger. However, the more pellets the Kohm releases, the faster its firing rate goes and the more ammo is consumed.
Unlike other shotguns, the Kohm has an innate multi-shot feature that increases in number depending on the pellets released. When used as a primary weapon, it has quite a decent magazine and maximum ammo on top of above-average stats.
Kohm Secondary: Use The Kohmak
The Kohm’s held-trigger functionality allows players to capitalize on maximizing pellets on charges, potentially devastating enemies at the risk of a rather ammo-hungry weapon. Should players be able to circumvent this with a Shotgun Ammo Mutation, a recommended Secondary Weapon could be theKohmak. Essentially a mini-Kohm, the Kohmak doesn’t pack as much visual punch but packs the same damage (30), all the while consuming less Shotgun Ammo in the long term. While its Status Chance is much lower, being able to alternate Shotguns should give newcomers leeway to push enemies away and consistently proc effects.
22Fulmin
Primary Fire Damage: 33
Can’t decide between a rifle and a shotgun? Then the Fulmin is the best option. It’s Wisp’s canon shotgun of choice whose secondary fire mode transforms it into a rifle with hit-scan projectiles. Granted, the rifle mode actually feels a bit weaker.
Players mostly use the Fulmin for its powerful and CRIT-oriented shotgun mode. It also helps a lot that players who use the Fulmin don’t have to worry about ammo since the gun replenishes and recharges its own ammo pool.
Fulmin Secondary: Use The Epitaph
The Fulmin’s Electricity pulses and guaranteed Slash procs make both its semi-auto and full-auto setups much deadlier with effects that grant more Critical Chance/Multipliers, more frequent Slash procs (Internal Bleeding, Hunter Munitions), and pure damage boosts (Heavy Caliber). The proc-based nature of the Fulmin makes theEpitaph (Pistol)a decent Secondary Weapon, especially since its heavy Slash, Impact, Blast, and even Cold procs can capitalize on Status-heavy Mods to aid the Fulmin’s overall damage.
21Phage
Primary Fire Damage: 35
The shimmering pink that lined the silver body of thePhagedoes little to hide the signs of its nature as an Infested weapon. Unlike other shotguns in aplayer’sWarframegameplay, the Phage is characterized by a swirling body that leads into a sizeable mouth-like opening. When fired, the Phage unleashes seven Viral beams that hit a spread, making it a decent weapon against groups of enemies clustered together.
Stats-wise, the Phage constantly multi-shots seven beams as a burst weapon from hip-fire or focusing on the crosshair when aiming. Its high-status chance means inflicting Viral on opponents will open them up for greater damage. The Phage is tied with Phantasma and Convectrix as a shotgun with the highest firing rate.
Phage Secondary: Use The Kuva Nukor
The Phage being capable of adapting to single-target and multi-target setups by simply adjusting the length of aim makes it an extremely efficient weapon, especially with Mods that allow it to go through objects (Seeking Force, Seeking Fury) or reach further opponents (Sinister Reach). However, with theKuva Nukor (Pistol), Phage gets a Radiation Damage beam Secondary that has the highest critical multiplier (5x) among all weapons in the game. With Kuva Nukor adding a Status based on its equipped Warframe, players can tinker with the Phage’s innate Viral Damage and combine it with extra Corrosive and Heat Statuses that could easily melt through tough Grineer armor.
20Phantasma
Primary Fire Damage: 90
Here’s a weird one. It feels as though the Phantasma should have been included in the beam rifle category due to how it operates. It fires a steady stream of deadly plasma, which is just a fancier name for Radiation damage, meaning itisa beam weapon.
For that matter, it also possesses decent accuracy, has a fast fire rate, and has an obligatory setback in the form of lower damage. It does use shotgun ammo so technically, it’s a shotgun. The secondary fire mode reinforces this categorization as it releases a projectile blob.
Phantasma Secondary: Use The Epitaph
Even without the Phantasma’s bomb burst Alternate Fire, the Shotgun’s Radiation beams can melt foes easily as it boasts the highest Shotgun firing rate (tied with Convectrix and Phage) as well as high status chance. This synergizes well with theEpitaph (Pistol), as its Slash, Impact, and Blast Damage procs play with the Pistol’s accolade as the Secondary Weapon with the highest status chance (tied with Kuva Nukor, Tysis). In line with the Phantasma’s beam attacks is the Epitaph’s hit-then-explode gameplay, ensuring foes are always on the business end of multi-hits even if players have to reload.
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Shotgun
When the spiked Phantasma Shotgun gets primed, it transforms into the golden and more regalPhantasma Prime. Compared to its original counterpart, the Phantasma Prime gets a higher critical chance and multiplier on top of higher maximum ammo and better range. Both the Phantasma Prime and its ordinary counterpart have the best reload speeds across Shotguns in the game.
Considering how its Radiation-based primary fire scatters across six continuous beams, this multi-shotting Shotgun can boast remarkable accuracy compared to its ordinary counterpart. Another highlight of the Phantasma Prime is its alt-fire mode, where it can discharge a plasma bomb that explodes in a 4.8m radius before releasing five (5) seekers.
Phantasma Prime: Use The Brakk
Despite being yet another Shotgun, theBrakkas a secondary weapon can help players plow through opponents more efficiently without jarring gameplay changes. The weapon in itself is reliant on Impact Damage and compensates for its poor recoil and low ammo for decent reload and high DPS. Using a maxed-out Lethal Torrent (Mod) allows the Brakk to fire much faster, while its decent critical and status-granting numbers can mesh well with the Phantasma Prime’s proc-based kit to secure Radiation procs on enemies.
18Astilla Prime
Primary Fire Damage: 100
The Astilla Prime is one of the most gangsta shotguns inWarframesince it fires shells loaded with broken glass. That means the weapon unleashes two-phase damage. The first is the slug impact (which deals Impact damage). The second is the glassshrapnel explosion, which deals Slash damage.
This kind of flexibility is advantageous inWarframe. But the Astilla Prime goodness doesn’t stop there as it can also be both a crit and status weapon (or a hybrid). Plus the accuracy is impressive and the fire rate rivals that of automatic rifles. Overall, it’s a solid weapon and players can’t go wrong with it.
Astilla Prime Secondary: Use The Sepulcrum
Players enjoying the Astilla Prime will appreciate its AOE capabilities, especially when it fires an entire slug that then splits into individual pellets. This move paves the way for two separate attacks, the initial impact and a burst explosion that can penetrate through walls. Combining this punchy Shotgun with theSepulcrum (Pistol)gives players access to more explosive gameplay, especially when its burst-fire shooting builds up charges per kill before letting players release a lock-on missile barrage. With the right tempo, Astilla Prime causing multiple explosions with Sepulcrum missiles for backup will leave enemies with little time to recover.
17Cedo
Primary Fire Damage: 180
The Cedo’s stats don’t look all too impressive compared to the more straightforward shotguns. However, it’s a sleeping giant whose mechanics one has to understand well in order to make it perform like the top-tier weapon it is in all scenarios.
Players will need to utilize Cedo’s glaive fire mode which deals elemental damage to enemies and inflicts several status effects. Afterward, the accurate buckshot mode will shred enemies depending on how many status effects they have. That synergy alone is deadly against most targets.
Cedo Secondary: Use The Staticor
Gunslinger Warframe Mesa’s damage build-up and release abilities mesh well with the Cedo’s explosive ricochet Alt Fire, especially with how the Primary Weapon’s already high Critical Chance is made even more efficient with Mesa’s kit. As a backup,Staticor (Thrown)can add more damage for Mesa’s build-up, especially with the Thrown weapon’s hit-and-then-explode kit giving players room to cycle through Cedo and Mesa’s damage kits.
16Kuva Drakgoon
Primary Fire Damage: 230
What makes the Kuva Drakgoon a lot more appealing than its Grineer cousin, Sobek, is that it primarily deals Slash damage. This ensures that it can trigger continuous Bleed, which is especially useful at high levels. Oddly enough, the Kuva Drakgoon is not a status chance weapon.
Its status chance is too low, compelling players to build it for critical damage. Its innate Multishot value of 10 ensures that both critical damage and status triggers still happen reliably enough. Plus, there are always the added style points for having a Kuva weapon.
Kuva Drakgoon Secondary: Use The Kuva Nukor
The Kuva Drakgoon’s focus on Elemental Damage makes it a perfect outlet for Status-specific builds, with its Fomorian Accelerant Mod letting pellets ricochet repeatedly to attack clusters of enemies more often. This enhanced burst, combined with the weapon’s faster reloads and faster charges, can give players more control over the environment. TheKuva Nukor (Pistol)attempts to provide a similar experience, offering the game’s highest crit multiplier (5x) and boosted critical chance with a chaining beam weapon to ensure the Kuva Drakgoon’s multi-hit is abused whenever possible.
