The Basmu: An Underrated Sentient Rifle in Warframe
The Basmu has always been a little slept on in Warframe. This Sentient rifle not only looks great but also fires inherent Electricity rounds that explode on impact, dealing Heat damage. Although it also features an alternative fire mode that acts as a beam weapon, that’s not the focus of today’s build.
The Best Basmu and Dreadful Killshot Build in Warframe
The Dreadful Killshot build was introduced in the most recent Nora’s Nightwave and offers a damage and status chance bonus that scales with your Warframe’s health. To get the full 360% benefit, your Warframe should have a total health of 1350. However, even at just 600 health, you can match the damage boost of a fully ranked Serration mod.
While you can run the Basmu with any Warframe, it’s highly recommended to pair it with a Frame capable of reaching that higher health value — otherwise, you’re leaving damage on the table.
Low-Cost Build Focus
For this build, the emphasis is on a low-cost option. It’s designed to carry you through Steel Path content with just a single Forma, which is a fantastic value.
For an Arcane, I recommend using Primary Crux to improve ammo economy and status chance. However, feel free to use whichever Arcane you have fully maxed out among Crux, Merciless, or Deadhead.
Mod Recommendations
- Critical Delay: If you don’t have this mod, swap it for Point Strike. Critical Delay significantly boosts critical chance at the cost of some fire rate. While it might lower overall DPS generally, we will compensate for that later in the build.
- Galvanized Aptitude: If unavailable, use Rifle Aptitude. Galvanized Aptitude leverages “Gun CO,” granting multiplicative damage based on the number of status effects an enemy has.
- Magnetic Capacity: Adds Magnetic damage—one of the best elemental types in the game—while also increasing magazine capacity.
- Vital Sense: A huge boost to critical damage.
- Malignant Force: Consider this your elemental slot one. Combined with the next mod, it creates Viral damage, arguably the most valuable elemental type in Warframe.
- Rime Rounds: This is your elemental slot two. Combined with Malignant Force, it forms Viral damage.
- Dreadful Killshot: Provides a 20% damage and status chance buff for every 75 points of your Warframe’s health, capping at 360%.
- Galvanized Chamber: Grants multishot, effectively firing additional rounds per shot. If you don’t have this, switch it with Split Chamber.
Additional Tips
This Basmu build does rely somewhat on external Corrosive priming to handle heavily armored enemies. Therefore, consider using a suitable secondary weapon or companion to cover that gap. For example, a good Diriga or hound companion build can work wonders in this role.
Customizing the Build: Outsourcing Viral Damage
Things get even more interesting when you can outsource Viral damage. If you have the Nourish helminth option, you can replace the Viral mods with Corrosive instead, or even Blast if you’re able to group enemies effectively. Feel free to experiment with other elemental combinations based on your playstyle.
Example: Frost Synergy
Although my Frost build doesn’t quite meet the health cap, it still benefits massively from the Dreadful Killshot mod. With a full armor strip on Frost’s fourth ability and a subsumed Nourish to add Viral, the Basmu becomes incredibly effective. I’ve found this setup particularly enjoyable in Void Cascades missions.
Why This Build Stands Out
What makes the Basmu and Dreadful Killshot combo so compelling is its synergy with health-tanking playstyles, which tend to appeal to newer players. Additionally, you only need one Forma to fully unlock the build’s potential, making it extremely budget-friendly.
While this weapon won’t compete with top-tier meta weapons at max level, it doesn’t have to. The Basmu can serve as a low-investment rifle that scales well into Steel Path content for players who want a straightforward, effective weapon without heavy resource investment.
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Give this build a try and enjoy scaling damage with health, critical hits, and status procs all wrapped up in a stylish Sentient rifle!
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