Modding basics: capacity, Endo, Forma and more

Mods are cards you slot into your Warframes, weapons and companions. They give more damage, more health, stronger abilities and much more. How many mods fit depends on the mod capacity. Once you know the basic rules, you get a lot more out of every piece of gear.

The key terms in short:

Mod capacity

The point budget of an item. Every mod costs points, and capacity grows with the item’s rank.

Endo

Blue energy used to upgrade mods (fusion). You find it in missions or get it by dissolving mods.

Polarity

The symbol on a mod and on a mod slot. If they match, the mod costs only half.

Forma

An item that gives a slot a new polarity. In return, the item drops back to rank 0.

Orokin Reactor / Catalyst

They double the mod capacity. The Reactor goes into Warframes, the Catalyst into weapons.

Aura

A special mod slot on Warframes. Aura mods help the whole squad and add extra capacity.

Exilus

An extra slot for utility mods, such as movement or vision. You unlock it with an adapter.

Every item ranks up to 30 through affinity (experience). Each rank adds one point of capacity, so rank 30 means 30 points. A mod only fits if its cost fits into the free capacity. New, unranked gear gets a bit of base capacity from your How to raise your Mastery Rank fast.

In the Mods segment of your Orbiter you upgrade mods with Endo and credits. This is called fusion. A higher rank makes the mod stronger but also raises its capacity cost. Depending on the mod, there are up to 10 ranks.

Each rank costs twice as much Endo as the one before. How much you need in total depends on the rarity:

• Dissolve duplicate mods you do not need into Endo in the Mods segment.
• The daily Sortie reward can be 4,000 Endo or an Ayatan Sculpture.
• Fill Ayatan Sculptures with Ayatan Stars and then turn them into Endo.
• Arbitrations: rules, Vitus Essence and rewards are one of the best Endo sources for more experienced players.

In the top right of every mod you see its cost and a symbol, the polarity. Many mod slots have a symbol too. The polarities have names such as Madurai, Vazarin, Naramon and Zenurik.

• Same polarity: the mod costs only half (rounded up). Serration at 14 points then costs just 7.
• Different polarity: the mod costs about a quarter more.
• Slot without polarity: the mod costs exactly its base value.

With Forma you add a polarity to a mod slot or change an existing one. This only works on items at rank 30. Afterwards the item drops back to rank 0 and you have to level it again. Your mods stay installed, but they only all fit again once you have leveled it.

1. 01

   Get the item to rank 30

   Only then can you polarize it in the Arsenal.

2. 02

   Choose “Polarize” in the Arsenal

   Click a slot until the polarity you want appears, then confirm.

3. 03

   Level it again

   The item is back at rank 0. A star appears above its name for every Forma used.

You often get the blueprint from Void Relics: farming Prime parts. Building it costs 35,000 credits, 1× each of Morphics, Neurode, Sinir Sensörleri and Orokin Hücresi, and takes 23 hours. A finished Forma costs 20 platinum in the Market.

These two items permanently double the mod capacity: 30 becomes 60. The Orokin Reactor is for Warframes, companions, Archwings and Necramechs, the Orokin Catalyst for weapons. You install them in the Arsenal through the item’s action menu. They cannot be removed and stay in place after a Forma.

An Aura mod does not cost capacity, it adds some. If its polarity matches the Aura slot, the bonus doubles. The effect works for the whole squad. Popular auras are Steel Charge for melee and Corrosive Projection against armor.

The Exilus slot is an extra slot for utility mods. You unlock it with an Exilus Warframe Adapter or Exilus Weapon Adapter. An Exilus mod costs capacity like any other mod.

• Exilus Warframe Adapter: 25,000 credits, 2× Forma, 1× Argon Kristali, 1× Orokin Hücresi, 23 hours to build.
• Exilus Weapon Adapter: 25,000 credits, 1× Forma, 1× Nadir Sentient Çekirdeği, 1× Orokin Hücresi, 23 hours to build.

At the top of the mod screen you find three configurations (A, B, C). Each one can hold different mods, for example one build for damage and one for survival. From Mastery Rank 10 you can buy more for 10 platinum each, up to six in total.