The damage systems in Warframe are about as complex as you will find in a game. You have Health, Shields, and Armor, which aren’t the most complex things in the world; on top of all that, though, things like Elemental damage types, Slash, Puncture, Impact, and Critical Multipliers are also factors to consider. One type of armor across all enemy types can be very confusing. Here’s what Overguard is in Warframe.
How Does Overguard Work in Warframe?
Overguard is the light blue armor bar surrounding the Armor bars of Eximus units. This armor bar might not seem like much initially, but it signifies that the enemy is immune to most Crowd Control Effects. They also won’t take increased damage from the vast majority of elemental damage types, barring only Void, which gives a 50% increased bonus to damage. On top of all this, you can’t use armor reduction effects to reduce the power of Overguard.
With all that being said, there are some strange properties surrounding Overguard that can work in your favor. For one, they might have the brawn, but they still don’t have the brains, meaning confused and mind-controlled foes will still be targeted by units with Overguard. They can also be affected by particular forms of Crowd Control. This includes but is not limited to four stacks of Cold Proc, Grendel’s Pulverize, Wisp’s Breach Surge, and Mesa’s Muzzle Flash. This makes forms of slow the best way to deal with Overguard units.
Related: How to Get All Prime Relics for Wisp Prime in Warframe
What Other Unique Properties Does Overguard Have?
One of the most unique properties of Overguard centers around the fact that you can apply it to yourself. Characters that can apply Overguard to themselves include Atlas, Frost, Kullervo, Rhino, and Styanax, with certain Augment mods necessary to apply the effect. While active, Overguard will negate any negative Status Effect. You’ll also get a 0.5-second window of Invulnerability when it depletes.
As of writing, Overguard also suffers from one unique bug that can harm you in very specific situations. The Aura mod Combat Discipline, which usually drains your own health to apply it to allies, will actually deplete your own Overguard first instead of health. Keep this in mind if you’re running any of the above characters.
If you’re looking further into the game’s quirks, check out our guide on the best way to farm Tellurium in Warframe.
