Should you Choose Excalibur, Mag, or Volt in Warframe’s The Duviri Paradox

Warframe is one of those games that takes commitment. And maybe that’s prevented you from jumping into the game, despite how cool it looks. But with The Duviri Paradox finally releasing, now’s a great time to try out the game and see what it’s all about. And one of the biggest and earliest decisions you’ll make when you first start is which Warframe you’ll choose. So, should you choose Excalibur, Mag, or Volt in Warframe’s Duviri Paradox?

Should you Choose Excalibur, Mag, or Volt in Warframe’s The Duviri Paradox

Once you begin The Duviri Paradox, you’ll have the option of picking Excalibur, Mag, and Volt. Each of these Warframes offers a unique playstyle, but don’t let decision anxiety get to you. Eventually, you’ll be able to unlock all three and more.

·       Excalibur

Here’s the breakdown of Excalibur’s skills.

• Passive: Excalibur deals 10% increased damage and attacks 10% faster when wielding swords.
• Slash Sash: Slash and dash through enemies alongside a radial specter. The powerful Exalted Blade’s slashes inflict bleed status.
• Radial Blind: Emit a bright flash of light, blinding all nearby enemies.
• Radial Javelin: Radial javelins impale nearby enemies, inflicting bleed status.
• Exalted Blade: Summon a sword of pure light and immense power.

Excalibur is a straightforward frame that introduces you to the “Brawler” class. It’s melee centric, and easily the beefiest of the frames. If you enjoy a slow but powerful playstyle. He’s excellent in early game as a tank and is generally well rounded.

·       Mag

Here’s the breakdown of Mag’s skills.

• Passive: Nearby items gravitate toward Mag for easy collection.
• Pull: Mag stuns enemies as she manifests a magnetic vortex. The vortex pulls in Polarize Shards and stunned enemies to place them directly in front of her.
• Magnetize:  Enclose a target in a magnetic field that ensnares nearby enemies and deals damage over time. The field pulls Polarize Shards that orbited Mag and shrapnel into the deadly mix. Mag surrounds herself in a magnetic field that absorbs ranged attacks and reflects damage back in a destructive cone.
• Polarize: Emits an energy pulse that depletes enemy shields and armor as it restores ally shields. Debris left over from the pulse becomes a Polarize Shards. Nearby Polarize Shards orbit Mag and cut enemies, inflicting Bleed status.
• Crush: Magnetize the bones of nearby enemies, causing them to collapse upon themselves.

Like Excalibur, Mag is a straightforward frame that introduces you to Nuker/Caster frames. She’s frail early game but, when used creatively, can scale as the difficulty of the game increases. She requires investment to really shine.

On the other hand, she’s excellent at defeating Specters that protect planet junctions. This will allow you to unlock planets easier.

Related: Best Melee Weapons in Warframe (2023)

·       Volt

Here’s the breakdown of Volt’s skills.

• Passive: Grounded movement generates an electrical charge building up 10 Damage per meter that is unleashed with the next attack.
• Shock: Launches a shocking projectile. It stuns and deals high damage to a single target and chains damage to nearby enemies.
• Speed: Volt energizes his body and nearby Warframes, giving them increased speed and dexterity for a short time.
• Electrical Shield: Volt deploys an obstacle of energy, providing cover in any situation.
• Discharge: Paralyze nearby hostiles with a damaging electric charge, this also shocks approaching enemies.

Like Excalibur and Mag, Volt is our introduction to the Gunslinger frame. Gunslingers are all about buffing weapons and repositioning enemies, where those weapons will be at an advantage to finish them off. In general, he strides the line between Excalibur and Mag, relying on ranged but also having some defensive capabilities.  

The only downside is that Volt, unlike Excalibur, struggles in early game and does better as the game progresses. Especially if you intend to play solo.

Ultimately, the best frame for you is the one that best suits your playstyle. You’ll have more fun that way. If you’re curious about what to expect in The Duviri Paradox, check out the patch notes. It goes in-depth into everything you’ll encounter: Warframe April 26 Update: Full Patch Notes Listed.