If you’ve played Warframe for a while, then you know the game is chock full of numerous systems that are barely explained. The tutorial doesn’t do a horrible job explaining the mechanics, but it avoids many deeper systems while going very surface-level with others. One such mechanic affects how you use your melee weapons if you have the right build. Here’s what the Tennokai system is in Warframe.
How does the Tennokai system work in Warframe?
Tennokai is a melee-based system that affects how Heavy Attacks function, though only when a mod that enables Tennokai is equipped. With one on your melee weapon, any melee hits have a 15% chance to flash a sword icon on your reticle for two seconds, referred to as an Opportunity. Performing a Heavy Attack or Heavy Slam when this appears causes the Heavy Attack to occur much faster and not eat any of your Combo Counter, allowing you to keep building your Combo without sacrificing some for a burst of damage.
To acquire a Tennokai mod, first complete the Whispers in the Walls main story quest to receive Mentor’s Legacy, a mod that enables Tennokai. If you want a mod that enables Tennokai while providing additional bonuses, you need to run the Alchemy mission type in the Entrati Labs. All Tennokai mods (excluding Mentor’s Legacy) have a chance to drop from Rotation C, which is the fourth reward rotation for Alchemy missions. Those mods, their effects, and their chance to drop can be found below.
| Mod Name | Mod Effect | Chance to Drop |
|---|---|---|
| Condition’s Perfection | Enables Tennokai. Increases status chance by 100% on Tennokai attacks. | 12% |
| Master’s Edge | Enables Tennokai. Increases Tennokai damage by 60%. | 12% |
| Opportunity’s Reach | Enables Tennokai. Increases opportunity window to 4.0s and melee range by 3m for Tennokai attacks. | 12% |
| Discipline’s Merit | Enables Tennokai. Opportunities occur every 4 melee hits instead of at random. | 6% |
| Dreamer’s Wrath | Enables Tennokai. Increases opportunity chance by 50% and Heavy Attack critical damage by 32% | 6% |
It’s worth noting that you can only run one of these mods above at a time, so you need to choose which effect you want wisely. You also should run any of these over Mentor’s Legacy if you get one since they are a flat upgrade.
As for which mod is the best, it all depends on the build of your melee weapon. If you’re building for status effects, Condition’s Perfection is the best choice. If you want to do pure damage, then Master’s Edge is best. If you’re having a difficult time choosing, then Discipline’s Merit will be good no matter your build.
