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Warframe: A Complete Guide To Zaws

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Warframe is easily one of the most complex looter shooters you can play currently. Players are thrown into the deep end of dozens of intricate systems without much idea of how they work. Arguably one of the most confusing for new players is Zaws.

Related: Best Looter Shooter Games Out Now

These modular melee weapons found on Cetus provide an immense amount of power for players willing to learn. With over a thousand combinations, creating a good Zaw can be a daunting task. In this guide, we'll be going over every aspect of Zaws, including how to make one, what each part does, the use of Zaw-specific Exodia Arcanes, and showcase some of the strongest Zaw combinations you can use.

What's A Zaw?

Zaws are modular, player-crafted melee weapons that are assembled by Hok at Cetus. Players can use Standing they've earned for the Ostron faction to purchase Zaw components from Hok. Once you craft a part of each type, speak to Hok to assemble the Zaw. Through a process called Gilding (explained in the next section), you can enhance the base stats of your Zaw, apply a unique Arcane to it, and give the Zaw a name.

With the right parts and Mods, you can create some truly devastating Zaws that provide excellent utility. Some players use Zaws to regain Energy, group enemies together, or even remove the shields from the Profit Taker boss in the Orb Vallis. While they don't dish out as much raw damage as meta melee weapons, Zaws provide a degree of utility that can prove much more valuable for certain situations.

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Crafting A Zaw

Before you can craft a Zaw, you're going to need components. There are three components that make up a Zaw:

  • Strike: The blade of your melee weapon.

    • Determines IPS distribution, weapon type, and base damage.
  • Grip: The handle of your melee weapon.

    • Determines attack speed, weapon type, and modifies your Strike's base damage.
  • Link: Metal weights used to enhance certain properties of your melee weapon.

    • Alters base damage, attack speed, critical chance, and status chance.

Speak to Hok at Cetus to purchase the blueprints necessary to craft Zaw components. Once the parts are built, speak to Hok again to assemble your Zaw. You'll get to preview your weapon before assembly. At this point, it's time to level and gild your Zaw.

Note: Most Zaw parts require refined metals and gems found in the Plains of Eidolon. You can purchase the blueprints needed to craft these materials from Old Man Suumbaat.

Gilding A Zaw

Every Zaw you create will start in an ungilded state, featuring lower base damage and supplementary stats than normal. To enhance your Zaw's base stats, you'll need to gild it. This has a few pre-requisites:

  • Your Zaw must be level 30.
  • You must be Rank 3: Trusted or higher with the Ostrons.
  • Gilding costs 2 Cetus Wisps and 5,000 Ostron Standing.

Related: Warframe: Top Arch-Guns, Ranked

If you meet all three conditions, speak to Hok at Cetus. He'll be able to gild the weapon if you meet all of the listed conditions. Upon gilding a weapon, you can apply one polarity for free in any Mod slot. If not already polarized, we highly recommend you polarize the Stance slot. Gilding a weapon will also give you the ability to name it. If you wish to rename your weapon, along with any melee weapons (even non-Zaws), you can purchase a renaming service from Hok for 15 Platinum.

Zaw Melee Types

Since melee weapons cover a large gambit of archetypes—scythes, swords, nikanas, etc.—it's important that you use the right parts to create the Zaw type you want. The Stances your Zaw will use are determined by your Strike and Grip. We'll cover each Zaw part in-depth in the next section. But for now, let's cover which Strikes and Grips create which Zaw weapon type.

Type Strikes Grips
Dagger
  • Balla
  • 1H Grips
Hammer
  • Rabvee
  • 2H Grips
Heavy Blade
  • Dokrahm
  • 2H Grips
Machete
  • Cyath
  • Kronsh
  • Rabvee
  • 1H Grips
Nikana
  • Sepfahn
  • 1H Grips
Polearm
  • Cyath
  • Dehtat
  • Kronsh
  • Mewan
  • Plague Kripath
  • 2H Grips
Rapier
  • Dehtat
  • Plague Kripath
  • 1H Grips
Scythe
  • Dokrahm
  • Plague Keewar
  • 1H Grips
Staff
  • Balla
  • Ooltha
  • Plague Keewar
  • Sepfahn
  • 2H Grips
Sword
  • Mewan
  • Ooltha
  • 1H Grips

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Zaw Mastery Rank Points And Rivens

Keep in mind that you don't earn Mastery Rank Points for leveling ungilded Zaws. You must gild the Zaw, then get it to level 30 to gain Mastery. For the purposes of increasing your MR, each type of Strike counts as a unique melee weapon. Creating and leveling a unique Zaw for all 11 Strikes is equal to 33,000 Mastery Points.

Related: Warframe: All Damage Types Explained

Zaw Riven Mods also behave similarly, only affecting Zaws that have a Strike that matches the Riven. For example, if you unveil a Sepfahn Riven Mod, that Mod can only be applied to Zaws with a Sepfahn Strike. Each Zaw Strike has a unique Riven Disposition that, like most weapons, gets updated quarterly.

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All Zaw Parts

Note: This section is quite number heavy. If you're a newer player, consider skipping to the next section.

There are thousands upon thousands of Zaw combinations in Warframe. A wide range of strikes, grips, and links allow you to create a melee weapon that suits your specific needs. Let's go ahead and cover what each part does and which part combinations lead to certain Zaw types.

Strikes

Warframe has 11 Zaw Strikes you can use, two of which are exclusive to the Plague Star event. The other nine can be purchased from Hok at Cetus.

Strike

Type

(1H)

Type

(2H)

Damage

(IPS)

Attack Speed

Critical

(Multiplier)

Status
Balla Dagger Staff Total: 224

  • Impact: 11.2
  • Puncture: 134.4
  • Slash: 78.4
+0.083

18%

(2.0x)

18%
Cyath Machete Polearm Total: 230

  • Impact: 46
  • Puncture: 11.5
  • Slash: 172.5
+0.000

18%

(2.0x)

18%
Dehtat Rapier Polearm Total: 224

  • Impact: 22.4
  • Puncture: 112
  • Slash: 89.6
+0.083

18%

(2.0x)

18%
Dokrahm Scythe Heavy Blade Total: 309

  • Impact: 46.4
  • Puncture: 108.1
  • Slash: 154.5
+0.083

18%

(2.0x)

18%
Kronsh Machete Polearm Total: 234

  • Impact: 163.8
  • Puncture: 0
  • Slash: 70.2
-0.067

18%

(2.0x)

18%
Mewan Sword Polearm Total: 224

  • Impact: 56
  • Puncture: 78.4
  • Slash: 89.6
-0.067

18%

(2.0x)

18%
Ooltha Sword Staff Total: 224

  • Impact: 22.4
  • Puncture: 89.6
  • Slash: 112
+0.000

18%

(2.0x)

18%
Plague Keewar Scythe Staff Total: 306

  • Impact: 88
  • Puncture: 57
  • Slash: 91
  • Viral: 70
-0.033

18%

(2.0x)

22%
Plague Kirpath Rapier Polearm Total: 213

  • Impact: 30
  • Puncture: 70
  • Slash: 49
  • Viral: 64
+0.033

22%

(2.2x)

18%
Rabvee Machete Hammer Total: 234

  • Impact: 140.4
  • Puncture: 11.7
  • Slash: 81.9
-0.067

18%

(2.0x)

18%
Sepfahn Nikana Staff Total: 226

  • Impact: 22.6
  • Puncture: 56.5
  • Slash: 146.9
+0.000

20%

(2.0x)

20%
Note: Plague Keewar and Plague Kirpath are only for sale during the Plague Star event.

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Grips

Ten Grips exist for creating Zaws, each granting unique base stat modifiers. Your grip also determines the melee type your Zaw will fall under.

Grip 1H Or 2H Damage Attack Speed
Jayap Two-Handed +0 0.917
Korb One-Handed +28 0.783
Kroostra Two-Handed +14 0.850
Kwath One-Handed +14 0.850
Laka One-Handed +0 0.917
Peye One-Handed -4 1.000
Plague Akwin One-Handed -2 0.950
Plague Bokwin Two-Handed +7 0.883
Seekalla Two-Handed -4 1.000
Shtung Two-Handed +28 0.783
Note: Plague Akwin and Plague Bokwin are only available during the Plague Star event.

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Links

Links are categorized into four types. Some links only have one type, while most use a combination of two link types. Each link type grants the following:

  • Jai: +Attack Speed, -Damage
  • Ruhang: +Damage, – Attack Speed
  • Ekwana: +Status Chance, – Critical Chance
  • Vargeet: +Critical Chance, – Status Chance

Specific modifiers for all 16 link combinations are covered below:

Link Damage Attack Speed Critical Status
Jai -4 +0.083 +0% +0%
Jai II -8 +0.167 +0% +0%
Ruhang +14 -0.067 +0% +0%
Ruhang II +28 -0.133 +0% +0%
Ekwana Jai -4 +0.083 -4% +7%
Ekwana II Jai -4 +0.083 -8% +14%
Ekwana Jai II -8 +0.167 -4% +7%
Ekwana Ruhang +14 -0.067 -4% +7%
Ekwana II Ruhang +14 -0.067 -8% +14%
Ekwana Ruhang II +28 -0.133 -4% +7%
Vargeet Jai -4 +0.083 +7% -4%
Vargeet II Jai -4 +0.083 +14% -8%
Vargeet Jai II -8 +0.167 +7% -4%
Vargeet Ruhang +14 -0.067 +7% -4%
Vargeet II Ruhang +14 -0.067 +14% -8%
Vargeet Ruhang II +28 -0.133 +7% -4%

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Exodia Arcanes

All gilded Zaws have one Exodia Arcane slot unlocked. This slot can only install Exodia Arcanes—a unique Arcane type purchased from Hok at Cetus. You must be Rank 5: Kin with the Ostron to unlock the ability to purchase these Arcanes. They come pre-built. Unlike most Arcanes, Exodia Arcanes have a rank cap of three. You'll only need ten of the same Arcane to max it out. Any Zaw can equip any Exodia Arcane; there are no archetype restrictions.

Every Exodia Arcane

Zaws can equip one of eight unique Exodia Arcanes. Similar to Strikes and Grips, two of them are exclusive to the Plague Star event.

Exodia

Activator

(Chance)

Effect Notes
Brave

Heavy attack kill

(100% chance)

Regen 5 Energy per second for 4 seconds.
  • Stacks x3 times
  • Disabled by Leech Eximus enemies
  • Only procs on direct damage kill; no DoTs
Contagion

Air attack

(100% chance)

Launch a projectile that detonates after 30m, dealing 400% damage.
  • Requires a parkour jump+ activator to proc
  • Deals Viral and Blast damage
  • Projectile shares your Zaw's base stats
Epidemic

Slam Attack

(100% chance)

Launch a wave of Infested goo, traveling up to 33m away. Enemies hit are levitated for 4s.
  • Requires a parkour jump + activator to proc
  • Deals Viral and Blast damage
Force

Status Effect

(50% chance)

Deal 200% weapon damage to enemies 6m near the target.
  • Scales with Mods and Combo Counter
  • Critical multi is x1 and cannot be changed
  • AoE has damage falloff
Hunt

Slam Attack

(50% chance)

Pull in enemies from 12m to the slam's epicenter.
  • Affected targets are open to finishers
  • Slams from Stance combos proc this Arcane
Might

Finisher

(50% chance)

Your Zaw gains 30% lifesteal for 8 seconds.
  • Only affects your Zaw
  • Lifesteal applies to raw damage and DoTs
Triumph

On hit

(100% chance)

50% chance to gain additional Combo Counter.
  • None
Valor

Hit lifted target

(100% chance)

200% chance to gain additional Combo Counter.
  • None
Note: Exodia Contagion and Exodia Epidemic are exclusive to the Plague Star event.

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The Best Zaw Combinations

OK, so what if you don't want to fiddle with parts and numbers for hours on end to create the best Zaw? Thankfully, the community has figured out which parts and combinations are best. Before we dig into the best Zaw Combinations, we need to talk about the best Zaw parts real quick.

Best Zaw Parts

For as many unique Zaw parts as Hok offers, you only need to worry about your Strike. Strikes determine the melee type you're creating, along with IPS, so they're mostly down to preference. Grips and Links do have objectively better parts than others, provided you're focusing on DPS. In essence:

  • Best Strike

    • None – varies on weapon type and preference
  • Best Grip

    • One-Handed: Peye
    • Two-Handed: Seekalla
  • Best Link

    • DPS: Vargeet II Jai
    • Status: Vargeet Jai II

The Best Zaws

If you're looking to create the best Zaw of each type, consult the table below. Keep in mind that you can replace the link in any entry with Vargeet Jai II if you are more interested in applying status.

Zaw Type Strike Grip Link
Dagger Balla Peye Vargeet II Jai
Hammer Rabvee Seekalla Vargeet II Jai
Heavy Blade Dokrahm Seekalla Vargeet II Jai
Machete Cyath Peye Vargeet II Jai
Nikana Sepfahn Peye Vargeet II Jai
Polearm Plague Kripath

  • Alt: Dehtat
Seekalla Vargeet II Jai
Rapier Plague Kripath

  • Alt: Dehtat
Peye Vargeet II Jai
Scythe Dokrahm

  • Alt: Plague Keewar
Peye Vargeet II Jai
Staff Plague Keewar

  • Alt: Ooltha
Seekalla Vargeet II Jai
Sword Ooltha Peye Vargeet II Jai

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The Most Efficient Zaws For Mastery Rank Points

Zaws also grant Mastery Rank Points, so you might want to consider crafting certain Zaws to gain as much MR as possible. Here's what we recommend:

Zaw Type Strike Grip Link
Dagger Balla Peye Vargeet II Jai
Hammer Rabvee Seekalla Vargeet II Jai
Heavy Blade Dokrahm Seekalla Vargeet II Jai
Machete Cyath Peye Vargeet II Jai
Nikana Sepfahn Peye Vargeet II Jai
Polearm Plague Kripath Seekalla Vargeet II Jai
Rapier Dehtat Peye Vargeet II Jai
Scythe Plague Keewar Peye Vargeet II Jai
Staff Ooltha Seekalla Vargeet II Jai
Sword Mewan Peye Vargeet II Jai

For Kronsh, create a Polearm. This will cover all 11 Strikes for Zaws, granting you the maximum 33,000 Mastery Points while making some solid—albeit not min-maxed—melee weapons.

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Next: Everything You Need To Know About Warframe In 2021

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