Warframe: The ONE Melee you NEVER knew you NEEDED!

Summary

In this video, the focus is on the Raka Dark Dagger, a unique melee weapon in Warframe with incredible potential for shield regeneration and armor stripping. The dagger's special Mind Haze passive allows players to leech shields from enemies affected by radiation damage, and its synergy with gas status effects enables large-scale shield regeneration. Additionally, with the right mods, the weapon can strip armor, benefiting team support or dealing significant damage. The video covers builds for both support and damage-focused playstyles, as well as helpful synergies, like group-based abilities, to maximize its effectiveness.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Rakta Dark Dagger has a unique passive ability, *Mind Haze*, which converts 5% of damage dealt to radiation-affected enemies into shields.
• 😀 The weapon’s innate radiation damage allows it to trigger the shield leeching effect on its own, without requiring external radiation priming.
• 😀 Using **Gas Damage** in combination with the dagger's radiation damage allows for continuous shield regeneration through damage-over-time effects.
• 😀 Shield regeneration from the dagger only works when shields are active; if shields are broken, the regeneration pauses until shields are restored.
• 😀 The **Amalgam Argonak Metal Augur** mod allows the dagger to strip enemy armor by 6 points per hit, making it effective for armor reduction.
• 😀 Armor stripping with the Rakta Dark Dagger targets the base armor value of enemies, meaning you can strip armor much faster than expected.
• 😀 The dagger’s synergy with **grouping abilities** (e.g., from frames like Mag or Nidus) enhances the effectiveness of its gas clouds and armor stripping, affecting multiple enemies at once.
• 😀 Two primary build types for the Rakta Dark Dagger include a **Support Build** focused on shield regeneration and armor stripping, and a **Damage Build** that maximizes damage with Blast damage and high status effects.
• 😀 **Melee Arcane - Melee Influence** is essential for the Support Build, allowing you to spread elemental effects to multiple enemies and triggering more gas clouds for shield leeching and armor stripping.
• 😀 To further enhance damage and status effects, mods like **Voltaic Strike**, **Weeping Wounds**, **Galvanized Elementalist**, and **Condition Overload** are highly recommended in the Support Build.
• 😀 The Rakta Dark Dagger is especially effective when combined with mods or Warframe abilities that regenerate shields or enhance crowd control, making it versatile for various playstyles.

Q & A

What makes the Raka Dark Dagger so special in Warframe?

The Raka Dark Dagger stands out due to its unique passive ability, Mind Haze, which allows players to regenerate shields by dealing damage to enemies affected by radiation. This enables players to recharge shields without needing energy or using Warframe abilities, offering a significant advantage in missions.

How does the Mind Haze passive ability work?

Mind Haze converts 5% of the damage dealt to enemies affected by radiation into shields for the player. For example, if you deal 100 damage to an enemy affected by radiation, you'll gain 5 shields from that hit.

Do I need to prime enemies with radiation before using the Raka Dark Dagger?

No, the Raka Dark Dagger inherently deals radiation damage, meaning you don’t need to prime enemies with external radiation to trigger the Mind Haze effect.

Can the shield regeneration from Mind Haze work when shields are completely depleted?

No, the shield regeneration only works when your shields are active. If your shields break and you enter shield gating, the regeneration will pause until you have at least one shield point restored.

Why is gas damage considered ideal for the Raka Dark Dagger?

Gas damage is ideal because it creates a gas cloud that deals damage over time, which means the shield regeneration from the Raka Dark Dagger applies not only to the initial hit but also to the continuous damage dealt by the gas cloud, providing more consistent shield recharge.

What is the role of the Augment Mod Amalgam Argonak Metal Augur in this build?

The Amalgam Argonak Metal Augur mod reduces enemy armor by six points per hit with a dagger-type weapon. This applies to the Raka Dark Dagger, making it a powerful tool for armor stripping when paired with gas clouds, which continue to reduce armor over time.

How does the armor stripping mechanic with gas clouds work?

The armor reduction effect from the Amalgam Argonak Metal Augur applies to every hit from the Raka Dark Dagger, including those triggered by gas clouds. However, the armor stripping effect only works on enemies still alive when the gas cloud is active. If the original enemy dies, the gas cloud's armor strip stops affecting new enemies.

What mods are recommended for a support-focused build using the Raka Dark Dagger?

For a support build, important mods include Voltaic Strike (to add electricity damage), Weeping Wounds (to increase status chance), Galvanized Elementalist (for boosting status chance further), and Condition Overload (for added damage). Additionally, Melee Arcane Millie Influence is crucial for spreading elemental effects to multiple enemies.

How does the Melee Arcane Millie Influence mod synergize with the Raka Dark Dagger?

Melee Arcane Millie Influence causes electricity status effects from your melee to spread to nearby enemies in an area of effect. This ensures that gas clouds affect multiple enemies, leading to shield regeneration and armor stripping across the entire room, not just the target enemy.

What are some synergies that enhance the Raka Dark Dagger’s effectiveness?

Some strong synergies include using Warframe abilities that group enemies together (such as Mag’s Magnetize or Nidus’s Larva), as well as mods like Bri Res or Arcane Guardian to quickly replenish shields when they drop to zero. Grouping enemies allows the gas clouds to hit more targets, amplifying both shield regeneration and armor stripping.

Is there a secondary weapon synergy when using the Raka Dark Dagger?

Yes, the Raka Dark Dagger’s synergy with the Argonak for armor stripping is especially strong when you use secondary weapons, as the secondary slot remains free for your preferred weapon. The combination of the Raka Dark Dagger and Argonak allows you to strip armor while dealing high damage with a secondary weapon.