The 5 Best Sniper Rifles in Warframe (2024)

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Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

Sniper rifles are a beloved and ubiquitous weapon archetype that appears in countless games. Known for their hard-hitting power and longer reload animations, they balance out their high damage per shot. Equipped with a scope for more precise targeting, most games offer sniper rifles to their players. Warframe is no exception, offering sniper rifles built for long-ranged accuracy and as much critical damage as possible.

Additionally, hitting multiple shots with a sniper rifle in Warframe will provide a buff, such as critical chance, critical damage multiplier, and reduced recoil, depending on the weapon used. However, the fast-paced gameplay of Warframe provides little time to line up a shot with a sniper rifle, making them somewhat of a niche weapon. Nevertheless, when the opportunity arises, we recommend the following 5 sniper rifles to get the job done.

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Tier List of the Best Sniper Rifles in Warframe

*Note: All of the following sniper rifles are top-tier overall and are just being ranked in comparison to other top-tier weapons of a similar caliber*

Vulkar Wraith (C-Tier)

The Vulkar Wraith is one of the more standard sniper rifles available in Warframe. It’s an excellent choice for early-game players as it only requires a Mastery Rank of 7 to use. Surprisingly, the Vulkar Wraith has very little recoil and boasts a 1 meter punch through, which allows it to stagger most enemies that it hits. Additionally, the base damage of this sniper rifle is among the highest of all sniper rifles, making it particularly effective against Corpus enemies due to their shields. However, it may not be as effective against other enemy types due to the high amount of impact damage it deals.

Although the Vulkar Wraith has a low critical chance and damage, it compensates for this with its status damage potential. In particular, it performs exceptionally well when built with Viral + Hunter Munitions to add slash procs. As a result, the weapon becomes more versatile and can be used in missions where unzoomed shooting is acceptable, thanks to its low recoil.

Snipetron Vandal (B-Tier)

The Snipetron Vandal is a versatile sniper rifle that shares many similarities with the Vulkar Wraith. It’s a great choice for players who want a scoped weapon experience but don’t yet have the Mastery Rank to access higher-ranked snipers. With a Mastery Rank requirement of just 5, it’s accessible to many early-game players.

Like the Vulkar Wraith, the Snipetron Vandal offers a headshot combo buff that increases headshot damage after landing at least 3 headshots. The usefulness of this buff can depend on the player’s build and usage of the weapon.

The Snipetron Vandal is also an excellent choice for hunting Eidolons. It can be used to break the Synova due to its hitscan nature, which means there’s no bullet travel time. While it may not be the top-tier choice for Eidolon hunting, it’s still a viable option for players who don’t have access to higher-ranked snipers.

Lanka (A-Tier)

For those who haven’t yet tried their hand at Eidolon hunting, the Lanka may be an overlooked weapon. This sniper rifle gained fame as one of the more accessible and dependable Eidolon hunting snipers, with some players even claiming it’s comparable to the Rubico Prime.

A dependable synovia-destroying weapon is crucial in any Eidolon hunt, as any experienced player will tell you. With enough forma, this weapon can be built to take out synovia on any Eidolon in just a few shots, which is typically what people use it for.

The Lanka fires Electricity bullets, making it easy to mod for Radiation or Corrosive damage. Additionally, this weapon boasts the highest base damage of all sniper rifles in Warframe when fully charged.

Vectis Prime (A-Tier)

When it comes to sniper rifles, the Vectis Prime is widely considered as the best option for general-purpose use in any mission, especially if you enjoy playing with snipers. Its base stats are already impressive, and with the right mods, this rifle becomes even more powerful. Furthermore, if you can get your hands on a good riven mod, the Vectis Prime’s performance can surpass even the Rubico Prime.

However, it’s worth noting that a riven mod is not necessary as the Vectis Prime already performs exceptionally well without one. It’s a versatile weapon that can be used effectively in almost any mission that requires significant damage output. This sniper rifle is a reliable choice that you can’t go wrong with.

Rubico Prime (S-Tier)

As expected, the Rubico Prime still reigns supreme as the best sniper rifle in Warframe, a position it has held for quite some time. It’s the gun that immediately comes to mind when you think of sniper rifles or Eidolon hunting. While the Rubico Prime and Vectis Prime have similar stats, the Rubico Prime has a few advantages that make it stand out.

The Rubico Prime only requires a minimum combo of 1 shot to activate its buff compared to the Vectis Prime’s 5 shot requirement, making it significantly quicker and easier to get its buff. Additionally, the Rubico Prime has a larger magazine size of 5 rounds compared to the Vectis Prime’s 2 rounds. With the right build and warframe combination, this is the sniper rifle you can confidently bring into higher level and even Steel Path missions.

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At the end of the day, it’s best to use the gun you feel most comfortable with, as that’s where you’ll have the most fun. We’re merely offering a handful of suggestions in case you haven’t yet reached the Mastery Rank requirement for a Vectis Prime or Rubico Prime.

We’re confident that there’s a sniper rifle for you to use, regardless of where you’re at in the game, and that’s precisely what we’re trying to demonstrate.

We hope we’ve provided you with some ideas and insight on sniper rifles to build and try out in Warframe! While we kept the list short and concise with only 5 weapons, we know there are more sniper rifles that could have made the cut. If we missed your favorite sniper, please let us know in the comments below!

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