Warframe: Bubonico build guide (mod setups for damage and priming)

Modified May 22, 2024 19:46 IST

Warframe Bubonico build — Bubonico is an underrated battery weapon (Image via Digital Extremes)

For those who prefer versatility and reliability in their weapon, an end-game Bubonico build can be a dream come true. An underrated battery weapon, Bubonico is one of the most interesting among Warframe's arm-mounted cannons. Not only can you use it as a shotgun to riddle enemies with a blast to the face, but its alt-fire itself comes with an innate Viral element for easy priming. Add some high multishot and gun-CO to this, and you have a devastating weapon for the end game.

To lean into this gun's versatility, we will discuss two Bubonico builds in this guide: one that can deal the damage up-front, and one that is meant for purely status-priming.

Warframe Bubonico build for primer with Cold (4/5-Forma)

Alt-fire on this Bubonico build can be used for priming purposes (Image via Digital Extremes)

The idea of this Bubonico build is to riddle enemies with status in an area of effect, which is why we also use a status duration mod. The demonstrated build setup uses Gas, Cold, and Viral damage, but you can also run Radiation on top with the new Atomic Fallout mod instead of Hunter Track.

Instead of Vigilante Armaments, you can also use faction damage multiplier mods as needed. This is especially useful against Corpus or Infested enemies who are grouped up. The bigger the clump, the higher the quadratic scaling on Gas damage - not to mention the double-dipping faction damage scaling.

Mods used

Scattering Inferno
Toxic Barrage
Hell's Chamber (since we use it mostly as a primer weapon, Galvanized Hell is less useful)
Amalgam Shotgun Barrage
Hunter Track
Frigid Blast
Vigilante Armaments
Shotgun Savvy

Versatile Bubonico build for Steel Path in Warframe (6-Forma)

Bubonico can dish out damage as well as prime with Viral (Image via Overframe)

Due to its innate capacity of Viral-priming, damage-oriented Bubonico builds can be viable even in level cap. In the build used for this, we have anti-armor scaling through Slash DoT from Hunter Munition, which is all the more effective if you use one burst of alt-fire beforehand.

We also use Primed Charged Shell for some additional Electric damage and crowd control through the alt-fire. This can be replaced with a Heat mod for further Heat DoT.