Warframe advertises itself as a game where you get to play as a space ninja. But honestly, it’s more like playing as a space wizard with guns and swords while occasionally doing something ninja-like. Most of the time, at least. Ash is the exception that proves the rule.
This Warframe actually has the abilities and the playstyle that matches a ninja. Read this guide and learn how to master this shuriken-tossing, shadow clone-using frame.
Full disclosure right from the start, Ash is my favorite Warframe. I know he’s objectively not the best, but I always have so much fun running him.
How to Get Ash
Farming Ash is probably one of the worst things about him. Before March 2021, his parts dropped from Grineer Manics, a rare opponent, but at least some missions guarantee their spawns.
Now, you can obtain Ash’s parts through various Railjack missions. The Neuroptics on Neptune, Chassis on Pluto, and Systems on Venus.
There is a 13.33% chance of getting a part on Rotation A of Defense and Survival missions.
There is only a 4.82% chance to get them on Exterminate and Volatile missions; 4.88% for the Venus missions. Allowing you to get Ash’s Systems a bit easier.
(Video by Pupsker)
Ash’s Abilities
Ash’s abilities perfectly suit his ninja theme. They’re focused on stealth and deadly precision, allowing you to strike your enemies from the shadows and disappear in the blink of an eye. Because of this, Ash is best used on Spy missions.
The downside to his abilities is they’re pretty multiplayer-unfriendly. They benefit him and him alone. Some of his augment mods can somewhat remedy this, but it’s up to you if you want to provide more support or remain the soloist frame of the group.
Stats (At Rank 30)
Armor: 100
Energy: 150
Health: 450
Shields: 300
Sprint Speed: 1.15
With Ash, you can kinda ignore your health, shields, and armor. The whole point of this Warframe is to not get seen and avoid taking damage.
Passive
Ash’s passive causes slash status effects dealt from abilities and weapons to dish out 25% more damage and last 50% longer.
Slash is one of the most desirable status types for a weapon to have. Its bleeding status effect ignores enemy armor, allowing you to take out the tankiest enemies without having to remove their armor.
Ability 1: Shuriken
Energy Cost: 25
Damage: 500 Slash damage at level 4 with guaranteed bleed proc
Scales with: Strength
Description: Launches a spinning blade of pain, dealing high damage and impaling enemies to walls.
Ash’s shuriken curving to hunt down an enemy.
It doesn’t say it, but the two shuriken launched will rapidly home into enemies. The Shuriken ability is amazing against fast-moving and small targets. Just aim in their general direction, activate the skill, and watch your ninja stars hunt down your target. The shuriken can pass through walls and obstacles, so once they’ve picked a target, they’re as good as dead.
As you can probably tell, that guaranteed bleed proc is incredibly useful too, especially with Ash’s passive ability.
Seeking Shuriken is the Shuriken augment mod. Once maxed, this mod will strip 70% of an enemy’s armor for 8 seconds if hit by a shuriken.
Ability 2: Smoke Screen
Energy Cost: 35
Duration: 8sec at level 4
Stagger Range: 10m
Scales with: Duration, Range
Description: Drops a smoke bomb that stuns enemies and obscures their vision, rendering Ash invisible for a short time.
Ash firing a weapon while invisible with Smoke Screen.
Admittedly, the Smoke Screen is not as great as some of the other invisibility skills in Warframe. Ivara, Loki, Octavia, and Voruna all have better invisibility-causing abilities that last longer.
Ash’s Smoke Screen is primarily used to disengage from combat or bypass enemies and cameras. Don’t use it to stay invisible while fighting. It runs out too quickly and will be costly to spam.
Another use for Smoke Screen is using it with Blade Storm (Ash’s 4th ability). While Smoke Screen is active, the energy cost of marking enemies with Blade Storm is halved.
Smoke Shadow, the augment mod for Smoke Screen, will cause nearby allies to also become invisible.
Ability 3: Teleport
Energy Cost: 25
Range: 60m at level 4
Scales with: Range
Description: Ash teleports towards the target, bringing him into melee range and making enemies vulnerable to finishers.
Ash Teleporting to an enemy and making them vulnerable to a finisher.
Teleport is the most utilitarian ability in Ash’s kit. You can use this to quickly move long distances and bypass security cameras and lasers in spy rooms.
You can also use it against high-priority enemies. Teleporting to them will stun them and open them up to a finisher attack.
Keep in mind that it’s not just enemies you can teleport to. Allies, and even most objects, are fair game too. So you can zip around to almost anywhere you want. 60 meters is also plenty of range. You’ll hardly need any more than that. No range mods required.
Fatal Teleport is a really cool augment mod. It automatically makes you perform a finisher with extra damage (200% if maxed) if you teleport to an enemy. If the enemy dies, you get a 50% refund from that Teleport.
Ability 4: Blade Storm
Energy Cost: 12 per mark
Damage: 2000 True damage at level 4
Range: 50m
Scales with: Strength, Range
Description: Project fierce shadow clones of Ash upon groups of distant enemies. Join the fray using Teleport.
Ash’s shadow clone assassinating its target.
Blade Storm is a toggle ability. Once in Blade Storm mode, all enemies that come close to your aiming reticle will receive a death mark.
Reactivating Blade Storm will spawn two shadow clones that each teleport to a marked enemy and perform up to 3 finisher attacks on them. After that, they will move on to the next target and do it again until they’ve struck all the marked targets.
You can join the slaughter by teleporting to an enemy while your shadow clones are active. You will now strike your targets as if you’re another clone. You will be invincible until the assault is over. Teleport will also come for free if used this way.
Blade Storm will drain 12 energy per target. For example, if you have 10 enemies marked, you will lose 120 energy (12 x 10). If you move out of range and an enemy loses their mark before you can reactivate Blade Storm, your energy will be refunded.
Rising Storm is an augment mod that allows your combo counter to go up whenever your shadow clones strike. It also gives you a passive of +10 seconds to your combo duration.
Ash Build Sample
Here’s the build that I mostly use. It’s focused on raw damage and speed.
Ash can be pretty versatile, so this is only one way to mod him. You can also mod him for pure stealth by maximizing Smoke Screen and Teleport. Mess around with his abilities and see what mods suit your playstyle.
When modding Ash, the most important thing to boost is his ability strength.
Ash Build
Mods/Arcanes and their purposes
Power Drift, Transient Fortitude, Intensify, Amar’s Hatred, and Augur Secrets: Increases your overall damage with abilities.
Steel Charge: Increases your melee damage. You can also pick the other weapon damage aura mods. This is honestly just because I couldn’t think of any other aura that’s more useful for Ash.
Rush, Arcane Consequence, and Armored Agility: Increases your speed and survivability.
Primed Flow: Blade Storm can be pretty energy hungry. This more than makes up for it.
Fatal Teleport: For that “Teleports behind you uwu” vibe.
Arcane Trickery: This gives you a chance to turn invisible after performing a finisher. Blade Storm’s shadow clone strikes count as finishers.
How to Use This Ash Build
This build is focused on the Smoke Screen/Blade Storm combo. Use these two abilities at the same time, then dash around and mark as many enemies as you can before Smoke Screen expires. Then, reactivate Blade Storm to wipe out entire hordes of enemies. If you want, use Teleport to join in.
If you ever get overwhelmed, use Smoke Screen or teleport away.
I mostly use Shuriken to clear out security cameras or when I see an enemy or two in the distance and can’t be bothered to aim.
Conclusion
Though not the best in terms of big damage numbers, I’d argue that Ash is one of the most fun Warframes available. His entire kit incentivizes you to stay active and keep on the go. Way better than some other frames where you just stay in one spot and spam an ability or fire *cough*Wukong*cough*.
With Warframe‘s new Duviri Paradox update, I can’t wait to see what else Digital Extremes has in store for the game.
For more Warframe, see our Warframe Voruna Build Guide.
