Let me tell you, as a Tenno who's spent years in the Origin System, there are few frames as iconic and, let's be honest, as downright useful as Nekros. I remember the first time I saw one in a mission, surrounded by a spectral army and leaving a trail of loot in their wake. I knew I had to have one. Fast forward to today in 2026, and he's still my go-to for turning a slog of a resource grind into a treasure hunt. He's not just a walking loot pinata, though. With the right know-how, Nekros transforms from a fragile necromancer into an unkillable lord of the dead who commands the battlefield. This is your guide to making that happen.

First things first, you gotta get him. The standard Nekros blueprint is a simple credit purchase from the Market. The real work is getting his parts from the Lephantis boss on Deimos. A word to the wise: this isn't the Zealoid Prelate fight. Lephantis is the big, multi-headed monstrosity, and it has damage attenuation. Bring a weapon that spits out bullets like candy to deal with it efficiently.

• Nekros Neuroptics, Chassis, Systems: All drop from Lephantis (Magnacidium, Deimos) with a 33.33% chance each.

• Crafting Time: 72 hours for the main frame once you have all parts.

For the upgraded, fancier version, you'll need Nekros Prime. His parts come from cracking open Void Relics, a core part of Warframe's endgame loop. The specific relics change over time, so check your Codex or a community resource for the current 2026 drop locations. If RNG isn't on your side, remember you can trade for his blueprints with other players.

Nekros Abilities: Your Toolkit for Chaos

Let's break down what makes Nekros tick. First, his stats:

His Passive is a quiet lifesaver: every enemy death within 10 meters restores 5 HP to him and his companion. It's a constant trickle of healing in active combat.

Now, the active abilities:

1. Soul Punch: Honestly? This one's a bit of a letdown for damage. Its real value is utility. It marks an enemy. If that marked enemy dies, it gets added to the queue for your ultimate, Shadows of the Dead. Want a specific heavy unit in your army? Soul Punch it first. Otherwise, this slot is prime real estate for a Helminth ability infusion.

2. Terrify: This is your crowd control and armor-stripping tool. Nekros lets out a wave of fear, causing enemies to run away and reducing their armor. The armor strip scales with Ability Strength—get it to 200% for a full strip. The catch? It has a target cap (20 by default, also increased by Strength).

3. Desecrate: Ah, the money maker. This is a toggleable aura. Any corpse that touches it has a 54% chance to be... well, desecrated, puffing into extra loot. We're talking ammo, Health Orbs, Energy Orbs, resources, Endo, mods... you name it. This is one of the strongest looting abilities in the game, full stop. It's why every farming squad wants a Nekros.

4. Shadows of the Dead: Your ultimate. Summon up to 7 shadowy copies of enemies you've recently killed. They deal more damage and have more health, but their essence decays over time. They prioritize tougher foes like Eximus units. You can heal and reposition them by recasting the ability.

Augment Mods: Supercharging Your Playstyle

Augments are where you specialize. Nekros has some fantastic ones, mostly from Syndicates.

• Despoil (Desecrate Augment): This is a game-changer. Instead of costing Energy, Desecrate now costs 10 Health per corpse. Since Desecrate spawns Health Orbs like nobody's business, this often creates a self-sustaining loop. It's a top-tier pick for almost any build.

• Shield of Shadows (Shadows of the Dead Augment): This is what turns Nekros into a tank. Damage you take is redirected to your nearby shadows. With enough Ability Strength, you can hit 90% damage reduction. The unlisted bonus? It also redirects status effects and knockdowns. You become incredibly sturdy.

• Creeping Terrify (Terrify Augment): Slows affected enemies by 60% (up to 80% with Strength). Great for locking down a hallway.

• Soul Survivor (Soul Punch Augment): Lets you revive downed allies by punching them. It's neat, but other methods (like the Vazarin Focus school) are often more reliable.

Building the Perfect Nekros in 2026

Nekros thrives on mods that convert orbs into power, like Equilibrium, Health Conversion, and Energy Conversion. Here are two powerful builds for the modern era.

1. The Ultimate Farmer (Desecrate Build)

This build has one goal: loot everything in the postal code.

• Core Concept: Max Ability Range. We're talking Overextended, Stretch, Augur Reach, Cunning Drift. You want that Desecrate aura as wide as possible.

• Survivability: Despoil is mandatory. Pair it with Equilibrium so every Health Orb also gives you Energy, and vice-versa. For bulk, use Vitality and Primed Redirection or Health Conversion.

• Arcanes: Arcane Blessing (+1200 HP from Health Orbs) is perfect here. For your second, Arcane Eruption (CC on orb pickup) or Arcane Guardian (armor) are solid.

• The Vibe: You're a walking loot magnet. You don't kill things fast, you just make sure their deaths are... productive.

2. The Unkillable Necromancer (Shadows of the Dead Build)

This build is expensive but turns Nekros into a frontline commander.

• Core Concept: High Ability Strength and Duration to empower your shadows and make the Shield of Shadows damage reduction hit 90%. Use Blind Rage, Umbral Intensify, and an aura like Growing Power.

• Sustainability: Despoil and Equilibrium again form your engine. Umbral Vitality and Arcane Blessing give you a massive health pool.

• Helminth Options: This is where you get creative. Voruna's Lycath's Hunt for more Health Orbs, Valkyr's Warcry for melee speed, or Garuda's Blood Altar to heal your shadows.

• The Vibe: You and your seven best ghostly buddies wade into the thick of it, laughing off damage that would obliterate other frames. It's a power trip, plain and simple.

So, whether you're looking to farm the galaxy dry or lead an undead legion into the heart of a Sentient armada, Nekros has you covered in 2026. He's more than just a loot frame; he's a testament to the power of death... and really good inventory management. Now get out there and make some corpses—profitably.