Hey everyone, it's your friendly neighborhood Tenno here! Let's talk about one of the wildest weapons you can get your hands on in Warframe right now—the Pathocyst. You know how Infested weapons are always a bit... weird? Well, this Glaive takes the cake by literally spawning an army of maggots every time you swing or throw it. I mean, come on, who doesn't want a pocket swarm of hungry little buddies while they're slicing through Grineer? But here's the real kicker for 2026: the Technocyst Coda variant has turned this quirky weapon into an absolute Steel Path monster. Seriously, the damage potential is insane now. So, if you're tired of the same old meta and want something that's both effective and hilariously disgusting, stick around. We're diving deep into how to get it, what makes it tick, and how to build it to delete entire rooms.

How to Get the Pathocyst in 2026

First things first, you gotta get your hands on this bug-infested beauty. The process hasn't changed too much, but let me break it down for you in 2026. The base Pathocyst blueprint and parts drop from the Zealoid Prelate boss on Exequias, Deimos.

You'll need to farm him until you get the main blueprint, the two blades, and the handle. It's a bit of a grind, but hey, what in Warframe isn't? Now, here's the important part for the upgraded version. Once you've completed "The Hex" quest and unlocked the Hollvania hub (which, by 2026, I assume most of you have), you can start farming Technocyte Coda encounters for Live Heartcells. This is the special currency you need. Take those Live Heartcells to Eleanor in the Hollvania hub, and you can buy a Coda weapon from her shop. The Coda Pathocyst is in Rotation B of her inventory. Pro tip: if it's not there when you check, just wait a few days—her stock rotates!

Crafting Requirements

Honestly, the crafting is the easy part. The real time sink is getting those Live Heartcells for the Coda version. But trust me, it's 100% worth the effort.

Pathocyst Stats & What Makes It Special

Alright, let's look at the numbers. Why should you care about this Glaive over, say, the Glaive Prime?

Here's a quick comparison table between the base and Coda versions:

Other stats (Attack Speed: 0.667, Weapon Type: Glaive, Range: 1.3m) are the same for both.

The key takeaway? The Coda Pathocyst gets a straight-up stat boost across the board. That extra crit chance, crit multiplier, and status chance make a HUGE difference for endgame builds. But the real star of the show is the passive effect: every single attack, whether a melee hit or a thrown attack, spawns Infested maggots. These little guys latch onto enemies, stagger them, and just cause general chaos. They're not gonna nuke a room by themselves, but as a free crowd-control tool? They're amazing. Think of them as your personal distraction squad.

Best Pathocyst Builds for 2026

Now for the fun part—making this thing an absolute beast. The meta has evolved, and in 2026, the best way to build the Pathocyst (especially the Coda variant) is as a heavy attack nuke machine. We're going to leverage some powerful arcanes and galvanized mods to turn those thrown explosions into city-block-clearing events.

🔥 The Ultimate Endgame Steel Path Build 🔥

This is the build that will let you stroll into level 200+ Steel Path missions and come out the other side without breaking a sweat.

Build Summary:

• Variant: Coda Pathocyst (Non-negotiable! You need the better stats.)

• Forma: 3x (All V polarities recommended)

• Playstyle: Throw -> Detonate -> Watch everything die.

Core Mods & Strategy:

The heart of this build is the Melee Influence arcane. This thing is cracked. When you proc an Electricity status effect (which we'll force with a mod), it makes ALL your status effects jump to nearby enemies. It's a chain reaction of death.

1. Create the Combo: We use Vicious Frost (Cold) and Volcanic Edge (Heat) to create Blast damage. Why Blast? Because the explosion from Melee Influence scales with the modded damage of the triggering element. Blast has great mods for this.

2. Trigger the Chain: We slot in Focus Energy. This adds Electricity damage and gives us that all-important Electricity status chance to trigger Melee Influence.

3. Scale the Damage:

   • Galvanized Elementalist: This is your main damage scaler. It boosts your Blast damage based on the number of status types on the enemy. With our setup, we'll have multiple types, making this mod incredibly powerful.

   • Primed Pressure Point: Good ol' reliable base damage. Still a staple.

   • Sacrificial Steel & Amalgam Organ Shatter: These max out your critical hit potential. More crits = bigger boom.

   • Galvanized Reflex: This is our quality-of-life pick. It gives heavy attack efficiency and some initial combo, so you can start nuking faster. If you find you're not proccing Electricity reliably, you can swap this for Weeping Wounds to boost your status chance even more.

How It Plays:

You throw the Glaive, it hits an enemy, procs Electricity (triggering Melee Influence), and then the Blast explosion—supercharged by Galvanized Elementalist—rips through everything. The maggots swarm out, CCing survivors, and you just clean up. It's a beautiful, disgusting cycle of destruction.

💡 Alternative & Beginner-Friendly Tips

Not ready for the full endgame grind? No problem!

• Start with the Base Version: Use the base Pathocyst to practice the heavy attack playstyle. A simple build with Killing Blow, Corrupt Charge, and Volcanic Edge/Vicious Frost will still perform well in Star Chart and early Steel Path.

• Attack Speed is a Trap: This weapon is slow. Don't try to build it for normal melee spam. Embrace the heavy attack throw! If you must have speed, one mod like Primed Fury is enough.

• The Maggots Are Your Friends: Use them! They're perfect for locking down heavy units like Bombards or Ancients while you deal with other threats or line up your next throw.

So, what are you waiting for? It's 2026, and the Pathocyst is cooler (and more gross) than ever. Go farm that Zealoid Prelate, save up those Live Heartcells, and start building your very own swarm of destruction. Trust me, there's nothing more satisfying than clearing a hallway with a well-placed throw and watching the maggots clean up the rest. Happy hunting, Tenno! 🪲💥