PATCH 38.6.1 : Concentrated Arrow nerf - check out the latest [Artemis Bow] builds. List at the end of this guide. Mecha set is now mandatory since it ignores Line of Sight
Build Key Indicators :
- Endurance proof ; No. Consider this as a trash Steel Path nuke build for lvl 250ish at best.
- Trash kills per minut ; 100-120.
- Ease to defeat VIP & Bosses (Eximus/Acolytes/Archons/Thrax/Void Angels/Demolysts): Hard, the build isn't made for this.
- Playstyle pro-activeness ; Very pro-active (notably the headshot requirement)
- Mobility ; Slow to average
- Survivability mechanic : Stealth (weakpoint : no status cleanse).
- Squad enhancement ; Roar
Playstyle :
- Cast Prowl and Artemis Bow with maximum Ability Strength snapshots (can use the set-up listed below). Note that extra headshot damage from Prowl DOES NOT apply to the explosion. Also, both multishot AND [Primary Acuity] don't apply to the explosion either, sadly. Don't bother moving around like a slug, just use prowl when you need it and then bullet jump and run around, that's why a cast speed shard + 1 augur mod on your secondary for shield gating are very useful. Use Alt-Fire Sleep Arrow (see Tips & Tricks below, important information about that) or operator void sling with Magus Lockdown to aim at enemy weakpoint (currently bugged on a few units). Enjoy the nice explosion and run around using your shield gate window to prowl when you're in trouble.
Table of contents ;
1. Focus & operator
2. Archon shards
3. Synergies (pets/weapons)
4. Variants (mods/helminth/shards)
5. Build tips & tricks
1. Focus & operator
School : Madurai for Sling Strength
Arcanes and amps : No mandatory. Magus Lockdown strongly advised.
2. Archon shards
Shards : No mandatory shards.
If you're curious of the maths with 5 purple archon shards giving +primary electricity damage, note that this costly investement would result in a very slight damage increase (on an enemy with 90%DR from armor) of around 5%, compared to 5 strength shards, but it won't synergize with other builds nor the Mecha Set, which i find mandatory since the addition of line of sight to the augment Concentrated Arrow.
Personnal pref : 2x strength / 2x parkour / 1x cast speed
3. Synergies
Artemis Bow and Prowl keep the Ability Strength of the Warframe at the moment of its cast (example : under the effect of Growing Power, the 25% strength is retained as long as 4/3 are casted).
- Primary : Kitgun with Pax Bolt. Note that in patch 38.5 there are no longer wierd interactions between your primary and the artemis bow. You won't make any vigilante mods from your primary work on your bow, nor will fire rate affect it anymore ;
- Secondary : Grimoire with Vome Invocation ;
- Melee : No mandatory. Personnal pref : parkour/sprint buff/Glaive Prime/Dispatch Overdrive.
- Pet : Pharaoh is the best at the moment, as it can use the mecha set and has enough shield to make reinforced bond work, which is enough to avoid slotting fire rate in the bow. Another core mod is seismic bond.
- Parazon : Power Drain / blood for energy
Note : All bonuses combined should grant a 390% ability strength Artemis Bow, without shards/nidus specter/jade/void fissure buff or any other external buff i couldn't think of.
4. Build variants
- Modwise ;
If you don't play Mecha set then the best auras are Worthy Comradery / [Growing Power]. It opens up [Mecha Pulse] slot for Steamline or P.[Flow].
Streamline or Primed Flow ?
I find Streamline more consistent especially at the start of the mission.
Internal Bleeding or Hunter Munitions ?
Try in simulacrum and see for yourself how much better [Internal Bleeding] is.
Augur Reach or Equilibrium or Empowered Quiver or Rolling Guard ?
I don't enjoy Zipline + headshot gameplay that EQ forces us into. Rolling Guard is a good safe option though. [Equilibrium] is best paired with health orb generators like [Dethcube] with Synth Deconstruct + Energy Generator and [Artax] + [Shivering Contagion] for easy headshots, or a Sahasa Kubrow. Sadly Sahasa doesn't have enough shields for [Reinforced Bond]. That's why overall, i find Pharaoh just better suited in all scenarios, but it has less synergy with [Equilibrium], then [Augur Reach] turns into a good option.
Combat Discipline paired with arcane avenger ?
Right that's strong but since we can use [Galvanized Scope] on [Artemis Bow] (Patch 38.5), i'd argue extra crit chance isn't as valuable as it were and also we need the mecha set now to clear rooms.
Vigorous Swap ?
Sadly, i write this in june 2025 and your Artemis Bow is still considered a spell and not a weapon. Vig swap adds nothing to it. - Helminth ;
Roar or Eclipse or Well of Life ?
Roar for double dip on AOE slash procs and damage buff on companion and squad. The extra damage is mandatory to make [Ivara] viable in Steel Path, this is not a simulacrum build. Well of Life why not but i don't find much use in practice as most squad players handle their own survivability and it requires a static gameplay/has less damage. For the record i tried the Well of Life build with arcane [Rage] + Avenger with [Combat Discipline] and the damage is no where near this build. Eclipse is a nice choice if you want a bit more comfort than Roar (can recast before the end, has a bit longer uptime, can switch to defense buff...). - Arcanes ;
I prefer crepuscular + [Rage] because it doesn't take as long as Molt Augmented to load. I guess it's down to QoL prefs. Arcane Arachne is a good option too. Note that arachne is NOT multiplicative, it's additive to other sources of damage like Spectral Serration.
5. Build tips & tricks
- Use Cloak Arrow before Prowl to gain Arcane Crespucular buff.
- Of course it's paired with the Artemis Bow, best build --> Artemis Bow Optimized for Nuke Build
- Maximum strength cast guide through : get a mercy kill for Power Drain as soon as you hit x250 kills for Molt Augmented. Find a large group of enemies. Switch to operator and sling twice. Swap back to frame and use your Grimoire alt fire. Swap back to operator and use Void Strike + 1 sling to proc Magus Lockdown. Get a headshot with your Kitgun. Cast Artemis Bow and never uncast it / go in a nullifier bubble, for the rest of the mission.
- Artemis Bow alt fire (mouse 3) instantly fires the selected Quiver arrow. Making use of Sleep Arrow to aim heads is the natural way it's played. Can use Magus Lockdown for a similar effect with no energy cost. Be mindful that Longbow Sharpshot arcane is consumed when using quiver with alt fire artemis.
- The explosion has line of sight, but it has no fall off.
- Both Primary Acuity and Multishot don't apply to the C.A explosion damage.
- Prowl's headshot damage bonus doesn't apply to the C.A explosion damage.
- Pets dealing electricity status procs trigger Archon Stretch, but since draining abilities stops energy regeneration, you have to be out of prowl to gain energy.
- Artemis Bow can no longer use stat sticks. Only a Kitgun with Pax Bolt can bring any benefit.
- Just a side note, since the line of sight was added in patch 38.6, i started building less range for more comfort. It feels like it's very inconsistent to have enough space to make use of 24m radius nowadays (we're not always playing in open worlds), and since dropping [Overextended] instantly gives lots of ability strength, i just rely on the mecha set more, with around 14m aoe (only [Stretch]). I leave the build in that state because it's the DNA of [Concentrated Arrow] to have lots of range, but since patch 38.6's line of sight addition to [Concentrated Arrow], the initial idea of giving AOE to [Ivara] is just gone to waste :(.
Other Ivara Prime builds, tips and tricks :
Artemis Bow builds :
