Build it for its unique heavy attack utility. Its biggest strength is guaranteed knockdown on heavy attacks. Its real weakness is low base critical chance.
Heavy attacks easily knock down foes.
The Kestrel Prime is a melee weapon introduced in Update 41.0, offering a unique crowd control mechanic through its heavy attacks. It requires Mastery Rank 11 to wield.
This weapon is designed for players who enjoy disrupting enemy formations and setting up follow-up attacks. Its Prime variant enhances its capabilities over the base Kestrel.
With a focus on utility and control, the Kestrel Prime can be a valuable addition to a Tenno’s arsenal, especially in situations where enemy knockdown is beneficial.
How to get the Kestrel Prime
- The Kestrel Prime is dropping right now. Its relics are in the mission drop tables:
- Blueprint: Neo T11 (dropping now).
- Grip: Meso K8 (dropping now; the rare slot in Meso K8).
- Blade: Lith S18 (dropping now).
- Run the fissure tier that matches each relic, refine the rare part’s relic to Radiant, and pick the best of the four results with a squad.
- Build the parts, then the weapon: 12 hours each, or rush with platinum.
Check the Relic finder for live odds per refinement; the set price on this page is what the built set trades for on warframe.market.
Stats
| Class | Melee |
|---|---|
| Mastery Rank | 11 |
| Attack Speed | 1.25 |
| Range | 1.2 m |
| Blocking Angle | 55° |
| Combo Duration | 5 s |
| Follow Through | 0.7 |
| Wind Up | 1.2 s |
| Slam Attack | 630 |
| Heavy Attack | 210 |
| Critical Chance | 20% |
| Critical Multiplier | 2.2x |
| Status Chance | 40% |
| Set Price | 23p on warframe.market (48h average) |
| Riven Disposition | (0.75) |
| Damage | 210 total |
|---|---|
| Impact | 157.5 |
| Puncture | 21 |
| Slash | 31.5 |
The Kestrel Prime has a riven disposition of 0.75, which is considered low. This means rivens for this weapon will provide smaller stat bonuses compared to weapons with higher dispositions.
Builds
Given its low critical chance and high status chance, a hybrid build focusing on status effects and heavy attack damage is recommended. Prioritize mods that boost status chance, elemental damage, and heavy attack efficiency to maximize its crowd control and damage output.
Melee
Melee
Melee
Melee
Melee
Melee
Melee
Melee
| Mod | Why it’s here |
|---|---|
| Condition Overload | +80% Melee Damage per Status Type affecting the target |
| Weeping Wounds | +40% Status Chance per Combo Multiplier |
| Organ Shatter | +90% Critical Damage |
| Corrupt Charge | +30 Initial Combo; -50% Combo Duration |
| Killing Blow | +120% Melee Damage on Heavy Attack; +60% Heavy Attack Wind Up Speed |
| Volcanic Edge | +60% Heat; +60% Status Chance |
| Shocking Touch | +90% Electricity |
| Primed Pressure Point | +165% Melee Damage |
Melee Influence when the build carries an Electricity source (an Electricity proc spreads every elemental status to enemies nearby). Melee Crescendo for Heavy Attack builds. Arcane Fury or Arcane Strike as the cheap fallback.
Reviewed September 2026.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Guaranteed knockdown on heavy attacks provides excellent crowd control.
- High base status chance allows for effective application of elemental effects.
- Prime variant offers improved stats over the base Kestrel.
- Can be effective in disrupting high-level enemies.
- Unique utility for specific mission types or team compositions.
Cons
- Low critical chance limits critical-focused builds.
- Heavy attack reliance can be slower than continuous melee attacks.
- Low riven disposition reduces the potential power of rivens.
- Requires Mastery Rank 11, making it inaccessible to newer players.
The Kestrel Prime stands out due to its signature heavy attack knockdown, making it a niche but effective choice for players seeking crowd control. While its critical stats are underwhelming, a status-focused heavy attack build can leverage its strengths. Its utility in knocking down enemies can be invaluable in various combat scenarios, offering a unique playstyle among melee weapons.