Best Koumei build in Warframe: Weapons, mods & how to unlock

The best Koumei build in Warframe can give the deadly Dice-Maiden the tools she needs to maximize her damage on the battlefield. So, here’s how you can unlock the Koumei blueprint and what mods you should be using.

Koumei is the 58th Warframe to be added to the free-to-play game, giving players the chance to get to grips with her chance-based abilities. Unlike other Frames, Koumei’s abilities are connected to dice rolls, which determines how effective they are.

While many players will also be looking for the best Caliban build following his free giveaway, it’s Koumei who takes the spotlight update 37. So, if you’re aiming to unlock the Dice Maiden and want the best Koumei build, then we have detailed all the mods, Arcane Enhancements, and weapons you should be using.

Best Koumei build

Dexerto/Digital Extremes

Best Mods list

• Brief Respite / Growing Power / Primed Sure Footed / Power Drift
• Archon Flow
• Archon Continuity
• Archon Stretch
• Archon Vitality
• Growing Power
• Primed Flow
• Equilibrium
• Streamline
• Augur Secrets

The best Koumei build utilizes a lot of Archon mods — namely Archon Continuity, Archon Stretch, and Archon Vitality. These greatly increase Koumei’s ability duration and increase her overall energy, allowing you to consistently unleash her debuffs and status effects.

Archon Continuity, Archon Vitality, and Archon Stretch synergize extremely well with Koumei and should be prioritized in your build. This is because the added toxin, heat, and electricity status effects complement her Bunraku ability, which determines how many Status Effects foes in front of Koumei will suffer.

When this is combined with Koumei’s Kumihimo ability, which also inflicts random status effects for 60 seconds, you have a truly nightmarish status build.

Best Arcane Enhancements

• Arcane Fury / Arcane Steadfast
• Arcane Energize / Molt Augmented

There are four Arcane options that we recommend using in the best Koumei build. While you can only equip two, we recommend any of the four above options.

First up is, Arcane Fury. This provides a 60% chance upon delivering a critical hit to increase Melee Damage for 18 seconds, which is particularly nice when combined with the added buffs from her Amanata (signature weapon).

Arcane Steadfast provides a chance for the next three ability casts to not cost Energy once you’ve used an ability, essentially allowing Koumei to spam Bunraku. This option is great if you enjoy using spammy ability builds.

Arcane Energize is a must for Energy generation as it not only provides a 60% chance to gain additional Energy for yourself and all nearby allies (15m) whenever you pick up an Energy Orb. So, whether you enjoy soloing bosses or prefer playing within a team, then you’ll want to add this Arcane Enhancement to your build.

Lastly, Molt Augmented grants additional ability strength for every enemy you kill. While it may not be particularly useful when rushing down and one-shotting bosses, it’s incredibly useful on missions that require you to kill a lot of enemies, like Mobile Defense. Be sure to switch this in when you expect to be farming a lot of enemies.

Best weapons

As Koumei has just launched, we’re still gathering data on her best weapon choices. However, given her abilities inflict random status effects and deal multiple effects at a given time, we recommend using weapons that also share this split elemental theme.

This makes the Tenet Arca Plasmor, Phantasma Prime, and Kuva Zarr fantastic options. Of course, you could also farm Koumei’s signature weapons: Amanata and Higasa.

Koumei abilities explained 

Ability	Description	Deatails
Passive	Every 60 seconds, one of Koumei’s weapons will inflict randon status effects for 60 seconds.	N/A
Kumihimo (Ability Upgrade at Rank 7)	Every 60 seconds, one of Koumei’s weapons will inflict random status effects for 60 seconds.	Drain: 25 Range: 10m Duration: 6s Thread Length: 15m
Omikuji (Ability Unlocked at Rank 3)	Koumei glimpses a favorable future and the precise steps needed to reach it. Complete the challenge to earn a Decree. Unlucky rolls add a debuff, but you can hold the ability to reject the Omikuji. A roll of triple sixes grants a Decree without a challenge.	Drain: 50 Rare Decree Chance: 5% Cooldown Cap: 150s
Omamori (Ability Unlocked at Rank 5)	Surround yourself with Omamori Charms, each with a chance to have enemy attacks heal you instead of damage you. The number of charms is determined by Koumei’s dice roll. A roll of triple sixes grants invulnerability for the duration of your Omamori Charms.	Drain: 75 Block Chance: 50% Heal Multiplier: 0.5x Recast Count: 5 Internal Cooldown: 3s Number Of Charms: 1×0
Bunraku (Ability Unlocked at Rank 10)	Wield your foe’s fate threads like the strings of marionettes. Koumei’s dice determine how many Status Effects foes in front of Koumei will suffer. A roll of triple sixes determines how many Status Effects over time and extends Bunraku to enemies behind Koumei.	Drain: 100 Cooldown: 3s Damage: 200 Range: 15m Duration: 5s Status / Enemy: 1×0

How to get Koumei blueprint? 

Dexerto/Digital Extremes

To get Koumei, you’ll need to play the Shrine Defense game mode on Cetus and farm the Infested Oni boss. The boss will drop Fated Pearls, which are needed to purchase the Koumei blueprint. 

A detailed breakdown of the steps and Shrine Defense mission can be found below: 

• Travel to Cetus. 
• Fast travel to Konzu and Saya. Both NPCs will give you a brief mission briefing, which will then activate the new statue. 
• Head back to the statue at the Cetus spawn location and interact with it. 
• Click on ‘Saya’s Visions’ to begin the mission. (Saya’s Visions Steel Path is unlocked after you’ve completed Saya’s Visions).
• Upon clicking ‘Saya’s Visions’ a text box with ‘Enter The Fate Dream’ will pop up. Simply click ‘Yes’ to begin the Shrine Defense mission. 

Once you’ve loaded into the Shrine Defense Mission, you’ll be tasked with defending two points from the enemies that spawn in. You’ll also need to collect five Koumei Blessings that drop and take them to Koumei’s statue which will be marked on your minimap. 

It’s important to note, that whenever you pick up Koumei’s Blessings, you’ll receive a temporary buff to your Frame. Once you’ve delivered all five blessings, the mission will be complete and you’ll be tasked with killing 120 enemies. 

Koumei’s Blessing buffs will make killing these enemies much easier, so quickly take care of the hordes before they reach any of the defense points on the map. After this, you’ll need to deliver two offerings to lure the Infested Oni boss. 

He’s incredibly easy on normal mode and you’ll be able to take him down in just a few concentrated hits. The Infested Oni will drop Fate Pearls at the end of the Shrine Defense mission, which can then be used to purchase the Koumei blueprint from the Koumei statue on Cetus. 

Koumei blueprint build requirements

• Credits: 25,000
• Koumei Blueprint: 165
• Koumei Neuroptics Blueprint: 55
• Koumei Systems Blueprint: 55
• Koumei Chassis: 55
• Additional Fate Pearls: 30

Is Koumei worth using?

As it stands, Koumei is a good early game Frame that we recommend to new players. However, those looking for a reliable DPS may come away disappointed. This is largely down to the random nature of Kouemei’s dice rolls, which are directly tied to her abilities.

While it may be a unique archetype, having to rely on RNG to increase your DPS is frustrating. For example, Omikuji can give players a debuff on unlucky rolls, while a roll of triple sixes determines how many Status Effects are active when using Bunraku.

Our best Koumei build will certainly have you dishing out as much damage as possible, but don’t expect to see her in the S-tier meta rankings any time soon.

If you’re looking for some free items to add to your account, be sure to check out our Warframe codes page here.