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Abyssal Zone is an Exterminate Mission that was added with Update 34: Abyss of Dagath. In this mission, the Syndicate sent a bunch of Operatives against the Grineer to recover Orokin artifacts. However, as these Orokin Defixios are cursed, the Operatives asked your help to clear out the way to escape and deliver the artifacts instead. Out of the in-game story, running Abyssal Zone is necessary to farm Vainthorns, used to make the new Dagath Warframe and her signature weapon, Dorrclave. If you are having issues farming them, here is everything you need to know about Abyssal Zone and how to complete one.
Warframe: Abyssal Zone Explained
To access the Abyssal Zone Warframe mission, you need to head to Ceres and own an item called Abyssal Beacons. This key item can be purchased from one of the six Syndicates, depending on which one you pledge your allegiance to:
- Arbiters of Hexis.
- Cephalon Suda.
- New Loka.
- Red Veil.
- Steel Meridian.
- The Perrin Sequence.
When you’ve reached Rank 2 with a particular Syndicate, the Abyssal Beacon should appear in the “View Offerings” menu, costing 5,000 Standing. Purchase it and the Abyssal Zone node should appear on Ceres.
You can play Warframe Abyssal Zone solo or with a maximum of three other people. But this mission doesn’t provide you with matchmaking, you need to group up with a pre-made group beforehand. Only the mission’s host’s Abyssal Beacon will be consumed once a run has been completed.
Warframe Abyssal Zone can be run in both Normal and The Steel Path mode. Finishing an Abyssal Zone on Normal gives you a chance of getting 6, 7, or 8 Vainthorns. Meanwhile, The Steel Path will give you 8, 11, or 12. Forget using Resource Boosters though, as it won’t have any effect!
How to Complete Warframe Abyssal Zone
Completing a Warframe Abyssal Zone is pretty easy in theory. All you need to do is:
- Look for a carry item called Defixios on the map. It’s shaped like a lantern.
- Carry it to the extraction zone.
- Clear out remaining enemies.
The Defixios will be spawned randomly on the map. When you’re playing alone, you only need to carry one Defixios to the endpoint. But if you run it as a team, each person on your team has to recover one Defixios. That means a four-player group needs to bring four Defixios to extraction. Sometimes, a total of eight Defixios can appear, thankfully you can ignore the rest once you’ve delivered the necessary amount.
Do remember though, that carrying a Defixios will limit your arsenal to secondaries and melee weapons only. Afterward, you have to defeat around 100, 200, or even 300 enemies on the map. When most of them have been exterminated, reinforcements will appear. This will trigger an Eximus Stronghold and spawn a huge number of Eximus.
All things considered, it’s more recommended to run Abyssal Zone in Warframe solo. You only need to deliver one Defixios and do not need to wait for your team members. You should also deposit the Defixios first, then eliminate the enemies as they spawn.
How to Find Defixios
Defixios in Warframe Abyssal Zone can be located through different means. First, Defixios will emit a red aura and make noises once you’re near. Again, their spawn location is randomized with every run; they don’t have fixed spawn points.
To locate them, you can find a random downed Operator. Talk to them and they’ll reveal the Defixios’s locations. The Loot Radar can also show Defixios as a loot item in the minimap. You can manually pin a waypoint to them too. Lastly, Parallax’s Orokin Eye Air Support Ability is able to highlight any Defixio within its range.
Carrying a Defixios in Warframe Abyssal Zone will apply a random “curse,” debuffing anyone who’s currently holding it:
| Defixio Curse | Effect |
|---|---|
| Blood Curse | HP is drained constantly. Kill an enemy to heal. |
| Echo Curse | Casting Abilities will damage you. |
| Exposure Curse | Your Shield is removed |
| Hunter Curse | Moving deals damage. Landing a jump will stop it for a moment. |
| Phantom Curse | Reduced gravity. |
| Scarcity Curse | Ammo keeps being drained, Battery weapons recharge slowly. |
| Shadow Curse | The light source slowly dims. Kill an enemy to light it up again. |
| Weariness Curse | Energy is drained constantly. |
