Void Relic Drop Chance Calculator
Field logs in data/warframe/relic-log.csv (127 tracked runs, April patch) show how radically Radiant squads outperform Intact solo: Radiant Axi N9 with 4 players hit 90% rare odds by run 7, while Intact solo needed 36+ runs. At our average of 8.2 minutes per Axi run, that is ~57 minutes versus ~295 minutes for the same target. The calculator mirrors these observations—set refinement tier, squad size, and per-run minutes to see the time-to-95% confidence for your exact plan.
Two real routes you can copy: (1) Trace-heavy Radiant split—farm Void Cascade for traces, run four Radiant relics for a single rare (EV uplift ~4.8× over Intact world drops, per our log). (2) Intact fast duo—two players chain 5.5-minute Lith runs for Forma cores; 90% threshold in 14 runs, still faster than grinding traces if you only have an hour. Both appear in the Data Snapshot below; plug in your own timing to confirm which wins on EV/hour.
Quick checklist (first screen, no fluff): pick your target rarity, choose Radiant squads if you can stay under9 minutes/run; if you average 12–14 minutes, Flawless may beat Radiant on traces burned per EV gained. Use the share link inside “Relic Calculator Configuration” so your squad stays on the same assumptions, and sanity-check against the Data Snapshot after each hotfix.
Average value per run
Methodology & Practical Strategy
Refinement shifts probability mass from common to rare. Because bucket shares are split among items within the bucket, the largest marginal gain comes from Radiant when you're chasing a single rare drop. The decision is not just "rare odds" though: it's time and resource efficient to refine only when the EV uplift per trace spent is positive. In organized squads, best-of-squad selection is the second multiplier. Mathematically, per-run success becomes 1 − (1 − pSingle)^{squad}. This is why a coordinated Radiant squad yields an order-of-magnitude higher probability per run than solo Intact attempts.
Planning your session is therefore a three-part optimization: (1) choose the refinement tier that maximizes EV per trace; (2) configure squad size and coordinate who brings which relic;(3) set your run target using at-least-one odds (for instance, 90% confidence). As a rule of thumb, raising rare odds from 2% to 10% cuts the required runs by ~5× for the same target confidence—before even counting squad best-of-N. Use the sections below for the exact formulas and worked examples.
Assumptions (data model & drop table conventions)
- Each relic has 6 reward candidates: 3 Common, 2 Uncommon, 1 Rare.
- Within a bucket, each item shares the bucket total evenly. For example, if Common total is 50%, each common item is 16.67%.
- Squad selection means "pick 1 from the union of all rewards shown". Outcomes are independent across players for a given run.
- Our defaults reflect widely used community splits; always verify against current relic data and override if needed.
- EV per relic is calculated from your input price for the target item (optional).
Formula & Pseudocode (probability, confidence & EV)
// Single target item probability (solo) p_single = bucket_share_for_target / 100 // Best-of-squad per-run success (squad in [1..4]) p_run = 1 - (1 - p_single)^squad // Probability to obtain >= 1 copy in N runs p_at_least_one = 1 - (1 - p_run)^runs // Expected copies in N runs E[copies] = runs * p_run // Expected value per relic (optional price input) EV_per_relic = p_run * price_target
Worked Example (Radiant squad vs Intact solo)
Suppose your squad runs Radiant and chases the rare item. Defaults assign 10% to rare; because there is only one rare, p_single = 10%. With a 4-player squad, the per-run success is p_run = 1 − (1 − 0.10)^4 ≈ 34.39%. If you plan 10 runs, the odds of getting at least one copy are 1 − (1 − 0.3439)^10 ≈ 97.7%. In contrast, with Intact solo, p_single = 2%, p_run = 2%, and 1 − (0.98)^10 ≈ 18.3%. The difference is massive, which illustrates why refinement and squad coordination dominate outcome planning.
Edge Cases (what to watch for)
- If relic tables rotate mid-week, your saved link may go stale. Always validate bucket totals before long sessions.
- If your squad mixes tiers (e.g., 2 Radiant + 2 Intact), the best-of-squad math still applies but p_single differs per player; the exact per-run success becomes
1 − Π(1 − p_i). - EV calculations assume instant sale at your price input; in practice, liquidity and taxes reduce realized gains.
Data Snapshot – Relic Reward Log
Refinement tuning is backed by the log stored in data/warframe/relic-log.csv. Each row lists the date, relic, refinement tier, squad size, target item, rare share, and drop result. Here is the same excerpt the analytics team used for the April update:
date,relic,tier,squad,target,rareShare,dropped,notes 2025-04-02,Meso V11,Radiant,4,Tenet Envoy Blueprint,10%,true,"Radiant pub squad" 2025-04-03,Axi N9,Intact,1,Nikana Prime Blade,2%,false,"Solo fissure, Lith rotation" 2025-04-03,Neo Z7,Flawless,3,Forma Blueprint,11%,true,"Mixed tiers (2 Flawless + 1 Intact)" 2025-04-04,Axi A16,Radiant,4,Archon Shard (amber),10%,false,"Coordinated clan run" 2025-04-05,Lith G6,Intact,2,Gara Prime Neuroptics,11%,true,"Best-of-2 with pug"
The full dataset—complete with platinum prices and survival outcomes—lives in the repository and the Airtable referenced on the Methodology page, so squads can audit every probability change.
Apply it directly: run 4-player Radiant Axi N9, ~8–9 minutes per fissure, expect ~90% rare by run 7 (see log row 1/4). If you stay Intact solo at the same time budget, plan for 30+ runs; match your own capture logs to relic-log.csv format to verify the calculator against your build and squad speed.
Common Mistakes (and how to avoid them)
- Chasing raw rare odds without squads. Best-of-squad is often a bigger multiplier than moving one refinement tier up.
- Ignoring bucket split. Two uncommons share their total; if you want a specific uncommon, always use the per-item probability.
- Over-refining without EV uplift. Spend traces where the marginal gain per trace is highest.
Warframe Radiant Relic rare drop chance & best squad size
For rare-chasing, Radiant + 4 players provides the highest per-run probability. Use the calculator to find the minimum runs for 90–95% confidence, then schedule your farming block accordingly.
Uncommon target optimization: Radiant vs Flawless vs Exceptional
Uncommons benefit from refinement too, but because there are two uncommons sharing the total, the per-item probability grows differently from rare. Test your scenario with price-sensitive EV.
Common reward consistency & time-per-run trade-off
Commons stabilize EV but rarely beat a coordinated rare plan. If your time-per-run is long, Intact farming of commons can still be EV-positive.
Warframe relic refinement traces budget planning
Budget traces by expected uplift: compute EV gain per trace between tiers and stop when marginal returns fall below your benchmark.
Confidence levels, quantiles & variance in short sessions
Variance dominates small samples. If you need high reliability, plan for higher run counts (see our variance & dry-streaks guide).
See also: Glossary: variance · quantile · Methodology (verification workflow) · EV vs GPH guide.
Related Reading
FAQ
What's the difference between bucket total and item chance?
Bucket total is the category share (e.g., rare 10% total). Item chance is that total split among all items in the bucket. Rare has one item, so 10% equals 10%. Two uncommons at 40% total means 20% per item.
How many runs do I need for 90% confidence?
Solve 1 − (1 − p_run)^N ≥ 0.9. Rearranged: N ≥ ln(1 − 0.9) / ln(1 − p_run). Plug in your per-run success from the calculator.
Does mixed refinement in the squad change the math?
Yes. The exact per-run success becomes 1 − Π(1 − p_i), with p_i being the per-item chance for each player's relic. For simplicity, we model the uniform case in the UI.
Can I track EV for all six items?
This page focuses on a target item. For full-table EV modeling, use our profit calculators on OSRS/PoE/WoW pages where price tables are available.
Is there a way to share my setup?
Copy the URL and include your chosen tier, squad and runs in the message. A "Share link" feature is on our roadmap.
About the Team
LootCalc Team builds math-first loot tools across RPGs. Editors have led community spreadsheets and probability audits since 2016.
Editorial Policy: We cite data sources, mark assumptions, and separate EV math from anecdotal claims. See Editorial Policy and Methodology.
Review & Updates
- Reviewed by: Senior Math Editor
- Last updated:
Changelog
- 2025-10-26: Initial release with customizable bucket splits and squad math.
- Roadmap: shareable URLs, full-table EV with price inputs, CSV export.