Warframe Relic Farming & Refinement Guide 2025: Maximizing Platinum EV

The Four Refinement Tiers: Drop Rates & Void Trace Costs

Refinement ROI Analysis: When Does Radiant Pay Off?

Radiant refinement increases rare drop rate from 2% to 10%—a 5× multiplier on the rare probability—but costs 100 void traces. Whether this investment is worthwhile depends entirely on the platinum value differential between rare and common rewards. The fundamental question: does the 8% improvement in rare drop rate (10% - 2% = 8 percentage points) generate enough additional expected platinum to cover the 100 trace cost plus opportunity cost of alternative trace usage? This break-even analysis requires understanding void trace opportunity cost, which represents the platinum you could have earned by running Intact relics instead of spending traces on refinement.

Expected Value Comparison Across Refinement Tiers

Best-of-Squad Mechanics: The Multiplier Effect

The best-of-squad mechanic allows all four players to select from any of the four revealed rewards, dramatically improving rare acquisition probability through union probability. When four players each crack a Radiant relic (10% rare chance each), the probability that at least one rare appears among the four revealed rewards is calculated as: P(at least 1 rare) = 1 - P(no rares) = 1 - (0.90)^4 = 1 - 0.6561 = 0.3439 or 34.39%. This transforms individual 10% solo chances into a collective 34.39% squad chance, effectively multiplying rare drop efficiency by 3.44× compared to solo farming (34.39% ÷ 10% = 3.439).

Figure 1: Probability distribution showing how refinement tiers shift reward chances from Common-heavy (Intact 76%) to Rare-favorable (Radiant 10%)

Best-of-Squad with Mixed Refinement Tiers

What happens when squad members bring different refinement tiers? The rare appearance probability depends on each individual relic's refinement. For example, if Player 1-2 bring Radiants (10% each) and Player 3-4 bring Intact (2% each), the probability calculation is: P(at least 1 rare) = 1 - [(1-0.10) × (1-0.10) × (1-0.02) × (1-0.02)] = 1 - [0.90 × 0.90 × 0.98 × 0.98] = 1 - 0.7783 = 22.17% squad rare chance. This demonstrates why coordinating full-Radiant squads is critical—mixed refinement tiers significantly reduce collective rare probability.

Void Trace Economics & Farming Efficiency

Void Trace Acquisition Rates by Mission Type

Optimal Trace Farming Strategy

For maximum void trace accumulation, run Void Survival missions in full squads using Intact relics. This strategy yields approximately 30-35 traces per 5-minute rotation (your personal 6.67 trace share from each of four relics cracked by squad members), equating to 360-420 traces per hour of continuous Survival farming. A 20-minute Survival run (4 rotations, C rotation drops) nets 120-140 void traces plus 4 new relics acquired, providing enough traces to Radiant one relic (100 traces) with 20-40 traces remaining. The cardinal rule: never spend traces on refinement while farming traces—always run Intact relics during dedicated trace farming sessions to maximize accumulation rate without dilution.

Void Trace Opportunity Cost & Platinum Conversion

Void traces have an opportunity cost based on the platinum you could earn by running Intact relics instead of spending traces on refinement. This opportunity cost calculation is essential for determining refinement ROI. If running Intact relics in Capture missions yields approximately 40-50 platinum per hour through common/uncommon part sales, and you earn 160-200 traces per hour during Capture farming (60 traces/hour from your own relics + earning traces from squadmates), each trace has an opportunity cost of approximately 0.20-0.31 platinum per trace. Therefore, spending 100 traces on Radiant refinement represents a 20-31 platinum opportunity cost that must be recouped through improved rare drop rates to justify the investment—this is why Radiant refinement only makes sense for relics with extremely high-value rare rewards (100+ platinum).

Mission Type Selection & Time Efficiency Rankings

Mission Completion Speed Analysis

Capture Mission Optimization: The Speed Meta

Void Capture missions represent the absolute fastest relic cracking method at 2-3 minutes per completion with optimized loadouts and route knowledge. Using high-mobility frames (Gauss with Mach Rush, Volt with Speed, Titania in Razorwing) combined with sprint speed mods (Rush, Armored Agility, Sprint Boost), Void Sling efficiency improvements, and memorized tile layouts, experienced players complete Capture fissures in under 2 minutes consistently. At peak efficiency (2 minute completions), you can crack 30 relics per hour, making Capture the optimal choice when running precious Radiant relics for specific high-value rare parts. The strategy: pair Capture speed with pre-organized squad coordination where all four members bring Radiant relics of identical type for maximum 34.39% rare appearance probability.

Survival Missions: Trace Farming & Multi-Relic Efficiency

Void Survival excels at simultaneous void trace accumulation and relic acquisition through its 5-minute rotation structure. Every rotation rewards one relic to each player plus void traces from the cracked relic, creating a self-sustaining farming loop. Running 20-minute Survival sessions (4 rotations reaching C rotation for best relic rewards) is optimal for: (1) New players building relic stockpiles (4 new relics per run per player), (2) Dedicated void trace farming (120-140 traces from your 4 personal relics + bonus traces from 12 squadmate relics for 200+ total traces), (3) Farming multiple different parts from varied relic eras simultaneously by bringing Lith/Meso/Neo/Axi relics in sequence across rotations. The tradeoff: Survival is 2-3× slower per relic than Capture, but provides superior trace income and relic sustainability.

Disruption: The Neo/Axi Specialist Mission

Void Disruption missions occupy a unique niche: they guarantee Neo and Axi relic drops based on successful conduit completions (4/4 conduits = guaranteed Axi, 3/4 = Neo, 2/4 = Meso). For players specifically farming high-tier relics for valuable prime sets, Disruption provides targeted acquisition that Capture/Survival can't match due to their random relic era rewards. Apollo (Disruption, Lua) is the gold standard for Axi farming, consistently rewarding Axi relics every 4-5 minutes with coordinated squads. Combine Disruption for relic acquisition with Capture for relic cracking to optimize your farming pipeline.

Endless Mission Rotation Mechanics (AABC Pattern)

Farming Strategy: Rotation C Optimization

For players targeting Axi relics (which contain the most valuable prime parts), staying until Rotation C (20 minutes in Survival, 20 waves in Defense, 4 rounds in Disruption) is essential. However, this creates a time-efficiency tradeoff: you must complete 4 rotations (20 minutes) to reach one Rotation C reward, versus completing 4-5 quick Capture missions (8-15 minutes) for guaranteed but random-era relic rewards. The optimal strategy depends on your goal—if you need specific Axi relics, Disruption to Rotation C is most efficient; if you're mass-farming any relics for void traces, rapid Capture cycling wins.

Steel Path Void Fissures: Worth the Extra Difficulty?

Steel Path void fissures offer identical relic reward tables and refinement mechanics as normal fissures, but with significantly increased enemy difficulty (level 100+ enemies) and Steel Essence drops as bonus rewards. From a pure platinum/hour perspective, Steel Path fissures are LESS efficient than normal fissures because mission completion times increase 50-100% (enemies take much longer to kill) while relic rewards remain identical—you don't get better refinement rates or higher-value parts from Steel Path. However, if you're simultaneously farming Steel Essence for Teshin's shop (cosmetics, Umbral Forma, kuva weapons), Steel Path fissures provide dual-currency farming efficiency. For dedicated platinum farming, always choose normal void fissures for faster completion times and higher relics-per-hour throughput.

Relic Era Targeting & Value Optimization

Target Selection: High-Value vs High-Volume Farming

Optimal farming balances two competing strategies: high-value targeting (farming expensive rare parts like Equinox Prime Systems, Ivara Prime Neuroptics, Octavia Prime Systems that sell for 100-200 platinum) yields exceptional platinum per successful acquisition but requires significant void trace investment (400-800 traces for 4-8 Radiant attempts) and longer expected acquisition times due to RNG variance. High-volume farming (mass-cracking cheap Lith/Meso relics as Intact) yields consistent 15-25 platinum per hour through common/uncommon part accumulation but caps around 40-50 plat/hour maximum efficiency. Experienced farmers alternate between strategies: mass-farm Intact relics during trace building phases (accumulating 500+ trace reserves), then focus-farm high-value Radiant targets in coordinated squads when traces are plentiful.

Forma Blueprint Pollution: The Hidden EV Killer

Many relics include Forma Blueprint in their common reward pool, which has negligible platinum value (5-10 plat) despite appearing at 25.33% probability (one of three common slots). This "Forma pollution" significantly reduces expected value for affected relics. For example, a relic with rewards [Forma BP (5p), Common Part A (15p), Common Part B (15p), Uncommon (25p), Uncommon (30p), Rare (80p)] has an Intact EV of only 12.9 platinum compared to 15.7 platinum for a Forma-free relic with similar uncommon/rare values. When selecting relics to farm, check reward tables on the Warframe wiki and avoid relics where Forma represents 2+ of the 3 common slots—this single factor can reduce EV by 30-50%, making otherwise attractive relics poor farming targets.

1. Assumptions for Relic Farming Calculations

Assumption Limitations & Scenarios Where They Break Down

These assumptions break down in several edge case scenarios that create significant deviations from expected values: (1) Prime Access launch windows create temporary price spikes where rare parts sell for 2-3× normal values for 7-14 days before market stabilization—our baseline platinum estimates don't capture this volatility; (2) Vaulting announcements cause price surges 2-4 weeks before vault date as speculators stockpile, followed by price crashes when Prime Resurgence makes vaulted relics temporarily available—timing market cycles requires monitoring DE announcements; (3) Baro Ki'Teer visits temporarily affect ducat-to-platinum conversion rates and part demand for high-ducat items; (4) Major updates or prime reworks (like the Saryn Prime rework) can cause sudden demand spikes unrelated to vault status. For comprehensive discussion of methodology limitations and market dynamics, see our Warframe relic analysis methodology section.

2. Formulas & Pseudocode: Probability & EV Calculations

Core Expected Value Formula for Relic Rewards

Pseudocode: Radiant vs Intact ROI Calculator

function calculateRefinementROI(
  commonPlat,
  uncommonPlat,
  rarePlat,
  platPerTrace = 0.25,
  squadSize = 4
) {
  // Refinement tier probabilities (official DE values)
  const INTACT = { common: 0.76, uncommon: 0.22, rare: 0.02, cost: 0 }
  const EXCEPTIONAL = { common: 0.70, uncommon: 0.26, rare: 0.04, cost: 25 }
  const FLAWLESS = { common: 0.6667, uncommon: 0.2733, rare: 0.06, cost: 50 }
  const RADIANT = { common: 0.60, uncommon: 0.30, rare: 0.10, cost: 100 }

  // Calculate EV for each tier
  function calculateEV(tier) {
    const grossEV = (tier.common * commonPlat) +
                    (tier.uncommon * uncommonPlat) +
                    (tier.rare * rarePlat)
    const traceCost = tier.cost * platPerTrace
    const netEV = grossEV - traceCost
    return { grossEV, traceCost, netEV }
  }

  const intactEV = calculateEV(INTACT)
  const exceptionalEV = calculateEV(EXCEPTIONAL)
  const flawlessEV = calculateEV(FLAWLESS)
  const radiantEV = calculateEV(RADIANT)

  // Best-of-squad calculations (4-player coordinated farming)
  function calculateSquadRareProb(tier, N = squadSize) {
    return 1 - Math.pow(1 - tier.rare, N)
  }

  const radiantSquadProb = calculateSquadRareProb(RADIANT)
  const intactSquadProb = calculateSquadRareProb(INTACT)

  // Expected runs to obtain rare
  const radiantExpectedRuns = 1 / radiantSquadProb
  const intactExpectedRuns = 1 / intactSquadProb

  // Break-even rare platinum value (where Radiant NetEV = Intact NetEV)
  const breakEvenRarePlat =
    ((RADIANT.cost * platPerTrace) / (RADIANT.rare - INTACT.rare)) +
    ((INTACT.common - RADIANT.common) * commonPlat +
     (INTACT.uncommon - RADIANT.uncommon) * uncommonPlat) /
    (RADIANT.rare - INTACT.rare)

  return {
    intact: intactEV,
    exceptional: exceptionalEV,
    flawless: flawlessEV,
    radiant: radiantEV,
    radiantWorthIt: radiantEV.netEV > intactEV.netEV,
    evDifference: radiantEV.netEV - intactEV.netEV,
    squadRareProb: {
      radiant: radiantSquadProb,
      intact: intactSquadProb
    },
    expectedRuns: {
      radiant: radiantExpectedRuns,
      intact: intactExpectedRuns
    },
    breakEvenRarePlat: breakEvenRarePlat,
    efficiencyMultiplier: intactExpectedRuns / radiantExpectedRuns
  }
}

// Example usage: Mesa Prime Systems
const mesaAnalysis = calculateRefinementROI(
  10,   // common parts: 10 plat
  25,   // uncommon parts: 25 plat
  150,  // rare part (Systems): 150 plat
  0.25, // void trace opportunity cost
  4     // squad size
)

console.log(`Intact Net EV: ${mesaAnalysis.intact.netEV.toFixed(2)} plat`)
console.log(`Radiant Net EV: ${mesaAnalysis.radiant.netEV.toFixed(2)} plat`)
console.log(`Is Radiant worth it? ${mesaAnalysis.radiantWorthIt}`)
console.log(`EV difference: ${mesaAnalysis.evDifference.toFixed(2)} plat`)
console.log(`Squad rare probability (Radiant): ${(mesaAnalysis.squadRareProb.radiant * 100).toFixed(2)}%`)
console.log(`Expected runs to get rare (Radiant squad): ${mesaAnalysis.expectedRuns.radiant.toFixed(2)}`)
console.log(`Efficiency vs Intact: ${mesaAnalysis.efficiencyMultiplier.toFixed(2)}x better`)
console.log(`Break-even rare plat value: ${mesaAnalysis.breakEvenRarePlat.toFixed(2)} plat`)

Platinum/Hour Optimization Formula

Calculating optimal platinum per hour requires accounting for mission completion time, refinement trace costs, void trace farming time, and reward values. The complete formula is:

3. Worked Example: Full Prime Set Farming Strategy

Scenario: Farming Octavia Prime Set (High-Value Example)

Step-by-Step Execution Plan

Key Lessons from This Worked Example

4. Edge Cases & Special Scenarios

Vaulted Relics & Market Price Volatility

Prime Access Launch Windows: The Platinum Rush

Edge Case: How does refinement strategy change during the first week of a new Prime Access when rare parts sell for 200-300 platinum?

Strategy: Prime Access launches create temporary arbitrage opportunities where rare parts sell for 3-4× their eventual stable prices. During launch week, even solo Radiant farming can be +EV due to extreme rare part values. The optimal strategy: stockpile new prime relics during days 1-2 (when relics are farmable but market isn't saturated), then begin cracking on days 3-5 when prices peak (200-300 plat for rares) but supply is still limited. This timing window allows experienced farmers to achieve 250-350 plat/hour versus the 80-150 plat/hour long-term baseline. However, this requires market monitoring, fast farming execution, and accepting that prices will crash 50-70% within 2-4 weeks.

Forma Blueprint Pollution: Quantifying the EV Impact

Edge Case: How much does Forma Blueprint (5-10 plat value) in the common pool reduce overall relic EV?

Calculation: Consider a relic with rewards: [Forma BP (5p), Part A (15p), Part B (15p), Uncommon X (25p), Uncommon Y (30p), Rare Z (80p)]. Each common slot has 25.33% probability (76% / 3 slots). Intact EV = 0.2533×5 + 0.2533×15 + 0.2533×15 + 0.11×25 + 0.11×30 + 0.02×80 = 12.9 platinum. Compare to a Forma-free relic with [Part A (15p), Part B (15p), Part C (15p), same uncommons/rare]: EV = 0.2533×15 + 0.2533×15 + 0.2533×15 + 0.11×25 + 0.11×30 + 0.02×80 = 15.4 platinum. The Forma BP reduces EV by 2.5 platinum (16.2% reduction). When selecting farming targets, prioritize relics with valuable common pools—this single factor can swing plat/hour by 20-30%.

Mixed-Tier Squad Farming: Optimizing Trace Budgets

Edge Case: If only some squad members have void traces for Radiant refinement, what's the optimal mixed-tier strategy?

Analysis: If only 2 of 4 squad members can afford Radiant relics, the squad rare probability becomes: P(at least 1 rare) = 1 - [(1-0.10)×(1-0.10)×(1-0.02)×(1-0.02)] = 22.17% (vs 34.39% for full-Radiant squad). This is still 2.2× better than solo Intact farming (10%) and more trace-efficient than all members running Radiant. The optimal budget strategy: rotate Radiant assignments—run 1: Player A+B Radiant, C+D Intact; run 2: Player C+D Radiant, A+B Intact. This distributes trace costs while maintaining best-of-squad benefits and allowing trace-poor players to participate in high-value farming.

5. Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Psychological Pitfalls: RNG Variance & Expected Value Misunderstanding

Warframe's relic system is probabilistic, which means short-term variance can create misleading experiences that don't reflect long-term expected values. Running 3 Radiant relics in a squad (34.39% rare chance each run) and getting zero rares is a 28.2% probability event [(1-0.3439)^3 = 0.282]—unlucky but not statistically rare. Similarly, getting 2 rares in 3 runs (lucky streak) is a 22.8% probability. Many players make strategy decisions based on small sample sizes: "I got 3 rares in 5 Intact runs, so Intact is better than Radiant!" This is variance, not evidence. Trust the mathematics over anecdotes. Over 50+ runs, the probabilities converge to expected values. For detailed discussion of variance psychology and dry streak management in looter games, see our variance glossary entry.

Platinum/Hour Maximization Techniques

Coordinated 4x Radiant Squad Farming: The Efficiency Ceiling

Figure 2: Best-of-squad mechanics showing how 4 independent Radiant relics (10% rare each) combine into 34.39% squad rare probability

Vaulted Relic Speculation: Long-Term Arbitrage Strategy

When Digital Extremes announces prime vault rotations (typically 3-4 months before actual vaulting), savvy traders begin stockpiling relics for high-demand frames that will enter the vault. The arbitrage window works as follows: (1) Pre-vault preparation (weeks -8 to -4): farm 50-100 relics of the to-be-vaulted prime while they're still readily available from current void fissure rotations; (2) Pre-vault price rise (weeks -4 to 0): prices begin climbing 20-50% as speculators enter the market; (3) Post-vault spike (months +1 to +3): prices typically rise 100-200% as supply dries up but demand remains stable; (4) Peak value (months +3 to +12): prices stabilize at 150-300% of pre-vault values for high-demand frames. A 50-relic stockpile of Saryn Prime (pre-vault average: 15 plat/relic in parts) can yield 40-60 plat/relic post-vault, netting 1,250-2,250 platinum profit for ~10-15 hours of initial farming time.

Prime Resurgence Timing: Avoiding the Price Crash

Prime Resurgence (DE's rotating vault access system via Aya/Regal Aya) creates temporary price crashes for normally vaulted sets when they return to availability. When a high-value vaulted frame is scheduled for Prime Resurgence, prices drop 40-70% within 24-48 hours of announcement and remain depressed for the entire 4-6 week availability window. Traders holding vaulted relic stockpiles should monitor the Prime Resurgence schedule (typically announced 2-4 weeks in advance) and sell stockpiled parts 1-2 weeks before the frame's scheduled return to capture peak pre-crash prices. Example: Volt Prime rare parts sell for 80-100 plat normally vaulted. Prime Resurgence announcement → prices crash to 30-40 plat within days. Strategic sellers dump inventory at 70-80 plat pre-announcement, while uninformed holders watch their inventory lose 50-60% value overnight.

Ducat Farming vs Platinum Farming: Alternative Strategies

Ducat Conversion Rates & Baro Ki'Teer Economics

Some players optimize for ducat income (for Baro Ki'Teer purchases every 2 weeks) rather than platinum. Ducats are earned by selling prime parts to the in-game vendor with fixed conversion rates: Common = 15 ducats, Uncommon = 45 ducats, Rare = 100 ducats. The key insight: uncommon parts provide 3× more ducats than commons (45 vs 15) but appear at only 3.13× lower probability on Intact relics (22% vs 76% split across 3 common slots = 25.33% each). This creates a counterintuitive optimization: ducat farming favors Intact relics targeting uncommon-heavy reward tables, since the ducat-to-probability ratio is better for uncommons than rares.

Ducat/Hour vs Platinum/Hour Trade-Offs

The strategic decision: if Baro is visiting in 3-7 days and you need 800 ducats for Primed mods or exclusive items, switch from platinum farming to ducat farming by running Intact relics in high-volume Capture missions. Average ducat income: (0.76×15 + 0.22×45 + 0.02×100) / 3 slots for commons = ~13 ducats per relic (accounting for weighted common probability). At 20-25 relics/hour in Capture, this yields 260-325 ducats/hour, allowing you to accumulate 800 ducats in 2.5-3 hours of focused farming.