Nikana Prime

An ancient blade predating the fall of the Orokin Empire. Built as a crit melee / combo scaler option for squad clear and mission pressure.

Signature

Nikana Prime is not a signature weapon — any frame can use it without a signature passive.

When to Pick

• You want a Melee that fits a crit melee / combo scaler play pattern.
• Your loadout needs what Nikana Prime does well — check Mission Usefulness below before investing Forma.
• You’re ready to Catalyze / Forma it if you plan to main it on Steel Path.

• Normal Attack

  Impact 9.9 · Slash 178.2 · Puncture 9.9

  Crit 28% / 2.4× · Status 28% · Fire Rate 1.08

• Slam Attack

  Impact 396

  AoE · Crit 28% / 2.4× · Status 10% · Fire Rate 1.08 · Falloff 0–6m (−50%)

• Heavy Slam Attack

  Blast 594

  AoE · Crit 28% / 2.4× · Status 10% · Fire Rate 1.08 · Falloff 0–7m (−30%)

• Normal Attack: Impact 9.9, Slash 178.2, Puncture 9.9.
• Slam Attack (AoE): Impact 396.0.
• Heavy Slam Attack (AoE): Blast 594.0.

Permanent investments on this weapon copy — separate from the Prime variant.

• Orokin CatalystCapacity

  Doubles mod capacity so endgame builds fit.

  Usually the first permanent upgrade on a weapon you plan to main.

• FormaPolarity

  Adds or changes polarities so matching mods cost half capacity.

  Prime polarities help, but expect multiple Forma for a hungry config.

• Stance / Exilus (as applicable)Slot

  Unlocks utility options (Exilus on guns; melee focuses on stance polarity + utility mods).

  Install when you need ammo, handling, or QoL without sacrificing damage slots.

• Melee Arcane AdapterArcane

  Lets you install a weapon arcane for a strong passive bonus.

  Worth it once the base mod config is already solid.

• Riven ModRiven

  Unique rolled mod. Disposition 0.6.

  Chase clean desirable stats; skip awkward negatives on low-disposition weapons.

• NikanaVariant

  The standard version of this weapon — easier to farm, softer stats.

  Use when you don’t want to chase Prime relics yet.

Common building blocks for this gun — not a full ranked build, just the mods you’ll see most often.

• Blood Rush

  Crit Chance

  Scales crit with combo — the backbone of most crit melee builds.

• Weeping Wounds

  Status Chance

  Scales status with combo for Condition Overload style setups.

• Condition Overload

  Condition Damage

  Huge damage when the target already has status effects.

• Organ Shatter

  Crit Damage

  Standard crit-damage multiplier for Blood Rush crit melees.

• Primed Pressure Point / Pressure Point

  Base Damage

  Flat damage foundation before multipliers.

• Berserker Fury

  Attack Speed

  On-crit attack speed to keep the combo climbing.

• Range mods (Reach / Primed Reach)

  Range

  Helps pack clear and heavy-attack coverage.

• Elemental dual-stats

  Elemental

  Viral + Heat or Corrosive + Heat depending on the tileset.

Multishot

Melee doesn’t use multishot — invest in range, combo, and attack speed instead.

Critical

Blood Rush + crit damage is the classic crit melee route when base crit is workable.

Elemental

Viral/Heat or Corrosive/Heat dual-stats after your damage and conditioner mods.

Fire Rate

Attack speed (Berserker Fury / Primed Fury) keeps combo stacks rising.

Blueprint / parts commonly listed from sources like Axi N12 Relic. Full drop rows are in How to Get below.