Theorylytics
Nova

Nova

Support / Healer

Harness antimatter. Nova uses antiparticles to provide crowd control and amplify damage output. She obliterates enemies by destabilizing matter itself.

Role
Support / Healer
Aura
NaramonNaramon
Polarities
MaduraiMaduraiMaduraiMadurai
Mastery
0
Introduced
Update 9.0 (2013-07-13)

Stats

Type
Warframe
Category
Warframes
Mastery
0
Health
270
Shield
180
Armor
105
Energy
175
Sprint Speed
1.2
Build Cost
25,000 Credits
Build Time
72h 0m
Rush
50 Platinum

Warframe dossier

Verified 2026-07-22

Playstyle

Harness antimatter. Built around Null Star, Antimatter Drop, Wormhole.

Passive

Enemies killed while slowed down have a percentage to drop health orbs. Enemies killed while sped up have a percentage to drop energy orbs.

When to Pick

  • You want a support / healer toolkit and Nova’s fantasy matches the mission.
  • Your squad is missing what Nova brings — especially Null Star.
  • You already own the mods / archon shards that make Nova’s scaling comfortable on Steel Path.

Kit Overview

  • Null Star (Ability 1): Creates antimatter particles that orbit Nova and attack nearby targets.
  • Antimatter Drop (Ability 2): Launch a large particle of charged antimatter that will detonate on contact.
  • Wormhole (Ability 3): Creates a wormhole allowing instantaneous travel.
  • Molecular Prime (Ability 4): Primes all enemies in an expanding radius with volatile antimatter.

Abilities & Augments

Ability Priority

  1. 1
    Null Star

    Creates antimatter particles that orbit Nova and attack nearby targets.

  2. 2
    Antimatter Drop

    Launch a large particle of charged antimatter that will detonate on contact.

  3. 3
    Wormhole

    Creates a wormhole allowing instantaneous travel.

  4. 4
    Molecular Prime

    Primes all enemies in an expanding radius with volatile antimatter.

Helminth / Subsume

  • Null Star is often the Helminth sacrifice if your build never needs Ability 1 and you’d rather import a strip, buff, or survival tool.
  • Keep Antimatter Drop and later abilities when they define Nova’s identity.
  • Never subsume the ability that enables the rest of the kit’s energy or survival loop.

Mod Scaling

Strength

Raises damage and effect potency across Nova’s Strength-scaling abilities.

Duration

Extends channeled / timed effects — often comfort on Nova if the kit leans on buffs or zones.

Range

Helps radius / targeting tools. Dump it if Nova is mostly self-buff or exalted weapons.

Efficiency

Keeps ability uptime comfortable, especially on longer Steel Path missions.

Priority

Match the priority to your main ability — Strength or Duration first for most kits, then Efficiency, then Range.

Mission Usefulness

Mission / ContextRatingWhy
Steel Path Survival / Defense / DisruptionExcellentEndless Steel Path is where Nova’s loop peaks — Null Star is the button you press every pack. Creates antimatter particles that orbit Nova and attack nearby targets.
Mobile Defense / ExcavationExcellentBring Nova when the objective can’t move — Null Star is built for standing your ground. Creates antimatter particles that orbit Nova and attack nearby targets.
Exterminate / Capture Speed RunsSituationalUsable on speed runs, but Nova’s support / healer kit usually wants longer objectives than a 3-minute Exterminate. Creates antimatter particles that orbit Nova and attack nearby targets.
Spy / Rescue / NightmareSituationalOnly if you already know the vaults — Nova is not a Spy specialist and Null Star won’t save a loud play. Creates antimatter particles that orbit Nova and attack nearby targets.
Open World / BountiesStrongStrong on packed bounty camps; Nova still leans on Operator / Archwing for the empty travel stretches while Null Star handles fights. Creates antimatter particles that orbit Nova and attack nearby targets.
Long-Range Gunplay / Eidolon-Style ContentWeakNova wants pack clear or finishers, not pure long-range; Null Star won’t save an Eidolon-style loadout. Creates antimatter particles that orbit Nova and attack nearby targets.

Crafting

Alternatives to Nova

Not sure Nova is right for you? Compare against other frames to find your best pull.

Atlas
AtlasSupport / HealerMadurai

Petrify into Rumblers is the cast story you want to master — not a random subsume mashup.

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Caliban
CalibanSupport / HealerNaramon

Lethal Progeny into Fusion Strike is the cast story you want to master — not a random subsume mashup.

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Chroma
ChromaSupport / HealerMadurai

Vex Armor into Effigy is the cast story you want to master — not a random subsume mashup.

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Citrine
CitrineSupport / HealerNaramon

Energy / health orb rooms are common in your rota and Citrine gets more mileage out of every pickup.

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Dagath
DagathSupport / HealerZenurik

Energy / health orb rooms are common in your rota and Dagath gets more mileage out of every pickup.

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Dante
DanteSupport / HealerAura

Status duration is how your weapons scale and Dante extends that plan for free.

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