Banshee is one of Warframe’s earliest Warframes, using sound to weaken enemies, control crowds, and amplify damage against vulnerable targets.
She was once particularly known for clearing large groups with Sound Quake, while Sonar could greatly increase weapon damage against marked enemies.
With the Iceblade of Narin update, Banshee received a major rework that changes all four of her abilities, improves several older mechanics, and introduces new effects to her Augment Mods.
Banshee Changes in Iceblade of Narin
The Banshee rework changes every part of her ability kit, with some abilities receiving much larger improvements than others.
Several restrictions were removed, older Augment effects became part of her abilities, and Sound Quake received one of the biggest changes.
1) Passive Changes
Banshee still silences the noise produced by her weapons, allowing them to be fired without alerting enemies through weapon noise.
Casting an ability now also applies maximum Puncture Status to enemies within 10 meters, weakening nearby enemies whenever Banshee uses her abilities.
2) Sonic Boom Changes
Sonic Boom now deals 250 Impact Damage and reduces enemy Armor by 70%, with enough Ability Strength allowing it to reach 100%.
Affected enemies are pushed and stunned instead of being ragdolled, and Banshee can now cast the ability while moving.
3) Sonic Siphon Augment
Sonic Fracture has been replaced by Sonic Siphon since its previous Armor reduction is now built directly into Sonic Boom.
Sonic Siphon instead grants Banshee Armor when Sonic Boom hits enemies, providing another way to improve her survivability.
4) Sonar Changes
Sonar marks are now treated as actual Weak Points, allowing them to work with compatible Mods, Arcanes, and other Weak Point effects.
New casts prioritize unmarked body parts, while Banshee can now use Sonar without stopping her movement.
5) Silence Changes
Silence can now be recast while it is active, refreshing its duration and stunning nearby enemies again without waiting for the previous cast to expire.
Banshee can also continue moving while casting Silence, making it easier to keep the ability active and repeatedly take advantage of its crowd control during combat.
These changes make Silence more convenient to maintain, especially during longer missions where enemies are constantly entering Banshee’s effective range..
6) Sound Quake Changes
Sound Quake now creates a damaging field that lasts for 25 seconds instead of forcing Banshee to remain stationary and channel the ability.
Enemies within the area receive guaranteed Blast Status Effects, while Banshee gains brief invulnerability during the initial cast.
Sound Quake also destroys containers within its affected area, giving it some additional utility while clearing missions.
7) Gaseous Quake Augment
Resonating Quake has been replaced by Gaseous Quake, which changes Sound Quake back into a stationary channeled ability.
The Augment adds Gas Damage and Status Effects, with its damage and Energy consumption increasing as Banshee continues channeling.
How Has Banshee’s Playstyle Changed?
Banshee is much less restrictive after the rework, with several abilities no longer interrupting movement or forcing her to remain stationary.
Sonic Boom can strip Armor on its own, Sonar benefits from Weak Point interactions, and Sound Quake can remain active while Banshee continues fighting.
This makes it easier to use her entire kit together rather than relying heavily on one ability during a mission.
Is Banshee Worth Using After the Rework?
Banshee has become easier to use without losing the powerful damage amplification and crowd control that previously made her effective.
Sonar remains excellent for increasing damage, while Sonic Boom can now strip Armor without requiring an Augment Mod.
Sound Quake is also far more practical since Banshee can cast it and immediately return to using her weapons and other abilities.
Verdict
The Banshee rework mainly improves how comfortably her abilities can be used rather than completely changing what the Warframe is designed to do.
Her improved mobility and ability interactions make the older parts of her kit feel more suited to the faster pace of modern Warframe.
Players who previously enjoyed Banshee should find her familiar, while the changes make her much easier to pick up and use today.
