Archon Shards are a type of item that allows you to permanently upgrade your Warframe by improving certain stats depending on the type that you have installed.
These may be equipped on any Warframe as well as replaced or removed when needed since they will be unavailable to others when in use.
Obtaining Archon Shards can sometimes take a bit of time but once you have enough and even upgraded the ones you have, your Warframes will become more efficient.
All Archon Shards
There are currently 6 types of archon shards and each of these has a Tauforged variant, which provides you with even higher stats when they are equipped.
1) Crimson Archon Shard (Red)
Crimson Archon Shards affect Ability Stats and Weapon Stats.
Stat Upgrade | Archon Shard | Tauforged |
Melee Critical Damage | 25% | 37.5% |
| Primary Status Chance | 25% | 37.5% |
Secondary Critical Chance | 25% | 37.5% |
| Ability Strength | 10% | 15% |
Ability Duration | 10% | 15% |
2) Amber Archon Shard (Yellow)
Amber Archon Shards affect Utility Stats.
Stat Upgrade | Archon Shard | Tauforged |
Maximum Energy (On Spawn) | 30% | 45% |
| Health Orb Effectiveness | 100% | 150% |
Energy Orb Effectiveness | 50% | 75% |
| Casting Speed | 25% | 37.5% |
Parkour Velocity | 15% | 22.5% |
3) Azure Archon Shard (Blue)
Azure Archon Shards affect Warframe Survivability Stats.
Stat Upgrade | Archon Shard | Tauforged |
Health | 150 | 225 |
| Shield Capacity | 150 | 225 |
Energy Max | 50 | 75 |
| Armor | 150 | 225 |
Health Regeneration/Second | 5 | 7.5 |
4) Topaz Archon Shard (Orange)
Topaz Archon Shards provide effects based on Blast or Heat Damage and the Radiation Status Effect.
Stat Upgrade | Archon Shard | Tauforged |
Gain Health per enemy killed with Blast Damage | 1 (Max 300) | 2 (Max 450) |
| Regenerate Shields per enemy killed with Blast Damage | 5 | 7.5 |
Secondary Critical Chance | 1% (Max 50%) | 1.5% (Max 75) |
| Gain Ability damage against enemies affected by the Radiation Status Effect | 10% | 15% |
5) Violet Archon Shard (Violet/Purple)
Violet Archon Shards provide buffs based on Electricity Damage and its Status Effects.
Stat Upgrade | Archon Shard | Tauforged |
Gain Ability Damage on enemies affected by the Electricity Status Effect | 10% | 15% |
| Gain Primary Electricity Damage (Additional per 10% or 15% per Crimson, Azure or violet Archon Shard) | 30% | 45% |
Gain Melee Critical Damage (Doubled when Max Energy is above 500) | 25% | 37.5% |
| Health Pickups give Energy and Energy Pickups give Health | 20% | 30% |
6) Emerald Archon Shard (Green)
Emerald Archon Shards provide bonuses for Toxin and Corrosive Damage Types.
Toxin Status Effect deals more damage | 30% | 45% |
| Recover Health each time enemies are damaged by a Toxin Status Effect | 2 Health | 3 Health |
Increase max stacks of Corrosion Status | 2 | 3 |
How To Get Archon Shards?
The following is a list of the different ways that you can obtain Archon Shards and sometimes a Tauforged Archon Shard can be obtained as well.
- Rewards from Archon Hunts (Crimson/Amar, Amber/Nira and Azure/Boreal)
- Purchased from Bird 3 of Cavia (Color Rotates Weekly – Costs 30,000 Standing)
- Reward from 1999 Calendar (Includes Topaz, Violet, and Emerald.
- Ascent Fusion (Combines Archon Shards of the same type to create Tauforged Archon Shards
- Coalescent Fusion (Combines Crimson, Amber, and Azure Shards to get Topaz, Violet, or Emerald Shards)
Ascent Fusion
Ascent Fusion is the process of combining 3 Archon Shards of the same type to create a Tauforged Archon Shard of the same type.
This allows you to combine Crimson, Amber, and Azure Archon Shards to create their Tauforged Archon Shard variants.
Coalescent Fusion
Coalescent Fusion can be selected from the Archon Shard menu, which provides you with the option of choosing an unslotted shard to combine with another type.
Shards that are available for Coalescent Fusion include Crimson, Aber, and Azure, which will create the following:
- Crimson + Azure = Violet
- Amber + Crimson = Topaz
- Azure + Amber = Emerald
How To Use Archon Shards?
To use Archon Shards, you will need to install the Helminth Archon Shard Segment, which can be built after obtaining its blueprint.
The blueprint for the Helminth Archon Shard Segment is a reward for completing the Veilbreaker Quest.
Once you have built the segment, heading to the Helminth and interacting with it will allow you to equip Archon Shards on your current Warframe.
How To Remove Archon Shards?
Removing Archon Shards from a Warframe can also be done at the Helminth by selecting the ones you want to remove. (This will cost you Helminth Resources)
Archon Shards that have been removed will be usable once more, allowing you to slot them into another Warframe.
Verdict
Archon Shards are an important feature of Warframe as these allow you to finalize your Warframes to maximize the potential of their builds.
The additional stats provided by Archon Shards will stack, making it possible to maximize a certain stat or you may simply attempt to balance them out.
Players will have several opportunities each week to obtain Archon Shards, which makes it a good idea to try to get them whenever they are available for later.
