The Grineer () is one of the major Factions of the Origin System. They are the first enemies encountered by newly reawakened Tenno.[1] The expansion of their militaristic, violent Empire across the Origin System through the raiding or conquest of peaceful colonies serves as the primary motivator of the Lotus' call to her slumbering warriors.[2]
Overview[]
As the products of ancient, half-remembered Orokin technology, Grineer are produced rather than born, and in industrial quantities along with their weapons and equipment. Each one is genetically defective to some degree, their genome both originally stunted by their creators, and further damaged by the invasive cloning procedures they themselves have been using to birth each generation in the centuries after the fall of the Orokin. As a result, they have a life cycle that is limited to only a fraction of a normal human lifespan and are prone to a host of degenerative disorders such as decaying limbs and skin or wildly varying levels of intelligence and sapience. However, the genetic defects have often undone the original genetic conditioning, allowing more human-like behaviors, ranging from lack of absolute loyalty to the Queens, to developing a sense of dignity[3]. They compensate for this by the widespread use of crude cybernetic prosthetics and robust augmentations. Indeed, it could be argued that the Grineer are better at fixing broken bodies than they are at creating ones that function to begin with. Most of their equipment, weapons, and armor are technologically crude but undeniably effective, and many Tenno have fallen because they underestimated the firepower of Grineer machines.
In other words, Grineer can be considered as a form of cyborgs. Most of them have been altered with mechanical prosthetics and crude cybernetic augmentations. But higher ranking Grineer having robust cybernetic augmentations.
Lore & History[]
Origins[]
The Grineer were once a caste of genetically modified, purpose-bred clones of the Orokin Empire. Programmed to obey their masters, Grineer slaves were tasked to perform manual labor, gathering resources for the advancement of the Empire.[4]
During The Old War, the Orokin were desperate to defeat their Sentient assailants, so a new breed of Grineer was created using the gene sample of an individual who had managed to defeat one.[4] These militarized Grineer would be deployed in the Orokin's war efforts but proved futile against the Sentient faction's strategies and defenses.
Eventually, the Warframes were created and led the Orokin to victory, only to be betrayed by the Tenno that controlled these war-suits. After the collapse of the Orokin Empire, Grineer started to congregate to take over territory and technology once belonged to the Empire.[5] At some point in time, the Grineer encountered Orokin twins that helped them fight against remnant Orokin in the Origin System who wanted to restore the Empire. In awe of their close kinship, the Grineer adopted them to be their queens, believing that they attained "Something more than a whole / A true understanding / Of each other soul", a quality that they aspire for.[6]
Present-Day[]
Their nominal "homeworld" is a feral, overgrown Earth, over which they hold only the weakest measure of control through their attempts to poison the planet's ecology to make it more suitable for themselves. Despite their efforts, some areas of the planet remain completely outside of their control, such as the Ostron safe haven and trading hub of Cetus or the secret Steel Meridian enclave known as Iron Wake. Several other planets fall under more complete control of the Grineer, such as the planet-wide factories of Ceres and Sedna, the underwater research laboratories of Uranus, and the occupied desert cities of Mars. They also have complete control over the space regions around the Earth and Saturn, as well as having outposts even in the outermost location of the Origin System, called Veil Proxima. Their main fortress, the home of the Twin Queens, is located on an asteroid constantly moving thanks to Fomorian engines, and is heavily fortified.
They are units acting on ultimate xenophobia, fueled by genetic madness, and a burning hatred of anything and anyone not like themselves and have absolute loyalty, not dissimilar from religious fanaticism, to their Queens, although very few have actually been granted the permission to see them. In the end, should they succeed, there will only be Grineer left alive in the Origin System.
In battle, the Grineer use heavy armor coupled with attrition and ambush tactics. While they are fairly weak individually, they are a potent threat in groups, able to lay down withering streams of fire at all ranges from behind cover. Specialist troops use more advanced weapons, and many are even issued comparatively advanced reactive armor and cybernetics to give them an edge.
The armor on an average Grineer deserves special mention because it makes them one of the toughest factions to face in a battle. Coupled with several elemental resistances and the fact that even the relatively common Elite Lancer is heavily armored makes them extremely durable, with their Medium and Heavy units becoming absolute bullet sponges at higher levels. Furthermore, their special corps tasked to defend their positions on space and to assault enemy ships such as Railjacks have even higher defenses. The Grineer also make notable use of rudimentary teleportation, either to transport small strike forces on daring missions even within hostile territory held by the rival Corpus, or on an individual level: their Flameblades utilize it to blink close to the enemy for a vicious melee attack, and Commanders employ an ability similar to the Switch Teleport of Loki to leave the victim confused and in the midst of the Grineer troops. Infamous Grineer officers who utilize teleportation are Tyl Regor, who blinks constantly to evade and confuse the player in his battle, and Captain Vor, who uses teleportation in battle to keep a distance from the player (though the latter's abilities might originate from his Janus Key).
Although notoriously known for their short lives, some selected Grineer units can be granted from their Queens the gift of immortality, in the form of the Old Blood, after facing a Warframe in battle. These super-soldiers called Kuva Liches, inherit some of the abilities of their "progenitor", as well as possessing a high level of adaptability and intelligence, making them by far the most powerful Grineer units to face.
Tech and Weaponry[]
- Main article: Category:Grineer Weapons
Fittingly for a military power like the Grineer, they have developed a wide variety of weapons and equipment used in their ceaseless conflicts with the Tenno, Corpus, and Infested. This ranges from simple pistols to heavier rifles, shotguns, and machine guns; to missile launchers, flamethrowers, melee weapons with superheated surfaces, hydraulically-assisted axes, hammers, and flail-like whips with hooked grinding blades.
Grineer weaponry are largely conventional or industrial in operation. Grineer aesthetics tend to employ a curved, rounded, and heavily plated spot-weld look. This is indicative of the extensive use of tough, temperature, and shock-resistant Ferrite and Alloys used in Grineer construction and manufacturing. As opposed to weapons built by the Corpus, Grineer weaponry are not laboriously cast or machined for precision, but instead pressed from molds, quickly filed down, and assembled by the billions, designed with loose tolerances to streamline the process. Many Grineer weapons also lack full stocks, and instead rely on their wielder's augmented strength and heavy armor to absorb the recoil.
Grineer weaponry are generally not designed to be used against the Grineer since they are simply too heavy or large for other races to utilize without the aid of something like a Warframe. They are also less effective against the Grineer since they are primarily engineered to deal Impact damage for use against Corpus shield systems and Slash damage for use against the Infested. Of course, Sentients with their adaptation abilities can efficiently resist to almost every attack of a Grineer weapon, and are for this reason studied and researched on, in order to develop even more advanced technology.
Despite their manufacturing processes being centered around mass-production, Grineer engineers are fiendishly clever in incorporating unusual and unorthodox ideas and new technologies into their weaponry, even if such technology is something they are unfamiliar with. An example of this can be seen in Captain Vor's Seer; this is a long-ranged pistol with sniper optics that incorporates Orokin technology. Other examples include the Jat Kittag - a Grineer warhammer that incorporates a series of jet engines to allow a more destructive impact.
Despite the best efforts of the Lotus, the Grineer have also developed primitive microwave and plasma-aided projectile weapons, as well as a rifle that fires guided projectiles. These weapons are reserved for the elite of the elites among the Grineer, such as the Nightwatch corps and the guards of their Queens' fortress.
The most powerful Grineer weapons are the ones used by the Kuva Liches, their super-soldiers, inheriting a percentage of elemental damage based on their progenitor. Some are just special variants of normal Grineer weapons, others are totally unique and with high-destructive power, such as a bow that shoots explosive arrows or a heavy weapon normally impossible to use on field.
Grineer Corps[]
The Grineer military forces are divided into specialized corps depending on their field of operations and combat tasks. As a rule, they tend to be camouflaged for the environment they expect to be fighting in.
Space Marines | The bulk of Grineer forces that are tasked with guarding Grineer mining and production facilities as well as manning their galleons. Basic in both armor and armaments, they are nonetheless among the most adaptable of the corps. | |
Frontier | Grineer units specialized in the guerrilla combat of Earth's vast overgrown forest and jungle areas. | |
Drekar | Grineer marine units stationed at their deep sea laboratories on Earth and Uranus. | |
Arid | Grineer units specialized in desert warfare such as at their colonies on Mars. Their combat gear has been adapted to the dusty environments with the addition of air filtration systems and sand catching fabrics. | |
Tusk | Grineer units adapted to the combat on wide-open steppes such as the Plains of Eidolon on Earth as well as night time engagements. Generally equipped with longer-ranged weapons than the other corps. | |
Nightwatch | A Grineer special operations crew tasked with elite assignments throughout the Solar system. Rarely seen but well equipped, they use modified equipment to enhance their effectiveness in battle. | |
Kuva | The Grineer royal guard corps stationed at the Kuva Fortress tasked with protecting their Twin Queens. The only time they are assigned to other locations is either during Kuva collection, or when invading the Zariman Ten Zero. Their equipment tends to favor stopping power over rate-of-fire. (Kuva Larvlings, Thralls and Kuva Liches are special units and do not fall under this category) | |
Kosma/Gyre/Exo | Grineer units present during Empyrean missions, specializing both in support duties aboard crewships and intervention of the Railjack. |
Grineer Language[]
- Main article: Grineer Language
The Grineer speak and write in a heavily corrupted form of English, intermixing grunts, simplified terms, and onomatopoeia into their writing and naming conventions as well as a form of substitution that highlights their degenerative speech impediments.
They use their own unique set of barcode letters with dot-matrix-styled 'cuts' made along its edges (left for letters, right for numbers), to various depths. A dot present under each letter's bottom-right corner helps to determine the correct orientation and makes it easy to tell if the text has been flipped or rotated.
In many cases, Digital Extremes did not intend for this script to be translated and read by players. Therefore, many cases of text longer than a few words (such as the readouts on monitors) tend to be random letters strung together and occasionally flipped or rotated. Since the dot-marks are supposed to be on the bottom-right, it is easy to tell when this has been done.
Missions[]
Enemies[]
Grineer have a dual classification system. Primarily, they are classified by their armor class - Light, Medium, and Heavy - which describe their base armor and their shared damage multipliers. Secondarily, they are classified by their role or engagement style. Light units primarily utilize melee weaponry and rush their attackers. Medium units use rifles and shotguns and tend to find good cover and engage at all ranges. Heavy units are normally outfitted with non-standard weapons (ex: Gorgon, Ogris etc.) and typically have various roles in combat based on their loadout.
Light[]
Light Grineer units mainly consist of melee units with decent damage and low durability. Some have special abilities.
- Main article: Butcher
Butchers are Grineer units that wield single Cleavers. They lack the armor and ranged firepower standard Grineer units possess, making them much easier to kill; in exchange, they can move quicker and deal more damage with their melee weapons. Butchers will wind-up their attacks for a split second, making it possible for players to dodge.
- Main article: Flameblade
Flameblades are similar to Butchers in combat style and visually identical to them except for their weapon. They have the ability to teleport short distances, and their Twin Basolk deal Heat damage.
- Main article: Guardsman
Guardsmen are heavily augmented Grineer melee units wielding the Amphis staff. They can most commonly be found in the Grineer Shipyards on Ceres.
- Main article: Powerfist
Powerfists are similar to Butchers, but use a single Furax instead. Like Flameblades, they tend to take cover until a player is close, which can allow them to ambush players. This is further aided by their faster sprint speed. Upon closing on players Powerfists will charge their melee to inflict massive damage, and then follows it up with a combo of quick melee. Powerfists have a much longer charge time than Butchers, but after their long charge they will attack like normal. They can also perform a powerful ground slam, knocking enemies up in the air and inflicting Electricity damage.
- Main article: Scorpion
Scorpions are female Grineer units that wield Machetes. They deal high damage with their Machetes, and have a grappling hook that they can use to knock down Tenno and drag them. The fast hooks, knockdowns and possibility of continuous hook-spamming by multiple Scorpions can make them a deadly adversary, especially when backed up by other units.
- Main article: Shield Lancer
Shield Lancers are defensive Grineer units that carry large iron shields in one hand and Viper pistols in the other. They slowly press forward while firing over their shields. Nearby Grineer will often use them as mobile cover to variable effectiveness. Shield Lancers will also use their shields as battering rams to knock players off their feet, often doing so when a player comes too close. Shield Lancers often will not charge players while providing cover for allies, but will charge when the units behind them die, or move away.
Medium[]
Medium troops make up the bulk of the Grineer army. They are not particularly dangerous when alone, but in groups they can pose a serious threat.
- Main article: Ballista
Ballistas are Grineer female units that utilize the Vulkar for long-range support. While they have a slower fire rate than other Grineer units, Ballistas deal more damage and are smaller targets.
- Main article: Elite Lancer
Elite Lancers are the Elite counterpart of the Grineer Lancers, and are found replacing the latter in mission levels 15 and up. Unlike the typical Lancers, they wield Hinds with a much higher damage than the regular Grakatas, as well as a high chance of Slash procing targets. Their armor is not only doubled in amount, but replaced by more resilient Alloy Armor compared to normal Lancer's Ferrite, the same armor heavy Grineer units often incorporate. They also have a slightly different helmet design, appearing to have a hood.
- Main article: Eviscerator
Eviscerators are Grineer units that were released with the Fomorian Event. They feature higher armor and health than the regular Grineer Lancer. The Grineer Eviscerator is equipped with the Miter that fires large saw blade projectiles, acting much like the Glaive when thrown. The saw blades bounce off surfaces and can be deflected by melee swings, being destroyed after bouncing a certain amount of times.
- Main article: Hellion
Hellions are medium armored Grineer units which are equipped with personal jet-packs that allow them to jet-jump across terrain quickly as well as hover high in the air, giving them mobility even greater than that of light units.
- Main article: Lancer
Lancers are the most basic and prevalent form of Grineer infantry. They wield Grakatas and occasionally throw Plasma Grenades. Although mostly inaccurate with their grenade throws, they can easily down a Warframe caught in the blast. Their armor is blue-green in color.
- Main article: Scorch
Scorches are medium Grineer units resembling Troopers with red and yellow armor. Scorches wield the Ignis flamethrower, dealing massive continuous damage in short range as long as the victim is in range. They can deal continuous damage and also set the player on fire, making them incredibly lethal in a successful ambush or when working with units such as Scorpions and Rollers that can inhibit player movement.
- Main article: Seeker
Seekers are tactical Grineer units with yellow-green armor and darker markings. Aside from using the Kraken pistol, they will also deploy Latchers. This ability makes them unlikely to rush into the front lines like any regular Grineer unit. More durable than regular Grineer Lancers, these can be versatile opponents.
- Main article: Trooper
Troopers are the shotgun-wielding counterpart to the Lancer. Armed with various shotguns, including Sobeks (and previously used Struns, which they are shown holding in the Codex), they lack the accuracy and range of Lancers and outfitted in more heavily armored yellow attire. This makes them comparatively more effective in close quarters, with shotguns and higher armor.
Heavy[]
These units are the strongest and toughest of the Grineer. Apart from the Grineer Commander, these units don't take advantage of cover. Most Heavy Grineer cannot seem to retaliate while under attack, showing vulnerability to status effects; therefore it is possible to dispatch lone Heavy units easily with sustained firepower. Heavy units typically have significant base Health and armor.
- Main article: Bailiff
Bailiffs are heavily armored Grineer melee units introduced in the Project Undermine Tactical Alert. They are rare but dangerous units, capable of smashing through crowds and soaking up Corpus fire. Throughout the Tactical Alert, they are considered to be the Grineer answer to the Corpus Isolator Bursa. The Bailiff wields a custom-colored Jat Kittag, which they use during battle, and wears heavier frontal armor that bears resemblance to a hockey goalie.
The base variant can be rarely found in the Kuva Fortress.
- Main article: Bombard
Grineer Bombards wield a modified Ogris with homing projectiles. In larger areas, their rockets are more easily avoidable, but they can be quite dangerous in enclosed areas, due to the 4 meter blast radius of the rockets. They can be identified by their white/grey armor. They have a significantly high amount of armor, making them significantly more resistant than regular Grineer units.
Like other heavy Grineer units, Bombards can also perform seismic shockwaves when players get too close, knocking them down with a radial blast. This ability has a long cooldown and can be used more than once over a long period of time.
- Main article: Commander
Commanders have much greater health than regular Lancers. They have the ability to Switch Teleport a targeted player; often, a Commander will teleport the player into the middle of a group of Grineer, causing some disorientation in the process. Unlike Loki's ability, a Commander's Switch Teleport can work through walls and doors and has a slightly longer duration stun.
- Main article: Drahk Master
The Drahk Master is a Grineer unit who can summon Drahk, vicious quadruped beasts that will attack their master's enemies.
- Main article: Elite Shield Lancer
Elite Shield Lancers are defensive Grineer units that carry large impenetrable shields in one hand, and a Tonkor in the other. They are larger and more durable than the standard Shield Lancer, and carry a shield with a distinct yellow coloring.
- Main article: Heavy Gunner
Heavy Gunners are cybernetically-enhanced female Grineer heavy infantry armed with Gorgon machine-guns. Identified by their taller, thinner frame and female voice, Heavy Gunners are capable of laying down suppressing fire to support their teammates. If left unchecked, they can tear through players' shields and health very quickly, especially on Warframes with lighter armor.
- Main article: Hyekka Master
The Hyekka Master is a Grineer unit who can summon Hyekka, vicious Kavat variants that will attack their master's enemies. They also wield the Ignis and throw firebombs that leaves areas of fire.
- Main article: Manic
Dashing in for quick strikes before falling back to the shadows, the Grineer Manic is difficult to catch and deadly to ignore. Although only a few Manics will spawn in a given Grineer mission, its speed and damage make it a devastating enemy to face.
- Main article: Manic Bombard
Manic Bombards are modified Grineer Bombards developed by Tyl Regor, introduced in the Operation Tubemen of Regor Event as the event's main mission target. After Update 17.0 (2015-07-31), they can be encountered primarily on Uranus Sabotage missions, though they may occasionally spawn outside of them.
- Main article: Napalm
Napalms are yellow/red jacket-armored Grineer using incendiary grenade launchers that shoot slow, incendiary explosives, which leave temporary fire hazards when they explode. These hazards act like Ember's Fireball ability making them very dangerous in confined spaces. Their flame attacks also have a Heat AoE explosion in the range of 4m radius, allowing them to hit even the most agile players.
- Main article: Nox
The Nox is a type of Grineer "Chem Strike" unit. They wield a poison-filled heavy gun that shoots blobs of Toxin sludge which stick to targets and surfaces before exploding. Bloated and disfigured by the very chemicals they wield in combat, these vicious warriors wear crude, heavily armored suits that both protect them in the form of Overguard and serve to contain the noxious clouds they emit.
Breaking the glass cover protecting their heads removes their defenses, but releases the poisonous aura to their surroundings. Beware of their final moments, as they explode into a lethal cloud upon death.
Arena[]
Executioners are Grineer warriors consigned to the service of Kela De Thaym, responsible for enforcing her rule in Rathuum. Armed with a variety of deadly weapons and skills, Executioners ensure that the accused on trial are given swift and brutal deaths.
Utility[]
The utility enemies of the Grineer are dangerous in their own right, such as the Roller, one of the most infamously annoying enemies in the game.
- Main article: Arc Trap
Similar to the Nervos Mine, the Arc Trap is a Grineer device that attacks hostiles within 8 meters via an Electricity arc. The trap can be destroyed by your weapons, generating a burst of electricity that damages and stuns nearby opponents and allies. They will also destroy themselves after 3 seconds of continuous shocking. They were added in Update 12.5 (2014-03-19) as a replacement to Broken Lights.
- Main article: Drahk
The Drahk is a quadruped beast bred by the Grineer for use in combat. Its behavior is largely similar to Feral Kubrow.
- Main article: Hyekka
The Hyekka is a Kavat breed developed by the Grineer for use in combat. It appears to be a hairless version of the Kavat, with a stubbier snout and a stouter appearance. In addition, it only has one tail, as opposed to the many feathered tails that usually adorn the rears of feral Kavats.
- Main article: Latcher
Latchers are small autonomous grenades deployed by Grineer Seekers that will chase a player in an attempt to latch onto them and then detonate. Latchers can be destroyed before they reach their target, but their small size and speed make them very difficult to shoot. If one is attempting to shoot a Latcher preemptively, the ideal situation would be to stand on a platform tall enough to avoid their jump height, as they occasionally stop moving when they cannot reach their target. If the Latcher latches onto you, you can remove them by rolling (default Shift ).
- Main article: Power Carrier
Power Carriers are special units found only on Excavation and Defection missions. These units are mostly identical to their standard base units, though they feature greatly improved health, and visibly carry Power Cells on their backs. Killing these units will make them drop the Power Cells they carry, allowing Tenno to recover them for use in powering their Excavation machines or Med Towers. The Grineer version are based off Lancers, the Corpus version are based off Crewmen, and the Infested ones are based off Mutalist Ospreys.
- Main article: Regulator
Regulators are floating Grineer support drones found in Grineer Settlements. They can be deployed by any Grineer units and their propaganda broadcasts provide allies around them with a buff similar to Rhino's Roar. This will give the units in range a 50% damage increase, a speed buff, and disrupt the player's mini-map.
- Main article: Roller
Rollers are simple Grineer machines that resemble larger-sized Latchers. Unlike their smaller counterpart, Rollers will jump at players, bludgeoning and staggering them, and will continue to attack the player until they are destroyed. Rollers are sent as a syndicate death squad by Steel Meridian.
- Main article: Sensor Bar
Similar in nature to Corpus Laser Barriers, the Grineer Sensor Bar is located above some doorways in the Grineer Galleon tileset. It projects a field across the opening of the door which will deal damage and inflict a Magnetic proc, draining energy and temporarily reducing shields. Destroying the green sensor light will disable it, allowing safe entry.
- Main article: Grineer Target
The Grineer Target is the objective of Grineer Capture missions. There are 6 different types of targets that are variations of normal Grineer units with different color schemes, with the default Grineer Target being the exception. Some of these targets have their own special abilities. Each Target is armed with different weapons.
They drop small amounts of credits when shot or meleed.
- Main article: Warden
Wardens are special units that appear in Rescue missions, tasked with protecting prison complexes where hostages are kept. They appear as Heavy Gunners or Ballistas for Grineer missions, Corrupted Heavy Gunner for Orokin Moon missions, and Sniper Crewman and Corpus Tech for Corpus missions, and are more durable than normal units. They are however highly vulnerable to stealth attacks and takedowns.
Defenses[]
Various defenses are utilized by the Grineer, ranging from pre-spawned turrets or inflatable, deployable cover.
- Main article: Blunt
The Blunt is an item occasionally carried by some Grineer units during missions, visible as a large backpack with orange lights. When deployed, the Blunt inflates into a small, black barricade that Grineer units can use as cover to defend from enemies, and which can be deployed anywhere on the map. The Blunt itself has a limited amount of health (which depends on the level of its user), and unlike environmental cover can be destroyed but only with melee attacks. A Blunt can only be deployed once per unit and once deployed it will slowly start to "deflate" (lose health) on its own.
- Main article: Rampart
Ramparts are emplaced defensive turrets found on Grineer missions, armed with twin heavy machine guns to engage enemies. Unlike other types of environmental defenses, Ramparts can be directly controlled by Tenno players by mounting inside them with the Use key (default X ), allowing them to use the Rampart's guns. While Ramparts are rooted to their positions, they can be aimed at nearly every direction.
Ghouls[]
- Main article: GhoulThe ancient, ha are membered [[ shock and ambush units, consisting of malformed, defective or partially-developed clones incubated for several days in diapause bags that are buried in the ground, with an emphasis on simplicity and speed of growth over quality and finesse. With toxic and paralytic blood, ghouls remain a threat even after they have died.
They have become a subject of study and research by Sigor Savah, whose encrypted journal fragments provided details about the various Ghouls, and how they are employed by the Grineer.
- Main article: Ghoul Auger
The Ghoul Auger is a Grineer Ghoul armed with drills that allow it to quickly dig underground and ambush their foe. Attached to these weapons are fuel canisters, doubling as a flamethrower. As with all Ghouls, on death they will release a cloud that inflicts Cold and Toxin.
- Main article: Ghoul Devourer
The Ghoul Devourer is a Grineer Ghoul that is considered Vay Hek's personal favorite. Despite its massive girth, it is armed with a powerful wrist-mounted hook that allows it to close the distance between it and its target. As with all Ghouls, on death they will release a cloud that inflicts Cold and Toxin.
- Main article: Ghoul Expired
The Ghoul Expired is a Grineer Ghoul that suffered from malnutrition or poisoning during the early parts of its development, causing their nervous systems to drive them forward and function as an ideal suicide troop. Aiding them in this task are a pair of shields with multiple bomblets strapped on. As with all Ghouls, on death they will release a cloud that inflicts Cold and Toxin.
- Main article: Ghoul Rictus
The Ghoul Rictus is a Grineer Ghoul armed with a Ghoulsaw. These saws can be ejected similar to the Panthera's Alternate Fire, traveling a distance before returning to them. The Rictus also has the uncanny ability to ride on the ejected saws, allowing them to approach and ram their enemies from afar. As with all Ghouls, on death they will release a cloud that inflicts Cold and Toxin.
Archwing[]
These are troops which are deployed in the Archwing game mode.
- Main article: Lancer Dreg
The Lancer Dreg is a variant of the Dreg equipped with a laser cannon that deals Radiation damage.
- Main article: Temporal Dreg
The Temporal Dreg is a variant of the Dreg. Despite being unarmed, the Temporal Dreg can use a tractor beam that locks on to Tenno, preventing them from sprinting. The tractor beam can be dispelled by destroying the Temporal Dreg or cover blocking it and the player.
- Main article: Dargyn (Enemy)
The Dargyn is the basic Grineer flying skiff. Most commonly found in Archwing missions, it is piloted by a Grineer trooper behind an armored shield, and carries a light machine gun to strafe enemies at range. The variants found on the Plains of Eidolon can be commandeered by players.
- Main article: Hellion Dargyn
Hellion Dargyns are Dargyns equipped with guided missile launchers, which they can fire in salvos of missiles against enemies.
- Main article: Shield Dargyn
Shield Dargyns are Dargyns that mount energy shield emitters that enhance their protection from the front. They also carry triple-barreled pulse cannons that deal more damage than the Dargyn's machinegun.
- Main article: Shield-Hellion Dargyn
The Shield-Hellion Dargyn is a tougher version of the Hellion Dargyn that mounts the same defensive shield found on Shield Dargyn. Additionally, they have a faster firing rate than regular Hellion Dargyns [1]
Submersibles[]
These troops appear in the Submersible Archwing portions of the Grineer Sealab tileset.
- Main article: Draga
Draga are the simplest and most-common of the aquatic enemies which can spawn in underwater areas of the Grineer Sealab tileset. They wield the Harpak and usually move fairly slowly through the water, though they will move faster upon spotting a player.
- Main article: Darek Draga
Darek Draga are a more dangerous foe than the Draga, due to their usage of the Kulstar cluster-rocket launcher, which can be rather difficult to dodge due to a combination of Archwing movement-methods and the often-cramped environment of the submerged caverns beneath the Grineer Sealab tileset.
Also, when alerted, the Darek Draga releases a cloud of brown smoke, limiting visibility of it and nearby Draga, Shock Draga and Sikula, which can prove fatal if caught in the cloud, due to the Sikula's mines.
Potential threat to players if they are caught unaware, are in an enclosed space or if they are preoccupied with other enemy units.
- Main article: Shock Draga
Shock Dragas are an Archwing enemy found in the Grineer Sealab tileset. Wielding the Sydon trident, they can fire an arc of Electricity that deals constant damage.
- Main article: Sikula
The Sikula is a very small aquatic minelaying drone found in Grineer Sealab submersible missions, which can quickly saturate the surrounding area with mines if ignored in favor of killing the enemies actively shooting at the player.
Empyrean[]
These units appear in the Empyrean game mode. Kosma units are deployed on Earth Proxima, Gyre on Saturn Proxima and Exo on Veil Proxima. Almost all the units have Elite counterparts appearing in higher-level missions.
Fighters[]
Single person attack crafts, attack in waves.
Heavy Fighters[]
Feature higher armor and have more powerful, unique ways of attacking.
- Main article: Outrider
Outriders are Grineer heavy fighters encountered in Railjack missions. They are equipped with heavy armor, making them nearly impervious to standard weapons fire. They can only easily be destroyed with Munitions, or by specifically targeting the glowing weak points located on their fuselage.
Crewships[]
Heavily armored and almost impenetrable to normal attacks, these ships feature a crew and can deploy Ramsleds.
- Main article: Gokstad Crewship
Gokstad Crewships are heavily armored Grineer troop transport ships, found in Empyrean missions, that can only be destroyed by the Railjack's Forward Artillery or internal reactor sabotage. They sport homing missiles commanded from three posts, and can be boarded to take command of those posts, pilot the ship, or destroy the central reactor. In addition, they can fire up to four Ramsleds in an effort to board the player's Railjack.
- Main article: Skold Crewship
Skold Crewships are Grineer troop transport ships in Empyrean missions, largely identical to the standard Gokstad Crewship but with the addition of shields that protect it from most threats. They are currently only found in the Veil Proxima.
Utility[]
- Main article: Ramsled
Ramsleds are Grineer boarding capsules in Empyrean missions. These capsules will home-in on Railjacks, and on collision will deploy Grineer Raiders, Raider Carvers and Eviscerators to attack the Railjack from within. Each Gokstad Crewship and the mission's Point of Interest(s) will deploy up to 4 Ramsleds.
Cephalon Cy will announce when a Ramsled has been deployed, and if the boarding party has successfully entered the Railjack.
Cannon Battery | General | Drops | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | Update 27.0 (2019-12-13) | Mod Drops: Hyperstrike 3.7935% Overloader 3.7935% Ripload 3.7935% Ironclad Matrix 1.1055% Protective Shots 1.1055% Warhead 1.1055% Crimson Fugue 0.3015% | ||
Tileset | Empyrean | |||
Weapon | Cannons | |||
Codex Scans | 20 | |||
Statistics | ||||
Machinery | ? | |||
+ ++ +++ - - | ||||
Ferrite Armor | ? | |||
++ +++ - - | ||||
Affinity | 50 |
Bosses[]
- Main article: Bosses
Bosses are officers within the Grineer faction.
- Main article: Captain Vor
Captain Vor is the Grineer officer responsible for the players' awakening in the opening moments of WARFRAME. He is one of the few figures in the Origin System that understand ancient Orokin technology, and is capable of utilizing it and merging it with Grineer technology to create offensive weapons such as his trademark Seer pistol and his armor, powered by a Void Key that he refers to as the "Janus Key", which also grants him a powerful ranged beam attack, impenetrable shielding and the ability to teleport.
- Main article: Councilor Vay Hek
Councilor Vay Hek is the Grineer boss of Earth. He is among the most influential and dangerous Grineer, being responsible for the Cicero Toxin to poison Earth's forests, the reconditioning of the psychotic and highly aggressive The Grustrag Three soldiers, the Balor Fomorian warships that can destroy capital ships and Relays, and the animalistic and hastily bred Ghouls.
Vay Hek is fought on Oro, Earth, which can be accessed only by players of Mastery Rank 5 or higher. Upon defeating him and completing the mission, players will receive Hydroid component blueprints.
- Main article: General Sargas Ruk
General Sargas Ruk is the Grineer boss of the Saturn system. The head of one of the Grineer Artifact extraction projects, Sargas Ruk was targeted by the Lotus for annexing Tenno-controlled dig sites. Ruk enjoys Grineer augmentation, even going as far as replacing the lower part of his right arm with a massive flamethrower and his normal vision with a single augmentation in the center of his helmet.
Ruk is fought in the mission Tethys, Saturn. After defeating him and finishing the mission, the player will receive an Ember component blueprint. He has an increased chance to drop an Orokin Cell upon death since it can also drop it as a normal planet resource.
- Main article: The Grustrag Three
The Grustrag Three (commonly abbreviated as the G3) are a group of Assassins, founded by Councilor Vay Hek, who come after Tenno that have completed five Invasion missions against the Grineer.
- Main article: Kela De Thaym
Kela De Thaym is the Grineer boss of the Sedna system. Bloodthirsty and sadistic, she owns the combat arena known as Rathuum where Grineer defectors are forced to fight for their freedom against her Executioners, to the delight of her audience.
Kela is fought on the mission Merrow, Sedna. After defeating her and finishing the mission, the player will receive Saryn component blueprints. She will also drop an Executioner-themed mod and has a chance to drop Twin Kohmak blueprint and an Orokin Cell upon death.
- Main article: Lieutenant Lech Kril
Lieutenant Lech Kril is the Grineer boss of Mars, and a dual boss on Ceres alongside Captain Vor. A revered war hero clad in impenetrable armor and armed with a Gorgon and his signature Brokk hammer with Cold/ Heat abilities, Lech Kril is a formidable adversary for anyone who opposes him.
- On War, Mars, a successful assassination will reward Excalibur's components.
- On Exta, Ceres, a successful assassination will reward Frost's components and either Miter parts or Twin Gremlins blueprint.
- Main article: Sprag
Sprag is a Grineer Field Boss unit first introduced in Operation Gate Crash and now regularly encountered in Orokin Sabotage missions where Grineer are the dominant enemy. She, along with Ven'kra Tel, guard a Void Key necessary to close the Void Portal. She is later captured by Narmer and forced into their service.
She possesses a jet pack identical to that used by Hellions that grants her excellent mobility, and can use her Renok Hammer and special melee abilities to engage Tenno in close combat.
- Main article: Tyl Regor
Tyl Regor is the Grineer boss of the Uranus system. As the head researcher of Grineer gene repair, Regor works to remove the Cloning Decay Syndrome on his brethren, making strides through his "tubemen." Regor is fought in the mission Titania, Uranus. After defeating him and finishing the mission, the player will receive Equinox component blueprints.
- Main article: Ven'kra Tel
Ven'kra Tel is a special Grineer Field Boss unit first introduced in Operation Gate Crash and now regularly encountered in Orokin Sabotage missions where Grineer are the dominant enemy. She, along with Sprag, guard a Void Key necessary to close the Void Portal. She was later captured by Narmer and forced into their service.
She possesses a blue jet pack identical to that used by Hellions that grants her excellent mobility, and can use her Avex and other ranged special abilities to engage Tenno from afar.
Kuva Liches[]
- Main article: Kuva Lich
- Main article: Kuva Lich/Main
Kuva Liches are Grineer super soldiers that have been spiked with their Queens' Kuva, rendering them all but immortal. Kuva Larvlings that have the potential to become Liches are infused with the "old blood", and are armed with advanced Kuva weaponry and elite Thrall troops.
Acting as nemeses of the individual Tenno whose actions in battle have caused them to rise, Liches establish a foothold in the Star Chart. From there, they hinder the progress of the Tenno, seizing a portion of the loot gained from missions. Their Kuva-originated powers grant them invincibility in battle, that can only be broken by the Tenno who they are bound to - by discovering a sequence of enigmatic phrases inscribed on Requiem Mods, which the Tenno must unearth and apply to their Parazon in corresponding order, thus being able to purify the Lich's Kuva and permanently sever their Continuity. Every Kuva Lich has a unique name and various randomized properties.
- Main article: Kuva Larvling
A Kuva Larvling is a unique Grineer enemy that can spawn on any regular level 20+ Grineer mission. They can be mercied at low health to spawn a Kuva Lich.
Kuva Larvlings will only spawn after you have completed The War Within quest.
After the screen flashes in any level 20+ Grineer mission, players are required to kill at least 10 enemies in under 1 minute for the Kuva Larvling to spawn. The body count requirement may increase by 10 for each Tenno present, so having more players may affect the kill requirement and the length of the timer.
Trivia[]
- Before Update 10.0 (2013-09-13) was implemented, the Grineer troops used to speak fluent English, which was then changed to the Grineer language in order to retain the lore of the Grineer aggressively disliking anything not Grineer.
- One of the more infamous voice lines from pre-Update 10.0 (2013-09-13) Grineer was "Combat formation Bravo!". It was jokingly explained by a DE staff member that a key requirement of Formation Bravo is to never mention anyone's mother. Other joking fan interpretations of Formation Bravo refer to the "enemy tower" bug, where enemies would spawn on each other's heads.
- Other popular lines from pre-Update 10.0 (2013-09-13) were "Stay close to the walls." and "Hey, leave my mother out of this."
- So far, the Grineer are the only voiced faction to have a strong direct aggression against the Tenno, speaking their name during their attacks in their language.
- They also have been heard saying Waframe, as in Warframe, when spotting one themselves.
- The same applies to many phrases the Grineer use, such as yelling "attaf!" instead of "attack!" and "ket clem!" instead of "get them!" (The Grineer word "clem" has been created into a fictional fan character whose name is the word itself. DE has stated in a Devstream that he is the Medallion Merchant for the Steel Meridian in their syndicate room as well.) Clem was later added to the game as a full character.
- In essence, Grineer still speak English, but since Update 10.0 (2013-09-13), it has been adjusted to account for their decaying flesh and how that might affect their speech, essentially giving them a speech impediment.
- In a Devstream, DE has stated that the Grineer are British. However, this might only be a joke regarding their language and their loyalty to the Twin Queens. They also share similarities to the Lasrian troops from Dark Sector.
- When playing an Invasion mission, while the player has sided with the Grineer, they still will cry out quotes like "Tenno Scum", because although the AI is allied with the player the voice choices still do not alter. The same goes with Shadow Grineer, shouting at other Grineer the same anti-Tenno aggressive lines.
- The Corpus refer to the Grineer as "dogs", not because of their degraded appearances but to their aspect of extreme servitude towards their leaders (and possibly creators), the Twin Queens. This was mentioned by Alad V during The Gradivus Dilemma.
- Their name "Grineer" seems to be a portmanteau of the words "Genetically" and "Re-engineer" which makes sense given the lore behind them.
- The name "Grineer" may also be derived from the title of a folkloric monster known as Seigneur du grenier, a French version of the Bogeyman myth.
- In Update 13.2 (2014-05-01), the female Grineer received an audio overhaul. Speaking in a deeper and more aggressive tone, with long pauses and slurs, adding viability to their genetic deterioration.
- Despite the Grineer being a xenophobic race, in the trailer for Vor's Prize, which was shown at the end of Devstream 32, Captain Vor and the Twin Queens are heard speaking in English. Sargas Ruk and a number of other notable Grineer speak the language as well.
- Kuva Liches can speak English as well, but couldn't in the form of Kuva Larvlings. It is implied it is an effect of the whole immortalization process, being gifted with a superior body and intelligence.
- As evidenced by Grineer Lancer's Synthesis imprint, the Grineer existed in the same time period as the Orokin. This is further confirmed by the Arid Eviscerator's imprint, which also confirms the Orokin created the Grineer for slave labor. Originally clone servants used for hard labor, they were militarized by their masters in a desperate attempt to beat their enemies in the Old War.[7]
- The Operator will also mention that "the Grineer used to be builders."
- According to the Landing Craft's Scanner, the Grineer use Solar Rails, possibly in a sort of ongoing partnership with the Corpus (who are known to be the faction controlling the transport network) or a fraction of them; while the Rail Control dispatcher's voice sounds closer to Corpus, he always closes his communications with "Glory To The Queens". They also control mining colonies by attacking them and killing anyone that opposes them (e.g. Rebels).
- For some reason most all of the Drekar Grineer units have the Operator eye guard cosmetic on their left eye.
- In a new Warframe trailer aired during TennoCon 2019, a Grineer depicted in the trailer shows no sign of genetic deterioration, whose concept art was later shown during Devstream 129.
- The event in the trailer is presumably at least a millennia before the Tenno went into their long stasis sleep and awakened at the current timeline.
- On Grineer missions/maps, whistling can occasionally be heard in the background. This is reinforced when Hyekka Masters are nearby, who occasionally whistle the first few bars of "Three Blind Mice."
- Grineer can be considered as a form of cyborgs. Most of them have been altered with mechanical prosthetics and crude cybernetic augmentations. But higher ranking Grineer having robust cybernetic augmentations like Vay Hek.
- Grineer seem to exhibit some form of sexual size dimorphism in their species, with female individuals being taller and stronger while requiring less armor than most of their male couterparts as seen with Heavy Gunners, Ballistas, and Kela de Thaym.
- While Grineer are genetically engineered to display loyalty to the Queens, few individuals have genetic defects like the "pacifism defect" that allow them to break free from this programming and have defected. Known characters with this anomaly include Cressa Tal and her Steel Meridian, Clem, Kavor Defectors, a few Ghouls in the Plains of Eidolon, and Kahl-175.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ "The Grineer, swallowing colonies whole, their clones flood the system from a hidden, toxic womb. The Twin Queens, the sisters, have sent their most beloved commanders on an urgent mission. To protect the twisted crusade they have begun. To transform the scattered colonies into an empire. To see that the Tenno, hidden and asleep, will never awaken." - Lotus, during Vor's Prize
- ↑ The sprawling ranks of the Grineer are formed of rotting hordes of simpleton clones, bent on consuming everything that remains of the Solar System. They live short, violent lives, much of it an inheritance of the genetic stunting by their former Orokin masters. - Grineer Fragment
- ↑ "Every so often they mess up and make a Grineer who doesn't bow down to the Queens. My contractor is such a Grineer..." -Darvo, during the A Man of Few Words quest "Kavor, you're the worst of a bad batch. Inflicted with that mutation, the pacifism defect. You should have been incinerated like the garbage you are." -General Sargas Ruk, during The Pacifism Defect "Before you go, you should know something: the crew is Grineer. But not just any Grineer – they're Kavor defectors, pacifists who deserted Sargas Ruk's army when they could no longer bring themselves to kill for him." -Lotus, during The Pacifism Defect "Clone rot undermined genetic conditioning. You developed death fear." No. You didn't develop death fear. Back in the day they would've called it dignity." "I'm fairly sure this level of intuition was not included in your design specs." -Daughter, during dialogue at Kahl's Garrison
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lancer Synthesis imprint
- ↑ Guardsman Synthesis imprint
- ↑ Kuria poem
- ↑ Alluded to in Lancer Synthesis imprint
Patch History[]
Update 35.1 (2024-02-20)
- Fixed parts of certain Drekar Grineer units being completely black.
Update 33.6 (2023-07-27)
- Fixed Grineer enemies taking cover and not attacking unless damaged by players.
Update 32.3 (2023-02-15)
- Added a new react animation to several Grineer units when Warframes vanish in front of them (using Abilities or other mechanics).
- Fixed Grineer enemies ignoring attacks from wild Kubrows and not retaliating.
Update 31.5 (2022-04-27)
- Converted certain attachments on Grineer enemies to PBR.
- Updated and tweaked Grineer model materials and improved their visibility in darker areas.
- Made improvements to how shiny the Grineer eyes are.
- Updated Mars Grineer face materials.
- Fixed slight green tinge that appeared on some Grineer faces.
Hotfix 30.7.6 (2021-09-23)
- Fixed Grineer enemies hiding behind cover for too long.
Update 30.5 (2021-07-06)
- Fixed Grineer enemies getting stuck in implacements when you flank them and they attempt to turn to face you.
Hotfix 28.0.6 (2020-06-24)
- Fixed an issue in the Grineer's genetic code where dying while frozen resulted in their face floating a meter away from their head.
Update 27.2 (2020-03-05)
- Added new Elite Shield Lancers to Asteroid, Forest, Shipyard and Galleon missions that have level 25+ Grineer.
- Added new “hit reaction” animations to Grineer enemies!
- Before this change Grineer would only “flinch” when attacked - Now, with the updated hit reactions, it’ll be much easier to see when an enemy has been hit. These hit reactions are also much more dynamic to improve your Grineer crushing experience.
Update 27.0 (2019-12-13)
- Kosma, Gyre, and Exo units introduced in the Empyrean.
Update 22.0 (2017-10-12)
- Tusk units introduced in the Plains of Eidolon.
Update 19.0 (2016-11-11)
- Kuva units introduced in the Kuva Fortress.
Update 17.0 (2015-07-31)
- Drekar units introduced in the Grineer Sealab tileset on Uranus.
Update 11.5 (2013-12-19)
- Frontier units introduced in the Grineer Forest tileset on Earth.
Update 10.0 (2013-09-13)
- All Grineer now speak “Grineer”, a language capable of communicating their barbaric ways!
- Added all-new Male and Female Grineer combat VO!
Update 9.5 (2013-08-09)
- Arid units introduced in the Grineer Settlement tileset on Mars.
See Also[]
- Grineer Language
- Enemy Behavior, including tips and tricks on how to know your enemy.
- Factions