Grineer

From the chaos of the Collapse, they emerged, Violent hordes of decaying clones, overflowing from their toxic womb. They flood the Origin System, swallowing colonies whole.
The twin Queens, the SISTERS, have devised a plan to transform the scattered colonies into an Empire across the planets.

The Sisters have sent their most trusted brood on a vital quest - the TENNO, hidden and asleep, must never awaken.

—In-game Lore Description

The Grineer are the first enemies encountered by newly reawakened Tenno. They utilize technologically crude but undeniably effective weapons. More than one Tenno has fallen because they underestimated the accuracy of a Grineer Lancer with their Grakata rifles while waiting for shields to recharge.

To a man, the Grineer are clones; products of ancient, half-remembered technologies. Copies of copies, Grineer soldiers are produced in industrial quantities, and all are genetically defective, their genome damaged by the invasive cloning procedures used to birth each generation. As a result, they have very limited lifespans, and have a life cycle that is limited to only a few years. However, these defects are as mass-produced as the Grineer themselves, allowing for the rapid standardization of techno-augmetic adaptation between such generations. Indeed, it could be argued that the Grineer are better at fixing broken bodies than they are at making ones that function to begin with. Their homeworld is a ruined, uninhabitable Earth. They are people acting on an ultimate xenophobia, fueled by hereditary madness, and a burning hate of anything and anyone not like themselves. In the end, should they succeed, there will only be Grineer left alive in the solar 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. Specialty troops use more advanced weapons, and many are even issued comparatively advanced reactive armor to give them an edge.

The armor on the average Grineer deserves special mention because it makes them the faction with the highest resistance to damage. This coupled with several elemental resistances and the fact that the relatively common Elite Lancer is heavily armored makes them the most durable faction, with their Medium and Heavy units becoming absolute bullet sponges at higher levels.

Weaponry

Main article: Category:Grineer

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. Ranging from simple pistols to heavier rifles, shotguns, and machine guns; to missile launchers, flamethrowers, and melee weapons featuring superheated surfaces. Grineer weaponry is largely conventional or industrial in operation. Grineer aesthetics largely eschew right angles and instead have a curves-and-spot-welding look, perhaps indicative of the large amounts of tough, temperature- and shock-resistant Ferrite and Alloys used in Grineer construction and manufacturing - a Grineer rifle isn't laboriously cast or machined for precision; it's pressed from molds, quickly filed down, and assembled by the billions, designed with as many loose tolerances as possible to further streamline the process. Fittingly enough, Grineer weaponry isn't generally designed to be used against the Grineer, being primarily engineered to deal Script error: The function "Proc" does not exist. damage with their weapons for use against the Corpus and their shield systems, or Script error: The function "Proc" does not exist. for use against the Infested. Many Grineer weapons also lack full stocks, relying on their wielder's augmented strength and/or heavy, padded armor to absorb the recoil. Other Grineer weapons simply are too large or heavy for other races to consider practical, whether they be hydraulically-assisted axes or hammers, or flail-like whips that include a set of grinding blades.

...Not that this stops the Tenno from making use of them if able.

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 not something they'd otherwise have much familiarity with. A good 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 good examples include the Jat Kittag - a Grineer warhammer that incorporates a series of jet engines to allow it even more destructive force. As of the most recent updates, the Grineer have, despite the best efforts of the Lotus, developed primitive microwave and plasma 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 a fearsome Nightwatch corps.

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: 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.

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.

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: 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: 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: 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 a 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: 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: 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: 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: 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.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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.

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: Spark

The Spark is a special variant of the Bombard which appears on Grineer Spy missions. They can appear as reinforcements to strengthen the defenses of Data Vaults if a Data Vault alarm had been previously triggered.

While appearing similar to the standard Bombard, the Spark's weapon fires slow-moving orbs that deal Electricity damage and proc.

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.

Archwing

Troops deployed in Archwing game mode.

Main article: Ogma

The Ogma is a Grineer heavy space combat pod with heavy armor and weapons.

Main article: Dreg

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

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: Hellion Dargyn

Hellion Dargyns are Dargyns equipped with guided missile launchers, which they can fire in salvos of missiles against enemies.

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

Troops which appear in the Submersible Archwing portions of the Grineer Sealab tileset.

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: 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: 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.

Sikula

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.

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/Main Tab

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: 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: 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: 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: 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.

Defenses

Various defenses are utilized by the Grineer, ranging from pre-spawned turrets or inflatable, deployable cover.

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.

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.

Trivia

Before Update 10 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 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.
- Other popular lines from pre-Update 10 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 Wafram, 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.)
- In essence, Grineer still speak English, but since Update 10, 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.
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 nicknamed the Grineer as the "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.
In Update 13.2, 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 leaked 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.
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.
- The Operator will also mention that "the Grineer used to be builders."
According to the Liset's Radio, 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 faction 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 (eg. Rebels).