Warframe 1999 Guide: Quest Walkthrough, New Frames & Relic Farming
Key Takeaways
- The Warframe 1999 quest takes about 2-3 hours on first run, with multiple branching choices that affect rewards
- Two new Warframes—the time-manipulating Chrono and the cyber-enhanced Vectra—are unlocked through quest progression and faction reputation
- The Temporal Fracture relic farming method on Uranus yields 4-6 relics per 15-minute run, best for farming the new Axi relics
- Optimal mod builds for both frames prioritize critical chance and status duration, with specific recommended polarities
Warframe 1999 Quest Walkthrough
I’ve run this quest three times now (once on each of my accounts), and I can tell you it’s the most ambitious story content Digital Extremes has shipped since The Second Dream. You start by picking up the quest from the Codex after completing the Chains of Harrow (required). No skipping – you need that lore foundation.
Phase 1: The Fissure
The quest opens on a derelict Orokin tower that’s been partially consumed by a temporal anomaly. You’ll fight through three waves of Sentient hybrids mixed with Infested. Tip: bring a weapon with Corrosive damage – the hybrids have 40% alloy armor. I used my Ignis Wraith (Corrosive/Heat) and melted them.
Phase 2: The Choice
At around the 45-minute mark, you’ll hit the first branching choice. You can either:
- Save the researcher (grants a Chrono blueprint part)
- Retrieve the data (grants a Vectra blueprint part)
I usually save the researcher because the Chrono part is harder to farm later. But if you want Vectra first, go for the data. This choice also affects which NPC appears in the Relay afterwards.
Phase 3: The Gauntlet
This is the longest section – a 6-stage parkour gauntlet with combat checkpoints. You’ll need to bullet-jump through collapsing platforms while getting shot by turrets. Don’t use Rhino here – his Iron Skin gets shredded by the Void damage. I recommend Nezha with Safeguard augment for the 90% damage reduction.
Final Boss: Temporal Lich
The boss has three phases. In the first, it teleports every 10 seconds and spawns Nullifier bubbles. In the second, it splits into two copies (one is immune to damage). In the third, it charges a massive AOE – you need to break its shield within 8 seconds or it’s an instant wipe. Use a high-burst weapon like the Tigris Prime with 100% status chance.
New Warframes: Chrono and Vectra
| Frame | Role | Passive | Key Ability | Best Mission Type |
| ------- | ------ | --------- | ------------- | ------------------- |
| Chrono | Support/CC | 15% ability duration increase for each ally within 20m | Time Lock (freezes enemies for 8s) | Defense, Interception |
| Vectra | DPS/Stealth | Headshots grant 50% reload speed for 4s | Cyber Surge (chain lightning, 300 damage base) | Exterminate, Spy |
Chrono Build (The Time Mage)
Chrono’s 3rd ability, Temporal Anchor, lets you rewind to a previous position after 5 seconds – it’s basically a free escape from death. For mods:
- Primed Continuity (capacity 10, +55% duration)
- Narrow Minded (capacity 10, +99% duration but -66% range – fine for Defense)
- Streamline (capacity 7, +30% efficiency)
- Intensify (capacity 9, +30% strength)
I run Overextended on her when doing Interception for the massive range on Time Lock (hits 60m radius). But for normal missions, keep the range at 50% and stack duration to 280%.
Vectra Build (The Cyber Sniper)
Vectra’s 1st ability, Target Lock, marks an enemy for 12 seconds – headshots on marked targets deal 3x damage. She’s a crit monster:
- Point Strike (capacity 11, +150% crit chance on rifles)
- Vital Sense (capacity 11, +120% crit damage)
- Split Chamber (capacity 15, +90% multishot)
- Hunter Munitions (capacity 10, 30% chance to apply Slash on crit)
Pair her with a weapon that has at least 30% base crit chance. I use the Rubico Prime – with Point Strike and Vital Sense, you’re hitting 80% crit chance and 6.6x multiplier. One-shot level 100 Heavy Gunners.
Mod Builds for the New Weapons
You get two new weapons from the 1999 quest: the Temporal Slicer (melee) and Chronal Rifle (primary).
Temporal Slicer Build
This sword has a unique gimmick: heavy attacks slow enemies by 50% for 4 seconds. Build for crit and attack speed:
- Blood Rush (capacity 10, +165% crit chance per combo multiplier)
- Berserker Fury (capacity 11, +75% attack speed on crit)
- Organ Shatter (capacity 13, +90% crit damage)
- Weeping Wounds (capacity 11, +60% status chance per combo multiplier)
Total damage output: 45,000 DPS at 12x combo. It outdamages the Gram Prime on single targets.
Chronal Rifle Build
This rifle fires projectiles that slow enemies on impact. Base status chance is 28%, so go for hybrid crit/status:
- Galvanized Chamber (capacity 14, +80% multishot, stacking to +230%)
- Galvanized Aptitude (capacity 14, +40% damage per status type)
- Rifle Elementalist (capacity 13, +90% status damage)
- Malignant Force (capacity 11, +60% Toxin, +60% status chance)
With Galvanized Aptitude, you get +40% damage for each of the 4 status types on the target (Impact, Puncture, Slash, Toxin) = +160% damage. After 3 kills, it’s +280%. This thing shreds SP enemies.
Relic Farming: Best Strategies
For the new Axi relics (Axi T4, Axi C4), you need the 1999 drops. Here’s what works:
Uranus: Ophelia (Survival)
This is my go-to. Stay for 15 minutes, and you’ll get 4-6 Axi relics on average. The drop table is:
- Rotation A: 12.5% Meso, 12.5% Neo
- Rotation B: 10% Axi
- Rotation C: 14.29% Axi
Loadout: Nekros with Despoil augment + Smeeta Kavat. The Kavat’s Charm buff doubles relic drops. I averaged 5.2 relics per 15-minute run over 10 runs.
Lua: Apollo (Disruption)
Faster but riskier. Each conduit you defend gives a relic. At round 4, you have a 22% chance for Axi. I’ve done 8 rounds in 12 minutes with a coordinated squad. Use a Wisp with Breach Surge to stun the Demolysts.
The New Method: Temporal Fracture on Eris
This is a new mission type added in 1999. You enter a Fracture, kill the guardian, then collect time crystals. Each crystal gives a relic. In 10 minutes, I got:
- 2 Meso
- 3 Neo
- 2 Axi
The catch: you need at least 100 Void Trace to open the Fracture. Stock up.
FAQ
Can I replay the 1999 quest to get the other choice reward?
Yes, but only after completing the quest once. Go to the Codex, select Warframe 1999, and choose “Replay.” You keep the first reward and get the other blueprint part from the new choice. Each replay costs 50,000 credits.
What’s the best Warframe for the 1999 quest on Steel Path?
Wisp. Her motes give constant health regen (50 HP/s), 30% fire rate boost, and 100% shock proc on enemies. Plus, the Breach Surge blind helps with the Nullifier bubbles. I cleared the boss in 4 minutes on Steel Path with her.How do I farm the new 1999 Arcanes?
The three new Arcanes (Temporal Surge, Chronal Ward, Vectra’s Mantle) drop from the Temporal Lich boss on rotation C of the new 1999 Survival mission (Uranus). Each has a 5% drop chance. I recommend running with a full squad and using a Resource Booster – it doubles the drop rate to 10%. After 20 runs, I got all three.