The Phantasma Prime is an MR14 Beam Shotgun, and a very minor upgrade over the base MR9 Phantasma. Released in U32.0.9 alongside Revenant Prime, it is a potent Status weapon with borderline-usable Crit, and excels at stacking massive numbers of procs on clumps of enemies.
Acquisition
Standard Prime weapon stuff, the PhantasmaP's Blueprint and components are potential drops from various Void Relics.
Stats
The Phantasma Prime's Primary Fire is an extremely potent Status attack. 22.2% base Status Chance is enormous when combined with the innate 6 beams of Multishot and a Fire Rate of 12. This gives for an average base Status output of roughly 16 procs a second, which I believe is the highest of any weapon in the game.
Impact and Radiation are not ideal base Damages for this since neither inflicts a damaging proc, but at very least they do not interfere with elements added by mods. Primary Fire's Crit is underwhelming, 11%/1.9x being quite low and not necessarily worth building for.
Being a Beam attack, Primary Fire consumes ammo at half its Fire Rate (6 per second instead of 12). This combined with its lightning-fast Reload Time of just 0.5s gives a respectable Reload Ratio of 3.67.
Primary Fire has a limited Range of 20m, which is a noticeable drawback in larger tiles and especially the Open Worlds, but can be mitigated by good use of Warframe's movement system. It also has innate body Punch-Through, allowing it to pass through and hit multiple enemies in a line - however it will be stopped by any solid object.
Ammo Max of 330 is a respectable amount, supplying up to 33 full reloads. An ammo recovery rate of 15 per pickup is not the best especially with the ammo drop rate reduction, as the Phantasma can still eat through its ammo relatively quickly.
Alternate Fire is a charge-up explosive attack. Charging up increases the ammo consumed as well as proportionally increasing the damage dealt - the base Damage numbers represent that of one ammo. Interestingly, the Charge Rate and damage is based on raw ammo count and not a fraction of Mag Capacity. Increasing Mag Capacity therefore increases how long Alt Fire can charge for (11 ammo-per-second), as well as its maximum damage (15+73 damage-per-ammo).
Alt Fire is once again clearly a Status-only attack, with excellent 37% Status Chance but awful 3%/1.5x Crit. Base Impact and Radiation damages are again not ideal for a Status weapon, but could definitely be worse.
Alt Fire's projectiles explode in a 4.8m radius (which can of course cause self-stagger/knockdown), which is quite small compared to many meta explosive weapons. Thankfully, its Damage Fall-Off is relatively mild at just 50% at maximum range. These projectiles are quite slow, and also suffer from significant drop.
After detonation, Alt Fire releases a number of homing projectiles which share the same stat spread as the main Alt Fire projectile, except with even lower base Damage. These projectiles are useful for spreading even more Status procs, but not so much for actually killing enemies due to their low base Damage.
When wielded by Revenant (Prime), the PhantasmaP gains +4 Mag Capacity, not scaling with mods.
Augments
None.
Builds
Status 0-Forma:
The PhantasmaP has three native polarities - two V and one -. This is great as it accommodates several of the most important mods you will want to install. +Damage, +Multishot and some elemental mods are the first point of call. Vigilante Armaments is a nice, no-fuss Multishot boost. Blaze is particularly strong in any build using Heat damage.
The PhantasmaP performs especially well when modded with any damage-over-time procs. The obvious one is Heat, which stacks with itself to deal enormous damage to most targets, especially alongside Viral or Corrosive as appropriate. Toxin is exceptionally strong against unarmoured Corpus, and surprisingly effective against Shields that cannot be bypassed if it is backed up with Magnetic.
With the spare slots, it is worth looking to stack mods to maximise the damage-over-time proc type, for instance Heat in the above build. Besides just adding more damage, it also increases the chance of inflicting that particular proc, as well as increasing the damage dealt by some of those procs.
Recommended Setups: Viral + Heat vs everything, Corrosive + Heat vs Ferrite-armour, Infested, Toxin + Magnetic/Radiation vs Corpus
Crit 1-Forma:
One added V polarity opens more build options.
A Crit build is most notable if you reliably land headshots, as it will benefit much more from the bonus Crit headshot multiplier. This is the best way to get a Crit build hitting as hard as, or harder than, an equivalent pure Status build.
With a Crit build, Hunter Munitions could hypothetically be used to allow the PhantasmaP to inflict Slash procs. In practice however, even with Critical Deceleration and a high Fire Rate and base Multishot, the PhantasmaP does not inflict enough Slash procs for HM to be worth it. It is far more effective to focus on elemental damage-over-time procs, most notably Heat against armoured enemies.
Notably, a Crit build is also highly inefficient for Alt Fire as its Crit stats are awful.
Status 1-Forma:
The damage boost from building for Crit is not very large, so without reliable Crit headshots you may be better off focusing just on Status output and elemental damage.
A +Fire Rate mod like Shotgun Barrage is a significant increase to Burst DPS, especially for a Crit build running Critical Decel. However, it also cranks up ammo consumption rates to even more problematic levels. As such, I personally prefer not to use them.
Vicious Spread is an option for more Damage, but it becomes obsolete with Galv mods and Arcanes, and Blaze is a much stronger option for any build using Heat. A (Primed) Cleanse mod is extremely strong as its damage boost is applied twice to damage-over-time procs. It is absolutely worth the mod slot for longer missions if you can be bothered maxing and switching them around.
On a Crit build, you could look at also using the conditional Crit mods Laser Sight/Shrapnel Shot, though their benefit is fairly low so I don't think they are worth the slot.
I personally find the constant reloading a tad irritating, even though it is very quick. As such, I like using Primed Ammo Stock/Tactical Pump for increased Mag Capacity/Reload Speed respectively, even if their Sustained DPS boost is quite small.
A regular Punch-Through mod like Seeking Fury allows Primary Fire to shoot through objects as well as enemies with its innate body Punch-Through. It isn't as big a benefit as it is for weapons without innate Punch-Through, and it is also detrimental for Alt Fire since it will pass through enemies it can penetrate, rather than detonating.
For the Exilus slot, there are two notable options. An Ammo Mutation mod like Vigilante Supplies can greatly reduce any ammo concerns in longer missions. Otherwise, Sinister Reach can be used to increase Primary Fire's range from 20m to 32m, which is a significant boost.
Recommended Setups: see above.
I have two main builds that I use for the PhantasmaP. This first one is my default, a fairly standard Viral + Heat Crit build. I prefer a Crit build partly because the Fire Rate penalty of Critical Decel makes it slightly more ammo efficient, and also because I can benefit from Crit headshots fairly reliably.
The other build is a pure Status-focused build. I like Primed Ammo Stock as although it does not significantly improve Sustained DPS, it makes the PhantasmaP much more comfortable to use for me. Switching Primed Ammo Stock to an actually good mod like a (Primed) Cleanse makes this pure Status build significantly better than the Crit build.
The Phantasma Prime's Primary Fire is a very strong Status attack, with usable (though still underwhelming) Crit if you want to build that way. It is very effective against clumps of enemies, thanks to its high Fire Rate and innate body Punch-Through. It can sweep through groups of enemies with ease, and its good Reload Ratio allows it to engage streams of enemies with minimal downtime.
Alt Fire doesn't offer much over Primary Fire. Its explosive attack with homing projectiles do not offer notably superior damage or Status output compared to Primary Fire. Its explosive AoE and additional projectiles are notable for offering better radial AoE than Primary Fire's innate body Punch-Through, making it somewhat useful for crippling wider groups of enemies. Its charge mechanic can allow it to deal notable damage, but this also requires significant time spent charging which is not ideal.
Galvanised Build and Arcane
Galv Chamber.
Galv Savvy is strong option. It only requires 2 unique procs to roughly match the damage of Primed Point Blank, and 3+ unique procs will comfortably exceed it. The PhantasmaP has innate Impact and Radiation, which with elemental mods and incredibly high Status output allows it to inflict up to 4 unique procs effortlessly. The increased Status Chance is always appreciated.
Galv Acceleration is also a strong option for the Exilus slot, almost doubling Primary Fire's range to 38m fully stacked and beating Sinister Reach (which gets to 32m). However, it has to compete with an Ammo Mutation mod as the PhantasmaP eats through ammo quite quickly and can struggle to replenish ammo in longer missions.
I wouldn't bother with Fractalised Reset as the PhantasmaP's Reload Time is not long enough to really worry about. Both Merciless and Deadhead have value. Merciless is of course easier to stack, stacking from any kill including from damage-over-time procs, and the +Reload Speed is nice to slightly reduce time spent reloading. Deadhead stacks faster if you land the requisite direct headshot kills, however it will not stack if damage-over-time procs deal the last hit - even if the inflicting hit was a headshot. If this is not an issue, it offers strictly more damage than Merciless thanks to its increased headshot multiplier.
My Builds
Combat Use and Summary
Primary Fire is also extremely potent against heavily armoured enemies, and any other enemies against whom it can stack Status procs. It will effortlessly max out Viral or Corrosive procs for majorly increased damage, and will stack ludicrous numbers of any uncapped damage-over-time procs it has modded on. This is especially strong for Heat procs, which combine very well with Viral/Corrosive and stack uniquely with themselves for immense damage.
Naturally, Primary Fire is least effective against enemies who are Status-resistant/immune. While it technically can be built for Crit, it is only worth it if you also land headshots reliably as its Crit is not particularly good. The PhantasmaP relies heavily on stacking Status procs to achieve maximum damage, putting it at a significant disadvantage against these sorts of enemies. The delayed nature of damage-over-time procs also means that against unarmoured enemies, the PhantasmaP is less efficient than more Crit-focused weapons, which can deal much higher Burst DPS particularly to enemy heads.
Range is an obvious drawback. Primary Fire has a limited range of 20m at base, while Alt Fire launches slow projectiles with significant drop. This is less of a problem in Warframe than it would be in most other games, as many tiles are relatively small, and Warframes can move incredibly quickly.
Ammo can also be a concern. Though a base Ammo Max of 330 is decently high, the PhantasmaP can eat through ammo fairly quickly especially with any +Fire Rate mods, and Ammo Recovery of 15 per pickup is very low. In longer missions, it can be more difficult to keep the PhantasmaP topped up, and an ammo recovery mod (e.g. Ammo Case/Mutation) is very much recommended.
Overall, the Phantasma Prime is a very strong Status weapon, with borderline usable Crit. It is brutally effective against anything vulnerable to Status procs, and can stack comically large numbers of procs on clumps of enemies. Anything that survives its initial burst of damage is subject to massive ticks of damage-over-time. Additionally, both of the PhantasmaP's firing modes possess solid anti-crowd effects, with Primary Fire having body Punch-Through and Alt Fire having an explosive AoE, as well as bonus homing projectiles.
Naturally, the PhantasmaP struggles most against Status-resistant/immune enemies who are not subjected to its incredible damage-over-time. This in turn also makes it less efficient against unarmoured enemies, as with fairly low Crit its direct damage is not as impressive as many other Shotguns in the game. Limited range and relatively fast ammo consumption are two other notable drawbacks.
If you are looking for a good Status weapon, a Shotgun that can handle crowds well, or just a solid close-range Primary, the Phantasma Prime is a very good option to pursue.
Scores
Vs Trash Mobs: 4.5/5 - Both firing modes are excellent against groups of enemies. Primary Fire is fast firing and has innate body Punch-Through, allowing it to sweep through clumps of weak enemies with ease. Alt Fire deals AoE damage with a number of bonus projectiles, giving it surprisingly decent area coverage and leaving any survivors with a plethora of Status procs.
Vs Unarmoured Heavies: 3/5 - Neither firing mode deals notably good Burst DPS. Primary Fire is better and can be built for Crit to take advantage of the extra Crit Headshot multiplier, but it is still underwhelming by Crit Shotgun standards.
Vs Armoured Heavies without Forced Slash: 5/5 - The PhantasmaP can effortlessly stack a colossal number of Heat procs on heavy targets, dealing immense damage-over-time even to the most heavily armoured enemies.
The IgnisW retains much superior Crit, however loses out quite significantly in DPS due to its far lower base Damage and Fire Rate. It also has a small range advantage (27m vs 20m), an additional radial AoE at the end of its beam, and significantly better ammo economy. On the other hand, the PhantasmaP inflicts a magnitude more procs due to its innate Multishot, higher Fire Rate, and great Status Chance.
There are two other Beam Shotguns as well, both with superior Crit and their own odd advantages: the MR7 Convectrix and MR11 Phage.
Vs Armoured Heavies with Forced Slash: NA/5 - Its Crit Chance is still not high enough to make effective use of Hunter Munitions. Just building for Heat is much more consistent and effective.
Vs Variants
The MR14 Phantasma Prime is a strict, if surprisingly mild, upgrade over the MR9 Phantasma. The increased Crit on Primary Fire makes it just high enough to consider building for, but not an automatic major upgrade. Alternate Fire curiously remains identical. The small increase in Ammo Max is appreciated, given how quickly the PhantasmaP can chew through ammo.
Given the difference in Riven Dispositions, a decent Riven can actually put the base Phantasma ahead of the Prime.
Competitors
The PhantasmaP has much the same competitors as the regular Phantasma. The MR9 Ignis Wraith is one of the most direct competitors to Primary Fire, as it also fires a beam with great Status output and innate body Punch-Through.
The PhantasmaP is a lot stronger overall, however the IgnisW has several usability advantages, primarily in ammo economy and its small range advantage.
There are several other Beam Rifles with AoE capabilities.
The MR10 Amprex and Primary Vermisplicer Kitgun both chain to several additional targets beyond the primary target, and can possess significantly superior Crit. In the case of the Vermi, it could be built for Status instead but I generally think it that a hybrid/pure Crit is more effective, mainly because Hunter Munitions exists. Their chaining mechanic gives them a more consistent and convenient AoE than the PhantasmaP's innate body Punch-Through, which does nothing against spread out enemies. Additionally, better Crit allows them to benefit more from the extra Critical Headshot multiplier, as well as make much better use of Hunter Munitions for anti-armour Slash procs. On the other hand, the PhantasmaP stacks Status procs at a far, far higher rate and deals a lot more direct damage if not landing headshots.
The MR12 Glaxion Vandal is another Status-focused beam weapon, with a small radial AoE at the end of its beam, slightly better Crit, and much better ammo economy. That is about all it has though, as the PhantasmaP is drastically more powerful and more effective in combat due to its much higher damage and Status output.
The Convectrix is most notably an exceptional Slash proc machine. It deals majority Slash damage, with fantastic Status Chance and high Fire Rate, as well as access to an Augment that further cranks up its Status output. It deals much less concentrated direct damage than the PhantasmaP, however when focused on single heavily armoured targets, effortlessly bleeds straight through them.
The Phage is notable for its innate Viral damage, which is extremely rare and very powerful. It can set up extremely potent elemental combos such as Viral + Corrosive or Viral + Toxin, and stack up an impressive number of Status procs in its own right. The PhantasmaP will still inflict more Status procs, as well as dealing much higher direct damage and being much more effective against groups.
Alt Fire is outclassed as an explosive weapon by most other meta explosives (e.g. Kuva Zarr, Kuva Bramma, Kuva Ogris, Proboscis Cernos), as while its Status output is very good, its actual damage is comparatively laughable.
Rivens
The Phantasma Prime starts with a minimum 1/5 (0.5) Riven Disposition. Though it is a fairly strong weapon, it is only marginally better than the base Phantasma which is sitting at an average 3/5 (1.05) Disposition. I'd expect the Prime to sit a little lower, partly as Crit stats on Rivens can offer decent benefit to the Prime where they were useless to the base Phantasma.
+Damage/Multishot are the standard positives, though the former is significantly weaker with Galv mods and Arcanes in the mix. +Crit Chance/Damage are good if you are going for a Crit build, and can make a Crit build worth pursuing where you may not bother otherwise. +Elemental Damage can be useful to save a mod slot or shift biases, notably useful to increase Heat proc damage and bias further. +Status Chance improves the PhantasmaP's best trait, though you will be getting plenty of it from other mods.
+Faction Damage is a very strong damage multiplier particularly of damage-over-time procs like Heat, which the PhantasmaP relies on heavily. It is most notable against the Grineer as their armour makes them by far the toughest of the three base Factions, though it is total overkill for most content. +Fire Rate is a decent DPS and Status proc increase, particularly if using Critical Deceleration, but it also increases ammo consumption which may not be desirable. +Mag Capacity/Reload Speed can be nice quality-of-life to minimise time spent reloading, but are not at all necessary. +Punch-Through can help Primary Fire to hit enemies through solid objects, but it already has innate body Punch-Through, and Alt Fire does not want any Punch-Through.
-Puncture/Slash are perfect as the PhantasmaP does not have either damage type at all. Impact is a pretty poor damage type and proc so reducing it is not terrible, however you would preferably like to keep at least a little, if for nothing else but an additional Galv Savvy multiplier. -Crit Chance/Damage are very minor downsides if you are not doing a Crit build. -Faction Damage to the weaker factions (arguably Corpus and especially Infested) is minimal if you are not going up against them in extreme endurance runs, and of course has no impact on other factions. -Ammo Max can be manageable if you have good ammo recovery (e.g. Ammo Case/Mutation). -Projectile Speed does not affect Primary Fire, but does slow down Alt Fire.
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