Warframe Relic Farming Guide 2025 – Void Traces, Refinement & Platinum/Hour

The Four Refinement Tiers: Costs, Rates & Economics

Refinement ROI Analysis: When Does Radiant Pay Off?

Radiant refinement increases rare drop rate from 2% to 10%—a 5× multiplier—but costs 100 void traces. Whether this investment is worthwhile depends entirely on the platinum value differential between rare and common rewards. The break-even formula is: (Rare_Plat - Common_Plat) × 0.08 ≥ 100 traces × Plat_per_Trace. Since void traces convert to approximately 0.15-0.20 platinum each (based on fissure farming opportunity cost), Radiant refinement requires the rare reward to be worth at least 50-60 platinum more than the common reward.

Expected Value Comparison Across Refinement Tiers

Best-of-Squad Mechanics: The Multiplier Effect

The best-of-squad mechanic allows all four players to select from any of the four revealed rewards, dramatically improving rare acquisition probability. With four Radiant relics (10% rare chance each), the probability that at least one rare appears is calculated using union probability: P(at least 1 rare) = 1 - P(no rares) = 1 - (0.90)^4 = 34.39%. This transforms individual 10% chances into a collective 34.39% squad chance, effectively multiplying rare drop efficiency by 3.44× compared to solo farming.

Void Trace Economics & Farming Efficiency

Probability distribution showing how refinement tiers shift reward chances from Common (76%) to Rare (10%) at maximum Radiant refinement

Void Trace Acquisition Rates by Mission Type

Optimal Trace Farming Strategy

For maximum void trace accumulation, run Void Survival missions in full squads using Intact relics. This strategy yields approximately 30-35 traces per 5-minute rotation (personal share from 4 players cracking relics), equating to 360-420 traces per hour. A 20-minute Survival run (4 rotations) nets 120-140 traces plus 4 new relics, providing enough traces to Radiant one relic (100 traces) with 20-40 traces remaining. Never spend traces on refinement while farming traces—always run Intact to maximize accumulation rate.

Void Trace to Platinum Conversion Rate

Void traces have an opportunity cost based on the platinum you could earn by running Intact relics instead of spending traces on refinement. If running Intact relics in Capture missions yields approximately 40-50 platinum per hour (through common/uncommon part sales), and you earn 160-200 traces per hour, each trace has an opportunity cost of 0.20-0.31 platinum. Therefore, spending 100 traces on Radiant refinement represents a 20-31 platinum opportunity cost that must be recouped through improved rare drop rates to justify the investment.

Mission Type Selection & Time Efficiency

Mission Completion Speed Analysis

Capture Mission Optimization: The Speed Meta

Void Capture missions represent the fastest relic cracking method at 2-3 minutes per completion with optimized loadouts. Using high-mobility frames (Gauss, Volt, Titania) with sprint speed mods and Void Sling improvements, experienced players complete Capture fissures in under 2 minutes consistently. At this speed, you can crack 20-25 relics per hour, making Capture the optimal choice when running Radiant relics for specific high-value rare parts. Pair this with a pre-organized squad where all four members bring Radiant relics of the same era for maximum rare appearance probability.

Survival Missions: Trace Farming & Multi-Relic Efficiency

Void Survival excels at simultaneous void trace accumulation and relic acquisition. Every 5-minute rotation rewards one relic to each player plus void traces from the cracked relic, creating a self-sustaining loop. Running 20-minute Survival sessions (4 rotations) is optimal for: (1) New players building relic stockpiles (4 new relics per run), (2) Void trace farming (120-140 traces from 4 personal relics + squad members' relics), (3) Farming multiple different parts from varied relic eras simultaneously (bring Lith/Meso/Neo/Axi in sequence).

Assumptions for Probability Calculations

Assumption Limitations & Edge Cases

These assumptions break down in several scenarios: new prime releases create temporary price spikes that decay within 2-4 weeks; vaulting events cause price surges that may last months; baro Ki'Teer visits affect market prices for ducats; and major updates can change mission completion times. For methodology details, see our Warframe relic analysis section.

Formula & Pseudocode: Expected Value Calculation

Core Expected Value Formula

Pseudocode: Radiant vs Intact ROI Calculator

function calculateRefinementROI(commonPlat, uncommonPlat, rarePlat, platPerTrace = 0.25) {
  // Intact relic probabilities
  const INTACT_COMMON = 0.76
  const INTACT_UNCOMMON = 0.22
  const INTACT_RARE = 0.02

  // Radiant relic probabilities
  const RADIANT_COMMON = 0.60
  const RADIANT_UNCOMMON = 0.30
  const RADIANT_RARE = 0.10
  const RADIANT_COST = 100 // void traces

  // Calculate expected values
  const intactEV = (INTACT_COMMON * commonPlat) +
                   (INTACT_UNCOMMON * uncommonPlat) +
                   (INTACT_RARE * rarePlat)

  const radiantGrossEV = (RADIANT_COMMON * commonPlat) +
                         (RADIANT_UNCOMMON * uncommonPlat) +
                         (RADIANT_RARE * rarePlat)

  const radiantCostPlat = RADIANT_COST * platPerTrace
  const radiantNetEV = radiantGrossEV - radiantCostPlat

  // Calculate best-of-squad probabilities (4 radiants)
  const squadRareProb = 1 - Math.pow(1 - RADIANT_RARE, 4)

  return {
    intactEV: intactEV,
    radiantNetEV: radiantNetEV,
    radiantWorthIt: radiantNetEV > intactEV,
    evDifference: radiantNetEV - intactEV,
    squadRareChance: squadRareProb,
    breakEvenRarePlat: (RADIANT_COST * platPerTrace) /
                       (RADIANT_RARE - INTACT_RARE) + commonPlat
  }
}

// Example: High value rare (Mesa Prime Systems: 80 plat)
const result = calculateRefinementROI(
  10,  // common: 10 plat
  25,  // uncommon: 25 plat
  80,  // rare: 80 plat
  0.25 // void trace opportunity cost
)

console.log(`Intact EV: ${result.intactEV} plat`)
console.log(`Radiant Net EV: ${result.radiantNetEV} plat`)
console.log(`Radiant worth it: ${result.radiantWorthIt}`)
console.log(`EV difference: ${result.evDifference} plat`)
console.log(`Squad rare chance (4 radiants): ${(result.squadRareChance * 100).toFixed(2)}%`)

Platinum/Hour Optimization Formula

Calculating optimal platinum per hour requires factoring mission completion time, refinement costs, and reward values:

Worked Example: Full Prime Set Farming Strategy

Scenario: Farming Mesa Prime Set

Step-by-Step Farming Plan

Alternative Strategy: All Intact vs Mixed Refinement

Running all relics as Intact without any refinement would require approximately 50 relic runs to obtain the rare Systems (2% drop rate). At 3 minutes per Capture run, this is 150 minutes (2.5 hours) just for Systems, plus another 30-40 minutes for other parts. Total time: 3+ hours for 135 platinum = 45 plat/hour. The Radiant strategy achieves 5.5× better platinum/hour efficiency by strategically investing void traces only on high-value rare parts.

Platinum/Hour Maximization Techniques

Prime Access Timing: The Launch Window

New Prime releases create temporary market opportunities where parts sell for 2-3× their long-term value. During the first week of a Prime Access, rare parts commonly sell for 150-250 platinum compared to 40-80 platinum after 4-6 weeks. Savvy farmers stockpile relics from the new prime during the first 48 hours (when relic acquisition is farmable but parts aren't flooding the market yet), then begin cracking on day 3-5 when prices peak but supply is still limited. This timing arbitrage can yield 300-500 platinum per hour during peak windows.

Vaulted Relic Speculation: Long-term Value

When Digital Extremes announces prime vault rotations, prices for soon-to-be-vaulted parts begin rising 2-4 weeks before vault date. Strategic players stockpile 50-100 relics of high-demand vaulted frames (Saryn, Chroma, Nova, Volt) before vaulting, then sell parts 2-3 months post-vault when prices peak at 150-300% of pre-vault values. A 50-relic stockpile of Saryn Prime (pre-vault cost: 15 plat average per relic in parts) can yield 40-60 plat per relic post-vault, netting 1,250-2,250 platinum profit for minimal time investment (just storage/waiting).

Coordinated Squad Farming: The 4x Radiant Meta

Relic Era Prioritization & Target Selection

Target Selection: High-Value vs High-Volume

Optimal farming balances two strategies: high-value targeting (farming expensive rare parts like Equinox Prime Systems, Ivara Prime Neuroptics) yields 100-200 platinum per successful acquisition but requires significant void trace investment and longer expected acquisition times. High-volume farming (mass-cracking cheap Lith/Meso relics as Intact) yields 15-25 platinum per hour consistently but caps around 40-50 plat/hour maximum. Experienced farmers alternate: mass-farm Intact relics during trace building phases, then focus-farm high-value Radiant targets when traces exceed 500.

Ducat Farming: The Baro Alternative Strategy

Some players optimize for ducat income (for Baro Ki'Teer purchases) rather than platinum. Ducats are earned by selling prime parts to the in-game vendor: Common = 15 ducats, Uncommon = 45 ducats, Rare = 100 ducats. Since rare parts only give 2.22× more ducats than uncommons but have 4.5× lower drop rates on Intact relics, ducat farming favors Intact relics targeting uncommon-heavy reward tables. This strategy yields 150-200 ducats per hour (10-13 relics × 15-20 ducats average) compared to 80-120 platinum per hour for platinum farming.

Edge Cases: Rare but Important Scenarios

Forma Blueprint Pollution: The Hidden Tax

Duplicate Rare Rewards: The Squad Coordination Problem

In coordinated Radiant squads, there's a 4.4% probability that 2+ rare rewards appear in the same run (calculated via binomial distribution). When this occurs, only one player can select each reward, meaning duplicate rares are "wasted" from an efficiency perspective. This is why some veteran farming squads rotate relic types across members—Player 1 brings Axi M1, Player 2 brings Neo M2, Player 3 brings Axi S1, Player 4 brings Meso M3—ensuring all rare appearances provide value to someone. This reduces duplicate probability from 4.4% to near-zero while maintaining best-of-squad benefits.

Prime Resurgence: The Vaulting Disruption

Prime Resurgence (Digital Extremes' vault rotation system allowing access to vaulted relics through Aya/Regal Aya) creates temporary price crashes for normally vaulted sets. When a high-value vaulted frame returns to Prime Resurgence, prices drop 40-70% within 24 hours and remain depressed for the 4-6 week availability window. Farmers holding vaulted relic stockpiles should monitor the Prime Resurgence schedule and sell stockpiled parts 1-2 weeks before the frame's scheduled return to capture peak pre-crash prices.

Common Mistakes & Costly Errors