What Is Relic Refinement?
Every Relic you earn in Warframe starts at the Intact quality tier. While you can crack an Intact Relic and still receive its rewards, the odds of getting the rare drop — usually the Prime part you actually want — are quite low. Refinement is the process of spending Void Traces to upgrade a Relic's quality, directly improving the chances of rolling the rare reward.
The Four Refinement Tiers
Relics can be upgraded through four quality levels, each requiring more Void Traces than the last:
| Tier | Void Traces Cost | Rare Drop Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Intact | 0 (default) | ~10% |
| Exceptional | 25 | ~13% |
| Flawless | 50 | ~17% |
| Radiant | 100 | ~25% |
Note: Exact percentages vary by Relic. Always check the in-game Relic selection screen for precise drop chances on any given Relic.
Why Radiant Relics Are So Powerful in Groups
The real magic of Radiant refinement isn't just your own improved odds — it's the squad sharing mechanic. When you complete a Fissure mission with a full squad of four, every player sees the reward options from all four cracked Relics and picks one. If all four players bring a Radiant version of the same Relic, every single reward shown has a ~25% rare drop chance. This stacks the probability dramatically in your favor compared to running Intact Relics in a mixed squad.
How to Earn Void Traces Efficiently
Void Traces are earned by collecting Reactant during Fissure missions. Each mission grants a base amount, with bonuses for completing the mission faster and for running longer rotations in Survival or Defense. Here are the best methods:
- Long Survival Fissures: Stay for 20–40 minutes in a high-tier Fissure. Traces accumulate per rotation and the enemy density remains high.
- Capture Fissures (rapid repeat): Run back-to-back Capture Fissures for a lower-but-consistent trace income with minimal time investment per run.
- Void Trace Booster: A resource booster doubles Void Trace drops, which can be worth activating during heavy farming sessions.
- Max Capacity: Your Void Trace cap increases as you level your Mastery Rank. Higher MR means you can hold more before hitting the ceiling.
Should You Always Run Radiant?
Not necessarily. Here's how to think about it:
- Targeting a specific rare part: Always go Radiant. The Void Trace investment is worth it when you need that one elusive component.
- Farming common or uncommon parts: Intact or Exceptional saves traces. The drop rate difference for non-rare rewards is minimal.
- Burning through old Relics for Ducats: Run Intact — no point spending traces on Ducats fodder.
- New Relic, scouting what's inside: One or two Intact runs first to get a feel for the pool before committing traces.
Coordinating Radiant Relic Squads
The most efficient Prime farming happens in coordinated squads where all four players agree on the same Relic and all refine to Radiant beforehand. You can find these groups in:
- The in-game Recruitment Chat — search for "RAD" followed by the Relic name (e.g., "RAD Axi A18")
- The official Warframe subreddit's trading/grouping threads
- Warframe Discord servers with dedicated LFG (Looking for Group) channels
Key Takeaways
- Refinement costs Void Traces and boosts rare drop odds up to ~25% at Radiant.
- Four Radiant Relics in one squad maximizes everyone's reward pool.
- Farm Void Traces in long Survival Fissures for the best efficiency.
- Only refine when targeting rare parts — save traces on Ducat/common farming.
Mastering Relic refinement is the single biggest leap in Prime farming efficiency. Once your squad is running coordinated Radiant Relics, what used to take weeks can shrink to a single focused session.