Nano Spores Farming Guide in Warframe — Best Locations & Frames
What Are Nano Spores Used For?
Nano Spores are a common Infestation-tier resource that appears in very large stack sizes. They are used in a wide range of crafting recipes, including many Warframe components, Sentinel parts, Orokin Catalysts and Reactors (via the market blueprint), and various equipment blueprints from the Foundry. Because many mid-game blueprints require them by the tens of thousands, maintaining a large stockpile is important.
Players frequently find they have plenty of Nano Spores during the mid-game but burn through them building multiple Warframes simultaneously. Rushing late-game equipment such as Forma, Orokin Cells-heavy weapons, or Rush Repair Drones can also drain stockpiles unexpectedly. Keep at least 50,000–100,000 in reserve if you are actively crafting.
Nano Spores drop from Infested enemies and certain containers found in Orokin Derelict, Saturn, Eris, and Sedna tilesets. Any mission where Infested are the primary enemy faction has a chance of yielding Nano Spores from kills and resource containers.
Best Nano Spores Farming Locations
| Location | Mission Type | Why It Works | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piscinas, Saturn | Piscinas, Saturn | Dark Sector Survival | 25% resource bonus, endless Infested spawns, accessible early |
| Zabala, Eris | Zabala, Eris | Dark Sector Survival | 35% resource bonus (highest), high-level Infested for more drops per kill |
| Orokin Derelict Survival | Orokin Derelict Survival | Survival | Dense Infested spawns, bonus containers, high Nano Spore chance |
| Hyena Pack (Psamathe, Neptune) | Psamathe, Neptune | Capture (bonus containers) | Fast run, many resource containers to loot quickly |
| Wahiba, Mars | Wahiba, Mars | Dark Sector Survival | 20% resource bonus, good for newer players before Saturn is unlocked |
Recommended Farm: Piscinas, Saturn
- Location
- Piscinas, Saturn (Dark Sector Survival)
- Start point
- Mission start — immediately head toward life support capsules and stay mobile
- Yield
- 10,000–25,000 Nano Spores per 20-minute run with Nekros + Resource Booster
Steps
- Select Piscinas, Saturn from the Star Chart. It is a Dark Sector Survival mission with a 25% resource drop bonus.
- Bring Nekros with Desecrate (mod: Despoil recommended to spend health instead of energy). Stay near Infested kills and cast Desecrate constantly.
- Alternatively, use Khora with Pilfering Strangledome augment — enemies caught in Strangledome have a 65% chance to drop additional loot on death.
- Stay in mission for at least 20 minutes to maximize drops. Life support should be manageable with a full squad.
- Open all resource containers encountered — they contribute significant Nano Spore stacks.
- Extract at C rotation (20 minutes) or continue to 40 minutes if you need very large quantities quickly.
Tips
- Equip a Vacuum or Fetch mod (Sentinel/Companion) to auto-collect drops in a wide radius.
- A Resource Booster (Platinum or Nightwave) doubles all resource drops and stacks multiplicatively with Nekros Desecrate.
- Zabala, Eris has a higher 35% dark sector bonus but requires completing the Eris Junction first.
- Index missions do not drop Nano Spores — stay with Infested survival runs.
Best Warframes for Nano Spores Farming
Nekros is the gold standard for resource farming in Warframe. His Desecrate ability creates an additional loot roll on each corpse within range, effectively giving each killed enemy a second chance to drop resources. With the Despoil augment, Desecrate costs health instead of energy, making it easier to maintain continuously. Pair Nekros with a health-restoring companion like Huras Kubrow or a Rejuvenation aura.
Khora with the Pilfering Strangledome augment is the other top-tier farming frame. Strangledome suspends enemies, and with the augment, each suspended enemy has a 65% chance to generate a bonus loot drop when killed. This does not replace Nekros-style desecration — it is an additional roll. Running both Nekros and Khora together in a squad is the most efficient approach possible.
Atlas with the Ore Gaze augment can petrify enemies, and killing petrified enemies yields a bonus resource drop. This is less common than Nekros/Khora but viable if those frames are unavailable. Hydroid's Pilfering Swarm augment on Tentacle Swarm similarly adds extra drops on tentacle kills, making him a third solid option.
Tips to Maximize Nano Spores Per Run
- Resource Booster: Purchased from the Market for Platinum or earned via Nightwave. Doubles all resource pickups — the single biggest multiplier available.
- Smeeta Kavat: This companion has the Charm ability which randomly doubles resource pickups for 30 seconds. Stack with Nekros for huge burst yields.
- Resource Drop Chance Booster: Increases the probability that a container or enemy drops a resource at all — pairs well with the quantity booster.
- Desecrate (Nekros): Each Desecrate cast re-rolls loot for nearby corpses. Prioritize hitting fresh kills within the 10-second window before corpses disappear.
- Dark Sector missions: Always prefer Dark Sector variants when available — the bonus resource percentage applies to all drops, including Nano Spores.
- Stay in Survival longer: Drop tables have rotation bonuses at 5/10/20/40 minutes. Staying longer per run is more efficient than extracting repeatedly at 5 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest way to get Nano Spores in Warframe?
Run Piscinas, Saturn (Dark Sector Survival) with Nekros using Desecrate. Stay for at least 20 minutes per run and collect all drops with a Vacuum mod. If you have a Resource Booster active, you can earn 20,000–30,000 Nano Spores per run easily.
Where do Nano Spores drop in Warframe?
Nano Spores drop from Infested enemies and resource containers on Saturn, Eris, Orokin Derelict, and Sedna tilesets. They are most abundant in Dark Sector Survival missions where Infested spawn continuously in large numbers.
Does Nekros help with Nano Spores farming?
Yes, significantly. Nekros's Desecrate ability gives each enemy corpse an additional loot roll, effectively increasing the number of Nano Spores dropped per kill. Running Nekros with the Despoil augment makes Desecrate self-sustaining, and pairing him with a Smeeta Kavat or Resource Booster multiplies yields further.
Can I farm Nano Spores solo?
Yes. Solo Survival missions have reduced enemy spawn rates, which lowers total yield per run, but you control the extraction timing. Nekros is still effective solo — pair him with a life support-generating ability or bring plenty of energy pads. Piscinas, Saturn is safe enough for solo mid-game players.
How many Nano Spores do I need to craft things?
Many Warframe components require 1,500–5,000 Nano Spores each, and some weapons require up to 10,000. If you are building multiple items simultaneously, you can burn through 50,000+ quickly. A single 20-minute Piscinas run should cover most individual crafting needs.
Are Nano Spores worth trading?
No. Nano Spores are a common resource with no trade value between players. They can only be obtained through mission drops. Focus your farming time rather than trying to trade for them.
Sources & verification
Continue this guide path
- ›Warframe Resource Farming Guide — Best Locations for Common & Rare MaterialsWarframe requires dozens of different resources for crafting. This guide maps every key resource to its best farming location and method, from common Nano Spores to rare Orokin Cells.
- ›Nekros Warframe Build Guide — Best Desecrate Farming SetupNekros is Warframe's definitive resource farming frame. His Desecrate ability re-rolls enemy loot tables for additional drops. This guide covers the best Desecrate build, augments, and companion choices.
- ›Warframe Beginner's Guide — Starting Warframes, Star Chart & First HoursEverything new Tenno need to know: choosing your starter Warframe, navigating the Star Chart, understanding mission types, and what to prioritize in your first hours of Warframe.