The Cernos is a 
Tenno bow, specializing in damaging shields by its high 
Impact damage.
This weapon can be sold for 
7,500. It is also a requisite ingredient for 
Mutalist Cernos.
Characteristics[]
This weapon deals primarily Impact damage.
Advantages:
- Uncharged Shot
- Very high crit chance
- High damage
- Very high reload speed
- Charged Shot
- High crit chance
- Above average damage
- Very high reload speed
- Above average disposition
Disadvantages:
- Uncharged Shot
- Very low magazine
- Very low effective fire rate
- Very low max ammo
- Below average status chance
- Charged Shot
- Very low magazine
- Very low effective fire rate
- Low max ammo
- Low status chance
Comparisons:
- Cernos (Charged Shot), compared to Cernos Prime (Charged Horizontal/Vertical Shot):
- Higher base damage per projectile (380 vs. 184)
- Lower total damage (380 vs. 552)
- Higher base critical chance (36.00% vs. 35.00%)
- Lower base status chance (18.00% vs. 30.00%)
- Lower average damage per tap (516.8 vs. 745.2)
- Lower burst DPS (861.33 vs. 1146.46)
- Lower sustained DPS (469.81 vs. 648)
- Lower multishot (1 vs. 3)
- Faster reload time (0.6 vs. 0.65)
- Less polarities (
vs. ) - Lower Mastery Rank required (6 vs. 12)
- Higher disposition (●●●●○ (1.30x) vs. ●●●●○ (1.25x))
- Cernos (Charged Shot), compared to Rakta Cernos (Charged Shot):
- Lower base damage per projectile (380 vs. 470)
- Lower total damage (380 vs. 470)
- Higher base critical chance (36.00% vs. 35.00%)
- Higher base status chance (18.00% vs. 15.00%)
- Lower average damage per tap (516.8 vs. 634.5)
- Lower burst DPS (861.33 vs. 1057.5)
- Lower sustained DPS (469.81 vs. 746.47)
- Less polarities ( vs. )
- Lower Mastery Rank required (6 vs. 12)
- Higher disposition (●●●●○ (1.30x) vs. ●●●●○ (1.25x))
- No innate Blight effect
Acquisition[]
The Cernos's blueprint can be purchased from the Market.
| Manufacturing Requirements | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 15,000 |
 3 |
 700 |
 600 |
 1,750 |
Time: 12 hrs |
Rush:  45
| |||||
 Market Price: 225
|
 Blueprints Price: 20,000
| ||||
Tips[]
- Due to the weapon's high Impact damage but low Puncture and Slash damage, consider using this to drain the enemies' shield first then finish them with other weapons which have higher damage where the Cernos lacks. Alternatively, consider making this your main bow for going against Corpus troops, the majority of which have high shields but very low health.
- With a maxed Critical Delay mod, it is possible to raise the Cernos' critical chance to 103.3%, ensuring that all shots will deal critical damage.
- Using a maxed Critical Delay however will also result in the Cernos having an even slower fire rate. This can be countered with the usage of a fire rate mod, preferably Speed Trigger.
- Using a maxed Critical Delay however will also result in the Cernos having an even slower fire rate. This can be countered with the usage of a fire rate mod, preferably
Trivia[]
- The name "Cernos" means "horn" in Gaulish.
- Being an Impact oriented bow, the Cernos uses arrows with a mace-like head, with a larger impact area. This spreads the kinetic energy of the arrows across a wider area, creating a blunt impact. Judging by the hole in the middle of the head, and the fact that it can still pin enemies to walls, it is likely the arrows are hollow to house a spring-loaded punch system that fires a spike upon impact.
- As of Update 30.3 (2021-05-25), the Cernos has the most variations of all weapons, having a total of 5 weapons in its family: basic, Prime, Rakta, Mutalist and Proboscis.
Media[]
Cernos in the Codex.
Cernos as shown in the Arsenal
Cernos Arrow Quiver with Arrows
Warframe 11 ♠ Cernos
A Gay Guy Reviews Cernos, A Shield Smashing Bow?
Warframe Cernos
Warframe - All Tenno Primaries - Weapon Animations & Sounds (2012 - 2019)
Cernos Skins
Patch History[]
Update 25.7 (2019-08-29)
- Normalized quick shots to have the same critical chance/damage and status chance as charged shots.
- While reviewing Bow stats the team has also refreshed all their FX (including the Lenz)!
- Quick Shot increased from 110 to 190
- Charged Shot increased from 220 to 380
- Flight Speed increased from 85 to 90
- Aim Zoom decreased from 2.23x to 2x
Hotfix 25.0.7 (2019-05-30)
- Fixed the Cernos Energy color persisting as default on the strings.
Update 22.12 (2018-02-09)
- Mastery Rank increased from 0 to 6.
- Charged shot damage increased from 200 to 220.
- Charge speed increased from 1s to 0.5s.
- Status chance increased from 10% to 18%.
- Critical chance increased from 35% to 36%.
Update 11.1 (2013-11-27)
- Introduced.
See also[]
- Rakta Cernos, the Red Veil custom counterpart.
- Cernos Prime, the primed counterpart.
- Mutalist Cernos, the Infested counterpart.
- Proboscis Cernos, another Infested counterpart.
