ATTENTION! I've revisited this research, putting the information in tables and ensuring its accuracy, as well as adding explanations of my own experience with each one, detailing whether each Specter is effective or not. You can find this new information at https://web.archive.org/web/20220917013655/https://thegamingtoolbox.com/specters/
Ash
- Casts Shuriken when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 15 seconds.
- Casts Smoke Screen very sporadically, regardless of enemy presence. Attacking with Warframe weapons will end Specter's invisibility. Operator attacks will not end invisibility. Will cast every 8-20 seconds.
- Casts Teleport when enemy is more than 10m away. Cooldown of 10 seconds.
- Casts Blade Storm when 5+ enemies are in line of sight. Does not necessarily tag all 5+ enemies with the power. Cooldown of 55 seconds.
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Atlas
- Casts first punch of Landslide when enemy is within 12m. Cooldown of 25 seconds.
- Does not cast Tectonics.
- Casts Petrify when enemy is within 5m. Cooldown of 80 seconds.
- Casts Rumblers when enemy is within 30m. Rumblers last 20 seconds. Cooldown of 80 seconds.
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Banshee
- Casts Sonic Boom when enemy is within 5m. Cooldown of 13 seconds.
- Casts Sonar when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 15 seconds.
- Does not cast Silence.
- Casts Sound Quake when enemy is within 10m. Maintains for up to 5 seconds. Cooldown of 15 seconds.
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Baruuk
- Casts Elude when enemy is in line of sight. Lasts up to 85 seconds. Cooldown of 50 seconds, starting when Elude's effect ends.
- Casts Lull when enemy is within 30m. Cooldown of 30 seconds, often waits up to 20 seconds after cooldown to cast.
- Casts Desolate Hands when 3+ enemies are within 25m. Cooldown of 1 minute.
- Casts Serene Storm when enemy is within 5m. Freely switches between Serene Storm attacks and weapon attacks for 130 seconds. Cooldown of 40 seconds, starting when Serene Storm's effect ends.
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Chroma (Fire element)
- Does not cast Spectral Scream.
- Casts Elemental Ward when enemies are within 15m. Cooldown of 55 seconds.
- Casts Vex Armor when enemies are within 15m. Cooldown of 30 seconds.
- Casts Effigy when enemies are within 15m. Seems to recall Effigy immediately the first time it's cast. Otherwise, leaves Effigy out for 15-20 seconds. After Effigy is recalled, cooldown is 1 minute.
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Ember
- Casts Fireball when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 20 seconds.
- Casts Immolation off cooldown. Effect lasts 50 seconds. Cooldown of 10 seconds, starting Immolation's effect ends.
- Casts Fire Blast when enemy is within 15m. Cooldown of 40 seconds.
- Casts Inferno off cooldown, but seems to have no effect. Cooldown of 1 minute.
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Equinox
- Casts Metamorphosis off cooldown. Cooldown of 35 seconds.
- Casts Rest & Rage when enemy is within 20m. Cooldown of 25 seconds.
- Casts Pacify & Provoke when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 30 seconds. Because of staggered cooldown with Metamorphosis, uptime of Pacify & Provoke is highly inconsistent.
- Casts Mend & Maim when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 33 seconds.
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Excalibur (Umbra)
- Casts Slash Dash when enemy is within 15m. Cooldown of 20 seconds.
- Casts Radial Howl when enemy is within 15m. Cooldown of 1 minute.
- Casts Radial Javelin when enemy is within 10m. Cooldown of 1 minute.
- Does not cast Exalted Blade.
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Frost
- Casts Freeze when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 12 seconds.
- Casts Ice Wave when enemy is within 10m. Cooldown of 25 seconds.
- Casts Snow Globe when shields are below 25% and no other Snow Globes (including those made by players) exist on the map. Cooldown of 30 seconds.
- Casts Avalanche when enemy is within 10m. Cooldown of 70 seconds.
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Gara
- Casts Shattered Lash (arc version only) when enemy is within 5m. Cooldown of 12 seconds.
- Does not cast Splinter Storm.
- Casts Spectrorage when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 70 seconds.
- Casts Mass Vitrify when enemy is within 7m. Cooldown of 70 seconds.
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Garuda
- Does not cast Dread Mirror.
- Does not cast Blood Altar.
- Casts Bloodletting when above 90% health. Cooldown of 30 seconds.
- Casts Seeking Talons when 4+ enemies are in line of sight. Cooldown of 40 seconds.
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Gauss
- Casts Mach Rush when enemy is in line of sight. Does not cast if set to Hold Position. Maintains until targeted enemy is knocked down. Can cast other abilities while active, but cannot use weapons. Cooldown of 5 seconds, starting when Mach Rush's effect ends.
- Casts Kinetic Plating when enemy is within 15m. Cooldown of 45 seconds.
- Casts Thermal Sunder when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 28 seconds.
- Casts Redline when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 1 minute.
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Grendel
- Casts Feast when enemy is within 10m. Cooldown of 40 seconds.
- Casts Nourish when holding an enemy. Cooldown of 30 seconds.
- Casts Regurgitate when holding an enemy, and another enemy is within 10m. Cooldown of 5 seconds.
- Casts Pulverize when holding an enemy, and another enemy is within 45m. Maintains for up to 1 minute. Cooldown of 1 minute, starting when Pulverize's effect ends.
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Harrow
- Casts Condemn when enemies are within 20m. 15 second cooldown.
- Casts Penance when enemies are in line of sight. 25 second cooldown.
- Casts Thurible off cooldown. 50 second cooldown. Tries for 13.5 energy return, but will sometimes cut it shorter. Hits a lower value for the first cast after being summoned.
- Casts Covenant when enemies are in line of sight. 50 second cooldown.
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Hildryn
- Casts Balefire when enemy is within line of sight. Maintains until shields run out. (Assumption. May stow Balefire after a set amount of time when shields are kept charged.) Cooldown of 25 seconds, starting when Balefire's effect ends.
- Casts Pillage when any shielded enemy is in line of sight, even if too far away to affect with the ability. Cooldown of 45 seconds.
- Casts Haven when enemy is within line of sight and shields are above 50%. Maintains until shields run out. Cooldown of 25 seconds, starting when Haven's effect ends.
- Does not cast Aegis Storm.
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Hydroid
- Casts Tempest Barrage when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 22 seconds.
- Casts Tidal Surge when enemy is within 20m. Cooldown of 25 seconds.
- Does not cast Undertow.
- Casts Tentacle Swarm when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 70 seconds.
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Inaros (Specter corpses do not despawn. Likely tied to Inaros' passive ability.)
- Casts Desiccation when enemy is within 5m. Cooldown of 20 seconds.
- Casts Devour when enemy is within 20m. Cooldown of 30 seconds.
- Casts Sandstorm when 5+ enemies are in line of sight. Maintains for up to 10 seconds. Cooldown of 1 minute, starting when Sandstorm's effect ends. Casting Sandstorm will disable the Hold Position command.
- Does not cast Scarab Swarm.
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Ivara
- Could not trigger Quiver in testing, though claims of Sleep Arrow usage exist.
- Does not cast Navigator.
- Casts Prowl off cooldown. Lasts indefinitely, until Specter fires an Alarming weapon or until player attacks with any Warframe weapon, even if silenced. Abilities and Operator attacks do not cancel Specter's Prowl. Does not steal from enemies. Cooldown of 13 seconds, starting when Prowl's effect ends.
- Casts Artemis Bow when enemy is within 25m. Maintains for up to 25 seconds. Cooldown of 13 seconds, starting when Artemis Bow's effect ends.
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Khora
- Does not cast Whipclaw.
- Does not cast Ensnare.
- Specter Venari behaves like a regular Kavat, including parkour maneuvers, without the benefits of Venari's stances. Specter Venari will follow the summoning player, rather than the Khora specter. Venari will attack enemies even if afk mode has been triggered. After death, Venari will be respawned after 45 seconds.
- Casts Strangledome off cooldown. However, only the Strangledome assembly animation is played, with no actual effect. Cooldown of 10 seconds.
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Limbo
- Casts Banish when enemies are within 20m. Does not send enemies to the Rift, just causes knockdown. Cooldown of 22 seconds.
- Does not cast any other abilities.
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Loki
- Casts Decoy when enemy is in line of sight. Lasts 25 seconds, or until death. Cooldown of 10 seconds, starting when Decoy is cast.
- Casts Invisibility off cooldown. Lasts for 11 seconds, or until player attacks with any weapon. Operator attacks do not end Loki's Invisibility. Cooldown of 3 seconds if Invisibility ends via reaching its maximum duration, or cooldown of 6 seconds if Invisibility ends due to player using a weapon.
- Does not cast Switch Teleport.
- Casts Radial Disarm when enemy is within 10m. Cooldown of 70 seconds.
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Mag
- Casts Pull when enemy is 10-15m away. Cooldown of 20 seconds.
- Casts Magnetize when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 30 seconds.
- Casts Polarize when player is within 20m with shields below 60%. Cooldown of 5 seconds. (Appears to cast 3 times in a row more rapidly than possible for a player, but this is only an animation bug.)
- Casts Crush when enemy is within 10m. Cooldown of 30 seconds.
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Mesa
- Casts Ballistic Battery when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 45 seconds.
- Casts Shooting Gallery when enemy is within 10m. Cooldown of 90 seconds.
- Does not cast Shatter Shield.
- Casts Peacemaker when enemy is in line of sight. Fires for up to 10 seconds. Cooldown of 45 seconds, which begins upon starting Peacemaker, not upon ending it.
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Mirage
- Does not cast Hall of Mirrors.
- Casts Sleight of Hand when enemy is within 15m. Cooldown of 20 seconds.
- Casts Eclipse when enemy is within 20m. Cooldown of 40 seconds.
- Casts Prism when enemy is within 30m. Maintains for up to 10 seconds. Cooldown of 70 seconds, starting when Prism's effect ends.
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Nekros
- Casts Soul Punch when enemy is within 20m. Cooldown of 12 seconds.
- Casts Terrify when 5+ enemies are within 30m. Cooldown of 1 minute.
- Does not cast Desecrate.
- Does not cast Shadows of the Dead.
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Nezha
- Does not cast Fire Walker.
- Casts Blazing Chakram when enemy is within 20m. Cooldown of 20 seconds.
- Casts Warding Halo when taking any damage. Cooldown of 70 seconds, starting when Warding Halo's health runs out.
- Casts Divine Spears when enemy is within 10m. Cancels ability immediately. Cooldown of 30 seconds.
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Nidus
- Casts Virulence when enemy is within 15m. Cooldown of 12 seconds.
- Could not trigger Larva in testing, though claims of usage exist, cast relative to Specter's health.
- Casts Parasitic Link when ally is within 30m, though the ability only actually works when within 24m, meaning Parasitic Link can be put on cooldown with no effect. Provides 10-28% Ability Strength boost depending on player's Warframe rank. Does not use Parasitic Link on enemies. Cooldown of 20 seconds, starting when Parasitic Link's effect ends.
- Casts Ravenous when enemy is within 15m. Cooldown of 50 seconds.
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Nova
- Casts Null Star when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 30 seconds, starting when Null Star's particles have all been expended.
- Casts Antimatter Drop when enemy is in line of sight and more than 15m away. Cooldown of 25 seconds.
- Does not cast Worm Hole.
- Could not trigger Molecular Prime in testing, though claims of usage exist.
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Nyx
- Casts Mind Control when damaged by enemy within 20m. Cooldown of 30 seconds, starting when Mind Control's effect ends.
- Casts Psychic Bolts when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 6 seconds.
- Casts Chaos when 5+ enemies are within 15m. Cooldown of 50 seconds.
- Casts Absorb when under 80% health and an enemy is within 5m. Lasts 5 seconds. Cooldown of 75 seconds.
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Oberon
- Casts Smite when enemy is within 20m. Cooldown of 30 seconds.
- Casts Hallowed Ground when enemy is in light of sight. Cooldown of 30 seconds.
- Casts Renewal when player health is 80% or lower. Lasts for 140 seconds. Cooldown of 40 seconds, starting when Renewal's effect ends.
- Casts Reckoning when enemy is within 10m. Cooldown of 55 seconds.
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Octavia (Passive Inspiration ability activates whenever the Specter casts an ability.)
- Casts Mallet when enemy is within 10m. Cooldown of 15 seconds.
- Casts Resonator when enemy is within 10m. Cooldown of 16.5 seconds.
- Casts Metronome off cooldown. Cooldown of 20 seconds.
- Casts Amp when enemy is within 20m. Cooldown of 40 seconds.
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Protea
- Casts Grenade Fan (Shrapnel Vortex) when enemy is within 30m. Cooldown of 30 seconds.
- Casts Blaze Artillery when enemy is within 60m. Cooldown of 12 seconds.
- Casts Dispensary off cooldown. Cooldown of 45 seconds, starting when ability is cast.
- Casts Temporal Anchor when Specter health is below 75% and 2+ enemies are within line of sight. Cooldown of 70 seconds, starting when ability is cast.
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Revenant
- Does not cast Enthrall.
- Does not cast Mesmer Skin.
- Does not cast Reave.
- Casts Danse Macabre when shields are depleted. Maintains until no enemies remain within 20m. Cooldown of 5 seconds. Shields must begin recharging before Danse Macabre will be cast again.
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Rhino
- Casts Rhino Charge when enemy is 5-20m away. Cooldown of 15 seconds.
- Casts Iron Skin when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 20 seconds, starting when Iron Skin's effect ends.
- Could not trigger Roar in testing, though claims of usage exist.
- Casts Rhino Stomp when enemy is within 15m. Cooldown of 70 seconds.
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Saryn (Specter's AI will lock up when staying in the same location as its Molt, making the Hold Position command highly detrimental.)
- Casts Spores when enemy is within 50m. Cooldown of 25 seconds.
- Casts Molt when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 6 seconds.
- Casts Toxic Lash when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 40 seconds.
- Casts Miasma when 2+ enemies are within 5m. Cooldown of 1 minute.
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Titania
- Casts Spellbind when enemy is within 25m. Cooldown of 20 seconds.
- Casts Tribute when enemy is within 20m. Cooldown of 40 seconds.
- Casts Lantern when enemy is within 15m. Cooldown of 30 seconds.
- Does not cast Razorwing.
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Trinity
- Casts Well of Life when player shields are depleted, even if no enemy is present. Cooldown of 45 seconds.
- Casts Energy Vampire when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 40 seconds.
- Casts Link when enemy is within 20m. Cooldown of 35 seconds.
- Casts Blessing when player health is below 70%. Cooldown of 1 minute.
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Valkyr
- Casts Rip Line when enemy is 6-15m away. Cooldown of 15 seconds.
- Casts Warcry when enemy is within 10m. Cooldown of 30 seconds.
- Casts Paralysis when enemy is within 10m. Cooldown of 25 seconds.
- Does not cast Hysteria.
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Vauban
- Casts Tesla Nervos when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 20 seconds.
- Casts Minelayer (any variation, random) when enemy is within 25m. Overdriver affects Warframe or Specter closest to the impact point at time of casting. Cooldown of 30 seconds.
- Casts Photon Strike when enemy is in line of sight, even if blast will not reach the enemy. Cooldown of 10 seconds.
- Casts Bastille when enemy is within 10m. Cooldown of 30 seconds.
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Volt
- Casts Shock when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 10 seconds.
- Casts Speed off cooldown. Cooldown of 30 seconds.
- Casts Electric Shield when enemy is in line of sight. Cooldown of 25 seconds.
- Casts Discharge when enemy is within 10m. Cooldown of 85 seconds.
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Wisp
- Casts Reservoirs when enemy is within 40m. Reservoir type is random. Cooldown of 20 seconds.
- Casts Will-O-Wisp when enemy is within 30m. Teleports to decoy immediately. Cooldown of 12 seconds.
- Casts Breach Surge when 2+ enemies are within 30m. Cooldown of 45 seconds.
- Casts Sol Gate when 3+ enemies are within 40m. Maintains for up to 10 seconds. Cooldown of 65 seconds, starting when Sol Gate's effect ends.
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Wukong
- Does not cast Celestial Twin.
- Does not cast Cloud Walker.
- Casts Defy off cooldown. Cooldown of 13 seconds.
- Does not cast Primal Fury.
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Zephyr
- Casts Tail Wind when enemy is within 5m. Cooldown of 20 seconds.
- Casts Air Burst when enemy is within 10m. Cooldown of 20 seconds.
- Casts Turbulence when Specter takes damage. Cooldown of 50 seconds.
- Casts Tornado when enemy is within 10m. Cooldown of 70 seconds.
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