Warframe Plague Star Guide: Bounty Tiers, Standing and Umbra Forma
- ๐๏ธ Warframe Plague Star 2026: dates and requirements
- ๐ฏ The three bounty tiers and their Standing
- ๐งช What a run really costs
- ๐ฉธ The bounty in four stages
- โจ Umbra Forma, Sigils and the rest of Nakak's list
- ๐ How many runs do you need?
- โ ๏ธ Four mistakes that cost you Standing in Warframe Plague Star
- ๐ก FAQ about Warframe Plague Star
Operation Plague Star ran from September 9 to September 23, 2026, on all platforms, and it's over for this year. The bounty itself hasn't changed in years, though, and it keeps coming back. Once you understand Warframe Plague Star, two weeks of it give you more Forma than you'd normally see in half a year. The 2026 run also put a pre-built Umbra Forma on Nakak's shelf.
This guide covers which bounty tier is worth your time, what a run costs in resources and how many runs to plan for, so you're ready the next time Digital Extremes brings it back.
๐๏ธ Warframe Plague Star 2026: dates and requirements
Digital Extremes' announcement set a clear window: "Operation: Plague Star descends on the Plains of Eidolon once more from September 9 to September 23, across all platforms." According to the community-run Warframe Wiki, it was the eighth rerun and the first one for Android players. You pick it up from Konzu in Cetus, and the bounty itself plays out on the Plains of Eidolon.
The announcement didn't list a quest requirement. For the first tier it said "No prerequisites," so all you need is access to Cetus. No minimum Mastery Rank was given either.
Digital Extremes hasn't announced the next run. Eight reruns so far show that it does come back, just not on a fixed schedule.
๐ฏ The three bounty tiers and their Standing
The bounty comes in three difficulties. The steps are the same in each. What changes is enemy level, the items you have to bring and, above all, the Standing you earn with the Operational Supply syndicate.
| Tier | Requirement | Base Standing | Bonus | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | none | 1,025 | +25 | 1,050 |
| Tier 2 (Advanced) | 1x Eidolon Phylaxis and 1x Infested Catalyst | 3,200 | +75 | 3,275 |
| Tier 3 (The Steel Path) | same items, plus Steel Path access | 3,800 | +100 | 3,900 |
The bonus isn't free. You only get it if the drone stays above 80% health during the escort phase. The wiki puts it this way: "Bonus Operation Supply standing is rewarded during the Drone escort stage by keeping the drone above 80% health."
Tier 3 needs The Steel Path unlocked. How to get there and when the mode starts to pay off is in our Steel Path beginner's guide. Without it, Tier 2 is your target. The difference is only 625 Standing per run.
๐งช What a run really costs
This is the part most overviews skip. Tier 2 and Tier 3 use up one Eidolon Phylaxis and one Infested Catalyst per run. Both are crafted in the Foundry, and each build gives you five charges.
You buy the Eidolon Phylaxis blueprint from Nakak for 2,000 Standing and 4,000 Credits once you reach rank 1 with Operational Supply. The Infested Catalyst blueprint comes from the Bio Lab in your Clan Dojo for 5,000 Credits after a research that costs 2,000 Clan Affinity. Both blueprints are reusable.
| Item | Cost per build (5 charges) | Cost per run |
|---|---|---|
| Eidolon Phylaxis | 500 Credits, 15 Iradite, 20 Grokdrul, 10 Nistlepod | 100 Credits, 3 Iradite, 4 Grokdrul, 2 Nistlepod |
| Infested Catalyst | 500 Credits, 500 Plastids, 2,300 Ferrite, 1,800 Nano Spores | 100 Credits, 100 Plastids, 460 Ferrite, 360 Nano Spores |
| Build time | 1 minute each | negligible |
So a Tier 3 run costs you 3 Iradite, 4 Grokdrul, 2 Nistlepod, 100 Plastids, 460 Ferrite, 360 Nano Spores and 200 Credits, and it pays up to 3,900 Standing. Iradite, Grokdrul and Nistlepod are picked up on the Plains of Eidolon. The other three drop in regular missions anyway.
Since Update 34.0.7 in 2023, you no longer apply either item by hand at the mixer. The game uses them automatically. Older guides that tell you to click them in are out of date.
๐ฉธ The bounty in four stages
The bounty always follows the same structure. You steal the Thrax toxin from Grineer Councilor Vay Hek and use it to poison the Infested Boil on the Plains before the infestation eats its way to Cetus.
- Stage 1, get the toxin: the Thrax toxin cache sits in a cave. The wiki describes it as a rounded pyramid with yellow lights. Pick it up and carry it out.
- Stage 2, mix it: put the toxin into the mixer at the Grineer outpost and defend it from the Grineer for three minutes.
- Stage 3, drone escort: a hacked Grineer drone carries the mix to the Boil. This is where your bonus Standing is decided. Keep the drone above 80%.
- Stage 4, poison the Boil: a progress bar fills while Infested come in waves. On Tier 2 and 3, a Hemocyte spawns at every 25%, so four in total.
Those Hemocyte levels are no joke. The wiki lists levels 117, 127, 137 and 147 for Tier 2, and 198, 208, 218 and 228 on The Steel Path. Something else people overlook: according to the wiki, the Boil deals 200 Toxin damage per second to Tenno standing on it or flying close. If you stand too close while delivering, the objective kills you, not the enemies.
โจ Umbra Forma, Sigils and the rest of Nakak's list
New in 2026, according to the announcement, were three Sigils (the "Teralyst Prominence Sigil," "Ostron Community Sigil" and "Rift Sigil") and a "Two-Handed Nikana Maligna Skin." The real reason to play, though, was a pre-built Umbra Forma. Digital Extremes only said: "This is a one-time purchase only."
The announcement didn't name a price. Once the event was live, the Warframe Wiki listed the Umbra Forma at 20,000 Standing and 50,000 Credits, limited to one purchase. That's a community-recorded value, not an official one, but both of the wiki's tables agree on the Standing price.
Returning items included Forma, an Omni Forma (limit 1), the Plague Zaw blueprints Plague Akwin, Plague Bokwin, Plague Keewar and Plague Kripath, the Arcanes Exodia Contagion and Exodia Epidemic, the Ghoulsaw and several Ephemeras. We're not listing individual Standing prices for those: the wiki's two price tables contradict each other on several of them.
Ranking up with Operational Supply costs a sacrifice each time. Per the wiki: 10 Grokdrul, 1,000 Standing and 5,000 Credits for rank 1, 10 Iradite, 2,000 Standing and 10,000 Credits for rank 2, and 10 Nistlepod, 3,000 Standing and 20,000 Credits for rank 3.
๐ How many runs do you need?
Plan with your tier's maximum and the math gets easy. Ten clean Tier 3 runs give you 39,000 Standing and use exactly two Phylaxis builds and two Catalyst builds. In resources: 30 Iradite, 40 Grokdrul, 20 Nistlepod, 1,000 Plastids, 4,600 Ferrite and 3,600 Nano Spores.
On Tier 1 you'd need about 38 runs instead of 10 for the same 39,000 Standing. Compared to that, the material cost is nothing. If you can handle Tier 2, don't touch Tier 1 after your first run. The jump from Tier 2 to Tier 3, on the other hand, only adds about 19% more Standing for much tougher enemies.
One thing to know about the daily cap: outlets such as Dot Esports report that Operational Supply Standing has no daily limit. Digital Extremes hasn't confirmed this anywhere, and the wiki doesn't list a cap either. Treat it as a hint, not a promise, and check on day one of the next run.
โ ๏ธ Four mistakes that cost you Standing in Warframe Plague Star
The most expensive mistake is the bonus. Let the drone drop below 80% and you lose up to 100 Standing per run. Over 20 runs that's 2,000, more than a blueprint costs. Second: don't try to start Tier 2 without the items. The bounty simply won't start.
Third, build time. Both items take one minute in the Foundry, yet every year players stand around in Cetus and rush them for 5 Platinum. There's no reason to. Fourth, plan for the full two weeks. The 2026 run ended on September 23, the same day Citrine Prime Access and the Banshee rework launched. If you want to know what you missed there, see our Citrine Prime guide and the Banshee rework breakdown.
๐ก FAQ about Warframe Plague Star
When did Warframe Plague Star 2026 run?
From September 9 to September 23, 2026, on all platforms. That's what Digital Extremes' official announcement said. A date for the next run hasn't been announced.
Do I need The Steel Path for the event?
Only for Tier 3. Tier 1 has no requirements at all, and Tier 2 only needs the two items. The difference between Tier 2 and Tier 3 is 625 Standing per run.
How much did the Umbra Forma cost at Nakak?
Digital Extremes didn't publish a price. The community wiki recorded 20,000 Standing and 50,000 Credits, one purchase per account.
Where do I get Eidolon Phylaxis and Infested Catalyst?
Nakak in Cetus sells the Phylaxis blueprint from rank 1 for 2,000 Standing and 4,000 Credits. The Catalyst comes from the Bio Lab in your Clan Dojo. Both blueprints are reusable and give five charges per build.
Can I play the event solo?
Yes, all three tiers can be started solo. On Tier 3, with Hemocytes up to level 228, it gets slow on your own. A strong weapon helps more there than a good squad. Our Riven mods guide has ideas for getting more out of yours.
Is Plague Star good for making Platinum?
Indirectly. The Plague Zaw parts and the Arcanes Exodia Contagion and Exodia Epidemic are tradeable and in demand during every run.
As of October 9, 2026 (current game version: Update 44.1). Event dates, new items and the one-time Umbra Forma limit come from Digital Extremes' official announcement on warframe.com. Bounty Standing, item costs, Hemocyte levels, Boil damage, rank-up costs and the Umbra Forma price come from the community-run Warframe Wiki (there's no official wiki). The note on the missing daily Standing cap comes from the gaming press, not from Digital Extremes.
