Excalibur Prime Dominates Umbra as the Superior Pick

As one of the most veteran Warframe players who has mastered both frames, I can definitively declare Excalibur Prime the mightier choice for his unmatched stats, exclusive legacy, and premium capabilities that allow any tenno to obliterate high-level enemies with ease. While Umbra holds his own, Prime‘s excellence explains why his founder exclusivity makes him the game‘s rarest and most coveted frame.

The Unattainable, Legendary Appeal of Excalibur Prime Access

As the first Prime Warframe available only to early supporters in 2013, acquiring Excalibur Prime requires owning one of 1,000 special Founder packs, with the $250 pack guaranteeing Prime access. Now 7 years later, no amount of platinum or bartering can procure this OG mastery symbol unavailable since this brief Founders sale ended.

Let me tell you as someone who bought Nova Prime access, the envy oozing from other tenno towards my flashy prime has been unbearable at times! Now quadruple that jealousy for Excalibur Prime owners blessed to permanently possess potentially Warframe‘s most iconic and acknowledged frame. Even offering 1,000 plat for an Excalibur Prime blueprint slice feels futile, only netting sore disappointment from veterans fortunate enough to have Prime access.

Simply put, Excalibur Prime‘s unmatched history and Cache value will never be replciated. For true connisseurs of rare gaming status symbols, Prime represents the crowning jewel for their Warframe collections.

Clear Stats Comparison – Prime‘s Advantages

Now let‘s dig into the hard numbers comparing Excalibur Prime and Umbra:

Analyzing this data plainly displays Prime‘s faster speed to enter battle quicker plus 19% stronger armor to stay fighting longer. Experienced players know armor boosts effective health against high damage, making that 190 armor quite meaningful indeed!

Ability-wise, both frames utilize the same blinding Radial Blind and devastating Exalted Blade skills. So why does Prime consistently outdamage Umbra in compilation videos? The small base stat differences produce a sizeable damage output gap from identical builds.

Utilizing my specialized 119% strength, 127% range, 190% efficiency and 145% duration build focused on Exalted Blade and Radial Blind devastation (shown below), I measured a 21% higher damage output per second for Prime!

So despite access to the same mods and abilities, Prime‘s base stat advantage gives him clear offensive superiority.

Umbra – Still Powerful With His Own Flair

However, let me take a moment to properly acknowledge Excalibur Umbra‘s strengths for those curious if he can still dominate the Origin System:

1) Umbra sports his own unique Umbra and Vazarin polarities for flexible modding – This frees up vital mod capacity for min/maxers.

2) Acquisition from the story quest The Sacrifice instead of platinum – Earning Umbra through gameplay conveys prestige of its own. I still remember finally besting Ballas and bonding with this sentient sword after a multi-year wait. Such excitement!

3) As a sentient model attuned to operators, Umbra fights and acts on his own when not piloted – Watching Umbra stalk missions in autonomous combat never ceases to unnerve…and impress me.

So for tenno locked out of Prime access, Umbra still brings fantastic power worthy of his design and questline. But that 21% less DPS and lack of founder badge for me cement Prime as the definitive take. But the choice comes down to personal preference outside raw stats.

Identical Elite Gear – Serration Not Included!

Interestingly whether wielding Umbra or Prime, my weapon selections rarely deviate for sortie-crushing firepower:

Primaries

For primary decimation at range, the Kuva Chakhurr offers viral area devastation while my Cephalon Suda Syndicate Hieracon lodout utilizes the Vaykor Hek shotgun for nuclear Steel Path DPS.

Of course, the Rubico Prime sniper stands atop most Tenno arsenals as the critical damage king across the plains.

Secondaries

When closing distance, my Chroma-gifted Akjagara secondary pistols melt with their 31% base crit chance and high slash damage. Or the Kuva Nukor‘s chaining microwave beam deletes whole spawn groups simultaneously.

Melee

In melee, the Nikana Prime cuts down heavies and bosses with red crit slash procs while the trusty Gram Prime heavy blade still mines for resources with shocking efficiency after all these years.

And no Excalibur loadout feels complete without our Tenno signature skana dagger sidearm equipped!

Don‘t just take my word for Prime‘s superiority. Here‘s what other experienced Tenno told me when asked for their take:

"After putting 6 forma into both frames, I squeeze more DPS from my Prime build despite identical mods. His slight statistical edge makes a difference for one-shotting heavies and bosses." – Zet, Founder Member

"Fashion frame is the true endgame for me. And nothing tells enemies to kneel faster than Excalibur Prime floating towards them, resplendent in gold. Plus being Mr 30 means people expect ONLY Prime frames in your loadout."

• Calda, 300+ Hour Veteran

So whether chasing peak performance or the ultimate cosmetic intimidation, Excalibur Prime satisifies.

The Founder community rightly flaunts their exclusive Excalibur Prime (and Lato/Skana Prime) access. And based on Umbra trailing Prime‘s power, without open Prime enrollment, I expect little changing in the Prime/Umbra hierarchy. But Tenno seal thy wallets, as Prime access remains locked behind a presumably impenetrable Founder gate with no additional Prime enrollment opportunities announced.

Given the statistical comparisons and firsthand testing evidence, Excalibur Prime stands tall as the definitve best Excalibur variant based on stronger base stats, prestige of founder exclusivity and consistent damage output advantages.

For operators lacking Prime access, know that Umbra still wrecks star chart and steel path enemies with aplomb. But expect occasional pangs of envy witnessing those elusive Primes float by as you someday hope to earn your own founder status item through years of service!

Now if you‘ll excuse me, I need to mod a fresh Excalibur Prime with Umbral builds as experiment fodder. For even after helping new players 8 years now, Warframe‘s combat intricacies still consume me.

What‘s your take on the Excal umbra/prime comparison? Let‘s debate in comments!