So, you finally finished The Duviri Paradox. Teshin is standing there, looking all stoic and cryptic, and he hands you these two swords. They look cool. They’ve got that Dax aesthetic—sleek, gold, and slightly intimidating. But then you look at your arsenal. You’ve got a Kronen Prime that deletes entire rooms. You’ve got a Glaive Prime that explodes like a mini-nuke. You might be wondering if Sun and Moon is just another piece of mastery fodder or if it actually puts in work.
Honestly? It's better than people give it credit for. It’s the signature Dual Nikana of Teshin himself, and while it doesn't necessarily powercreep the entire melee meta, it brings a specific flavor to the table that makes it a blast to use in Steel Path if you build it right.
Getting the Sun and Moon Blueprint Without Losing Your Mind
Getting these blades isn't exactly a walk in the park, but it’s not as bad as farming for some of the newer Arcanes. You basically have two routes. If you played through the Duviri Paradox quest, you got the blueprint for free. Congrats. You saved yourself some standing. If you accidentally sold it or somehow missed it, you’re heading to see Acrithis. She’s the vendor in Duviri who looks like she’s seen too much. You’ll need 50 Pathos Clamps.
Pathos Clamps are the bottleneck. You get them from killing the Orowyrm at the end of a Duviri spiral. It's about 10 per run on normal, 15 on Steel Path. Do the math—that’s five runs if you’re playing standard.
The crafting requirements are where things get a bit annoying. You need Kovnik, Tasoma Extract, and Rune Marrow. Rune Marrow is the one that usually trips people up because it only drops from those glowing containers in the Undercroft or the bridge sections. Pro tip: if you’re in the Undercroft, don't just rush the objective. Break the boxes. Your future self will thank you.
The Stance Problem: Why Mountain's Edge is Weird
The Sun and Moon uses a unique stance called Mountain's Edge. You can't swap it. You’re stuck with it.
This is where the polarizing opinions start. Some players love the fluid, dance-like animations. Others hate it because the forward tactical combo feels a bit clunky if you aren't used to the rhythm. The neutral combo has some decent multi-hits, which is huge for building combo count quickly.
In Warframe, melee is all about how fast you can hit 12x combo.
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Mountain’s Edge has a few forced Slash procs, which is the gold standard for high-level content. If a weapon doesn't have forced Slash or a massive Status Chance to back it up, it usually falls off against armored Grineer. Luckily, Teshin’s swords aren't just for show. They have a base Status Chance of 20%, which is... okay. It’s not mind-blowing. But the critical stats are where the Sun and Moon starts to shine. We’re talking a 22% Crit Chance and a 2.2x multiplier.
Let's Talk Steel Path Viability
Can you take this into a Level 150+ survival? Yes. Easily. But you can't just slap a Pressure Point on it and call it a day.
Because Sun and Moon is a Dual Nikana, it benefits from the high attack speed inherent to the weapon class. You want to lean into a Hybrid Build. This means Blood Rush and Weeping Wounds are non-negotiable.
If you're running a standard build, it looks something like this:
Condition Overload is your base damage. Don't use Pressure Point; it’s a waste of a slot when you’re priming enemies with a Cedo or a Nukor. Then you want Organ Shatter for that crit damage. Berserker Fury or Primed Fury is essential because the base attack speed of 0.917 feels a little sluggish.
The "secret sauce" for the Sun and Moon is actually the Follow-through. It has a follow-through of 0.7, which means your damage doesn't drop off as much when you hit multiple enemies in one swing. Most dual swords have a lower follow-through, making Sun and Moon surprisingly good at clearing tightly packed groups.
Why the Design Matters More Than You Think
Digital Extremes put a lot of work into the lore of these blades. They represent the duality of Teshin—the mentor and the warrior, the sun and the moon. In-game, this doesn't mean much for your DPS, but the visual feedback is top-tier.
The swords have a unique interaction in Duviri. When you're playing as the Drifter, the Sun and Moon feels heavy. Impactful. In the "real" world (the Origin System), your Warframe swings them with supernatural speed. This transition is one of the coolest parts of the Duviri expansion, honestly. It’s a bridge between the slow, methodical combat of the Drifter and the power fantasy of the Frames.
Comparing Sun and Moon to Other Melee Giants
Let's be real for a second. Is it better than the Nikana Prime? No. The Nikana Prime has better raw stats and access to Blind Justice, which is arguably one of the best stances in the game.
Is it better than the Dual Keres Prime? Probably not in terms of raw DPS.
But Sun and Moon occupies a weirdly effective middle ground. It has better reach than most dual swords and a more reliable crit-status balance than many Nikanas. It’s a "comfort" weapon. It looks incredible, the animations are smooth, and it does enough damage to clear the star chart without breaking a sweat.
If you're a veteran player, you're building this for the fashion and the mastery. If you're a mid-game player who just finished the quest, this might be the strongest melee weapon you own for a long time.
Optimizing the Build for 2026 Meta
With the recent changes to how status effects work and the ongoing tweaks to melee, you should consider using Melee Influence if you can find a way to consistently proc Electricity. While Sun and Moon is primarily Slash/Impact/Puncture, using a Diriga sentinel with Arc Coil can spread status like wildfire, allowing Condition Overload on your swords to hit like a freight train.
Another option is Melee Animosity. Since the Sun and Moon has a decent crit multiplier, building up that guaranteed red crit on your next heavy attack can be a great way to delete Eximus units.
Don't forget the Tennokai system. Sun and Moon's heavy attack is a wide twin-slash. If you trigger a Tennokai proc, you can throw out a massive heavy attack without consuming your 12x combo. This solves the biggest issue with the weapon: the choice between maintaining combo for Blood Rush or spending it for a heavy hit. Now, you get both.
Actionable Steps for Your Sun and Moon Journey
Stop looking at the stats in the arsenal and actually go to the Simulacrum.
First, get your Pathos Clamps from the Orowyrm. If you're struggling, do it on public. There is always a high-rank player nuking the worm in about five minutes.
Second, farm the Rune Marrow in the Undercroft. Don't buy it with Platinum. That’s a scam. Just run a few rounds of the Circuit; you’ll get plenty of it as a side effect of farming your Incarnon adapters.
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Third, slap on Blood Rush, Weeping Wounds, and Condition Overload. If you have Primed Reach, use it. The Sun and Moon has a surprisingly long hitbox, and maximizing that makes the Mountain's Edge stance feel much less restrictive.
Finally, give the stance a chance. Don't just mash the melee button. Try the forward-block combo. It has a gap-closer that is incredibly useful for staying mobile. Once you find the rhythm, you'll realize why Teshin carried these things for centuries. They aren't just swords; they’re a statement. Rank them up, put a couple of Formas in, and you've got a Steel Path-ready monster that looks better than almost anything else in your holster.