The Cost of Immortality: Ascendant Penance Explained

The Update 41: The Old Peace expansion has introduced a new tier of high-risk equipment: Ascendant Arcanes. These items allow Tenno to bypass traditional resource constraints at a steep physical price. The standout of this collection is Ascendant Penance. This arcane fundamentally changes the energy economy by removing energy costs entirely. In exchange: your Warframe consumes 200 percent of the energy cost in Health.

This mechanic has instantly revitalized “Health Tank” frames. Characters like Inaros, Nidus, and Kullervo are now effectively “energy-independent.” Since they possess massive health pools and innate regeneration: they can spam abilities without ever hunting for energy orbs. However: for squishier casters like Mag or Banshee: this arcane is a death sentence without a dedicated healer like the newly-buffed Oberon or a combat medic in the squad.

Arcane Persistence: The 500 DPS Gating Controversy

The most discussed item in Patch 41 is Arcane Persistence. At launch: this arcane was touted as the “God Mode” button. It caps all incoming damage to a maximum of 500 damage per second (DPS). On paper: this allows a high-health Warframe to become nearly immortal as long as their health regeneration exceeds 500 per second.

The community reaction has been explosive following Hotfix 41.0.2: which nerfed the arcane.

  • The Nullifier Threat: Digital Extremes updated the arcane so its effect is now negated by Nullifier bubbles and Magnetic procs.
  • AFK Concerns: Developers stated the change was necessary to prevent “AFK Godhood.” They want players to engage with mission challenges rather than standing still in high-level Steel Path content.
  • Player Pushback: Reddit and the official forums are filled with “Persistence Nerf” threads. Many veteran players argue that the nerf was too aggressive: turning an “S-tier” survival tool into a situational “B-tier” item that is too unreliable for Level 9999 endurance runs.

High-Risk Synergies: Lua’s Blessing and Beyond

Patch 41 also rewards those who venture out of their Warframe. Lua’s Blessing is a new Drifter-focused arcane that grants a massive 200 percent damage boost and 50 percent damage resistance while in Drifter mode. The catch? Your Warframe takes 100 percent increased damage while you are away. This creates a terrifying “glass cannon” dynamic where one stray bullet can delete your parked Warframe while you are busy fighting as the Drifter.

Other notable Ascendant Arcanes include:

  • Restrained Fury: Doubles fire rate and magazine capacity but reduces movement speed to zero while firing.
  • Mutual Suffering: Applies Cold status to nearby enemies but has a chance to freeze the player if they stand still for too long.

These arcanes prove that Digital Extremes is moving away from simple “stat sticks” and toward “trade-off” mechanics. To reach the highest levels of power in Patch 41: you must be willing to bleed.