A Tenno's No-BS Guide to Bullseyeing the Eximus Executioner Challenge in 2026

Let’s face it—staring at that “Eximus Executioner” Nightwave challenge feels a bit like being handed a ridiculously long grocery list right before the supermarket closes. One hundred Eximus kills? That’s a tall order for anyone who hasn’t been marinating in Warframe’s endgame since the Orokin era. But fear not. Thanks to the community’s collective brainpower and a few clever mission picks, any Tenno can walk away with this bounty ticked off and some shiny creds in their pocket.

The confusion around the challenge is as old as the Void itself. Eximus units are the chunky problem children of the Warframe family—beefier, meaner, and packing annoying abilities that can turn a smooth mission into a panic nap. They didn’t get the memo about being pin cushions. So just waltzing into a random mission hoping to mow down a hundred of them is like trying to win a cook-off with a single burnt chicken nugget. A proper game plan is necessary.

Sorties with that Spicy Eximus Stronghold Modifier

If RNGesus is smiling on a given week, there’s absolutely no better place to throw a slaughter party than a Sortie mission sporting the Eximus Stronghold condition. This modifier turns the entire map into a convention of glowing, over-shielded troublemakers. Here’s the kicker: in 2026, Sorties are still the reliable old workhorse they’ve always been. The Eximus Stronghold condition might not appear every day—sometimes it plays hard to get—but when it does, a full three-stage Sortie can easily hand over 100 Eximus kills on a silver platter. Players just have to stay alive, which is easier said than done if an energy-leech Eximus decides to play party pooper. The trick is to bring a frame with good survivability and some room-clearing weapons. A Saryn with a sneeze can spread spores that pop Eximus units like bubble wrap. Just keep an eye on the Overguard bar—since the 2022 Eximus rework, those glowing rascals now smugly shield themselves with Overguard, requiring a tiny bit more love taps before they keel over.

Endless Missions: The Marathon Method

For those who prefer a more diy vibe, endless missions are the bread and butter. Defense, Survival, or Excavation—you name it, and after about wave 20 or 20 minutes, the game starts throwing Eximus units at players like a stressed baker tossing out burnt rolls. The secret sauce is to squad up. Rolling solo in an advanced endless mission while trying to pad a kill count is masochism dressed as heroism. With a full team, the Eximus spawns become plentiful enough to rack up 100 kills without breaking a sweat. A smart squad might even bring a Nekros for extra loot or a Nova to slow the chaos. For an extra sprinkle of efficiency, players can hop into a Steel Path endless mission—the difficulty spike in 2026 rewards not just stronger enemies but also a higher frequency of Eximus units. Yes, they hit harder than a Rhino with a grudge, but that’s the price of fast gains.

Arbitration Alerts: The Hardcore Shortcut

Once a Tenno has cleared every node on the Star Chart, the Arbiters of Hexis unlock their exclusive Arbitration Alerts. These weren’t designed for the faint of heart, and their one-life-no-respawns system still gives veterans a nervous twitch. However, Arbies also churn out Eximus enemies like a factory conveyor belt. Because the difficulty ramps up much faster than normal endless missions, a single Arbitration can net all 100 Eximus kills before the first rotation C reward even pops up. The trick here is to avoid being a hero. Stick with tanky frames or those with on-death mechanics—Inaros, Wukong, or a Revenant with mesmer skin can shrug off the pain while racking up numbers. In 2026, Arbitrations are still the go-to for earning Vitus Essence and making the Eximus Executioner challenge feel like a walk in the Void.

Bonus: The Zariman and Beyond

Since the post-New War content drops, the Zariman tileset has been a solid pinch-hitter. Missions like Void Cascade or Void Flood are lousy with Eximus units, especially at higher levels. The Thrax enemies themselves count toward Eximus objectives, and the constant pressure from the environment ensures the spawns never get lonely. Additionally, the Conjunction Survival on Lua—added in a later update—offers another high-density Eximus buffet. The Sentient-themed challenges ramp up quickly, and players will find themselves drowning in Eximus versions of Corpus, Grineer, and even Sentient units before they know it. As of 2026, cracking open a Lua survival fissure also throws in the extra chaos of corrupted Eximus, multiplying the kill count like rabbits in spring.

Some Parting Pearls of Wisdom

Only a waffle would try to do this challenge with underleveled gear. Make sure weapons and warframes are modded for the content—trying to chew through Overguard with a peashooter is a recipe for frustration. Squad play is almost always faster than solo for raw numbers, unless the mission is planned specifically around a nuke frame. And keep in mind that Eximus units have specific types: Energy Leech, Arson, Blitz, and so on. The Energy Leech is the bane of any caster’s existence, so pack some energy pizzas or rely on Zenurik’s Wellspring to keep the abilities flowing.

The year 2026 hasn’t dulled these strategies one bit. Warframe’s core loop of killing hordes of shiny, overconfident tough guys remains unchanged, and the Eximus Executioner challenge is just another Tuesday for any Tenno who knows where to look. So grab your favorite overpowered piece of kit, pick one of these missions, and make those glowing blokes regret ever leaving their spawn closets.