How to get Cephalon Simaris standing in Warframe

Warframe simplified Syndicate standings last year with Update 32. Earlier, a player would have to actually put on Syndicate-specific insignias to channel a fraction of their affinity into progress towards that syndicate. Now, all they have to do is pledge their allegiance towards a Syndicate with the flip of a switch. This method, however, affects only the ‘Faction Syndicates’ that you unlock at Mastery Rank 3.

There are a number of other syndicates outside it, including Conclave, the near-invisible PvP in this game. Besides that, the most overlooked neutral Syndicate is Cephalon Simaris. Found in the Tenno Relays, this Cephalon offers a number of important mods such as Energy Conversion and Health Conversion.

Cephalon Simaris is relatively untouched by a vast number of Warframe playerbase. The primary reason can be pinned down to the method of gaining standing in this faction. Unlike all other factions, progress with this faction is gated behind scanning enemies and objects.

How to easily max out Cephalon Simaris standing in Warframe

Cephalon Simaris inventory in Warframe (Image via Digital Extremes)

Even though Simaris is the sole proprietor of the Sanctuary, neither Sanctuary Onslaught nor its Elite version contributes to the progress of the faction. There are two ways to gain standing with Cephalon Simaris:

Scanning enemies and objects.
Capturing Synthesis Scanner targets.

Synthesis Scanner targets can be acquired by talking to Simaris in any Relay, and they are the primary means of getting your initial standing. However, scanning these targets is not the most efficient way of attaining the standing any further.

It is important that you spend your first 25,000 standing on purchasing the Sol-battery widget. Purchasing one Synthesis Scanner after this point will give you an infinite amount of scans. You can easily max out your daily standing cap with this faction by utilizing stealth bonus later.

Sample Loki build in Warframe for easily doing stealth scans (Image via Digital Extremes)

Scanning targets from stealth increases the amount of standing gained for that scan by a significant amount. To abuse this bonus effectively, go to a high-level exterminate or capture mission with a stealth-oriented Warframe, and scan enemies one by one without raising the alarm.

Invisibility makes maintaining stealth throughout a long exterminate mission like Adaro on Sedna manageable for any player. It is recommended to go for a Grineer node due to their higher individual standing yield per scan. You can use Rest and Rage as a failsafe Helminth ability. Straggling alert targets can be instantly put to sleep, leaving a wide margin for error.

Another advanced method to exploit this is to go to the Plains of Eidolon and mount your archwing. With some careful positioning, you can remain out of detection range and chain up stealth scans on numerous environmental objects, enemies, turrets, lures, and so on. This bonus scales with the enemy level as well, so it is best done in the Steel Path version of the open worlds.

To make things easier, you can use the Itzal Archwing due to its in-built camouflaging capabilities.
Players who do not have access to the open-world archwing launcher can still benefit from the open worlds. You can go to the closest Grineer camp west of the Cetus gate, circle around to get some easy scans off on high-value targets, and then move back into Cetus within two minutes.

Note that the functional similarity with affinity system does not mean it is tied to gaining affinity. The Simaris standing counts as its own separate XP system and is not affected by affinity boosters.