Sawerin
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Mass Effect 3. Weapons Guide: Assault Rifles and Explosives
Mass Effect 3 weapon system is an expended variant of the weapon system coming from Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. Of course, it has a great number of unique guns but lots of them can also be found in the previous titles. Major changes have been made in the Heavy Weapons category: now you are not allowed to equip your character with them and they can only be found as pickups during missions. Luckily, in Mass Effect 3 any class can carry whichever and however many weapon types they want. The only limitation is the weight limit. For example, the Soldier can carry all five weapon types at once without exceeding carry weight, but only if properly upgraded to do so. On the top of that you can upgrade your weapon up to Level 5 making it more accurate, more powerful and less “capricious.”
Weapons in Mass Effect 3 are divided in the following categories:
1. Heavy Pistols;
2. Submachine Guns;
3. Shotguns;
4. Assault Rifles;
5. Sniper Rifles;
6. Heavy Weapons;
7. Explosives.
All guns from the following categories (except Heavy Weapon Category) can be upgraded with different modes.
Assault Rifles
Assault rifle is a perfect choice for a player still questioning himself what kind of warrior he wants to be. They are designed for any combat situation, allowing you to be effective in close, medium and even long-range combats. Assault rifles are good for providing covering fire and take down enemies quickly. However, only a few of those will be active at the distance due to pretty heavy recoil. When in automatic mode, most of the assault rifles suffer from all side climbs, so it is highly recommended to shoot in bursts at longer distanced to become more accurate. At the close range, spraying bullets into a target is effective but not as effective as shooting from a shotgun. Biotic or tech-focused characters are the best to be equipped with assault rifles.
Adas Anti-Synthetic Rifle
Location: Firefight Pack
Adas Anti-Synthetic Rifle is an extremely accurate assault rifle and together with the high enough damage can turn into a deadly weapon. However, the only way to see it in your inventory is to buy and download the Firefight Pack. It is effective at any distances and even when your enemies are beyond the long range, with a proper aiming you can still send a few projectiles in the same spot. Both semi-auto and full auto modes work great for this rifle keeping its accuracy on a decent level. When shot, it projects electrical charges and in auto mode will cause lots of damage. In the battle it is very useful for crowd control. With this only rifle you can suppress the approaching squad without any problems. Also, projectiles have a slight target-tracking capability. Adas Anti-Synthetic Rifle is very effective against synthetic enemies (Geth, Turrets, Atlas mechs) and against Cerberus and Reaper enemies. The only bad thing about this assault rifle is that it happens to be very heavy.
Clip Size: 24.
Reserve: 72.
Cerberus Harrier
Location: Multiplayer Store with Rebellion Pack
Cerberus Harrier is available only in Multiplayer and only with the purchased Rebellion Pack. This assault rifle can’t be purchased on demand and even with the Rebellion Pack will be rewarded randomly. Cerberus Harrier is an ultra-rare weapon. It is fully automatic and is almost as good in causing damage as a standard Mattock. It is very comfortable in use and should be considered as a weapon of choice by those players who play as soldiers. Cerberus Harrier is highly useful from the distance because of its accuracy capabilities. At the same time, it works well at the close range. Aldo, with some additional skills like Adrenaline Rush you can increase the damage cause seriously because it greatly benefits from it. As always, the biggest problem about automatic rifles is that they run low on ammo very quickly. Also, Cerberus Harrier is not that good with shielded targets.
Clip Size: 20
Reserve: 80
Chakram Launcher
Location: Bonus Item Omega, Aria T'Loak; Kingdoms of Amalur, Reckoning (Demo)
Chakram Launcher is one of the most accurate assault rifles in the game. It shoots with very deadly projectiles that clip on the target and explode in a second. This causes better armor penetration and, of course, brings a lot more damage. Once on the enemy, it can’t be taken off. For even more damage you can also charge your projectiles: the longer you charge – the higher the damage becomes. The good news is that it won’t influence the accuracy in any possible way. Chakram Launcher is very effective against Cerberus Guardians because of the armor penetration. Also, when using a flashlight and charging the rifle at the same time, you can significantly increase the amount of light projected. Unfortunately, its low Clip Size does not allow using the rifle on regular bases.
Clip Size: 4
Reserve: 40
Collector Assault Rifle
Location: Bonus item Mass Effect 3: Retaliation
Collector Assault Rifle comes to us from the Mass Effect 2 and happens to be an automatic assault rifle with pretty good accuracy. Collector Assault Rifle is made of organic components, its power source appears to be an internal organ with biotic capacitance. As for the ammunition, it uses pellets of metallic enamel. They are very good for penetrating through the shields. This assault rifle is a great choice when dealing with Cerberus Guardians and enemies that do not rely heavily on powers.
Clip Size: 28
Reserve: 280
Geth Pulse Rifle
Location: Priority, Geth Dreadnought
Geth Pulse Rifle is an assault rifle that can be found in all chapters of the game: Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3. It is very alike a standard stock assault rifle but well balanced and with low recoil. If compared with the other assault rifle, this one happens to be very accurate. Geth Pulse Rifle can fire a rapid stream of light-weight slugs that all together turn it into a decent assault weapon. Also, its slugs are wrapped in a phasic envelope which increases the damage. Geth Pulse Rifle is the lightest assault rifle in the game and will be a perfect fit for power oriented characters and classes. But there is one thing that this rifle is really famous for: its high clip capacity. With a Level V Magazine Upgrade you can get up to 144 rounds in the clip. And if you do not plan to upgrade the gun, you will still find 80 rounds in the original clip that sounds good too. Despite all the expectations, its pinpoint accuracy and near-zero recoil turn the Geth Pulse Rifle into a decent headshot maker.
Clip Size: 80
Reserve: 400
M-8 Avenger
Location: Prologue, Earth
M-8 Avenger is an assault rifle that primary appears in the Mass Effect 2. Its modular design and inexpensive components turn the rifle in a desired piece of equipment. It’s easy to use, easy to upgrade and has a touch reputation. It kind of reminds one of the most popular rifles of the XX century – AK-47. Well, it uses a lot better rounds but when being shot nonstop you will see that its recoil makes the M-8 Avenger go up. It is not critical but happens to be a bit unpleasant. Unfortunately, M-8 Avenger is pretty useless with those who carry heavy armor and shows satisfactory results when dealing with shields. It is highly effective at the close and middle ranges. While M-8 Avenger is pretty universal and will be a good choice for any class, its damage possibilities still leave much to be desired. It is often described as “the Rifle with no major weaknesses, but no major strengths.”
Clip Size: 30.
Reserve: 120.
M-15 Vindicator
Location: Priority, Mars
M-15 Vindicator is favored by assassins and elite mercenaries because of its three-round bursts that are effective against armor, shields and biotic barriers. Also, thanks to its pretty good damage capabilities and high accuracy, M-15 Vindicator can be turned in a deadly weapon effective at any range. This rifle is very popular in the Terminus Systems, mostly because it was manufactured by Elanus Risk Control Services. The Vindicator is a good choice for an Infiltrator, as it is very light when upgraded and effective enough to resist enemies. M-15 Vindicator can also be referred to as a good hybrid between the Mattock and the Avenger. With a few updates directed to improve its stability, the Vindicator can become a good assault rifle but not good enough to deal with lots of enemies (on the top of all, its clip size might become a major problem).
Clip Size: 24.
Reserv4: 144.
M-37 Falcon
Location: Priority, Cerberus Headquarters
M-37 Falcon is not an assault rifle in its actual meaning and happens to be closer to the grenade launchers. But, unlike all grenade launchers, it causes far less damage shooting 25mm mini-grenades. At the same time, it brings a lot more damage when compared with the other assault rifles. The biggest problem about this rifle is its accuracy that suffers a lot because of recoil. But, I think that it is rather a question of practice and with a good and steady hand aiming abilities can be raised. Falcon's grenades can be firmly compared with those used in Scorpion: they look alike and cover pretty much the same area with the explosion. Moreover, M-37 Falcon's projectiles travel much faster but are likely to bounce from the surface easier. But, with a proper strategy and attitude you can use this as an effective way to take out enemies from behind the cover. Falcon is deadly against any Cerberus enemy (except Mechs) no matter the difficulty. With all the necessary updates the M-37 Falcon can be turned into a powerful rifle acting more like a grenade launcher. However, it has a couple of issues. One of them, of course, is its low clip capacity and reserve ammunition. The other one touches the reload time problem.
Clip Size: 6.
Reserve: 24.
M-55 Argus
Location: Bonus item Despoina, Leviathan
M-55 Argus is an excellent close-range weapon favored by senior C-sec officers. It might not be accurate but it is very effective in the close range battles. Unfortunately, it fires only three-round bursts and without any upgrades this “feature” makes things look bad with the noticeable vertical climb (can’t but mention the old-fashioned AK-47). As with other high-recoil weapons, the Argus benefits greatly from the accuracy bonus granted when shooting from cover. By the way – you can slightly improve the accuracy problem by installing a recoil compensating modification.
Clip Size: 21.
Reserve: 168.
M-76 Revenant
Location: Priority: The Citadel II
M-76 Revenant assault rifle comes to us from the Mass Effect 2. Due to the innovative technology and protection against replication, only the richest and most powerful warlords can afford the Revenant. This weapon has pretty poor accuracy but thanks to the storm of high-velocity slugs that it unleashes, you should be excited to have one in your arsenal. M-76 Revenant is classified as a Light Machine Gun and it means that any player will be affected with this feature. For instance, when firing the weapon, you character will slow down to a walking pace no matter what you think or whether you are zoomed or not. On the top of all M-76 Revenant has extremely high recoil and it’s almost impossible to shoot it nonstop. And, the last you need to know about it – the weapon has an extremely long reload time. If you are about to be surrounded and you need to reload your gun – it is better to switch to your secondary weapon then to reload the gun. However, Adrenalin Rush solves the problem immediately.
Clip Size: 60.
Reserve: 320.
M-96 Mattock
Location: Grissom Academy, Emergency Evacuation
M-96 Mattock comes to us from the Mass Effect 2. It is a semi-automatic rifle and happens to be a perfect tool for medium-range targets. It is extremely accurate but not that deadly. However, you can compensate the lack of deadliness with a couple of upgrades and the already mentioned high accuracy. M-96 Mattock is an interesting mix of an assault rifle's low heat production and a sniper rifle's punch. Those two make a perfect couple and ONLY semi-auto mode will force you to keep an eye on the ammo. At the same time, the delay between shots is minimal and your shooting productivity only depends on how fast you can hit the Fire button. M-96 Mattock is a perfect weapon to kill the bad guys from the distance and it even happens to be closer to the sniper rifle than to the assault. But, due to the lack of proper damage, this rifle can’t be used in close range combats, so try to pick something devastating as your secondary weapon.
Clip Size: 16.
Reserve: 96.
M-99 Saber
Location: Priority, Horizon
M-99 Saber is the deadliest and the most accurate assault rifle. It is used only by the most elite marksman because of its stopping powers. Sometimes M-99 Saber is referred to as “The Big Iron,” probably because it is like a train: there is almost nothing that can stop it. Even with a few updates the M-99 Saber can turn into a “One Shot Kill” Rifle and stopping enemies at the longest distances won’t be an issue. This rifle might be perfect for an Infiltrator, especially with his Tactical Cloak. Adding 50-90% extra damage thanks to the skill mentioned will literary stop anything, even on the hardest difficulties. However, one of the most unpleasant weaknesses of this weapon is its really low rate of fire. This con makes this weapon almost impossible to use at the close range. On the top of all, M-99 Saber is a very heavy rifle. And, let’s not forget about the high recoil that can endanger the whole mission if you miss your shot.
Clip Size: 8
Reserve: 40.
N7 Typhoon
Location: Multiplayer Store with Mass Effect 3: Earth
N7 Typhoon is not an ordinary rifle and can be obtained only online and only if you happen to have the Mass Effect 3: Earth DLC pack. Also, you will be randomly rewarded with this weapon because it is categorized as ultra-rare rifle. N7 Typhoon should be referred to as distinctive light machine gun and nothing else. It is heavy, not that accurate and when shot in singles brings really low damage. But this gun has no other modes than automatic which means – bullet shower for everyone. As you can see yourself, this rifle has two special plates on the both sides of the barrel. If you haven’t guessed yet, they are supposed to protect you from headshots. I can’t say that they work perfectly well but it is definitely a lot harder to send a bullet in your head when you have this gun. N7 Typhoon can easily deal with any defense up to 25cm thick without an assault rifle piercing mod; with a Level V Magazine Upgrade you can fire up to 180 rounds at once and when it reaches its maximum firing rate – you will get a 1.5 damage multiplier. If you see enemies approaching with shields, barriers or armor – don’t worry, because this baby has 50% bonus damage against targets with any protection. But, at the same time N7 Typhoon is the heaviest assault rifle and it won’t be a perfect fit for power-dependent classes.
Clip Size: 100.
Reserve: 400.
N7 Valkyrie
Location: N7 Warfare Gear Omega: Aria T'Loak
N7 Valkyrie is a standard issue for new recruits but despite its pretty common usage, it is a well-made, accurate and dangerous weapon. It comes with a standard thermal clip capacity of sixteen shots that equal eight burst shots. One of the biggest strength of this weapon is that it offers pretty good damage and even better accuracy which is vital. It is kind of effective at the middle range distances and with a few updates is capable to eliminate the target in one shot. However, the rifle is kind of heavy and you won’t enjoy its powerful recoil. Also, using powers regularly when holding this rifle won’t be an easy task.
Clip Size: 16.
Reserve: 144.
Particle Rifle
Location: Priority: Eden Prime
Particle Rifle is Protheans assault rifle that was redesigned to fire without thermal clips or specialized ammunition. However, this gun requires a temporary cool-down period if it overheats. But despite this minor con, Particle Rifle is a deadly rifle with great round capacity, accuracy and fire rate. It might not be as deadly as other rifles but with 100 shots in the clip and this accuracy it won’t matter. One of the biggest advantages of this rifle is that it can’t run out of ammunition. Thanks to the already mentioned cooldown system you can forget about running low on ammo. This weapon is perfect for killing simple enemies that do not have much health. It also can be used to expose enemies when they are using invisibility. Particle Rifle can cause high amounts of damage in a short period of time thanks to the fact that beam remains on-target. You can also charge the rifle to cause more damage but it will take some time and doing these in dangerous places might turn you into a dead person. Also, if you plan on using active powers while the gun is charging, think twice because it will interrupt the charge and you will be forced to do it one more time. The best thing about this rifle is that:
- it has unlimited ammo;
- it has NO recoil;
- it is extremely accurate!
Those components turn this rifle into a devastating tool that will help you to hold your position almost forever. The only weakness of Particle Rifle is that it is not good against enemies with strong shields or barriers, such as Banshee. But, a fully-upgraded Particle Rifle combined with the damage multiplier and thermal clip capacity mods will still make a difference in any situation.
The only REAL issue about this rifle is that it takes forever to reload and cool down. When the gun is out of ammo, it initiates a reload animation in which it vents excess heat and does lots of other things. The trick is that even if you attempt to do anything with your character when it’s recharging – you will have to start all over again. It includes almost everything like using powers, switching weapons or entering/exiting cover. So, when you are about to recharge your rifle, make sure you are in a safe place, otherwise – switch to your secondary weapon.
Clip Size: 100.
Reserve: ∞.
Phaeston
Location: Tuchanka: Turian Platoon, Omega: Aria T'Loak
Phaeston is an assault rifle gun that can shoot only in automatic mode. Thanks to this and its really light construction, Phaeston is Turian infantry's weapon of choice. Each shot of this gun is tempered by kickback dampeners inside the shoulder stock. This lets the Phaeston pack more punch than other weapons of its size without sacrificing precision. One of the main strengths of this weapon is the ability to be a good helper in almost any situation. At the very beginning it can shoot 50 rounds in a row and send them accurately in the heads of your enemies from almost all distances. For what it’s worth – this weapon is great for suppressing and covering fire.
Clip Size: 50.
Reserve: 300.
Striker Assault Rifle
Location: Multiplayer Store with Resurgence Pack
Striker Assault Rifle can be randomly obtained only if you have the Mass Effect 3: Resurgence Pack. This is a fully-automatic rifle but it definitely finds itself closer to the grenade launcher category. Striker Assault Rifle fires high-impact slugs that detonate on contact. Weapon’s rate of fire can be increased by simply holding the fire button. But, when the trigger is held and the rate of fire rises, the vertical kickback also increases dramatically. This turns Striker Assault Rifle into the most uncontrollable weapon in the game. But, sacrifices are supposed to be made. However, if you add the stability damper, it will help you to decrease the kickback of the gun. In other words – your rifle will behave nice again. If you happen to have some problems hitting the desired targets – try to aim the ground near them. This usually saves the situation. Also, due to the specifics of rounds being explosive – they will deal damage to the target you aim for and others standing nearby. Striker Assault Rifle is very effective against Cerberus' Atlas Mechs, Phantoms and others alike. It is recommended for Batarian Soldiers and Sentinels. One of the most effective ways to use this rifle is to shoot from the cover. And the last but not the least: do not forget to upgrade this rifle with everything one can imagine that gives additional damage, better accuracy and bigger clips: Assault Rifle Magazine can greatly increase the overall deadliness of the Striker, Adrenaline Rush can be used very effectively with this weapon allowing you to push out up to 42 grenades before the reload but full potential of this weapon can be only revealed with Cryo Rounds. Probably, the only weakness that it can but should not boast with happens to be rifle’s ineffectiveness against barriers and shields: Atlas Mechs, Banshees, and Geth Primes absorb a large volume of fire so, it might be a good idea to use something else to make them lose their protective layers and only then get back to the rifle,
Clip Size: 12.
Reserve: 60.
Assault Rifle Weapon Modifications
Assault Rifle Stability Damper I - V
Distributes recoil with sliding system of counterweights compatible with kinetic coil generators. Reduces weapon kickback.
Assault Rifle Magazine Upgrade I - V
Increases magazine capacity, allowing more shots before reload.
Assault Rifle Piercing Mod I - V
Capacitor boosts kinetic coil generators, increasing shot penetration.
Assault Rifle Extended Barrel I - V
Lengthens barrel, creating greater bullet velocity and impact.
Assault Rifle Precision Scope I - V
Simple 4x optical scope to enhance stability while zoomed. Increases accuracy while moving and taking damage.
Assault Rifle Omni-Blade I - V (Requires Leviathan for single-player and Earth for multiplayer.)
Attach an omni-blade to the weapon for increased melee damage.
Assault Rifle Thermal Scope I - V (Requires Retaliation for multiplayer.)
Reveal enemies through walls and smoke with a 4x optical scope and enhance stability and accuracy while zoomed.
Assault Rifle High-Velocity Barrel I - V (Requires Retaliation for multiplayer.)
Superior kinetic coils increase shot penetration.
Here are some of the most common Assault Rifles compared to each other showing their basic specifications.
Explosives
Grenades
In Mass Effect 3 grenades are a bit different than the grenades from the original Mass Effect. In the debut title grenades could have been upgraded to become more powerful and dangerous. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to do that in Mass Effect 3 but instead you can choose from a variety of different grenades with different purposes. Grenades can be collected in the environment but are used and consumed in the form of grenade powers. Grenade powers do not have a recharge time and can be thrown at any time regardless of the recharge stage of the player's other powers. Check the list below for more details on grenade powers.
Arc Grenade
This type of grenade can be found in multiplayer mode only. It electrocutes and stuns enemies with EMP-packed grenades and is pretty effective against shields and barriers (it does double damage if compared with other grenades). Unfortunately, Arc Grenades detonate on contact with any surface and can’t be bounced for some geometry tricks. Also, its electrical charge does not jump to nearby targets. But, due to their contact explosive nature, Arc Grenades are very effective at taking the shields from Geth Hunters as they can be thrown at their feet. By the way: when evolved to do 75% extra damage against shields and barriers, these grenades become extraordinarily effective at stripping the shields from Atlases and Conversely. But if you decide to concentrate on armor damage, you will be definitely surprised to see that in this case Arc Grenade turns into one of the most versatile offensive powers in the game. This allows then to bring heavy damages to every protected enemy in the game. If you want to maximize the damage of these babies, do not forget about Grenade Capacity Gear: it will allow you to throw up to 8 grenades into a group of enemies that will put them all in very vulnerable position.
Cluster Grenade
Cluster Grenade is an exclusive item for Adepts when playing single player and is available for a few more classes when playing online. When thrown, the initial grenade splits up into 3 extra grenades (the number of grenades can be increased with some upgrades). Each grenade triggers a separate Biotic Explosion causing devastating damage. The good thing about Cluster Grenades is that when split, every grenade causes almost identical damage and all together they can be very devastating. This type of grenade can be very effective against foot-soldiers, such as Phantoms or Centurions. You need to remember that Cluster Grenades do not explode on contact which means – they can be bounced off the walls or any other surfaces. This can be used to your advantage as well as it can spoil your strategy plans. It is highly recommended to use Cluster Grenade against group of enemies and try to throw them in a way so that they hit different targets. The trick is that Cluster Grenades can cause a biotic explosion and inflict double damage to its target but they each must hit a different target to do so. If not – double damage will be caused only by the first grenade. And the last but not the least: if you are playing as Drell Adept, you can use Cluster Grenades to become a strategically perfect warrior. All you have to do is to cast Reave on a target or a group of targets and then throw the Cluster Grenades at him/them. By triggering a Biotic Explosion, you can become extremely effective against armored targets (Ravagers and their Swarmers, Brutes, Banshees).
Frag Grenade
Frag Grenades are called that way for a particular reason: they literary rip your enemies apart with the shrapnel giving you an opportunity to win the match or eliminate the enemy in one throw. They also specialize in taking out squads of enemies and usually detonate 1 second after they come into contact with the surface. However, if you hit a target with a frag grenade – it will detonate immediately. This is especially useful when fighting heavy armored or heavy shielded enemies. Also, with just a few updates you can turn frag grenades into even deadlier weapon. By the way: if your enemy is on fire and you kill him with a frag grenade, the Fire Explosion will be produced hitting the nearby standing targets.
Homing Grenade
Homing Grenades will be available through the multiplayer only. Also, it can be used by the following characters and races: Drell Assassin Infiltrator, N7 Demolisher, Turian Saboteur Engineer DLC characters. When being launches, homing grenade will track down the target and will cause aggressively massive explosion on impact. Thanks to its slow moving nature, homing grenade is very accurate since it can correct its course to continue homing the target. But, if used against Phantoms, Banshees and Praetorians, it is likely to be deflected by their powers. If you hit a group of enemies with this type of grenade, all targets will be staggered by its burst. A very good strategy is to use Homing Grenade after an Arc Grenade – this will trigger a very powerful Tech Burst.
Inferno Grenade
Inferno Grenade is extremely effective against armor, doing twice the damage. Its explosive mechanics is rather interesting and devastating: first of all – it explodes on impact causing heavy damage. Afterwards it sends damaging fire fragments in all directions. Those fragments are very devastating and can actually take down the whole squad of enemies if the bomb explodes correctly. However, you need to remember that Inferno Grenade can also damage your teammates. Inferno Grenade deals damage even to shielded enemies, although it is somewhat reduced.
Lift Grenade
Not only lift grenades cause pretty great amount of damage but also have an amazing feature of lifting weaker enemies in the air. This makes them helplessly flow in the air (this effect is pretty similar to the one you get from the Pull). The radius of the lift grenade impact can be extended up to 8 meters making it one of the largest grenade blasts in the game. Lift grenades are good for different tactical maneuvers and not just for killing enemies on the impact. First of all, you can lift enemies hiding behind the cover. Secondly – you can separate a few soldiers from the main squad and make them helpless allowing you to take care of some more dangerous fellows. You need to remember that Lift Grenades immediately explode if they make a direct hit on an enemy.
Multi-Frag Grenade
Multi-Frag Grenade is available only to the N7 Destroyer Soldier DLC character. Multi-Frag grenades are very alike simple frag grenades but simply have a few more items in the shoot. Multi grenade power allows you to shoot 3 grenades at once or even 5 grenades with the rank 6 Grenade Count evolution. A good thing about multi-frag grenades is that every grenade has its own damage abilities. If you manage to throw multi-frag grenade with a minimum spread, they will be very deadly to the enemy you throw it at. Multi-Frag Grenade can also be used to reliably knock an ally out of a Banshee's grip if used immediately. It is almost impossible to throw multi-frag grenades from the distance and make them land compactly but if enemies are moving in spread-out groups, this can actually be very helpful.
Sticky Grenade
One the best things about sticky grenades is that no matter how you throw it, if sticks to an enemy and he won’t be able to avoid its impact. Sticky grenades stick to the target and cause high enough damage to those standing nearby. Sticky grenades are especially useful against Atlas Mechs and Brutes. Also, throwing a sticky grenade won’t deactivate Infiltrator's Tactical Cloak that gives player an amazing opportunity to come closer, plant a grenade and run away unnoticed. By the way – if you take the Proximity Trap evolution in Rank 6, it will turn a regular sticky grenade into a highly effective proximity mine. While it won’t last longer than 15 seconds, with the constantly approaching waves of enemies this should work great anyway. However, it is not recommended to use sticky grenades against Praetorians because there is a fair chance that the Praetorian will put his barrier up faster. This maneuver will absorb almost the whole damage.
Tech Proximity Mines
The title itself pretty much says what tech proximity mines are good for: you place them and they explode on impact with the target causing sometimes heavy and sometimes not that heavy casualties. There are three different types of proximity mines at your disposal:
- Sabotage mines;
- Overload mines;
- Damping mines.
As a rule, proximity mines explode on instantly if you are using tech talents specifically on an enemy. Unlike grenades, proximity mines do not have a timed fuse, but they usually vanish once the combat session is over or if no enemies appear for an extended period. The most effective way to use proximity mines is to set them on the battlefield close to the area your enemies respawn or in corridors and narrow passages that lead to your firing point. The very same moment an enemy approaches the mine, it will detonate causing some serious damage. Damping increases the explosion radius on tech proximity mines, Hacking causes them to recharge more quickly, and Decryption increases their damage.
Sabotage mines
There is nothing better than a good old sabotage caused by a mine. When being activated, the sabotage mine explodes upon contact causing the enemy's weapon to overheat and burn him for a certain amount of damage. If affected by the mine, your enemy won’t be able to use his weapon.
Overload mines
A greater part of enemies uses shields and barriers to make it harder for you to take them down in a few shots. Well, thanks to the overload mines, shields and barriers won’t be a problem from now on. Not only overload mines cause some serious damage, they also are very effective against shields and barriers. If your weapon is not good at dealing with this kind of protection, placing overload mines is highly recommended. When the shields are down, you can easily shoot the enemy with whatever weapon you have in your arms.
Damping mines
Damping mines should be used against enemies who happen to have tech or biotic barriers. After the explosion, the enemies mentioned will lose their tech and biotic barriers and abilities for a given amount of time. Their Tech and Biotic powers will be disabled for a certain period of time too giving you a perfect window for a strike.
Mass Effect 3 weapon system is an expended variant of the weapon system coming from Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. Of course, it has a great number of unique guns but lots of them can also be found in the previous titles. Major changes have been made in the Heavy Weapons category: now you are not allowed to equip your character with them and they can only be found as pickups during missions. Luckily, in Mass Effect 3 any class can carry whichever and however many weapon types they want. The only limitation is the weight limit. For example, the Soldier can carry all five weapon types at once without exceeding carry weight, but only if properly upgraded to do so. On the top of that you can upgrade your weapon up to Level 5 making it more accurate, more powerful and less “capricious.”
Weapons in Mass Effect 3 are divided in the following categories:
1. Heavy Pistols;
2. Submachine Guns;
3. Shotguns;
4. Assault Rifles;
5. Sniper Rifles;
6. Heavy Weapons;
7. Explosives.
All guns from the following categories (except Heavy Weapon Category) can be upgraded with different modes.
Assault Rifles
Assault rifle is a perfect choice for a player still questioning himself what kind of warrior he wants to be. They are designed for any combat situation, allowing you to be effective in close, medium and even long-range combats. Assault rifles are good for providing covering fire and take down enemies quickly. However, only a few of those will be active at the distance due to pretty heavy recoil. When in automatic mode, most of the assault rifles suffer from all side climbs, so it is highly recommended to shoot in bursts at longer distanced to become more accurate. At the close range, spraying bullets into a target is effective but not as effective as shooting from a shotgun. Biotic or tech-focused characters are the best to be equipped with assault rifles.
Adas Anti-Synthetic Rifle
Location: Firefight Pack
Adas Anti-Synthetic Rifle is an extremely accurate assault rifle and together with the high enough damage can turn into a deadly weapon. However, the only way to see it in your inventory is to buy and download the Firefight Pack. It is effective at any distances and even when your enemies are beyond the long range, with a proper aiming you can still send a few projectiles in the same spot. Both semi-auto and full auto modes work great for this rifle keeping its accuracy on a decent level. When shot, it projects electrical charges and in auto mode will cause lots of damage. In the battle it is very useful for crowd control. With this only rifle you can suppress the approaching squad without any problems. Also, projectiles have a slight target-tracking capability. Adas Anti-Synthetic Rifle is very effective against synthetic enemies (Geth, Turrets, Atlas mechs) and against Cerberus and Reaper enemies. The only bad thing about this assault rifle is that it happens to be very heavy.
Clip Size: 24.
Reserve: 72.
Cerberus Harrier
Location: Multiplayer Store with Rebellion Pack
Cerberus Harrier is available only in Multiplayer and only with the purchased Rebellion Pack. This assault rifle can’t be purchased on demand and even with the Rebellion Pack will be rewarded randomly. Cerberus Harrier is an ultra-rare weapon. It is fully automatic and is almost as good in causing damage as a standard Mattock. It is very comfortable in use and should be considered as a weapon of choice by those players who play as soldiers. Cerberus Harrier is highly useful from the distance because of its accuracy capabilities. At the same time, it works well at the close range. Aldo, with some additional skills like Adrenaline Rush you can increase the damage cause seriously because it greatly benefits from it. As always, the biggest problem about automatic rifles is that they run low on ammo very quickly. Also, Cerberus Harrier is not that good with shielded targets.
Clip Size: 20
Reserve: 80
Chakram Launcher
Location: Bonus Item Omega, Aria T'Loak; Kingdoms of Amalur, Reckoning (Demo)
Chakram Launcher is one of the most accurate assault rifles in the game. It shoots with very deadly projectiles that clip on the target and explode in a second. This causes better armor penetration and, of course, brings a lot more damage. Once on the enemy, it can’t be taken off. For even more damage you can also charge your projectiles: the longer you charge – the higher the damage becomes. The good news is that it won’t influence the accuracy in any possible way. Chakram Launcher is very effective against Cerberus Guardians because of the armor penetration. Also, when using a flashlight and charging the rifle at the same time, you can significantly increase the amount of light projected. Unfortunately, its low Clip Size does not allow using the rifle on regular bases.
Clip Size: 4
Reserve: 40
Collector Assault Rifle
Location: Bonus item Mass Effect 3: Retaliation
Collector Assault Rifle comes to us from the Mass Effect 2 and happens to be an automatic assault rifle with pretty good accuracy. Collector Assault Rifle is made of organic components, its power source appears to be an internal organ with biotic capacitance. As for the ammunition, it uses pellets of metallic enamel. They are very good for penetrating through the shields. This assault rifle is a great choice when dealing with Cerberus Guardians and enemies that do not rely heavily on powers.
Clip Size: 28
Reserve: 280
Geth Pulse Rifle
Location: Priority, Geth Dreadnought
Geth Pulse Rifle is an assault rifle that can be found in all chapters of the game: Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3. It is very alike a standard stock assault rifle but well balanced and with low recoil. If compared with the other assault rifle, this one happens to be very accurate. Geth Pulse Rifle can fire a rapid stream of light-weight slugs that all together turn it into a decent assault weapon. Also, its slugs are wrapped in a phasic envelope which increases the damage. Geth Pulse Rifle is the lightest assault rifle in the game and will be a perfect fit for power oriented characters and classes. But there is one thing that this rifle is really famous for: its high clip capacity. With a Level V Magazine Upgrade you can get up to 144 rounds in the clip. And if you do not plan to upgrade the gun, you will still find 80 rounds in the original clip that sounds good too. Despite all the expectations, its pinpoint accuracy and near-zero recoil turn the Geth Pulse Rifle into a decent headshot maker.
Clip Size: 80
Reserve: 400
M-8 Avenger
Location: Prologue, Earth
M-8 Avenger is an assault rifle that primary appears in the Mass Effect 2. Its modular design and inexpensive components turn the rifle in a desired piece of equipment. It’s easy to use, easy to upgrade and has a touch reputation. It kind of reminds one of the most popular rifles of the XX century – AK-47. Well, it uses a lot better rounds but when being shot nonstop you will see that its recoil makes the M-8 Avenger go up. It is not critical but happens to be a bit unpleasant. Unfortunately, M-8 Avenger is pretty useless with those who carry heavy armor and shows satisfactory results when dealing with shields. It is highly effective at the close and middle ranges. While M-8 Avenger is pretty universal and will be a good choice for any class, its damage possibilities still leave much to be desired. It is often described as “the Rifle with no major weaknesses, but no major strengths.”
Clip Size: 30.
Reserve: 120.
M-15 Vindicator
Location: Priority, Mars
M-15 Vindicator is favored by assassins and elite mercenaries because of its three-round bursts that are effective against armor, shields and biotic barriers. Also, thanks to its pretty good damage capabilities and high accuracy, M-15 Vindicator can be turned in a deadly weapon effective at any range. This rifle is very popular in the Terminus Systems, mostly because it was manufactured by Elanus Risk Control Services. The Vindicator is a good choice for an Infiltrator, as it is very light when upgraded and effective enough to resist enemies. M-15 Vindicator can also be referred to as a good hybrid between the Mattock and the Avenger. With a few updates directed to improve its stability, the Vindicator can become a good assault rifle but not good enough to deal with lots of enemies (on the top of all, its clip size might become a major problem).
Clip Size: 24.
Reserv4: 144.
M-37 Falcon
Location: Priority, Cerberus Headquarters
M-37 Falcon is not an assault rifle in its actual meaning and happens to be closer to the grenade launchers. But, unlike all grenade launchers, it causes far less damage shooting 25mm mini-grenades. At the same time, it brings a lot more damage when compared with the other assault rifles. The biggest problem about this rifle is its accuracy that suffers a lot because of recoil. But, I think that it is rather a question of practice and with a good and steady hand aiming abilities can be raised. Falcon's grenades can be firmly compared with those used in Scorpion: they look alike and cover pretty much the same area with the explosion. Moreover, M-37 Falcon's projectiles travel much faster but are likely to bounce from the surface easier. But, with a proper strategy and attitude you can use this as an effective way to take out enemies from behind the cover. Falcon is deadly against any Cerberus enemy (except Mechs) no matter the difficulty. With all the necessary updates the M-37 Falcon can be turned into a powerful rifle acting more like a grenade launcher. However, it has a couple of issues. One of them, of course, is its low clip capacity and reserve ammunition. The other one touches the reload time problem.
Clip Size: 6.
Reserve: 24.
M-55 Argus
Location: Bonus item Despoina, Leviathan
M-55 Argus is an excellent close-range weapon favored by senior C-sec officers. It might not be accurate but it is very effective in the close range battles. Unfortunately, it fires only three-round bursts and without any upgrades this “feature” makes things look bad with the noticeable vertical climb (can’t but mention the old-fashioned AK-47). As with other high-recoil weapons, the Argus benefits greatly from the accuracy bonus granted when shooting from cover. By the way – you can slightly improve the accuracy problem by installing a recoil compensating modification.
Clip Size: 21.
Reserve: 168.
M-76 Revenant
Location: Priority: The Citadel II
M-76 Revenant assault rifle comes to us from the Mass Effect 2. Due to the innovative technology and protection against replication, only the richest and most powerful warlords can afford the Revenant. This weapon has pretty poor accuracy but thanks to the storm of high-velocity slugs that it unleashes, you should be excited to have one in your arsenal. M-76 Revenant is classified as a Light Machine Gun and it means that any player will be affected with this feature. For instance, when firing the weapon, you character will slow down to a walking pace no matter what you think or whether you are zoomed or not. On the top of all M-76 Revenant has extremely high recoil and it’s almost impossible to shoot it nonstop. And, the last you need to know about it – the weapon has an extremely long reload time. If you are about to be surrounded and you need to reload your gun – it is better to switch to your secondary weapon then to reload the gun. However, Adrenalin Rush solves the problem immediately.
Clip Size: 60.
Reserve: 320.
M-96 Mattock
Location: Grissom Academy, Emergency Evacuation
M-96 Mattock comes to us from the Mass Effect 2. It is a semi-automatic rifle and happens to be a perfect tool for medium-range targets. It is extremely accurate but not that deadly. However, you can compensate the lack of deadliness with a couple of upgrades and the already mentioned high accuracy. M-96 Mattock is an interesting mix of an assault rifle's low heat production and a sniper rifle's punch. Those two make a perfect couple and ONLY semi-auto mode will force you to keep an eye on the ammo. At the same time, the delay between shots is minimal and your shooting productivity only depends on how fast you can hit the Fire button. M-96 Mattock is a perfect weapon to kill the bad guys from the distance and it even happens to be closer to the sniper rifle than to the assault. But, due to the lack of proper damage, this rifle can’t be used in close range combats, so try to pick something devastating as your secondary weapon.
Clip Size: 16.
Reserve: 96.
M-99 Saber
Location: Priority, Horizon
M-99 Saber is the deadliest and the most accurate assault rifle. It is used only by the most elite marksman because of its stopping powers. Sometimes M-99 Saber is referred to as “The Big Iron,” probably because it is like a train: there is almost nothing that can stop it. Even with a few updates the M-99 Saber can turn into a “One Shot Kill” Rifle and stopping enemies at the longest distances won’t be an issue. This rifle might be perfect for an Infiltrator, especially with his Tactical Cloak. Adding 50-90% extra damage thanks to the skill mentioned will literary stop anything, even on the hardest difficulties. However, one of the most unpleasant weaknesses of this weapon is its really low rate of fire. This con makes this weapon almost impossible to use at the close range. On the top of all, M-99 Saber is a very heavy rifle. And, let’s not forget about the high recoil that can endanger the whole mission if you miss your shot.
Clip Size: 8
Reserve: 40.
N7 Typhoon
Location: Multiplayer Store with Mass Effect 3: Earth
N7 Typhoon is not an ordinary rifle and can be obtained only online and only if you happen to have the Mass Effect 3: Earth DLC pack. Also, you will be randomly rewarded with this weapon because it is categorized as ultra-rare rifle. N7 Typhoon should be referred to as distinctive light machine gun and nothing else. It is heavy, not that accurate and when shot in singles brings really low damage. But this gun has no other modes than automatic which means – bullet shower for everyone. As you can see yourself, this rifle has two special plates on the both sides of the barrel. If you haven’t guessed yet, they are supposed to protect you from headshots. I can’t say that they work perfectly well but it is definitely a lot harder to send a bullet in your head when you have this gun. N7 Typhoon can easily deal with any defense up to 25cm thick without an assault rifle piercing mod; with a Level V Magazine Upgrade you can fire up to 180 rounds at once and when it reaches its maximum firing rate – you will get a 1.5 damage multiplier. If you see enemies approaching with shields, barriers or armor – don’t worry, because this baby has 50% bonus damage against targets with any protection. But, at the same time N7 Typhoon is the heaviest assault rifle and it won’t be a perfect fit for power-dependent classes.
Clip Size: 100.
Reserve: 400.
N7 Valkyrie
Location: N7 Warfare Gear Omega: Aria T'Loak
N7 Valkyrie is a standard issue for new recruits but despite its pretty common usage, it is a well-made, accurate and dangerous weapon. It comes with a standard thermal clip capacity of sixteen shots that equal eight burst shots. One of the biggest strength of this weapon is that it offers pretty good damage and even better accuracy which is vital. It is kind of effective at the middle range distances and with a few updates is capable to eliminate the target in one shot. However, the rifle is kind of heavy and you won’t enjoy its powerful recoil. Also, using powers regularly when holding this rifle won’t be an easy task.
Clip Size: 16.
Reserve: 144.
Particle Rifle
Location: Priority: Eden Prime
Particle Rifle is Protheans assault rifle that was redesigned to fire without thermal clips or specialized ammunition. However, this gun requires a temporary cool-down period if it overheats. But despite this minor con, Particle Rifle is a deadly rifle with great round capacity, accuracy and fire rate. It might not be as deadly as other rifles but with 100 shots in the clip and this accuracy it won’t matter. One of the biggest advantages of this rifle is that it can’t run out of ammunition. Thanks to the already mentioned cooldown system you can forget about running low on ammo. This weapon is perfect for killing simple enemies that do not have much health. It also can be used to expose enemies when they are using invisibility. Particle Rifle can cause high amounts of damage in a short period of time thanks to the fact that beam remains on-target. You can also charge the rifle to cause more damage but it will take some time and doing these in dangerous places might turn you into a dead person. Also, if you plan on using active powers while the gun is charging, think twice because it will interrupt the charge and you will be forced to do it one more time. The best thing about this rifle is that:
- it has unlimited ammo;
- it has NO recoil;
- it is extremely accurate!
Those components turn this rifle into a devastating tool that will help you to hold your position almost forever. The only weakness of Particle Rifle is that it is not good against enemies with strong shields or barriers, such as Banshee. But, a fully-upgraded Particle Rifle combined with the damage multiplier and thermal clip capacity mods will still make a difference in any situation.
The only REAL issue about this rifle is that it takes forever to reload and cool down. When the gun is out of ammo, it initiates a reload animation in which it vents excess heat and does lots of other things. The trick is that even if you attempt to do anything with your character when it’s recharging – you will have to start all over again. It includes almost everything like using powers, switching weapons or entering/exiting cover. So, when you are about to recharge your rifle, make sure you are in a safe place, otherwise – switch to your secondary weapon.
Clip Size: 100.
Reserve: ∞.
Phaeston
Location: Tuchanka: Turian Platoon, Omega: Aria T'Loak
Phaeston is an assault rifle gun that can shoot only in automatic mode. Thanks to this and its really light construction, Phaeston is Turian infantry's weapon of choice. Each shot of this gun is tempered by kickback dampeners inside the shoulder stock. This lets the Phaeston pack more punch than other weapons of its size without sacrificing precision. One of the main strengths of this weapon is the ability to be a good helper in almost any situation. At the very beginning it can shoot 50 rounds in a row and send them accurately in the heads of your enemies from almost all distances. For what it’s worth – this weapon is great for suppressing and covering fire.
Clip Size: 50.
Reserve: 300.
Striker Assault Rifle
Location: Multiplayer Store with Resurgence Pack
Striker Assault Rifle can be randomly obtained only if you have the Mass Effect 3: Resurgence Pack. This is a fully-automatic rifle but it definitely finds itself closer to the grenade launcher category. Striker Assault Rifle fires high-impact slugs that detonate on contact. Weapon’s rate of fire can be increased by simply holding the fire button. But, when the trigger is held and the rate of fire rises, the vertical kickback also increases dramatically. This turns Striker Assault Rifle into the most uncontrollable weapon in the game. But, sacrifices are supposed to be made. However, if you add the stability damper, it will help you to decrease the kickback of the gun. In other words – your rifle will behave nice again. If you happen to have some problems hitting the desired targets – try to aim the ground near them. This usually saves the situation. Also, due to the specifics of rounds being explosive – they will deal damage to the target you aim for and others standing nearby. Striker Assault Rifle is very effective against Cerberus' Atlas Mechs, Phantoms and others alike. It is recommended for Batarian Soldiers and Sentinels. One of the most effective ways to use this rifle is to shoot from the cover. And the last but not the least: do not forget to upgrade this rifle with everything one can imagine that gives additional damage, better accuracy and bigger clips: Assault Rifle Magazine can greatly increase the overall deadliness of the Striker, Adrenaline Rush can be used very effectively with this weapon allowing you to push out up to 42 grenades before the reload but full potential of this weapon can be only revealed with Cryo Rounds. Probably, the only weakness that it can but should not boast with happens to be rifle’s ineffectiveness against barriers and shields: Atlas Mechs, Banshees, and Geth Primes absorb a large volume of fire so, it might be a good idea to use something else to make them lose their protective layers and only then get back to the rifle,
Clip Size: 12.
Reserve: 60.
Assault Rifle Weapon Modifications
Assault Rifle Stability Damper I - V
Distributes recoil with sliding system of counterweights compatible with kinetic coil generators. Reduces weapon kickback.
Assault Rifle Magazine Upgrade I - V
Increases magazine capacity, allowing more shots before reload.
Assault Rifle Piercing Mod I - V
Capacitor boosts kinetic coil generators, increasing shot penetration.
Assault Rifle Extended Barrel I - V
Lengthens barrel, creating greater bullet velocity and impact.
Assault Rifle Precision Scope I - V
Simple 4x optical scope to enhance stability while zoomed. Increases accuracy while moving and taking damage.
Assault Rifle Omni-Blade I - V (Requires Leviathan for single-player and Earth for multiplayer.)
Attach an omni-blade to the weapon for increased melee damage.
Assault Rifle Thermal Scope I - V (Requires Retaliation for multiplayer.)
Reveal enemies through walls and smoke with a 4x optical scope and enhance stability and accuracy while zoomed.
Assault Rifle High-Velocity Barrel I - V (Requires Retaliation for multiplayer.)
Superior kinetic coils increase shot penetration.
Here are some of the most common Assault Rifles compared to each other showing their basic specifications.
Explosives
Grenades
In Mass Effect 3 grenades are a bit different than the grenades from the original Mass Effect. In the debut title grenades could have been upgraded to become more powerful and dangerous. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to do that in Mass Effect 3 but instead you can choose from a variety of different grenades with different purposes. Grenades can be collected in the environment but are used and consumed in the form of grenade powers. Grenade powers do not have a recharge time and can be thrown at any time regardless of the recharge stage of the player's other powers. Check the list below for more details on grenade powers.
Arc Grenade
This type of grenade can be found in multiplayer mode only. It electrocutes and stuns enemies with EMP-packed grenades and is pretty effective against shields and barriers (it does double damage if compared with other grenades). Unfortunately, Arc Grenades detonate on contact with any surface and can’t be bounced for some geometry tricks. Also, its electrical charge does not jump to nearby targets. But, due to their contact explosive nature, Arc Grenades are very effective at taking the shields from Geth Hunters as they can be thrown at their feet. By the way: when evolved to do 75% extra damage against shields and barriers, these grenades become extraordinarily effective at stripping the shields from Atlases and Conversely. But if you decide to concentrate on armor damage, you will be definitely surprised to see that in this case Arc Grenade turns into one of the most versatile offensive powers in the game. This allows then to bring heavy damages to every protected enemy in the game. If you want to maximize the damage of these babies, do not forget about Grenade Capacity Gear: it will allow you to throw up to 8 grenades into a group of enemies that will put them all in very vulnerable position.
Cluster Grenade
Cluster Grenade is an exclusive item for Adepts when playing single player and is available for a few more classes when playing online. When thrown, the initial grenade splits up into 3 extra grenades (the number of grenades can be increased with some upgrades). Each grenade triggers a separate Biotic Explosion causing devastating damage. The good thing about Cluster Grenades is that when split, every grenade causes almost identical damage and all together they can be very devastating. This type of grenade can be very effective against foot-soldiers, such as Phantoms or Centurions. You need to remember that Cluster Grenades do not explode on contact which means – they can be bounced off the walls or any other surfaces. This can be used to your advantage as well as it can spoil your strategy plans. It is highly recommended to use Cluster Grenade against group of enemies and try to throw them in a way so that they hit different targets. The trick is that Cluster Grenades can cause a biotic explosion and inflict double damage to its target but they each must hit a different target to do so. If not – double damage will be caused only by the first grenade. And the last but not the least: if you are playing as Drell Adept, you can use Cluster Grenades to become a strategically perfect warrior. All you have to do is to cast Reave on a target or a group of targets and then throw the Cluster Grenades at him/them. By triggering a Biotic Explosion, you can become extremely effective against armored targets (Ravagers and their Swarmers, Brutes, Banshees).
Frag Grenade
Frag Grenades are called that way for a particular reason: they literary rip your enemies apart with the shrapnel giving you an opportunity to win the match or eliminate the enemy in one throw. They also specialize in taking out squads of enemies and usually detonate 1 second after they come into contact with the surface. However, if you hit a target with a frag grenade – it will detonate immediately. This is especially useful when fighting heavy armored or heavy shielded enemies. Also, with just a few updates you can turn frag grenades into even deadlier weapon. By the way: if your enemy is on fire and you kill him with a frag grenade, the Fire Explosion will be produced hitting the nearby standing targets.
Homing Grenade
Homing Grenades will be available through the multiplayer only. Also, it can be used by the following characters and races: Drell Assassin Infiltrator, N7 Demolisher, Turian Saboteur Engineer DLC characters. When being launches, homing grenade will track down the target and will cause aggressively massive explosion on impact. Thanks to its slow moving nature, homing grenade is very accurate since it can correct its course to continue homing the target. But, if used against Phantoms, Banshees and Praetorians, it is likely to be deflected by their powers. If you hit a group of enemies with this type of grenade, all targets will be staggered by its burst. A very good strategy is to use Homing Grenade after an Arc Grenade – this will trigger a very powerful Tech Burst.
Inferno Grenade
Inferno Grenade is extremely effective against armor, doing twice the damage. Its explosive mechanics is rather interesting and devastating: first of all – it explodes on impact causing heavy damage. Afterwards it sends damaging fire fragments in all directions. Those fragments are very devastating and can actually take down the whole squad of enemies if the bomb explodes correctly. However, you need to remember that Inferno Grenade can also damage your teammates. Inferno Grenade deals damage even to shielded enemies, although it is somewhat reduced.
Lift Grenade
Not only lift grenades cause pretty great amount of damage but also have an amazing feature of lifting weaker enemies in the air. This makes them helplessly flow in the air (this effect is pretty similar to the one you get from the Pull). The radius of the lift grenade impact can be extended up to 8 meters making it one of the largest grenade blasts in the game. Lift grenades are good for different tactical maneuvers and not just for killing enemies on the impact. First of all, you can lift enemies hiding behind the cover. Secondly – you can separate a few soldiers from the main squad and make them helpless allowing you to take care of some more dangerous fellows. You need to remember that Lift Grenades immediately explode if they make a direct hit on an enemy.
Multi-Frag Grenade
Multi-Frag Grenade is available only to the N7 Destroyer Soldier DLC character. Multi-Frag grenades are very alike simple frag grenades but simply have a few more items in the shoot. Multi grenade power allows you to shoot 3 grenades at once or even 5 grenades with the rank 6 Grenade Count evolution. A good thing about multi-frag grenades is that every grenade has its own damage abilities. If you manage to throw multi-frag grenade with a minimum spread, they will be very deadly to the enemy you throw it at. Multi-Frag Grenade can also be used to reliably knock an ally out of a Banshee's grip if used immediately. It is almost impossible to throw multi-frag grenades from the distance and make them land compactly but if enemies are moving in spread-out groups, this can actually be very helpful.
Sticky Grenade
One the best things about sticky grenades is that no matter how you throw it, if sticks to an enemy and he won’t be able to avoid its impact. Sticky grenades stick to the target and cause high enough damage to those standing nearby. Sticky grenades are especially useful against Atlas Mechs and Brutes. Also, throwing a sticky grenade won’t deactivate Infiltrator's Tactical Cloak that gives player an amazing opportunity to come closer, plant a grenade and run away unnoticed. By the way – if you take the Proximity Trap evolution in Rank 6, it will turn a regular sticky grenade into a highly effective proximity mine. While it won’t last longer than 15 seconds, with the constantly approaching waves of enemies this should work great anyway. However, it is not recommended to use sticky grenades against Praetorians because there is a fair chance that the Praetorian will put his barrier up faster. This maneuver will absorb almost the whole damage.
Tech Proximity Mines
The title itself pretty much says what tech proximity mines are good for: you place them and they explode on impact with the target causing sometimes heavy and sometimes not that heavy casualties. There are three different types of proximity mines at your disposal:
- Sabotage mines;
- Overload mines;
- Damping mines.
As a rule, proximity mines explode on instantly if you are using tech talents specifically on an enemy. Unlike grenades, proximity mines do not have a timed fuse, but they usually vanish once the combat session is over or if no enemies appear for an extended period. The most effective way to use proximity mines is to set them on the battlefield close to the area your enemies respawn or in corridors and narrow passages that lead to your firing point. The very same moment an enemy approaches the mine, it will detonate causing some serious damage. Damping increases the explosion radius on tech proximity mines, Hacking causes them to recharge more quickly, and Decryption increases their damage.
Sabotage mines
There is nothing better than a good old sabotage caused by a mine. When being activated, the sabotage mine explodes upon contact causing the enemy's weapon to overheat and burn him for a certain amount of damage. If affected by the mine, your enemy won’t be able to use his weapon.
Overload mines
A greater part of enemies uses shields and barriers to make it harder for you to take them down in a few shots. Well, thanks to the overload mines, shields and barriers won’t be a problem from now on. Not only overload mines cause some serious damage, they also are very effective against shields and barriers. If your weapon is not good at dealing with this kind of protection, placing overload mines is highly recommended. When the shields are down, you can easily shoot the enemy with whatever weapon you have in your arms.
Damping mines
Damping mines should be used against enemies who happen to have tech or biotic barriers. After the explosion, the enemies mentioned will lose their tech and biotic barriers and abilities for a given amount of time. Their Tech and Biotic powers will be disabled for a certain period of time too giving you a perfect window for a strike.
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