Pinnacle Station: Combat Missions

Commander Shepard is challenged to get the top ranking score in each of the 8 combat scenarios on Pinnacle Station.

Acquisition
Visit Pinnacle Station in the Phoenix system of the Argos Rho cluster after downloading Pinnacle Station (DLC), and speak to Admiral Ahern. He will give you some background on the station and its simulator, then send you to speak to Ochren, the salarian technician. Ochren will give you access to the simulator to begin this assignment.

Walkthrough
The various scenarios are:

 Capture 


 * (Tropical, Volcanic, Subterranean)

As the name implies, you must capture certain points. A meter will appear along with an "area circle" once you get close enough to start capturing a point. As long as you keep at least part of Shepard's body in the circle, you will continue capturing the point. If you are able to keep all enemies out of the circle, this takes 20 seconds. If enemies enter the circle (even if you or your squad moved them into it) the capture of that point will take longer and may even be reset completely. Times to Beat:
 * Volcanic: 2:00:53
 * Tropical: 1:58:67
 * Subterranean: 1:29:47

 Hunt 
 * (Subterranean, Volcanic, Tropical)

You will start with only a few seconds on the clock. In order to gain more time you must kill targets. Targets will "spawn" from unmarked spots as long as the player is not too close to that spot. Ideally, you want to find a good location of your own with a good line of sight on a "spawn spot" and simply keep killing enemies as they appear. Moving enemies does not help as much as direct killing does here so you may want to equip rapid fire weapons like assault rifles and pistols. Kills to Beat:
 * Subterranean: 35
 * Volcanic: 43
 * Tropical: 50

 Survival 
 * (Tropical, Volcanic, Subterranean)

Stay alive as long as you can, either by staying on the move and avoiding enemies, or by finding cover and using strong squadmates to keep killing. The enemies come in a pattern of waves, first a weak group, then a stronger group, then even tougher enemies, and finally a fourth wave of difficult enemies. After that the cycle starts again with the first wave of the same weak enemies, and so on. Any time over two minutes will guarantee first place on the first two levels. Times to Beat:
 * Volcanic: 1:31:83
 * Tropical: 1:46:43
 * Subterranean: 2:20:57

 Time Trials 
 * (Volcanic, Warehouse, Tropical)

Race the clock to beat a set number of enemies that spawn in groups further and further along the map. You must kill all of the members of the current group before the new group will spawn so don't knock back, Throw, Singularity, or Lift a half dead enemy into an area where you can't reach him. This includes Lift-ed enemies that get invisibly stuck in the ceiling and take 10 or more seconds for your squadmates to kill. Some groups, especially first and last groups do not spawn all at once, so you may need to wait a second or two before deciding on your tactic. Times to Beat:
 * Warehouse: 1:24:67
 * Tropical: 1:20:94
 * Volcanic: 1:54:61

 Ahern's Special Scenario 

After defeating all 8 basic scenarios and all 4 advanced scenarios, Admiral Ahern will offer Shepard a special scenario that re-enacts one of Ahern's battles during the First Contact War. In order to win the admiral's retirement home in a wager, Shepard will go in with the safeties off. This means you can die, so save before talking to Ochren. After recovering a data module, similar to disarming an Eden Prime charge, the squad must hold out 5 minutes for evac. This part basically runs like a 5 minute survival scenario with more enemies as well as 2 activate-able turrets and an activate-able "bulkhead door" to help you out.

Survival Tips
Generally the maps from all 13 scenarios which overlap their settings, while not always exactly identical do share several features in common so there are some things you want to watch for no matter which type or map you're currently in.


 * Memorize the map: In most cases (especially if you are not normally fast on the controls) a few seconds can be the difference between first and second place, so knowing ahead of time where to stand, where to go to next, and even which tactics will work for a certain enemy can shave a lot off of your time.


 * Avoid "Stuck and Cover": many times when near a flat surface Shepard will automatically crouch and / or take cover, removing yourself from cover can take a painfully long time as Shepard slides slowly away from the "cover surface" so unless you're on Survival mode, cover is generally a bad idea.


 * Conserve your Energy: In these scenarios time and position are critical. The ability to "Storm" or otherwise run fast in Mass Effect works exactly like weapons do, if you keep your finger on the button, you will become fatigued, and then not only will your weapon accuracy suffer, but also, just like with an overheated weapon, there will be an extra wait time to get your storm run ability back. Remember to use it in short bursts, just like a weapon, otherwise you may get stuck without it for a while.


 * Move it!: Because the holo-room's walls and ceiling as well as cliff walls and drops off of high ledges are all instantly fatal to the enemies, being able to Lift, Throw, or otherwise knock away your opponents with explosive attacks becomes important. Singularity can also be used to slam enemies into lethal surfaces but usually only in tight spaces, so this doesn't help as much. Even on scenarios where killing is not required, the ability to move an enemy out of a doorway or off of a pathway can save you time.


 * Choose Squadmates Wisely: The individual scenarios each emphasize specific capabilities, which allows you to optimize your squad for a particular purpose, rather than choosing a general-purpose squad. Generally, Hunt and Time Trial missions call for the maximum possible damage output, so choosing two out of Ashley, Wrex, and Garrus is almost a necessity to get the top score, while a balance of firepower and tech / biotics is more helpful in Capture and Survival, making Tali, Liara, and Kaidan useful alongside one of the combat characters. It's always a good idea to decide on your squad compositions before you go to Pinnacle Station, and make sure you have a full set of equipment for everyone you plan to include before your arrival at the station.


 * Are You Insane?: Completing these challenges in Insanity difficulty, even with a 60th level character, is perhaps the toughest challenge in the game. Volcanic, and to a lesser extent Tropical, Hunt missions rely greatly on the luck of where enemies spawn, with only a second or two being added onto the clock after the first dozen kills and each enemy taking five or six shots to dispatch. While possible with enough tenacity and patience, you may want to hold off on Pinnacle Station and tackle it on a lower difficulty playthrough. That being said, one can't deny the satisfaction of finally beating these challenges on Insanity.

This assignment links to Pinnacle Station: Vidinos →