Combat (Mass Effect: Andromeda)

Controls

 * Health and Shields: player shields are represented by the blue bar at the bottom of the HUD. Player health, represented by the red bar, will take damage once shields are depleted. Shields will automatically regenerate once in cover. When the player's health runs out, they die.
 * Drawing your weapon: LMB (PC) / L2 (PS4)
 * Holstering your weapon: 'V' (PC) / Touchpad (PS4)
 * Reloading: 'R' (PC) / Square (PS4)
 * Melee attack: 'F' (PC) / Triangle (PS4)
 * Tip: Skills such as Combat Fitness can permanently increase your health or shields.

Cover
Taking Cover: Players will automatically take cover against large, solid objects if their weapon is drawn and they are close to them. A shield icon will appear at the bottom of the HUD when the player is in cover. While in cover, shields will regenerate much faster and the majority of attacks from the other side will miss. Shooting from Cover: Use the appropriate control (RMB/PC - ) to pop out of cover and aim at the enemy. Doing so will give the player a temporary accuracy bonus. Players can also shoot blindly from cover using (LMB/PC - ).
 * Tip: Certain enemy weapons like grenades and the Nullifier's piercing blast can still threaten players while in cover.
 * Tip: The camera angle while in cover can be swapped to the opposite shoulder using (ALT/PC - )

Powers
Powers can be slotted from the player's Skills screen. To activate a power during combat, use the button assigned to it. Slotted powers are visible at the bottom right corner of the player's HUD. A majority of powers will have a cooldown period once they are used. The recharge time is marked on the power icons and is also visible as a blue meter that surrounds the aiming reticle. If a player is carrying heavier weapons, their power recharge will be longer. Try carrying lighter weapons to reduce this penalty.

Powers such as the Omni Grenade do not have a recharge time, but they rely on the availability of power cells. Remaining charges for this type of power can be seen on the icon itself. Power cells can be gathered from Forward Stations and supply caches.

Most powers can be used while airborne, either by using them in mid-air or at the moment the player hits the ground.

Combos
Combos are an advanced combat technique that allows players to set up enemies for devastating explosions.

Primers: To set up a combo, an enemy must first be primed with a certain power, such as Incinerate. Powers that can prime enemies are marked with different icons on the Skills screen that indicate their primer type.


 * Fire primers burn enemies and set them up for a Fire Combo
 * Cryo primers chill or freeze enemies and set them up for a Cryo Combo
 * Tech primers electrify enemies and set them up for a Tech Combo
 * Biotic primers lift enemies into the air and set them up for a Biotic Combo.

Detonators: Once an enemy is primed, a detonator power is required to set off the Combo explosion. Detonator powers are marked with an icon on the Skills screen. Any detonator will set off a combo. The type of explosion is determined by the type of primer.

Tip: Look for primer and detonator icons when planning Skill purchases. Some abilities can even be used as both.


 * Combo Types:
 * Fire Combos - Sets every enemy in the area on fire.
 * Cryo Combos - Slows or freezes nearby enemies.
 * Tech Combos - Creates a lingering electrical discharge that stuns enemies.
 * Biotic Combos - Detonates with extreme force, sending enemies flying.

Aerial
Hover: Both Jump-Jets and Biotics allow the player to hover momentarily in the air. One advantage of this is a higher chance of firing at enemies that are attempting to hide behind cover. The disadvantage is that the player is completely exposed while doing so. To Hover, use (RMB/PC - ) while jumping. This will slow the character's descent.

Melee: Using the melee attack button/key while jumping or falling will cause the omni-tool to blast out a small shockwave when the player hits the ground.

Evade: Press (MMB/PC - ) while moving in a direction to perform an evade/dodge. This can be done while airborne. Aerial evades can also be used to extent jump distances.

Powers: Most powers can be used while airborne.

Enemy Defenses
Health Bars Colors
 * Red: Enemy has no special defenses
 * Yellow: Enemies have armor and are tougher to take down
 * Blue: These enemies are shielded. The shield has to be worn down before their health can be depleted. Shields will regenerate after not taking damage for a short time, so avoid changing targets if possible. Overload, Energy Drain and any beam or plasma based weapon are highly effective at wearing down shields.

Weapons
Multiple types of weapons can be used during combat, provided the player has the proficiency to use it. All players have the ability to use pistols, Assault rifles, and melee weapons. Other types of weapons such as the Sniper Rifle

Squad
The Squad in Mass Effect: Andromeda will consist of the Pathfinder Ryder character and two squadmates. There are currently six squad members confirmed and each one has a specific set of predetermined skills. Unlike the player, their skills cannot be changed. Once a player has more than two Squadmates on the Pathfinder team, players can choose who to bring into combat and mission situations. To do this, use the Squad tab on the Loadout screen. This can be accessed from either a Foward Station or while launching into a mission.

Loyalty missions for a specific Squadmate will have that NPC already locked into the mission and cannot be removed. There may also be critical parts of the main story that can require a specific companion.

Using Squadmates during combat can become critical in harder fights. Even more so in higher difficulty play-throughs. Knowing how to control the squad's location and tactics are important for survival. Squadmates are represented as icons below the player's health and shield bar.

Combat Difficulty
Players will be asked to choose a difficulty level when starting a new game. The level can be changed during gameplay. This could be useful if the player feels their original choice was too easy or too hard. Changing it during a game will apply the new level to the character's save. This could potentially keep the player from obtaining specific achievements.


 * Narrative - Intended for players who are more interested in the story than combat. Combat scenarios still exist but are less intense.
 * Casual - Intended for players with less shooter experience.
 * Normal - Intended for players with experience playing shooters and RPG's.
 * Hardcore - Intended for players looking for a greater challenge.
 * Insanity - Intended for players seeking the ultimate challenge.