War Assets

War Assets in Mass Effect 3 are the people, weapons, armies and fleets that Commander Shepard can accumulate throughout the game.

War assets are assigned a point value, indicating Total Military Strength, which is then multiplied by a Readiness Rating to produce the galaxy's Effective Military Strength, which determines success in the final battle against the Reapers.

War assets and military strength can be inspected using the War Terminal aboard the Normandy.

Readiness Rating
The readiness rating is presented as a percentage of the collected war assets that contribute to the galaxy's Effective Military Strength. The readiness rating is increased by participation in the Galaxy at War system, which includes: However, participation in Galaxy at War is not required to achieve the maximum possible Effective Military Strength.
 * Multiplayer
 * Mass Effect: Infiltrator
 * Mass Effect: Datapad

Alien
Alien races that were once content to stay on the fringes of galactic politics are now stepping up to provide whatever is needed to win this war.

Rachni Workers
Not at all mindless insects, the rachni are capable of feats of engineering comparable with any sentient species. While initially greeted with suspicion, the rachni workers dispatched to the Crucible have integrated into the project smoothly. They work especially well on tasks that benefit from group work, and senior Crucible staff members are learning to trust the rachni with more complex problems.

Shadow Broker Wet Squad
As the new Shadow Broker, Liara T'Soni has the loyalty of her predecessor's assassination squad, a small but lethal team of soldiers called on for the rare occasion when information isn't enough to silence a target. Their methods vary with each mission: from subtle poisonings to bombing entire buildings, the wet squad is dedicated to whatever range of destruction the new Broker requires. Dr. T'Soni has put them to work against the Reapers and Cerberus.

Alliance
The Systems Alliance represents humanity's economic, political and military reach throughout the galaxy. Its naval forces are led by Admiral Steven Hackett.

Alliance Engineering Corps
The Alliance Engineering Corps cuts roads through mountains and builds bases on asteroids. While the bulk of the AEC has active wartime duties, their brightest are helping build a device of Prothean origin recovered on Mars. Due to the staggering amount of raw materials required, the AEC has been given unprecedented emergency funding for any Alliance resources that will not interfere with the deployment of troops.

103rd Marine Division
The old saying "every marine is a rifleman" still holds true in the Alliance. Every marine enlistee, from clerks to sniper, goes through a period of infantry training. As a result, the 103rd Marine Division is Earth's largest collection of Special Forces soldiers. Officers from notable battles, such as the Skyllian Blitz and the First Contact War, run harsh training exercises in a variety of environments, insisting the marines be prepared to storm any beach, on any planet. This training has been useful in the Reaper War, as the 103rd can be fighting in the arctic desert one week, crawling through jungles the next.

UPDATED

Nicknamed the Bridge Burners, Team Zeta are combat engineers who specialize in destroying enemy fortifications in hostile territory. This tight-knit group of men and women are respected for their knowledge, renowned for their tenacity, and infamous for their enthusiasm.

UPDATED (Only if the player has completed the Arrival DLC for Mass Effect 2)

Admiral Hackett dispatched marines to the planet Aratoht to rescue a deep cover agent, Dr. Amanda Kenson. The teams were killed in an explosion that wiped out both the colony and the system's relay. The Alliance spent weeks piecing together scattered radio transmissions, learning that the marines felt they had no choice but to send an asteroid into the relay to prevent invasion by the Reapers. While it bought the Alliance some time, the men and women lost on the mission were a severe blow to the 103rd Marine Corps.

Admiral Mikhailovich
When the Reaper called Sovereign attacked the Citadel in 2183, Rear Admiral Mikhailovich led the 63rd Scout Flotilla against it. The 63rd suffered the fewest losses of any Alliance flotilla during the Battle of the Citadel, while providing critical support for the Fifth Fleet's carriers and dreadnoughts. The Alliance promoted Mikhailovich from Rear Admiral to Admiral after the battle, and tasked him with rebuilding and upgrading his ships.

Alliance First Fleet
The First Fleet was stationed near the Charon relay when the Reapers invaded the Sol System. By the time Admiral Hackett issued the order to retreat, its size--once the largest in the Alliance navy-- had been cut in half. Commanding Admiral Ines Lindholm made the painful decision to use a tenth of the fleet's remaining vessels as cover so the remainder could escape. Her gamble paid off, as the First Fleet limped out of the relay to rally with the rest of the Alliance forces on the run.

UPDATED (If used to save the Council)

This fleet lost a third of its vessels protecting the Council during the Battle of the Citadel two years ago. Unfortunately, the Alliance did not have time to rebuild the fleet to its previous strength before the Reapers invaded.

Alliance Third Fleet
Stationed at Arcturus, the Third Fleet is headed by Admiral Nitesh Singh. When the Reapers came for the station, Singh had already pulled his command ship, the SSV Logan, back to an ideal firing position for its mass accelerator cannons. The dreadnought's guns managed to slow down a destroyer before it could demolish the Third Fleet, but Singh was forced to retreat in the face of overwhelming opposition from the Reapers.

UPDATED (If used to save the Council)

This fleet lost a third of its vessels protecting the Council during the Battle of the Citadel two years ago. Unfortunately, the Alliance did not have time to rebuild the fleet to its previous strength before the Reapers invaded.

Dr. Karin Chakwas
Dr. Karin Chakwas served on board both the SSV Normandy and the Normandy SR-2 as resident doctor and primary medical researcher. A graduate of Earth's prestigious University of Mumbai, Chakwas's research background has allowed her to contribute to the effort to decode the Prothean device found on Mars; some of its material components require careful chemical analysis to ensure they are used properly in the cooling systems.

Kahlee Sanders
First Lieutenant Kahlee Sanders joined Grissom Academy's board of directors after she gave up her military career. When the Cerberus raid on the academy was thwarted by Commander Shepard, Sanders joined with Alliance engineers working to recreate the Prothean device found on Mars. Her past work as a systems technician, specifically studying synthetic intelligence, has helped decode some of the complex feedback systems that control the weapon's energy.

Jack
Jack, formerly known as Subject Zero, may be the most talented biotic of her time. After helping Shepard destroy the Collectors, she was offered a teaching position at Grissom Academy by the Alliance. Accepting the position for reasons of her own, Jack continued to hone her skills while training her students. Grissom Board of Directors member Kahlee Sanders has vouched for Jack's energetic, if unorthodox, teaching style, impressed with the inroads made with the children under the rogue biotic's care.

Arcturus First Division
The Arcturus First Division is a volunteer army of civilians, paramilitary forces, and reserve soldiers, who have banded together to stop the Reaper occupation of the planet Benning. To avoid detection by Reaper forces, its members operate in cells, never staying in one place long. A handful of Alliance officers are coordinating the First Division, sharing intel and sending supplies to resistance soldiers. A few Alliance squadrons have been spared to support Benning's makeshift army with trained soldiers.

Alliance Cruiser Shanghai
The Shanghai's most important part in the Reaper war to date was the evacuation of the colony Uqbar. Alliance intel reported Reaper forces headed toward Uqbar, but as a cruiser, the Shanghai was unable to land on the medium-gravity world. The Shanghai's captain quickly dispatched all its shuttles to help transport hundreds of colonists onto the ship. Making over 41 shuttle runs in a single hour, the Shanghai managed to evacuate the entire remaining population. When Reaper forces arrived, Uqbar's capital city was as empty as if it had never been inhabited at all.

Rogue Fighter Pilots
When humanity began to expand its borders, experienced pilots were needed to establish colonies in the uncharted reaches of space. Some Alliance personnel heeded the call, and these luckless men and women have since been driven out of their colonies by the invading Reapers. After speaking with Lieutenant Steve Cortez, a few of these highly skilled fighter pilots agreed to fly against the enemies who destroyed their homes.

Alliance Fifth Fleet
The Fifth Fleet became famous across the galaxy after spearheading Alliance forces at the Battle of the Citadel. It was guarding Arcturus Station when the Reapers attacked. After a bloody and desperate battle, Admiral Hackett gave the order to retreat, sacrificing the entirety of the Alliance Second Fleet to give the Third and Fifth the chance to escape. The Fifth Fleet's engineers are busy repairing its damaged vessels, grimly anticipating a return to Earth and revenge against the Reapers.

UPDATED (If used to save the Council)

This fleet lost a third of its vessels protecting the Council during the Battle of the Citadel two years ago. Unfortunately, the Alliance did not have time to rebuild the fleet to its previous strength before the Reapers invaded.

UPDATED

A pair of entrepreneurs was persuaded to switch from creating financial programs to advanced weapon-targeting VIs, and to sell them to the Alliance just above cost.

UPDATED (If Citadel: Improved Power Grid completed)

Krogan power grids are supplying energy to Purgatory, allowing club to operate as usual--improving the morale of soldiers on shore leave.

Diana Allers
Alliance News Network reporter Diana Allers has been broadcasting from the Normandy, interviewing crew members and high-ranking Alliance officers to give the galaxy an "insider's view" of the war.

Alliance Frigate Normandy SR-2
When the original SSV Normandy was destroyed, Cerberus rebuilt the ship from stolen Alliance plans. Dubbed the SR-2, the Alliance took the new Normandy apart and refitted some of its systems with new technology of its own. As a result, the SR-2 Normandy is the highest-performing frigate in the entire Alliance navy, and possibly the fastest ship in its class. The Normandy is commanded by Shepard, an Alliance officer and humanity's first Spectre.

UPDATED (If the Thanix Cannon has been bought in Mass Effect 2)

To bolster the Normandy's firepower, Commander Shepard installed a Thanix Magnetic-Hydrodynamic Cannon on the ship's undercarriage. Based on Reaper technology, the powerful weapon fires molten metal accelerated to a fraction of the speed of light.

UPDATED (If the Silaris armor has been bought in Mass Effect 2)

Before taking on the Collectors, Commander Shepard reinforced the Normandy's superstructure with Silaris armor. This protective layer of carbon nanotube sheeting can withstand temperatures that would instantly vaporize more conventional armor.

UPDATED (If the Cyclonic Barrier Technology has been bought in Mass Effect 2)

The Normandy has been upgraded with Cyclonic Barrier Technology, allowing the ship's mass effect field projectors to fire rapidly oscillating barriers that deflect rather than directly absorb kinetic shocks.

Mineral Resources
Commander Shepard uncovered significant elemental deposits while scanning planets with the Normandy SR-2. When the Alliance dry-docked the Normandy, they seized all recovered elements. This material surplus has gone toward building the Prothean device discovered on Mars.

Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani
Westerlund News Reporter Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani reached out recently to her viewers with a wartime plea for unity and cooperation among all galactic species.

UPDATED

Her sincerity touched extranet viewers and donations for war relief efforts are pouring in, both to the Alliance and its alien allies.

Eden Prime Support
Eden Prime is an agrarian world, producing millions of tons of food that is sold to less arable planets. The Alliance has set up supply lines from this colony to funnel excess provisions to its troops.

UPDATED

A few researchers who studied Prothean technology on Eden Prime avoided capture by Cerberus. They've forwarded copies of their work to the Alliance, hoping it can help build the Prothean device found Mars.

UPDATED

Although its military defenses were seriously damaged by the Cerberus invasion, Eden Prime's remaining government has loaned the Alliance several Athabasca-class supply freighters.

UPDATED (Only if all three pieces of intel during the quest Eden Prime: Resistance Movement are retrieved)

Eden Prime's colonists drove Cerberus away from their system entirely. With its shipping lanes secure, the colony is sending out as many supplies and equipment as it can spare.

Javelin Missile Launchers
Developed by the Alliance, Javelin missiles release dark energy upon impact. This creates devastating space-time disruptions, magnified warp fields that strip away a target's molecular bonds. Even the strongest kinetic barriers will eventually collapse after multiple impacts from these rockets. Alliance R&D commandeered several colony factories, and now produces enough Javelin missile launchers for all dreadnoughts in the allied fleet.

Prothean Data Files
These Prothean discs were found years ago on Eden Prime, recovered a few months before the discovery of the Prothean Beacon in 2183. For years the data on the discs was incomprehensible, until the Crucible's blueprints provided the key to understanding the equations. Locked inside the discs were theories on dark matter meant to be used with the Crucible's main power source.

Cerberus Research Data
Data liberated from a Cerberus research lab includes reports of the composition and strengths of various Reaper units. Alliance scientists are fact-checking the information, but it appears to be genuine, so Alliance military VIs can use it to strategize against the Reapers' ground forces.

Krogan
The krogan clans have agreed to throw their considerable might against the Reapers. Their shock troops are aggressive, relentless, and recklessly brave.

Grunt
"The perfect krogan" was thrown into the world without a past, name, or a cause. After destroying the Collectors with Commander Shepard, Grunt returned to Tuchanka to learn what it meant to be krogan. After countless arguments and brawls, the clans have granted Grunt a modicum of acceptance. Tough, wary, and cunning, the young krogan knows this experience will pay off now that it's time to fight the Reapers' forces.

Aralakh Company
Ancient Tuchankan legends claim that the Aralakh Wastes, named after the system's star, are where the first warrior died in battle. Aralakh Company is made up of krogan from all over Tuchanka, each chosen for their strength, ferocity, and fighting experience. No krogan community would dream of sending anything less than its finest warriors to represent their clan. The honor of who's to be chosen for the company has started more than one brawl.

UPDATED (If Grunt survived the Suicide Mission)

Aralakh Company is led by Grunt, a genetically engineering "perfect soldier" who fought the Collectors with Commander Shepard. While young, the krogan has survived such brutal battles that the older warriors of the group have begrudgingly accepted his command.

UPDATED (If Grunt: Rite of Passage was completed)

Grunt was appointed representative of Clan Urdnot in addition to becoming head of Aralakh Company, a political appointment not lost on the other clans. Grunt sees this new positions as the first large victory he has won on his own--the respect of his people is difficult to come by.

UPDATED (If the rachni queen is saved during Attican Traverse: The Rachni)

Wave after wave of rachni overwhelmed the Aralakh Company on Utukku. While fighting an impressive enemy to the deah is considered an honorable end for a krogan, Aralakh Company has effectively been wiped out.

Major Kirrahe
Major Kirrahe made his mark leading the salarian Special Tasks Group that helped Commander Shepard stop Saren at Virmire. Lauded by his superiors for his decisive leadership under fire, Kirrahe was promoted and decorated with the prestigious Star of Sur'Kesh. The major continues to join missions with his men, believing that nothing substitutes for experience, and that the best tactical strategies are planned on the battlefield.

Turian Blackwatch
A team of exceptionally skilled Special Ops soldiers, Blackwatch is sent on missions that threaten the safety of Palaven itself. It was pulled from the homeworld by order of Primarch Adrien Victus, who wanted to mobilize this elite force in less hopeless situations across the galaxy. The majority of Blackwatch's operations are classified, although it's generally accepted that they have the highest success rate of any turian unit in history. There are rumors that Saren Arterius was part of Blackwatch before becoming a Spectre, although--give his youth when he joined the turian army--it seems highly unlikely.