Krogan Soldier

Krogan are large bipeds native to the planet Tuchanka, a world known for its harsh environment, scarce resources, and vicious predators. Until the invention of gunpowder, the leading cause of krogan fatalities was "eaten by predators." Though slow, krogan can take tremendous damage in combat, allowing them to inflict grievous harm with impunity.

Armored like a tank--and as slow as one--an angry krogan has more going for it than the species' infamous belligerence. It should come as no surprise that a krogan dishes out as much punishment as they're able to take on the battlefield.

General Notes

 * Krogan are the most capable of withstanding damage out of all the races. Since they are capable of withstanding bigger hits, krogan are suited to taking on bigger enemies like Banshees, Atlases, and Geth Primes, but will suffer from groups of smaller infantry who will peck you to death with surprising speed.
 * Krogan are, however, very slow and incapable of rolling or going from cover-to-cover. This means they are very susceptible (like turians and batarians) to instant-kill moves from Phantoms, Atlases, Brutes, and Banshees.
 * Rage can improve their protection by up to 30%, and their Fortification skill can also give up to 40% protection &mdash; this makes them very resistant to small arms fire and capable of withstanding even the hardest of hits.
 * Alternatively, one can focus purely on raw melee damage, with certain evolutions in Fortification and Rage.
 * Rage can increase standard melee damage by 95%: 80% when enraged, and a further 75% when a heavy melee kills an enemy.
 * Fortification, when purged, can increase melee damage by up to 100%.
 * Several mods and pieces of equipment also increase melee damage: equip a Level V Bayonet on a shotgun or a Level V Melee Stunner on a pistol for 25% more melee damage (note that the melee damage only counts with the currently equipped weapon). As of the Retaliation DLC, the Omni-Blade attachment (shotguns) can be attached to give 30-50% extra melee damage but at the cost of increased 50 extra weight. A Strength Enhancer Weapon Bonus can boost melee damage by an additional 25, 50, or 100%. An additional 20% melee damage bonus can be gained from the Level V Hydraulic Joints Gear.
 * All in all, with all these benefits you can potentially increase the strength of your melees to or over five-fold what it was. This colossal boost to damage can allow you to take out any infantry with a single heavy melee on Bronze, almost all of them on Silver, and a great deal of them in just one or two hits on Gold. Be sure to purge Fortification every 15-20 seconds to maintain the additional 100% melee damage, but also make sure you re-apply Fortification to retain the 25% protection bonus.


 * Krogan Soldiers can also choose to focus on damage protection and Inferno Grenades. This combination (if Fortification isn't purged at all) means there are no power cooldowns to worry about, so weapon weight isn't an issue. However, Inferno Grenades are in finite supply.
 * Inferno Grenades are excellent for crowd control (especially against organics). Their large area-of-effect, combined with their damage over time allows the Krogan to soften large groups of enemies before rushing in for a melee spree.
 * While Carnage is often ignored in favour of other abilities, it may be wise to invest a few points in it if you plan on using Inferno Grenades, since Carnage serves as an excellent detonator for fire explosions.

Cerberus

 * Krogan can be devastating at close range, but be wary of Phantoms and Atlases. Krogan are more vulnerable to their instant-kill moves.
 * If going for the Fortification-Inferno Grenade loadout, load a heavy assault rifle, and shotgun for a flexible all-range outfit. Remember, you cannot move quickly, so if a Phantom gets too close try to retreat, melee her if you can, or make her try to evade you.

Collectors

 * You will have your work cut out against the Collectors since most enemies cannot be knocked down. They can be seriously injured however, and a pure melee build will certainly prove devastating against even Scions. Steer clear of Praetorians though as their claw attacks will very quickly chew through your bulky physique.
 * The Fortification power needs to be switched on and off to maintain maximum melee damage. Alternatively you can keep it on you, since protection is constant, and sometimes switching it off can prove fatal.
 * Inferno Grenade will do the trick against Scions, and Praetorians, as well as the basic troopers, but you will first need to strip the barriers of the other enemies before it will affect the others as effectively.

Geth

 * Geth are a krogan's bane. Since many of the geth are capable of stunning you with melee attacks, shotguns, rockets, or pulse cannons, sticking to cover is imperative to survival. While they cannot interrupt you when you are charging them with a heavy melee, you will often take significant damage just trying to deal with one enemy. They may stop you in your tracks by interrupting you before you try the charge.
 * Use the same loadout as you would for Cerberus: shotgun and assault rifle, as this will give you a good all-range loadout.
 * Stick by your allies and stay behind something that is solid and, ideally, has a good height, to prevent them from shooting you whilst in cover.

Reapers

 * Krogan can quickly tear through Reaper forces and it is tempting to run into enemy spawn. However, since krogan are slow, you should make a tactical retreat when Banshees get close since they can instantly kill you.
 * Brutes can be dangerous too, but they can be dealt with swiftly with an anti-armor load out, such as the Claymore with the Shotgun Shredder Mod.
 * Husks are great melee targets to activate Rage since they are physically frail.
 * Ravagers can deplete your shields and health quickly with their Swarmers and cannons, but efficient use of Inferno Grenades will neutralise that threat and render Ravagers vulnerable to a heavy melee attack.