Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer/Character Customization/Sentinel

Master of nothing but proficient in everything, Sentinels often end up the one everyone relies on to draw enemy fire. They have a variety of tools in their arsenal, covering both biotics and tech. Sentinels are also resilient--most have a form of upgraded armor to provide extra damage protection.

Human Sentinel
Humans joined the galactic community after discovering a Prothean data cache on Mars in 2148. Their devotion to understanding and adapting to modern warfare left the staid Council races stunned. Humanity's persistence and unflappable spirit has taken them further than anyone in the galaxy could have imagined.

Master of nothing but proficient in everything, human sentinels are often relied upon to draw fire on the battlefield. Sentinels relish their opponents' look of surprise when they realize they were focusing on the wrong enemy all along.

Player Notes

 * General Notes
 * The Human Sentinel can use Warp and Throw in sequence to trigger Biotic Explosions on any enemy, at any time.
 * It may seem illogical, but power damage increases do not affect the strength of biotic explosions: the strength of the combo is determined only by the total of the ranks of the set-up and detonation powers used and any rank evolutions taken which specifically increase the damage of biotic combos. As a result, Tech Armor, active or not, cannot increase biotic combo damage, and neither can Alliance Training passive bonuses. It does however increase damage of powers and so it will help deal more damage, but will not effect the damage of Biotic Explosions. That being said, you can run around abusing the explosive Tech Armor to stagger enemies that get too close, explode it to fire off biotic combos faster, and reactivate it to take enemies on in longer-range combat.
 * Because Human Sentinels are power intensive, a light loadout is recommended. Consider a Carnifex or Disciple, or both.
 * On higher difficulties, all enemies with dodging capabilities dodge with increased frequency, making set-up and detonation a pain. Either shoot first to cause the enemy to dodge or get close enough to make the thrown power unavoidable. Another option is to team up with an ally who has a "hit-scan" power such as Reave--once a target has been primed, a biotic explosion is only 1-2 seconds away since the recharge speed of Throw tends to be faster than the frequency of an enemy's dodge.
 * Because of power bonuses from both Tech Armor and Alliance Training, using Throw on the Human Sentinel is exceptionally powerful. One shot from a pistol, like a Carnifex, followed by a Throw, will quickly and efficiently eliminate any unprotected enemy.
 * Although the Human Sentinel doesn't have the baseline physical durability of the other Sentinel classes, it makes up for this by still being able to dodge and roll away from attacks. With up to a 50% damage reduction to handle weaker attacks, and the speed to get out of the way of heavy attacks and execution moves, a well-played Human Sentinel is more than capable of surviving almost any firefight.


 * Cerberus
 * Biotic explosions are deadly against Atlases, especially once their shielding has been removed.
 * While Phantoms can be detonated, their gauntlet can block powers, preventing explosions or damage. Counterintuitively, one can simply spam powers without specifically aiming for a combo to try to pin them down for weapons fire.
 * Alternatively, one can goad the Phantom into performing acrobatic flips by using rapid weapon fire. Because a power launched at a Phantom in the middle of a flip will track her normally, this is an effective strategy if the Phantom is a good distance away.
 * Guardians can also be detonated, but only when hitting the Guardians' bodies. Throw can be used to stagger them, exposing their bodies to gunfire. Another tactic is to send Throw at their backs--usually the power and physics damage will kill them outright. If not, they'll have dropped their shields for easy pickings.


 * Reapers
 * Since most enemies have either just health or armor, biotic combos are devastating against Reapers, although a little time-consuming. Make sure you have a good means of defending yourself at close-quarters or medium-range while your powers recharge.
 * Throw will do a good job suppressing Husks, Cannibals, and any unshielded Marauders.


 * Geth
 * Human Sentinels do not excel against the geth, as they have no powers that strip shields. This can be somewhat remedied by carrying an anti-shield weapon such as the Acolyte.
 * Human Sentinels do well against geth with allies that have tech powers such as Overload and Energy Drain--Throw, with its low cool down can help set-off quick Tech Bursts. This can also be accomplished by yourself by equipping Disruptor Rounds--shoot, then Throw.
 * Warp can be useful against the Geth Primes and Geth Pyros, but against anything else, you should consider using your weapons instead.
 * The Geth Hunter, of all the geth units, will most likely give you the most trouble. Without auto-target and the trajectory-tracking function of projectile powers, such as Warp and Throw, hitting cloaked Hunters can prove difficult, especially if you don't realize they're there, and even more so if they see it coming and dodge.
 * Bombers will cause no end of trouble to your team and should be dealt with quickly. They are however, quite fragile, and you will be protected by Tech Armor, which will give some protection, but is not absolute against the many cluster grenades they will drop.


 * Collectors
 * The Human Sentinel will work well here, with Warp being able to affect every single enemy in one form or another. Enemies will either be softened up due to the armor weakening, weakened by DoT, or their barriers will be heavily damaged. It can be used with throw to detonate explosions which will cause no end of trouble for the Collectors.
 * Throw is very useful against Abominations, since they explode upon death if you do not melee them, or hit them in the head with a gun. This power will give you and your team some breathing space to kill one or many Abominations and prevent their explosions from doing extreme damage, especially if said foe is possessed.

Turian Sentinel
Turians adhere to a strict moral code: "The needs of the group outweigh that of the individual." Discipline is the foundation of turian society. A turian line never collapses, its troops fall back in order, setting ambushes as they go. You will only see a turian's back when they're dead.

Turians receive the best military training in the galaxy. Their proficiency with a wide range of weapons, as well as their unmatched focus and determination, make up for their lack of speed and agility. They are a redoubtable ally on any battlefield.

Player Notes

 * General Notes
 * With Overload to strip shields and barriers, and Warp to chew away enemy armour, the Turian Sentinel is effective against any type of enemy. Combined with Tech Armor to reduce damage by up to 50%, explode to stagger enemies in close-quarters, clutch situations for escape, and increase power damage by 30%, the Turian Sentinel is a very balanced class.
 * High damage assault rifles, such as the Revenant, are a good choice thanks to the Turian Veteran ability, which gives encumbrance and stability bonuses.
 * By landing a Warp on a target that is still arcing from an Overload, you will produce a Tech Burst, dealing extra damage to an area as well as to the target.
 * The Turian Sentinel is a good choice if you are looking for a tough, well-armoured character who can offer the team heavy and constant fire support.
 * Sorting out what you should pick for your powers is quite possibly the most difficult thing you will be doing with the Turian Sentinel. Since all five skills are useful, you may be much more inclined to take all five, rather than maxing out four and leaving one skill untrained. If you want to be versatile, you will either have to sacrifice protection, damage, or endurance, and this can be quite a deterrent to invest in both damaging powers.


 * Cerberus
 * Overload can easily strip away shields and barriers from Atlases, Phantoms, Centurions, Combat Engineers, Turrets, and Nemeses, while Warp can then chew away armour on Atlases, or deal damage over time against other foes.
 * Turians lack agility so remember to use cover or accompany teammates when dealing with the more elusive enemies such as Nemeses or Phantoms.


 * Reapers
 * Warp will be helpful against Brutes, Ravagers and Banshees, especially when evolved to do max damage to armour.
 * Overload can be employed against Banshee's barriers or Marauder's shields, but for most Reaper opponents you'll need your guns or Warp.
 * Tanking with Tech Armour and a heavy gun loadout can be viable against Reapers, as it allows the player to fire continuously outside of cover, while reducing damage taken by up to half.
 * Tech Armour can also be detonated to reliably kill Husks that have gotten too close, or stagger Marauders or Cannibals which get too close. Do so to prevent their melee attacks, which are incredibly hard to interrupt, deal significant damage on higher difficulties, potentially breaking shields in one hit, and they stagger every time.


 * Geth
 * Overload is very effective, as it will paralyse all units, except for Geth Primes, when used on them. This allows for escape/follow-up headshots.
 * Overload with both chain evolutions selected can be useful for revealing cloaked Geth Hunters, since Overload will jump from one of them to another.
 * Warp can be employed effectively against unshielded Geth Pyros and Primes, as it weakens their armor, not only doing damage, but increasing damage dealt to them while the biotic effect is active.


 * Collectors
 * Turian Sentinels are not as powerful against collectors but still a considerable threat due to the combination of Overload and Warp to tackle any foe.
 * Warp will destroy the enemies armor, health, or barriers, making them very vulnerable
 * Overload is not as useful for enemies with a weaker barrier, but will cause much more damage than warp on enemies whose barrier is much harder to crack. Alternatively if evolved, Overload will incapacitate weaker foes briefly, and perhaps give you the few seconds needed to dispatch stronger enemies.
 * Tech Armor needs to be kept on, as you will undoubtedly be taking a lot of damage from these ranged specialists. Cover needs to be stuck to as often as possible, since they cannot evade and will help keep your shielding intact.

Krogan Sentinel
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.

Player Notes

 * General Notes
 * A popular build for the krogan Sentinel is to ignore Incinerate in order to fully evolve the other four skills. This way the krogan can equip Tech Armor and any heavy weapons he chooses to use without worrying about power recharge time, as Lift Grenade does not have a cooldown.
 * Tech Armour will drastically reduce damage, which becomes even more apparant when using the Rage damage reduction evolutions.
 * They function similarly to the Krogan Soldier with Incinerate replacing Carnage, Lift Grenade over Inferno Grenade, and Tech Armor over Fortification. These abilities make the Sentinel slightly less bulky than the Soldier, but more versatile. Tech Armor provides more damage resistance than Fortification, but does not have an evolution which increases shield regeneration rate.
 * Krogan Sentinels can also be built for a pure melee damage approach. While not as effective as the Krogan Soldier, they don't need to destroy their armor to gain extra benefits. This gives Sentinels a constant level of protection and a large amount of damage in melee to boot, as well as a "panic button" in a tight situation.


 * Cerberus
 * Lift Grenades are powerful, but only against unprotected enemies. Use it against Phantoms when possible to stop them escaping, or groups of Assault Troopers to deal a good amount of damage.
 * Weaker troops with the right evolutions in melee can be killed outright in just one well placed grenade or melee attack. Be careful if using the latter option as it is risky because of several reasons: you will open yourself up to melee attacks from enemies close to you (which are deadly if they are Phantoms) and a lot of shots from other surrounding foes outside melee range.
 * Phantoms are one of the biggest threats to a Krogan Sentinel, thanks to the krogan lack of maneuverability. However, a melee-optimized krogan in a Rage can kill them with a heavy melee attack even on Silver. If this is unavailable, Phantoms will dodge the first projectile power sent at them, but then usually stand still for a few moments immediately after dodging. So use Incinerate to force one to dodge, and then shoot the Phantom point-blank, or drop a Lift Grenade at your feet then use heavy melee.


 * Reapers
 * Use your Lift Grenades when given half a chance, since they do good damage against any enemy, and lift Cannibals, Husks, and unprotected Marauders.
 * Avoid Banshees at all costs, since you are slower than other races and they can grab you and subsequently instant-kill you.


 * Geth
 * Since you don't have to worry too much about powers, you should have an easier time dealing with the Geth Hunters, Primes, and Rocket Troopers, but you should still stick to cover to avoid being constantly stunned.
 * Lift Grenades should wait until you have a group of enemies vulnerable to lifting to avoid wasting grenades.


 * Collectors
 * Krogan Sentinels will not be effective against enemies with Barriers due to their lack of a real biotic power. Take the Acolyte if you need it, otherwise equip a powerful weapon and make sure if you dont have points in the Grenades, take Incinerate, as you will need it to deal with the armored, or unshielded enemies.
 * Krogan can tank very well due to their rage mode, and will prove particularly deadly once rage mode gets going. Combined with Tech Armor, you can protect yourself from at least 40% damage, 50% if specced out for protection.
 * You really need to watch out for Praetorians since Krogan arent exactly fast. If the Praetorians get close, they will land at least 2 or 3 hits which while you will take reduced damage, it will still inflict severe injuries, and if you get grabbed, fatal injuries.

Batarian Sentinel
Little is known about the batarian homeworld of Khar'shan or its inhabitants. As a result, the race is judged by those whom the Hegemony allows to travel beyond its borders: organized crime enforcers, pirate boarding parties, slaver gangs, and gladiatorial combatants.

Batarians are large brawlers that use nets and spiked weapons to capture targets...or to bleed them dry on the battlefield. If an opponent gets too close, a batarian enforcer bludgeons them with spiked armor and enforcement gauntlets.

Player Notes

 * General Notes
 * Shockwave arguably loses some use on higher difficulties compared to Submission Net and Blade Armor. While it can affect multiple enemies and send them flying, stagger them, stun them, or lift them, setting up or activating biotic combos, Submission Net deals high damage over time to any target, while freezing them in place (if unarmoured), exposing them to easy aiming while being unable to fight back, which is much more useful on higher difficulties, though Shockwave can still be used to generate powerful Tech Bursts.
 * Despite using Submission Net a lot, a powerful loadout might be advisable, to give yourself a means of defending yourself when Submission Net fails.
 * Conversely, single, light-weight weapons can be versatile for all situations, which allows for power-spam of Submission Net, especially when it misses or an enemy dodges.
 * If you're new to a weapon and want to get used to it, and see how useful it can be, in multiplayer, where the weapons are subject to updates and balancing, this class is great, as Submission Net reliably holds enemies in place, even after repeated use, and you can take your time to target enemies, and see what they're made of.
 * Submission Net followed by Shockwave can result in a Tech Burst.
 * If you want to be a team player, Shockwave suddenly becomes a significantly useful power, as, since the update, it now has the largest Biotic Combo damage bonus evolution, with Rank 5 Detonate. This however locks you to a 10m radius for use, although 10m is fairly long. It is the rough length between the short cover in the far building of Firebase: White, and the wall of the small room, leading to the stairs, and the ammo crate. With Lifting Shockwave, you can even sometimes set up a Biotic Combo, for allies. Considering the range requirement, this Class, with this power evolved so, becomes highly useful when used in combination with the Asari Justicar Adept's Warp Biotic Bubble with added Radius and Damage Taken, and Reave, due to Reave detonating lifted enemies. Warp Bubble sets Shockwave up for a close-range explosion, which can lift unprotected targets, which sets up Reave.
 * Submission Net has its advantages and disadvantages when compared to its Biotic Counterpart, Stasis, but most notable, it appears to have drastically better effectiveness with repeated use, rather than becoming outright ineffective after the first 1-3 uses on a single enemy. That being said, it also deals damage which is not to be underestimated, and multiple uses only increases that. Lastly, the AoE Rank 6 evolution can stun enemies in a radius giving it, and the Batarian, the only character with the power, crowd control capabilities.
 * Combine Submission Net with a gun like the Graal Spike Thrower or the Kishock Harpoon Gun, and you can have a highly versatile and greatly effective character. Both guns shoot through the shield gate on higher difficulties, both are decently accurate, even at long distances, more so in mid-range combat, and all effectiveness lost in CQC is made up by Submission Net, the Range of CQC making up for the fact that Submission Net is a projectile-based move. Additionally Submission Net deals with the laggy travel time of weapon projectiles at long range.
 * The Kishock charged deals damage comparable with the Widow, can shoot through the Shield Gate with its unique ability, unlike the Widow, has the same clip size as the Widow, and reloads faster than the Widow, and is lighter than the Widow, as light as the Geth Plasma Shotgun, and can shoot Guardians through the shields (Though it cannot pierce anything else, unlike the Widow). With good aiming and planning, the Kishock can even one-shot foot-soldier enemies with full shields and health, such as the Centurion, Nemesis, and Combat Engineer. The Kishock remains effective when fired from the hip. As the piercing mod appears to have no significant effects, and if you need more ammo, you can always pick some up from the infinite-supply crates, the Damage and Scope mods are likely the best bet with this set-up.
 * The Graal Spike Thrower has a high DPS, and an even higher and more-impressive Burst DPS (Damage per second during the time it takes to empty the clip, not counting down-time during reloads). The multiple-projectile, shotgun nature of the Graal allows it to shoot through the shield gate, the aiming reticle is reasonably small, and its base damage is incredibly high. The Damage and Choke mods are advisable as you don't want to melee enemies anyway, and if you need more ammo, you can find a crate, and the piercing mod doesn't allow piercing with the unique projectiles, anyway.


 * Submission Net is arguably your most valuable power, and should be used often and smartly.
 * Batarian Heavy Melee has one of the highest damage reduction bonuses of any other Heavy Melee, while in use. In clutch situations, knowing you're about to take lethal damage, starting a Heavy Melee into the air might be able to save you. It won't stop damage from hitting, but it can make it so you survive the damage, like a full 3-shot-barrage from a Prime or a Ravager. If you round the corner too fast to notice either, and without combat rolls, are unable to get back behind the wall, this may be the only way to survive. Dying too close to such enemies can prove difficult for allies to pick you up, as well, potentially saving their lives from having to save yours. Once no longer under duress of fire, and out of the Heavy Melee, you can use the enemy's downtime between fire-bursts to then get out of there.
 * Batarians are unable to evade, making them more vulnerable to instant-kill moves.
 * Note also, that although Batarians are quicker moving than Krogan, they are less defensible: thus, staggering attacks such as Geth Primes' can lock them down to lethal effect.


 * Cerberus
 * Phantoms are very lethal against batarians due to the inability of batarians to dodge. Whilst Submission Net can stop Phantoms cold, if they activate a barrier from their gauntlet, the net will do nothing, and leave you vulnerable to a counter-attack. Consequently, if you wish to trap a phantom, you can target the ground and get them to run into it, resulting in a perfect trap. Another tactic is to start a heavy melée with Blade Armor engaged. The Phantom will then use its basic melée. While this seems counterintuitive, the Phantom will then stagger due to the armor's Damage Returned bonus, allowing for essentially an instant kill (or very close to it) when the melée finally goes off.
 * Shockwave can be spammed to send Troopers flying around the map, making them unable to ever fire at you whilst damaging them at the same time. Send them over the edges of the map for instant kills.
 * You can fire a Submission Net at the ground and lead a Guardian into it. It will have the same effectiveness as Stasis Bubble'ing Guardians, or Stasis'ing a Guardian from behind. They will be frozen in place, unable to move or dodge, unable to shoot back, and they will drop their shield, opening them to fire from all sides permanently.
 * Reapers
 * The Net is much less useful here since only the smaller enemies can be incapacitated by it. You may wish to use just use your guns against the Reapers, especially against Brutes, Ravagers, and Banshees.
 * With the Rank 5 Damage & Slow evolution, however, it can find use in stopping 3/6 of basic Reaper enemy types, and slowing the other half, which have base Armor.
 * It can also still allow Tech Bursts to be generated on armored targets.
 * Geth
 * Submission Net really comes into play here - if you can use it effectively. Consider sticking to cover and using the net on Hunters - this will prevent them from cloaking again if you deal enough damage.
 * Submission Net's electrical nature, and Rank 6 AoE evolution can be highly helpful in crowd control purposes. Target an enemy in the center of a horde, and watch as every other enemy gets consistently electrocuted and stunned, or brought to their knees every 1.5 seconds.
 * Shockwave is also useful here since, if your allies use a shield draining power such as Energy Drain or Overload, you can use it to deal significant damage to enemies and send them flying. This can be used to push enemies away from the player, allowing the player to escape.
 * Collectors
 * Submission net will be of little direct use, but indirectly it will deal a huge amount of damage to enemies around the trapped foe. The only enemies it can adequately trap, are Abominations, Captains, and Troopers.
 * Shockwave can detonate combos, albeit only on smaller foes, and the only smaller foes are the mentioned ones above. The only other way to detonate combos is with the aid of somebody who has an Area of Effect DoT biotic like Reave, or Annihilation Field. When you do detonate combos though, they will be frighteningly deadly.
 * Blade Armor helps partially to deal with Praetorians, or other melee conscious enemies, but ideally those enemies you will want to stay away from, which reduces the effectiveness of your armor.

Vorcha Sentinel
Vorcha are considered vermin by other species inhabiting Citadel space, but their unique physiology and innate aggressiveness make them shockingly durable combatants.

A vorcha's resilience and malleable DNA allow them to evolve and adapt to any situation, making them formidable opponents on the battlefield. Their lightning-quick pounce is a direct result of their societally ingrained bloodlust.

Player Notes

 * General Notes
 * The Bloodlust power can be triggered by any kill, not just melee kills. Each Bloodlust stack lasts only fifteen seconds, which forces Vorcha to constantly kill in order to keep the maximum bonuses that Bloodlust offers.
 * Flamer can be used and swung around to target multiple enemies, setting them all on fire. Considering it already has a range limit to it, you'll already be within close enough range for Cluster Grenades to be effective (accurate). Follow up with a single, maybe multiple, Cluster Grenade(s) to start killing enemies and simultaneously activating multiple Fire Explosions at once, for a potential Killstreak without a missile.
 * Choosing Cluster Grenade over Flamer enables a no-cooldown approach. This allows the vorcha to equip the heaviest of weapons, and so long as the Bloodlust power isn't deactivated, cooldowns are not a concern.
 * Cluster Grenades are useful against all enemies. Cluster Grenades have a more universal use, and are not restricted to range, but are less specialised at taking down armored foes compared to Flamer. They certainly do the trick against unprotected foes though.
 * Due to Cluster Grenade's splitting reducing their accuracy over range, and Flamer's range limit, one should either look into a weapon that contrasts their range limits to balance such, or embraces the range limit, and will support one knowingly walking into CQC situations.
 * The Reegar Carbine has massive DPS, but a low range-limit, like Flamer, and fits the latter role exceptionally. Combine with kills, and Bloodlust's regenerative properties, and one can become the organic embodiment of a tank.
 * Melee combat should be approached carefully. Vorcha can be killed when attempting heavy melee against stronger enemies or large groups. Misjudgment of health in enemies with instant-kill animations places one within lethal range for these attacks. That aside, it is among the fastest heavy melee attacks in the game. It closes distance to the target like krogan charges, though it is easier to aim at close ranges. Thus, between melee damage evolutions from Bloodlust and Fitness, one can move rapidly from target to target, shredding enemy infantry.


 * Cerberus
 * Flamer's high damage evolution can be used to kill groups of Troopers, Centurions, Engineers and other infantry very quickly at close range. Against Phantoms and Atlases, caution should be used since on higher difficulties they can easily inflict more damage than you can handle. It is these kinds of enemies that you should consider staying close to team mates. Opt for a piercing weapon, or Piercing Mod on one of your weapons to make sure Guardians dont get the edge on you.
 * Cluster Grenades will prove devastating against groups of foes due to the high damage and clustering effect of the grenades.


 * Reapers
 * Flamer is effective against Reapers, due to the majority of enemies having armor, or just health. With the Armor Damage evolution for Flamer and both health regeneration evolutions, the Vorcha Soldier is capable of taking down Ravagers and Brutes. The green acid puddle that Ravagers release upon death also deals minimal damage to the Vorcha, provided that Bloodlust stacks are still active.
 * Again, Cluster Grenades will devastate groups of weaker foes like Husks, Cannibals, and even Ravagers and Brutes.


 * Geth
 * Flamer can be used to great effect against unshielded Geth Primes, as it does very high damage to armour. Otherwise, all Geth (except Geth Troopers) have shielding protecting themselves from any flame attacks. While capable of regenerating, the geth are "hard-hitting" specialists, and will drop vorcha's health quicker than they can regenerate especially in groups, so a "cautious but aggressive" approach may be best here.
 * Cluster Grenades can help in a pinch to spot Hunters, or dispatch bombers, but otherwise serve little practical use.


 * Collectors
 * Cluster Grenades will prove decisive against standard footsoldiers and seeker swarms, but will serve little use against Scions, and will defeat a Praetorians barriers, but not their armor.
 * Flamer will devastate every foe except Captains, Possessed enemies, or Praetorians when their barrier is up. However, it should prove very lethal against every other enemy.
 * You should be careful playing as a Vorcha against these guys since they are a mixture of hard hitters and quick hitters. The harder hitters will strip most of your health and the quick hitters will keep your health low while the harder hitters you off if you are not careful. If a group looks too strong, it probably is.

N7 Paladin Sentinel
These soldiers are the go-anywhere, fight-anything special forces of the Alliance that were trained at the Interplanetary Combatives Academy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They had to survive combat situations "in an admirable and effective fashion" to receive the N7 rank. Many N7s now train other species in anti-Reaper asymmetric warfare.

The Paladin carries a powerful omni-shield onto the battlefield to block enemy fire. The Paladin also uses the shield as a heavy-melee weapon that, when modified with incendiary or cryo upgrades, creates a devastating combination attack.

Player Notes

 * General Notes
 * When in the right hands the Paladin is one of the most effective classes in the game. A combination of Snap Freeze and a Cryo Shield bash heavily debuffs and cripples (a cryo shield bash will usually knock down and freeze most enemies, even phantoms!) enemy defenses to the point were attacks from regular weapons are devastating. This combo makes the Paladin easily viable for gold and platinum especially when paired with a good shotgun.
 * With the recent multiplayer update, the Paladin can now easily trigger a series of continuous explosions. Energy drain will set up a tech burst, detonated by Incinerate, which will then set up a fire explosion, detonated by Snap-Freeze, which will set up a cryo explosion, detonated by Energy Drain, and so on. This is extremely effective at taking down larger enemies who won't go down easily.
 * The Paladin's signature ability, Snap Freeze, should not be overlooked. It can debuff, freeze, has good reach (even better with the reach evolution), and does decent damage. And as an added effect it can be used through walls and corners. This should be used to the players advantage because it can soften up and even kill or disable enemies before they are a potential threat to the Paladin or his team.
 * The Paladin's heavy melee plants the omni-shield to the ground, absorbing hostile fire. This can be used to protect wounded team members or objectives.
 * Pressing the melee button while blocking with the omni-shield will result in a powerful melee attack. The shield can also be cancelled by using a tech ability, pressing the melee button while holding Move Backward button, or by jumping or diving while the shield is active.
 * A Paladin's omni-shield will break due to blocking excessive damage or forceful attacks, such as a Geth Prime's melee. In this situation, the Paladin will be staggered momentarily. However, the shield can be immediately redeployed at full durability.
 * The Paladin's omni-shield grants him very powerful melee abilities with a small area of effect. If specialized to do melee damage, the Paladin is capable of killing tight groups of lesser enemies in a single shield swipe.
 * With Energy Drain, Incinerate, and Snap Freeze, the Paladin has powers that are useful against almost every type of enemy. Equipped with a piercing weapon to shoot through a Cerberus Guardian's shield, the Paladin has an effective response to any enemy in the game.
 * One viable build for the Paladin is to play him like an Engineer and focus on tech powers. This is particularly feasible for the Paladin because the Shield Mastery power has its final shield strength evolution at rank 4 (rather than rank 6 for Fitness), allowing the Paladin to have maximum health and shields while spending 11 fewer points than most other classes.  This leaves more points for either the tech powers or the class passive power.
 * The omni-shield will work wonders at blocking smaller foes, and when somebody stands behind you with explosive ordinance, your friends can brutally wound the grouped foes, while you soak up everything the enemy throws at you.


 * Cerberus
 * If a turret is placed a Paladin can activate his shield right in front of it allowing teammates to destroy it or move across its field of view without being shot.
 * The shield allows for deflection of Phantom sword strikes, and damages them as well as causing them to stagger. Once the Paladin blocks the sword attack, it is recommended he move or roll away, lest the Phantom impale him with instant death.
 * Energy Drain and Snap Freeze are both useful against Phantoms: Energy Drain to strip their barriers, and Snap Freeze to kill them after they cloak and take cover.


 * Reapers
 * The player should pay extra caution for brute's melee attacks and banshee's biotic blast/nova. These attacks can instantly break your omni-shield.
 * Snap Freeze will weaken the armored enemies, or freeze unarmored/unshielded ones. Basically every enemy will be affected one way or another.
 * Energy Drain will fill the gap of "Barrier Removal" and allow Snap Freeze and Energy Drain to work in unison with each other. Care should still be taken because Banshees can still impale you if you are not careful, and Husks can expose you to gun fire. While not as powerful as Overload, it will certainly do the trick against Marauders, and as a bonus your shields will be recovered.


 * Geth
 * The Paladin is exceptionally resilient when fighting against the geth. With his ability to restore shields with Energy Drain and block with his shield during cooldowns, he can easily hold down a flank against ridiculous firepower.
 * Paladins must be cautious when deploying their shield against the Geth, as a known glitch with Geth Hunters and, occasionally, Geth Rocket Troopers, allows their projectiles to pass right through the shield, doing damage to your shields and health.


 * Collectors
 * Your powers will come into play a lot more than your weapons or shield will. Energy Drain will play the biggest role since some of the enemies are protected by Barriers and will also serve as your sustenance since many enemies will avoid getting up close and personal.
 * Snap Freeze serves the role of debuffing skill more than disabling skill since only 3 foes can be affected, Captains, Troopers and Abominations

Asari Valkyrie Sentinel
Asari are the most influential and respected sentient species in the galaxy. They are native to the planet Thessia and were the first species to discover the Citadel. Their long lifespan and history have allowed them to serve as galactic mediators for centuries. While not as physically powerful as other species, their proficiency with biotics makes them dangerous opponents.

Asari are fierce, graceful warriors. They are incredibly powerful natural biotics. The asari excel at hit-and-run tactics to ruthlessly eliminate their opponents from the battlefield.

Player Notes

 * General Notes
 * The Valkyrie works very well as a Biotic Explosion primer. With Tech Armor and Annihilation Field maxed out, one can run close to enemies with relative impunity, thus allowing teammates with low-recharge biotic detonators to have a field day.
 * With a properly specced Volus ally, the Valkyrie can achieve up to 90% damage reduction, allowing them to serve well as a front-line shock troop.
 * When the Rank 5 Damage Taken evolution is taken, Annihilation Field can allow the Valkyrie to serve as a mobile and highly defensible living debuff. Roam into the midst of some foes, and watch your teammates destroy them all with AOE attacks.
 * When the Rank 6 Drain Evolution is taken, Annihilation field can fuel your Warp with vampiric properties, making an already difficult opponent even harder to kill. This will further fortify said class's ability to withstand damage, as well as the ability to dish it out. One should however be cautious on harder difficulties, as even this will not stop you from being shot down by large clusters of enemies, or squads of deadlier foes like Phantoms, or Primes.
 * Because the Valkyrie is a biotic specialist, a lighter loadout will give better cooldown timers, while a slightly heavier loadout will allow a Valkyrie to tackle more problems on her own. A lighter sniper rifle will give a longe range edge where powers may not reach while retaining a good level of damage, while an assault rifle will give you an all round weapon. Shotguns and SMGs synergize well with the Valkyrie's close-range nature.
 * If one decides to forego Warp and detonations of the Valkyrie's other powers, a heavy weapons build is viable for the Valkyrie. Specced for maximum durability, she becomes capable of taking and inflicting massive amounts of damage at close range while setting up Biotic Explosions for allies to detonate.


 * Cerberus
 * The Acolyte will work wonders at ranges outside your reach and affect groups of foes and deal with shields/barriers very effectively.
 * Annihilation Field CAN hit through a Guardians shields, but at the range you need to do this, it would probably be better to bring a piercing mod or piercing weapon to deal with such foes unless you are behind cover while hitting them with said power.
 * Geth
 * The Rank 6 Drain evolution of Annihilation Field is recommended, as most enemies have shields. In fact it is highly recommended to keep this power on at all times, as the Geth are notorious for stunning you and your squad, and this power may just give you the edge you need to survive.
 * Warp will prove effective against the Pyros, Bombers, and Primes.
 * While a close-range build is less risky against the geth due to their lack of melee instant-kills and abundance of shields to drain, Pyros still pose a considerable threat.
 * Reapers
 * Annihilation Field does a fantastic job of killing swarmers. The Tech Armor will also work for this situation, but it is ill-advised since it protects you from 35-50% damage taken.
 * Warp will allow you to detonate combos on the enemies that draw close, but will prove fatal if you try it on with the Banshees.


 * Collectors
 * The Rank 6 Drain evolution of Annihilation Field is recommended, as many enemies have barriers.
 * It is highly recommended to keep your Tech Armor on, as the enemies specialise for ranged attacks, and the Praetorians are very lethal up close too. The Tech Armor can give you the protection you may well need to escape if said foes close in on you or protect you significantly from enemies who focusing their fire on you.
 * Warp will prove very useful as well since all enemies are vulnerable to Warp in one way or another. Standard troopers can be easily killed with one or two Warps, protected enemies will have their barriers stripped, and armored enemies will be softened for your biotics, or you and your teams weaponry.
 * If you are trying to deal with a Praetorians protective barrier, it may be best just to blast it with the Acolyte if you have it equipped.
 * Annihilation Field is useful for dealing with Seeker Swarms, either with its own damage over time or for allowing Biotic Explosions to be easily and repeatedly triggered.
 * Be wary of Abominations and Praetorians if you get in close; Abominations' explosions can do a lot of damage even when specced for maximum durability and Praetorians can quickly assail and overwhelm you.

Volus Mercenary Sentinel

 * General Notes
 * Cerberus
 * Geth
 * Reapers
 * Collectors