Combat (Mass Effect 3)

Mass Effect 3 Controls
Press start to go to the menu.

Power Wheel
Hold the RB (on Xbox 360), Shift (by default on PC) or R2 (PS3) to bring up the power wheel. This pauses the game, and allows you to access all the available powers that you and your teammates have at their disposal. Powers capable of usage are orange, powers in cooldown are greyed out, with a visual aid to show how close they are to cooling down, and powers currently ineffective are red with a down arrow on them. From the power wheel you can choose to use up to three powers (one per teammate, and one for you), and when you exit the power wheel, you and your teammates will use the selected powers.

HUD Screen
The Heads Up Display, or HUD, shows all the vital information needed during combat. The HUD shows the targeting reticule, which gun you are using, how much ammunition you have left (in the clip and in reserve), and your quickslots. It also shows which teammates are in your present squad while indicating their status (by means of colors), and the status of Shepard's shields and health. Moreover, when Shepard uses a power, a small pair of faint-red semicircles will begin moving from the left and right toward the center of the screen (see the HUD screenshot). When these semicircles meet at the center, Shepard's powers have cooled down, indicating that the player can use a power again.

If an enemy is within a certain range and in Shepard's present field of vision, a special reticule will appear telling you the type of enemy and indicating the relative strength of this enemy's health, armor, and shields or barrier (if any of these apply).

Melee Combat
Melee Combat is a more important feature than in previous games. Like with Mass Effect 2, pressing a specific button will trigger a melee attack which involves striking an enemy with whatever weapon is being held. This standard attack can be chained together with subsequent presses of the melee button to perform a melee combo. Different weapon classes produce different melee attack animations. Like Mass Effect 2, melee attacks with pistols and SMGs still provide the highest attack speed for regular melee attacks.

Heavy Melee
Mass Effect 3 introduces a new form of melee, called "heavy melee". The attack is accessible by holding down the melee button. Heavy melee is significantly more powerful than a standard melee attack, and the animation shown varies depending on which class the player chose at the game's start. It should be noted that heavy melee attacks vary in the damage they deal, e.g. the Adept's heavy melee is significantly less powerful than the Soldier's (though it does produce a disabling knock-back effect. All classes can not only increase their melee damage permanently, but they can also invest in rank evolutions that increase damage of subsequent melee hits, weapon damage or power uses for several seconds after a heavy melee kill is achieved. If close enough to an enemy, whilst having them in your crosshairs, you will effectively lock on to the target upon pressing the melee button, i.e. your attack will always connect even if the opponent moves. Also, as mentioned above, melee combos can be entered by repeatedly tapping the melee button; however, if a particularly clean rhythm is maintained throughout, (i.e., a tap as soon as you start swinging each time) the final 3rd blow in the combo is a heavy melee attack.

The Shotgun Omni-Blade attachment requires Mass Effect 3: Omega.

]], Death Mask, Shotgun Blade Attachment V or Pistol Melee Stunner V, Fortification (Rank 1, 3 and 4) and Fitness (Rank 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6) ]], Death Mask, Shotgun Blade Attachment V or Pistol Melee Stunner V, Fortification (Rank 1, 3 and 4) and Fitness (Rank 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6)
 * Soldier - Produces an omni-blade from their omni-tool to stab enemies.
 * Capable of attaining a single player bonus of 462.5% (555% with Shotgun Omni-Blade) to their melee damage. Ariake Technologies Armor, Death Mask, Shotgun Blade Attachment V or Pistol Melee Stunner V, Adrenaline Rush (Rank 5), Fortification (Rank 1, 3 and 4) and Fitness (Rank 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6).
 * Infiltrator - Produces a "forked" omni-blade with an electrical combat effect.
 * Capable of attaining a single player bonus of 575% (690% with Shotgun Omni-Blade) to their melee damage. Ariake Technologies Armor, Death Mask, Shotgun Blade Attachment V or Pistol Melee Stunner V, Tactical Cloak (Rank 1, 4 and 5), Fortification (Rank 1, 3 and 4) and Fitness (Rank 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6).
 * Sentinel - Produces dual omni-blades on both hands in an inward-to-outward swiping motion.
 * Capable of attaining a single player bonus of 343.75% (412.5% with Shotgun Omni-Blade) to their melee damage. Ariake Technologies Armor, Death Mask, Pistol Melee Stunner V, Tech Armor (Rank 5), Fortification (Rank 1, 3 and 4) and Fitness (Rank 1, 3, 4 and 6).
 * Vanguard - Utilizes a biotically-charged punch, which is faster to execute than the other classes' equivalent. In addition, the class has a unique sprinting heavy melee attack; this attack is only available in the single-player portion of the game.
 * Capable of attaining a single player bonus of 381.25% (457.5% with Shotgun Omni-Blade) to their melee damage. Ariake Technologies Armor, Death Mask, Shotgun Blade Attachment V or Pistol Melee Stunner V, Fortification (Rank 1, 3 and 4) and Fitness (Rank 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6).
 * Adept - Blasts a wave of biotic energy with a palm strike.
 * Capable of attaining a single player bonus of 400% (480% with Shotgun Omni-Blade) to their melee damage. [[Armor#Mass Effect 3|Ariake Technologies Armor
 * Engineer - Charges their omni-tool with incendiary powers in a backfist attack.
 * Capable of attaining a single player bonus of 400% (480% with Shotgun Omni-Blade) to their melee damage. [[Armor#Mass Effect 3|Ariake Technologies Armor

Grab
Mass Effect 3 also introduces a new form of melee called the "Grab" which involves pulling an enemy over from another side of cover and stabbing or biotically punching them. While this attack is instantly fatal regardless of difficulty, health, shields, barriers or armor, it requires specific criteria: There must be an enemy close enough to the cover, the cover object must be low and not too long and the player must be crouching on the other side. Opportunities to grab are indicated when a fist symbol appears while crouching, and the attack can be triggered by tapping the melee button.

Most enemies will move away or jump the cover fairly quickly when this opportunity occurs, unless they are unaware of the player.

Keep in mind that this tactic does not work against every enemy. Armored enemies cannot be grabbed (including Geth Pyros as of Patch 4 and armored enemies new to the game with Mass Effect 3: Retaliation). Minor enemies like Swarmers, Seeker Swarms and their possessed counterparts, Combat Drones, Turrets, and Geth Turrets are likewise excluded.

Armor
Represented by a yellow bar, armor is a common form of protection used by enemies. It replaces the health bar on most heavier enemies, making them immune to being fully affected by control-type powers such as Pull or Stasis.

Armor is best countered by weapons that fire single powerful rounds as opposed to numerous weak ones. Therefore, against any armored opponent, it is advisable that selected individuals have either a Shotgun or Sniper Rifle. Heavy Pistols, which are semi automatic and fire large bullets, are less effective at taking down armor than shotguns or sniper rifles but more effective at it than Assault Rifles or Submachine Guns.

Armor can be countered by a variety of powers. Combat powers are probably the least effective with the exception of Adrenaline Rush. The best tech power against armor is Incinerate as fire is one of armor's greatest weaknesses. Biotic powers are less useful against armor but Warp still presents an option for degrading the armor of an opponent. Incendiary Ammo and Armor-Piercing Ammo are also effective against armor.

Equipping Shredder or Piercing mods on your weapons reduces the damage reduction provided by armor, thus increasing the damage of every bullet. These mods help rapid firing weapons deal with armored targets.

Shields
Represented by a blue bar, shields are the most common form of protection found on enemies. Shields tend to be strong against biotic powers (most of the time, enemies cannot be affected by biotics until their shields are removed), but weak against fast-firing weapons like SMGs or assault rifles as well as certain tech attacks.

Shields tend to be strong against slow-firing weapons like heavy pistols, sniper rifles, single-shot assault rifles, and shotguns. Powers like Overload, Energy Drain, and Disruptor Ammo are very effective at dealing with shields.

Enemy shields will replenish themselves if the enemy equipped with them isn't attacked for a period of time.

Barriers
Represented by a purple bar, barriers are used by biotics as a replacement for shields. Like shields, they are vulnerable to fast-firing weapons like SMGs. New to Mass Effect 3, shield-stripping tech powers are now very effective against barriers. Tech powers Overload and Energy Drain along with biotic powers Reave and Dark Channel can do massive damage to them. Concussive Shot can also be effective.

Barriers tend to be strong against slow-firing weapons like heavy pistols, sniper rifles, single-shot assault rifles, and shotguns. Ammo powers like Warp Ammo and Disruptor Ammo are very effective at dealing with them.

Enemy barriers will replenish themselves if the enemy equipped with them isn't attacked for a period of time.

Armored Plating
One of the less common types of defense, armored plating protects select enemies (such as Brutes, as well as upgraded Husks and Cannibals) with visible slabs of armor. Rather than being represented by a colored bar, armored plating exists on the physical model of the enemy.

Gunfire hitting armored plating will produce a distinct metallic impact sound, but deal no damage whatsoever to the target it is protecting. Instead, delivering enough damage to the piece of armored plating will eventually cause it to be destroyed, exposing that part of the target.

The most obvious way of dealing with an armor plated enemy is to hit it where the plates don't cover. In addition to that, all non-weapon sources of damage (such as melee attacks or powers such as Incinerate) ignore armored plating. Further, some attacks will cause a portion of their damage even when impacting armored plating; specifically:
 * Shots from the Black Widow, M-98 Widow, Javelin, N7 Crusader, N7 Hurricane and N7 Typhoon
 * Any shots fired under the effect of Warp Ammo, Armor-Piercing Ammo or Cryo Ammo
 * Any shots fired from a weapon equipped with High-Velocity, Piercing or Shredder Weapon Mods
 * Any shots that land while the target is under the effect of Warp, Snap Freeze, Homing Grenade, Cryo Ammo or Cryo Blast

Shield Gate
Shield Gate is a mechanic introduced in Mass Effect 3. When an enemy's shields or barriers are destroyed, excess damage from the shot that passes through to health or armor is reduced by a certain percentage according to the difficulty. The reductions are as follows:
 * Normal/Bronze: 50%
 * Hardcore/Silver/Gold/Platinum: 75%
 * Insanity: 100%

For weapons that fire multiple pellets, such as most shotguns or the M-358 Talon, the shield gate will apply to the pellet that destroyed the shields/barriers, but the rest of the pellets will cause full damage.

Shepard (or player characters in multi-player) also receives the benefit of a shield gate effect. There is likewise a Health Gate which prevents Shepard/player from being killed by a single shot if not already at the last tiny sliver of health. Furthermore, when Shepard's shields are depleted, time dilation comes into play.

Squad
The squad in Mass Effect 3 is made up of, as in the rest of the Mass Effect trilogy, Commander Shepard and two NPCs who the player can select at the beginning of a Mission/Assignment. These NPCs may become available at certain points throughout the game, or may have to be unlocked by downloading DLC. In addition, after certain plot choices, certain members may become unavailable. In some missions, the squad can sometimes be reduced to two members (Shepard and a NPC) or just be Shepard alone. Traditionally, a player will attempt to pick two NPCs whose areas of specialty fill in their own gaps - an Adept (pure Biotic), for example, might choose Ashley (pure Combat) and Tali (pure Tech) in order to fill out their areas of weakness. This allows them to be an all-round squad, able to tackle all foes. However, if it is known that the player is only going to be fighting the geth, a player might choose to have both Tali (pure Tech) and Garrus (Tech/Combat), as Tech powers are most effective against geth enemies and they would therefore have the upper hand when compared to a more 'balanced' team; similarly, one might choose a mix that can exploit powerful combos, such as EDI (Incinerate) + James (Carnage) or Liara (Singularity) + Javik (lift grenade)...etc.

Narrative
This difficulty level is intended for players who are more interested in story than combat. Shepard and squadmates are stronger, weapons are easier to handle, and enemies are weaker and less aggressive. This is a nonrepresentative Mass Effect 3 combat experience.

Casual
This difficulty is intended for players inexperienced with shooters. Shepard is stronger and does more damage, weapons are easier to handle, and enemies are slightly weaker and less aggressive.

Normal
This difficulty is intended for players with experience playing shooters and RPGs. This is the baseline Mass Effect 3 combat experience.

Hardcore
This difficulty level is intended for players looking for a challenge. Enemies are powerful and aggressive. Advanced gameplay skills required.

Insanity
This difficulty level is intended for players seeking the ultimate challenge. Enemies are tenacious, react quickly, have heavily upgraded weapons, and use their powers mercilessly.

Game Options
Auto Level-Up
 * Off: Powers must be manually activated and evolved in the Mission Computer's Squad screen each time Shepard or a squadmate gains a level and earns points.
 * Squad Only: Powers are automatically activated and evolved for squadmates as they gain levels and earn points. Shepard's powers must be manually assigned in the Mission Computer's Squad screen.
 * Squad & Player: Powers are automatically activated and evolved for Shepard and squadmates as they gain levels and earn points.

Squadmate Power Use:
 * On: Squadmates will automatically use their most effective powers in combat.
 * Off: Squadmates will only use defensive and ammo powers automatically. All offensive powers must be manually ordered.

Hints:
 * On: In-game instructions and directions are displayed.
 * Off: In-game instructions and directions are not displayed.

Action Icons:
 * On: Displays indicators when an action like exiting cover is possible.
 * Off: Does not display indicators when an action like exiting cover is possible.

Weapons Heat and Thermal Clips
Mass Effect 3 uses the same system as Mass Effect 2, where weapons fire a certain number of shots and then the current Thermal Clip must be ejected and a new one inserted. If you do not have any Thermal Clips for a specific weapon, then you cannot fire that weapon. Unlike in Mass Effect 2, there are more ways to increase reserve clip capacity and even increase the amount of rounds that a weapon can shoot before a replacement clip is needed through weapon mods. There are also ways of increasing reserve ammunition through Rank Evolutions in any ammo type, provided your character class has access to it. If you run out of spare clips, a loud beeping can be heard indicating the weapon has overheated, and cannot fire due to lack of thermal clips.

Like in Mass Effect 2, clips can be replenished by picking them up from downed enemies that use weapons that take clips, and in multiplayer, by visiting ammo boxes scattered around the map.

A few weapons use a heat system more like the Mass Effect system, recharging their ammo when they aren't being fired. However, they have no reserve clips and if depleted entirely, they have to be "reloaded" in a lengthy animation before they can fire again.

Weight Capacity
Unlike previous games in the series, any class can carry any weapon in Mass Effect 3 and use it with full effectiveness. Instead of limiting what kinds of weapons each class can carry, the game assigns a weight to each weapon, and imposes a weight capacity on the player. Each class can carry up to their weight capacity without penalty, with Soldiers possessing the highest capacity, and Adepts and Engineers the lowest. Exceeding the weight capacity of the character will incur a penalty to powers' recharge speeds. Staying below the character's weight capacity provides a bonus to powers' recharge speeds of up to 200%, while vastly exceeding it may result in a penalty of up to -200%. The penalty is proportional to how far the player's weight capacity has been exceeded. Carrying below capacity greatly helps all power-reliant character builds, such as the power-focused Engineers and charge-heavy Vanguards. Another way of decreasing weight is the Rank 6 evolutions in weapon/power mastery skill trees, which when purchased, decrease the weight of one weapon type, some weapons types, or even all weapons by a certain percentage.

Upgrading weapons also slightly reduces the weapon's weight slightly, and it can be modified further with weapon mods (pistols and smgs can be outfitted with lightweight materials to lower it, other weapons have mods which increases the weight, but also improve other aspects of the weapon more than regular mods).

In multiplayer, different races have different default weights, and maximum weight capacities. Some races also benefit more or less from their respective skill trees. For example, humans and asari gain 10 weight capacity from rank 1 of said trees, and 20 extra on rank 4 evolutions, whereas turians have a higher default weight, gain 15 weight capacity with the first rank, and 25 from the rank 4 evolution. These weights have a significant impact on power recharge speeds. While each character in multiplayer can equip two weapons, power-focused characters might prefer only having one or none at all (though it is possible to retain 200% and still equip a weapon or even two with lightweight materials).

In single player, weight does not affect the power cooldown times of squadmates.

Weapons
Every class now has access to all weapons, although restricted by weight (see above). They can be upgraded up to the X (10) series (or V in Multiplayer). The first five upgrades are available in the Normandy Shuttle Bay on a character's first ME3 playthrough. The last five upgrades must be acquired by using the Import ME3 Character option when creating a New Game. This will carry all weapons, upgrade levels, and mod levels over, and allow you to purchase two additional upgrade levels in the Normandy. Picking up the weapon once more during the second playthrough will automatically upgrade the weapon by three levels. Spectre and downloadable weapons will have all ten levels available for purchase in the Normandy.

Shepard can equip all five weapon types at once if desired. Squad Members are restricted two two weapon types (for example, Garrus can equip Sniper Rifles and Assault Rifles, Liara SMGs and Pistols). Multiplayer characters can equip any weapon type, but only up to two at a time. However, they can also carry up to six Cobra Missile Launchers.

Weapons can be customized further in a manner similar to Mass Effect, although more streamlined using Weapon Mods. Each weapon has two slots for mods, with every weapon type having a different variety of mods that can be equipped once acquired. Each mod can be upgraded in a similiar fashion to the weapons themselves and used in as many weapons as desired. Some mods exclude eachother. Common types of mods include scopes (higher accuracy), barrel extensions (higher damage), ammo capacity upgrades (either a larger magazine or more total ammo depending on the weapon type), melee combat enhancements and piercing mods (allowing shots to penetrate cover). Other mods are only available for some weapon types, such as the Concentration Mod for Sniper Rifles or Ultralight Materials for SMGs and Pistols.

Unlike in Mass Effect 2, players cannot carry Heavy Weaponss in Singleplayer. However, they can be found in some places to help out with difficult fights. If the player switches weapons, the heavy weapon is automatically dropped and cannot be carried far from where it was found, especially not between missions. In a few situations, special weapons that could be considered Heavy Weapons are available and Shepard will automatically equip them for those segments. In Multiplayer, the only heavy weapon available is the Cobra Missile Launcher, of which every character carries a limited supply of into each mission. Because of these limitations, Heavy Weapons cannot be modded and are unaffected by ammo powers.