Husk (enemy)

Mass Effect
Husks are encountered by Shepard's team on numerous words. They are usually in packs, and are either mixed with geth or are just with other Husks.

Tactics
While not as resistant to damage as Thorian Creepers, husks are still quite resilient. If they get close enough on foot, their electrical blast carries over a large area. This damages the entire squad and overloads their shields, and if there is a large group of husks, this can be lethal. Husks are vulnerable to Warp and Neural Shock (although they appear robotic, they count as organic enemies as they are corpses, and AI Hacking does not work). Tech abilities like Damping or Sabotage can also slow them down. Otherwise, if they haven't used their electrical attack, it's safer to keep them at a distance and pick them off, using Throw if they get too close.

Like Thorian Creepers, the unarmored bodies of husks are vulnerable to mêlée strikes. The husk tends to pause for a brief period after using its electrical attack, allowing ample time to perform a melee attack. This tends to inflict light to moderate damage and is virtually guaranteed to knock the Husk down.

Mass Effect 2
Husks make their appearance again in Mass Effect 2, and while they have some new defenses but lack their shield discharge ability from two years previous.

Capabilities
Offensive

Husks usually charge at Shepard and the squad to enter close combat. Their melee attacks have a knockback effect so try to avoid getting surrounded by three or more Husks.

Defensive

Husks only have moderate health, but get light armor on higher difficulties.

Tactics

 * Unlike their Mass Effect counterparts, Husks no longer use an electrical attack at melee range in Mass Effect 2. Instead, Husks now attack by charging at Shepard or the team and attempting to maul them. Once they start rushing, they can be sidestepped easily, causing them to helplessly dash past you. You can also stop them by shooting their legs out from under them, ideally using a submachine gun or an assault rifle. Armor Piercing Ammo is particularly effective. Husks are instantly killed by Powers that knock them off their feet, hence Powers like Concussive Shot or Shockwave are very useful against groups of Husks as is Inferno Grenade or Flashbang Grenade. Shockwave is especially good when a long line of husks are emerging from cover to charge towards your team one after another; a single well placed Shockwave can destroy half a dozen or more. Charge, Throw and Pull can kill a husk in a single hit, and if the powers are evolved to affect an area, it can be effective on tight groups. The Collector Particle Beam is also very effective against husks, quickly destroying their armor and tearing their bodies apart. The M-622 Avalanche, Cryo Blast and Cryo Ammo will cause husks to shatter, killing them instantly on any difficulty (once their armor is removed on higher difficulties). Singularity can be effective if used on a group of husks, especially near a choke point. Dominate used on a group of husks will destroy them rather than control them, however it will control an Abomination like it would regular organic enemies.
 * Husks are vulnerable to headshots like any other enemy, but their jerky movements make them hard to target, and body hits inflict less damage. Instead, aim for their legs, as a strong enough shot (like a shotgun or assault rifle) can sever a husk in half, killing it instantly.
 * Melee attacks are another viable tactic when fighting husks, but isn't recommended against abominations. This is because melee attacks always inflict the same damage against defenses (armor, etc) as they do health, possess a high attack speed and a brief daze effect that can keep an enemy stunlocked with repeated blows. It also requires no cooldown, reload time or ammunition useage. Using Heavy Muscle Weave, Strength Boost Pads and Heightened Adrenaline Rush will provide a +190% melee damage bonus and 70% time dilation. Hardened Adrenaline Rush will provide a nice health damage resistance bonus to melee attacks combined with Heavy Bone Weave but only a +150% melee damage bonus and 50% time dilation so it's a good idea to use the N7 Breather Helmet, Aegis Vest, Strength Boost Pads, N7 Gauntlets and Life Support Webbing for a +23% health bonus and +25% melee damage bonus on missions with alot of husks. Tactical Cloak with the Heavy Muscle Weave and Strength Boost Pads will provide a 90-125% melee damage bonus. The main drawbacks of these tactics are husk melee attacks can also stunlock Shepard as well, and it's only viable with Soldiers and Infiltrators on higher difficulties due to their damage boosting abilities. You can counter being mobbed by the husks through use of the M-622 Avalanche fired at Shepard's feet (doesn't inflict any type of splash damage on Shepard or the squad), and by keeping a krogan by Shepard's side through use of squad commands so the charge attack can clear a hole. Do not use excessive melee damage bonuses if trying to earn the Brawler Achievement on low difficulty settings as it can make the required action more difficult to successfully perform.
 * The maximum attainable melee bonus damage is +210% if you possess the Aegis Pack. Heavy Muscle Weave (+25%), Heightened Adrenaline Rush (+140%), Kestrel Torso Sheath (+10%), Strength Boost Pads (+25%) and Kestrel Arm Sheathing (+10%). This is plenty to bash husks and other enemies into pulp on almost any difficulty.
 * On Hardcore and Insanity difficulty, husks have armor that protects them from physics-based biotic attacks, complicating standard crowd control tactics. However, this armor is relatively weak and even a Rank 1 Incinerate will destroy it, rendering the husk vulnerable to follow-up attacks.
 * Shotguns will make an effective countermeasure against husks. Using these weapons on groups of husks like during the Horizon, the Collector Ship, Reaper IFF, and Collector Base: The Long Walk missions, is extremely effective at countering said groups.