Weapon Upgrades

Weapon Upgrades are applied to assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles and pistols to augment them. Each weapon has at least one upgrade slot; better weapons have two in addition to their Ammo Upgrades slot.

Combat Sensor/Scanner
Description: Some enemies - especially Geth Hoppers - use jamming technology to block your weapon radar. The Combat Scanner upgrade improves detection levels, making these enemies visible.

Combat Optics
Description: An advanced VI package maximizes effectiveness of combat radar while reducing kickback for improved weapon stability.

Tips &amp; Tricks:


 * 1) You do not have to personally equip these upgrades to benefit from their increased detection. So long as one of your party has it equipped on a weapon they have drawn, your radar will reflect the enhancement.
 * 2) While in the Mako, if you approach Geth and find your radar jammed, exit the Mako and draw a weapon with one of these upgrades equipped, then, without re-holstering the weapon, enter the Mako and the vehicle's radar will receive the benefit of the detection upgrade. (A bug, but a very useful one).
 * 3) Tip 1 also applies to Tip 2. (All tips discovered using PC game version 1.01a/Steam and untested on other versions or platforms).

Improved Sighting
Description: Increases maximum accuracy.

Heat Sink
Description: Absorbs and dissipates the heat typically generated when firing.

Frictionless Materials
Description: Frictionless Materials give rounds more power at impact while minimizing weapon overheating. Highly recommended for shotguns.

High Caliber Barrel
Description: Fires larger rounds for more damage. However, the rate of fire is slowed and the weapon will overheat quicker.

Rail Extension
Description: Modifies the length of the barrel to increase damage. However, this also increases weapon overheating.

Scram Rail
Description: This prototype upgrade greatly increases damage, but it also causes your weapon to overheat faster.

Recoil Damper
Description: Reduces kickback to improve accuracy.

Kinetic Stabilizer
Description: Advanced VI functionality reduces weapon kickback to improve accuracy.

Kinetic Coil
Description: Kinetic Coils improve stability by reducing kickback and increase projectile acceleration for extra damage.

Note: Kinetic Coil shares the same stats as Frictionless Materials, but varies where "Heat Damping" is changed to "Weapon Stability." Both used in conjunction on higher level weapons can create a chaingun effect, letting the user hold down the trigger without fear of losing accuracy, or overheating, while also dramatically increasing kill power.