M-8 Avenger

The M-8 Avenger is an assault rifle in Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3.

Description
A common, versatile, military-grade assault rifle. Accurate when fired in burst shots, and deadly when fired on full auto. The Avenger is effective at penetrating shields, armor and biotic barriers. The modular design and inexpensive components of the Avenger make it a favorite of military groups and mercenaries alike. The Avenger has a reputation for being tough, reliable, easy to use, and easy to upgrade.

Manufactured by the Elkoss Combine.

Acquisition
This is the default assault rifle acquired during the Freedom's Progress mission at the beginning of the game, provided the player is a Soldier. This weapon can be acquired later on for other classes by accepting assault rifle specialization on the Collector Cruiser.

Squad Use
This weapon can be used by Garrus, Grunt, Legion, Samara/Morinth, and Zaeed. Squadmates deal 45% less damage than Shepard.

Player Notes

 * It is fairly accurate at long range and with less recoil than the M-9 Tempest SMG and more recoil than the M-15 Vindicator Battle Rifle.
 * The Targeting VI upgrade reduces the bullet spread, allowing it to compete with the Vindicator at medium range.
 * With fully automatic fire, and the largest ammo capacity at 440 round (or 11 "clips"), the Avenger is a good weapon for protracted fights. Especially when the player is fighting defensively against large numbers of enemies. It's a good weapon for Soldiers, who can use both special ammo and the Adrenaline ability to inflict lethal damage on targets.
 * Before researching the Targeting VI, the most accurate way to fire is to 'feather' the trigger. This minimally increases the crosshair spread and prevents muzzle climb, making it perfect for players who like to run-and-gun.
 * The Avenger's main drawback is its low damage per shot, as this forces the player to remain out of cover for longer than with weapons like the M-96 Mattock. Keep this in mind when deciding what missions to take it on.
 * Because squad members deal even less damage than Shepard, this is even more of a problem for them. However, Zaeed – whose class power gives him much greater weapon damage – is less disadvantaged by this and the Avenger can be used as a useful suppressive weapon in his hands if desired.
 * The weapon's low damage can be countered by equipping damage-increasing armour parts, or by making assault rifle damage upgrades a priority. However, weapons like the Mattock and Vindicator will still out-damage it by far, whilst also exposing Shepard to enemy fire less often.

Description
The Avenger is a common, versatile, military-grade assault rifle manufactured by the Elkoss Combine. It's accurate when fired in short bursts, and deadly when fired on full auto. The modular design and inexpensive components of the Avenger make it a favorite of military groups and mercenaries alike. The rifle has a reputation for being tough, reliable, easy to use, and easy to upgrade.

Acquisition

 * Single-player: Acquired in Mass Effect 3's intro mission on Earth.
 * Multiplayer: One of the multiplayer mode's five starting weapons.

Player Notes

 * Unlike its Mass Effect 2 counterpart, the Avenger now fires slower and fires fewer shots per thermal clip.
 * The Avenger is a balanced and flexible rifle capable of moderate damage at any range. It is an accurate rifle, capable of hitting targets at long range or close.
 * The Avenger does the same damage to any kind of enemy, whether they are protected by barriers or shields, or not. This means it is as equally as effective against a shielded enemy, as it would be one with armor.
 * One of the great things about the Avenger is that it has no major weakness, but it has no major strength. It's only real issue is its relatively low damage compared to other Assault Rifles. On higher difficulties, it might be wise to abandon the Avenger for a different rifle.
 * The Avenger is very lightweight for an assault rifle, making it a good choice for players who rely primarily on powers for damage.

Trivia

 * Many cutscenes show Shepard and other squad members using the Avenger, even if they don't have use of it in-game.
 * Weapons lockers show an Avenger picture as their icon.
 * The appearance is based on the default Hahne-Kedar "Lancer" assault rifle in Mass Effect – the original Elkoss Combine "Avenger" rifle had the same 3D model but a red texture without the M8 markings.
 * The side of the rifle's scope is emblazoned with the words "Hard Lock." One place where it is easy to see this is at the end of the game, when Joker is providing covering fire, shooting down at the Collector infantry.
 * The N7 Valkyrie is a variant of the Avenger.
 * In Mass Effect 3, the Avenger appears to be missing its scope, as scopes are now Weapon Upgrades.