Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer/Character Customization/Soldier

Soldiers are renowned for their impressive fire support, flexibility, and speed. Soldiers are masters at dealing weapon damage.

Human Soldier
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.

Alliance soldiers are renowned for their impressive fire support, flexibility, and speed. Humans have quickly integrated new technology into their combat gear and can unleash VIs, drones, and artillery on the battlefield.

Player Notes

 * General Notes
 * A Human Soldier can use Adrenaline Rush to not only increase damage inflicted significantly, but also in some cases increase their damage resistance and even give extra shielding.
 * Frag Grenades are a necessity since they can kill groups of enemies at once, which overcomes the Soldier's biggest weakness - being swamped by weak enemies.
 * Concussive Shot is a matter of personal choice, but it can lock down single enemies or even groups, if used correctly, as well as acting as a means of setting up detonations such as Fire Explosions, or Tech Bursts.
 * It's best to take a medium-heavy loadout approach, since Adrenaline Rush can be used quite frequently even with recharge speeds of -50 up to -70%.
 * If using Concussive Shot, consider a lighter loadout to make sure enemies are continually locked down by Concussive Shot, since you can use it more regularly.
 * With a low enough weight, a Human Soldier can use a M-76 Revenant with magazine upgrade and Adrenaline Rush to maintain a constant stream of slugs down range. This can allow a Human Soldiers to do damage constantly, something no other class or race can do without powers or teammates.
 * Human Soldiers also have a nice synergy with the N7 Valiant, more apparant with upgrades to weapon damage or the Valiant itself, or use of gear. Even on Gold they can snipe Guardians and Assault Troopers in one shot, although Guardians are a lot more difficult to hit sufficiently. With the ability to fire 6 shots in rapid succession using Adrenaline Rush, a Soldier can kill entire groups of enemies with even greater efficiency than Infiltrators. Salarian Infiltrators however are more effective than soldiers for dealing with shielded enemies, although Soldiers can simply shoot twice and deal with any human-sized foe. Because Infiltrators do 105% extra damage with Tactical Cloak and 3 shots, and Soldiers do 70% with up to 10 shots with Adrenaline Rush and reload-cancelling a Soldier can do much more damage per second than an Infiltrator, if their cooldowns are kept as low as possible.


 * Cerberus
 * Guardians need to be dealt with using either Armor Piercing Rounds, or Piercing Mods or weapons with base piercing such as the M-98 Widow.
 * Consider using either a fast firing weapon when Phantoms are moving or a powerful weapon (such as a sniper rifle) for headshots when they remain in cover or are stationary.
 * Atlases can be dealt with in any which way you see fit, but caution should be used since they will usually blow your shields off in just one shot, with your health next if you don't find cover quick.
 * A good tactic to deal with Atlases is to use Adrenaline Rush to auto-reload a weapon instantaneously &mdash; this allows single-shot weapons to do double the damage in a short space of time and for automatic weapons to keep up a continuous stream of fire.


 * Reapers
 * The heightened weapon damage from Adrenaline Rush allows weapons like the M-77 Paladin, M-98 Widow, Black Widow, or other anti-armor weapons to become extremely deadly against Brutes, Ravagers and Banshees.
 * Whether up close or at range, make sure you have at least one anti-armor weapon with you to combat said enemies.
 * For Banshees and Marauders, consider using an assault rifle or SMG, as these are most effective against their shields/barriers.


 * Geth
 * Geth are a bit of a nuisance with their Geth Hunters, Rocket Troopers, and Geth Primes constantly stunning you, but none of their units have instant-kill moves, so Soldiers can rest easy knowing they aren't going to get impaled. That being said, the stuns that you are hit with by said enemies can really hurt your effectiveness in combat.
 * Since every single enemy (Geth Troopers excluded) you encounter has a layer of shields, consider taking an anti-shield weapon such as the Reegar Carbine. The Reegar also fills the close-quarters role in case Hunters or Pyros get too close.
 * Consider a sniper rifle for longer ranges, for softening the shields of enemies. *Using Adrenaline Rush after a fired shot to auto-reload will devastate Rocket Troopers, Hunters, and Pyros. Use your medium-long range weapon until enemies get close, then switch to your close-quarters weapon.

Krogan Soldier
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
 * Krogan are the most capable of withstanding damage out of all the races. Since they are capable of withstanding bigger hits, krogan are suited to taking on bigger enemies like Banshees, Atlases, and Geth Primes, but will suffer from groups of smaller infantry who will peck you to death with surprising speed.
 * Krogan are, however, very slow and incapable of rolling or going from cover-to-cover. This means they are very susceptible (like turians and batarians) to instant-kill moves from Phantoms, Atlases, Brutes, and Banshees.
 * Krogan Soldiers have the second highest base shields and health (second to the Krogan Battlemaster of all the races.
 * Rage can improve their protection by up to 30%, and their Fortification skill can also give up to 30% protection &mdash; this makes them very resistant to small arms fire and capable of withstanding even the hardest of hits.
 * Alternatively, one can focus purely on raw melee damage, with certain evolutions in Fortification and Rage. Standard melee damage can increase 95% by itself, 80% when enraged, 100% when Fortification is purged, and another 75% when a heavy melee kills an enemy. If one wishes, they can also equip a Bayonet on a shotgun, and a Melee Stunner on a pistol for 25% more melee damage. This combination can give 375% extra melee damage without a Strength Enhancer Weapon Bonus, which boost melee damage by an additional 25, 50, or 100%. A further 5-15% melee damage bonus can be gained from the Hydraulic Joints Gear. All in all, with all these benefits you can potentially increase the strength of your melees nearly five-fold. This colossal boost to damage can allow you to take out any infantry with a single heavy melee on Bronze, almost all of them on Silver, and a great deal of them in just one or two hits on Gold. Be sure to purge Fortification every 15-20 seconds to maintain the additional 100% melee damage, but also make sure you re-apply Fortification to retain the 25% protection bonus.
 * Krogan Soldiers can also choose to focus on damage protection and Inferno Grenades. This combination (if Fortification isn't purged at all) means there are no power cooldowns to worry about, so weapon weight isn't an issue. However, Inferno Grenades are a finite supply.


 * Cerberus
 * Krogan can be devastating at close range, but be wary of Phantoms and Atlases. Krogan are more vulnerable to their instant-kill moves.
 * If going for the Fortification-Inferno Grenade loadout, load a heavy assault rifle, and shotgun for a flexible all-range outfit. Remember, you cannot move quickly, so if a Phantom gets close try to retreat, melee it if you can, or make her to try evade you.


 * Reapers
 * Krogan can quickly tear through Reaper forces and it is tempting to run into enemy spawn. However, since krogan are slow, you should make a tactical retreat when Banshees get close since they can instantly kill you.
 * Brutes can be a dangerous too, but they can be dealt with swiftly with an anti-armor load out, such as the Claymore with the Shotgun Shredder Mod.
 * Husks are great melee targets to activate Rage since they are physically frail.
 * Ravagers can deplete your shields and health quickly with their Swarmers and cannons, but efficient use of Inferno Grenades will neutralise that threat and render Ravagers vulnerable to a heavy melee attack.


 * Geth
 * Geth are a krogan's bane. Since many of the geth are capable of stunning you with melee attacks, shotguns, rockets, or pulse cannons, sticking to cover is imperative to survival. While they cannot interrupt you when you are charging them with a heavy melee, you will often take significant damage just trying to deal with one enemy. They may stop you in your tracks by interrupting you before you try the charge.
 * Use the same loadout as you would for Cerberus: shotgun and assault rifle, as this will give you a good all-range loadout.
 * Stick by your allies and stay behind something that is solid and, ideally, has a good height, to prevent them from shooting you whilst in cover.

Turian Soldier
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
 * The main strength of the Turian Soldier is their ability to turn a fairly weak weapon, such as the N7 Hurricane, M-9 Tempest, or Geth Plasma SMG, into a very solid weapon choice. They can improve their accuracy, headshot damage, and rate of fire, and decrease recoil to give weapons an extremely high level of damage per second.
 * The Turian Soldier excels with the M-27 Scimitar, as Marksman increases the weapon's fire cap, allowing the player to spam it into enemies at close range. This is incredibly effective on Bronze, as regular infantry only require two body shots to be killed.
 * They can also utilise either Proximity Mines to weaken multiple foes, or Concussive Shot to lock down enemies.
 * Turians also have higher than average shielding (750 minimum) and, thus, are capable of withstanding more damage than Humans or Vorcha. However, they are slow and cannot dodge, though they can do a cover-to-cover roll. This makes them prone to instant-kill moves.
 * Because they do have useful powers, it is recommended to keep to a moderate-light loadout to keep recharge times at a low level.
 * The player may wish to equip a secondary weapon like the Geth Plasma SMG just to be sure they have a second weapon should the first run out of ammunition. This loadout can, when the weapons are leveled up be fairly light, allow great balance between powers and weapons.


 * Cerberus
 * This is where Turian Soldiers excel. Their lethality against infantry enables them to kill even Phantoms in no time at all.
 * However, be careful around Phantoms since they can instantly kill you more easily than some races as you cannot roll away.
 * A fast firing weapon (ideally with good damage), such as the Phaeston, N7 Hurricane, or M-76 Revenant, works really well here, as it can be sprayed across infantry, softening them up for allies.
 * While they can also kill Atlases, they take longer to kill. Use a Revenant and a Piercing Mod to ensure you can take on armoured opponents.


 * Reapers
 * Turians can have trouble with Banshees and Brutes, since they quickly close in on a player that cannot easily retreat, but Turian Soldiers are deadly against every other Reaper unit.
 * Consider loading out an M-92 Mantis for anti-armour, and either a Geth Plasma SMG, Hurricane, or Phaeston to destroy barriers and for general killing.


 * Geth
 * Stick to cover when you can to avoid being stunned as much by the Geth Hunters, Primes, and Rocket Troopers, as they will quickly destroy you if you let them, since you cannot dodge their attacks easily.
 * Since nearly all geth have shields, equip a fast firing weapon.
 * Optionally the player could also equip the Reegar Carbine to have a devastating close-quarters weapon.
 * Do not try to rush out into the open: you will be cut down very quickly.

Battlefield 3 Soldier
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.

Alliance soldiers are renowned for their impressive fire support, flexibility, and speed. Humans have quickly integrated new technology into their combat gear and can unleash VIs, drones, and artillery on the battlefield.

Player Notes

 * General Notes
 * Battlefield 3 Soldiers should be considered exactly the same as the standard Human Soldier. The only real difference is that Carnage replaces Concussive Shot.
 * Considering the lack of damage Carnage typically has, it is best to forego it. As such, a moderate-heavy loadout is the best option to give you a good weapon-Adrenaline Rush ratio.
 * Despite the Carnage's shortcomings, it can be used to greater effect than Concussive Shot as a powerful detonator power for Fire Explosions or Tech Bursts. In addition, with its rank 5 Incapacitate evolution, Carnage can gain the knock back effect of Concussive Shot against a single target.
 * Since the Battlefield 3 Soldier does not have Concussive Shot, you should be slightly more cautious as you have no way to knock enemies back so you can retreat. Aside from that, you should once again treat the Battlefield 3 Soldier's tactics the same as the normal Human Soldier.


 * Cerberus


 * Reapers


 * Geth

Batarian Soldier
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
 * Batarian Soldiers' Ballistic Blades are lethal at close-quarters, capable of dealing with any enemy, but they are ineffective at range unless using appropriate weapons. Ballistic Blades can be thought of as a shotgun with a cooldown. A build utilizing Ballistic Blades as often as possible should aim for a low cooldown.
 * Builds utilizing only Blade Armor and Inferno Grenade have no need for low cooldown times unless the player is attempting to reactivate Blade Armor after deactivating it.
 * Batarians are unable to evade, making them more vulnerable to instant-kill moves.
 * Note also that while Batarians are actually faster than regular humans, they are also less defensible than Krogan. They are more vulnerable to staggering attacks like Geth Prime pulses and Geth Hunter shots as a result, but are still more reliable for delivery and drone escorting operations than drell or krogan, having more or less the movement speed of the former, and the similar durability of the latter.


 * Cerberus
 * A piercing mod is recommended to deal with Guardians. Ballistic Blades may substitute for a shotgun, allowing a greater diversity in weapon choice.
 * Phantoms are agile opponents. Attempting to melee them is not recommended due to the batarian's inability to roll.
 * To the contrary, using Ballistic Blades to stun the Phantom and then immediately following with a heavy melee makes fighting Phantoms quick and easy. Keeping Blade Armor active will ensure maximum melee damage and an effortless counter to the Phantom's sword attacks.


 * Reapers
 * Many Reaper units are armored or unprotected. Anti-armor weapons along with Ballistic Blades can quickly deal with them.


 * Geth
 * Close-quarters engagements on geth are not recommended; Geth can flank players and stun them with melee attacks, opening them up to attacks from other geth units.

Vorcha Soldier
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
 * Bloodlust 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 combined same time as the Reegar Carbine, offering a dramatic boost in power against stronger enemies like Atlases, Banshees, Brutes, Phantoms, Ravagers, Geth Pyros and Geth Primes. Flamer does not have a fixed quantity attached to it and can be used any time.
 * 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. That being said, make sure you have a close quarters weapon so that you may backpedal and regain your composure if things get a little hot under the collar. Banshees should be avoided, since they can execute you very easily if you try to melee them.
 * Though it will limit your long-range capabilities, consider dropping Carnage for Fitness. Fully ranked for defense (as opposed to melee), and with the health-regeneration bonuses from Bloodlust, the vorcha soldier can negate the damage from all but the most concentrated attacks, even withstanding whole volleys from Ravagers and shrugging off the Brute's melee. If building a close-range vorcha, use this method to improve survivability to its maximum.


 * Cerberus
 * Flamer's high-damage evolutions can effectively kill groups of unprotected Cerberus units 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 when engaging these kinds of enemies that you should consider staying close to team mates. Opt for a penetration weapon, or Piercing Mod on one of your weapons to make sure Guardians dont get the edge on you.


 * Reapers
 * Flamer's high-damage evolutions can effective kill groups of unprotected 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 easily. The green acid puddle that Ravagers release upon death also deals minimal damage to the vorcha, provided that Bloodlust stacks are still active. Focus on close-range engagements against large clusters of light infantry, and seek fire support from your team when up against Banshees.


 * Geth
 * Flamer high damage evolution can effective kill groups of unprotected geth units, as it does very high damage to armor. 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 when being attacked by multiple enemies at once, so a "cautious but aggressive" approach would be best here.

N7 Destroyer Soldier
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 Destroyer's T5-V Battlesuit gives these strong-but-slow soldiers mech-like protection. Driven by eezo-assisted actuators, these frontline troopers carry heavy weapons onto the battlefield.

Player Notes

 * General Notes
 * The Destroyer's only power that operates on a cooldown is Devastator Mode. This allows the player to ignore recharge speed bonuses with respect to weapon loadout.
 * Devastator Mode properly evolved with fire rate, clip extension, and damage makes the M-77 Paladin a devastating weapon on any difficulty. It grants six rounds per clip, a fire rate comparable to the M-6 Carnifex, and allows for two-hit kills.
 * The Destroyer often works best as a continual heavy fire support for other units as the player closes the gap toward tougher targets. Due to the shield penalty of the Missile Launcher and the movement penalty of Devastator Mode, the powers synergize the best when the player can trade one for the other once moving from long to medium distances.
 * Deactivating the Missile Launcher at mid-to-close range is recommended because this class is arguably most dangerous within heavy weapons and grenade ranges.
 * The Destroyer's light melee attack is effectively any other Soldier's heavy melee attack and takes about as long to execute, but restricts the "following" of or moving towards the target. The light melee attack has a small cone in which it can hit additional targets in front of the player with reduced damage. Their heavy melee is a much faster ground stomp with an area of effect, and it can knock unshielded enemies to the ground, rendering them helpless.
 * With Devastator Mode evolved to improve weapon accuracy at rank 4, a Destroyer equipped with a heavy, high-recoil assault rifle like the M-76 Revenant or N7 Typhoon modified with a Stability Dampener can put a constant stream of bullets downrange with nearly pinpoint accuracy.
 * Because the Destroyer cannot evade forwards or backwards, or at all while in Devastator Mode, he is often more vulnerable to attacks from Phantoms and Banshees as with Krogan, Turians and Batarians. The Destroyer makes up for this with some unusual stagger resistance, especially when employing Devastator Mode. Actions can be performed even after just being grazed by a Phantom sword swipe, or hit by an Atlas missile.
 * Because the Missile Launcher even when fully evolved is both weak, inaccurate, and costs half your shields the most effective way to evolve the Destroyer is to completely ignore evolving the Missile Launcher and focus on evolving the Destroyer to be a moving gun turret.


 * Cerberus
 * The Destroyer is very effective against Cerberus. The only problem you will encounter is with Phantoms when they close to you. If you can keep them at a distance you shouldn't have much of a problem.


 * Reapers
 * As with Cerberus if you have the right loadout of weapons and equipment you will do well against the Reapers. The Destroyer actually excels against Brutes as long as you aim for the Brutes unarmored parts. Just watch out for Banshees as their one hit kill moves are hard to dodge with the destroyer and are generally hard to take down no matter what class your using.


 * Geth
 * The Destroyer can fight the Geth just as good as the other two factions, since his chances of success depend heavily upon the weapons he's using. It is recommended that you stick with the Reegar Carbine and also use some type of hard hitting assault rifle like the N7 Typhoon or the Cerberus Harrier. The Geth for the most part will fall before your hail of bullets and only the Geth Prime will end up being a problem, should you keep your distance and stay behind cover, Primes shouldn't be a problem either.