M-99 Saber

The M-99 Saber is an assault rifle in Mass Effect 3.

Description
A heavy-duty semi-automatic rifle favored by only the most elite marksman, the M-99 Saber is jokingly referred to as "The Big Iron" for its sheer stopping power. Each M-99 Saber is designed specifically for its owner, making it one of the Alliance's more expensive weapons.

Acquisition

 * Single-player: Can only be obtained in Sanctuary in the damaged room shortly after the tram to the tower. The Saber is in the husk pod on the far left end of the room from where you first enter; opening the pod requires activating the "Pod Status" on the far end of the room (just before the stairs) and selecting the "Pod - manual override" option, which will allow you to open the pod containing the Saber. Unlike other weapons, if the Saber is not obtained during the mission it cannot be purchased from a shop.
 * Multiplayer: Randomly rewarded by purchasing a multiplayer item pack

Player Notes

 * The Saber is a viciously powerful weapon, toting more damage than any other assault rifle, bar the Falcon. The damage is so great that it can take out enemies on lower difficulties in just one or two shots, especially when multiple weapon damage upgrades are purchased or certain mods are applied.
 * The accuracy of the Saber rivals that of a sniper rifle, which makes it extremely powerful at long range. This can allow the Saber to take out enemies with ease that would otherwise force other weapons to burst fire or single shot to even have a chance of hitting an enemy.
 * The main weakness of the Saber is its very slow rate of fire, which is even slower than that of the Mattock or the Falcon. This makes the weapon highly ineffective at close range against multiple enemies, where a more flexible rifle, SMG, or shotgun would be better suited. As well as this, more nimble enemies such as the Nemesis and the Phantom will be much more difficult to kill at close range where they can kill you in little time.
 * Another weakness is that the Saber is very heavy, which can cripple your ability to use powers frequently.
 * A further weakness is the very heavy recoil of each shot, which makes placing further shots outside cover very difficult indeed.
 * Another setback is its very low capacity, beaten only by the Falcon assault rifle. Capable of only eight shots without mods, precision becomes very important as a missed shot can give enemies ample time to inflict significant damage.
 * Finally, the reload speed is notably slow, which leaves the player vulnerable to enemy attack.
 * A Soldier can however circumvent these limitations, provided no other weapons are carried, by repeated usage of Adrenaline Rush. The ability instantly refills the magazine, making reloads unnecessary even when the weapon is fired continuously. Due to the time dilation, it is easier to make each shot count. This makes the Saber remarkably more powerful in the hands of a Soldier. This is harder in multiplayer, where there is no time dilation.
 * Because of the sheer damage on the Saber, it can also be used very effectively by an Infiltrator. The extra 50-90% extra damage provided from the cloak can tear through even the toughest of enemies in just one or two hits even on the hardest of difficulties. With a scope module it can function in a role similar to that of the M-97 Viper.
 * The immense per-shot damage of the Saber makes the Piercing mod less appealing because it offers a 10% damage increase against armored enemies at best.