Abomination

Abominations are a type of husk created by the Collectors. They act as suicide troops, charging in and exploding next to their targets. They glow red instead of blue like standard human husks.

Mass Effect 2

Abomination
Type	Organic
Faction	Collectors
Armament	None (Melee)
Abilities	Self-Destruction   Post-Mortem Explosion
Health	Moderate
Armor	Low
Locations	Collector Cruiser, Derelict Reaper, Collector Base, Aequitas

Abominations accompany groups of Husks in an attempt to overwhelm Commander Shepard in 2185. They are encountered at Collector sites or near Reaper artifacts.

Capabilities

Offensive

Abominations will charge towards their target much like a regular husk, but it will simultaneously begin to glow and emit flames, then self-destruct once it has gotten close enough to catch its target in the blast. If an Abomination has begun to glow, it will always explode regardless of how it is killed.

Defensive

The Abomination has moderate health. It gains light armor on Hardcore and Insanity difficulty levels.

Tactics

• Using Pull on an Abomination is strongly discouraged, as the Abomination may be pulled into close proximity with the player and/or party members before exploding. Instead, powers like Throw, Shockwave, and Slam should be used to launch the Abomination back to a safe distance where it will explode away from the party.
• Incendiary Ammo is moderately effective against Abominations and their armour.
• Unlike regular Husks, the Dominate power can control an Abomination just like other organic enemies. Once controlled, it will run at Shepard's enemies and explode.
• Abominations, unlike normal Husks, will not be instantly killed if frozen. If their health is depleted while they are frozen, they will not shatter, but will instead explode after defrosting.
• It isn't always feasible, but prioritizing an Abomination in a group of charging Husks is a good strategy, as the explosion is powerful enough to kill or seriously damage them even at full strength on higher difficulties, saving time and ammo.
• It is still possible to instantly kill an Abomination by destroying its legs with gunfire. Destroying an Abomination's legs may prevent it from exploding.

Mass Effect 3

Abomination
Faction	Collectors
Type	Organic
Armament	None (Melee)
Abilities	Grab   Post-Mortem Explosion
Health	Low
Locations	Armax Arsenal Arena

Abominations return in Mass Effect 3's multiplayer with the Retaliation Pack DLC.

Capabilities

Offensive

Abominations will run towards you and grab you once you're in melee range, dealing small amount of DPS. Unless you break free by rapidly pressing the melee attack button, they will explode. They will also explode on death, causing large amount of damage to anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast, friend or foe. In later waves, they can be possessed, gaining weak barriers and a more powerful explosion.

Defensive

Abominations have low health, albeit a little bit more than Husks. They lack shields or barriers, making them particularly vulnerable to powers.

Tactics

• Their post-mortem explosion can be prevented if the abomination's head has been severed from its body. This can be achieved in several ways:
  • Successfully breaking the abomination's Grab attack
  • Landing a headshot
  • The heavy melee attacks of batarian, vorcha, N7 Shadow, N7 Slayer, and Cabal Vanguard
  • The Batarian Gauntlet heavy melee
  • Performing an over-cover grab with a character that destroys the enemy's head (krogan or batarian characters).
• Human Adepts can knock away an Abomination, but the explosion will not be prevented.
• If you aren't one of those characters, it's better to let the Abomination grab you and break its hold to prevent the explosion, assuming you aren't under fire and have enough shielding to absorb its melee damage.
• The body-disintegrating effect of geth heavy melee, the Reegar Carbine and the Particle Rifle will not prevent the explosion.
• Be very careful when using powers that pull enemies toward you such as Lash or Pull on Abominations. Try to use powers that knock the enemy away (such as Concussive Shot, Shockwave, or Throw) or powers that hold enemies in place (like Snap Freeze and Stasis).
• Remember that the Abomination's post-mortem explosion can damage your squadmates if they are close enough. If possible, try to avoid pulling or knocking an Abomination into your squadmates or killing an Abomination near a squadmate.
• Note that Abominations are not fooled by the Infiltrator's Tactical Cloak.
• A Singularity or Incinerate specialized for area damage can render a tight pack of abominations immobile for up to 8 seconds. Note that the latter doesn't affect Possessed Abominations.
• The explosion can also harm other enemies, though the small radius makes it harder to capitalize on it compared to Possessed versions.
• In multiplayer mode, like husks, Abominations will take their first few steps, then stop inexplicably and stand up straight. This is an excellent opportunity to line up a head shot, and prevent them from exploding on you when they get closer.

Trivia

• In the BioWare game Dragon Age: Origins, there are also enemies called abominations, which explode several seconds after death, dealing weak fire damage over large area.