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Assault Troopers are standard Cerberus soldiers encountered in Mass Effect 3 and in Mass Effect: Infiltrator. Outfitted with custom-designed armor and weapons, these soldiers function with determined precision and practiced teamwork.

Mass Effect 3[]

Description[]

Assault troopers are the backbone of Cerberus forces. Those candidates who make it through the grueling basic training are submitted to an intensive psychological program that renders them fearless, disciplined, and unrelenting. Outfitted with custom-designed armor and rifles, these soldiers function with determined precision and practiced teamwork.

The first to rush into a fight, assault troopers often work in tandem with more powerful units. They make strategic use of this scenario, keeping their opponents occupied until it is too late to react to the combined Cerberus force bearing down on them.

Capabilities[]

Offensive

Assault Troopers are armed with M-25 Hornet submachine guns, as well as electrified batons for melee attacks. They can throw powerful (but slow to detonate) grenades to kill enemies or flush them out of cover. In multiplayer, they can execute downed players with a stomp.

Defensive

Assault Troopers possess moderate health without any kind of shielding. They frequently take cover during combat and also perform combat rolls to evade conventional or power attacks.

Tactics[]

  • Assault Troopers are the cannon-fodder enemies of the Cerberus faction. They lack shields, meaning any combination of attacks can stagger or kill them relatively easily. If melee-attacking an Assault Trooper, hit it quickly before it can charge its baton and strike back.
    • If you think that an Assault Trooper will hit you with its baton before you hit him, try and do a light melee-attack. The attack will always stagger the Trooper, making him an easy target to kill with a heavy melee attack.
  • Assault Troopers can be troublesome in numbers, when simultaneous volleys of their weapons fire can overwhelm the player. When focusing on more powerful enemies on the battlefield, don't neglect to mop up nearby Assault Troopers before they group up.
  • The frag grenades that Assault Troopers throw are their most dangerous weapons. The grenades are on a short but loud timer and small blast radius, but they can cause instant death on higher difficulties as they bypass shield and heath gate protections. They are also dangerous as they tend to force players out of the safety of cover to avoid them.
  • A Soldier with high Fitness (5 or above) can kill an Assault Trooper in a single heavy melee attack.
  • Shockwave is very effective against grouped Assault Troopers as it can inflict decent levels of damage instantly and throw them around. The Rank 6 Lifting Shockwave evolution can suspend Troopers in the air, making them vulnerable to biotic explosions, or weapons fire.
  • A Vanguard’s Nova can very quickly eliminate large groups of Assault Troopers. This is a risky move however, as you will be left without shielding, which could prove fatal if more enemies arrive.
  • Incinerate can be very useful to escape large numbers of Assault Troopers as the splash damage from the attack can leave them stunned for several seconds.
  • A Combat Drone can be used to distract Assault Troopers by drawing their fire away from you for a few seconds.
  • Target Assault Troopers with Singularity, Pull or Stasis, and then follow it up with Warp or Reave to cause a Biotic Explosion. This can end up killing multiple troopers and wounding others inside blast radius.
  • In Multiplayer, keep an eye out for Assault Troopers approaching your downed squadmates. The execution animation is quick, and can only be interrupted by staggering, physics-based attacks or killing the Trooper. It will not be stopped by a player attempting to revive the downed squadmate.
  • Getting close to an Assault Trooper acts as a double-edged blade. On one side, they will try to hit you with their baton and this can do significant damage, on the other side, if you get close enough to attract their attention but far away enough to stop them from hitting you, they will follow you. They will keep trying to get close enough to hit you with their baton. Use this opportunity to lure enemies out into your team mates or away from enemies so you can deal with them alone and away from risk.
  • Troopers are less likely to dodge a power if you stagger them first with gunfire, if you are in closer proximity, or if they are focusing on another target.

Mass Effect: Infiltrator[]

Assault Troopers are elite Cerberus infantry units that Randall Ezno faces on the Barn during his escape. They possess the same armour as regular Cerberus troopers but are more resilient and are equipped with jetpacks.

Tactics[]

  • Assault troopers have considerable health and possess a strong layer of shielding, which can regenerate over time.
  • Assault troopers will often take cover during the firefight, and tend not to come out unless you're in their line of fire. This allows you to wait out behind cover for your powers to recharge without being disturbed. If necessary, using Pull will flush them from cover into the open.
  • These assault troopers possess personal jetpacks and can use them to quickly arrive in range for their Eviscerator shotguns, or get behind you. While they're in flight, it is possible to interrupt them with Pull.
  • Like other humanoid enemies in the game, these soldiers are vulnerable to headshots, receiving bonus damage when shot there.


Trivia[]

  • According to The Art of the Mass Effect Universe, the developers wanted to make Assault Trooper armor look more robust than it did in previous games, to show that Troopers are battle-hardened foes who have fought all kinds of enemies across the galaxy.
  • The Codex states that Assault Troopers are armed with custom made rifles. They are also depicted in various cutscenes and still images using weapons such as the M-96 Mattock, M-12 Locust and M-22 Eviscerator. However, they only have access to those weapons except M-12 Locust in Mass Effect: Infiltrator, while in Mass Effect 3 they only wield M-25 Hornet submachine guns.
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