Biotic Sphere

Biotic Sphere is a biotic power in Mass Effect 3's multiplayer mode.

Power Ranks

Rank 1: Biotic Sphere

Create a defensive shield that surrounds the caster and nearby allies.

More damage dealt to enemies entering the shielded area.

• Recharge Speed: 6 sec
• Duration: 30 sec
• Radius: 3 m
• Damage Reduction: 20%
• Damage Taken Increase: 10%

Rank 2: Recharge Speed

Increase recharge speed by 20%.

• Recharge Speed: 5 sec
• Duration: 30 sec
• Radius: 3 m
• Damage Reduction: 20%
• Damage Taken Increase: 10%

Rank 3: Duration

Increase duration by 30%.

• Recharge Speed: 5 sec
• Duration: 39 sec
• Radius: 3 m
• Damage Reduction: 20%
• Damage Taken Increase: 10%

Rank 4: Shield Regeneration/Radius

Shield Regeneration Keep allies within the shield to decrease shield-recharge delay by 15%.

Radius Increase the sphere's radius by 30%. Recharge Speed: 5 sec Duration: 39 sec Radius: 3.90 m Damage Reduction: 20% Damage Taken Increase: 10%

Rank 5: Damage Reduction/Enemy Weakness

Damage Reduction Increase damage reduction to allies within the shield by 10%. Recharge Speed: 5 sec Duration: 39 sec Radius: 3 m (Shield Regeneration), 3.90 m (Radius) Damage Reduction: 30% Damage Taken Increase: 10%

Enemy Weakness Increase damage taken by enemies within the shielded area by an additional 15%. Recharge Speed: 5 sec Duration: 39 sec Radius: 3 m (Shield Regeneration), 3.90 m (Radius) Damage Reduction: 20% Damage Taken Increase: 25%

Rank 6: Allied Protection/Warp Effect

Allied Protection Decrease the damage that shielded allies take by 10%. Decrease the time before the shields regenerate by 10%. Recharge Speed: 5 sec Duration: 39 sec Radius: 3 m (Shield Regeneration), 3.90 m (Radius) Damage Reduction: 40% (Damage Reduction), 30% (Enemy Weakness) Damage Taken Increase: 10% (Damage Reduction), 25% (Enemy Weakness)

Warp Effect Hit enemies inside the shield with Warp, dealing 50 damage per second and reducing armor by 25%. Affect up to 3 enemies at a time. Set an enemy up for a biotic detonation.

Player Notes

Mechanics

• Like most powers, Biotic Sphere takes a moment to cast, exposing the caster to being interrupted by any stun attack (such as an enemy's melee).
• The same caster can only have one Biotic Sphere in existence at one time: casting the Sphere again will cause the previous Sphere (if it was still extant) to disappear with a shattering sound.
• Unlike most powers, Biotic Sphere takes effect around the caster's current position, rather than at a targeted area. The Biotic Sphere and its effects then remain in that location until either its duration expires or it is recast.
• The Biotic Sphere has offensive uses. At the moment it is cast, the Sphere does a small amount of damage to enemies inside or touching it, killing Swarmers outright. At the same time, it can stagger these enemies, and can detonate all manner of Power Combos (provided that the target was already primed with an appropriate power).
• If the Rank 6 Warp Effect evolution is chosen, enemies will be afflicted with Warp once they enter and remain for a short duration within the Sphere. This Warp's modest damage exposes cloaked enemies (e.g. Geth Hunter, Phantom), and sets up any enemy for a Biotic Explosion with Reave or any other biotic power, regardless of the target's defenses. Further, such a Biotic Sphere can be used to detonate an already-primed target and to prime the same target for a follow-up biotic explosion––provided that the enemy does not leave the Sphere too quickly. Thus, slow and close-ranged units can be rapidly brought down within the Biotic Sphere.
• The defensive abilities of this power can be stacked with preexisting defensive powers and equipment of like kind (namely, those affecting a player's shield-regeneration speed and/or damage reduction).
  • Properly evolved at Ranks 4 and 6, the Biotic Sphere can provide up to 25% faster shield-regeneration time to friendly units within its area of effect. It is possible for some allied units, equipped with relevant gear and with relevant powers (such as Fitness and Blade Armor) evolved for shield-regeneration bonuses, to eliminate the delay before damaged or destroyed shields begin to regenerate.
  • The defensive Biotic Sphere's damage-reduction effect stacks with powers of similar effect, such as those of Reave, Tech Armor, Barrier, or the krogans' Rage. For classes with such powers (if properly evolved), when standing within such a Biotic Sphere, it is technically possible to meet or exceed 100% damage reduction (however, because of peculiarities in the way the game calculates damage dealt to the player, it is almost impossible to experience actual invulnerability).

Strategies

• Supply Pylon from the N7 Demolisher Engineer synergizes very well with the Biotic Sphere. If the Max Shields evolution of Supply Pylon is chosen and Biotic Sphere is evolved for maximum damage reduction, the two combined give a 150% increase to the amount of damage protected allies' shields can take before breaking. The Biotic Sphere also provides damage reduction even to the bonus shields awarded by the Supply Pylon.
• Biotic Sphere is excellent for fortifying a position that must be held, such as during a "Hack" objective, waiting to extract at the LZ, or while a downed player is being revived.
• Any class with large quantities of shields and/or health will benefit proportionately more from the Biotic Sphere's damage reduction. The Geth Juggernaut Soldier serves as an extreme example, boasting massive health and shields by default, as well as having many other abilities that contribute to longevity.
• Biotic Sphere with Warp Effect can be used purely offensively, activating it at choke points to expose incoming enemies to extra damage and potentially multiple Biotic Explosions. This is comparable to how Singularity or Stasis with the Bubble evolution can be used, with the advantages of a very large area of effect and duration, though with the disadvantage of not disabling foes by itself.

Availability

• Single-player: N/A
• Multiplayer: Asari Justicar Adept