Charge

This article is about the biotic Charge power in Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3. For the Turbocharge skill in Mass Effect: Andromeda, see Turbocharge. For the Charge skill in Mass Effect: Andromeda, see Charge (skill).

Charge is a biotic power in Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3's single-player and multiplayer modes.

The character uses biotics to augment speed and strength, and charges across the battlefield towards a target.

• This culminates in a powerful collision that sends unprotected enemies flying backward, inflicting massive damage.
• The collision negates the mass of an enemy, allowing for even the largest of enemies to be sent flying backwards.
• This power also compensates for impeding obstacles by allowing the player to 'phase' through solid objects en route to their target.
• It can also be used on enemies who have been levitated by other biotic powers, and can multiply physics damage to send them off into the distance.

Mass Effect 2

Power Ranks

• Rank 1
  • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds
  • Range: 40.00 meters
  • Impact Force: 350.00 newtons

• Rank 2
  • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds
  • Range: 40.00 meters
  • Impact Force: 550.00 newtons
  • Shield Strength: 50.00% of maximum shields
  • Shield Duration: 4.00 seconds

• Rank 3
  • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds
  • Range: 40.00 meters
  • Impact Force: 750.00 newtons
  • Shield Strength: 75.00% of maximum shields
  • Shield Duration: 4.00 seconds

Rank 4

Choose to evolve the power into one of the following,

Heavy Charge

• Your biotic focus is so intense that not only does the charge flatten enemies, but also your reaction speed is increased, slowing the world around you as you come out of the charge.
  • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds
  • Range: 40.00 meters
  • Impact Force: 1000.00 newtons
  • Shield Strength: 100.00% of maximum shields
  • Shield Duration: 4.00 seconds

Area Charge

• Your mass effect field now bursts on impact, sending out energy that can damage multiple opponents and knock them off their feet.
  • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds
  • Range: 40.00 meters
  • Impact Force: 750.00 newtons
  • Shield Strength: 75.00% of maximum shields
  • Shield Duration: 4.00 seconds
  • Impact Radius: 3.00 meters

Player Notes

• Charge requires a target and a clear line of sight to function. Some enemies cannot be targeted by Charge, often because Shepard can't physically reach the areas where those enemies are located, for example.
• Charge is intentionally unaffected by the Biotic Cooldown upgrade; It is affected by all other cooldown effects though.
• At rank 2 and above, Charge instantly restores or boosts the user's shields, allowing you to stay in action longer and to survive the most dire of situations.
• On occasion, it will appear as if Shepard is doing the starting animation for Charge, but it will not continue. This forces you into a cooldown cycle without the shield boost that accompanies Charge. This will sometimes occur if Charge is activated at the exact moment your target is killed.
• Charge is also useful when pinned down by enemy gunfire, as the player can rush through the enemy's blockade and catch them off-guard.

Availability

• Vanguard
• Tela Vasir

Mass Effect 3

Power Ranks

Rank 1: Biotic Charge

Smash into a target while encased in this biotic barrier, leveling your opponents.

Invulnerable while this power is in effect.

• Recharge Speed: 10 sec (14 krogan)
• Damage: 250 (400 multiplayer non-krogan, 500 krogan)
• Force: 500 N (650 N multiplayer non-krogan, 750 N krogan)
• Barrier Restored: 50%

Rank 2: Recharge Speed

Increase recharge speed by 25%.

• Recharge Speed: 8 sec (11.20 krogan)
• Damage: 250 (400 multiplayer non-krogan, 500 krogan)
• Force: 500 N (650 N multiplayer non-krogan, 750 N krogan)
• Barrier Restored: 50%

Rank 3: Force & Damage

Increase damage and force by 20% (30% multiplayer).

• Recharge Speed: 8 sec (11.20 krogan)
• Damage: 300 (520 multiplayer non-krogan, 650 krogan)
• Force: 600 N (845 N multiplayer non-krogan, 975 N krogan)
• Barrier Restored: 50%

Rank 4: Force & Damage/Radius

Force & Damage Increase damage and force by 30% (40% multiplayer). Recharge Speed: 8 sec (11.20 krogan) Damage: 375 (680 multiplayer non-krogan, 850 krogan) Force: 750 N (1105 N multiplayer non-krogan, 1275 N krogan) Barrier Restored: 50%

Radius Hit up to 2 additional targets within 2 meters of the impact point.

Rank 5: Weapon Synergy/Power Synergy

Weapon Synergy Increase weapon damage by 15% (25% multiplayer) for 3 seconds (5 sec multiplayer) after a successful Biotic Charge.

Power Synergy Increase power damage and force by 25% (40% multiplayer) for 15 seconds (10 sec multiplayer) after a successful Biotic Charge.

Krogan Battlemaster Vanguard Rank 5: Weapon Synergy/Melee Synergy

Weapon Synergy Increase weapon damage by 25% for 5 seconds after a successful Biotic Charge.

Melee Synergy Increase melee damage by 40% for 5 seconds after a successful Biotic Charge.

Rank 6: Bonus Power/Barrier

Bonus Power Give Biotic Charge a 25% (50% multiplayer) chance of not triggering a cooldown.

Barrier Increase barriers by an additional 50% after a successful Biotic Charge. Recharge Speed: 8 sec (11.20 krogan) Damage: 375 (680 multiplayer non-krogan, 850 krogan) [Force & Damage], 300 (520 multiplayer non-krogan, 650 krogan) [Radius] Force: 750 N (1105 N multiplayer non-krogan, 1275 N krogan) [Force & Damage], 600 N (845 N multiplayer non-krogan, 975 N krogan) [Radius] Barrier Restored: 100%

Player Notes

Note: Charge deals 1.5x damage to barriers.

Mechanics

• Charge can be combined with any lasting duration Biotics such as Warp, Pull, etc. to perform a Biotic Explosion.
• With the rank Force & Damage evolution in multiplayer, Charge can stagger all but the hardiest of enemies, staggering even Phantoms on Gold/Platinum.
• Activating Charge provides a 50% damage reduction buff for 4 seconds.

Strategies

• Reave is another excellent choice as a Vanguard setup power for a biotic explosion. It hits the target instantly, so it can be triggered immediately before Charge, and with the Radius evolution, a single Reave, then Charge and Nova can cause multiple biotic explosions. It is also an alternative to Pull for dealing with Guardian shields, and if you trigger the Charge quickly enough, their shield will still be down and your Charge will still hit them. Lastly, Reave provides a damage reduction bonus that will come in handy should your followup Nova not kill the target.
• Players can perform a powerful combo by spamming both Biotic Charge and Nova consecutively. First use Biotic Charge to quickly reach a group of enemies, use a heavy melee attack on a single enemy, and then use Nova immediately - Nova uses the Vanguard's barrier and thus has no cool-down period - to do damage, and cause knock-back, to all enemies within close-range. Provided the player has upgraded Biotic Charge with the Rank 6 Barrier evolution and has a quick enough power recharge rate this combo can be spammed infinitely. This is a very good strategic approach, provided the player retreats out of melee-range immediately after using Nova when facing Brutes, Banshees or Kai Leng.
• Biotic Charge also allows the queuing of shots if timed correctly. Because of the animation of the charge, it is impossible shoot during the charge. This results in your weapon firing just after the charge animation finishes. With a weapon that can be charged up, like the Graal Spike Thrower, Geth Plasma Shotgun, or Arc Pistol, the weapon charge can be started before the Biotic Charge, and if the trigger is released during the animation, your enemy will take the full force of the shot while also being damaged by the Biotic Charge. The same thing happens with non-charged weapons, except the trigger must be pressed and released during the animation. This is useful as it eliminates the need to aim shots as most enemies will topple and fly away as a result of the Charge.
• Due to the prevalence of enemies capable of sync-kill executions on higher difficulties in multiplayer, Charge (and Vanguards in general) is ill-advised against all but Geth on Gold. In particular, the widespread appearance of Phantoms, Banshees, and Atlases in any Platinum game can mean easy death for an ill-prepared Vanguard.
  • Because of this, Vanguards should memorize the sync-kill patterns of enemies: Atlases and Scions only use it after their melee attacks, Phantoms cannot use theirs while cloaked, Brutes can only use it when their eyes are glowing red, Banshees cannot use it when they don't have their biotic aura on, and Praetorians cannot use it if they're floating.
• Generally speaking, it is advisable to take the radius upgrade over the damage upgrade at Rank 4. This will allow you to clear your immediate area of enemies, giving you some breathing room after a Biotic Charge. However, for single-player Vanguards, as well as Human Vanguards in Multiplayer, damage may be a more useful evolution, as these characters already have Nova to clear the area after charging, and, since Nova doesn't operate on a cooldown, they can activate as soon as the Charge connects.
• If you plan on using Biotic Charge as more of a defensive tool and focus more on using your guns, it may be better to go for the "Bonus Power" evolution at rank 6, as this will make it more likely that you can utilise Biotic Charge several times before triggering a cooldown. You can also theoretically do more damage with Biotic Charge this way, albeit inconsistently.
• If you use Biotic Charge to fuel barrier-draining powers such as Phase Disruptor or Nova, then it would be best to stick to the rank 6 "Barrier" evolution because it'll help keep you alive or allow you to more effectively use said powers.

Availability

• Single-Player: Vanguard
• Multiplayer: Asari Vanguard, Batarian Brawler Vanguard, Drell Vanguard, Human Vanguard, Krogan Battlemaster Vanguard, N7 Slayer Vanguard, Project Phoenix Vanguard, Volus Protector Vanguard

Trivia

• The Cabal Vanguard is the only Vanguard class excepting the original Mass Effect not to utilize this power. Instead they use an alternative called Poison Strike.