Cryo Blast

Cryo Blast is a tech power in Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3's single-player and multiplayer modes.

When activated, the user's omni-tool fires a mass of super-cooled subatomic particles capable of snap-freezing targets within a certain radius.

Note: As with all projectile powers, the power does not launch an actual projectile when used by a squadmate. Instead, it impacts instantly.

Mass Effect 2

Power Ranks

• Rank 1
  • Recharge Time: 4.50 seconds (9.00 seconds for Mordin)
  • Impact Radius: 1.20 meters
  • Freeze Duration: 3.00 seconds

• Rank 2
  • Recharge Time: 4.50 seconds (9.00 seconds for Mordin)
  • Impact Radius: 1.20 meters
  • Freeze Duration: 4.00 seconds

• Rank 3
  • Recharge Time: 4.50 seconds (9.00 seconds for Mordin)
  • Impact Radius: 1.20 meters
  • Freeze Duration: 5.00 seconds

Rank 4

Choose to evolve the power into one of the following,

Deep Cryo Blast

• The blast potency and freeze duration are equal to advanced cryogenic weapons.
  • Recharge Time: 4.50 seconds (Mordin and Shepard)
  • Impact Radius: 1.20 meters
  • Freeze Duration: 7.00 seconds

Full Cryo Blast

• This cryo weapon's spray effect is engineered to maximize your chances of freezing multiple targets.
  • Recharge Time: 4.50 seconds (Mordin and Shepard)
  • Impact Radius: 3.00 meters
  • Freeze Duration: 5.00 seconds

Player Notes

• In Mass Effect 2, if there is any cover between Shepard (not the squadmate using it) and the target, the power will strike the cover instead.
• Regular Husks will automatically shatter once frozen solid.
• The freezing process takes about 1.8 seconds, during which enemies can still act. Thus, charging enemies will not always be stopped fast enough.
• Cryo Blast acts very similar to Pull in making frozen enemies more susceptible to physical damage by force-applying powers like Throw, Slam and Charge. However, enemies are immune to those powers during the freezing process. The force damage to heavy enemies like Krogan is fairly low, Heavy Throw will do about the same damage as a Vindicator burst.
• Shockwave doesn't work at all against frozen enemies.
• Once frozen solid, enemies take double weapon damage (includes the thaw phase, until enemies start to get up after falling over). Damage from powers like Warp and Incinerate is not increased.

Availability

• Engineer
• Sentinel
• Mordin

Mass Effect 3

Power Ranks

Rank 1: Cryo Blast

Flash-freeze and shatter unprotected enemies. Slow down the rest.

Weaken armor.
Frozen targets won't regenerate health.

• Recharge Speed: 6 sec (5 sec multiplayer)
• Freeze Duration: 3 sec (4 sec multiplayer)
• Movement Speed: -15%

Rank 2: Recharge Speed

Increases recharge speed by 25%.

• Recharge Speed: 4.80 sec (4 sec multiplayer)
• Freeze Duration: 3 sec (4 sec multiplayer)
• Movement Speed: -15%

Rank 3: Duration

Increase duration by 40%.

• Recharge Speed: 4.80 sec (4 sec multiplayer)
• Freeze Duration: 4.20 sec (5.60 sec multiplayer)
• Movement Speed: -15%

Rank 4: Duration/Radius

Duration Increase duration by 60%. Recharge Speed: 4.80 sec (4 sec multiplayer) Freeze Duration: 6 sec (8 sec multiplayer) Movement Speed: -15%

Radius Increase impact radius by 2 meters.

Rank 5: Speed Reduction/Cryo Explosion

Speed Reduction Decrease movement speed of chilled targets by an additional 20%. (30% multiplayer) Recharge Speed: 4.80 sec (4 sec multiplayer) Freeze Duration: 6 sec (8 sec multiplayer) [Duration], 4.20 sec (5.60 sec multiplayer) [Radius] Movement Speed: -35% (-45% multiplayer)

Cryo Explosion Increase damage to chilled and frozen targets by 10%.

Rank 6: Recharge Speed/Frozen Vulnerability

Recharge Speed Increase recharge speed by 50%. (100% multiplayer) Recharge Speed: 3.43 sec (2.22 sec multiplayer) Freeze Duration: 6 sec (8 sec multiplayer) [Duration], 4.20 sec (5.60 sec multiplayer) [Radius] Movement Speed: -35% (-45% multiplayer) [Speed Reduction], -15% [Cryo Explosion]

Frozen Vulnerability Increase damage to frozen and chilled targets by 15%. Weaken armored targets by an additional 25%.

Player Notes

• Cryo Blast does no damage to enemies. Cryo Blast either freezes enemies solid or slows them down.
  • If the player is attempting to get Cryo Blast points for the multiplayer challenge Cryo Blast Use, the player will have to hit enemies with Cryo Blast and then damage them with weapons / powers / melee attacks to kill them.
  • The experience (xp) granted after a kill using Cryo Blast will increase by ~20-22% (depending upon the enemy and difficulty level). The xp difference is what goes towards the Cryo Blast challenge and not the total xp for the kill. Ex: A Cannibal killed in bronze hazard difficulty will award +391 xp with Cryo Blast vs. +316 xp without Cryo Blast. Only 75 xp goes towards the Cryo Blast Use challenge.
  • Sometimes using Snap Freeze or Sentry Turret with Rank 5A Cryo Ammo will register towards the Cryo Blast Use points challenge. (It is unclear why this happens at this time. See the Cryo Blast talk page here for more details.)
• Cryo Blast will decrease the damage reduction offered by armored enemies such as Atlases, Ravagers or Geth Pyros. It does not allow penetration of armor plating protecting enemies such as Brutes, or Cannibals and Husks after they are given plating by a Marauder.
  • It will further increase damage done when used in conjunction with Incinerate if the "Frozen Damage" evolution is picked for Incinerate (Rank 6). Used correctly one can devastate frozen enemies with said power, and deal damage over time, allowing you to either finish them off, or if their health is too low for them to survive, pick off other enemies.
  • The Turian Havoc Soldier can do this himself with Havoc Strike.
• Cryo Blast is very effective against Cannibals, Husks, Geth Troopers, and Cerberus Troopers. Their lack of any shielding means they can be frozen immediately and subsequently eliminated from the fight, or failing that, incapacitated.
• However, Phantoms seem to be immune to Cryo Blast's snap-freeze effect even after their barriers have been stripped.
• For the aforementioned reason, Cryo Blast also stops Cannibals from feasting on their former friends and gaining extra health and protection, provided said foes are eliminated during the snap-freeze.
• Cryo blast is a very good power for easy headshots. The time to get one easily is as the enemy freezes, because the power stuns it. Adding the damage bonus from Cryo Blast, even weaker sniper rifles like the M-97 Viper can score headshot kills.
• With the Rank 5 "Speed Reduction" evolution, Cryo Blast is able to bring already slow enemies like Brutes, Atlas mechs and Scions to a standstill, leaving them sitting ducks. This is especially the case in multiplayer, where the speed reduction is higher; the female Quarian Engineer and Turian Havoc Soldier in particular can run circles around enemies crippled by Cryo Blast.
• Cryo Blast can be used to prime unprotected enemies for Cryo Explosions, provided the enemy is frozen solid.

Availability

• Single-Player: Engineer, Sentinel, Kaidan Alenko
• Multiplayer: Human Infiltrator, Quarian Engineer, Turian Havoc Soldier