Geth Juggernaut Soldier

Geth Juggernaut Soldier
Class	Soldier
Race	Geth
Rarity	Rare
Availability	Mass Effect 3: Reckoning
Abilities	Increased Shields Toughness/Melee Decreased Mobility

The geth are a humanoid race of networked AIs that were created by the quarians 300 years ago as tools of labor and war. Having since won their freedom from their creators, the geth have proven they are able to reason, analyze situations, and deploy tactics as well as any organic race so long as they remain networked with other geth.

The Geth Juggernaut is a heavy geth infantry platform. Like the Geth Prime, it towers above ground forces as an intimidating presence on the battlefield.

Powers

Shield: 2000 / Health: 1000 Class: Geth Juggernaut  Hex Shield  Siege Pulse  Geth Turret  Hardened Platform

Melee and movement

Regular Melee – The Geth Juggernaut releases an energy pulse from its hand, staggering nearby enemies. Heavy Melee – The Geth Juggernaut drains any defenses and even health with electrical currents while incapacitating smaller targets and restoring its own shields. This can be maintained for several seconds if the melee button is held down, but there will be a short cooldown afterward. Grab – The Geth Juggernaut Soldier

Dodge – The Geth Juggernaut Soldier lacks a dodge maneuver.

Notable mechanics

• The Geth Juggernaut Soldier cannot take cover in the formal sense and is thus unable to perform over-cover grabs as well as vault over or climb up cover.
• The Geth Juggernaut is the only character that cannot run, and also the only character that cannot be instantly killed by Banshees, Brutes, Atlases, Phantoms, Scions, or Praetorians.
• Due to its tall height, visibility is somewhat improved.

Player Notes

General Notes

• The Geth Juggernaut is by far the best "tank" character in Multiplayer, and can be an invaluable asset to the team on Gold and Platinum difficulty. Its ability to absorb epic amounts of damage and regenerate shields, combined with its immunity to sync kills and very high stun resistance, allows it to hold the line against any and all opponents. Because of this, it excels at drawing the attention of the most dangerous enemies away from squadmates, who can then unleash their full arsenal of firepower and abilities to support the Juggernaut. The support should be the killing of fast-firing infantry like Geth Troopers, Cannibals and Marauders, who can drain the Juggernaut's shields very quickly.
• The Juggernaut is completely immune to stuns during its Heavy Melee attack.
• The Juggernaut cannot be grabbed by Husks or Abominations.
• While the Juggernaut is slow and can't sprint or jump over cover, it can climb ladders and doesn't slow down when carrying objects, or weapons that reduce movement speed such as the Geth Spitfire assault rifle.
  • Going for the Speed Boost evolution of Hardened Platform alleviates the slow movement somewhat and the boost is fairly easy to maintain.
• The Juggernaut is very tall, which provides a limited ability to see over objects, but prevents it from using smaller pieces of cover.
• Even with no points into its "fitness" power, Hardened Platform, the Juggernaut has significantly more health and shields than most characters with fully developed health and shields. In addition, every power can be evolved to further boost durability. This makes it easier for you to go toe-to-toe with tough foes such as Banshees, Phantoms, Geth Primes, and Praetorians.
  • The Juggernaut is not invincible, however, and can still be swarmed by smaller enemies unless caution is observed.
  • With maximum Hardened Platform evolutions for shields and health, combined with Stronghold Package V and Cyclonic Modulator IV, the Juggernaut can reach a shield strength of 8,000 and a 27% shield recharge delay bonus.
    • Conversely, you may opt to go for the 10% ally damage bonus of the rank 6 Squad Command evolution to make the rest of your team more effective. While this benefit doesn't affect you, the damage boost perimeter is visible to both you and your allies as a radial pulse that is emitted from the Juggernaut every few seconds.
• The Geth Turret's Shield Restore evolution adds even more survivability, provided that you stay close to the turret.
  • The rank 6 Flamethrower evolution makes it especially useful when getting flanked or surrounded.

• Whilst the Juggernaut cannot utilize cover in the same way that other classes can, it can still use 'soft' cover; as the viewpoint and weapon are offset to the right of the character, it is possible to stand with upwards of fifty percent of the Juggernaut's otherwise impressive stature hidden behind a structure - yet the Juggernaut will still be able to fire their weapons around the obstacle. This reduces the chance of being hit by return fire and can further improve survivability.
  • It is essential to note that due to the Juggernaut's inability to use full cover, it takes an additional 40% damage from all enemy ranged attacks - an effect otherwise negated by being in cover unless leaning out to fire. Whilst it has massive base health and shields, these are no substitute for smart positioning. This means that, when Siege Pulse is fully evolved for damage protection, the Juggernaut gains around 25% more health and shields.

• Although the Hex Shield does not allow your own gunfire to pass through, a good technique (even against heavy enemy units) is to Heavy Melee through the Hex Shield, draining your enemy's defenses and health while avoiding damage.
  • Avoid standing too close to the Shield while doing so, as the attacks of some enemies (notably explosive effects, such as the cannons on Ravagers and Scions) will still be able to damage you.
  • Weapons with piercing mods can shoot through the Shield, but doing so damages the Shield and the usual penalties for piercing objects apply. It's better to stand slightly to one side and take advantage of the gun and camera position and/or the Juggernaut's height to shoot over or around the right edge/top right corner of the shield, as this allows it to provide its full defensive benefit.
    • When upgraded to the Wide Hex Shield, the smaller shields leave small 'notches' in the top edge that allow a Juggernaut to be able to fire at enemies whilst being almost completely protected from return fire.
  • The Flamer power appears to go through the shield, but does no damage to enemies on the other side and only damages the Shield instead.
  • Hex Shield evolved towards damage over time can prime melee units, like Phantoms, for Tech Explosions. It can also outright kill weaker melee enemies such as Husks and Seeker Swarms. Deploying it in a doorway or at the top of a ladder can be a good way to slow down enemies moving in to close quarters.
  • It's worthwhile to have the Hex Shield ready for use at a moment's notice, as the shield is quick to deploy and can be used for last-second saves against grenades or the powerful ranged attacks of the Atlas and Scion, as well as being useful for protecting the objective or providing cover whilst reviving a teammate.

• The Juggernaut is not the best choice for hacking and escort, but should instead be covering the hackers/escorters and soaking damage.
  • If helping with the escort progress, the Juggernaut can detach from the group to temporarily slow down advancing enemies.
  • If helping with hacking defense, the Juggernaut should be putting down their Hex Shield to either slow enemies down or provide cover against attacks, especially if the point offers little cover.
• The Juggernaut can be a good choice for object delivery as it is not affected by slowdown, but is actually able to move faster than other characters while carrying the object.
  • Since it could take a while for the Juggernaut to reach the object, the ideal would be another character picking the delivery up and then dropping it when meeting the Juggernaut to let it carry the delivery the rest of the way.
  • It should also be noted that the Juggernaut cannot move at all while draining, so in an event where the team needs the Juggernaut to tank, it would be better for another character to make the delivery.

• Due to the Juggernaut's excellent durability, the Particle Rifle is a good weapon option, since almost nothing but dying and overheating can interrupt the rifle's firing sequence. Furthermore, its unlimited ammo removes the trouble of having to walk back to an ammo box, and your tall height makes it easier to spot enemies.
• A possible strategy is to equip the Juggernaut with only an SMG and/or pistol, and use Siege Pulse as your main weapon. Upgrading its damage to the highest can deal extremely heavy damage to armored and protected units very quickly, making it a generally dependable power.
• Geth Juggernauts work very well in close proximity to one another and grouped in close spaces. Consider having a team of Juggernauts, each with a different specialization: one Juggernaut can be defensively built, one can deploy healing turrets and act as an artillery unit. A group of Geth Juggernauts can easily handle the most powerful enemies of a faction even on Gold if they work together to drain the targets using Heavy Melee.

• Most light enemies killed by a direct Siege Pulse impact will be disintegrated, similar to the effects of the Juggernaut's Heavy Melee or the Particle Rifle. As with the Heavy Melee, this is a useful way of denying corpses when facing Cannibals, but enemies such as Abominations will still explode. Also note this only applies to direct impacts; enemies killed within the blast radius will not disintegrate.

Melee Attacks

• The Light Melee is a short-range blast of energy from the Juggernaut's hand, which momentarily stuns enemies (including Atlas Mechs). Whilst simple and not all that powerful, it is quick to use and has a radial effect (unlike most melee attacks, which are generally single-target only), making it useful when surrounded.
  • A quick 'tap' of the light melee makes most lighter enemies stagger back as part of the stun animation, giving the Juggernaut a little breathing/maneuvering room. This also interrupts most other melee attacks such as those used by light Cerberus and Collector units.
  • When in close quarters with Abominations (especially Possessed ones), it can be better to use the Light Melee to stagger them, then back up and shoot them whilst they're recovering, rather than using the Heavy Melee.

• The primary tool for the Juggernaut's survival is its Heavy Melee, which stuns most enemies and causes the Juggernaut to rapidly regain shield energy whilst in use. While the Juggernaut is the most durable class of all, it cannot easily escape or hide behind cover, and thus largely needs to rely on the Heavy Melee drain to sustain itself.
  • It is especially important to note that the Heavy Melee requires that a target's health bar be visible. It will not function on cloaked enemies that are fully invisible (such as Geth Hunters and Phantoms) and can sometimes be 'jammed' by Centurion smoke grenades. It may also behave oddly if the target is on a ramp. Cloaked enemies can be made visible (and thus vulnerable) with the Light Melee pulse or gunfire.
    • On a related note, once the Heavy Melee has 'locked on' to a target, the only things that can break the effect are releasing the grapple voluntarily, Force/knockdown effects (such as Singularity or Pull), certain rare effects still able to stagger the Juggernaut, or the enemy moving out of range (either due to lag, bugs with ladders, or the aforementioned powers). Enemies that are still mobile can move behind the Juggernaut and thus out of the player's field of view, but as long as they remain within its overall range, it will continue to damage and drain as normal.
  • Because of this, the Juggernaut's allies should preferably focus their fire on targets further away. Ranged enemies in particular (such as Cannibals and Marauders) should be high priority.
  • The amount of shields drained by the Heavy Melee does not increase beyond the value provided by Hardened Platform, although the damage inflicted can be increased by melee bonuses.
  • Whilst the Juggernaut is highly resistant to stunning/staggering effects whilst using the Heavy Melee, they are not completely immune. Notably, stagger can still be inflicted by the Praetorian's melee attacks. Combined with the short cooldown effect between Heavy Melee attacks, this can be fatal on higher difficulties.
  • Enemies that are lifted by the Heavy Melee's stunning effect will briefly ragdoll then drop prone or fall over when it wears off. If they survive, then this leaves them open to a finishing shot from your equipped weapon. This can be an effective tactic when combined with Shotguns, particularly against certainly highly-evasive enemies; use the Heavy Melee to strip away their shields and barriers, drop them to the floor, then blast them whilst they're down.
  • Most lighter enemies killed with the Heavy Melee will disintegrate, similar to the effects of the Particle Rifle and Siege Pulse. This is useful against the Reapers as it denies the body as a feeding source for Cannibals - but when fighting the Collectors, beware that Abominations will still explode. If threatened by an Abomination (especially the Possessed variety, given their significantly higher damage potential) it is better to either use the Light Melee or only reduce them to half health with the drain, then back up and shoot them whilst they're stunned. This can also give nearby teammates time to move out of the blast area.
  • While you close in on the distant threat, it may be wise to leave a nearby target alive in order to use it as a drain source. All enemies, even those without Shields and Barriers, provide Shields when drained. Don't hesitate to use enemies as 'shield packs'.
  • When the incoming damage is about as much as you can handle, it is wise to minimize the time you spend not draining.
    • Mind the drain's cooldown, however: though short, it can be the difference between success and failure.
    • If the situation allows, it may be wise to primarily target enemies with the most health, leaving the weaker ones for your team to finish off.
  • The Heavy Melee can't lift armored enemies, though Geth Pyros and Dragoons will be locked in a stun animation if the melee button is held down. This is useful on higher difficulties, as these enemies are still very powerful and a Pyro can quickly 'burn down' an unprepared Juggernaut.
  • If the melee button is being held when the Juggernaut gets downed, it will still do damage and can even kill weakened enemies despite being out of action.
  • If an enemy is targeted with Heavy Melee while climbing up a ladder, the animation appears for a moment and the enemy will then float up in to the air for several meters before the chain is broken. The enemy will then be stunned for a short time, and get up as if the melee attack had broken normally.
    • Likewise, if an enemy is targeted while climbing down a ladder, the enemy will fly out from the ladder perpendicularly until the chain is broken. The enemy will then be stunned for a short time, and get up as if the melee attack had broken normally.
  • Whilst the Heavy Melee cannot stun or disable Geth Bombers, the Juggernaut will be functionally invulnerable to their attacks.

Cerberus

• Since the Juggernaut is immune to sync-kills, it can easily stack itself against Atlases and Phantoms to draw their attention away from the rest of the squad, while draining their shields with Heavy Melee.
• The heavy melee can immobilize and incapacitate Phantoms and Guardians, like any other infantry class. With relatively low barrier and health values, this can quickly kill them.
• Nemeses, Atlases and turrets can quickly bring down shields, even on Silver. This can be partially mitigated with the Protection evolution from the Siege Pulse.
  • If you are having trouble, the extra large Hex Shield is an excellent damage sink against the Atlas, turrets, and Nemeses.
  • A well-timed Siege Pulse against an Engineer setting up a turret will interrupt the process.

Collectors

• Since the Juggernaut is immune to sync-kills, it can easily stack itself against Praetorians to draw their attention away from the rest of the squad while draining their barriers with Heavy Melee.
• Despite its high shields, Possessed Abominations can give trouble to the Juggernaut if they explode too close.
  • Since the Juggernaut cannot be grabbed, it lacks reliable means to decapitate Abominations to prevent the explosion.
• Beware of Scions. Even with a fully defensive build, a single Scion can take down the Juggernaut's defenses extremely quickly, especially on higher difficulties. Stick to large cover, or make extensive use of Hex Shield to survive.
  • Grenades from Possessed Scions usually pass through the shield, so watch out for those.
• Be careful while fighting a Praetorian in close range, as their melee attacks can stun even Juggernauts, stopping you from using heavy melee attacks.
• Seeker Swarms will not prevent you from firing Siege Pulses, though they do block the recharge (the power icon will not display the swarm effect).
• Hex Shield with the Shock Evolution will stop any Seeker Swarm attempting to pass through it, causing them to explode after a short time. This can still cause players to be swarmed if they are standing too close to the shield.

Geth

• Having a natural resistance to stun and being able to drain energy from synthetics, the Juggernaut can deal with the geth easily.
• Hex Shield is very useful for protecting the party from the heavy damage and stun that the Geth cause. It also catches Geth Hunters that the party may miss if the Shock evolution is taken.
• Geth Pyro flames pass through the Hex Shield visually, but cause no damage to anything behind it.
• Geth Juggernaut taking defense evolutions can easily handle 2 Geth Primes and multiple troops at the same time by using heavy melee on Gold.
• Geth Bombers can be problematic due to the Juggernauts slow movement speed and should be taken down quickly. They are also completely immune to the stun effect of the Heavy Melee.
• The Heavy Melee will prevent Geth Pyros from firing and immobilise them.

Reapers

• Since the Juggernaut is immune to sync-kills, it can easily stack itself against Banshees to draw their attention away from the rest of the squad while draining their barriers with Heavy Melee.
  • This works with Brutes as well, but because they are more aggressive, it is more difficult.
  • This strategy can be a lifesaver on Gold, since the ire of all enemies capable of sync-killing can be reliably focused on the Juggernaut, allowing the squad to focus fire, and not be routed by advancing Banshees and Brutes.
• Be wary of Ravagers at long distances, as the Juggernaut is very slow and the blast radius from a Ravager's cannon means that shots can damage you through a Hex Shield. Standing back a short distance from the shield will prevent this.
  • It is recommended to close the distance as quickly as possible, absorbing energy from passing enemies to increase survivability.
  • Alternatively, Siege Pulse is effective against isolated Ravagers, but multiple Ravagers can still bring the Juggernaut's shields down faster than they can be killed by Siege Pulse.