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For the weapon in the original Mass Effect, see Geth Armory.

The Geth Pulse Rifle is an assault rifle in Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3.

Mass Effect 2[]

Description[]

This geth weapon fires a rapid stream of high-energy phasic slugs. Comparable to a Vindicator Battle Rifle. Very effective against shields and biotic barriers; moderately effective against armor.

Geth pulse rifles are rarely retrieved from the battlefield; when they are, the guns are generally functional and comparable to a stock assault rifle. Over time, however, they prove unreliable and difficult to repair. Attempts to replicate this weapon have failed, but the technology recovered from Haestrom could enable several of these weapons to be built for your squad.

Two anomalies differentiate these geth weapons from other stock assault rifles. First, the mass effect field generation technology follows a sine curve (it has a variable rate of fire). Second, its slugs are lighter than standard Avenger slugs, but they're encased in a phasic envelope. Overall, this weapon should be more effective against shields and barrier than a battle rifle, but will likely have less armor penetration capability.

Acquisition[]

The Geth Pulse Rifle can only be acquired on Hardcore or Insanity difficulty setting during Tali's recruitment mission at Haestrom. The difficulty level must be adjusted before the start of the mission.

The rifle can be found in the same room Tali is in, after destroying the Geth Colossus.

Squad Use[]

This weapon can be used by Garrus, Grunt, Legion, Samara/Morinth, and Zaeed.

Player Notes[]

  • Although the fire rate is listed at 1000 RPM, it is highly variable, alternating between fast and slow modes. According to the in-game Codex, this is because the fire rate follows a variable sine curve.
  • The Pulse Rifle is very accurate, and very few of the shots will miss an enemy at medium range, even on full auto.
  • The Pulse Rifle rips through shields and barriers but has a noticeable lack of punch against armor. Supplementing it with the right ammo power can shore up its weaknesses or further increase its strengths.
  • Its high accuracy and rate of fire makes the Pulse Rifle excellent for suppressive fire, especially when enhanced with Inferno Ammo as this will quickly panic organic enemies.
  • The Pulse Rifle's main drawback is its low damage per shot, as this forces the player to remain out of cover for longer than with weapons like the M-96 Mattock. Because squad members deal even less damage than Shepard, this can be even more of a problem for them.
  • This weapon refills ammo very efficiently from thermal clip pick ups.

Mass Effect 3[]

Description[]

Geth pulse rifles are comparable to a standard stock assault rifle, but finely balanced with low-recoil and incredibly high accuracy. The pulse rifle fires a rapid stream of light-weight slugs which are wrapped in a phasic envelope to increase their damage.

Acquisition[]

Singleplayer

The Geth Pulse Rifle can be found during the mission Priority: Geth Dreadnought, on top of a crate just prior to entering the Operations Center. It is also purchasable from Elkoss Combine Arsenal Supplies post-mission if it was missed.

Multiplayer

Weapons are randomly rewarded through purchases of item packs. The Geth Pulse Rifle is categorized as rare and requires no multiplayer expansion packs.

Player Notes[]

General
  • The Geth Pulse Rifle weighs the same as the basic M-8 Avenger but deals less damage per shot. This is compensated for by the weapon's standout features: firing rate, clip capacity, accuracy, and stability.
    • The Geth Pulse Rifle is capable of firing a staggering 180 rounds with a Level V Assault Rifle Magazine Upgrade. By comparison, the M-76 Revenant's maximum is only 108 rounds.
    • While the Geth Pulse Rifle doesn't have a crosshair even when zoomed in, it has high accuracy and near-zero recoil, making headshots and sustained fire easy to achieve. Scope and stability mods are generally not needed.
    • The Assault Rifle Extended Barrel is strongly recommended to compensate for the otherwise anemic damage of the weapon. The low damage per bullet also makes it a less attractive option against armored targets, even with piercing mods equipped.
    • To really see benefits from the Pulse Rifle's high capacity and rate of fire, it needs to be fired often and for sustained periods, which isn't always practical in every combat situation.
  • The Geth Pulse Rifle has a slow reload for an assault rifle. Reload cancelling should be used when possible.

Single-player
  • Like the Geth Plasma SMG, the Geth Pulse Rifle is highly effective in tandem with the Explosive Burst evolution of Incendiary Ammo thanks to its extreme rate of fire. While it can't reach the dizzying firing rate of its lighter SMG cousin, the Pulse Rifle doesn't require any spin-up time.

Multiplayer

Trivia[]

  • In Mass Effect 2, the rifle appears much lower than other rifles on a character's back, to the point where equipping Legion with it makes it appear to almost float in the air; on Grunt, most of the weapon clips through his body.
  • In Mass Effect 2, the Geth Pulse Rifle has the same wireframe icon as the Collector Particle Beam in the popup tactical menu in the HUD during missions. This has been fixed in Legendary Edition, where the weapon now has an accurate image.
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