M-12 Locust

The M-12 Locust is a submachine gun in Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3.

Mass Effect 2

M-12 Locust
General Stats
Type	Submachine Gun
Location	Bekenstein
Accuracy	High
Recoil	Low
Fire Mode	Automatic
Fire Rate	550 RPM
Ammo Per Clip	20
Damage & Bonus Multipliers
Base	25
Armor	×1.25
Shields	×1.25
Barrier	×1.25
Spare Ammo Capacity
Default	240
Armor Pack	264
Upgraded	360
Both	384
Pickup Amount (Min - Max)	90

Description

The Kassa Fabrications Model 12 Locust is a compact submachine gun developed for the Alliance but now favored by gang enforcers and hitmen. Featuring a complex recoil-reducing mechanism and high-grade autotargeting software, the Locust delivers longer-range, more accurate fire than others in its class.

Acquisition

The M-12 Locust can be found during Kasumi's loyalty mission in Donovan Hock's vault on the table with the graybox. If the weapon is not picked up, it will be awarded at the end of the mission. Kasumi refers to it as "the gun that killed two presidents."

Squad Use

This weapon can be used by Miranda, Mordin, Samara/Morinth, Thane, Kasumi, Liara and Dr. Amanda Kenson.

Player Notes

Important Notes

• Although it has a lower clip capacity, fire rate and slightly weaker damage output compared to the M-9 Tempest, the Locust makes up for these deficiencies by being more accurate at longer ranges and having virtually no muzzle climb.
• Like the M-22 Eviscerator, the Locust sacrifices some of its penetration power against shields and barriers to add extra damage against armor, making it a more balanced SMG than the Tempest.
• For the same reason as the Tempest, it upgrades the M-4 Shuriken.
• Because squadmates operate better with the Tempest than the Locust, it is recommended that you keep the Locust for Shepard while equipping the Tempest on squadmates.
• Note: The Locust is not carried over from one imported game to the next. This is easily circumvented due to its acquisition mission being readily available.

Class Specific Notes

• For Engineers, Adepts or Sentinels, Assault Rifle advanced training is no longer a 'must have' - DPS wise, the Locust exceeds the M-8 Avenger, Geth Pulse Rifle, and Collector Assault Rifle. The M-15 Vindicator and the M-96 Mattock have higher DPS but much lower magazine capacity.
• For Infiltrators, this makes Assault Rifle advanced training a wasted investment, since the Locust exceeds rapid-fire assault rifles as described, and as the use of a sniper rifle outclasses the Vindicator and the M-96 Mattock at range.

Mass Effect 3

• Single-player
• Multiplayer

Trivia

• The Locust makes considerably less noise and has a much smaller muzzle flash than other SMGs. This may be because it is meant to be a suppressed weapon, which fits in with its in-game description as a weapon favored by hitmen and assassins.
• Despite a vertical fore-grip being integrated into the design of the Locust, there is no animation for any character in Mass Effect 2 or Mass Effect 3 utilizing this specific feature of the weapon. Because of this, any character wielding the Locust grips it as if he or she is holding a heavy pistol or any of the other submachine guns.