M-55 Argus/ME3SP

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M-55 Argus
Type	Assault Rifle
Location	Bonus item Despoina: Leviathan
Fire Mode	Three-Round Burst
Weight	57%
Capacity	50%
Fire Rate	27%
Damage	27%
Accuracy	12%
Ammunition
Clip Size	21
Reserve	168

Description

The Argus is a high-powered rifle favored by senior C-Sec officers. An excellent close-range weapon, its bursts of fire ensure ammunition conservation during lengthy conflicts. Other law-enforcement agencies across the galaxy are adopting the Argus as their standard rifle, as much for its intimidation factor as its suppression power.

Acquisition

The M-55 Argus was available to all players who pre-ordered a copy of Mass Effect 3, except in Australia where the Argus was exclusive to EB Games and Origin. It is also available on the Wii U version of Mass Effect 3.

It is also available in Mass Effect 3: Leviathan. It can be found in a shack on the abandoned ship during Despoina: Leviathan. However, it is not possible to acquire the Argus upgrade on Despoina for those that already have the Argus from a pre-order bonus. Subsequent upgrades have to be purchased.

E-mail from EDI

The Argus Rifle The Argus rifle received more positive ratings than any other assault rifle in polls of law-enforcement agencies. I have reviewed the statistical data collected by these agencies, and believe their recommendations to be sound. A shipment of Argus rifles have been delivered to the weapons lockers should you wish to test them for yourself. EDI

Player Notes

• The Argus rifle's three-round burst firing mode experiences substantial vertical climb. To combat this, either install a recoil compensating modification or pull the rifle's aim down during the burst. The latter, when executed carefully, can make the weapon relatively accurate. When used with the former, the two can make the gun a relatively viable weapon for mid-range engagements.
• As the Argus' high damage but low accuracy makes it unsuitable for longer range engagements, Vanguard players may wish to utilize it like a high fire-rate shotgun; the Argus is ideal for getting close to an enemy (Such as following a biotic Charge) and letting loose, as the recoil will often drive the gun up so that the second or third shot will almost always hit a human-sized enemy in the head if fired midway up their torso. Relying on recoil alone is risky, however, so be sure to experiment a bit each time you encounter a new enemy type.
• As with other high-recoil weapons, the Argus benefits greatly from the accuracy bonus granted when shooting from cover.
• Despite its burst fire mode, the Argus fulfills a very different role to the M-15 Vindicator. Whilst the latter is effective at executing precise headshots at medium to long ranges, the Argus is most definitely NOT a long range weapon, and far more suited to taking down hardened units in close combat.
  • Note also that the rifle's fire rate is substantially slower than the Vindicator's, both in burst delay and the interval between individual shots.
• The Argus is a very poor choice for squadmates, primarily due to them not using the rifle's three-round burst firing mode (instead firing a single round with every shot) and having a slower than average rate of fire with the rifle.
• Though the Argus has, at first, a discouragingly high amount of recoil, it actually does more damage per shot and holds significantly more ammo both in the clip and in reserve than its ancestor the Mattock. Thus, if upgraded appropriately and equipped with the proper mods - such as an Assault Rifle Thermal Scope and an Assault Rifle Stability Damper - it can in fact be a much more effective long-range weapon than the Mattock.

Trivia

• According to Lead Combat Designer Corey Gaspur, the M-55 Argus is a modified M-96 Mattock.