Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer/Character Customization

In Mass Effect 3's multiplayer mode, the player can create and customize characters by choosing their class, race, weapon loadout, and equipment.

Class and Race

When creating a multiplayer character, players can choose from six classes and multiple races within each class. The common human characters are available upon starting the multiplayer the first time; other characters are unlocked by purchasing item packs from the Store, provided the appropriate DLC is installed.

Class	Common (blue)	Uncommon (silver)	Rare (gold)	Ultra-Rare (black)
Adept	Human (male/female)	Drell Adept	Asari Adept Asari Justicar2 Project Phoenix3 N7 Fury4 Krogan Shaman5 Batarian Slasher5	Volus5 Awakened Collector6
Engineer	Human (male/female)	Salarian	Quarian (female) Geth2 Quarian (male)3 N7 Demolisher4 Turian Saboteur5 Vorcha Hunter5 Talon Mercenary6	Volus5
Infiltrator	Human (male/female)	Quarian (female)	Salarian Geth2 Quarian (male)3 N7 Shadow4 Turian Ghost5 Asari Huntress5 Drell Assassin5 Alliance Infiltration Unit6
Sentinel	Human (male/female)	Turian	Krogan Batarian2 Vorcha3 N7 Paladin4 Asari Valkyrie5 Volus Mercenary5 Krogan Warlord6
Soldier	Human (male/female)	Turian	Krogan Battlefield 31 Batarian2 Vorcha3 N7 Destroyer4 Turian Havoc5 Geth Trooper5 Quarian Marksman5 Geth Juggernaut6
Vanguard	Human (male/female)	Asari	Drell Krogan Battlemaster2 Project Phoenix3 N7 Slayer4 Batarian Brawler5 Volus Protector5 Cabal6

¹Bonus multiplayer character unlocked by the Battlefield 3 Pack, or in regular item packs after September 25, 2012.
²Additional multiplayer character unlocked by downloading the Resurgence Pack and purchasing item packs from the store.
³Additional multiplayer character unlocked by downloading the Rebellion Pack and purchasing item packs from the store.
⁴Additional multiplayer character unlocked by downloading the Earth Pack and purchasing item packs from the store.
⁵Additional multiplayer character unlocked by downloading the Retaliation Pack and purchasing item packs from the store.
⁶Additional multiplayer character unlocked by downloading the Reckoning Pack and purchasing item packs from the store.

Appearance

Players can also create unique names for each of their multiplayer characters and can customize armor coloration as well. A class specific character is initially unlocked with Primary and Highlight Color customization options available and additional customization options are unlocked each successive time that character specific class card is found in item packs. Each successive character specific class card has the same rarity as the first character card that unlocks the character. The exception to customization is the armor of the Battlefield 3 Soldier, which cannot be customized.

Weapons

During gameplay, players can unlock various weapons through the Store. Only two weapons can be equipped at a time.

The following chart lists each weapon that can be unlocked through the Store and their rarity. Level I versions of the five Common weapons are available upon starting the multiplayer mode for the first time.

Type	Common (blue)	Uncommon (silver)	Rare (gold)	Ultra-Rare (black)
Assault Rifles	M-8 Avenger	M-15 Vindicator M-96 Mattock Phaeston	Geth Pulse Rifle Collector Rifle1 M-37 Falcon M-76 Revenant Striker Assault Rifle3 M-55 Argus Adas Anti-Synthetic Rifle7	M-99 Saber Cerberus Harrier4 Particle Rifle4 N7 Typhoon5 N7 Valkyrie2 Geth Spitfire7 M-7 Lancer7
Heavy Pistols	M-3 Predator	M-5 Phalanx	Arc Pistol M-6 Carnifex Acolyte5 Executioner Pistol7 M-11 Suppressor7	M-77 Paladin Scorpion M-358 Talon N7 Eagle2
Shotguns	M-23 Katana	M-22 Eviscerator M-27 Scimitar	Disciple Geth Plasma Shotgun Graal Spike Thrower M-300 Claymore Reegar Carbine4 N7 Piranha5 AT-12 Raider	M-11 Wraith N7 Crusader2 Venom Shotgun7
Sniper Rifles	M-92 Mantis	M-13 Raptor M-29 Incisor M-97 Viper	M-98 Widow Kishock Harpoon Gun3 Krysae Sniper Rifle4 Collector Sniper Rifle6	Black Widow Javelin M-90 Indra N7 Valiant2
Submachine Guns	M-4 Shuriken	M-12 Locust M-9 Tempest	M-25 Hornet Geth Plasma SMG3	N7 Hurricane2 Collector SMG6 Blood Pack Punisher7

¹Unlocked through the promotional Collector Rifle Pack or through the Retaliation Pack.
²Unlocked by earning a Commendation Pack from a Weekend Challenge or event or as a standard ultra-rare.
³Unlocked by downloading the Resurgence Pack and purchasing regular item packs from the Store.
⁴Unlocked by downloading the Rebellion Pack and purchasing regular item packs from the Store.
⁵Unlocked by downloading the Earth Pack and purchasing regular item packs from the Store.
⁶Unlocked by downloading the Retaliation Pack and purchasing regular item packs from the Store.
⁷Unlocked by downloading the Reckoning Pack and purchasing regular item packs from the Store.

Weapon Mods

Weapon Mods are also unlocked through the Store. Each weapon in the player's arsenal can be equipped with two mods at a time. Some mods are mutually exclusive.

The following chart lists each weapon mod that can be unlocked through the Store and their rarity.

Type	Common (blue)	Uncommon (silver)	Rare (gold)
Assault Rifles	Magazine Upgrade Precision Scope Stability Dampener	Extended Barrel Piercing Mod	High-Velocity Barrel6 Omni-Blade5 Thermal Scope6 Ultralight Materials7
Heavy Pistols	High-Caliber Barrel Magazine Upgrade Scope	Melee Stunner Piercing Mod	Cranial Trauma System5 Heavy Barrel6 Power Magnifier7 Ultralight Materials5
Shotguns	Blade Attachment High Caliber Barrel Smart Choke	Shredder Mod Spare Thermal Clip	High-Velocity Barrel6 Omni-Blade6 Ultralight Materials7
Sniper Rifles	Spare Thermal Clip	Enhanced Scope Extended Barrel Piercing Mod	High-Velocity Barrel6 Thermal Scope6 Ultralight Materials7
Submachine Guns	Heat Sink Magazine Upgrade Scope	High Caliber Barrel Ultralight Materials	High-Velocity Barrel5 Power Magnifier7 Recoil System5

Equipment

Main article: Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer/Character Customization/Equipment

Equipment in multiplayer consists of items that can be utilized during gameplay. Most equipment items are single-use, but Gear items can be used multiple times for persistent bonuses. Additional equipment can be obtained through the Store.

Single-use equipment items have varying levels of strength depending upon the pack purchased in the Store:

• Recruit Packs: items of level I with a small chance for level II or higher;
• Veteran Packs: items of level II with a small chance for level III or higher
• Spectre, Premium Spectre, Arsenal, and Reserves Packs: items of level III with a chance for level IV
• Jumbo Equipment Packs: randomly contain items of levels I, II, and/or III

Note: All single-use equipment and supplies (see below) are automatically refunded/returned to the player's inventory and are not counted as "used" if a multiplayer game (an actual game, not a lobby) is disconnected from within a brief period of time after joining and the current round does not end while the player is in the game.

Gear

Main article: Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer/Character Customization/Gear

Gear consists of equipment items found in packs that bestow persistent bonuses when applied to a character and do not expire with the conclusion of a match. Each piece of Level I Gear can be upgraded up to four times to Level V with each successive Gear specific card found in packs. Each successive Gear specific card has the same rarity as the Level I Gear card. Obtaining and using Gear items requires downloading the Rebellion Pack. Additional Gear is included in both Mass Effect 3: Earth and Mass Effect 3: Retaliation DLCs.

Supplies

Supply items, also known as consumables, do not have levels, but each card awards a different amount of the consumable depending on level of the pack - one in Recruit Packs, three in Veteran Packs, and five in Spectre, Premium Spectre, Arsenal, Reserves and Jumbo Equipment Packs. Most packs contain one random supply card, while Recruit and Veteran Packs contain two random supply cards, and the Jumbo Equipment Pack contains four cards with one of each type of consumable. The Jumbo Equipment Pack also has a chance to provide cards of two of any consumable in addition to the four guaranteed cards that provide five of each type.

Cobra Missile Launcher - A single-shot missile launcher useful for taking out multiple hard targets.
Thermal Clip Pack - Refills your thermal clips and grenade supply during a mission.
Ops Survival Pack - Emergency pack fully restores health and shields during a mission.
Medi-Gel - Revive yourself when incapacitated in combat. You rise with full health but no shields.

Additional Notes

• The Ops Survival Pack also grants the user 1 second of invulnerability to all damage.
• Ops Packs can be used even when the player is at full shields and health.
• Ops Packs can be used while running, shooting, or reloading. However, latency when not hosting a game often causes the effects of an Ops Pack to be delayed. Unfortunately, this often results in a player going down while still wasting a pack with no benefit. Ops Packs cannot be used while disabling a device.
• Thermal Clip Packs grant a significant damage bonus to weapons (over 50%) for about 10 seconds after use.
• Thermal Clip Packs instantly reload the active weapon when used. Weapons with a recharging ammo feature that have overheated (Particle Rifle, Collector SMG, Collector Sniper Rifle, and M-7 Lancer) will start recharging.
• After reviving with medi-gel, the player will not extract successfully even if they are in the LZ at the end of a game unless the player is fully recovered and back in control of their character when time runs out.
• The player is very briefly immune to damage after reviving with medi-gel, but they can still be stunned, grabbed by husks, disabled by Seeker Swarms, and even sync killed before the player can act, and enemies will resume attacking the player almost as soon as they start to get up.

Capacity

A maximum of 255 of each type of supply item can be stockpiled. If the limit has already been reached for all four supply items, players will receive an equipment card (level I, II, or III) instead. In a special case for supply cards, if any three of the supply cards have reached the maximum of 255 but one supply card has not, Recruit and Veteran Packs (which award two supply cards) will award duplicate supply cards of the less than 255 supply card until 255 supply items are reached or another supply item is used during combat reducing the supply item number below 255. Jumbo Equipment Packs, which award four supply cards that can provide up to 5 of each of the four supply types, do not award duplicate supply cards if one of the four supply types is maxed out, and instead award equipment cards (level I or II) in place of the maxed supply type(s). However, there is a small chance for one or more of the other six cards in the pack to award +2 of any supply type that is not yet maxed out at 255, with the exception of Thermal Clip Packs.

Purchased packs in the Store can also reward capacity upgrades for each of the four supply items and the option to reset the points invested in a character's powers. Capacity Upgrade cards are classified as rare while Reset Powers cards are classified as uncommon.

Cobra Missile Launcher Capacity Upgrade +1 (permanent upgrade to all characters, maximum limit of 10¹)
Thermal Clip Pack Capacity Upgrade +1 (permanent upgrade to all characters, maximum limit of 10¹)
Ops Survival Pack Capacity Upgrade +1 (permanent upgrade to all characters, maximum limit of 6²)
Medi-Gel Capacity Upgrade +1 (permanent upgrade to all characters, maximum limit of 6³)
Reset Powers (one use, only drops if fewer than three stockpiled)

¹While no official word was given, does not currently appear to drop past 6.
²After the success of Operation Privateer, Ops Survival Pack capacity was increased to 6.
³After the success of Operation Alloy, Medi-Gel capacity was increased to 6.

Class Promotion

Once a multiplayer class has been advanced to level 20, it can be promoted into a War Asset worth 75 Military Strength as part of the Galaxy at War system in the single-player campaign. In multiplayer, a promotion increases the player's N7 ranking by 10 points and advances the N7 Mastery Challenge. Characters from the promoted class are reset to level 1, but the name, appearance customizations and weapon loadouts are retained. Promoted and previously deployed characters start with no power points assigned.

Trivia

• A Battlefield 3 Infiltrator class is present in the game files, but it was cut from the game and is not unlockable for play.