After the arrival of the Initiative in Andromeda, the recently formed militia in the Nexus began recruiting anyone, soldier or mercenary, to serve on the front lines in the APEX Strike Teams. Strike teams are armed squads specialized in assault and extraction missions lead by Tiran Kandros. They serve as Nexus's Firepower to protect and help the colonization in the Heleus Cluster. Enrollment lists show over 300 active members with 150 in reserve, from a variety of species and combat backgrounds.
After the Nexus Reunion with the Hyperion, Pathfinder Ryder is given the authority to manage and dispatch Strike Teams via a console located in the Nexus Operations or in the Tempest.
Strike Teams management can also be accessed via the Mass Effect: Andromeda Multiplayer homepage or via the APEX HQ app. Most APEX Missions can also be performed in the cooperative Multiplayer.
Overview[]
Strike Teams Consoles[]
Three menus can be accessed from the Strike Teams console:
- Teams: manage Strike Teams composition, traits, and equipment.
- Missions: Dispatch and debrief Strike Teams on missions.
- Rewards: Collect rewards to support colonization effort.
Manage Strike Teams[]
Each Strike Team is randomly composed of agents from multiple species from the Milky Way. Their default naming convention is based on the NATO phonetic alphabet, though they can be renamed from the APEX HQ app. The composition of the team is purely aesthetic and has no impact on the chances of success of the mission.
One Strike Team is available at the beginning but another 5 teams can be recruited for an increasing cost of Mission Funds, up to a maximum of 6. Existing teams can be retired to make way for fresh teams. Retiring a team does not give any sort of resources back or bonuses. However, if a Team is retired, the cost of recruiting a new one will decrease in line with how many Teams are active.
| Active Strike Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Team Cost | N/A | 40 
|
80
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120
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160
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200
|
Experience & Levels[]
A fresh Strike Team starts at level 1 and can be increased to a maximum of level 20 by earning experience after each mission. A Team earns experience depending on the difficulty of the mission. A large amount of experience is gained with a successful mission while a failure only gives a smaller amount of experience and no special rewards. Higher levels increase effectiveness as well as the chances of success of the missions.
While evolving, experienced strike teams can also gain one or more Traits.
APEX Missions[]
- Main article: APEX Missions
Strike Teams are dispatched in different missions throughout the game. They are generally used for assault and extraction missions located all around the Heleus Cluster but are also dispatched on unique missions that relate the evolution of the APEX militia. Missions are located in a several locations of the Heleus Cluster known as a Firebase.
Unique missions are always located in a specific Firebase against a specific enemy. The location has no impact on the chances of success of Strike Teams as it is only important for APEX Missions in Multiplayer mode.
Difficulty[]
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| Bronze | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
Missions possess 4 different difficulty grades that have an impact on the chances of success, the timer and the Rewards. Unlike other APEX Missions and even if visible in APEX HQ, Platinum Missions are not accessible for Strike Teams and can only be performed by players themselves in the Multiplayer mode.
Timer[]
When a Strike Team is dispatched on a mission, it will take time to be completed depending on its difficulty and characteristics. The missions are running on a separate real-world timer independent from the game time. There is no method to reduce the timer.
Effectiveness and Chance of Success[]
Every Mission has a generic Chance of Success based on its difficulty. The only way to increase the Chance of success to a maximum of 94% is by increasing the Effectiveness of the Strike Teams. Effectiveness is the overall measure of how likely a Strike Team is to successfully complete a mission.
| Difficulty |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Chances of Success | 70% | 18% | 5% | N/A |
| Effectiveness Penalty | 0 | -55 | -125 | N/A |
The primary way to increase effectiveness is leveling up a Strike Team. Other factors which affect this stat are Traits and Equipment.
Improving Effectiveness[]
Missions have a chance to be successful depending on their difficulty. This chance can be improve by:
- Leveling: +5 Effectiveness per level, starting at 0 Effectiveness to a maximum of 95 at level 20.
- Strike Teams Traits:
- +/- 5 Effectiveness, Strike Teams may gain a generic Effectiveness bonus or penalty
- +/- 10 Effectiveness, Strike Teams may gain a Effectiveness bonus or penalty in function of Missions Traits
- Equipment
- + 2-20 Effectiveness, Some Items give generic Effectiveness
- + 10-40 Effectiveness, Some Items give Effectiveness in function of Missions Traits
Chances of Success Table[]
The following table gives the Chances of Success for Missions according to their difficulty grade, the Effectiveness of Strike Team based on their level and other modifiers (Traits & Equipment).
| Effectiveness | Team Level
(no modifiers) |
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 70% | 18% | 5% |
| 5 | 2 | 74% | 21% | 5% |
| 10 | 3 | 78% | 25% | 5% |
| 15 | 4 | 81% | 29% | 6% |
| 20 | 5 | 84% | 33% | 6% |
| 25 | 6 | 86% | 38% | 6% |
| 30 | 7 | 88% | 44% | 7% |
| 35 | 8 | 89% | 50% | 7% |
| 40 | 9 | 90% | 55% | 8% |
| 45 | 10 | 91% | 61% | 9% |
| 50 | 11 | 92% | 66% | 10% |
| 55 | 12 | 92% | 70% | 11% |
| 60 | 13 | 93% | 74% | 13% |
| 65 | 14 | 94% | 78% | 15% |
| 70 | 15 | 94% | 81% | 18% |
| 75 | 16 | 94% | 84% | 21% |
| 80 | 17 | 94% | 86% | 25% |
| 85 | 18 | 94% | 88% | 29% |
| 90 | 19 | 94% | 89% | 33% |
| 95 | 20 | 94% | 90% | 38% |
| 100 | N/A | 94% | 91% | 44% |
| 105 | N/A | 94% | 92% | 50% |
| 110 | N/A | 94% | 92% | 55% |
| 115 | N/A | 94% | 93% | 61% |
| 120 | N/A | 94% | 94% | 66% |
| 125 | N/A | 94% | 94% | 70% |
| 130 | N/A | 94% | 94% | 74% |
Rewards[]
At the end of each successful or failed Mission, a Strike Team will earn more or less experience. If the mission is a success, the Team will earn special rewards to help the colonization effort via Pathfinder Ryder or by improving APEX Strike Teams.
- Mission Funds
Each Mission grants Mission Funds depending on the status of the mission and not its difficulty:
- APEX Missions: 10
- Strike Team Missions: 5
Missions Funds can be used to buy new Strike Teams or to equip them. Mission Funds can also be used for other APEX forces in Multiplayer Store.
- Loot Boxes
Each mission grants two loot boxes per mission that are available for Ryder. There are several types of loot boxes:
- Boxes based on mission difficulty separated in 3 types:
- Credit Loot Box:
- Item Loot Box: A Weapon or a piece of Armor. The Rank of the item (I-X) is scaled to the level of Ryder at the time of opening.
- Material Loot Box: A selection of Resources.
- Credit Loot Box:
- Research Data Loot box: Milky Way, Heleus, or Remnant Research Points.
| Mission Difficulty |
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Any Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loot Box Type | 
Bronze |
Silver |
Gold |
Research Data
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| Credit Loot Box | 
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30 Research Data
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| Item Loot Box | Common or Uncommon Weapon | Rare Weapon | Ultra Rare Weapon | |
| Material Loot Box | Common or Uncommon Mineral or Material | Uncommon or Rare Mineral or Material | Ultra Rare Mineral or Material |
The Military cryo pod perks APEX Tactics and APEX Tactics II give an extra 15% credits each (30% combined) when an APEX mission is completed and its loot box opened. The Ears to the Ground perk offers a 20% chance for an additional award of weapons or armor when an APEX mission is completed and its loot box opened.
Boxes can be opened by Pathfinder Ryder on Strike Teams consoles located in the Tempest or in the Nexus Operations. Boxes must be regularly opened as the max cap is fixed at 200 stored at the same time.
Rewards can be unlocked and used by any character on a player account, but will be scaled to that character's level. They can only be claimed once, meaning any other characters in an account can't get duplicates. An autosave is generated when rewards are claimed to ensure the character gets the items, though manual saving is still recommended afterwards.
Missions & Strike Teams Traits[]
- Enemy Type
Strike Teams may encounter three types of enemy during their missions:
- Mission Traits
In addition to the enemy type, each mission possesses two random traits that can have an influence on the chances of success for experienced and/or equipped Strike Teams.
- Strike Teams Traits
After a mission, a strike team will earn experience and have a small chance to gain new permanent Traits that have a positive or negative influence on the chances of success of next missions. Positive traits are acquired through successful mission completion and negative traits are inflicted through mission failures. Those traits are permanent and cannot be removed.
A team can have a maximum of 5 positive and 5 negative Traits. Thus, it is advisable to retire teams that have incurred too many negative traits, provided there are available Mission Funds, in order to start fresh with a new team.
A Team can earn a generic trait that will influence the overall effectiveness for every mission while other traits will only have an influence with a specific Mission Trait.
In addition to those traits, certain types of equipment also have an impact on the chances of success based on mission traits.
| Mission Traits | Positive Strike Team Traits | Negative Strike Team Traits | Related Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal | Elite
Grizzled Veteran
Lucky
Skirmisher
Tactician
Tough
+5 Effectiveness |
Injured Teammate
Low on Supplies
Reluctant Soldier
Shell-Shocked
Slow Reflexes
Unlucky
-5 Effectiveness |
See Items |
| Kett | Kett Specialist
+10 Effectiveness |
Kett Hysteria
-10 Effectiveness |
N/A |
| Outlaw | Outlaw Specialist
+10 Effectiveness |
Outlaw Hysteria
-10 Effectiveness |
N/A |
| Remnant | Remnant Specialist
+10 Effectiveness |
Remnant Hysteria
-10 Effectiveness |
N/A |
| Nighttime | Nighttime Operator
+10 Effectiveness |
Night Blindness
-10 Effectiveness |
Night Vision I-IV
+10-40 Effectiveness |
| Poor Weather Conditions | Rugged
+10 Effectiveness |
Ill-Prepared
-10 Effectiveness |
All Weather Gear I-IV
+10-40 Effectiveness |
| High-Risk, High-Reward | Daring
+10 Effectiveness |
Timid
-10 Effectiveness |
Breaching Charges I-IV
+10-40 Effectiveness |
| We Need A Hero | Heroic
+10 Effectiveness |
Hero Complex
-10 Effectiveness |
Empowered Shields I-IV
+10-40 Effectiveness |
| A Hostage Situation | Hostage Rescue Specialist
+10 Effectiveness |
N/A | Quick Response Vehicle I-IV
+10-40 Effectiveness |
| Alien Presence | N/A | Xenophobe
-10 Effectiveness |
N/A |
| Bribe Attempt | Virtuous
+10 Effectiveness |
Corruptible
-10 Effectiveness |
N/A |
| Enemies Everywhere | Bloodthirsty
+10 Effectiveness |
Berserker
-10 Effectiveness |
N/A |
| Key Intelligence Component | N/A | Poor Intelligence
-10 Effectiveness |
N/A |
| No Room for Error | Precise
+10 Effectiveness |
Careless
-10 Effectiveness |
N/A |
| Scary | Fearless
+10 Effectiveness |
Cowardly
-10 Effectiveness |
N/A |
| Silent and Deadly | Stealthy
+10 Effectiveness |
Raucous
-10 Effectiveness |
N/A |
Equipment[]
Equipment is bought with Mission Funds for each active Strike Team to improve their effectiveness and thus their chances of success for missions. Some items give a minor improvement to the overall effectiveness while others can give a strong effectiveness boost but only for specific mission traits. Items don’t expire and carry over after missions, regardless of a Strike Team's success or failure.
Only one item can be equipped by a Strike Team. If an item is replaced, the previous one will be removed and lost.
| Icon | Item | Item Requirements | Item traits | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Adrenaline Shots | Level 1 | +2 Effectiveness | 25
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Crate Of Specialized Ammo | Level 2 | +4 Effectiveness | 50
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Weapon Rail Amps | Level 3 | +6 Effectiveness | 75
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Amplifier Modules | Level 4 | +8 Effectiveness | 100
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N7 Armor | Level 5 | +10 Effectiveness | 125
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Recovered Remnant Tech | Level 6 | +12 Effectiveness | 150
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Electronic Countermeasures | Level 7 | +14 Effectiveness | 175
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Electromagnetic Pulse Device | Level 8 | +16 Effectiveness | 200
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Black Widows | Level 9 | +18 Effectiveness | 225
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Exceptional Human Intelligence | Level 10 | +20 Effectiveness | 250
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Night Vision I | Level 5 | +10 Effectiveness during Nighttime Missions | 50
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Night Vision II | Level 5 | +20 Effectiveness during Nighttime Missions | 75
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Night Vision III | Level 10 | +30 Effectiveness during Nighttime Missions | 100
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Night Vision IV | Level 10 | +40 Effectiveness during Nighttime Missions | 125
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All Weather Gear I | Level 5 | +10 Effectiveness during Poor Weather Conditions | 50
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All Weather Gear II | Level 5 | +20 Effectiveness during Poor Weather Conditions | 75
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All Weather Gear III | Level 10 | +30 Effectiveness during Poor Weather Conditions | 100
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All Weather Gear IV | Level 10 | +40 Effectiveness during Poor Weather Conditions | 125
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Breaching Charges I | Level 5 | +10 Effectiveness during High-Risk, High-Reward | 50
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Breaching Charges II | Level 5 | +20 Effectiveness during High-Risk, High-Reward | 75
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Breaching Charges III | Level 10 | +30 Effectiveness during High-Risk, High-Reward | 100
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Breaching Charges IV | Level 10 | +40 Effectiveness during High-Risk, High-Reward | 125
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Empowered Shields I | Level 5 | +10 Effectiveness during We Need A Hero | 50
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Empowered Shields II | Level 5 | +20 Effectiveness during We Need A Hero | 75
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Empowered Shields III | Level 10 | +30 Effectiveness during We Need A Hero | 100
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Empowered Shields IV | Level 10 | +40 Effectiveness during We Need A Hero | 125
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Quick Response Vehicle I | Level 5 | +10 Effectiveness during A Hostage Situation | 50
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Quick Response Vehicle II | Level 5 | +20 Effectiveness during A Hostage Situation | 75
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Quick Response Vehicle III | Level 10 | +30 Effectiveness during A Hostage Situation | 100
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Quick Response Vehicle IV | Level 10 | +40 Effectiveness during A Hostage Situation | 125
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