MASS EFFECT 2 : Character classes

With Mass Effect 2 for the PS3 due out in less than a week, I thought it would be nice for those of you that are unfamiliar with the first game to get an idea of what the character classes are about and capable of. Since my experience with the first game was limited due to me selling my Xbox 360 before I could play though the first Mass Effect, I differ to Senior Editor of TheKoalition.com and Mass Effect Maven, Gary Swaby.


Take it away Gary......

I see a lot of people asking; Whats the best character class in Mass Effect 2? Or, What class should I use on Mass Effect 2? Whats The Easiest Class to use? Where can I get some class help? Well to all those asking the question, I am here to provide you with an answer. This is The Koalition’s official character class guide, in which I will show off some of the pro’s and con’s of each class. Hopefully this will steer you in the right direction, helping you choose the right class for you.

However I would like to give a more upfront answer to these questions before we begin. In my opinion there is no best class, there is no easiest or most complicated class. Mass Effect 2 is a game that is all about choice and decisions, this is no different with the classes. Choose the class you think is best for you. For all you non decisive people out there, I hope this guide will help you make the final decision.I will now list all the classes and provide a brief summary of what you get with each one, then go on to display some of the pro’s and con’s.

SOLDIER – COMBAT SPECIALIST



The Soldier class would be ideal for someone looking to just gun their way through the missions, without worrying about using any Biotic or Tech abilities.

In their place you will have adrenaline burst and concussive shot, which are two very useful abilities to have in combat. Also remember that the Soldier class is the only one that will give you an assault rifle from the start of the game. So if you love to use the assault rifles, then this is the class for you.

Weapons: Assault Rifle, Sniper Rifle, Shotgun, Heavy Pistol, Disruptor Ammo,

Incendiary Ammo, Cryo Ammo.

Powers: Adrenaline Rush, Concussive Shot.

Pros
- Assault Rifle from the start of the game.
- Able to use all weapons.
- Good in close or long range combat.
- Adrenaline rush is great for outlasting your enemies.

Cons

- No Biotics or Tech (Sometimes it’s good to throw people around).
- Your only as good as your shooting skills, since there is not much else to rely on (except your team of course, but this is focusing on your class alone).

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ENGINEER – TECH SPECIALIST



The Engineer class is great for those looking to tactically dominate their enemies. Your abilities as an Engineer will have you creating combat drones, freezing enemies (and then shattering them to pieces), and hacking AI’s to turn them on their enemies. It’s a very fun class to try out if you want to mix things up a little. Starting the game as an Engineer will only provide you with a heavy pistol and a submachine gun, but it’s a fair trade for having all those useful abilities.

Weapons: Submachine Gun, Heavy Pistol.

Powers: Combat Drone, Overload, AI Hacking, Incinerate, Cryo Blast.

Pros
- A constant advantage over synthetic enemies.
- Spawning combat drones can divert the enemies attention.
- Overloading the enemies shields is a huge tactical advantage.
- Cyro Blast freezes enemies, this is useful if an enemy tires to get too close.

Cons
- Lack of weapons from the get go.
- No Biotics.

ADEPT – BIOTIC SPECIALIST





Adept is the ultimate biotic class. For those who don’t know what Biotics are; its the ability to use the power of your mind to let off a dark energy, which can be used to move physical targets. In this case, they can be used to have your enemies flying all over the damn place. Using Biotics can be fun, but you have so many people on your team that use them anyway, that later in the game you may wish you had something more unique. Just like with the Engineer class, you only get a heavy pistol and a submachine gun to begin with. However given that you have some of the best Biotic abilities at your disposal, it’s easily forgivable. Also having the Shockwave ability can help you a whole lot when enemies start to come for you in packs, as this ability will knock over everybody directly in front of you.

Weapons: Submachine Gun, Heavy Pistol.

Powers: Singularity, Throw, Pull, Shockwave, Warp.

Pros

- Biotics can help save your life in certain situations.
- Shockwave breaks down swarms of enemies heading towards you.
- Singularity can stop enemy activity for a short period of time.

Cons
- No Slam ability? (The slam attack looks dope, especially when Miranda uses it.)
- Biotics can get boring after a while, since most of your squad can use them.
- Lack of guns from the get go.

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INFILTRATOR – COMBAT/TECH




Want more weapon advantages, plus some tech abilities? Then this is a great class to suit your needs. I am currently using this class in my game, and I can tell you it’s great for taking down enemies, especially if you love using the sniper rifle to aid you in combat. Not only that but there are also stealth elements, you can even turn invisible for a couple seconds to flee and line up a good shot.

Weapons: Submachine Gun, Heavy Pistol, Sniper Rifle, Disruptor Ammor, Cryo
Ammo.

Powers: Tactical Cloak, AI Hacking, Incinerate.

Pros
- A perfect mix of the Soldier and Engineer classes.
- The only class that lets you use Tactical Cloak, to go invisible.
- You get the sniper rifle from the start of the game.
- Disruptor Ammo will help you take down shields and synthetic enemies quickly.

Cons

- If you aren’t too good in close range combat, this may not be the class for you.
- Tactical Cloak is over way too quickly until you start to level it up.

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VANGUARD – BIOTIC/COMBAT




This class is a mix of Biotic and Soldier advantages. The most notable ability to a Vanguard is being able to charge at your enemies, making them stumble backwards to give you a close range advantage. Vanguard is ideal for those who like a more head on approach in combat, being able to wield a shotgun from the start helps with this too.

Weapons: Submachine Gun, Heavy Pistol, Shotgun, Incendiary Ammo, Cryo Ammo.

Powers: Biotic Charge, Pull, Shockwave.

Pros

- Biotic charge can be used to take out the tougher enemies, as long as you use it at the right time.
- Using the shotgun in combination with biotic charge makes you very dangerous on the battlefield (Great for when those Krogans choose to get too close)

Cons
- Once again, Biotics can get boring.
- If you don't deal with close combat very well then you will often get overwhelmed.
- Using biotic charge when there are too many enemies around puts you is too much of a big risk.

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SENTINEL – BIOTIC/TECH

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Perhaps the most flexible class in the game, allowing you to mix Biotics with Tech, as well as using your firepower. Though of course you only start off with the basic load out, wielding a heavy pistol and submachine gun. The most unique ability in the Sentinel class is being able to throw up a tech shield to guard yourself for a period of time.

Weapons: Submachine Gun, Heavy Pistol.

Powers: Tech Armor, Throw, Cryo Blast, Overload, Warp.

Pros
- The nice mix of Tech and Biotic abilities.
- A useful class for both close and long range combat.

Cons
- The basic load out.
- Sentinel possibly may give you too much of an advantage, making the game easier depending on your difficulty.

I hope that helps you guys come to a conclusion of what class you wish to use. Just like I said before, there is no class better than the other, it just all comes down to how you want to play.

For even more reference on the advantages of all classes, I will now give a basic index of all the abilities. So if you are still indecisive, this should definitely help you make up your mind. I will detail all abilities and add a small description.

INDEX OF ABILITIES

Adrenaline Rush: Slows down time around Shepard to give you time to line up shots on your enemies.

AI Hacking: Temporarily re programs synthetic enemies to turn on their enemies.

Biotic Charge: Uses Biotics to charge Shepard at the enemy, making them stumble. The ability can take a chunk of health (From the enemy) away once leveled up.

Combat Drone: Deploys a drone, which can stun enemies and damage their shields. The drone is also useful for distracting enemies, taking the attention away from you. Only one drone can be deployed at a time.

Concussive Shot: When activated, Shepard’s weapon will fire a single high powered shot, which is likely to either kill or stun the enemy.

Cryo Ammo: When activated, Shepard’s weapon will sometimes freeze the enemy. Further gun fire at the target can shatter them into pieces.

Disruptor Ammo: When activated, Shepard weapon can easily break down enemy shields, or take out synthetic enemies. It also gives you a chance at overheating enemy weapons.

Incinerate: This is a shot fired from the Omni-Tool, which inflicts damage to the enemy over time, also stopping their health regeneration.

Overload: When used, Overload can shut down enemy shields, presenting a chance to gun them down.

Pull: Pull is used to levitate your enemy into the air, during which time they will slowly fly towards you. This is presents a chance for you and your team to damage them with gunfire. Using Pull will not do damage to the enemy, it just presents the chance for you to unload on them. You can even combine other Biotic powers to manipulate them further, such as throw.

Singularity: Creates a small Mass Effect Field, which draws in close by enemies and renders them helpless for a time.

Tactical Cloak: When activated, Shepard will go invisible for a period of time. This is useful for escaping the enemies eye.

Tech Armor: Puts a tech shield around Shepard. Once the shield gets damaged enough it sends a surge of energy which will knock back enemies close by.

Throw: A Biotic power allowing you to throw enemies back, if they hit an object they will take damage.

Warp: A Biotic power which damages enemies and stops their health regeneration. When used in a combo of Biotic powers such as Pull or Singularity, it can be very powerful.