Hello everyone! Long time no see! So I decided to import the blog into Wordpress, and I daresay it's much prettier over there than on Blogger (no offense to Google). So if you click on the link in the upper right hand corner, or right here, it'll take you straight there. Not much reason to, other than for aesthetic purposes, as I don't plan on continuing the guides on either one. But, a lot of my old BSN friends still play regularly, so who knows. I might drop in and say hi. And we're really close to 200 thousand page views here, by the way. Traffic has gone waaaay down since March 2013, and dropped again after August 2013, but hey, I don't blame you guys if you don't play anymore.
As always, thanks for reading, thanks for clicking on ads that you are genuinely interested in, and I hope to see you all in Mass Effect 4 (or whatever the next Mass Effect will be called).
Friday, February 14, 2014
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Thanks for reading
Hello readers. I've come to the point where I don't play ME3 much anymore. So I won't be writing any new posts except by request or other odd reason. Hope to see you all in Mass Effect 4 multiplayer. In the mean time, there's a good year's worth of posts here for you to peruse. Enjoy.
-Grun7mas7er
-Grun7mas7er
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Play with S.P.E.C.T.R.E. members this week!!!
Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't posted anything for a while. Been busy. Anyway, thought you all might like to know that S.P.E.C.T.R.E. is hosting a community challenge Operation Lodestar: Pt. II.
Check it out and if you're interested in playing, post a reply on the thread or PM me (Xbox GT: Grun7mas7er) or another Spectre and we'll see if we can get you into a lobby.
We're doing this until September 1st, so there's plenty of time to get into a game.
Thanks to Max Dmian, newly promoted leader of S.P.E.C.T.R.E., for organizing the event!
-Grun7mas7er
Check it out and if you're interested in playing, post a reply on the thread or PM me (Xbox GT: Grun7mas7er) or another Spectre and we'll see if we can get you into a lobby.
We're doing this until September 1st, so there's plenty of time to get into a game.
Thanks to Max Dmian, newly promoted leader of S.P.E.C.T.R.E., for organizing the event!
-Grun7mas7er
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Spectre Challenge 7
I'm just showing off here. Don't mind me. We got 3rd place. Meh.
Link to challenge thread: http://social.bioware.com/group/8065/discussion/29331/
Rules
*Spectres can only use melee for length of the match -- Powers that boost melee damage without directly damaging the enemies (ie Tac Cloak, Tech Armor, Fortification) ARE allowed.
**Enemies cannot be damaged with powers, weapons, missiles, etc, only melee damage!
***2 different Krogans can be used, but no other races are to be repeated
(i.e. you couldn't have 2 Krogans, a BatSol and a BatGuard but you could have 2 Krogans, a Paladin and a BatSol)
Map/Enemy
*Geth on Reactor
Link to challenge thread: http://social.bioware.com/group/8065/discussion/29331/
Rules
*Spectres can only use melee for length of the match -- Powers that boost melee damage without directly damaging the enemies (ie Tac Cloak, Tech Armor, Fortification) ARE allowed.
**Enemies cannot be damaged with powers, weapons, missiles, etc, only melee damage!
***2 different Krogans can be used, but no other races are to be repeated
(i.e. you couldn't have 2 Krogans, a BatSol and a BatGuard but you could have 2 Krogans, a Paladin and a BatSol)
Map/Enemy
*Geth on Reactor
Friday, August 2, 2013
Volus Adept: Spectre Edition
Hello everyone, Scrubmas7er back with another Mass Effect 3 multiplayer guide for your face. It's been a while since I last posted a guide. I know you two have been waiting patiently, so here it is. Finally. Link to my post on BSN: http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/343/index/17081446#17081446
I've always strived for proficiency with all characters, but this was the one that really stumped me. After trying a couple different builds, I've found one that I'm pretty happy with. Thought I'd share it.
Note: this build is very host-dependent. Host or have a good host when using.
Volus Adept
Stasis: 4-duration, 5-bonus power, 6-bubble
Biotic Orbs: 4-radius, 5-damage, 6-expose
Shield Boost: 4-radius, 5-recharge speed, 6-protection
Volus Training: 4-damage & capacity, 5-power damage, 6-weapon damage
Fitness: N/A
Weapons: Arc Pistol w/ Heavy Barrel + Power Magnifier: The lightest of my suggested weapons, you can get good damage and a great cooldown. The power magnifier is a bonus.
Graal w/ high-caliber barrel: This shotgun ignores armor and has a 300% headshot multiplier, as well as a 200% damage bonus when fully charged. Quite deadly, especially when combined with Stasis.
Kishock w/ extended barrel: This sniper rifle ignores both armor and shield gate. Also, it has an inherent 300% headshot multiplier. Couple that with the 175% charged shot bonus and it can one-shot any human-sized enemies. Unlike other sniper rifles, it has no hipfire penalty, so run and gun to your heart's content, little Volus. Source: http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/343/index/16386945/1#16386971
Ammo Bonus: Warp Ammo (Reapers/Collectors), Disruptor Ammo (Geth, Cerberus)
Weapon Bonus: Pistol Rail Amp (or appropriate weapon amp/targeting VI)
Armor Bonus: Power Efficiency Module
Gear Bonus: Commando Package (or appropriate weapon amp), Responder Loadout, Armored Compartments
Stasis: Bubble is the important one here - it lets you freeze up to 2 targets at once and freezes subsequent targets that enter the bubble. I take duration so that the bubble stays for longer to trap more enemies. Rank 5 is based on preference.
Biotic Orbs: I go for the debuff branch here because the Volus Adept has very little offensive capability without it. It does decent damage to armor and barriers, triggers biotic explosions, and is capable of debuffing enemies up to 45% (albeit for a brief duration). I recommend radius for more crowd control, greater chance of triggering a teammate's biotic explosion, and for debuffing more enemies.
Shield Boost: You get 1.5 seconds of invulnerability after using this power. Use this to your advantage. Whenever possible, use this before you take a hit. If you get staggered, you'll be shot down before you have a chance to boost. You want to avoid being on cooldown so you can use this to stay alive. But if you're on cooldown, especially for Biotic Orbs, use your tactical cloak (light melee) to drop enemy aggro.
Volus Training: In my estimation, weight capacity > weapon damage > power damage. Shields restored is irrelevant since the Volus has so little shields anyway. So I take 4b, 5a, and 6b.
Fitness: Unless you are soloing and you need every sliver of durability you can get, Fitness is virtually worthless for Volus. Those points are better spent maxing out your powers.
Strategy: Using your many Volus powers to your advantage.
Invulnerability: Use Shield Boost to negate all damage (except sync kills). Similarly, your heavy melee gives you invulnerability frames and regenerates a small portion of your shields. However, heavy melee is not as reliable since (a) you have to hold down the melee button, meaning you could be dead before it takes effect, and (b) the invulnerability has a cooldown function so you gradually lose damage reduction the longer you hold down the button. With enough cooldown bonuses, you can alternate Shield Boost and heavy melee and remain invulnerable (until you are inevitably staggered to death).
Use your tactical cloak periodically, before entering a combat situation. There is no reason not to, and it eliminates enemy aggro directed at you. You want to be either invulnerable or invisible as a Volus. Don't be like those Voluses you find in PUGs.
Unarmored enemies: Simply Stasis and headshot. Stasis-->Biotic Orb for a biotic explosion.
Swarmers- Stasis the little buggers.
Shielded & unshielded troopers- Stasis and headshot, though crowd control is often an issue. Use your Biotic Orbs to stagger and trigger biotic explosions. It's important to be defensive around these enemies since one burst is enough to kill you.
Guardians- Bubble Stasis will freeze them and cause them to drop their shields. Easy pickings.
Phantoms- Stasis, throw an Orb for a biotic explosion, then headshot. On Gold, with enough equipment, Stasis-->headshot is enough.
Armored enemies: Debuff with Biotic Orbs and chip away at their armor. As always, aim for the head. Best to let your teammates handle them when possible.
Dragoons: Debuff thoroughly with Orbs, headshot, use those I-frames. Much easier when teammates are using Biotics or incendiary powers.
Cerberus Turrets: Avoid at all costs.
Brutes, Ravagers, Scions: Relatively easy to handle because they're slow and dumb, but time-consuming. Simply debuff and shoot at weak points.
Bosses: See above, but Primes and Praetorians are some of your worst enemies. Bosses in general will be time-consuming to kill with this non-DPS build, which is ultimately why using the Volus Adept on Platinum is a waste of time.
Also check out ToLazy4Name's Volus Guide for additional Volus goodness.
I've always strived for proficiency with all characters, but this was the one that really stumped me. After trying a couple different builds, I've found one that I'm pretty happy with. Thought I'd share it.
How Not To Suck As A Volus Adept
Note: this build is very host-dependent. Host or have a good host when using.
Volus Adept
Stasis: 4-duration, 5-bonus power, 6-bubble
Biotic Orbs: 4-radius, 5-damage, 6-expose
Shield Boost: 4-radius, 5-recharge speed, 6-protection
Volus Training: 4-damage & capacity, 5-power damage, 6-weapon damage
Fitness: N/A
Weapons: Arc Pistol w/ Heavy Barrel + Power Magnifier: The lightest of my suggested weapons, you can get good damage and a great cooldown. The power magnifier is a bonus.
Graal w/ high-caliber barrel: This shotgun ignores armor and has a 300% headshot multiplier, as well as a 200% damage bonus when fully charged. Quite deadly, especially when combined with Stasis.
Kishock w/ extended barrel: This sniper rifle ignores both armor and shield gate. Also, it has an inherent 300% headshot multiplier. Couple that with the 175% charged shot bonus and it can one-shot any human-sized enemies. Unlike other sniper rifles, it has no hipfire penalty, so run and gun to your heart's content, little Volus. Source: http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/343/index/16386945/1#16386971
Ammo Bonus: Warp Ammo (Reapers/Collectors), Disruptor Ammo (Geth, Cerberus)
Weapon Bonus: Pistol Rail Amp (or appropriate weapon amp/targeting VI)
Armor Bonus: Power Efficiency Module
Gear Bonus: Commando Package (or appropriate weapon amp), Responder Loadout, Armored Compartments
Stasis: Bubble is the important one here - it lets you freeze up to 2 targets at once and freezes subsequent targets that enter the bubble. I take duration so that the bubble stays for longer to trap more enemies. Rank 5 is based on preference.
Biotic Orbs: I go for the debuff branch here because the Volus Adept has very little offensive capability without it. It does decent damage to armor and barriers, triggers biotic explosions, and is capable of debuffing enemies up to 45% (albeit for a brief duration). I recommend radius for more crowd control, greater chance of triggering a teammate's biotic explosion, and for debuffing more enemies.
Shield Boost: You get 1.5 seconds of invulnerability after using this power. Use this to your advantage. Whenever possible, use this before you take a hit. If you get staggered, you'll be shot down before you have a chance to boost. You want to avoid being on cooldown so you can use this to stay alive. But if you're on cooldown, especially for Biotic Orbs, use your tactical cloak (light melee) to drop enemy aggro.
Volus Training: In my estimation, weight capacity > weapon damage > power damage. Shields restored is irrelevant since the Volus has so little shields anyway. So I take 4b, 5a, and 6b.
Fitness: Unless you are soloing and you need every sliver of durability you can get, Fitness is virtually worthless for Volus. Those points are better spent maxing out your powers.
Strategy: Using your many Volus powers to your advantage.
Invulnerability: Use Shield Boost to negate all damage (except sync kills). Similarly, your heavy melee gives you invulnerability frames and regenerates a small portion of your shields. However, heavy melee is not as reliable since (a) you have to hold down the melee button, meaning you could be dead before it takes effect, and (b) the invulnerability has a cooldown function so you gradually lose damage reduction the longer you hold down the button. With enough cooldown bonuses, you can alternate Shield Boost and heavy melee and remain invulnerable (until you are inevitably staggered to death).
Use your tactical cloak periodically, before entering a combat situation. There is no reason not to, and it eliminates enemy aggro directed at you. You want to be either invulnerable or invisible as a Volus. Don't be like those Voluses you find in PUGs.
Unarmored enemies: Simply Stasis and headshot. Stasis-->Biotic Orb for a biotic explosion.
Swarmers- Stasis the little buggers.
Shielded & unshielded troopers- Stasis and headshot, though crowd control is often an issue. Use your Biotic Orbs to stagger and trigger biotic explosions. It's important to be defensive around these enemies since one burst is enough to kill you.
Guardians- Bubble Stasis will freeze them and cause them to drop their shields. Easy pickings.
Phantoms- Stasis, throw an Orb for a biotic explosion, then headshot. On Gold, with enough equipment, Stasis-->headshot is enough.
Armored enemies: Debuff with Biotic Orbs and chip away at their armor. As always, aim for the head. Best to let your teammates handle them when possible.
Dragoons: Debuff thoroughly with Orbs, headshot, use those I-frames. Much easier when teammates are using Biotics or incendiary powers.
Cerberus Turrets: Avoid at all costs.
Brutes, Ravagers, Scions: Relatively easy to handle because they're slow and dumb, but time-consuming. Simply debuff and shoot at weak points.
Bosses: See above, but Primes and Praetorians are some of your worst enemies. Bosses in general will be time-consuming to kill with this non-DPS build, which is ultimately why using the Volus Adept on Platinum is a waste of time.
Also check out ToLazy4Name's Volus Guide for additional Volus goodness.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Ex-Cerberus Phoenix Adept: Spectre Edition
Hello everybody and welcome to another Mass Effect 3 multiplayer guide. Initially, I was of the opinion that the Phoenix Adept was one of the weaker characters. Balance changes shifted that opinion, Smash got buffed and nerfed, Singularity got buffed, and I think it ended up being a pretty strong character. A bit slow and squishy compared to Dragoons, but dat Smash...
Ex-Cerberus Adept
Singularity: 4-radius, 5-recharge speed, 6-detonate
Smash: 4-biotic combo, 5-force & damage, 6-armor damage
Lash: 4-detonate, 5-damage over time, 6-shield penetration
Phoenix Training: 4-damage & capacity, 5-power damage
Fitness: 3
In terms of weapons, I've tried a few different guns and don't feel as if I've hit the nail on the head, but in my most recent ventures I managed to score 200k+ with this character using the Talon. It's not as consistent against shields as the Acolyte, but it does comparable damage and it's more useful all-around. It has a great attack pattern with Smash: two shots and Smash, two shots and Smash. Using a power after emptying the clip will also "hide" your reload animation with good timing; in this case, Smash right after you fire the last shot in the clip - your gun will reload during the Smash animation. This trick works with all guns and powers, but the timing varies.
I recommend using the heavy barrel for a whopping 40% extra damage (and it's glitched so that it won't actually affect your cooldown). Also, take the power magnifier to buff your powers even more. Then I would recommend either Warp ammo (synergy with biotics) or Disruptor ammo (strip shields faster, but interferes with biotics).
I recommend the Geth Scanner since this character is squishy. I believe that situational awareness trumps a measly 20%-30% shield boost any day. It also lets you Smash enemies through walls more effectively. Wallhax ftw!
Singularity: With this character, I decided to use Singularity as a time-bomb rather than spec-ing it as a biotic primer. With all the power damage bonuses, the detonation does over 1200 damage across 7 meters. That's like a bonus biotic explosion. Everything else was built around that. You don't want duration because then it takes 20 seconds for Singularity to detonate instead of 8 seconds, so take radius. I took recharge speed because lift damage would kill lifted targets too fast - I want to be able to use Lash on them to create biotic explosions to damage other enemies. But in most situations lift damage would be better, especially for Phantoms. Remember that Singularity staggers most human-sized enemies within the field, and the detonation staggers even more enemies (I have seen it stagger Atlases and Banshees - I can't imagine that Primes or Crabs would be any different).
Smash: The steak and potatoes (or rice, if you're MasterReefa [BSN reference]) of the Smashdept. It has an inherent 150% damage bonus against armor, shields, and barriers. With the armor damage evolution, that increases to 262.5% (if my math is straight) damage bonus to armor and barriers. Factoring in all the power damage bonuses, Smash does upwards of 4500 damage to armor and barriers. It detonates biotic explosions and primes them too if you take the biotic combo evo. It deals 2.5x force against Lashed targets and can hit up to two targets.
Lash: The Phoenix is a ladies man. Back in the Cerberus training program, the Phantoms and Nemeses just couldn't escape the lure of his Lash. Yeah, okay maybe the story is a bit silly. But seriously, Lash is great for incapacitating those pesky Phantoms and Nemeses. Also great for stealing Guardian shields. And of course, it's great for any other unarmored enemies.
Phoenix Training: Power damage. 'Nuff said.
Fitness: Just 3 ranks for a little bit of durability. This character is still pretty squishy, and he doesn't get any damage reduction during his ridiculously long Smash or Lash animations. But what can you do? Well I want a new Phoenix with Barrier, Annihilation Field and Smash. The ultimate close quarters Adept!
Strategy: Since this character is so squishy, you can't run around in the open. Play carefully and stick to close quarters if possible. Always try to have a solid piece of cover to get behind in case of Banshee Warps, Atlas missiles, Praetorian lasers, etc.
TBC...
-Grun7mas7er
Ex-Cerberus Adept
Singularity: 4-radius, 5-recharge speed, 6-detonate
Smash: 4-biotic combo, 5-force & damage, 6-armor damage
Lash: 4-detonate, 5-damage over time, 6-shield penetration
Phoenix Training: 4-damage & capacity, 5-power damage
Fitness: 3
In terms of weapons, I've tried a few different guns and don't feel as if I've hit the nail on the head, but in my most recent ventures I managed to score 200k+ with this character using the Talon. It's not as consistent against shields as the Acolyte, but it does comparable damage and it's more useful all-around. It has a great attack pattern with Smash: two shots and Smash, two shots and Smash. Using a power after emptying the clip will also "hide" your reload animation with good timing; in this case, Smash right after you fire the last shot in the clip - your gun will reload during the Smash animation. This trick works with all guns and powers, but the timing varies.
I recommend using the heavy barrel for a whopping 40% extra damage (and it's glitched so that it won't actually affect your cooldown). Also, take the power magnifier to buff your powers even more. Then I would recommend either Warp ammo (synergy with biotics) or Disruptor ammo (strip shields faster, but interferes with biotics).
I recommend the Geth Scanner since this character is squishy. I believe that situational awareness trumps a measly 20%-30% shield boost any day. It also lets you Smash enemies through walls more effectively. Wallhax ftw!
Singularity: With this character, I decided to use Singularity as a time-bomb rather than spec-ing it as a biotic primer. With all the power damage bonuses, the detonation does over 1200 damage across 7 meters. That's like a bonus biotic explosion. Everything else was built around that. You don't want duration because then it takes 20 seconds for Singularity to detonate instead of 8 seconds, so take radius. I took recharge speed because lift damage would kill lifted targets too fast - I want to be able to use Lash on them to create biotic explosions to damage other enemies. But in most situations lift damage would be better, especially for Phantoms. Remember that Singularity staggers most human-sized enemies within the field, and the detonation staggers even more enemies (I have seen it stagger Atlases and Banshees - I can't imagine that Primes or Crabs would be any different).
Smash: The steak and potatoes (or rice, if you're MasterReefa [BSN reference]) of the Smashdept. It has an inherent 150% damage bonus against armor, shields, and barriers. With the armor damage evolution, that increases to 262.5% (if my math is straight) damage bonus to armor and barriers. Factoring in all the power damage bonuses, Smash does upwards of 4500 damage to armor and barriers. It detonates biotic explosions and primes them too if you take the biotic combo evo. It deals 2.5x force against Lashed targets and can hit up to two targets.
Lash: The Phoenix is a ladies man. Back in the Cerberus training program, the Phantoms and Nemeses just couldn't escape the lure of his Lash. Yeah, okay maybe the story is a bit silly. But seriously, Lash is great for incapacitating those pesky Phantoms and Nemeses. Also great for stealing Guardian shields. And of course, it's great for any other unarmored enemies.
Phoenix Training: Power damage. 'Nuff said.
Fitness: Just 3 ranks for a little bit of durability. This character is still pretty squishy, and he doesn't get any damage reduction during his ridiculously long Smash or Lash animations. But what can you do? Well I want a new Phoenix with Barrier, Annihilation Field and Smash. The ultimate close quarters Adept!
Strategy: Since this character is so squishy, you can't run around in the open. Play carefully and stick to close quarters if possible. Always try to have a solid piece of cover to get behind in case of Banshee Warps, Atlas missiles, Praetorian lasers, etc.
TBC...
-Grun7mas7er
On "Spectre Edition" Guides
Hello everybody. It's been a while so I'm going to ramble on about stuff you don't care about.
A while ago I was nominated/inducted/chosen by some friends to join S.P.E.C.T.R.E., which is a group of the "best" players on Bioware
As a "Spectre", I suppose I'm now subject to higher expectations and greater scrutiny. So my build standards are generally:
a) Built with Platinum in mind (Platinum worthy),
b) I can score well with them, generally 200k points indicates to me that the build works (not that score is that important), and
c) I try to make the build unique and avoid "clone kits", for example, building the Vorcha Soldier and Sentinel the exact same way.
So that's the story behind the Spectre Edition guides. Coming to a blog near you. Peace out.
-Grun7mas7er
Friday, June 21, 2013
ME3 Character Guide: Human Adept
Hello readers, it's been a while but I'm back with another Mass Effect 3 character guide for your face. This one is for the Human Adept, which gets outshined by the Fury and Shaman, but is a powerful and versatile adept in its own right. It is an essential character to any biotic team.
Human Adept
Singularity: 4-duration, 5-lift damage, 6-damage
Warp: 4-detonate, 5-expose, 6-pierce
Shockwave: 4-force & damage, 5-detonate, 6-recharge speed
Alliance Training: N/A
Fitness: 4-durability, 5-shield recharge, 6-fitness expert
The most essential weapon for this character is the Acolyte. Sure, the Acolyte is essential on half of the characters in the game, but as a biotic-centric kit, this one really needs it. Biotics don't work well against shields. I recommend the heavy barrel and ultra-light materials to compensate for the added weight.
You don't need a secondary, but it doesn't hurt. The CSMG is lightweight and does great damage to armor. The Hurricane is also a great choice, just less accurate. I'd go with the magazine upgrade and high-velocity barrel (this is essential, otherwise your SMG will only tickle armored enemies). If you don't have either one leveled up to your liking, consider the Locust or Tempest as alternatives to the CSMG and Hurricane respectively.
I prefer the Geth Scanner on this character, since it helps you stay out of dangerous situations and pick your targets more effectively. But it's really not essential. The Commando and Expert packages are good choices too. I normally don't prescribe weapon amps, but you really need the pistol damage to drain shields quickly, especially for Phantoms. It's annoying to have to use two Acolyte shots to destroy a single Phantom's shields. SMG damage is secondary.
You have two biotic primers and two detonators, so I recommend Warp ammo for this character. You get the bonus damage to any targets affected by Singularity or Warp, and it won't interfere with your biotic explosions.
Singularity: I mostly use this as a biotic primer and mook killer. Great for incapacitating multiple unprotected enemies. Place one in a high traffic area and prime all the things as they walk through it, then use Shockwave to detonate each one. You can avoid the repetitive priming-detonating pattern this way. This is why I choose duration rather than radius, because I don't have to replace it as often.
Warp: Standard Warp. You get the splosions. You get the debuff. You get the armor weakening. What more can I say?
Shockwave: Most important part is the detonate evo. I take force & damage to stagger more things, and recharge speed for spam-ability. You know, to troll your sniper teammates. No headshot for you!
Alliance Training: This is good if you're playing with reliable teammates because you can afford to sacrifice some durability for more damage. But it does not affect your biotic explosion damage. So this branch is situational, and I generally skip it.
Fitness: I do a lot of pick-up games with randoms, so when the time comes to solo a wave or two I have some extra durability. It is a noticeable difference, believe it or not. But not as essential as it is for the Juggernaut.
Strategy: In general, Acolyte for shields, SMG and biotic explosions for armor.
For unprotected enemies, use Singularity to incapacitate them first. At long range, use Warp to detonate. At close range, use Shockwave. For single targets, use Singularity followed by a heavy melee.
For groups of enemies, try funneling them into your Singularity and detonate them with Shockwave as they pass through.
For shielded enemies like Marauders, Acolyte first then Singularity. Even if you miss your Acolyte shot, follow with Singularity, which will staggerlock them and prevent them from shooting at you. Then you'll have time to charge your shot, shoot, and detonate.
With the Acolyte and appropriate pistol amps, Phantoms are trivialized. Just drain their barrier, Singularity, and detonate. Again, even if you miss your Acolyte shot, follow with Singularity to put the Phantom on the defensive, then drain her shields. As soon as her bubble goes down she'll be trapped. Finish with a Shockwave.
For armored enemies, the Warp/Shockwave combo will give you the most damage. All in all, you get 115% bonus damage for the biotic explosion, and the Warped target takes 15% more damage on top of that.
Of course, it doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes you need to funnel groups of Dragoons (aka the football team) through as Singularity, detonating each one as they pass through. You may also want to use Singularity on Ravagers to mop up any Swarmers nearby.
You'll want to deal with Cerberus Turrets as indirectly as possible. At a distance, use Singularity, Acolyte to take down the shields, then Warp for the biotic explosion.
Against bosses, Warp for debuff, then use the Acolyte for shields. Wear down their armor with your SMG and biotic explosions. Warp, shoot your CSMG until nearly empty, then Shockwave for the boom. Rinse and repeat.
That's about it, I think. Stay classy folks.
-Grun7mas7er
Check out Capt. Stach3's epic Youtube story, Felicia the First Fabulous Fury. It's got some great tips and it's entertaining. :D
Human Adept
Singularity: 4-duration, 5-lift damage, 6-damageWarp: 4-detonate, 5-expose, 6-pierce
Shockwave: 4-force & damage, 5-detonate, 6-recharge speed
Alliance Training: N/A
Fitness: 4-durability, 5-shield recharge, 6-fitness expert
The most essential weapon for this character is the Acolyte. Sure, the Acolyte is essential on half of the characters in the game, but as a biotic-centric kit, this one really needs it. Biotics don't work well against shields. I recommend the heavy barrel and ultra-light materials to compensate for the added weight.
You don't need a secondary, but it doesn't hurt. The CSMG is lightweight and does great damage to armor. The Hurricane is also a great choice, just less accurate. I'd go with the magazine upgrade and high-velocity barrel (this is essential, otherwise your SMG will only tickle armored enemies). If you don't have either one leveled up to your liking, consider the Locust or Tempest as alternatives to the CSMG and Hurricane respectively.
I prefer the Geth Scanner on this character, since it helps you stay out of dangerous situations and pick your targets more effectively. But it's really not essential. The Commando and Expert packages are good choices too. I normally don't prescribe weapon amps, but you really need the pistol damage to drain shields quickly, especially for Phantoms. It's annoying to have to use two Acolyte shots to destroy a single Phantom's shields. SMG damage is secondary.
You have two biotic primers and two detonators, so I recommend Warp ammo for this character. You get the bonus damage to any targets affected by Singularity or Warp, and it won't interfere with your biotic explosions.
Singularity: I mostly use this as a biotic primer and mook killer. Great for incapacitating multiple unprotected enemies. Place one in a high traffic area and prime all the things as they walk through it, then use Shockwave to detonate each one. You can avoid the repetitive priming-detonating pattern this way. This is why I choose duration rather than radius, because I don't have to replace it as often.
Warp: Standard Warp. You get the splosions. You get the debuff. You get the armor weakening. What more can I say?
Shockwave: Most important part is the detonate evo. I take force & damage to stagger more things, and recharge speed for spam-ability. You know, to troll your sniper teammates. No headshot for you!
Alliance Training: This is good if you're playing with reliable teammates because you can afford to sacrifice some durability for more damage. But it does not affect your biotic explosion damage. So this branch is situational, and I generally skip it.
Fitness: I do a lot of pick-up games with randoms, so when the time comes to solo a wave or two I have some extra durability. It is a noticeable difference, believe it or not. But not as essential as it is for the Juggernaut.
Strategy: In general, Acolyte for shields, SMG and biotic explosions for armor.For unprotected enemies, use Singularity to incapacitate them first. At long range, use Warp to detonate. At close range, use Shockwave. For single targets, use Singularity followed by a heavy melee.
For groups of enemies, try funneling them into your Singularity and detonate them with Shockwave as they pass through.
For shielded enemies like Marauders, Acolyte first then Singularity. Even if you miss your Acolyte shot, follow with Singularity, which will staggerlock them and prevent them from shooting at you. Then you'll have time to charge your shot, shoot, and detonate.
With the Acolyte and appropriate pistol amps, Phantoms are trivialized. Just drain their barrier, Singularity, and detonate. Again, even if you miss your Acolyte shot, follow with Singularity to put the Phantom on the defensive, then drain her shields. As soon as her bubble goes down she'll be trapped. Finish with a Shockwave.
For armored enemies, the Warp/Shockwave combo will give you the most damage. All in all, you get 115% bonus damage for the biotic explosion, and the Warped target takes 15% more damage on top of that.
Of course, it doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes you need to funnel groups of Dragoons (aka the football team) through as Singularity, detonating each one as they pass through. You may also want to use Singularity on Ravagers to mop up any Swarmers nearby.
You'll want to deal with Cerberus Turrets as indirectly as possible. At a distance, use Singularity, Acolyte to take down the shields, then Warp for the biotic explosion.
Against bosses, Warp for debuff, then use the Acolyte for shields. Wear down their armor with your SMG and biotic explosions. Warp, shoot your CSMG until nearly empty, then Shockwave for the boom. Rinse and repeat.
That's about it, I think. Stay classy folks.
-Grun7mas7er
Check out Capt. Stach3's epic Youtube story, Felicia the First Fabulous Fury. It's got some great tips and it's entertaining. :D
Monday, May 27, 2013
ME3 Character Guide: Human Vanguard
What's up everyone? Yet another Mass Effect 3 multiplayer guide for your face. As always, I've always strived for proficiency in all characters (except for maybe the lolVoluses and lolJuggernaut), so I've been going back to the good ol' characters, including the Human Vanguard. I never really gave the Novaguard much play back in the day because of the Vanguard glitch, etc., even though it was really powerful even back then. So yes, it's still a viable class. Check the technique.
Human Vanguard
Biotic Charge: 4-radius, 5-power synergy, 6-barrier
Shockwave: 4-radius, 5-detonate, 6-lifting shockwave
Nova: 4-force & damage, 5-half blast, 6-pierce
Alliance Training: 4-damage & capacity, 5-power damage
Fitness: 3
*or go traditional
Biotic Charge: 4-radius, 5-power synergy, 6-barrier
Shockwave: N/A
Nova: 4-force & damage, 5-half blast, 6-pierce
Alliance Training: 4-damage & capacity, 5-power damage, 6-weapon damage
Fitness: 4-durability, 5-shield recharge, 6-fitness expert
I really like the Talon on this character. I think the Acolyte would be good too (frankly, it's good on almost any character), but the Talon has synergy. You don't have to charge it up before firing, and it has a shotgun-like spread, so it's great for close quarters.
If you're not with a tech/biotic team, then use Incendiary ammo so you can prime your own fire explosions. Otherwise, use Warp or AP ammo so you don't override your teammates' more powerful tech/biotic explosions. The Novaguard is a great detonator. Best Biotic Detonator*.
You can use the Commando Package or Geth Scanner or whatever you like. It's not prescriptive for this character.
Biotic Charge: If you're surprised by the evolutions here, well, maybe you should L2P scrub.
Shockwave: So...there's this hipster kinda thing going on where people actually spec into Lifting Shockwave. It does have nice synergy with Nova, make no mistake, but it's a balancing act that I have not yet mastered. So I can't personally endorse it because I haven't gotten it to work. It's funny because people used to say L2P scrub if you took Shockwave on the Novaguard. Now it's SUPERPROL33TSKILLZ. So I'll leave it up to you. You can either go with a 6/6/6/5/3 build or go with 6/0/6/6/6.
Nova: is the signature power or the...er...Novaguard. So I usually take force & damage to compensate for half blast. Then I take pierce for better damage against defenses. It's not a lot of damage because of half blast, but that's to balance out the massive advantage. With half blast, you can use Nova twice per shield cycle, and you are invulnerable while using Biotic Charge and Nova. You see the potential here, right? You can Biotic Charge, Nova, and Nova again - and you're invincible the whole time.
Of course, you can't be stuck in the open with no shields while Biotic Charge cools down, so we need to extend those invulnerability frames by Nova-canceling. You can do this by using Nova and interrupting it with light melee or dodging. How you cancel is situational, e.g. when carrying a package you should use the light melee to cancel to avoid dropping the package; use side-roll when you want to avoid getting into a fist-fight with a Geth Prime.
The bottom line: you are invulnerable to all damage (except sync-kills, of course, unless the sync kill animation finishes within your 1.5 seconds of invulnerability frames) as long as you continuously nova-cancel. While high-dps enemies like Cerberus Turrets can give you some grief by punching through your shields in between frames, they can still be dealt with as I will explain later.
Alliance Training: All you need is the power damage bonuses and weight capacity. The extra force & damage puts Biotic Charge over 1000N, enough to stagger Phantoms, which is the important part. You get enough weight capacity to carry a Talon X and maintain a 200% cooldown, which is generally important for Vanguards. If you skip Shockwave, take weapon damage (or weight capacity if you have a low-level Talon).
Fitness: With this build, you're relying on Nova for survivability. Still, it helps to have the extra shields and health if you slip up. If you skip Shockwave, go for the durability branch.
Strategy: Basically just Biotic Charge, Nova, Nova. But mix it up a little. Pop a quick shot in between Novas, for example. Or Nova-cancel in between Novas to extend your invulnerability while Biotic Charge cools down.
Cerberus Turrets- these are what will give you the most trouble, especially when there are more than one of them. You can safely Nova-cancel with light melee at them, doing pretty pitiful damage, but at least you won't die. This isn't what I would consider to be safe, though.
Bosses- know when they can sync-kill you and when they can't. Then you'll know when it's safe to charge them or not. Atlases can sync-kill after their ground-pound melee attack. Banshees can sync-kill when they have the glowing aura around them. Praetorians can sync-kill when they are walking, but not when floating. Geth Primes can't sync-kill you, but their elbow of doom can stagger you and leave you open to enemy fire.
Phantoms and Scions are primed for a sync kill after their melee animation. Note that all it takes is one frame of this melee animation for them to become primed; They do not necessarily need to finish the animation to sync kill you. If I'm not mistaken, Brutes can sync kill after their swipe and smash attacks, but not charge.
As with all Vanguards, I recommend hosting whenever you use this character. You need your Biotic Charge, Nova, and Survival Ops Packs to be as responsive as possible for this aggressive play style.
And that's about it for the Novaguard. Thanks for reading and stay classy. Most of all, enjoy the build.
-Grun7mas7er
Check out Lord Sirian's Novaguard gameplay!
Human Vanguard
Biotic Charge: 4-radius, 5-power synergy, 6-barrier
Shockwave: 4-radius, 5-detonate, 6-lifting shockwave
Nova: 4-force & damage, 5-half blast, 6-pierce
Alliance Training: 4-damage & capacity, 5-power damage
Fitness: 3
*or go traditional
Biotic Charge: 4-radius, 5-power synergy, 6-barrier
Shockwave: N/A
Nova: 4-force & damage, 5-half blast, 6-pierce
Alliance Training: 4-damage & capacity, 5-power damage, 6-weapon damage
Fitness: 4-durability, 5-shield recharge, 6-fitness expert
I really like the Talon on this character. I think the Acolyte would be good too (frankly, it's good on almost any character), but the Talon has synergy. You don't have to charge it up before firing, and it has a shotgun-like spread, so it's great for close quarters.
If you're not with a tech/biotic team, then use Incendiary ammo so you can prime your own fire explosions. Otherwise, use Warp or AP ammo so you don't override your teammates' more powerful tech/biotic explosions. The Novaguard is a great detonator. Best Biotic Detonator*.
You can use the Commando Package or Geth Scanner or whatever you like. It's not prescriptive for this character.
Biotic Charge: If you're surprised by the evolutions here, well, maybe you should L2P scrub.
Shockwave: So...there's this hipster kinda thing going on where people actually spec into Lifting Shockwave. It does have nice synergy with Nova, make no mistake, but it's a balancing act that I have not yet mastered. So I can't personally endorse it because I haven't gotten it to work. It's funny because people used to say L2P scrub if you took Shockwave on the Novaguard. Now it's SUPERPROL33TSKILLZ. So I'll leave it up to you. You can either go with a 6/6/6/5/3 build or go with 6/0/6/6/6.
Nova: is the signature power or the...er...Novaguard. So I usually take force & damage to compensate for half blast. Then I take pierce for better damage against defenses. It's not a lot of damage because of half blast, but that's to balance out the massive advantage. With half blast, you can use Nova twice per shield cycle, and you are invulnerable while using Biotic Charge and Nova. You see the potential here, right? You can Biotic Charge, Nova, and Nova again - and you're invincible the whole time.
Of course, you can't be stuck in the open with no shields while Biotic Charge cools down, so we need to extend those invulnerability frames by Nova-canceling. You can do this by using Nova and interrupting it with light melee or dodging. How you cancel is situational, e.g. when carrying a package you should use the light melee to cancel to avoid dropping the package; use side-roll when you want to avoid getting into a fist-fight with a Geth Prime.
The bottom line: you are invulnerable to all damage (except sync-kills, of course, unless the sync kill animation finishes within your 1.5 seconds of invulnerability frames) as long as you continuously nova-cancel. While high-dps enemies like Cerberus Turrets can give you some grief by punching through your shields in between frames, they can still be dealt with as I will explain later.
Alliance Training: All you need is the power damage bonuses and weight capacity. The extra force & damage puts Biotic Charge over 1000N, enough to stagger Phantoms, which is the important part. You get enough weight capacity to carry a Talon X and maintain a 200% cooldown, which is generally important for Vanguards. If you skip Shockwave, take weapon damage (or weight capacity if you have a low-level Talon).
Fitness: With this build, you're relying on Nova for survivability. Still, it helps to have the extra shields and health if you slip up. If you skip Shockwave, go for the durability branch.
Strategy: Basically just Biotic Charge, Nova, Nova. But mix it up a little. Pop a quick shot in between Novas, for example. Or Nova-cancel in between Novas to extend your invulnerability while Biotic Charge cools down.
Cerberus Turrets- these are what will give you the most trouble, especially when there are more than one of them. You can safely Nova-cancel with light melee at them, doing pretty pitiful damage, but at least you won't die. This isn't what I would consider to be safe, though.
Bosses- know when they can sync-kill you and when they can't. Then you'll know when it's safe to charge them or not. Atlases can sync-kill after their ground-pound melee attack. Banshees can sync-kill when they have the glowing aura around them. Praetorians can sync-kill when they are walking, but not when floating. Geth Primes can't sync-kill you, but their elbow of doom can stagger you and leave you open to enemy fire.
Phantoms and Scions are primed for a sync kill after their melee animation. Note that all it takes is one frame of this melee animation for them to become primed; They do not necessarily need to finish the animation to sync kill you. If I'm not mistaken, Brutes can sync kill after their swipe and smash attacks, but not charge.
As with all Vanguards, I recommend hosting whenever you use this character. You need your Biotic Charge, Nova, and Survival Ops Packs to be as responsive as possible for this aggressive play style.
And that's about it for the Novaguard. Thanks for reading and stay classy. Most of all, enjoy the build.
-Grun7mas7er
Check out Lord Sirian's Novaguard gameplay!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
ME3 Character Guide: Cabal Vanguard
Hello everyone, welcome to another Mass Effect 3 multiplayer guide. When the Reckoning DLC came out, there were some characters that were, for the most part, pretty easy to build. Then there were some that no matter how you built them, they just didn't seem to click. For me, that was the Turian Cabal, and frankly I didn't even have the patience or willingness to test out every nuance of this amazing character.
Then I came across a Cabal build on BSN that wasn't just another weapons platform build. It was unique; it had character. I tried it out, liked it, and tweaked it to suit my own preferences. I can't say it's the "best" build, because I suppose you could slap on a Hurricane/Acolyte combo and max out Nightshade Blades and use a grenade capacity mod, but that would be boring. So without further ado, the build:
Cabal Vanguard
Poison Strike: 4-range
Nightshade Blades: 4-capacity
Biotic Focus: 4-damage taken, 5-melee damage, 6-heightened focus
Turian Veteran: 4-damage & stability, 5-headshots, 6-damage & stability
Fitness: 4-melee damage, 5-martial artist, 6-melee synergy
First of all, you really need the shotgun omni-blade attachment since this is a melee build. I've tried it on the Raider, Piranha, and Wraith on this character. My favorite is the Wraith, but any one of them would be a good selection. The main thing is that it does solid damage to bosses. On higher difficulties, you may just want to equip a Hurricane as a sidearm.
I usually go with AP ammo to help deal with bosses (and Guardian shields). I think Disruptor ammo would be great for shields and stunning mooks, but you would be sacrificing armor-piercing since you need both the smart choke and omni-blade.
Then finally, I highly recommend the Geth Scanner. Although it would be great to have the berserker package or grenade capacity, wall-hacking completely changes the experience. I said that this build is unique and has character, and that has a lot to do with Geth Scanner. So don't skip out on it.
Poison Strike: It gets you from A to B. And the invulnerability frames are nice. Other than that, there's not much to write home about. I take range for rank 4 because it makes a pretty big difference, whereas rank 5 of Nightshade Blades doesn't make that much difference to me. But the main reason you want this is to get away from sync-killers. The other important use is to tank through enemy attacks like Banshee Warp/scream, Atlas missiles, etc.
Nightshade Blades: offer limited crowd control. They do good damage, but unfortunately this build sacrifices a lot of potential damage from NBs. I mostly use them to stagger groups of mooks, especially Marauders and their elbows. It is also capable of paralyzing one unprotected enemy (I believe this includes unshielded Phantoms). It should be noted that your heavy melee has trouble tracking a paralyzed target, so go for the other enemies while one is incapacitated.
Biotic Focus: This is the power that I had the most difficulty with when choosing what to take and what to sacrifice, because all the evolutions are great. Too much Biotic Focus goodness to handle! In the end, this is a melee build, and you need to be able to deal damage up close while shrugging off enemy attacks. With that in mind, you'll want to take all the melee damage bonuses available, as well as the damage reduction bonuses. So you get enough of a speed bonus to quickly close in on enemies, nearly as much damage reduction as Tech Armor, and a significant melee damage bonus.
Sure you can't regenerate shields, but that's only useful for DOT attacks, since it doesn't necessarily recharge your shield gate. You have to use regeneration after you've taken damage, and you can still be shot down once the invulnerability wears off. With 45% damage reduction and Poison Strike invulnerability frames, you can easily tank through most attacks and get away before you've taken any real damage. With practice, you will rarely ever get into a position where you would need shield regeneration. And if you slip up, you have Ops Packs.
Turian Veteran: The Cabal gets the vanilla Turian passives, which are far superior to the Armiger Legion passives. I recommend against skipping this, especially since you need that weapon damage for bosses. Honestly, even if you maxed Nightshade Blades and used a grenade capacity mod, I don't think that it would help as much as weapon damage.
Fitness: All melee damage here. One thing that is disappointing is that the Armiger Legion melee synergy evolution is actually better because it gets a 30% weapon damage bonus instead of 25%. The Turian Veteran Fitness was buffed in the health/shields branch, but not the melee branch. I think this was probably a design oversight on Bioware's part. While it would be great if the Cabal could get a 30% or even 35% weapon damage bonus from melee synergy, no use crying over spilled milk.
With melee synergy, you get that extra weapon damage needed for boss enemies. It's not as much as Tactical Cloak, but it's a noticeable improvement on your weapon damage without melee synergy.
Strategy: (on Gold)
Husks and other unprotected troopers- heavy melee to get those succulent martial artist and melee synergy bonuses. When martial artist is active, one light melee will do.
Abominations- heavy melee to decapitate them, preventing any explosions. For possessed a-bombs, make sure that the initial melee kills them and not the poison DOT.
Marauders and other shielded troopers- shoot them to weaken their shields (the Wraith is great for this because it has good accuracy), then heavy melee if you want the bonuses. Otherwise, heavy melee followed by a light melee, or vice-versa. For crowds of troopers, use one or two Nightshade Blades and shoot. Finish off the stragglers with melee.
Phantoms- do not heavy melee unless you know it will kill her immediately. Instead, spam light melee to keep her stagger locked. Otherwise she could stagger you first and any mistake could get you sync-killed.
Dragoons- melee is less effective vs. armor but you can stagger lock them similar to Phantoms. They don't care about stagger lock during their animations though for some reason. Maybe because expert character design on Bioware's part, buggy post-release tacked-on new enemies. Looking at you, Geth Bomber.
Brutes, Ravagers, Scions- I don't recommend using melee on them, except as a finishing move if you desperately need those bonuses. Otherwise, acquire melee synergy bonus and blast with shotgun.
Bosses- These are a PITA for the Cabal because you can't melee them and you don't have enough weapon bonuses. I usually run past them and let my team handle them. But when you have to face them, make use of Poison Strike invulnerability frames. Keep your Biotic Focus active for DR. If you're impatient, you could take a Hurricane as your secondary and use it exclusively for bosses.
Or Cobra Missile.
So that's about it, I think. Be nimble and you shall be victorious. BE LIKE WATER GRASSHOPPER.
-Grun7mas7er
Gameplay by Peddroelmz.
Video guide by Caineghis and Megabeast.
Then I came across a Cabal build on BSN that wasn't just another weapons platform build. It was unique; it had character. I tried it out, liked it, and tweaked it to suit my own preferences. I can't say it's the "best" build, because I suppose you could slap on a Hurricane/Acolyte combo and max out Nightshade Blades and use a grenade capacity mod, but that would be boring. So without further ado, the build:
Cabal VanguardPoison Strike: 4-range
Nightshade Blades: 4-capacity
Biotic Focus: 4-damage taken, 5-melee damage, 6-heightened focus
Turian Veteran: 4-damage & stability, 5-headshots, 6-damage & stability
Fitness: 4-melee damage, 5-martial artist, 6-melee synergy
First of all, you really need the shotgun omni-blade attachment since this is a melee build. I've tried it on the Raider, Piranha, and Wraith on this character. My favorite is the Wraith, but any one of them would be a good selection. The main thing is that it does solid damage to bosses. On higher difficulties, you may just want to equip a Hurricane as a sidearm.
I usually go with AP ammo to help deal with bosses (and Guardian shields). I think Disruptor ammo would be great for shields and stunning mooks, but you would be sacrificing armor-piercing since you need both the smart choke and omni-blade.
Then finally, I highly recommend the Geth Scanner. Although it would be great to have the berserker package or grenade capacity, wall-hacking completely changes the experience. I said that this build is unique and has character, and that has a lot to do with Geth Scanner. So don't skip out on it.
Poison Strike: It gets you from A to B. And the invulnerability frames are nice. Other than that, there's not much to write home about. I take range for rank 4 because it makes a pretty big difference, whereas rank 5 of Nightshade Blades doesn't make that much difference to me. But the main reason you want this is to get away from sync-killers. The other important use is to tank through enemy attacks like Banshee Warp/scream, Atlas missiles, etc.
Nightshade Blades: offer limited crowd control. They do good damage, but unfortunately this build sacrifices a lot of potential damage from NBs. I mostly use them to stagger groups of mooks, especially Marauders and their elbows. It is also capable of paralyzing one unprotected enemy (I believe this includes unshielded Phantoms). It should be noted that your heavy melee has trouble tracking a paralyzed target, so go for the other enemies while one is incapacitated.
Biotic Focus: This is the power that I had the most difficulty with when choosing what to take and what to sacrifice, because all the evolutions are great. Too much Biotic Focus goodness to handle! In the end, this is a melee build, and you need to be able to deal damage up close while shrugging off enemy attacks. With that in mind, you'll want to take all the melee damage bonuses available, as well as the damage reduction bonuses. So you get enough of a speed bonus to quickly close in on enemies, nearly as much damage reduction as Tech Armor, and a significant melee damage bonus.
Sure you can't regenerate shields, but that's only useful for DOT attacks, since it doesn't necessarily recharge your shield gate. You have to use regeneration after you've taken damage, and you can still be shot down once the invulnerability wears off. With 45% damage reduction and Poison Strike invulnerability frames, you can easily tank through most attacks and get away before you've taken any real damage. With practice, you will rarely ever get into a position where you would need shield regeneration. And if you slip up, you have Ops Packs.
Turian Veteran: The Cabal gets the vanilla Turian passives, which are far superior to the Armiger Legion passives. I recommend against skipping this, especially since you need that weapon damage for bosses. Honestly, even if you maxed Nightshade Blades and used a grenade capacity mod, I don't think that it would help as much as weapon damage.
Fitness: All melee damage here. One thing that is disappointing is that the Armiger Legion melee synergy evolution is actually better because it gets a 30% weapon damage bonus instead of 25%. The Turian Veteran Fitness was buffed in the health/shields branch, but not the melee branch. I think this was probably a design oversight on Bioware's part. While it would be great if the Cabal could get a 30% or even 35% weapon damage bonus from melee synergy, no use crying over spilled milk.
With melee synergy, you get that extra weapon damage needed for boss enemies. It's not as much as Tactical Cloak, but it's a noticeable improvement on your weapon damage without melee synergy.
Strategy: (on Gold)
Husks and other unprotected troopers- heavy melee to get those succulent martial artist and melee synergy bonuses. When martial artist is active, one light melee will do.
Abominations- heavy melee to decapitate them, preventing any explosions. For possessed a-bombs, make sure that the initial melee kills them and not the poison DOT.
Marauders and other shielded troopers- shoot them to weaken their shields (the Wraith is great for this because it has good accuracy), then heavy melee if you want the bonuses. Otherwise, heavy melee followed by a light melee, or vice-versa. For crowds of troopers, use one or two Nightshade Blades and shoot. Finish off the stragglers with melee.
Phantoms- do not heavy melee unless you know it will kill her immediately. Instead, spam light melee to keep her stagger locked. Otherwise she could stagger you first and any mistake could get you sync-killed.
Dragoons- melee is less effective vs. armor but you can stagger lock them similar to Phantoms. They don't care about stagger lock during their animations though for some reason. Maybe because expert character design on Bioware's part, buggy post-release tacked-on new enemies. Looking at you, Geth Bomber.
Brutes, Ravagers, Scions- I don't recommend using melee on them, except as a finishing move if you desperately need those bonuses. Otherwise, acquire melee synergy bonus and blast with shotgun.
Bosses- These are a PITA for the Cabal because you can't melee them and you don't have enough weapon bonuses. I usually run past them and let my team handle them. But when you have to face them, make use of Poison Strike invulnerability frames. Keep your Biotic Focus active for DR. If you're impatient, you could take a Hurricane as your secondary and use it exclusively for bosses.
Or Cobra Missile.
So that's about it, I think. Be nimble and you shall be victorious. BE LIKE WATER GRASSHOPPER.
-Grun7mas7er
Gameplay by Peddroelmz.
Video guide by Caineghis and Megabeast.
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