Just a quick post I want to get out before I do any actual guides. I know I could easily boost my blog views by over 9000 if I posted guides for the new characters, but I'm going to actually learn how to use them before I post anything conclusive.
But first, I'm going to just go ahead and say it: next to the Earth characters, Reckoning's characters are some of the greatest kits that Bioware has created. I mean come on, the powers and the concepts are awesome. The community asked for a playable Geth Prime, Bioware gave us the Juggernaut. We wanted a true melee Krogan with Blood Pack armor and regenerating health, we got it. We wanted gender equality among Turians and poisonous weapons, and we got the Cabal. We wanted EDI bots, and we got that too. I assume that the Talon Mercenary is a tribute to the late Robin Sachs, who voiced Zaeed Massani. Bioware even met the Prothean requests halfway and gave us freaking Awakened Collectors justified by the lore. I mean come on guys, if you're not grateful for this DLC just because you didn't get a new Salarian or female Geth adept or whatever -- Bioware came up with some convoluted story behind the Awakened Collectors just so you could have a chance to play as one.
Retaliation was all about quantity. Reckoning was all about quality. If Bioware wanted to go out with a bang, they did it right.
Characters:
Awakened Collector (ultra rare)
Geth Juggernaut
Talon Mercenary
Krogan Warlord
Alliance Infiltration Unit
Turian Cabal
Weapons:
Geth Spitfire (UR)
ADAS assault rifle
Venom shotgun (UR)
Blood Pack Punisher SMG (UR)
Executioner Pistol
M-7 Lancer assault rifle (UR)
M-11 Suppressor pistol
Gear:
Geth Scanner
Batarian Gauntlets
Weapon Mods:
Assault Rifle ULM
Sniper Rifle ULM
Shotgun ULM
Pistol Power Magnifier
SMG Power Magnifier
P.S. Here are some notable tips about the new content:
The ADAS anti-synthetic rifle does 200% damage to shields and barriers.
The Geth Spitfire does 175% damage to shields and barriers.
The Cain Trip Mine does 150% damage to armor, shields, and barriers.
Siege Pulse does 135% damage to armor, shields, and barriers.
source: Eric Fagnan
I hope to have builds up soon. Until then, stay classy.
-Grun7mas7er
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Reckoning DLC Livestream (finished) + Trailer
In case you missed Bioware's livestream preview of the Reckoning DLC, check out Bioware Dev Bryan Johnson's recording of the livestream here.
Here is the official trailer.
Here is the official trailer.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
ME3 Character Guide: Salarian Infiltrator
Greetings everyone. Excited for the upcoming Reckoning DLC? I know I am. But for now, let's take it back to the early days of Mass Effect 3 multiplayer with one of the original characters: the Salarian Infiltrator. Ah, the nostalgia. For the record, one of the classics is the Claymore Salarian Infiltrator. It's a good build, but it seems to me that Salarians are more suited for sniping. That would be my assumption based on lore. Ah yes, "lore"...
Salarian Infiltrator
Tactical Cloak: 4-damage, 5-recharge speed, 6-sniper damage
Proximity Mine: 4-radius, 5-damage taken
Energy Drain: 4-damage, 5-drain, 6-armor boost
Salarian Operative: 4-weapon damage, 5-headshots, 6-weapon damage
Fitness: 3
I really like the Black Widow out of all the sniper rifles. It can shoot three rounds per mag, but still packs a punch. The Valiant and Indra are good, but not particularly great on him. And the Javelin is far greater on the Geth Infiltrator. In my opinion, the Black Widow is the best overall bar none. However, I can see the M-98 Widow, Mantis, or even Viper as effective alternatives.
As for ammo mods, you can't go wrong with Armor Piercing. You can use Phasic rounds, but the beauty of the SI is that he has Energy Drain, so Phasic rounds are not necessary. Disruptor rounds are great for Geth. Warp rounds are great for Reapers/Collectors, but I tend to save them for my biotic characters.
We all know and love/hate Tactical Cloak, so no need to explain why I take all damage evolutions, right?
Proximity Mine is used for boss-level enemies so that they can be taken down quicker. I almost always take the radius and damage taken evolution to debuff clusters of enemies. It makes for a great support power. For the SI, recharge speed is completely unnecessary when cast under TC because the TC recharge overrides Proxy Mine's recharge. Also, the damage evolution is negligible compared to 3 ranks in Fitness, so I skip evolution 6 of Proxy Mine altogether. For enemies that are hard to pin down like Phantoms and Banshees, use TC and Proxy Mine from a distance and they will engage their shields, forcing them to stand still for a moment. Free headshots.
As demonstrated by Caineghis.
What makes the SI a great sniper is Energy Drain, which helps to bypass enemy shield gate, which is a great hindrance to snipers. The damage and drain evolutions are there to restore your shields. The more damage you do with Energy Drain, the greater percentage of your shields are restored. However, I found the armor boost evolution to be more useful than the extra damage. Overall, I think 40% damage reduction for 10 seconds is going to keep you alive better than 40% extra damage. That's my experience, anyway.
In addition, it stuns lesser enemies (including Dragoons!) for a short time, letting you line up an easy headshot. It's also very useful as a survival tool against bosses and damage over time effects. Always keep an eye open for shields/barriers that can be leached.
For the passives, all weapon damage since your sniper rifle is your main focus. Then 3 ranks in Fitness for slightly better durability. I found this build to be much more durable than a pure damage build with no Fitness, and honestly the mediocre power damage bonuses are pretty negligible compared to added survivability.
The real key to this build is mastery of your sniper rifle. They require more aim than your other weapons, but they are very rewarding especially on Infiltrators. Practice practice practice. And use your sniper rifle rail amps!
That's about it for the guide. Wish I could put up a sniper rifle guide, but I'm not that good at sniping. Plus I'm a lowly console scrub, I couldn't possibly aim with those clunky thumbsticks. =)
Cheers, enjoy the build, stay classy.
-Grun7mas7er
Salarian InfiltratorTactical Cloak: 4-damage, 5-recharge speed, 6-sniper damage
Proximity Mine: 4-radius, 5-damage taken
Energy Drain: 4-damage, 5-drain, 6-armor boost
Salarian Operative: 4-weapon damage, 5-headshots, 6-weapon damage
Fitness: 3
I really like the Black Widow out of all the sniper rifles. It can shoot three rounds per mag, but still packs a punch. The Valiant and Indra are good, but not particularly great on him. And the Javelin is far greater on the Geth Infiltrator. In my opinion, the Black Widow is the best overall bar none. However, I can see the M-98 Widow, Mantis, or even Viper as effective alternatives.
As for ammo mods, you can't go wrong with Armor Piercing. You can use Phasic rounds, but the beauty of the SI is that he has Energy Drain, so Phasic rounds are not necessary. Disruptor rounds are great for Geth. Warp rounds are great for Reapers/Collectors, but I tend to save them for my biotic characters.
We all know and love/hate Tactical Cloak, so no need to explain why I take all damage evolutions, right?
Proximity Mine is used for boss-level enemies so that they can be taken down quicker. I almost always take the radius and damage taken evolution to debuff clusters of enemies. It makes for a great support power. For the SI, recharge speed is completely unnecessary when cast under TC because the TC recharge overrides Proxy Mine's recharge. Also, the damage evolution is negligible compared to 3 ranks in Fitness, so I skip evolution 6 of Proxy Mine altogether. For enemies that are hard to pin down like Phantoms and Banshees, use TC and Proxy Mine from a distance and they will engage their shields, forcing them to stand still for a moment. Free headshots.
As demonstrated by Caineghis.
What makes the SI a great sniper is Energy Drain, which helps to bypass enemy shield gate, which is a great hindrance to snipers. The damage and drain evolutions are there to restore your shields. The more damage you do with Energy Drain, the greater percentage of your shields are restored. However, I found the armor boost evolution to be more useful than the extra damage. Overall, I think 40% damage reduction for 10 seconds is going to keep you alive better than 40% extra damage. That's my experience, anyway.
In addition, it stuns lesser enemies (including Dragoons!) for a short time, letting you line up an easy headshot. It's also very useful as a survival tool against bosses and damage over time effects. Always keep an eye open for shields/barriers that can be leached.
For the passives, all weapon damage since your sniper rifle is your main focus. Then 3 ranks in Fitness for slightly better durability. I found this build to be much more durable than a pure damage build with no Fitness, and honestly the mediocre power damage bonuses are pretty negligible compared to added survivability.
The real key to this build is mastery of your sniper rifle. They require more aim than your other weapons, but they are very rewarding especially on Infiltrators. Practice practice practice. And use your sniper rifle rail amps!
That's about it for the guide. Wish I could put up a sniper rifle guide, but I'm not that good at sniping. Plus I'm a lowly console scrub, I couldn't possibly aim with those clunky thumbsticks. =)
Cheers, enjoy the build, stay classy.
-Grun7mas7er
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Bioware Announces Reckoning DLC
Details here.
Prepare for the Reckoning! Newfound allies join the multiplayer war for survival in Mass Effect 3: Reckoning. The Geth Juggernaut, Female Turian Raptor, Talon Mercenary, Alliance Infiltration Unit, and more take up arms to stop the Reaper threat. Smash your enemies with the Biotic Hammer as you lay waste to the battlefield as the Krogan Warlord.
Wield 7 new weapons for multiplayer, including the Geth Spitfire Assault Rifle, Venom Shotgun, Lancer Assault Rifle, and amplify your arsenal with new equipment and weapon mods featuring the Geth Scanner and Assault Rifle Ultralight Materials.
Mass Effect 3: Reckoning launches on February 27th worldwide on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, at no additional cost.
Pics!!! (Click to biggify)
Prepare for the Reckoning! Newfound allies join the multiplayer war for survival in Mass Effect 3: Reckoning. The Geth Juggernaut, Female Turian Raptor, Talon Mercenary, Alliance Infiltration Unit, and more take up arms to stop the Reaper threat. Smash your enemies with the Biotic Hammer as you lay waste to the battlefield as the Krogan Warlord.
Wield 7 new weapons for multiplayer, including the Geth Spitfire Assault Rifle, Venom Shotgun, Lancer Assault Rifle, and amplify your arsenal with new equipment and weapon mods featuring the Geth Scanner and Assault Rifle Ultralight Materials.
Mass Effect 3: Reckoning launches on February 27th worldwide on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, at no additional cost.
Pics!!! (Click to biggify)
Monday, February 11, 2013
Asari Justicar Adept: 200 Waves Edition
Hi everyone. It's been a while since I put a guide up. Recently I've been going for some challenges, doing Platinum runs, and saving up credits for the upcoming DLC. During this time I've had a chance to try out an offensive Asari Justicar build, and I have to say, I was pretty impressed by how well it worked out.
Asari Justicar
Biotic Sphere: 4-radius, 5-enemy weakness, 6-warp effect
Reave: 4-radius, 5-damage reduction, 6-damage & duration
Pull: N/A
Asari Justicar: 4-duration & capacity*, 5-headshots, 6-weapon damage
Fitness: 4-durability, 5-shield recharge, 6-fitness expert
Obviously, Warp ammo is excellent for this build, since it has synergy with biotic characters.
For your weapon, I recommend the Harrier because it's a great all-around weapon. It has damage, accuracy, and range. Not something you can say for most other weapons. I take the magazine upgrade for sustained fire against bosses, then I have the piercing mod for better armor damage and limited cover-piercing. While it is reasonable to take the high-velocity barrel, I find that it adds too much weight to be worth it.
I also take the Acolyte for shield-stripping duty. Your Harrier can take care of armor and barriers just fine with warp ammo. Regular shields are another story. The Acolyte is a great sidearm for Primes and Atlases. I use the heavy barrel for better damage, then the ultra-light materials to counter the additional weight.
You may also consider using the Hurricane instead of the Harrier. Most SMG attachments are useful on the Hurricane. However, for this build you should restrict your choices to magazine and barrel mods. Personally, I recommend using the high-velocity barrel for armor-piercing since you will never use AP ammo. Then I would take a magazine upgrade or heat sink, either one. Being able to fire for longer is extremely useful against tougher enemies. Practice using the Hurricane without the stability dampener. You're restricted to close range, but it's an SMG, it's built for close range. Learn when to hip fire and when to aim. If you would really really feel more comfortable with extra stability, use a Stabilization Module III instead of a Cyclonic Modulator and/or the Barrage Upgrade instead of the Expert Package/SMG Amp. Then slowly wean yourself off the stability training wheels and you'll do more damage.
Now of course this is more of a soldier than an adept, so you might say that it's the Harrier or Hurricane with Warp ammo IV doing all the work, and not the build itself. And I wouldn't really deny that. But in my experience, I've never played a more effective Justicar build than this. Take it how you will.
I used an offensive Biotic Sphere on this character. The most important parts are the enemy weakness and warp effect. Radius is just to expand these effects further -- 30% may not seem like much but if you've taken any math classes then you should know that even a small boost in radius increases the volume significantly. The 25% debuff is very powerful, especially when you set it in a choke point. The Warp effect is mainly to prime enemies with Warp, giving you the Warp ammo bonus. You can also trigger BEs on enemies in the bubble with Reave. But for the most part, you'll be using your gun to melt enemies within the bubble.
Reave offers a little bit of damage reduction when used against organic targets, and it also primes enemies for a Warp ammo damage bonus. The damage over time is also pretty useful for Phantoms, and it stacks on itself (up to three times, I've heard). You can use it to stun lesser enemies while you line up a shot or take cover. Other than that, you can use it for biotic combos. However, note that detonating a BE will remove the Warp effect, which in turn negates your Warp ammo bonus. You're better off letting the biotic effects persist while you shoot them with Warp ammo.
However, the Justicar is capable of one of the coolest combos in the game, in my opinion. I'm talking about the Reave-Biotic Sphere-Reave combo. First you prime the enemy with Reave, then run up and cast the bubble on them. After you have cast the bubble on them, they will be primed by the Warp effect, which can be detonated with another Reave. (Note that for Biotic Sphere, only your initial cast can trigger a tech or biotic combo. It will not work if you Reave them and then they walk into the bubble).
Pull can be used effectively with this character, but I don't bother with it because you end up relying on the Acolyte and that's not very fun.
For passives, I take all weapon bonuses except for duration & capacity, which gives you slightly better cooldown. I like having that because it reduces my cooldown to what I consider an 'acceptable' range, and the duration is pretty nice as well. Overall, I think the extra weapon damage would be better. I will probably switch between the two depending on what weapons I'm using. Lastly, bottom row for Fitness goes without saying.
That's about it for the build, everyone. Hope this was helpful, hope you enjoy it. Stay classy.
-Grun7mas7er
Asari JusticarBiotic Sphere: 4-radius, 5-enemy weakness, 6-warp effect
Reave: 4-radius, 5-damage reduction, 6-damage & duration
Pull: N/A
Asari Justicar: 4-duration & capacity*, 5-headshots, 6-weapon damage
Fitness: 4-durability, 5-shield recharge, 6-fitness expert
Obviously, Warp ammo is excellent for this build, since it has synergy with biotic characters.
For your weapon, I recommend the Harrier because it's a great all-around weapon. It has damage, accuracy, and range. Not something you can say for most other weapons. I take the magazine upgrade for sustained fire against bosses, then I have the piercing mod for better armor damage and limited cover-piercing. While it is reasonable to take the high-velocity barrel, I find that it adds too much weight to be worth it.
I also take the Acolyte for shield-stripping duty. Your Harrier can take care of armor and barriers just fine with warp ammo. Regular shields are another story. The Acolyte is a great sidearm for Primes and Atlases. I use the heavy barrel for better damage, then the ultra-light materials to counter the additional weight.
You may also consider using the Hurricane instead of the Harrier. Most SMG attachments are useful on the Hurricane. However, for this build you should restrict your choices to magazine and barrel mods. Personally, I recommend using the high-velocity barrel for armor-piercing since you will never use AP ammo. Then I would take a magazine upgrade or heat sink, either one. Being able to fire for longer is extremely useful against tougher enemies. Practice using the Hurricane without the stability dampener. You're restricted to close range, but it's an SMG, it's built for close range. Learn when to hip fire and when to aim. If you would really really feel more comfortable with extra stability, use a Stabilization Module III instead of a Cyclonic Modulator and/or the Barrage Upgrade instead of the Expert Package/SMG Amp. Then slowly wean yourself off the stability training wheels and you'll do more damage.
Now of course this is more of a soldier than an adept, so you might say that it's the Harrier or Hurricane with Warp ammo IV doing all the work, and not the build itself. And I wouldn't really deny that. But in my experience, I've never played a more effective Justicar build than this. Take it how you will.
I used an offensive Biotic Sphere on this character. The most important parts are the enemy weakness and warp effect. Radius is just to expand these effects further -- 30% may not seem like much but if you've taken any math classes then you should know that even a small boost in radius increases the volume significantly. The 25% debuff is very powerful, especially when you set it in a choke point. The Warp effect is mainly to prime enemies with Warp, giving you the Warp ammo bonus. You can also trigger BEs on enemies in the bubble with Reave. But for the most part, you'll be using your gun to melt enemies within the bubble.
Reave offers a little bit of damage reduction when used against organic targets, and it also primes enemies for a Warp ammo damage bonus. The damage over time is also pretty useful for Phantoms, and it stacks on itself (up to three times, I've heard). You can use it to stun lesser enemies while you line up a shot or take cover. Other than that, you can use it for biotic combos. However, note that detonating a BE will remove the Warp effect, which in turn negates your Warp ammo bonus. You're better off letting the biotic effects persist while you shoot them with Warp ammo.
However, the Justicar is capable of one of the coolest combos in the game, in my opinion. I'm talking about the Reave-Biotic Sphere-Reave combo. First you prime the enemy with Reave, then run up and cast the bubble on them. After you have cast the bubble on them, they will be primed by the Warp effect, which can be detonated with another Reave. (Note that for Biotic Sphere, only your initial cast can trigger a tech or biotic combo. It will not work if you Reave them and then they walk into the bubble).
Pull can be used effectively with this character, but I don't bother with it because you end up relying on the Acolyte and that's not very fun.
For passives, I take all weapon bonuses except for duration & capacity, which gives you slightly better cooldown. I like having that because it reduces my cooldown to what I consider an 'acceptable' range, and the duration is pretty nice as well. Overall, I think the extra weapon damage would be better. I will probably switch between the two depending on what weapons I'm using. Lastly, bottom row for Fitness goes without saying.
That's about it for the build, everyone. Hope this was helpful, hope you enjoy it. Stay classy.
-Grun7mas7er
Friday, February 1, 2013
31 January 2013 Patch Datamined
Greetings everyone. There have long been rumors of a so-called 'Reckoning DLC' coming to ME3 multiplayer, and with the patch yesterday, those rumors have been more or less confirmed. Dataminers peeked into the patch files and found some details that would make an elcor giddy with excitement.
http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/343/index/15753257/1#15753257.
http://www.clevernoob.com/forums/index.php?/topic/2703-datamining-todays-patch-dlc-info-incoming/
The details so far:
http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/343/index/15753257/1#15753257.
http://www.clevernoob.com/forums/index.php?/topic/2703-datamining-todays-patch-dlc-info-incoming/
The details so far:
- assault rifle, shotgun, and sniper rifle ultralight materials.
- "judging by the number of races in this DLC, there is a very high chance that this will have about the same number of characters as Retaliation if not more"
- "most of the recent single player DLC weapons are getting added to multiplayer"
- Co-op mode: "a multiplayer game mode that pulls your paragon/renegade values, reputation points and updates your plot progress from the single player campaign"
- Challenges for Blood Pack Punisher SMG, Venom Shotgun, ADAS rifle, and Executioner Pistol have been found.
- A file for Biotic Protector has been found (not known if it's for SP or MP).
- Chakram Launcher found.
My own speculation is that this is Bioware's last DLC, or last major DLC anyway. The game is nearly a year old, so I imagine that they need to move on to ME4. Retaliation was a big DLC, so I would think that this one will be even greater if Bioware wants ME3 to go out with a bang.
I also suspect that some of the new weapons will be nerfed based on some of the things I've heard, either right out of the gate or soon after. However, as Bioware is now doing balance changes less frequently, who knows what they will or will not balance.
The description of the co-op mode is a little sketchy, but it sounds interesting. I look forward to seeing how it plays out. And 'Biotic Protector' sounds like the Phantom/Banshee hand of denial. I don't know if it's a power, character, or something else, but that's what it makes me think of.
Finally, I suggest that everyone start saving up credits for the new DLC.
Thanks for reading. Stay classy.
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