Mass Effect classes and specializations

[Bwash]

I'm planning on installing Mass Effect again for another trilogy run, but I can't think of a class to play..

my last 2 were as soldier, and I really like it, access to all weapons and stuff was nice.
I want to try something different but having gotten used to being able to use all weapon types makes me hesitant to change it up..

question:
if I went Infiltrator or vanguard and later chose the specialization with soldier thrown in
do I get access to all weapons like soldier?

if I went soldier and later chose the Shock Trooper specialization (soldier/vanguard)
do I get access to biotic charge? (I've heard it's a broken and fun skill to use)

please note, I'm thinking of choosing something other than Soldier, but I don't really dig the idea of using nothing but pistols.
so all the pistol only classes are out the window

[FEZ. TF7]

The only bonus skill's you can choose in ME1 are what you've unlocked through the games achievements and you only get to pick one for each class and in ME2 you can only use one bonus skill which is unlocked through squad loyalty, in ME3 you get access to one bonus skill which you unlock through your squadmates

Pistols are the best weapon in ME1 and being as you've played through the game as a soldier you should have unlocked weapon powers for the other classes to use so if you choose to go with a pistol only class like the sentinal, engineer or adept then you'll get to use pistol's and whatever bonus weapon skill you've unlocked but you'll be using powers so one weapon isn't that bad really considering that from midgame ME1 onwards Adept's are probably the most powerful in the game series, Engineers come close to them in ME3

Specials like shocktrooper don't give you any bonus skills, they just ofer things like extra weapon damage/health, power cooldowns and so on

If you haven't unlocked all the power or weapon achievements in ME1 then you need to use a Engineer, Adept and Soldier to unlock them all

[Bwash]

so if I went Vanguard and chose assault rifle as a bonus talent, the only weapon I can't use would be snipers and smgs right?
if that was the case than I think I know what I'm gonna use, because I hardly ever used snipers or smgs anyway..
and biotic charge in ME2 sounds awesome..

if I recall correctly weapons locked for specific classes is not a thing in ME3 anymore right?
been 2 years since my last playthrough

[AbedsBrother]

Originally posted by Bwash:

if I recall correctly weapons locked for specific classes is not a thing in ME3 anymore right?

Correct. In ME3 you can carry whatever weapon you want. Heavier weapons will create longer cooldowns, though.

[DocStrangelove]

Originally posted by Bwash:

so if I went Vanguard and chose assault rifle as a bonus talent, the only weapon I can't use would be snipers and smgs right?
if that was the case than I think I know what I'm gonna use, because I hardly ever used snipers or smgs anyway..
and biotic charge in ME2 sounds awesome..

if I recall correctly weapons locked for specific classes is not a thing in ME3 anymore right?
been 2 years since my last playthrough

In ME1 there are no SMG's. You can use all weapons with all classes, but you'll suck with those that you can't specialise in.

If you have unlocked the respective bonus powers, you can pick one to get a total of 3 weapon specialisations, but you can't have 4 like soldier. And tbh I think investing skill points in 4 weapons is a waste of points because there's no need to use all. Especially I see no point in investing in both pistols and assault rifles.

These two classes are pretty much the opposite of each other. Infiltrator specialises in long range combat/sniping, Vanguard in close combat/shotguns. It's a very aggressive playstyle vs a more defensive one. That should be the central point of your decision. But both can do medium range with pistols.

If you like playing battlemage in Skyrim (right hand sword, left hand fireballs), then Vanguard is for you. If you prefer to be stealth archer, Infiltrator is probably your choice.

One thing to keep in mind is that Infiltrator has Decryption, with Vanguard you need to bring a squad member that has that power (Kaidan/Garrus/Tali). I actually prefer using squadmates for decryption because I can spend those skill points on something else instead. But as Infiltrator you have the choice.


In ME2, you can only use the respective weapons. You can't use other weapon types at all. It adds SMGs to both, so 3 weapon types + heavy weapons each. You will be able to choose one additional weapon type in the Collector Ship mission.

Most notably, it intensifies the aggressive vs defensive thing: Infiltrator gets stealth powers, Vanguard gets Biotic Charge that lets you go into close combat instantly from medium distance, knocking over your target.


In ME3, everyone can use any weapon type, but Vanguard has some skills that increase effectiveness with shotguns, likewise for Infiltrator with sniper rifles I think. Instead there's a weight limit system that makes your powers recharge more slowly the more weapon weight you carry. So you can choose if you want to focus on powers or on weapons, or a compromise in-between.


I first played soldier too, then Infiltrator, then Vanguard. Currently I'm doing an adept playthrough. I found Vanguard the most fun by far because it's intense action plus biotic powers. And biotic powers are one thing that make ME special, imo nothing beats sending people flying, ramming them, making them explode.

In ME3, with low weapon weight and maximum recharge speed, Vanguard becomes ultra-aggressive madness.

[Bwash]

Originally posted by DrStrangelove:

These two classes are pretty much the opposite of each other. Infiltrator specialises in long range combat/sniping, Vanguard in close combat/shotguns. It's a very aggressive playstyle vs a more defensive one. That should be the central point of your decision. But both can do medium range with pistols.

If you like playing battlemage in Skyrim (right hand sword, left hand fireballs), then Vanguard is for you. If you prefer to be stealth archer, Infiltrator is probably your choice.

One thing to keep in mind is that Infiltrator has Decryption, with Vanguard you need to bring a squad member that has that power (Kaidan/Garrus/Tali). I actually prefer using squadmates for decryption because I can spend those skill points on something else instead. But as Infiltrator you have the choice.


In ME2, you can only use the respective weapons. You can't use other weapon types at all. It adds SMGs to both, so 3 weapon types + heavy weapons each. You will be able to choose one additional weapon type in the Collector Ship mission.

This will be my 3rd trilogy run, and while the latest was 2 years ago I know that the moment I enter an area I will almost instantly remember WHAT will show up, and WHERE it will come from, and I'd like to see myself as an experience ME player so I don't think either playstyles will be a problem :)

to be honest, I've played both battlemage AND sneaky archer in skyrim (among other combos) and I was good at, and very much enjoyed both, so again, I don't think a different playstyle will really bother me, It was kinda just the weapons and some abilities I was worried about.

decryption is another point I was wondering about.
in my 2 playthroughs as a soldier (yes they were both soldier I know I'm boring :P)
i never really noticed/was bothered by locked doors and stuff.
does decryption allow you to open doors only techs can open?
or does decryption simply allow techs to open doors more easily?
I remember the fancy frogger hacking minigame, or am I confusing 2 things with each other?

so does that mean i won't be able to use assault rifles in ME2 regardless of bonus talents I pick?

at the moment my preference is leaning towards vanguard + assault rifles and later shock trooper

[FEZ. TF7]

Originally posted by Bwash:

so if I went Vanguard and chose assault rifle as a bonus talent, the only weapon I can't use would be snipers and smgs right?
if that was the case than I think I know what I'm gonna use, because I hardly ever used snipers or smgs anyway..
and biotic charge in ME2 sounds awesome..

if I recall correctly weapons locked for specific classes is not a thing in ME3 anymore right?
been 2 years since my last playthrough

waste of time having 3 weapons, the shotgun and pistol on vanguard is more than enough,

Instead of playing a vanguard on ME1 i recommend just picking a Adept and give them shotguns as a bonus power because it virtually renders the Vanguard Obsolete, the only difference here is Vanguards get medium armor, Immunity and more health, but adepts have a wider array of abilities, then when you import to ME2 change to Vanguard if you really want to use Biotic charge

In Mass Effect 2 if you have Kasumi dlc then you will most likely only use the Locust smg as it's porbably the all round best weapon in the game

Mass Effect 3 doesn't matter what weapon you use as the weapon type only affects cool down bonus

I just recently finished another trilogy Insanity run and in ME3 i only used the Bloodpack pistol, had something like 198% cool down at weapon level 5, obviously if i ran NG+ i could get that weapon to level 10 it would be a 200% coold down so i could carry another level 10 weapon like a Geth assault rifle and still have 200% cool down

Obviously is you use a heavy weapons like the widow, typhoon etc etc then your cool downs will be slower and this will hamper you power usage

EDIT, decryption and electronics allow you to open doors, containers etc etc so in ME1 its always good to have a party member with you on missions with master decryption and master electronics to be able to open/unlock everything unless you play a Engineer/Infiltrator then another squadmate with these abilities are not needed

[Bwash]

Originally posted by Sith Olus:

EDIT, decryption and electronics allow you to open doors, containers etc etc so in ME1 its always good to have a party member with you on missions with master decryption and master electronics to be able to open/unlock everything unless you play a Engineer/Infiltrator then another squadmate with these abilities are not needed

ok, but again, I don't really remember NOT being able to hack doors or containers and I always played Soldier before.
or is tech hacking and the circle rotation thingy not the same thing?

[FEZ. TF7]

Originally posted by Bwash:

Originally posted by Sith Olus:

EDIT, decryption and electronics allow you to open doors, containers etc etc so in ME1 its always good to have a party member with you on missions with master decryption and master electronics to be able to open/unlock everything unless you play a Engineer/Infiltrator then another squadmate with these abilities are not needed

ok, but again, I don't really remember NOT being able to hack doors or containers and I always played Soldier before.
or is tech hacking and the circle rotation thingy not the same thing?

that is the hacking mini game in mass effect 1, in ME2 you can hack and bypass doors right off the bat, in ME3 they done away with those mini games, but yeah in mass effect 1 the decrption and electronices skills allow you to unlock them so even if you played a soldier then Garrus, Kaiden and Tali cover both of those skills

[Bwash]

curses, I decided on a class to play and everything..

but now I have to choose:
do I play lame Male Shepard and romance my bae Tali?
or do I play awesome FemShep and romance my sidechick Liara?

CURSE YOU BIOWARE AND YOUR HETERO TALI'ZORAH

Edit:
Femshep beats Male shepard so Liara it is, sorry Tali

[DocStrangelove]

Think I confused something a bit with decryption. There's also electronics. They somehow allow you to unlock different stuff or something, but I don't know which does what. I think I always levelled both up in Garrus.