Weapons and Armor

When a peaceful resolution to a problem cannot be reached, then you must resort to violence. There are many conventional weapons you can use in battles, but not every squad member can use all of the weapons.

When you chose your class, you saw that you were limited to specific weapons (although you can acquire weapons training while on a specific mission near the halfway point of the story).

Team members must follow the same rules.

There are several weapon classes available to you and your team, with at least two weapon variations in each class:

• Assault Rifles: These automatic weapons strike a good balance between stopping power and accuracy. Assault rifles are commonly used by soldiers, but you can train Shepard on this weapon if the commander selects a different class.
• Heavy Pistols: These handguns are all-purpose weapons that are effective even at long range. They are the most accurate and powerful weapons outside of sniper rifles Heavy pistol clips are small, though, and need to be reloaded often.
• Shotguns: Shotguns are brute force weapons that deal tremendous damage at close range. They may have a slow rate of fire, but if a shell is delivered point blank, you may need only one squeeze of the trigger.
• Submachine Guns: Submachine guns benefit from a fast rate of fire that can chew up a target’s armor or shields. However, submachine guns are the least accurate of all weapons.
• Sniper Rifles: Sniper rifles combine long-range killing power with lethal accuracy. The trade-off is that they have a slower rate of fire.
• Heavy Weapons: If enemy strength is the question, heavy weapons are the answer. This class of weapon delivers incredible firepower, but ammo is very limited. You must constantly seek out power cells to replenish heavy weapons.

Call up the Weapon Wheel to select the current weapons for you and your squad. Monitor the situation and adjust for the enemy.

All weapons can overheat after firing multiple times. When a weapon overheats, you must switch to another or rely on alternative attacks, such as biotic powers or melee strikes.

There is a universal thermal clip that all weapons except heavy weapons use.

You will spot thermal clips on your missions on shelves or desks—look for the reflection of the clip in the light to easily spot them in intense situations. Fallen enemies also drop thermal clips.

When you pick up a thermal clip, all weapons are partially replenished, not just the weapon you are holding.

Aside from thermal clips, some squad members, including you, have special ammunition they can use that has an added benefit, such as fire damage, or is powerful against a specific type of enemy.

Here are the six different ammunition types you can use:

Armor-Piercing Ammo: This round cuts through armor so you can deliver the killing shot.

Cryo Ammo: Multiple shots with cryo ammo slowly freeze an enemy. Frozen enemies take more physics damage from melee attacks, but they cannot take more damage from weapon attacks or most powers.

Incendiary Ammo: Incendiary ammo catches a target on fire, doing damage beyond the initial shot. Synthetic enemies such as mechs do not suffer from the extra effects of incendiary ammo.

Disruptor Ammo: This class of ammunition is strong against shields and synthetic enemies, such as mechs and geth.

Shredder Ammo: Shredder ammunition rips through organic enemies, doing extra damage. No extra damage is done against synthetics.

Warp Ammo: Warp ammo transforms biotic energy into heavier damage against barriers and armor.

Arsenal

Heavy Pistols

Submachine Guns

Assault Rifles

Shotguns

Sniper Rifles

Heavy Weapons

Armor

When you begin your mission, you are given standard-issue Cerberus N7 armor. While it’s effective in battle, there are better pieces of armor you can acquire while traveling across the galaxy.

Each piece of armor, such as a helmet or gauntlets, offers a special benefit. These benefits include special protection from incoming fire, increased accuracy for headshots, or extra health.

The effects of the armor are only available when that piece of armor is in use. You may not stack multiple pieces of armor in the same category; for example, you cannot wear two chest plates at the same time.

Use the locker in your private quarters aboard the Normandy to change out your armor after acquiring new pieces.

Here is a full list of armor options available to you, including the effects of each piece of armor, and where to acquire it:

Helmet

Chest

Shoulders

Arms

Legs

In addition to swappable pieces of armor, there are special armor sets that have unique properties: