The Enhanced Defense Intelligence, or EDI, serves as an information source and cyberwarfare defense system on the rebuilt Normandy SR-2. The ship’s crew can access EDI at any terminal or through radio contact.
During an attack from a Collector vessel, pilot Jeff “Joker” Moreau gave EDI full access to the Normandy’s systems, allowing the ship to escape.
Although EDI retains the control that Moreau gave her, she is usually content to advise the organic crew members who fly and maintain the ship.
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TACTICAL ROLE
EDI is a tactical specialist. With her affinity for tech power damage and skills like Decoy, EDI can both distract and disable enemies.
She’s also effective as a damage dealer. In fact, her passive power helps increase her damage output to tech and power-based attacks.
EDI’s most valuable skill, however, is Decoy. Powers like Overload and Incinerate are great to use against enemies, but Decoy, a power that is unique to her, essentially creates another soldier on the squad.
At lower levels, Decoy can simply distract, but after being upgraded to Rank 5a and 6a, it can also inflict damage on enemies, functioning similarly to an Engineer’s drone.
She’s capable of carrying SMGs and pistols, so she won’t excel in heavy weapon fire. Her focus is on powers and power damage.
While EDI may not be built for tanking, her skill set makes her a wonderful comrade to have along for missions that will require heavy tactical maneuvers.
POWERS
INCINERATE
Burn your opponents and incinerate their armor. Heavy damage to health and armor. Make an enemy panic, stopping health regeneration.
Ranks 1 to 3 Analysis
Incinerate is one of EDI’s most destructive powers. Because it can function as both a source and a detonator power, it is always a good idea to upgrade this to at least Rank 3.
That way, EDI can create explosive combinations with other team members. Of course, you can also use it as a destructive, stand-alone power. If that’s your goal, don’t stop upgrading at Rank 3.
Rank 4 Analysis
Rank 4 Analysis To increase the damage output of Incinerate up to 450 points of damage, select Rank 4a. The 30 percent increase is substantial enough to take down lesser enemies while inflicting large amounts of damage on tougher foes.
Your other option is to increase the impact radius of Incinerate in order to scorch more enemies with every blast.
Your choice here should depend on whether you want EDI to be a main damage-dealer or to complement the rest of the squad by softening multiple enemies at once.
Rank 5 Analysis
Players hoping to maximize Incinerate’s damage potential should invest in Rank 5a, Burning Damage. This upgrade increases the damage over time and burns enemies past the initial impact of the shot.
When coupled with Incendiary Ammo or other detonator powers, this combination can lead to dazzling explosive results. Your other option at Rank 5 is to increase the recharge speed of Incinerate.
This will allow EDI to use Incinerate more often in battle and make her a deadly weapon, especially in squads with Biotic specialists.
Rank 6 Analysis
An ironic power upgrade, Rank 6a increases damage to frozen and chilled targets by an additional 100 percent. So if you frequently use squadmates with Cryo Ammo or Cryo Blast, select this rank upgrade to complement their powers.
If you don’t frequently use those freezing skills, then don’t waste precious upgrade points on Rank 6a. Instead, use those points on Rank 6b and gain a very useful damage increase to armored targets.
OVERLOAD
Overload electronics with this power surge, stunning your enemy. It is effective against shields, barriers, and synthetics but not as effective against organics.
Ranks 1 to 3 Analysis
By far one of the most useful powers against synthetics, Overload can temporarily fry electrical equipment like turrets and can singe synthetic foes.
At Ranks 1 through 3, you gain a standard recharge speed and damage increase, so you could stop upgrading at Rank 3 if you don’t plan on making Overload an integral part of EDI attack arsenal.
However, during missions where you encounter geth or other synthetic opponents, EDI can still prove to be very useful.
Rank 4 Analysis
If you do make Overload a more integral part of EDI’s attack arsenal, then consider upgrading Rank 4a. This will increase the amount of targets she can affect by one.
So instead of overloading only one enemy at a time, she can stun multiple enemies with each Overload blast. Rank 4b is a standard damage increase. Select this if you want her to focus more dealing damage to individual enemies.
Rank 5 Analysis
At Rank 5, you gain the option to stun organic foes as well as synthetics.
The Neural Shock ability will expand EDI’s role across a number of missions since her Overload power will no longer be effective against synthetic targets alone.
Rank 5b increases Overload’s recharge speed, allowing her to use the skill more frequently in battle.
The trade-off between Ranks 5a and 5b are simple; if you want to use EDI against more varied types of enemies, select 5a. If you want to use her more frequently in battle to stun enemies en masse, select Rank 5b.
Rank 6 Analysis
Like Rank 4a, Rank 6a will increase how many targets EDI can reach with an Overload blast by one and will increase the damage it inflicts by 15%.
The choice is simple; if you selected Rank 4a, make the same selection here and she will be able to stun small groups of enemies with one Overload blast.
Not only will she incapacitate more enemies at once, but you’ll expend less power to do it. At Rank 6b, you can increase the damage dealt to barriers and shields, making EDI extremely effective against all shielded foes.
DEFENSE MATRIX (UNIQUE)
Reinforce armor with protective Foucault currents. Purge the currents to restore shields. Slow power use.
Ranks 1 to 3 Analysis
Just as its name implies, this power grants EDI an increase in defensive capabilities. When active, Defense Matrix increases the recharge speed, damage reduction, and shield restoration for EDI’s armor.
At Rank 3, the recharge speed drops to 16 seconds while shield restoration increases to 70 percent. This power is especially useful because it can increase the amount of damage EDI can sustain during battle and allow her to use other powers as well.
Rank 4 Analysis
At Rank 4, you can choose to either increase your Shield Bonus to 100 percent (4b) or increase the durability of her shields to reduce damage (4a).
While both sound like they do the same thing, Rank 4a is used to lower the amount of damage EDI incurs across the board.
Rank 4b allows EDI to restore her shields to 100 percent as soon as her armor is purged, making her nearly indestructible on the battlefield...as long as she can get behind cover.
Rank 5 Analysis
By selecting Rank 5a, you can increase the recharge rate of EDI’s shields. The extra 15 percent may not sound like much, but in a heated firefight, few things are more important than the ability to regenerate your shields before the opponent.
Rank 5b, the Power Synergy upgrade, increases the damage of EDI’s other tech powers, like Overload, by 25 percent when Defense Matrix is active.
Select this upgrade option if you want EDI to become a fierce tech power specialist.
Rank 6 Analysis
The final upgrade for EDI’s Defense Matrix gives you the choice to either increase how quickly your powers recharge (6a) or lower the amount of damage you can take (6b).
If you chose Rank 4a, then select Rank 6b here to maximize EDI’s toughness.
Otherwise, you can never go wrong by selecting Rank 6a. If EDI is going to use a lot of powers and lend a hand with power combinations, then select Rank 6a.
DECOY
Distract opponents with this decoy.
Ranks 1 to 3 Analysis
Decoy is EDI’s valuable unique power. When upgraded to Rank 3, you gain another member on the battlefield.
The decoy won’t be able to fight back or stun enemies, but with nearly 20 seconds of life and 1,000 points of shields, EDI’s decoy can do exactly what you need it to: draw away enemy fire and flush enemies out of cover.
Even if you don’t plan on using EDI often, invest the six points required for these first three ranks. You’ll be glad you did.
Rank 4 Analysis
At Rank 4, you have a very tough decision to make. You can either grant the decoy an extra six seconds of life or 400 points of shield protection.
Both can result in a very effective decoy, but your ultimate decision should be based on what role you want EDI and her decoy to take in missions.
If you frequently use a squad whose members have low health and shields and no tank, then select Rank 4b.
The higher shield rating will allow the decoy to take more damage up front and last long enough to occasionally take the brunt of attacks.
If you want a simple decoy that can distract multiple enemies for a prolonged amount of time, select Rank 4a.
Rank 5 Analysis
At Rank 5a, you can add the decoy’s first offensive ability—Shock. While deployed, the decoy will not only absorb damage and distract enemies, but also shock enemies within a 2.5-meter radius.
This may not inflict a lot of damage, but if the enemies nearby are stunned, then they can’t attack the decoy or your squad; therefore, the decoy will last a bit longer, and your squad can get the jump on stunned foes.
Rank 5b decreases the recharge speed for the Decoy ability to 10 seconds. That means that you can deploy it every 10 seconds and confuse enemies at nearly every turn.
Rank 6 Analysis
At Decoy’s final Rank upgrade, you must choose whether to add a second offensive ability (6a), an explosion, or increase its shields and duration on the battlefield (6b).
Offensive-minded commanders should select Rank 6a. After all, the explosion can inflict 300 points of damage on all nearby foes within four meters!
Commanders who rely a bit more on special tactical maneuvers like flanking and leapfrogging will appreciate having the decoy last a bit longer during battle.
After all, if you chose Rank 4a, then Rank 6b will increase duration to 33 seconds. If you selected Rank 4b, then Rank 6b will increase the decoy’s shields to 1,900 points.
UNSHACKLED AI
Boost power damage, shields and barriers, and health.
Ranks 1 to 3 Analysis
Unshackled AI is great tech passive power capable of making EDI tougher defensively and offensively.
At Ranks 1 through 3, EDI will have a health and shield increase of 30 percent and a power damage bonus of 60 percent, making her tougher to damage and more dangerous when using powers.
Rank 4 Analysis
Increase EDI’s power damage even more by selecting Rank 4a. This will bump her power damage bonus to 80 percent and make powers like Incinerate or Overload all the more effective.
If you prefer a more defensive approach, select Rank 4b instead.
Doing so will increase her health and shield bonus to 50 percent. The choice should hinge on whether you plan on using EDI as a tactical specialist or a tech power maven.
Rank 5 Analysis
Both Rank 5 upgrades increase EDI’s damage potential. Rank 5a will augment your weapon damage by 20 percent. Rank 5b will increase all tech damage by 30 percent.
This should be a simple decision. If you use EDI primarily for her tech powers, then select Rank 5b. Otherwise, a 20 percent increase to weapon damage can be helpful in any mission.
Rank 6 Analysis
The final two upgrade options can either grant the squad a tech power damage and duration bonus (6a) or decrease EDI’s shield recharge delay (6b).
Rank 6a, the squad bonus, is great for players who employ tech-heavy teams. Choose this upgrade option to bolster squads that frequently feature EDI, Tali, and Engineer Shepards. Otherwise, select Rank 6b.
After all, EDI can always benefit from increased shield recharging.
BUILD OPTIONS
TECH POWER SPECIALIST
- Incinerate: 4a, 5a, 6b
- Overload: 4b, 6b
- Defense Matrix: 5b, 6a
- Unshackled AI: 4a, 5b, 6a
Given her synthetic nature, it’s no surprise that EDI might have a predisposition toward tech powers like Overload and Defense Matrix.
Better yet, her passive skill, Unshackled AI, can be upgraded toward augmenting tech powers as a whole. The final Rank upgrade even has an option to increase your squad’s tech power damage and duration.
Use source powers like Overload or Incinerate to set up deadly explosions, while Defense Matrix supplements EDI’s shields and augments tech power damage.
TACTICAL SPECIALIST
- Incinerate: 4a, 5a, 6b
- Overload: 4a, 5a, 6a
- Defense Matrix: 4a, 6b
- Decoy: 4a, 5a, 6a or 6b
- Unshackled AI: 4b, 6a
EDI can also use her unique Decoy power to facilitate a multitude of useful tactics on the battlefield. When deployed, EDI’s Decoy can do anything from distract foes to stun them.
While the decoy is active, the entire squad can benefit from its presence. However, Decoy isn’t the only useful tactical power.
Rely heavily on EDI’s Overload power to stun multiple foes, and free other squad members to execute useful tactical maneuvers.
When upgraded properly, EDI can become a one-person flank or bait for flushing out enemies.
ROMANCE
EDI is not a romantic option for Commander Shepard. She can, however, engage Joker in a relationship with Shepard’s helpful counsel.