Tali’Zorah

Tali’Zorah, a quarian machinist, was born in 2161 on the liveship Rayya.

During her Pilgrimage—a rite of passage in which quarians prove their worth to the fleet—she recovered a geth memory core that proved a rogue Spectre, Saren Arterius, was working with the geth.

Consequently, Tali’Zorah became a crew member of the SSV Normandy , where she served under Commander Shepard during the Battle of the Citadel.

Tali’Zorah returned to the Migrant Fleet following the destruction of the first Normandy.

Soon after, the Admiralty Board sent her to the former quarian colony of Haestrom to recover data on the planet’s dying sun.

Most of her team was killed when they fell under attack from the geth, but Tali’Zorah was narrowly rescued by Shepard and the crew of the rebuilt Normandy.

The quarian rejoined Shepard to help oppose the Collector threat, but her current whereabouts are unknown.

TACTICAL ROLE

Tali’s weapon arsenal is limited to a shotgun and a pistol. This combination of raw destructive power and precision shooting is the perfect example of Tali’s range of potential.

Her disruptive powers make her a skilled crowd-control specialist. Use powers like Sabotage and both drone powers to disrupt enemy movements and force them to bend to your will.

For example, if you want a pesky Guardian to turn around and give you its vulnerable side, assign a combat or defense drone to the Guardian and it will appear behind the guarded enemy.

When it does, the Guardian will turn around and expose its back. Other benefits to drone use are obvious, as drones will frequently flush out enemies from behind cover and even chase them around corners and other cover.

With skills like Energy Drain and Sabotage, Tali can weaken foes and turn enemies into allies. Between her ability to summon drones and recruit enemies, assigning Tali to your squad is like assigning three extra damage dealers.

POWERS

COMBAT DRONE

Deploy this attack drone to stun targets and draw enemy fire.

Ranks 1 through 3 Analysis

Combat Drone is one of Tali’s most useful powers. With it she can summon a drone capable of distracting and destroying foes at higher Ranks.

At Ranks 1 through 3, the combat drones won’t inflict much damage on foes, but it will serve as a worthwhile complement to any squad.

After all, even though it won’t dish out much damage, it will absorb up to 650 points of damage. That’s 650 points of damage that you or your squadmates won’t have to incur.

Rank 5 Analysis

Another upgrade to shields and damage, Rank 5b can maximize the drone’s damage at 88 points per attack and an impressive 1,100 to shields—that is, of course, only if you chose Rank 4a.

With 1,100 to shields, the combat drone will sustain an impressive amount of damage and stay longer on the battlefield.

Your other option is to add a Shock ability to the combat drone’s arsenal. With it, the drone can deal even more damage (adding 170 points of damage), and stun foes for a short period of time.

Rank 4 Analysis

Rank 4a increases the drone’s damage output and shields, meaning it can inflict more damage while taking more damage.

This upgrade is worthwhile in all cases, whether you’re using the Combat Drone as a defensive decoy or as a damage-dealing complement to your squad.

If you want to use the drone as more of an offensive weapon, then select Rank 4b. This adds a detonate ability to the drone to make it blow up when destroyed and inflict up to 156 more points of damage on foes up to 5 meters.

Rank 6 Analysis

The final two upgrade options for the combat drone are both offensive abilities.

Rank 6a adds rockets to a potentially already lethal weapon. Each rocket will inflict 220 points of damage on top of the drone’s base damage (or augmented damage if you upgraded Ranks 4a and 5b).

Another useful upgrade for players who want Tali to become a drone/damage-dealing specialist.

SABOTAGE

Sabotage weapons and hack synthetics. Compromised synthetics fight on your side. Affected weapons overheat.

Ranks 1 through 3 Analysis

Sabotage is a useful skill whenever facing synthetic life-forms like the geth. With it, Tali can overwrite their programming and turn enemies into allies.

While this is already extremely effective in evening things out, the added explosive backfire can also help dwindle enemy numbers.

At Rank 3, Sabotage can impact enemies within a 3.25-meter radius and hack them for 12 seconds.

Rank 4 Analysis

At Rank 4, you can choose to either increase how long enemies remain hacked (Rank 4a) or how much damage they cause enemies when their weapons explode (Rank 4b).

Make your selection here based on Tali’s eventual role in combat. If you want her to be a crowd-controlling tech maven, select Rank 4a.

This will keep the drones in the field longer and allow you to control your foes. If you want Tali to concentrate on damage-dealing, then select Rank 4b, Backfire.

This will increase the amount of damage enemies sustain to 195 points of damage.

Rank 5 Analysis

Rank 5 has two more upgrades similar to Rank 4. Here, however, choose Rank 5b to increase Sabotage’s recharge speed. By doing so, Sabotage will be ready for use in under 11 seconds.

This may seem like a long time, but when the effect lasts 12 seconds, the benefits are clear: You’ll be ready to launch another Sabotage attack before the first one completely wears off.

If you choose Rank 5a, then Sabotage will gain an explosive hack upgrade.

Affected synthetics will explode at the end of the hack and inflict an additional 120 points of damage to enemies within a three-meter radius.

If you want to concentrate on dealing damage, select Rank 5a—the added damage is worthwhile.

Rank 6 Analysis

The final upgrade selection for Sabotage can either bolster your hacked allies (Rank 6a) or increase all Tech damage done to the affected enemy for 10 seconds (Rank 6b).

If you want to use all hacked enemies as long as possible and turn them on their comrades, then select Berserk (Rank 6a). This will turn hacked foes into formidable allies.

Otherwise, select Rank 6b, Tech Vulnerability, to increase the amount of damage Tali can inflict.

This is best for players who don’t want to bother with crowd control and instead want to focus on damage-dealing.

ENERGY DRAIN (UNIQUE)

Hit an enemy with this energy pulse to inflict damage and to steal barrier and shield power.

Ranks 1 through 3 Analysis

Energy Drain is a vampiric power that allows Tali to syphon away energy from a target and bolster her own shields.

By doing so, Tali not only weakens foes for you and the squad to eliminate, but she also increases her durability on the battlefield.

At Rank 3, this is a great power for players who want Tali to focus on damage-dealing.

Rank 4 Analysis

At Rank 4a, Energy Drain increases in damage potential, as it inflicts 330 points of damage on the targeted foe. The effects of this upgrade option are obvious, so select this if you want to focus on damage.

Rank 4b increases its radius to three meters. This will affect more nearby enemies and weaken them in small groups for the rest of the squad to finish off.

Rank 5 Analysis

While Rank 4 can affect two of Energy Drain’s four facets (damage or radius), Rank 5 can affect one of the remaining two facets: recharge speed or shields restored.

Rank 5b affects Energy Drain’s recharge speed, making it possible to use more frequently in battle. This is a simple upgrade option if you want Tali to rely heavily on Energy Drain.

If you select Rank 5a, Energy Drain becomes more efficient by restoring more of your shields while draining enemies. This will result in a direct increase in Tali’s durability.

Rank 6 Analysis

The final upgrade selections also give you an offense or defense choice. Rank 6a increases Energy Drain’s damage output significantly, raising Energy Drain’s damage output to a potential 418 if you also chose Rank 4a.

By selecting Rank 6b, armor boost, you can further increase Tali’s durability on the battlefield.

This is helpful for people who want to use Tali for more tactical maneuvers that may require more time spent running around the battlefield.

DEFENSE DRONE (UNIQUE)

Deploy this holographic drone to electrocute enemies within its firing range.

Ranks 1 through 3 Analysis

Like Combat Drone, Defense Drone is an extremely versatile power capable of being upgraded to complement several different types of play styles. But don’t let the name fool you.

Just because it’s a defensive drone doesn’t mean that it doesn’t inflict damage.

It’s not as effective as a combat drone at inflicting damage, but it will stun foes and serve as a distraction for lesser enemies.

If nothing else, upgrade this power to Rank 3 to create a lure or disruptive force on the battlefield for enemies.

Even if it can only inflict 32.5 points of damage (up to Rank 3), its benefits will far outweigh its limitations.

Rank 4 Analysis

Rank 4a will increase the drone’s duration on the battlefield.

The obvious benefit is that you’ll have a fourth “member” on your squad capable of dealing damage, stunning enemies, and most importantly, at this rank, absorbing damage in place of your crew.

If you want to increase how far the drone can attack enemies, then select Rank 4b.

This will increase its range up to seven meters, meaning it can stay farther from the enemy but still stun them. This is especially helpful when trying to flush out enemies from behind cover or around corners.

Rank 5 Analysis

When deciding on Rank 5 upgrades, base your decision on whether you want the drone to attack more frequently (Rank 5a) or more powerfully (Rank 5b).

Drones that attack more frequently can be especially more useful when facing large groups since they’ll be able to attack more enemies in less time.

If you want to focus the drone’s abilities on strict damage power (and range), then select Rank 5b. This will maximize the drone’s damage output to 45 per blast.

This may not sound like much, but when the blast also has the added ability to stun foes, it’s more than sufficient in battle.

Rank 6 Analysis

At the final rank, your defense drone can gain the ability to damage multiple targets per blast with a Chain Lightning upgrade (Rank 6b). If you want to use Tali as a Tech crowd-control expert, make this selection.

With it, the defense drone will assault multiple enemies within a close proximity, up to 10 meters if you chose both damage and range upgrades (Ranks 4b and 5b).

Rank 6a adds a 30 percent chance to knock down electrocuted enemies. This is also helpful in crowd-control. The longer an enemy is stunned or grounded, the less opportunities it will have to attack.

QUARIAN MACHINIST (UNIQUE)

Boost power recharge speed, shields/barriers, and health.

Ranks 1 through 3 Analysis

Quarian Machinist is a great Tech passive power capable of making Tali tougher defensively and offensively.

At Ranks 1 through 3, she will have a health and shield increase of 30 percent and a power recharge speed bonus of 60 percent, making her tougher to damage and more dangerous when using powers.

Rank 4 Analysis

At Rank 4a, you can increase Tali’s power recharge speed. This is especially useful if you want to make her an efficient power damage dealer or if you want her to use drones often while in battle.

By selecting Rank 6a, you’ll increase her power recharge speed to 100 percent, making it a difficult upgrade choice to pass up.

Your other choice is to bolster her health and shields (Rank 6b). Select this option if you want to make her a tougher squadmate.

Rank 5 Analysis

Both Rank 5 upgrades will decide whether Tali will become a weapon specialist (Rank 5a) or will rely on Tech powers like drones (Rank 6b).

If you plan on making Tali a drone specialist, select Rank 5b. This will make your drones extra effective in combat.

Rank 6a, while useful when using shotguns, is a straightforward weapon damage upgrade.

Rank 6 Analysis

Base your decision for the final upgrade on whether you want Tali to rely on her drones primarily. The Drone Specialist upgrade (Rank 6b) will increase the recharge speed of your drone powers by 50 percent.

So if you’ve upgraded both drone powers to at least Rank 2, then each power will recharge in less than 5 seconds.

And since each drone power will last over 10 seconds, this makes for great potential drone usage on the battlefield.

The alternative (Rank 6a) grants your squad a recharge speed increase to their Tech powers. Select this if you use crew members like EDI frequently.

BUILD OPTIONS

TECH CROWD CONTROL

Energy Drain: 4b, 5a

Sabotage: 4a, 6a

Combat Drone: 5a, 6b

Defense Drone: 4b, 5a, 6a

Quarian Machinist: 6b

Many of Tali’s powers are designed to stun, slow, or otherwise disrupt enemies.

While this may not inflict as much damage on foes as fully maxed-out damage upgrades, it will allow the rest of your squad to execute important tactical maneuvers or overwhelm affected foes with attacks.

Use powers like Energy Drain to weaken rivals, Sabotage to turn them into allies, and drones to stun or direct foes where you want them to go.

Some enemies can even be distracted enough to give you their back, making them most vulnerable to attack.

DRONE/DAMAGE SPECIALIST

Energy Drain: 4a, 5a, 6a

Sabotage: 5a, 6a

Combat Drone: 4b, 5b, 6a

Defense Drone: 4b, 5b, 6b

Quarian Machinist: 5a, 6b

If you want to make the most use out of Tali’s two drone abilities, select Quarian Machinist’s drone-specific upgrade, Drone Specialist.

It will increase both drone powers’ recharge speed, making them more easily deployable in battle.

For Defense Drone, take every opportunity to increase its range and power, then select Chain Lightning. Combat Drone, however, will be Tali’s go-to power.

Give it both additional bonus powers—Detonate and Rockets—and Tali will be able to maximize drone damage in any situation.

ROMANCE

If a male Shepard romanced Tali in Mass Effect 2 , he has the option to continue the relationship.

KEY CONVERSATIONS

Tali has a personal moment with Shepard upon first boarding the Normandy with the rest of the quarian delegation.

In that conversation, Shepard can make it clear that he still has feelings for her.

Doing so does not lock Shepard into a relationship (and is not required to continue the relationship), but it does lead to more intimate dialogue between Shepard and Tali during the mission on the geth Dreadnought, “Priority: Rannoch.”

KEY MOMENT

Tali asks Shepard to call her up to the cabin sometime during the war against the geth.

When Shepard does, she talks about her fears for her people, then asks Shepard whether he wants to continue the relationship, giving Shepard the chance to commit.

This conversation is only available before Shepard goes down to Rannoch to destroy the Reaper base.

If Shepard does not call her up to the cabin before then, he loses the chance to continue his relationship with her.

OTHER CONVERSATIONS

During the geth campaign, Shepard can find Tali on the Citadel arguing with a turian diplomat. Take one side or the other to help settle the dispute.

After the campaign is over, Shepard can find Tali working in a diplomatic capacity to coordinate the quarian fleet’s efforts to help other races.

If you go to the Normandy lounge after completing the mission on Sanctuary, you will find a very drunk Tali either mourning Miranda or celebrating her victory over her father.

At other points after the geth campaign, Shepard can find Tali in Engineering, either talking over the radio to Garrus and other old friends or bantering with the Normandy engineers.

While none of this is critical, it gives a nice small look into Tali’s daily life.