Powers

Using Powers: Press the buttons indicated on the power icons at the bottom right of your HUD to use those powers. Powers such as the biotic Lance require careful aim, but most automatically seek your current target (the enemy with a health bar displayed, also known as your “soft target”).

Assigning Powers: Powers can be assigned to different buttons on the Skills screen. The Skills screen also indicates which powers have a secondary functionality when the button is held down. For example, Pull can either levitate an enemy in place (button tap), or it can be used to bring the enemy toward you (button hold).

Recharge: Most powers require some recharge time after use. The remaining recharge time is marked on the power icons at the bottom right of your HUD and on the circular blue meters that surround your aiming reticle. Recharge speed is reduced when carrying heavy weapons (you can view a weapon’s weight in the inventory menu). Carrying multiple weapons can also drastically reduce your recharge speed. You can mitigate the weapon-encumbrance effect by investing in the Combat Fitness skill, along with skills that specifically reduce weapon encumbrance.

Power Cells: Powers such as Omni Grenade have no recharge time, but require the consumption of a disposable power cell (indicated by a number and icon at the bottom right of your HUD). Additionally, powers that consume a power cell on use generally have more impact in battle than those that don’t, with the drawback of being limited. Power cells can be recharged at ammo crates and forward stations.

Power Combos

The Power Combos mechanic from Mass Effect 3 returns in Mass Effect: Andromeda and functions similarly, using a priming and detonating system.

There are four types of combos: heat, cold, tech (electric), and biotic. Primed enemies are usually identifiable; enemies on fire, levitating in a mass effect field, or frozen are generally primed for detonation. Powers and power upgrades in the skills menu are marked with primer and detonator icons.

When a primed effect is detonated, the resulting combo type is determined by the primer type, and not the detonator. In Single-Player, combo use isn’t a necessity for the Normal difficulty setting, but its use is highly recommended (and practically necessary) for the two higher difficulties.

Note that power combos act as a “bonus” attack (a separate, extra source of damage, immediately following the detonator). They include unique effects, squeezing out more value from your precious power recharge times. All combo detonations are considered area-of-effect explosions.

Heat

Heat combos deal considerable incendiary damage, followed by a 10-second damage-over-time burning effect to all susceptible targets. The combined ignition and burn effect make heat combos the most damaging of all power combos.

Primers: Incendiary Ammo, Incinerate, Flamethrower, Assault Turret (Flamethrower)

Cold

Cold combo detonations inflict moderate damage, slowing all enemy movement in their blast radiuses. Additionally, armor-based enemies become brittle and take bonus damage while chilled.

Primers: Cryo Ammo, Cryo Beam, Assault Turret (Cryo Ammo)

Tech (Electric)

Tech combos are electrical in nature. The initial shock deals heavy damage to shielded enemies, but only minor damage to normal and armor health. They also leave a disruptive electrical cage in the area, dealing additional damage over time while stunning enemies in range.

Primers: Disruptor Ammo, Barricade (Electric Defense), Trip Mine (EMP), Tactical Cloak (Disrupting Strike), Energy Drain (Extended Drain), Remnant VI (Electric Beam)

Biotic

Biotic combos are straightforward, causing no lingering effects. These combos simply deal a one-time burst of damage (albeit the highest of all initial damage). However, the Containment passive skill can be upgraded to add a knockdown effect, and the Adept profile enhances biotic combos with extra area-of-effect explosions on each target hit by the initial biotic combo.

Primers: Annihilation, Pull, Throw (Duration), Shockwave (Lifting Shockwave), Singularity, Nova (Seismic Nova)

Detonators

Energy Drain, Remnant VI (Detonating Missiles), Concussive Shot, Trip Mine (Detonator), Charge, Lance, Shockwave, Throw, Overload, Incinerate (Detonator)