Mass Effect 2: Shotgun Heavy Soldier Guide (by ryoldschool with contributions)
Oct 22, 2016 15:24:57 GMT
Post by RedCaesar97 on Oct 22, 2016 15:24:57 GMT
ATTENTION: This guide wasMass Effect 2: Shotgun Heavy Soldier Guide (by ryoldschool with contributions) originally posted by ryoldschool on the old BioWare Social Network (BSN) forums. I am copying it here so it does not disappear when the old BSN forums shut down.
This post is my suggested build for a Shotgun-Heavy soldier. I would suggest this build to somebody who wants to try a different playstyle with soldier instead of sniper-soldier (for a good guide for soldier as sniper see this post by ezrafetch). There was another thread posted that was about a Claymore Soldier by IMNWME here. That thread had good discussion, but not a lot of videos, plus it mainly concerned using the Claymore. I finally got so I could do the reload trick with the Claymore. So, I went back to the Claymore soldier and gave it a try.
The key to this strategy is to learn when to storm closer to the enemy so that you can activate Adrenaline Rush and deliver a killing blow, then park somewhere in cover. This is similar to vanguard, except no charge (and no shield refresh). The build depends on high weapon damage for the shotguns to break through protections to yield ammo effects. Shotguns are the best weapons to generate an ammo effect because of the way that ammo damage calls are made. Both the Eviscerator and Claymore have eight pellets per shot. The ammo damage calls treat each pellet as an event – so if the first 5 pellets destroy the protection (ammo power doing nothing for those pellets) the other three will give the ammo effect on the unprotected target.
The Eviscerator early in the game is similar to the Claymore performance (high damage, slow rate of fire, capable of ammo effects and one-hit-kills with Arush), so I used that before I could get the Claymore.
The Basics.
Leveling:
(1) Max Arush ( heightened for 140% weapon damage )
(2) Max Passive ( commando – 15% weapon damage )
(3) Max Incendary Ammo
(4) Whatever you want after that, I go for squad cryo
Squad:
Miranda – Max her passive for 15% weapon damage first
Jacob and Grunt – max out their incendiary ammo to squad ammo so you can use them as soon as possible. Once you get inferno ammo its not as important to have them along.
Equipment:
Head – visor for 10% headshot damage
Shoulders – N7 armor – 3% weapon damage
Chest – Kestral – 5% weapon damage
Arms – Kestral 3%, then stabilization gauntlets from Omega Markets ( after Collector Ship ) 5%
Legs – 10% storm speed
Wherever possible I only used the shotgun (to try to illustrate the strategy) but some places you are really better off using an assault rifle or sniper rifle. I recruited Grunt before Garrus so I’m using the mattock on Korlus, but after I get the vindicator I always use that (because folk will discount anything posted with a soldier using the Mattock.
((( Note from RedCaesar97: Unfortunately, ryoldschool deleted all his videos from YouTube, so they are no longer available. )))
CoffeeHolic's Build Notes.
Final build:
4 – heightened adrenaline rush.
0 – concussive shot. (It’s a poor man’s throw, and with access to bonus powers this should never be a serious consideration. It’s fun to look at, but doesn’t fit into this playstyle.)
2 – disruptor ammo. (I’ve never found this to be worth a 4-point investment as I never use it. Two points is enough to stun synthetics in the few missions you fight them.)
4 – Inferno ammo. (Yes please! You’re going to run around like a madman, so any CC is extremely valuable.)
4 – Squad Cryo Ammo. (I love cryo ammo, it’s free CC. And your squadmates are already firing at the enemy – why not enhance the effect of their shooting?)
3 – slam. (Now hear me out. Why three points in slam instead of maxing Disruptor seeing how slam works fine as a one-point wonder for CC? Shattering enemies. The gist of this playstyle is using the claymore and ONLY the claymore (unless the enemies are hiding at an unreachable place – but those instances are few and far in between). So when you see a frozen enemy, shatter him with slam instead of wasting a precious claymore shot.
Gameplay strategy.
Staggers. Staggers everywhere.
To elaborate, as A-rush is essentially a poor man’s charge with a damage bonus, you need to close in manually. Which will result in Shepard getting shot to pieces, and we don’t want that. The solution lies in your squadmates. Most of them have an AOE CC power (Incineration Blast, Pullfield, Concussive blast – you name it). Use those on the enemies while rushing in, and try to keep one of them off of a cooldown. (This makes Jack and Samara extremely valuable.) An example of this would be my platforms run (DCS Platform run) where I use Samara’s pull field to stagger the bunched collectors so I can run in without getting shot.
My MVP’s are Mordin, Samara/Jack and Kasumi. I used Kasumi and her flashbang to ease the transition into this playstyle, but when you have the rhythm down, Pullfield does flashbangs job better because you can use it more often. Still, any non-shotgun wielding enemy won’t fire at you, which is great for learning the basics of this playstyle. Mordin is there for his Incineration blast. AOE stagger that makes enemy do the firedance, does a decent job of stripping protections AND with a 20% damage boost? Count me in captain! And his battle-quotes are glorious and sum up your playstyle. Seeing a claymore-soldier at the other end of the battlefield would be hilarious. When the fight is over it is safe to say that “Thought I was harmless – did you?!” applies.
Another part of this playstyle is using A-rush to rush instead of a pure damage boost. The reload-trick kills mooks faster than A-rushClaymore shot will ever do. Save A-rush for when you are shotgun-sniping or fighting elites (Or those blasted LOKI-mechs).
The good thing about Adrenaline rush is how it can be used defensively aswell. If you’ve sponged some damage and you’re low on health, use it to reposition yourself in a safer location. During the time showdown, you can OUTRUN enemy bullets by running in a perpendicular direction to the enemy.
Enemies you should focus on are advancing enemies (LOKI-mechs are your nemesis, and you will grow to HATE them), and Engineers. Engineers are bad news for an aggressive player because their drone stuns you for a LONG time, and it stalks you. If I can I kill the engineers immediately, even if it puts everyone on cooldown – they’re that bad.
The best demonstration of this ballsy playstyle would be my run of the “defend the hatch” part of the LotSB DLC which can be found here.
I hope this helps some of you improve your soldier experience!
Videos:
Homage to the Claymore.
YouTube playlist.
RedCaesar97's Build Notes:
Final build will look like this:
(Rank - Skill)
4 - Heightened Adrenaline Rush
0 - Concussive Shot
4 - Squad Disruptor Ammo
4 - Inferno Ammo
4 - Squad Cryo Ammo
4 - Commando
1 - Neural Shock
Build strategy:
My Claymore Soldier was originally built around Concussive Shot before I abandoned it completely so I could focus on running around with the Claymore. If I were to start from scratch, this is how I would level up my character:
1. Max the passive to Commando. Storm speed is everything. Get the Stimulator Conduits (+1 Storm speed) on Omega immediately to improve storm speed even further.
2. I would probably max Adrenaline Rush next.
3. I would max either Incendiary Ammo or Cryo Ammo next. Squad Cryo Ammo is almost too useful to wait. You could even hold off maxing Adrenaline Rush until you max Cryo Ammo.
4. Max Cryo Ammo (or Incendiary Ammo if you already maxed Cryo Ammo)
5. Max Disruptor Ammo.
Weapons:
- Pistol: whatever you like. I prefer the Carnifex on this build.
- Sniper Rifle: Viper
- Assault Rifle: whatever you prefer, although I use the Vindicator. I avoid using the Mattock since it is too tempting to just spam Adrenaline Rush with it. - Shotgun: Katana or Eviscerator to start, then the Claymore (obviously)
Best squadmates:
- Mordin (Full Cryo Blast)
- Jack (Pull Field)
- Samara/Morinth (Throw Field or Pull Field)
Gameplay strategy:
1. Using Neural Shock:
It is all about speed and staggers. Neural shock will stagger a protected organic (Varren excluded) and stun an unprotected organic. Use Neural Shock to stagger a protected organic then use the Soldier's increased storm speed to quickly close the gap and shoot him. If you have the Claymore, immediately reload.
Neural Shock is on a 3-second base cooldown, and benefits from the tech cooldown (and duration) upgrade. That means you can use two Neural Shocks in the time it would take you to use one Adrenaline Rush. You can chain together kills by moving from one enemy to the next by:
> a. staggering first enemy with Neural Shock
> b. storm the enemy's position
> c. kill him
> d. repeat steps a to c.
2. Using Adrenaline Rush:
- Use Adrenaline Rush if you are low on health. When Adrenaline Rush is activated, Shepard remains at the same speed, but everything else (enemy and squad movement, weapon fire rates) is slowed. Use the time dilation to find cover when you are low on health.
- Adrenaline Rush provides a weapon damage boost. Use it on tougher enemies (such as Vanguards) to remove their protections. Using it on lesser enemies is overkill, as the Claymore will usually kill them outright. I do use it on lesser enemies occasionally, but usually when I am low on health and I need to take the cover they are standing behind.
- You cannot reload the Claymore when Adrenaline Rush is activated. You can perform the reload animation, but the Claymore will not reload until the Adrenaline Rush duration has ended. If you are going to shoot when using Adrenaline Rush, make the shot count.
- You can only run for a limited time. Use Adrenaline Rush when the Storm Speed ends to extend your range of movement. This is useful for storming enemies across the map or to get to cover without taking many hits.
3. Using your squad:
- Your Neural Shock can stagger enemies. So can your squadmates' abilities. If you want to storm a group of enemies:
> a. use Neural Shock to stagger the closest man to you
> b. storm his position
> c. shoot him
> d. activate a squadmate power to stagger the other enemies and reload
> e. shoot another enemy.
- Use a squadmate's ability to stagger a charging enemy if you are low on health and in cover. That will give you time to use Medigel, If you are on cooldown, it will buy you some more time.
- Some squadmates are better than others. Mordin, Jack, and Samara/Morinth are your best squadmates. They have abilities that have short cooldowns, and Jack, Samara, and Morinth have passives that improve recharge times.
Videos:
YouTube playlist.
Stardusk78 Videos.
I don't really use bonus powers with the soldier, but if I do then something with a very short cooldown, like slam, neural shock, etc. so yeah, heightened AR, Inferno, Squad Cryo and Commando, Collector Armor I prefer for a Revenant Soldier but for a Claymore Soldier I prefer recon hood or visor, strength boost pads, stimulator conduits (or whatever they are called) and kestrel torso and arm guards for optimal melee (45% bonus melee and very good weapon damage 13%).
Shadow Broker.
Zaeed LM.
Jack RM (claymore only).
Jack RM Part 2.
Mordin LM.
Capn233's Reave variant.
Idea is to use Reave as bonus power on a Soldier. Will probably end up with Claymore as bonus weapon as this will be a CQC style build. Reave will be used to refill health as opposed to Adrenaline Rush.
I Imported a Level 60 ME1 character, so if you do a vanilla new game you won't have the same point totals as this. I am skipping Lazarus Station and Freedom's Progress. Reave worked ok on both, but it isn't exactly optimized for anti-Mech or anti-Geth. Will be investing more in Disruptor Ammo when possible.
The original run was completed taking the Claymore on the DCC. I am also doing the last half with the Revenant. The initial set is right below, and the Revenant list is at the bottom. Some random extras are in the middle.
Videos:
YouTube playlist (Claymore from Disabled Collector Ship onwards).
(A Revenant variant here.)
This post is my suggested build for a Shotgun-Heavy soldier. I would suggest this build to somebody who wants to try a different playstyle with soldier instead of sniper-soldier (for a good guide for soldier as sniper see this post by ezrafetch). There was another thread posted that was about a Claymore Soldier by IMNWME here. That thread had good discussion, but not a lot of videos, plus it mainly concerned using the Claymore. I finally got so I could do the reload trick with the Claymore. So, I went back to the Claymore soldier and gave it a try.
The key to this strategy is to learn when to storm closer to the enemy so that you can activate Adrenaline Rush and deliver a killing blow, then park somewhere in cover. This is similar to vanguard, except no charge (and no shield refresh). The build depends on high weapon damage for the shotguns to break through protections to yield ammo effects. Shotguns are the best weapons to generate an ammo effect because of the way that ammo damage calls are made. Both the Eviscerator and Claymore have eight pellets per shot. The ammo damage calls treat each pellet as an event – so if the first 5 pellets destroy the protection (ammo power doing nothing for those pellets) the other three will give the ammo effect on the unprotected target.
The Eviscerator early in the game is similar to the Claymore performance (high damage, slow rate of fire, capable of ammo effects and one-hit-kills with Arush), so I used that before I could get the Claymore.
The Basics.
Leveling:
(1) Max Arush ( heightened for 140% weapon damage )
(2) Max Passive ( commando – 15% weapon damage )
(3) Max Incendary Ammo
(4) Whatever you want after that, I go for squad cryo
Squad:
Miranda – Max her passive for 15% weapon damage first
Jacob and Grunt – max out their incendiary ammo to squad ammo so you can use them as soon as possible. Once you get inferno ammo its not as important to have them along.
Equipment:
Head – visor for 10% headshot damage
Shoulders – N7 armor – 3% weapon damage
Chest – Kestral – 5% weapon damage
Arms – Kestral 3%, then stabilization gauntlets from Omega Markets ( after Collector Ship ) 5%
Legs – 10% storm speed
Wherever possible I only used the shotgun (to try to illustrate the strategy) but some places you are really better off using an assault rifle or sniper rifle. I recruited Grunt before Garrus so I’m using the mattock on Korlus, but after I get the vindicator I always use that (because folk will discount anything posted with a soldier using the Mattock.
((( Note from RedCaesar97: Unfortunately, ryoldschool deleted all his videos from YouTube, so they are no longer available. )))
CoffeeHolic's Build Notes.
Final build:
4 – heightened adrenaline rush.
0 – concussive shot. (It’s a poor man’s throw, and with access to bonus powers this should never be a serious consideration. It’s fun to look at, but doesn’t fit into this playstyle.)
2 – disruptor ammo. (I’ve never found this to be worth a 4-point investment as I never use it. Two points is enough to stun synthetics in the few missions you fight them.)
4 – Inferno ammo. (Yes please! You’re going to run around like a madman, so any CC is extremely valuable.)
4 – Squad Cryo Ammo. (I love cryo ammo, it’s free CC. And your squadmates are already firing at the enemy – why not enhance the effect of their shooting?)
3 – slam. (Now hear me out. Why three points in slam instead of maxing Disruptor seeing how slam works fine as a one-point wonder for CC? Shattering enemies. The gist of this playstyle is using the claymore and ONLY the claymore (unless the enemies are hiding at an unreachable place – but those instances are few and far in between). So when you see a frozen enemy, shatter him with slam instead of wasting a precious claymore shot.
Gameplay strategy.
Staggers. Staggers everywhere.
To elaborate, as A-rush is essentially a poor man’s charge with a damage bonus, you need to close in manually. Which will result in Shepard getting shot to pieces, and we don’t want that. The solution lies in your squadmates. Most of them have an AOE CC power (Incineration Blast, Pullfield, Concussive blast – you name it). Use those on the enemies while rushing in, and try to keep one of them off of a cooldown. (This makes Jack and Samara extremely valuable.) An example of this would be my platforms run (DCS Platform run) where I use Samara’s pull field to stagger the bunched collectors so I can run in without getting shot.
My MVP’s are Mordin, Samara/Jack and Kasumi. I used Kasumi and her flashbang to ease the transition into this playstyle, but when you have the rhythm down, Pullfield does flashbangs job better because you can use it more often. Still, any non-shotgun wielding enemy won’t fire at you, which is great for learning the basics of this playstyle. Mordin is there for his Incineration blast. AOE stagger that makes enemy do the firedance, does a decent job of stripping protections AND with a 20% damage boost? Count me in captain! And his battle-quotes are glorious and sum up your playstyle. Seeing a claymore-soldier at the other end of the battlefield would be hilarious. When the fight is over it is safe to say that “Thought I was harmless – did you?!” applies.
Another part of this playstyle is using A-rush to rush instead of a pure damage boost. The reload-trick kills mooks faster than A-rushClaymore shot will ever do. Save A-rush for when you are shotgun-sniping or fighting elites (Or those blasted LOKI-mechs).
The good thing about Adrenaline rush is how it can be used defensively aswell. If you’ve sponged some damage and you’re low on health, use it to reposition yourself in a safer location. During the time showdown, you can OUTRUN enemy bullets by running in a perpendicular direction to the enemy.
Enemies you should focus on are advancing enemies (LOKI-mechs are your nemesis, and you will grow to HATE them), and Engineers. Engineers are bad news for an aggressive player because their drone stuns you for a LONG time, and it stalks you. If I can I kill the engineers immediately, even if it puts everyone on cooldown – they’re that bad.
The best demonstration of this ballsy playstyle would be my run of the “defend the hatch” part of the LotSB DLC which can be found here.
I hope this helps some of you improve your soldier experience!
Videos:
Homage to the Claymore.
YouTube playlist.
RedCaesar97's Build Notes:
Final build will look like this:
(Rank - Skill)
4 - Heightened Adrenaline Rush
0 - Concussive Shot
4 - Squad Disruptor Ammo
4 - Inferno Ammo
4 - Squad Cryo Ammo
4 - Commando
1 - Neural Shock
Build strategy:
My Claymore Soldier was originally built around Concussive Shot before I abandoned it completely so I could focus on running around with the Claymore. If I were to start from scratch, this is how I would level up my character:
1. Max the passive to Commando. Storm speed is everything. Get the Stimulator Conduits (+1 Storm speed) on Omega immediately to improve storm speed even further.
2. I would probably max Adrenaline Rush next.
3. I would max either Incendiary Ammo or Cryo Ammo next. Squad Cryo Ammo is almost too useful to wait. You could even hold off maxing Adrenaline Rush until you max Cryo Ammo.
4. Max Cryo Ammo (or Incendiary Ammo if you already maxed Cryo Ammo)
5. Max Disruptor Ammo.
Weapons:
- Pistol: whatever you like. I prefer the Carnifex on this build.
- Sniper Rifle: Viper
- Assault Rifle: whatever you prefer, although I use the Vindicator. I avoid using the Mattock since it is too tempting to just spam Adrenaline Rush with it. - Shotgun: Katana or Eviscerator to start, then the Claymore (obviously)
Best squadmates:
- Mordin (Full Cryo Blast)
- Jack (Pull Field)
- Samara/Morinth (Throw Field or Pull Field)
Gameplay strategy:
1. Using Neural Shock:
It is all about speed and staggers. Neural shock will stagger a protected organic (Varren excluded) and stun an unprotected organic. Use Neural Shock to stagger a protected organic then use the Soldier's increased storm speed to quickly close the gap and shoot him. If you have the Claymore, immediately reload.
Neural Shock is on a 3-second base cooldown, and benefits from the tech cooldown (and duration) upgrade. That means you can use two Neural Shocks in the time it would take you to use one Adrenaline Rush. You can chain together kills by moving from one enemy to the next by:
> a. staggering first enemy with Neural Shock
> b. storm the enemy's position
> c. kill him
> d. repeat steps a to c.
2. Using Adrenaline Rush:
- Use Adrenaline Rush if you are low on health. When Adrenaline Rush is activated, Shepard remains at the same speed, but everything else (enemy and squad movement, weapon fire rates) is slowed. Use the time dilation to find cover when you are low on health.
- Adrenaline Rush provides a weapon damage boost. Use it on tougher enemies (such as Vanguards) to remove their protections. Using it on lesser enemies is overkill, as the Claymore will usually kill them outright. I do use it on lesser enemies occasionally, but usually when I am low on health and I need to take the cover they are standing behind.
- You cannot reload the Claymore when Adrenaline Rush is activated. You can perform the reload animation, but the Claymore will not reload until the Adrenaline Rush duration has ended. If you are going to shoot when using Adrenaline Rush, make the shot count.
- You can only run for a limited time. Use Adrenaline Rush when the Storm Speed ends to extend your range of movement. This is useful for storming enemies across the map or to get to cover without taking many hits.
3. Using your squad:
- Your Neural Shock can stagger enemies. So can your squadmates' abilities. If you want to storm a group of enemies:
> a. use Neural Shock to stagger the closest man to you
> b. storm his position
> c. shoot him
> d. activate a squadmate power to stagger the other enemies and reload
> e. shoot another enemy.
- Use a squadmate's ability to stagger a charging enemy if you are low on health and in cover. That will give you time to use Medigel, If you are on cooldown, it will buy you some more time.
- Some squadmates are better than others. Mordin, Jack, and Samara/Morinth are your best squadmates. They have abilities that have short cooldowns, and Jack, Samara, and Morinth have passives that improve recharge times.
Videos:
YouTube playlist.
Stardusk78 Videos.
I don't really use bonus powers with the soldier, but if I do then something with a very short cooldown, like slam, neural shock, etc. so yeah, heightened AR, Inferno, Squad Cryo and Commando, Collector Armor I prefer for a Revenant Soldier but for a Claymore Soldier I prefer recon hood or visor, strength boost pads, stimulator conduits (or whatever they are called) and kestrel torso and arm guards for optimal melee (45% bonus melee and very good weapon damage 13%).
Shadow Broker.
Zaeed LM.
Jack RM (claymore only).
Jack RM Part 2.
Mordin LM.
Capn233's Reave variant.
Idea is to use Reave as bonus power on a Soldier. Will probably end up with Claymore as bonus weapon as this will be a CQC style build. Reave will be used to refill health as opposed to Adrenaline Rush.
I Imported a Level 60 ME1 character, so if you do a vanilla new game you won't have the same point totals as this. I am skipping Lazarus Station and Freedom's Progress. Reave worked ok on both, but it isn't exactly optimized for anti-Mech or anti-Geth. Will be investing more in Disruptor Ammo when possible.
The original run was completed taking the Claymore on the DCC. I am also doing the last half with the Revenant. The initial set is right below, and the Revenant list is at the bottom. Some random extras are in the middle.
Videos:
YouTube playlist (Claymore from Disabled Collector Ship onwards).
(A Revenant variant here.)