Post by RedCaesar97 on Oct 22, 2016 19:02:20 GMT
ATTENTION: This guide was originally created by FoFoZem on the old BioWare Social Network (BSN) forums. I am recreating it here so it does not get lost when the old BSN forums shut down.
1. Introduction.
The idea to play through as an Infiltrator who uses his guns very infrequently, if at all, originally struck me during a Fallout 3 session. I was playing one of my many Unarmed Lone Wanderers when I began to wish there was an Unarmed class in Mass Effect.
I had just started an Infiltrator and so I put down my Xbox controller and booted my PC. The following is the culmination of confessions from an Unarmed enthusiast.
2. Overview.
The purpose of the Unarmed Infiltrator is to be able to complete any mission without necessarily having to pick up any thermal clips.
Such a mission statement almost entirely debunks the common conception of the utility of the Infiltrator class but the Infiltrator is the class that is most readily prepared to handle such weaponless situations.
Often times the Unarmed Infiltrator relies heavily on his Incinerate, Enhanced Cloak and melee damage to isolate, debuff and finish off their opponents.
It is a sub-class that is both challenging and rewarding and requires an obscene amount of patience.
This is a role-playing class and should be treated as such. It will not fit many playstyles but is, at the same time, very fun.
3. Builds.
Before we get anywhere near battle logistics we need to understand how the specifications of our Infiltrator work.
Since this Infiltrator will his/her weapons as a last resort or for those out of reach enemies, builds are a lot more lenient.
Here is the build which I find to be most effective:
2 - Disruptor Ammo
4 - Squad Cryo Ammo
4 - Enhanced Cloak
4 - Incineration Blast
3 - AI Hacking
4 - Agent
1 - *Bonus*
The majority of your damage will come from Incinerate and melee. Before you start attacking me, you can think of it as simply switching damage output between the Sniper and Incinerate. Either way, the Infiltrator tends to focus on one method of damage output.
Enhanced Cloak is essential--remember we are not a Sniper-heavy combatist--because of the duration. Cloak will be used most often to either retreat and regroup or to close in for a melee attack.
Squad Cryo Ammo is a staple as well because of the damage boost and crowd control from frozen enemies. The Unarmed Infiltrator is going to find himself in a lot of sticky situations due to the nature of his combat preference. Being able to stop any enemy in their tracks or to keep them from firing is, more often than not, the catalysm between life and certain death.
I chose Incineration Blast because I like AoE powers. Remember: There are no lab upgrades for AoE, while there are multiple for damage. With the right armor and upgrades, single-targeting super-damage is not nearly as important as AoE.
4. Battle Logistics.
Although the Unarmed Infiltrator will employ a variety of tactics to adapt to a variety of combat situations, there are a few general rules that should be kept foremost in mind.
Battlefield Control:
In a manner contrary to the battle tactics of other classes--and sub-classes--the Unarmed Infiltrator is constantly "pushing and pulling." A lot of the combat is a mixture between backtracking and offensive rushing.
You want to control an area of the field, but you never want to be hesitant to relinquish your spot to hard-hitting enemies. This Infiltrator will get shot a lot and will find himself in many sticky situations. Cloak is best used when too many enemies are closing in and you need to regroup with your squad.
By constantly taking ground and then giving it back, the AI is never able to lock on to your strategy. This isolates enemies and gives the Infiltrator more leeway to attack enemies one-on-one.
The last thing you want to do is melee an enemy when six of his cronies are within the immediate vicinity.
For these reasons, the Unarmed Infiltrator will be all over the battlefield as opportunities open up in new areas. The Unarmed Infiltrator is, above all, an opportunist.
Squad Management:
In order for this playstyle to be viable the enemy needs to have multiple targets. In an intense combat situation you want to be separated from your squad members.
At the outset of a battle you want to set your squad mates in positions where they can survey the entire frontline. They need to be able to do damage as well as distract the enemy from Shepard.
At any given time there will likely be enemies between Shepard and his allies. This dangerous sandwich is effective for "Infiltrating" the rear of the enemy's supply line and then closing in on the middle section of enemies.
Your squad should be far from Shepard but near to each other.
Squad Power Usage should be used in a manner that excuses you from using your own. For example, instead of taking out armor with your incinerate, use Miranda's warp so you can cloak and then melee.
Damage Output:
The Unarmed Infiltrator is allowed to use weapons, despite what its title implies. However, it wants to do so mainly in a select few situations.
Weapons should be employed mainly--and almost exclusively--to eradicate Shields and Barriers. Since you want to melee as often as possible, you want to take out defenses as soon as possible.
I find it more effective to take out protection on multiple enemies and then close in as oppose to taking out defenses on a single target and then killing him. If you can get to the point where every enemy on the field is down to health then you can quickly cloak and melee individual targets as they're being parted from their allies by your isolation tactics.
Incinerate is the Unarmed Infiltrator's favorite skill. If you are not in melee range, or it is too risky to attempt a melee ambush, then use Incinerate.
Use ammo sparingly. You don't really want to use it at all. If enemies are unreachable or there is a serious threat on the battlefield which is hindering regular Unarmed Infiltration, then shoot. But try not to rely on weapons.
Melee is very important but don't force it. Meaning: If enemies have yet to be isolated, and are grouped, or have defenses unstripped, do not attempt to melee.
5. Weapon Loadout.
Weapon Loadout is important strictly in the sense that you want weapons which deal heavy amounts of damage in a single shot. If you are firing more than one or two entire clips from any given weapon in a *typical* fire fight, you are probably playing this class wrong.
The exception is for your sniper. The last thing you want is to one-shot an enemy.
Here is a good loadout:
- Shuriken
- Carnifex
- Viper
On the Collector Ship, take the Shotgun. Doing so allows you to run in, shoot down defenses and then melee and then cloak back to safety.
6. Notable Squad Mates.
Mordin. Mordin's Cryo Freeze is all but essential. Freezing enemies makes them melee meat. And his Incinerate greatly compliments your own.
Grunt. You want a tank. And someone who can distract enemies, kill enemies and stay alive long enough to see the fight to its end is always good.
Miranda/Garrus. For Overload. Overload prevents the Unarmed Infiltrator from having to gun down shields.
7. Bonus Powers.
I do not care for them. If you test this playstyle and find a power that works especially well, post it in with an explanation as to why and I will include it here (with credit).
1. Introduction.
The idea to play through as an Infiltrator who uses his guns very infrequently, if at all, originally struck me during a Fallout 3 session. I was playing one of my many Unarmed Lone Wanderers when I began to wish there was an Unarmed class in Mass Effect.
I had just started an Infiltrator and so I put down my Xbox controller and booted my PC. The following is the culmination of confessions from an Unarmed enthusiast.
2. Overview.
The purpose of the Unarmed Infiltrator is to be able to complete any mission without necessarily having to pick up any thermal clips.
Such a mission statement almost entirely debunks the common conception of the utility of the Infiltrator class but the Infiltrator is the class that is most readily prepared to handle such weaponless situations.
Often times the Unarmed Infiltrator relies heavily on his Incinerate, Enhanced Cloak and melee damage to isolate, debuff and finish off their opponents.
It is a sub-class that is both challenging and rewarding and requires an obscene amount of patience.
This is a role-playing class and should be treated as such. It will not fit many playstyles but is, at the same time, very fun.
3. Builds.
Before we get anywhere near battle logistics we need to understand how the specifications of our Infiltrator work.
Since this Infiltrator will his/her weapons as a last resort or for those out of reach enemies, builds are a lot more lenient.
Here is the build which I find to be most effective:
2 - Disruptor Ammo
4 - Squad Cryo Ammo
4 - Enhanced Cloak
4 - Incineration Blast
3 - AI Hacking
4 - Agent
1 - *Bonus*
The majority of your damage will come from Incinerate and melee. Before you start attacking me, you can think of it as simply switching damage output between the Sniper and Incinerate. Either way, the Infiltrator tends to focus on one method of damage output.
Enhanced Cloak is essential--remember we are not a Sniper-heavy combatist--because of the duration. Cloak will be used most often to either retreat and regroup or to close in for a melee attack.
Squad Cryo Ammo is a staple as well because of the damage boost and crowd control from frozen enemies. The Unarmed Infiltrator is going to find himself in a lot of sticky situations due to the nature of his combat preference. Being able to stop any enemy in their tracks or to keep them from firing is, more often than not, the catalysm between life and certain death.
I chose Incineration Blast because I like AoE powers. Remember: There are no lab upgrades for AoE, while there are multiple for damage. With the right armor and upgrades, single-targeting super-damage is not nearly as important as AoE.
4. Battle Logistics.
Although the Unarmed Infiltrator will employ a variety of tactics to adapt to a variety of combat situations, there are a few general rules that should be kept foremost in mind.
Battlefield Control:
In a manner contrary to the battle tactics of other classes--and sub-classes--the Unarmed Infiltrator is constantly "pushing and pulling." A lot of the combat is a mixture between backtracking and offensive rushing.
You want to control an area of the field, but you never want to be hesitant to relinquish your spot to hard-hitting enemies. This Infiltrator will get shot a lot and will find himself in many sticky situations. Cloak is best used when too many enemies are closing in and you need to regroup with your squad.
By constantly taking ground and then giving it back, the AI is never able to lock on to your strategy. This isolates enemies and gives the Infiltrator more leeway to attack enemies one-on-one.
The last thing you want to do is melee an enemy when six of his cronies are within the immediate vicinity.
For these reasons, the Unarmed Infiltrator will be all over the battlefield as opportunities open up in new areas. The Unarmed Infiltrator is, above all, an opportunist.
Squad Management:
In order for this playstyle to be viable the enemy needs to have multiple targets. In an intense combat situation you want to be separated from your squad members.
At the outset of a battle you want to set your squad mates in positions where they can survey the entire frontline. They need to be able to do damage as well as distract the enemy from Shepard.
At any given time there will likely be enemies between Shepard and his allies. This dangerous sandwich is effective for "Infiltrating" the rear of the enemy's supply line and then closing in on the middle section of enemies.
Your squad should be far from Shepard but near to each other.
Squad Power Usage should be used in a manner that excuses you from using your own. For example, instead of taking out armor with your incinerate, use Miranda's warp so you can cloak and then melee.
Damage Output:
The Unarmed Infiltrator is allowed to use weapons, despite what its title implies. However, it wants to do so mainly in a select few situations.
Weapons should be employed mainly--and almost exclusively--to eradicate Shields and Barriers. Since you want to melee as often as possible, you want to take out defenses as soon as possible.
I find it more effective to take out protection on multiple enemies and then close in as oppose to taking out defenses on a single target and then killing him. If you can get to the point where every enemy on the field is down to health then you can quickly cloak and melee individual targets as they're being parted from their allies by your isolation tactics.
Incinerate is the Unarmed Infiltrator's favorite skill. If you are not in melee range, or it is too risky to attempt a melee ambush, then use Incinerate.
Use ammo sparingly. You don't really want to use it at all. If enemies are unreachable or there is a serious threat on the battlefield which is hindering regular Unarmed Infiltration, then shoot. But try not to rely on weapons.
Melee is very important but don't force it. Meaning: If enemies have yet to be isolated, and are grouped, or have defenses unstripped, do not attempt to melee.
5. Weapon Loadout.
Weapon Loadout is important strictly in the sense that you want weapons which deal heavy amounts of damage in a single shot. If you are firing more than one or two entire clips from any given weapon in a *typical* fire fight, you are probably playing this class wrong.
The exception is for your sniper. The last thing you want is to one-shot an enemy.
Here is a good loadout:
- Shuriken
- Carnifex
- Viper
On the Collector Ship, take the Shotgun. Doing so allows you to run in, shoot down defenses and then melee and then cloak back to safety.
6. Notable Squad Mates.
Mordin. Mordin's Cryo Freeze is all but essential. Freezing enemies makes them melee meat. And his Incinerate greatly compliments your own.
Grunt. You want a tank. And someone who can distract enemies, kill enemies and stay alive long enough to see the fight to its end is always good.
Miranda/Garrus. For Overload. Overload prevents the Unarmed Infiltrator from having to gun down shields.
7. Bonus Powers.
I do not care for them. If you test this playstyle and find a power that works especially well, post it in with an explanation as to why and I will include it here (with credit).