Mass Effect 2
Class Build - Infiltrator (on Insanity difficulty)
(Click here for all Mass Effect 2 Builds)
Powers:
Although the description for the Infiltrator seems to talk about sniping a lot, if you actually want to snipe, play a Soldier instead: Adrenaline Rush has a +100% damage bonus to all weapons (not just the sniper rifle) at rank 1 and you can be under Adrenaline Rush pretty much all the time.
Disruptor Ammo
If you have nothing else to quickly break down shields (although Incinerate does a pretty good job), then maximize Disruptor Ammo to reduce your ammunition reliance. Instead of trying to get both Disruptor Ammo and Cryo Ammo and switching back and forth in combat, specialize in Disruptor Ammo to at least rank 3, which gives you the chance to overheat weapons: An enemy who can't fire is basically neutralized (unless they are a krogan who then charges at you). Freezing them with Cryo Ammo makes them vulnerable to further shots, but you need to first strip protections and you are probably switching ammo as well, on top of having to spend Talent Points developing two Powers.
Cryo Ammo
It generally takes one second of gunfire to freeze something. A slower-firing weapon therefore has a higher chance of freezing with each round fired, whereas an automatic weapon requires a burst to trigger freezing.
Tactical Cloak
The cooldown on Tactical Cloak does not start until the cloaking effect ends, but you can still use squad powers, and if a squad member is not on the screen, their power fires instantly.
The Enhanced Cloak evolution gets you 2 extra seconds, but the basic 6 seconds is already really quite long, so the Assassination Cloak is recommended. In any case, if you are using Tactical Cloak mainly to reposition and flank, then leave it a rank 2 until you maximize Incineration, which is very useful as an attack power for the times when you run out of ammunition.
Incinerate
This is a very good all-around attack power, and should be maximized early to conserve ammunition for taking down Shields and for strategic one-shot-kills with high powered weapons such as sniper rifles.
AI Hacking
For notes on AI Hacking, see our post on Engineer builds.
Operative
The differences between the two rank 4 evolutions are not very big, but there are more powers with duration than straight damage, so the duration bonus from the Agent evolution is more generally useful.
Assault Build: Energy Drain
Taking Energy Drain for the Advanced Training Power would further reduce your reliance on ammunition in tearing down shields, and it covers Incinerate's weakness against synthetics. With the points saved from having to invest in Disruptor Ammo, we can maximize Cryo Ammo.
Instead of maximizing Energy Drain, use Incinerate on an enemy with a partially drained Shield. Energy Drain cannot damage organics, so if a non-synthetic enemy has a partially drained shield, using Energy Drain will just strip the remainder and excess damage is wasted.
For the Assault Build, use Tactical Cloak to reposition. Use Energy Drain and Incinerate for tearing down defenses. If low on ammo, use Incinerate for kills. Otherwise, use the submachine gun or pistol and its plentiful ammunition to trigger a freeze in the target, then switch to a pistol or sniper rifle and turn on Tactical Cloak for your follow-up shot while they are frozen and vulnerable, to maximize damage.
Control Build: Dominate
The Control Build focusses on maximum enemy disruption. For notes on AI Hacking and Dominate, see our post on Engineer builds and why you should leave both at rank 1.
Class Build - Infiltrator (on Insanity difficulty)(Click here for all Mass Effect 2 Builds)
Powers:
Assault Build
- Disruptor Ammo 2, Cryo Ammo 4
- Tactical Cloak 4 (Assassination), Incinerate 4, AI Hacking 1
- Operative 4 (Agent)
- Advanced Training: Energy Drain 3
- Weapon Training: Shotgun
Anti-Barrier: None
Anti-Shield: Energy Drain
Anti-Armor: Incinerate
Anti-Regeneration: Incinerate
Anti-Melee: Tactical Cloak
Control Build (48/51)
- Disruptor Ammo 4, Cryo Ammo 3
- Tactical Cloak 4 (Assassination), Incinerate 4, AI Hacking 1
- Operative 4 (Agent)
- Advanced Training: Dominate 1
- Weapon Training: Shotgun
Anti-Barrier: None
Anti-Shield: Disruptor Ammo
Anti-Armor: Incinerate
Anti-Regeneration: Incinerate
Anti-Melee: Tactical Cloak
Stealth Build
- Disruptor Ammo 4
- Tactical Cloak 4 (Assassination), Incinerate 4, AI Hacking 1
- Operative 4 (Agent)
- Advanced Training: Inferno Grenade 4
- Weapon Training: Shotgun
Anti-Barrier: None
Anti-Shield: Disruptor Ammo
Anti-Armor: Incinerate
Anti-Regeneration: Incinerate
Anti-Melee: Tactical Cloak
Disruptor Ammo
If you have nothing else to quickly break down shields (although Incinerate does a pretty good job), then maximize Disruptor Ammo to reduce your ammunition reliance. Instead of trying to get both Disruptor Ammo and Cryo Ammo and switching back and forth in combat, specialize in Disruptor Ammo to at least rank 3, which gives you the chance to overheat weapons: An enemy who can't fire is basically neutralized (unless they are a krogan who then charges at you). Freezing them with Cryo Ammo makes them vulnerable to further shots, but you need to first strip protections and you are probably switching ammo as well, on top of having to spend Talent Points developing two Powers.
Cryo Ammo
It generally takes one second of gunfire to freeze something. A slower-firing weapon therefore has a higher chance of freezing with each round fired, whereas an automatic weapon requires a burst to trigger freezing.
Tactical Cloak
The cooldown on Tactical Cloak does not start until the cloaking effect ends, but you can still use squad powers, and if a squad member is not on the screen, their power fires instantly.
- You could Cloak in cover, emerge to fire off a squad power, then move back to safety. If the enemy cannot reach you or do not advance on your position (and you therefore have a lot of time), you can safely launch attacks this way.
- Your presence is ignored. So if a squad member is behind you, you might end up getting shot because the enemy is shooting at your squad.
- Position your squad first. Make sure they are in cover before you Cloak because they will become the focus of the enemy, and in general squad members aren't that great at getting to cover.
- Pause the game and look at your cover choices carefully. You only have a few seconds to get there and get in cover. Or, if you want to shoot someone, you won't have long to get into cover afterwards.
- If you get into a good position where the enemy is exposed to you, ideally they will spend more time repositioning than shooting at you. While they reposition, they are out of cover, so your squad will hopefully be able to get free shots at them.
The Enhanced Cloak evolution gets you 2 extra seconds, but the basic 6 seconds is already really quite long, so the Assassination Cloak is recommended. In any case, if you are using Tactical Cloak mainly to reposition and flank, then leave it a rank 2 until you maximize Incineration, which is very useful as an attack power for the times when you run out of ammunition.
Incinerate
This is a very good all-around attack power, and should be maximized early to conserve ammunition for taking down Shields and for strategic one-shot-kills with high powered weapons such as sniper rifles.
AI Hacking
For notes on AI Hacking, see our post on Engineer builds.
Operative
The differences between the two rank 4 evolutions are not very big, but there are more powers with duration than straight damage, so the duration bonus from the Agent evolution is more generally useful.
Assault Build: Energy Drain
Taking Energy Drain for the Advanced Training Power would further reduce your reliance on ammunition in tearing down shields, and it covers Incinerate's weakness against synthetics. With the points saved from having to invest in Disruptor Ammo, we can maximize Cryo Ammo.
Instead of maximizing Energy Drain, use Incinerate on an enemy with a partially drained Shield. Energy Drain cannot damage organics, so if a non-synthetic enemy has a partially drained shield, using Energy Drain will just strip the remainder and excess damage is wasted.
For the Assault Build, use Tactical Cloak to reposition. Use Energy Drain and Incinerate for tearing down defenses. If low on ammo, use Incinerate for kills. Otherwise, use the submachine gun or pistol and its plentiful ammunition to trigger a freeze in the target, then switch to a pistol or sniper rifle and turn on Tactical Cloak for your follow-up shot while they are frozen and vulnerable, to maximize damage.
Control Build: Dominate
The Control Build focusses on maximum enemy disruption. For notes on AI Hacking and Dominate, see our post on Engineer builds and why you should leave both at rank 1.
Stealth Build: Inferno Grenade
This build focusses on keeping hidden. Inferno Grenade is very interesting for its ability to be lobbed at locations requiring neither line of sight nor a target. For a power to be launched at a location without at target selected typically requires line of sight as the power then fires directly at the cursor location. Inferno Grenades are thrown and have physics similar to an actual grenade, except that it immediately explodes on impact.
With Inferno Grenades, an Infiltrator could move from locations of total cover (e.g., around a corner or behind a tall wall), and try to remain undetected or at least not-targetable by the enemy. Without breaking cover, they can use Inferno Grenades to launch attacks. Whether this can be maintained or not is largely irrelevant as the Inferno Grenade retains its utility, and regular assaults are possible.
Of course, all classes can do this, but the Infiltrator can do it better because of Tactical Cloak to move around the battlefield safely.
This build focusses on keeping hidden. Inferno Grenade is very interesting for its ability to be lobbed at locations requiring neither line of sight nor a target. For a power to be launched at a location without at target selected typically requires line of sight as the power then fires directly at the cursor location. Inferno Grenades are thrown and have physics similar to an actual grenade, except that it immediately explodes on impact.
With Inferno Grenades, an Infiltrator could move from locations of total cover (e.g., around a corner or behind a tall wall), and try to remain undetected or at least not-targetable by the enemy. Without breaking cover, they can use Inferno Grenades to launch attacks. Whether this can be maintained or not is largely irrelevant as the Inferno Grenade retains its utility, and regular assaults are possible.
Of course, all classes can do this, but the Infiltrator can do it better because of Tactical Cloak to move around the battlefield safely.
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