The six Classes in the world of Mass Effect have remained consistent throughout the series, and frankly speaking we’re quite glad about that fact. Our Mass Effect 3 Classes and Abilities Guide will expand more on them below.
Mass Effect 3 Classes and Abilities
Mass Effect 3 continues the same trend as it features the well-known six Classes available for Shepard, except that it goes one step further.
This time around, Shepard isn’t the only one who gets to have classes – and no, I’m not talking about Shepard’s squad mates when I say this.
In fact, it is the Multiplayer that I am referring to; the Multiplayer mode of ME3 also allows players to have a class. However, unlike the singleplayer campaign, you can change classes at will if you wish to.
We’ll go over these classes one by one, and also add multiplayer features in them. For more help on Mass Effect 3, read our Troubleshooting and Companions Guide.
The six Classes of Mass Effect 3 are:
- Adept
- Engineer
- Infiltrator
- Sentinel
- Soldier
- Vanguard
Adept
With the power to warp space-time and destroying enemies without firing a single shot from their weapons, Adept are strong Biotic users with Element Zero nodules in their body, allowing them to control and alter space-time through dark energy.
Specialized Weapons:
Heavy Pistols, Submachine Guns
Abilities:
- Barrier – Creates an additional shield barrier for a short period of time
- Biotic Charge – Allows user to thrust forward at incredible speeds
- Lift – Lifts an enemy in the air, disabling their ability to move/assault at will
- Nova – Drains your barrier shield to do knockback damage to enemies to close-by enemies
- Pull – Pulls enemies helplessly towards you
- Reave – Damages enemies heavily and prevents them from healing
- Shockwave – Sends out a powerful blast of energy creating a series of impacts on the ground
- Singularity – The signature biotic move that creates a tiny black-hole that sucks enemies towards itself
- Slam – Lifts target in the air and slams them to the ground, dealing damage
- Stasis – Immobilizes a set of enemies in a mass effect field
- Throw – Knocks back a single target while dealing damage
- Warp – Fires a high damage biotic blast, which damages enemies and stops health regeneration.
Multiplayer Abilities:
- Warp
- Throw
- Shockwave
- Singularity
- Pull
- Cluster Grenade
Compatible Races:
Human, Asari, Drell, Krogan
Engineer
Engineers are trained tech specialists with the ability to disrupt or cripple the equipment of enemies and render even the most threatening foes completely useless. They also have the unique ability of spawning drones to harass and suppress enemies.
Specialized Weapons:
Heavy Pistols, Submachine Guns
Abilities:
- Combat Drone – Spawns a drone that draws fire to itself and can stun enemies
- Cryo Blast – Immobilizes and damage an unprotected enemy
- Incinerate – Projectile that inflicts damage over time to enemies it hits and cripples their shields
- Overload – Severely cripples shields and robotic enemies
- Sabotage – Makes enemies go berserk and attack each other, also damaging shield
- Sentry Turret – Quarian ability to deploy a turret to protect a certain area
Multiplayer Abilities:
- Incinerate
- Overload
- Cryo Blast
- Combat Drone
- Decoy
- Sentry Turret
- Alliance Training
- Quarian Defender
- Fitness
Compatible Races:
Salarian, Turian, Human
Infiltrator
Infiltrators combine the wits of an Engineer and the relentless training and strength of Soldiers to destroy their enemies.
Specializing in Sniper Rifles and having a variety of technologically lethal abilities, Infiltrators are experts at eliminating enemies from a distant, and are generally suited for long-ranged fights.
Specialized Weapons:
Pistols, Sniper Rifles
Abilities:
- Disruptor Ammo – Enhances weapon with disruptive ammo that cripples synthetic targets and shields
- Cryo Ammo – Weakens armor and slows movement of enemies
- Incinerate
- Tactical Cloak – Makes Sheperd invisible to all enemies
- Sticky Grenade – Throws a grenade that sticks to target and after a short while explodes, damaging target and nearby enemies
- Sabotage – Makes enemies go berserk and attack each other, also damaging shield.
Multiplayer Abilities (Humans):
- Tactical Cloak
- Cryo Blast
- Sticky Grenade
- Alliance Training
- Fitness
Multiplayer Abilities (Salarian)
- Fitness
- STG Training
- Energy Drain
- Proximity Mine
- Tactical Cloak
Compatible Races:
Salarian, Quarian, Human
Sentinel
The Sentinel combines the prowess of Biotics and the wits of and Engineer to give you an all-out aggressive class that can affordably sacrifice cover for some serious aggression.
The Sentinel has an ample amount of both biotic and tech abilities to his /her disposal and can use a wide variety of weapons, though none can be specialized with.
Specialized Weapons:
None
Abilities:
- Throw
- Warp
- Lift Grenade
- Tech Armor
- Overload
- Cryo Blast
Multiplayer Abilities:
- Throw
- Warp
- Tech Armor
- Overload
- Incinerate
- Lift Grenade
- Alliance Training
- Fitness
Compatible Races:
Human, Turian, Krogan
Soldier
Soldiers specialize in heavy armor and full weapon proficiency, relying on their hardened skills in the battlefield to mow down any enemy that stands in their way.
When it comes to weapons, no one can out-combat a Soldier class, as they specialize in all weapons. Additionally, the ability to wear heavy armor gives them extreme durability even against the heaviest hitting enemies.
Specialized Weapons:
All
Abilities:
- Adrenaline Rush – Time is slowed down and all forms of damage are increased
- Concussive Shot – Shoots a single high-powered projectile that deals damage to an enemy and may stun him/her
- Frag Grenade – Throws a shrapnel grenade that stuns and damages enemies
- Fortification – Provides a non-Newtonian fluid combat shield for protection
- Disruptor Ammo
- Cryo Ammo
Multiplayer Abilities:
- Fitness
- Alliance Training
- Inferno Grenade
- Fortification
- Proximity Mine
- Carnage
- Marksman
- Frag Grenade
- Concussive Shot
- Adrenaline Rush
Compatible Races:
Human, Turian, Krogan
Vanguard
The Vanguard class combines the specialties of a Soldier and an Adept to give both powerful control and durability to the player. This class relies on high-risk high-reward combat style.
They are more or less short-ranged players with the ability to take on multiple enemies at one with the combination of the brilliance of biotics and the strength of a soldier.
Specialized Weapons:
Pistols, Shotguns
Abilities:
- Incendiary Ammo
- Cryo Ammo
- Biotic Charge
- Nova – A powerful shockwave that expends your shield to deal heavy area damage to surrounding enemies
- Shockwave
- Pull
Multiplayer Abilities:
- Fitness
- Alliance Training
- Biotic Slash
- Phase Disruptor
- Cluster Grenade (Drell)
- Pull (Drell)
- Rage (Krogan)
- Barrier (Krogan)
- Carnage (Krogan)
- Smash
- Lash
- Nova
- Shockwave
- Biotic Charge
Compatible Races:
Human, Drell, Asari, Krogan.
