This Mass Effect Andromeda Builds Guide will help you build your character with the best loadouts, core skills, weapons, and profiles.
Powers/Skills in Mass Effect Andromeda are divided into three categories i.e. combat, biotic, and tech. Each of these has its unique strengths and weaknesses. While you should always experiment with different things to see what works best for you, this guide should help you find some loosely-structured character builds to build upon.
For more help on Mass Effect Andromeda, check out our Key Decisions & Consequences Guide, Remnant Puzzle Solutions Guide, and Crafting Materials Locations Guide.
Mass Effect Andromeda Builds
Although powers/skills are divided into three distinct categories, don’t let it restrict you to a single category. As mentioned earlier, I highly suggest experimenting with different things and come up with a unique character build of your own.
Lastly, you gain access to the Tempest’s Re-Spec Station at the very beginning of the game which lets you re-spec your points if anything goes wrong.
Combat Builds
If you decide to put emphasis on combat, you’ll have to rely on weapons as your primary source of damage. These builds require proficiency with a weapon and allow you to use cell-consuming combat powers which are ridiculously powerful.
You must, however, use these powers at the appropriate time to increase their effectiveness. Shields are pretty tough to take out with a weapon but you can always use disruptor ammo to counter this weakness.
Combat Build #1 – Weapons Specialist
- Recommended Profiles: Soldier
- Training History: Security Officer
- Recommended Weapons: Assault Rifles or Pistols, Sniper Rifles
- Power Loadout: Turbocharge, Barricade, Overload or Energy Drain
- Core Skills: Turbocharge, Assault Rifles or Pistols, Barricade, Rank 3 Combat Fitness, Sniper Rifles
This build primarily focuses on using mid-ranged weapons to dish out constant damage from cover and excels at eliminating single-target. A couple of things that you should keep in mind with this build is decent ammo management and having a good aim.
On top of it, the Turbocharge should allow you to increase your overall damage output. Barricade, on the other hand, gives you a shield whenever you’re behind cover for additional survivability. Last thing that you need to do is to stock up on all three elemental ammo consumables.
Combat Build #2 – Grenadier
- Recommended Profiles: Soldier
- Training History: Operative or Security
- Recommended Weapons: Assault Rifles, Shotguns, Sniper Rifles
- Core Skills: Omni Grenade, Trip Mine, Flak Cannon, Tactical Cloak or Concussive Shot
- Power Loadout: Omni Grenade, Trip Mine, Flak Cannon, Tactical Cloak or Concussive Shot
This build basically deals with dishing out a massive amount of damage in an area. Using the Trip Mine, Flak Cannon, and Omni Grenade, you should easily be able to deal a ton of damage in about no time at all.
When it comes to Training History, you’ve a couple of options at your disposal. You can either go with Operative to gain access to the Tactical Cloak without investing anything into the Tech tree or you can go with Security to get the Concussive Shot for some additional explosions.
One of the most important things that you need to take care of is managing cell resources. For maximum effectiveness, you should try to weaken enemies with some well-timed explosions and follow up with a heavy weapon. The reason as to why this build allows you to freely carry heavy weapons is because the cell-consuming powers don’t require recharging.
The resource management, however, can get a tad tricky in some situations which is why you need to be absolute sure about what you’re doing or you’ll get heavily punished.
Biotic Builds
These builds basically grant you with massive CC powers such i.e. Pull, Singularity, etc. Using these powers, you should easily be able to knock and disable enemies with as little effort as possible.
Moreover, some of these powers also deal an incredible amount of damage in an area which makes them valuable for taking out large groups in an area. On top of it, the Biotic powers have shorter recharge times as compared to Tech/Combat powers which allow you to spam them without worrying too much.
Lastly, there are some powers which enhance your survivability by increase maximum shield and replenishing it. However, when using these powers, you need to be aware of getting off-guard, especially when it comes to shielded enemies.
Biotic Build #1
- Training History: Biotic
- Recommended Profiles: Adept
- Power Loadout: Pull, Throw, Singularity
- Recommended Weapons: Lightweight Pistols
- Core Skills: Pull, Throw, Singularity, Containment
The primary focus of this build is to provide immense CC and displacement effects. Using these powers, you should be able to single out enemies and target them one by one. If this is not your playstyle, you can also detonate your own combo using the Pull into Throw sequence.
All the powers mentioned in this build not only work well with one another but should also allow you to work well with your squadmates. Control an enemy and let your squadmates finish the job, especially with a detonator. When it comes to this build, I highly recommend unlocking Singularity and Radius for Pull.
Lastly, since recharge time can make the difference between life and death, I highly suggest using 1-2 pistols and avoid any heavy weapons in your inventory.
Biotic Build #2 – Glass Cannon
- Training History: Scrapper
- Recommended Profiles: Vanguard
- Recommended Weapons: Melee, Shotguns
- Power Loadout: Charge, Nova, Trip Mine or Omni Grenade
- Core Skills: Charge, Nova, Barrier, Shotguns, Trip Mine or Omni Grenade
When it comes to this build; Charge, Nova, and Barrier go hand in hand. The reason for this is that the Barrier is almost essential to protect you from heavy fire as you head in using the Charge. Alternatively, you can also acquire the Omni Grenade early and use it.
If you can, I also recommend getting an Omni-blade or Krogan Hammer. Apart from this, you should also unlock the Vanguard Profile in order to increase the survivability. As you might’ve guessed, this build should allow you to deal an incredible damage but makes you vulnerable to damage because you’ve to dive into a battle in order to deal a considerable amount of damage.
Tech Builds
When going with these builds, you need to keep in mind that Tech powers feature a lengthy recharge time and require careful positioning if you don’t have Tactical Cloak.
On the positive side, these builds are really powerful against shields and synthetics. The tree also makes the sniper builds using the Tactical Cloak and Energy Drain.
Tech Build #1 – Assassin
- Training History: Operative
- Recommended Profiles: Infiltrator
- Recommended Weapons: Sniper Rifles, Pistols
- Power Loadout: Tactical Cloak, Energy Drain, Trip Mine
- Core Skills: Tactical Cloak, Energy Drain, Sniper Rifles, Trip Mine
Tactical Cloak is one of the best tools at your disposal with this build. It not only increases your overall damage output but also suppresses your sound, allowing you to gain an advantage using your Tactical Cloak.
The idea behind using this build is to use the Tactical Cloak to scout the area and then eliminate the high-priority targets using the critical hit bonus increased by the power. Another thing that works really well with the Tactical Cloak is Energy Drain which has shield-restoration effect.
As long as you timing the recharge times of these powers perfectly, you shouldn’t get caught off-guard. As for weapons, I recommend a sniper rifle or a high-damage pistol. Remember, you don’t want to increase the recharge time of your powers with heavy weapons.
Tech Build #2 – Space Ninja
- Training History: Operative
- Recommended Profiles: Sentinel
- Recommended Weapons: Electric Firaan, Shotgun
- Core Skills: Tactical Cloak, Annihilation, Energy Drain
- Power Loadout: Tactical Cloak, Annihilation, Energy Drain
This is a late-game build so make sure you have enough points to re-spec into this build. When using this build, the first thing that you need to do is to dive the backline and use Annihilation with the Vortex upgrade and follow up with the Energy Drain.
It’s important to note that you can use any combo detonator but I suggest the Energy Drain for its better survivability. Moreover, since you need faster recharge speed, I recommend the Sentinel profile. Finally, it’s important to note that you can’t have Annihilation and Tactical Cloak active at the same time.
