The recommendations in this guide are geared toward the Hardcore/Insanity difficulty. Since almost all enemies have an extra layer of protection or two (Armor/Barrier/Shield), this takes into account which combinations are most effective at stripping away an enemies defense. On the lower level difficulties, where you don’t need to worry about extra defensive layers, then feel free investing points into other abilities such as Pull, Throw, Cryo Blast, etc. When you mainly only need to take into account enemy health, then that’s where classes such as the Adept and Vanguard, shine.
10 Useful Tips Before You Get Started
- Miranda is the single most useful squadmate to have with you. Her Passive Squad ability bonus to health and damage is rivaled by none. Since she has both Warp and Overload, you’re also prepared for any defenses.
- Grunt is a pure tank. With twice as much health as any other squadmate, faster health regeneration and strong melee attacks, you couldn’t ask for a better team mate to dole out pain. Grab him right after you get Mordin and Archangel.
- As a bonus skill, Reave is a good replacement for Warp (Warp will be your best friend throughout the game) if you don’t have access to it. However, Warp Ammo is the most versatile ammo power and a better option if you lack the firepower.
- Try insanity only after you already beat the game on a lower difficulty level. The starting Mineral, Credit and Advanced Training Ability will be immensely helpful.
- When you start a mission, equip every gun with a special ammo type if you have one available. This way you don’t have to worry about equipping the ammo during a firefight.
- Concentrate on evolving your Passive Ability and Class exclusive power ASAP.
- Pick your squadmates on particular missions to make up for your own weaknesses. (Classes like the Adept are better suited for squadmates that augment your own biotic abilities instead of your lack of offensive options.) Thane/Garrus if you don’t have a sniper, Grunt if you don’t have a heavy hitter/tank, Samara if you need a biotic/crowd control specialist, etc.
- If you’re on a second playthrough, you should have plenty of Element Zero available. Don’t be afraid to respec your character for specific missions.
- Do Tali’s recruitment mission ASAP so you can get the Tempest SMG and Geth Pulse Rifle.
- . Almost always go squad when evolving an ammo ability. Bonuses to everyone in your squad is much better than just you having a more powerful ammo. Especially since your teammates don’t run out of ammo.
* Spoilers ahead
*Squadmates will vary from mission to mission. The recommended Squadmates are the ones I found most efficient at facing a variety of enemies and on the most difficult missions (i.e. Horizon, Collector Ship, etc.)
*The recommended builds listed for each character is assuming that you plan on maxing your Commander Shepard’s abilities out (At max level 30, 51 Total Squad points will be available for distribution).
ADEPT
Adept’s can go an entire fight without firing a single shot. You have the ability to decimate enemies using only a combination of your powers. Singularity is easily one of the best biotic abilities in the game. Set the singularity at a chokepoint and watch as enemies get sucked right into it. While you may have trouble in the early going, when your abilities have higher ranks, than this class creates chaos on the battlefield. For the most part, pick squadmates that augment your own biotic powers. There are, however, some missions that require you picking members that cover up your own weaknesses (i.e. Synthetic heavy missions.)
| PROS | CONS |
| - Can fight without using weapons - A lot of fun to play with on lower difficulty levels - Ultimate crowd control class |
- Relies heavily on biotic abilities - Limited firepower - Need to break down protection to use most abilities |
Recommended Squadmates: Thane & Jacob
Advanced Weapon Training: Assault Rifle – gives you an offensive punch with good range
Recommended Build:
| ABILITY | PTS. | NOTES |
| Biotic Mastery [Nemesis] | 10 | The power duration boost is very minimal, so you’ll want the extra power damage. |
| Singularity [Heavy] | 10 | This power is your bread and butter. |
| Warp [Unstable] | 10 | Normally I find heavy warp to be more useful, but since the Adept is made for crowd control, the area detonation effect comes in handy. |
| Shockwave | 1 | Unless this power is evolved, it’s not worth investing a lot of points into it. |
| Pull [Field] | 10 | Pull Field is great for a group of unprotected enemies. Pull them and watch as a well timed Warp detonation destroys them. |
| Throw | 0 | Personally found shockwave to be more useful with the last available point. |
| Energy Drain [Area] | 10 | This gives you an ability to take care of shields. However, the adept’s bonus power is extremely situational and I would switch this out to a number of other abilities depending on the mission. |
ENGINEER
This class won’t do much damage on the battlefield. The combat drones are useful distractions, especially when you have multiple drones fighting for you. However, with limited offensive options, you’ll mostly be sitting back directing others. However, this class is good for stripping away defenses, almost on par with the Sentinel. So if you don’t mind letting your teammates do most of the killing, then take the Engineer.
| PROS | CONS |
| - Drones are great distractions - Great against synthetic enemies - With Reave as a bonus skill, almost as good as the Sentinel at taking down defenses |
- More of an armchair tactician; con in my book, but maybe that’s your preference - Limited offense - Not great against the main enemy in the game: Collector’s |
Recommended Squadmates: Grunt & Thane
Advanced Weapon Training: Assault Rifle – gives you an offensive punch with good range
Recommended Build:
| ABILITY | PTS. | NOTES |
| Tech Master [Mechanic] | 10 | More health and longer power duration. |
| Attack Drone [Explosive] | 10 | Since the attack drones usually get really close to an enemy, the extra damage from the explosion is more useful. |
| Incinerate [Heavy] | 10 | You’ll be spamming this power a lot. |
| Overload [Heavy] | 10 | Great against synthetic enemies. |
| AI Hacking | 1 | Very limited and extremely situational. |
| Cryo Blast | 0 | Mostly useless on Hardcore/Insanity. |
| Geth Shield Boost [Improved] | 10 | The 10% weapons damage bonus is very useful with your limited offense. Also it works with your passive ability bonuses to tech powers. |
INFILTRATOR
This will also be referred to as the Ninja class. If you like to silently stalk your enemies and believe in the motto, “One shot, one kill”, then this class was made for you. The class power gives you Sniper zoom slowdown with a damage bonus. This way you can sit back and lineup headshots. Once you have Operative Assassin and Assassination cloak evolved, you’ll begin to understand why the Infiltrator is so deadly.
| PROS | CONS |
| - Tactical Cloak is by far the best class exclusive ability in the game - Sniper slowdown/damage bonus - Incinerate is incredibly useful and powerful |
- No other useful abilities outside of Cloak and Incinerate - You don’t heal/regenerate shields while cloaked - Shotgun should be standard with this class |
Recommended Squadmates: Grunt & Miranda
Advanced Weapon Training: Sniper – the Widow is the strongest gun in the game
Recommended Build:
| ABILITY | PTS. | NOTES |
| Tactical Cloak [Assassination] | 10 | The HUGE damage bonus more than makes up for the extra 2 seconds Enhanced Cloak gives you. |
| Incinerate [Heavy] | 10 | Decimates Armor. |
| Operative [Assassin] | 10 | More weapon/power damage and longer Sniper Zoom slowdown. |
| AI Hacking | 1 | Very limited and extremely situational. |
| Disruptor Ammo [Squad] | 10 | You’ll be able to rip through shields. |
| Cryo Ammo | 0 | |
| Warp Ammo [Squad] | 10 | Works well in conjunction with the Sniper because of its versatility. |
SENTINEL
This is the most versatile and arguably the best class to use on Insanity. Having the powers necessary to strip away any type of enemy defense, it makes picking your squadmates that much easier. The limited arsenal for the Sentinel means you should always have someone in your party with an Assault Rifle and Sniper. With the Tech Armor, you’re basically a tank, so you can soak up a lot of damage when necessary.
| PROS | CONS |
| - Versatility with both Biotic/Tech abilities - Tech Armor will save your life many times - Prepared for any type of enemy defense |
- Relies on team mates for offense - Limited arsenal - Minus Warp, no strong offensive biotic/tech ability |
Recommended Squadmates: Grunt & Thane/Garrus
Advanced Weapon Training: This depends on your playstyle. Sniper if you like to sit back and let Tech Armor soak up damage while you line up headshots. Shotgun if you want to get up close and personal.
Recommended Build:
| ABILITY | PTS. | NOTES |
| Throw | 3 | Good for knocking back enemies that rush you. |
| Warp [Heavy] | 10 | This will be your best friend throughout the game. |
| Tech Armor [Assault] | 10 | The stronger/wider blast + extra shields are life savers if you’re an aggressive player and like close quarters combat. |
| Overload | 6 | Rank 3 should be enough for most missions. |
| Defender [Guardian] | 10 | This will push your power cooldown to the max. |
| Cryo Blast | 1 | Good for crowd control when maxed out, but points are better spent elsewhere. |
| Warp Ammo [Squad] | 10 | Gives your weapons a badly needed damage bonus. |
SOLDIER
If you prefer to be the heavy hitter, then the Soldier will fulfill those needs. Having access to all weapons (minus the SMG), you’re prepared to fight under any conditions. Also, with a lot of health available, you can be the tank of the squad. With the wide array of arsenal available, you’ll be directing your squad to take down protection while you go in and finish them off. Playing as this class makes the game feel more like a straight up shooter.
| PROS | CONS |
| - Access to all weapons (minus SMG) - Lots of health - Adrenaline Rush is great for both offense/defense |
- Game plays more like a shooter and becomes less tactical - No Biotic/Tech abilities - Sometimes you just wish you had some powers to curve around objects |
Recommended Squadmates: Miranda & Thane/Zaeed
Advanced Weapon Training: Assault Rifle – Revenant is amazing for close-mid range combat
Recommended Build:
| ABILITY | PTS. | NOTES |
| Adrenaline Rush [Hardened] | 10 | 50% damage reduction bonus is more useful and will save your ass many times. |
| Combat Mastery [Commando] | 10 | More weapon/power damage will make you a more efficient and effective Soldier. |
| Incendiary Ammo [Inferno] | 10 | Another rare instance where the non-squad evolution is more useful. Since you’re the heavy hitter, you’ll do a lot of soloing. |
| Concussive Shot | 3 | Good for hitting Collector Barriers or knocking back enemies rushing your position. Respec your character when you know you’re going to fight Collector’s and put all your remaining points into evolving this ability. |
| Disruptor Ammo | 6 | Rank 3 should be enough for most missions. |
| Cryo Ammo | 1 | Personally, I never found much use for Cryo Ammo. |
| Reave [Area] | 10 | A good replacement for Warp. Gives you a long distance ability to help take down armor/barrier. Go with Barrier if you want to be unstoppable. |
VANGUARD
This caters to a very specific type of player. If you’re really aggressive and love to face enemies head on, then there’s no better class to use. While there are plenty of risks involved playing with the Vanguard, I found it to be the most enjoyable class to use. There’s nothing more rewarding than Charging into an enemy and then blasting him away with a shotgun. Many will argue against using this class on Insanity, but a Heavy Charge coupled with the Claymore/Eviscerator shotgun can decimate even Geth Hunters in seconds. You will also rely on melee attacks with the close proximity of enemies you put yourself into. Put points into evolving heavy charge/champion ASAP.
| PROS | CONS |
| - Extremely satisfying combat - Shockwave great for crowd control - Charge great for closing distance, stunning enemies and recharging your shields - Battles end quickly |
- Difficult in the early going, but not impossible on Insanity - High risks involved playing with this class - Charge can only be used to throw you directly into harm’s way and not out of it |
Recommended Squadmates: Miranda & Thane/Garrus
Advanced Weapon Training: Assault Rifle – This way you can weaken enemies from a distance and then charge in and finish them off with the shotgun. I liked the Eviscerator (which you get from the start if you downloaded the DLC) over the Claymore because of the larger thermal clip, range and near equivalent damage.
Recommended Build:
| ABILITY | PTS. | NOTES |
| Assault Mastery [Champion] | 10 | Champion is the better evolution because you have more health/shields and it reduces the power cooldown to the max, allowing you to charge to your next target quicker. |
| Charge [Heavy] | 10 | Since you’ll be concentrating on 1 enemy at a time, you’ll want the extra damage output. You also get full shields, which will save your life many times. |
| Shockwave | 1 | This is great for crowd control on lower levels. However, it doesn’t do much on the higher difficulty levels where you need to strip away a defense for the shockwave to knock you back. |
| Pull [Field] | 10 | Useful for pulling enemies out of Charge range. Great for putting combos together with someone with warp. |
| Incendiary Ammo [Inferno] | 10 | Inferno Ammo is better here because you’ll need all the extra damage you can dish out since you’ll be soloing a lot of sections. |
| Cryo Ammo | 0 | |
| Reave [Area] | 10 | This way you can weaken armor/barrier before you go in to finish them off. Warp Ammo is a good alternative here too. |
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