Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2

Power & Skill Trees

Master Mass Effect 2's power and skill trees. Strategically combine Shepard's class powers and companion abilities to overcome any challenge from the Collector.

·Multi-source verified (88/88)

Power & Skill Trees

Understanding and effectively utilizing your squad's powers and skill trees is paramount to success in Mass Effect 2, especially on higher difficulties. Each class and companion offers a unique set of abilities that, when combined strategically, can overcome any challenge the Collectors throw your way.

Shepard's Class Powers

Your chosen class for Commander Shepard dictates your primary power set. While each class has a unique flavor, the core principle of power allocation remains consistent: focus on specializing rather than spreading your points too thin.

  • Initial Power Allocation: Upon starting a new game, you'll have a few points to distribute. It's generally advisable to put points into your primary offensive power and a defensive or crowd-control ability. For example:
    • Soldier: Max out Adrenaline Rush early for damage output and survivability. Invest in Concussive Shot for crowd control.
    • Vanguard: Prioritize Charge for aggressive combat and Shockwave for area-of-effect damage.
    • Adept: Focus on Warp for biotic explosions and Singularity for crowd control.
    • Engineer: Develop Incinerate for armor/health damage and Combat Drone for distraction and enemy disruption.
    • Infiltrator: Max Tactical Cloak for stealth and damage bonuses, and Incinerate for armor.
    • Sentinel: Invest in Tech Armor for defense and Warp for biotic detonations.
  • Evolution Choices: At ranks 3 and 4 of each power, you'll be presented with two evolution choices. These choices significantly alter the power's effectiveness. Always consider your playstyle and squad composition. For instance, a Soldier's Adrenaline Rush can evolve into either "Hardened Adrenaline Rush" (for greater damage resistance) or "Heightened Adrenaline Rush" (for increased weapon damage).
  • Bonus Power: After completing the "Collector Ship" mission, you'll unlock the ability to choose a bonus power from a list of powers learned from your squadmates. This is a crucial decision that can significantly enhance Shepard's versatility.
    • Acquiring Bonus Powers: To unlock a bonus power for Shepard, you must first earn the loyalty of the corresponding squadmate. For example, to unlock Warp Ammo, you must complete Miranda's loyalty mission, "Miranda: The Prodigal."
    • Recommended Bonus Powers:
      • Barrier (from Jack's loyalty): Excellent for survivability on any class.
      • Reave (from Thane's loyalty): Drains health, damages armor/barriers, and provides damage reduction.
      • Slam (from Jacob's loyalty): Great for crowd control and biotic combos.
      • Warp Ammo (from Miranda's loyalty): Fantastic for increasing weapon damage against all defenses.
      • Neural Shock (from Mordin's loyalty): Useful for disabling organic enemies.
    • Changing Bonus Powers: You can change Shepard's bonus power at the Research Terminal in the Tech Lab on the Normandy SR-2. This costs 5,000 Element Zero. Experiment to find what best suits your current build and upcoming missions.

Companion Skill Trees

Each companion has a unique set of powers that complement Shepard's abilities. Understanding their strengths and weaknesses is key to building an effective team.

  • Early Investment: Focus on their primary damage or crowd-control abilities first. For example, give Mordin points in Incinerate and Cryo Blast, or Grunt points in Concussive Shot and Fortification.
  • Loyalty Powers: Upon completing a companion's loyalty mission, they will unlock a powerful new ability. These loyalty powers are often game-changers and should be prioritized.
    • Jacob: Barrier (after "Jacob: The Gift of Greatness")
    • Miranda: Warp Ammo (after "Miranda: The Prodigal")
    • Jack: Shockwave (after "Jack: Subject Zero")
    • Mordin: Neural Shock (after "Mordin: Old Blood")
    • Grunt: Fortification (after "Grunt: Rite of Passage")
    • Garrus: Overload (after "Garrus: Eye for an Eye")
    • Samara: Reave (after "Samara: The Ardat-Yakshi")
    • Thane: Shredder Ammo (after "Thane: Sins of the Father")
    • Tali: Energy Drain (after "Tali: Treason")
    • Legion: Geth Shield Boost (after "Legion: A House Divided")
    • Zaeed (DLC): Inferno Grenade (after "Zaeed: The Price of Revenge")
    • Kasumi (DLC): Flashbang Grenade (after "Kasumi: Stolen Memory")
  • Squad Synergy: Consider how companion powers interact with each other and with Shepard's abilities. For example, a biotic like Samara using Reave can prime an enemy for a biotic explosion from Shepard's Warp. Similarly, Garrus's Overload can strip shields, allowing Mordin's Incinerate to deal direct damage to health.

General Power & Skill Tree Strategies

  • Respecing Powers: If you feel you've made a mistake in power allocation, you can respec your powers at the Research Terminal in the Tech Lab on the Normandy SR-2. This costs 2,500 Element Zero and allows you to reallocate all points for Shepard and your current squadmates. This is invaluable for adapting to new challenges or experimenting with different builds.
  • Prioritize Passive Abilities: Don't overlook the passive abilities in each skill tree (e.g., "Assault Rifle Training" for Soldiers, "Biotic Mastery" for Adepts). These often provide significant boosts to weapon damage, power damage, health, or cooldowns, and are crucial for maximizing overall effectiveness.
  • Max Out Key Powers: It's generally more effective to fully upgrade a few key powers rather than spreading points thinly across many. A fully evolved power is significantly more potent than one with only a few ranks.
  • Adapt to Enemy Types: Different enemy types are vulnerable to different power types.
    • Shields: Vulnerable to Tech powers (e.g., Overload, Energy Drain) and some Biotic powers (e.g., Warp).
    • Armor: Vulnerable to Incendiary/Fire powers (e.g., Incinerate, Inferno Grenade) and some Biotic powers (e.g., Warp).
    • Barriers: Vulnerable to Biotic powers (e.g., Warp, Reave) and some Tech powers (e.g., Energy Drain).
    • Organics: Vulnerable to Cryo powers (e.g., Cryo Blast) and Neural Shock.
  • Use Power Combos: Mass Effect 2 encourages power combinations. For example, using Singularity to lift enemies and then hitting them with Warp creates a devastating biotic explosion. Experiment with your squad's abilities to find powerful synergies.