Squadmate Gear & Upgrades — Mass Effect 3 Guide

Squadmate Gear & Upgrades

Equipping your squadmates with the right gear and ensuring their weapons are upgraded is essential for maximizing their combat effectiveness in Mass Effect 3. Well-equipped companions can turn the tide of battle, providing crucial support, dealing significant damage, and surviving tougher encounters.

While Shepard is the primary focus of customization, the gear and weapons equipped by your squadmates play a vital role in their performance. Unlike Shepard, squadmates do not have separate armor slots; instead, their overall defensive capabilities are tied to their base stats and any passive abilities they possess. However, their weaponry can be upgraded, and certain armor modifications found in the environment can provide passive bonuses that benefit the entire squad. Understanding how to best equip your chosen companions can significantly enhance your team's synergy and survivability.

Weapon Upgrades for Squadmates:

• Finding Weapon Mods: Weapon modifications, including barrels, scopes, and ammo types, are found throughout the game world. When Shepard picks up a weapon mod, it becomes available for Shepard and any squadmate who can equip that weapon type.
• Equipping Mods: Access the weapon modification screen when customizing Shepard's loadout. Here, you can ass available mods to Shepard's equipped weapons and then to your squadmates' weapons.
• Prioritizing Mods: Consider the strengths of each squadmate. For example, give Garrus mods that enhance his sniper rifle's damage and range, while Tali might benefit from mods that improve her assault rifle's stability for sustained fire.

Squadmate Armor and Defenses:

• Passive Bonuses: While squadmates don't have individual armor pieces to equip, certain environmental armor modifications or mission rewards can provide passive bonuses to the entire squad, such as increased shield strength or health regeneration.
• Class-Based Defenses: A squadmate's inherent defensive capabilities are tied to their class. For instance, a Sentinel like Kaidan Alenko might have better shield regeneration than a Vanguard like Samara (if she were available).
• Power Usage: Encourage squadmates to use their defensive powers (like Fortification or Barrier) when available.

Squadmate Loadout Strategy:

By paying attention to your squadmates' loadouts and ensuring they are equipped with the best available weapon modifications, you can significantly enhance your team's overall combat effectiveness and increase your chances of success in the challenging battles ahead.