Energy Drain

Energy Drain is a tech power in Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3. Energy Drain saps enemies' kinetic barrier power to boost your shields. Like Overload, this ability will do double damage to shields.
Note: This power travels in a straight line from the user to the target, hitting instantly.

Mass Effect 2

Power Ranks

• Rank 1
  • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds (Shepard); 12.00 seconds (Tali)
  • Energy Drain: 120.00 points
  • Impact Radius: 1.20 meters

• Rank 2
  • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds (Shepard); 12.00 seconds (Tali)
  • Energy Drain: 140.00 points
  • Impact Radius: 1.20 meters

• Rank 3
  • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds (Shepard); 12.00 seconds (Tali)
  • Energy Drain: 160.00 points
  • Impact Radius: 1.20 meters

Rank 4

Choose to evolve the power into one of the following,

Heavy Energy Drain

• Your energy drain is much more disruptive to synthetics and shields, causing unparalleled damage.
  • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds (Shepard); 12.00 seconds (Tali)
  • Energy Drain: 200.00 points
  • Impact Radius: 1.20 meters

Area Drain

• You can greatly widen your energy drain's radius to easily hit multiple targets.
  • Recharge Time: 6.00 seconds (Shepard); 12.00 seconds (Tali)
  • Energy Drain: 160.00 points
  • Impact Radius: 3.00 meters

Availability

• Shepard via Advanced Training
• Tali'Zorah vas Neema (Loyalty Power)

Player Notes

• Energy Drain deals the damage amount listed above to armor, barriers and synthetic health. Double damage is dealt to shields. No organic health damage is dealt.
• Energy Drain is capable of providing the largest shield boost in the game.
• Shields are recharged based on the amount of damage that was dealt. Shields can be temporarily boosted beyond their normal strength.
• Your shields are only restored if enemy shields or synthetics are hit.
• Energy Drain is useful for Adepts on higher difficulties because of the prevalence of shields among enemies as well as acting as an anti-synthetic weapon since Adepts do not have any powers or weapons training tailored to destroy synthetics.

Mass Effect 3

Power Ranks

Rank 1: Energy Drain

Hit an enemy with this energy pulse to inflict damage and to steal barrier and shield power.

• Recharge Time: 8 seconds
• Damage: 220 points
• Radius: 1.50 meters
• Shields Restored: 50%

Rank 2: Recharge Speed

Increase recharge speed by 25%.

• Recharge Time: 6.40 seconds

Rank 3: Damage

Increase damage by 20%.

• Damage: 264 points

Rank 4: Damage/Radius

Damage Increase damage by 30%. Damage: 330 points

Radius Increase impact radius by 100%.

Rank 5: Drain/Recharge Speed

Drain Increase shield restoration rate by 50% when draining shields, barriers, or power from synthetic enemies. Shields Restored: 100%

Recharge Speed Increase recharge speed by 25%. Recharge Time: 5.33 seconds

Rank 6: Damage/Armor Boost

Damage Increase damage by 40%. Damage: 418 (Damage), 352 (Radius)

Armor Boost Reduce damage taken by 40% for 10 seconds by gaining a temporary layer of armor by draining shields, barriers, or energy from synthetics.

Player Notes

Note: Energy Drain deals 3x damage to all shields and barriers, normal damage to armor from synthetic enemies, and only half damage to armor from organic enemies.

Mechanics

• Energy Drain will only replenish the player's shields when it hits an enemy with barriers/shields or any synthetic enemy.
• Energy Drain will only prime and detonate combos when used against an organic with shields or barriers, or any synthetic.

Strategies

• Energy Drain is a fast way of taking down Turrets as well as Atlases.
• Energy Drain with the Rank 4 Radius evolution is useful in taking on large groups of geth that tend to cluster at the onset of combat.
• Energy Drain is a useful bonus power for classes that are lacking in anti-shield capabilities like Adepts, Vanguards, and to a slightly lesser extent Infiltrators.
• In multiplayer, while not the most damaging ability, it will almost always stun the enemy, making it a great way to set up follow-up shots or melee.
• On higher difficulties, Energy Drain is a useful survival tool, allowing the player to weaken enemies and restore precious shielding at the same time.
• With a short enough recharge time, Energy Drain can render a player all but invincible against the geth, allowing you to restore your shields and stun enemies faster than they can kill you.
• The electrical effect that Energy Drain applies does not last as long as the one from Overload or Disruptor Ammo, making it an inferior choice as a primer when attempting to self-detonate tech bursts.

Availability

• Single Player: Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, Commander Shepard (Bonus Power)
• Multiplayer: N7 Paladin Sentinel, Salarian Engineer, Salarian Infiltrator