- For information on the controls, general gameplay mechanics, and AI behaviors of NPC allies, see Squad.
This Squad Members Guide is meant as a general overview of the various squadmates Commander Shepard can acquire in Mass Effect 3, summarizing their abilities, strengths, and weaknesses in combat. The proper selection and use of squad members can significantly reduce the challenge of a given mission, especially on the higher difficulty settings.
- See also: Squad Members Guide, Squad Members Guide (Mass Effect 2), Squad Members Guide (Mass Effect: Andromeda)
Overview[]
This page focuses on what makes a particular squad member stand out compared to others and is meant to serve as a starting point for how to assemble a team. For recommendations on what squadmate choices work well for specific player classes, see the individual Class Guides. For in-depth information on the various abilities, equipment, and weapon options, investigate those individual pages as most will contain notes and recommendations on squadmate use. Finally, for recommendations on which squadmates to take on specific missions, see the Walkthrough page for that mission.
A good basic understanding of how Power Combos work is essential for getting the most out of squadmates in Mass Effect 3, especially on higher difficulties, so be sure to review that page and see the quick reference table here. Also, the customizable appearances feature for squadmates returns from Mass Effect 2, but significantly, the various armors and outfits now have gameplay effects—see the table on this page for reference.
Note: When the terms "squadmate" or "squad member" are used in this guide, they are only referring to other NPC characters and not Shepard. If Shepard is meant to be included, the terms "party" or "party member" will be used. Squad members are listed in approximately the order in which they become available.
Legendary Edition: All characters and outfits that previously required DLC to unlock no longer have this requirement, but any characters that can only be squad members during select missions that were formerly exclusive to DLC are still categorized as such on this page as they are still not available outside of those missions in Legendary Edition.
James Vega[]
- Availability: Prologue | First playable: from Priority: Mars on
- Specialty: Combat
- Weapons: Assault Rifles, Shotguns
Powers
|
Overview
James plays the same role as the krogan team members in the previous games as the quintessential meat shield and point man, with his unique Fortification power granting him unrivaled toughness. James's class power, Arms Master, potentially provides him with the highest personal bonus to shields and health out of all squadmates though even on Insanity this tends to be overkill; the real prize is the Squad Bonus evolution, letting James share some of his toughness with the entire squad. This evolution is known to be buggy and sometimes fails to apply properly to the entire party, though James himself always benefits from it.
Incendiary Ammo can boost James's firepower and that of the squad if so evolved, and makes him effective at priming enemies for Fire Explosions which he can also self-detonate with Carnage; however, the tradeoff for James's exceptional resilience and above-average firepower is very slow power recharge times, especially while Fortification is active. While this is somewhat mitigated by the passive nature of many of his abilities and also because Frag Grenade has no cooldown, James is not the man to call on for power wizardry.
Liara T'Soni[]
- Availability: Prologue | First playable: from Priority: Mars on
- Specialty: Biotics
- Weapons: Submachine Guns, Heavy Pistols
Powers
|
Overview
At the opposite end of the spectrum from James, Liara is the most fragile member of the squad, and her weapon options are unimpressive. However, her biotic powers Stasis and Singularity and extremely fast power recharge times can turn battles with rank-and-file enemies into one-sided turkey shoots. The Rank 6 Squad Bonus evolution of her class power makes her a tremendous asset to other biotic party members, as does the vulnerability debuff of her Warp Ammo.
Liara is the only squad member with Warp, an even more versatile power than it was in Mass Effect 2, able to soften up hard targets and set up biotic combos even on heavy, armored enemies that can't be lifted. It's also one of the only biotic powers that can detonate all types of Power Combos, not just biotic ones. The duration of most of her powers combined with the speed at which she can cast them makes Liara more than capable of creating her own combos if needed. Keep her well out of harm's way and Liara can help any party handle virtually any threat.
Garrus Vakarian[]
- Availability: If survived Mass Effect 2, Act I | First playable: from Priority: Palaven on
- Specialty: Long-range combat, Tech
- Weapons: Assault Rifles, Sniper Rifles
Powers
|
Overview
Garrus remains much as he was in the previous two games: capable of massive ranged damage, with an excellent collection of powers that enables him to strip shields and support the team, but possessing only average staying power. Armor-Piercing Ammo is exceptionally strong not just for softening up and destroying hard targets, but its cover-penetration properties make it especially useful for NPC squadmates who have a tendency to fire at enemies even when obscured by terrain.
Overload is arguably the most versatile power in Mass Effect 3, now effective at not only damaging both shields and barriers, but also for crowd control and combo potential. Concussive Shot is effective crowd control and a good Power Combo detonator on a relatively fast cooldown. Finally, the Rank 5 Damage Taken evolution of Proximity Mine can soften up hard targets for the entire party. The only real downside of Garrus's kit is deciding which of his powers not to max out; however, as good as his powers are, he can't use them quite as often as the more power-oriented squadmates.
EDI[]
- Availability: Act I | First playable: conclusion of Priority: Palaven on
- Specialty: Tech
- Weapons: Submachine Guns, Heavy Pistols
Powers
|
Overview
EDI is the only squadmate with Incinerate, and the only squadmate other than Garrus with Overload unless Kaidan is also available. She is able to do more raw damage with these powers than any squadmate, as her class power, Unshackled AI, provides substantial benefits to her tech power damage. This can be further increased by her default costume, certain weapon mods, squad bonuses from other party members such as Kaidan or Garrus, and even further by the Rank 5 Power Synergy evolution of her unique Defense Matrix power. EDI's weapon damage on the other hand is mediocre, par for the course for a power specialist.
On higher difficulties, raw power damage starts to become less able to kill even basic enemies by itself, and skillful use of Power Combos and debuffs to increase enemy vulnerability becomes more important. Pairing EDI with party members who possess Sabotage evolved with the Rank 6 Tech Vulnerability can effectively double the raw damage of her powers, even doubling the damage of any Power Combos they create. Pairing EDI with party members able to utilize cryo attacks can also greatly increase her Incinerate damage through its Rank 6 Freeze Combo evolution.
Even if the above strategies aren't used, EDI is always useful for stripping shields/barriers from enemies with Overload, which does not need its damage pushed into the stratosphere in order to perform this function adequately on most enemy types. It can be wiser to focus on improving EDI's power recharge speed by selecting the appropriate outfit and leaving her Defense Matrix power off except for emergencies. Finally, Decoy, her other unique power, is situational but has a few interesting properties; see its page to learn more.
Javik[]
- Prerequisites: Mass Effect 3: From Ashes DLC or Legendary Edition
- Availability: after Priority: The Citadel I | First playable: after Priority: Palaven on completion of Priority: Eden Prime
- Specialty: Biotics, Combat
- Weapons: Assault Rifles, Heavy Pistols
Powers*
|
*Javik's powers cannot be reset in the Normandy's medical bay.
Overview
Javik adds another biotic specialist to the team. He doesn't quite have Liara's effectiveness at creating Biotic Explosions on any target or the debuffing powers of Warp and Warp Ammo, but he more than makes up for this by bringing above-average durability and firepower to the squad. The Rank 6 evolution of his Vengeful Ancient passive that increases the shield recharge speed of the entire party by a whopping 20% is particularly powerful.
Javik's Pull, Slam, and Lift Grenade powers make him very useful for crowd control. Pull and Slam both take enemies off their feet and keep them out of the battle, they can combo with each other, and both Slam and Lift Grenade are universal combo detonators. Their recharge times are also quite fast, further improved if Javik wears his black armor. If Javik is specced for maximum power damage, his Lift Grenades can deal more damage in a wider area than any other squadmate power, crippling lighter enemies they don't kill outright. All of these powers are most effective against unprotected enemies; shields in particular are something Javik struggles to defeat on his own, but what Javik can't destroy with his biotics, he can always just shoot.
Ashley Williams[]
- Availability: If survived Mass Effect | First playable: Priority: Mars, and following the attempted Cerberus coup*
- Specialty: Combat
- Weapons: Assault Rifles, Sniper Rifles
*dependent on outcome of Priority: The Citadel II
Powers
|
Overview
Thanks to her class ability, Alliance Officer, and unique Marksman power, Ashley packs weapon damage potential surpassed only by Garrus, and like him, she is also able to wield sniper rifles. As squadmates don't go out of their way for headshots and their accuracy can't be boosted, evolve her Marksman to maximize rate of fire and duration. Assault rifles with very high magazine capacities such as the M-76 Revenant or N7 Typhoon are ideal choices to use in tandem with Marksman. The power is unfortunately bugged in many versions of the original game; turning Squad Power Use off is the easiest workaround that doesn't involve altering game files.
The rest of Ashley's kit is similar to James's, with ammo and grenade powers. Inferno Grenade can hit enemies in a wide area and penetrates cover, but it is unable to panic protected enemies like it could in Mass Effect 2; it is, however, capable of priming multiple enemies for Fire Explosions, perfect for follow-up powers such as a chaining Overload or Ashley's own Concussive Shot to detonate. Improved from Mass Effect 2, Disruptor Ammo is now effective against not only shields but barriers as well, in addition to having more impact on unprotected organic foes. Ashley lacks the resilience of James, so care should be taken with her positioning.
Kaidan Alenko[]
- Availability: If survived Mass Effect | First playable: Priority: Mars, and following the attempted Cerberus coup*
- Specialty: Tech, Combat, Biotics
- Weapons: Assault Rifles, Heavy Pistols
*dependent on outcome of Priority: The Citadel II
Powers
|
Overview
Just as in the first Mass Effect, Kaidan is a veritable Swiss Army knife, with only Garrus and EDI approaching his versatility for dealing with enemy protections. Kaidan has Overload for shields and barriers, as well as the fast-recharging Cryo Blast to debuff armor and disable groups of unprotected enemies. His Alliance Officer passive class power can give him an impressive boost to his biotics or tech powers; generally tech is the best route to go as Overload gets the most usage. The passive can also be evolved to either improve the power efficiency of the entire party, or its shield recharge rate.
Kaidan's unique combination of tech and biotics allows him to set up and detonate more types of Power Combo than any other squadmate, and he pairs well with anyone. Defensively, Kaidan is capable of rivaling James in the durability department, as he can layer both Barrier and the Reave damage protection buff; while going this route slows Kaidan's power use, Kaidan can wield assault rifles, ensuring he is always contributing to the party's damage output.
Tali'Zorah vas Normandy[]
- Availability: If survived Mass Effect 2 | First Playable: Priority: Perseus Veil through Priority: Rannoch and after*
- Specialty: Tech, Anti-synthetic
- Weapons: Shotguns, Heavy Pistols
*dependent on outcome of Priority: Rannoch
Powers
|
Overview
Thanks to the addition of a few new and improved abilities, Tali is much more viable against non-synthetic enemies than in the second game. Her Energy Drain ability enables her to strip away enemy shields and barriers while reinforcing her own shields, and Sabotage is useful for turning enemy synthetics and Turrets into temporary allies. Tali possesses two different flavors of drone, and unlike in the previous game, they have very quick recharge times, making her much more effective at tying enemies up. Her class power, Quarian Machinist, mainly serves to increase the recharge speed of her powers even further, though Tali does decent weapon damage if specced for it and equipped with the right shotgun (the N7 Crusader, if available, is ideal).
As with the other power-oriented teammates, getting the most out of Tali requires a thorough understanding of how to create Power Combos with her kit. She can prime Tech Bursts with both Energy Drain and Sabotage, though both powers have somewhat finnicky conditions for doing so; it's a good idea to read their pages for full details. The Tech Bursts Sabotage can create on organic enemies are particularly powerful with the Rank 6 Tech Vulnerability, especially when detonated by a chain Overload. Overload and other tech powers will also deal double damage to enemies debuffed by the vulnerability, making Sabotage quite useful as an opener against tough enemies with thick shields or barriers.
Reference Tables[]
Weapons Table[]
Weapon Type: | Submachine Guns | Heavy Pistols | Shotguns | Assault Rifles | Sniper Rifles |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ashley Williams | ✓ | ✓ | |||
EDI | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Garrus Vakarian | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Kaidan Alenko | ✓ | ✓ | |||
James Vega | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Javik | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Liara T'Soni | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Tali'Zorah vas Normandy | ✓ | ✓ |
Powers Table[]
Single-player Power Combos[]
In the table below, the columns marked Biotic/Cryo/Tech/Fire indicate whether the ability can detonate primed Biotic Explosions, Cryo Explosions, Tech Bursts, or Fire Explosions respectively. Underscore indicates whether a power has a multiplier evolution which increases the effective combo level of the power for the purposes of the combo type indicated by the column. These evolutions increase damage by at least 50% regardless of whether the power is used as source or detonator, and whether it is stacking with another power with such a multiplier.
Icon | Power | Primes | Biotic | Cryo | Tech | Fire | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barrier | Biotic* | *On self-detonation, primes if target is lifted | |||||
Biotic Charge | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Biotic Protector | ✓* | ✓* | ✓* | ✓* | *Detonates with "Blast" evolution only | ||
Carnage | Fire | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Cluster Grenade | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Combat Drone | ✓* | ✓* | ✓* | *On destruction, detonates with "Detonate" evolution | |||
Concussive Shot | Cryo*/Fire* | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | *Primes with Amplification evolution with Cryo/Incendiary Ammo respectively; Disruptor Ammo is bugged and does not prime Tech Bursts[1] | ||
Cryo Ammo | Cryo | ||||||
Cryo Blast | Cryo | ||||||
Dark Channel | Biotic | ||||||
Decoy | ✓* | ✓* | ✓* | *On destruction, detonates with "Exploding Decoy" | |||
Disruptor Ammo | Tech | ||||||
Energy Drain | Tech | ✓* | ✓* | ✓* | *Only detonates shielded, barriered, or synthetic targets | ||
Flare | ✓ | ||||||
Frag Grenade | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
Incendiary Ammo | Fire* | *Priming effect can apply to targets with shields or barriers but only detonatable after shields/barriers destroyed | |||||
Incinerate | Fire | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Inferno Grenade | Fire | ||||||
Lash | Biotic | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Primes if target is lifted. Armored targets cannot be detonated in MP. | |
Lift Grenade | Biotic | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Primes and detonates unprotected enemies only | |
Nova | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Overload | Tech | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Primes primary target only. All chain hits can detonate. | ||
Proximity Mine | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
Pull | Biotic* | *Combo evolution in multiplayer only | |||||
Reave | Biotic | ✓ | |||||
Sabotage | Tech* | *Only primes non-synthetics, application delayed 1.5s | |||||
Sentry Turret | Cryo*/Fire** | *With "Cryo Ammo" evolution **With Flamethrower evolution vs. unshielded targets | |||||
Shockwave | Biotic* | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | *Primes with "Lifting Shockwave" | |
Singularity | Biotic | ✓* | *On self-detonation, detonates with "Detonate" evolution | ||||
Slam | Biotic* | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | *Primes only during lift effect Detonates unprotected enemies only | |
Stasis | Biotic | ||||||
Sticky Grenade | Cryo*/Tech*/Fire* | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | *Primes with Cryo/Disruptor/Incendiary Ammo | ||
Throw | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Warp | Biotic | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Squad Member Outfits[]
Default | Alternate | From Ashes | N7 Collector's Edition Pack |
Weapon Damage +25% | Shields +25% | Weapon Damage +25% | Power Recharge Speed +25% |
Default | Alternate | From Ashes | Alternate Appearance Pack 1 |
Power Damage +25% | Power Recharge Speed +25% | Shields +25% | Power Recharge Speed +25% |
Default | Alternate | From Ashes | Alternate Appearance Pack 1 |
Shields +25% | Weapon Damage +25% | Weapon Damage +25% | Shields +25% |
Default | Alternate | From Ashes | N7 Collector's Edition Pack |
Shields +25% | Weapon Damage +25% | Weapon Damage +25% | Shields +25% |
Default | Alternate | From Ashes | N7 Collector's Edition Pack |
Power Recharge Speed +25% | Power Damage +25% | Shields +25% | Weapon Damage +25% |
Default | Alternate | From Ashes | N7 Collector's Edition Pack |
Alternate Appearance Pack 1 |
Power Damage +25% | Power Recharge Speed +25% |
Power Recharge Speed +25% |
Power Damage +25% | Power Damage +25% |
Default | Alternate | From Ashes |
Power Damage +25% | Power Recharge Speed +25% | Weapon Damage +25% |
Temporary[]
David Anderson[]
- Availability: Prologue: Earth
- Specialty: Combat support
- Weapons: Heavy Pistols
Powers
|
Note: Despite having the Frag Grenade power Anderson won't have any to use.
DLC Mission Exclusive[]
The following squad members are only available during certain missions exclusive to DLC and cannot be chosen during missions of the main Mass Effect 3 storyline.
Legendary Edition: These characters are still not available beyond the few missions in which they appear even though DLC missions are now included with the main game.
Aria T'Loak[]
- Prerequisites: Mass Effect 3: Omega DLC or Legendary Edition
- Availability: Omega: Aria T'Loak (Mass Effect 3)
- Specialty: Biotics, Combat
- Weapons: Submachine Guns, Shotguns
Powers
|
Overview
Aria is a formidable biotic with several unique powers at her disposal, but her recharge times, especially of Flare, are on the longer side. Lash is her bread-and-butter ability as it has the lowest cooldown time and is the most applicable in general combat situations. With the Rank 6 Shield Penetration evolution of Lash, she can disable any enemy with shields or barriers as long as they are not armored, and Lash is also a universal Power Combo detonator.
Aria's Biotic Boss passive can make her extremely durable, and Reave is a good way to increase Aria's toughness still further in situations where she is likely to come under heavy fire. Aria's kit is rounded out with Carnage, giving her the ability to combo with non-biotics or simply deal a good chunk of direct damage, particularly against armored targets.
Nyreen Kandros[]
- Prerequisites: Mass Effect 3: Omega DLC or Legendary Edition
- Availability: Omega: Aria T'Loak (Mass Effect 3)
- Specialty: Tech, Biotics, Combat
- Weapons: Assault Rifles, Heavy Pistols
Powers
|
Overview
Nyreen is a very versatile and hard-hitting squadmate, but she is fragile unless the player invests in her unique Biotic Protector power which can be used to ensure her survival if she comes under heavy fire. Its Rank 6 evolutions give it long-lasting buffs that make it a useful power even outside of emergencies. Overload and Incinerate allow her to strip away any kind of protection, while her Lift Grenades can disable large groups of unprotected enemies. This wide variety of powers also enables Nyreen to create Power Combos with Aria or Shepard in numerous ways.
Urdnot Wrex[]
- Prerequisites: Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC or Legendary Edition
- Availability: must be alive | Citadel Wards: Ambush through Citadel Docks: Retake the Normandy
- Specialty: Close combat
- Weapons: Shotguns, Heavy Pistols
Powers*
|
*Wrex has one less squad point to allocate than other squadmates available in the main storyline.
Overview
Wrex is the most durable squadmate in the game by a mile. His already high health is further supplemented by Barrier and his unique Stimulant Packs. Like most krogan, Wrex prefers the direct approach and revels in melee combat, rarely taking cover if not ordered to. A Shotgun Blade Attachment or a Shotgun Omni-Blade will substantially improve his damage output. He automatically uses Stimulant Packs when his shields are down (even if Squad Power Use is turned off), but they are limited in number and share their stock with his Lift Grenades.
While Wrex's powers aren't the best for dealing with enemy shields, the Reegar Carbine, if available, can greatly mitigate this weakness. Wrex can create his own Fire Explosions through Carnage and Lift Grenades. Against unprotected enemies Wrex can create his own Biotic Explosions by detonating his Barrier and then immediately using a Lift Grenade. Regardless, in most cases Wrex can safely be trusted to wreak havoc in enemy ranks without needing to use any fancy gimmicks; as long as he's given adequate supporting fire, he'll almost never go down even on Insanity difficulty.
Armax Arsenal Arena[]
The following squad members can be chosen to accompany Shepard in the Armax Arsenal Arena combat simulator only. The simulator can first be unlocked after Shepard gains full access to the Silversun Strip following the completion of Citadel Docks: Retake the Normandy. The character must also still be alive in the main storyline to be available for simulated combat. Enough missions must be played in the simulator to earn the prizes necessary to redeem at the Bronze rewards terminal and unlock them. These squadmates automatically start with all of their powers already at Rank 3, and they have one less available point to spend on their powers than regular squadmates.
Grunt[]
- Prerequisites: Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC or Legendary Edition
- Availability: if alive
- Specialty: Close combat
- Weapons: Assault Rifles, Shotguns
Powers
|
Jack[]
- Prerequisites: Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC or Legendary Edition
- Availability: if alive
- Specialty: Biotics
- Weapons: Shotguns, Heavy Pistols
Powers
|
Jacob Taylor[]
- Prerequisites: Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC or Legendary Edition
- Availability: if alive
- Specialty: Biotics
- Weapons: Shotguns, Heavy Pistols
Powers
|
Kasumi Goto[]
- Prerequisites: Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC or Legendary Edition
- Availability: if alive
- Specialty: Tech
- Weapons: Submachine Guns, Heavy Pistols
Powers
|
Miranda Lawson[]
- Prerequisites: Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC or Legendary Edition
- Availability: if alive
- Specialty: Biotics, Tech
- Weapons: Submachine Guns, Heavy Pistols
Powers
|
Samara[]
- Prerequisites: Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC or Legendary Edition
- Availability: if alive
- Specialty: Biotics
- Weapons: Assault Rifles, Submachine Guns
Powers
|
Zaeed Massani[]
- Prerequisites: Mass Effect 3: Citadel DLC or Legendary Edition
- Availability: if alive
- Specialty: Long-range combat
- Weapons: Assault Rifles, Sniper Rifles
Powers
|
References[]
Mass Effect 3 Squad | ||
---|---|---|
Ashley Williams • EDI • Garrus Vakarian • James Vega Javik • Kaidan Alenko • Liara T'Soni • Tali'Zorah vas Normandy |
Mass Effect 3 Guides | |||
---|---|---|---|
Completion | Walkthrough • Morality • Search and Rescue • Equipment and Items | ||
Classes | Adept • Engineer • Infiltrator • Sentinel • Soldier • Vanguard | ||
Other | Squad Members • Power Combos • PC Tweaks • Interrupts • Merchants • The One and Only |