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This article is about the delivery system for most tech abilities in the first Mass Effect game. For other similarly-named abilities in other games and other uses of the term "mine" generally, see Mine (disambiguation). |
Tech proximity mines are, as the name implies, mines placed as a 'side effect' of using the tech talents Sabotage, Overload, or Damping. They are the closest your squadmates come to using grenades, but while proximity mines are not as powerful, there is effectively an unlimited supply once they have recharged.
Proximity mines will usually explode instantly if you are using tech talents specifically on an enemy. When enemies are approaching or about to appear, using one of these talents (say on a wall or nearby obstacle) allows you to effectively put a minefield in their path which will detonate once they get close enough. Proximity mines, unlike grenades, do not have a timed fuse, but they usually vanish once the combat session is over or if no enemies appear for an extended period.
Tech proximity mines can be used to hit enemies hiding behind cover, but the mines themselves can't be launched through terrain or cover with one exception: if a squadmate is manually ordered to use Sabotage, Overload, or Damping, the mine is deployed at any location to which you have line-of-sight, even if the squadmate does not. Squadmates can't automatically deploy mines in this way (all manually-ordered squadmate abilities obey similar rules).
Proximity mines do not have to be planted on a surface, but will hang in the air at the limit of their range. Damping increases the explosion radius on tech proximity mines, Hacking causes them to recharge more quickly, and Decryption increases their damage. An interesting aspect of tech proximity mine detonations is that even though the damage is relatively low, it bypasses the protections afforded by shields (this is only true of the mine detonation damage itself, not the damage of any of the abilities it is acting as a delivery system for).
Enemies that possess Sabotage, Overload, and Damping also may deploy them through launching tech proximity mines (though not always); however, their aim is usually so good when they have line of sight to you or your party that the detonations are instant and the mines are rarely seen.
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| Sabotage mine | Overload mine | Damping mine |