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The M-99 Saber is an assault rifle in Mass Effect 3.

Description[]

A heavy-duty semi-automatic rifle favored by only the most elite marksman, the M-99 Saber is jokingly referred to as "The Big Iron" for its sheer stopping power. Each M-99 Saber is designed specifically for its owner, making it one of the Alliance's more expensive weapons.

Acquisition[]

Single-player

The M-99 Saber can be found during the mission Priority: Horizon. In the room after taking the tram there is a Pod Status hologram with a "Pod - manual override" option. Activate this, then backtrack to the end of the room from which you entered to open the pod containing the weapon. It is not purchasable from a shop if missed.

Multiplayer

Weapons are randomly rewarded through purchases of item packs. The M-99 Saber is categorized as ultra-rare and requires no multiplayer expansion packs.

Player Notes[]

General
  • The Saber is a viciously powerful weapon, toting more damage per shot than any other assault rifle. Infantry enemies can be taken out on any difficulty in just one or two shots with the appropriate damage modifiers and if headshots are landed.
  • The Saber is essentially a designated marksman rifle, and plays the closest to a standard sniper rifle out of any of the assault rifles, with high damage per shot, but a low rate of fire. It is comparable with the M-97 Viper, with a similar clip capacity and rate of fire, while dealing much more damage per shot but with a correspondingly higher weight.
    • The Saber has no scope by default, and unlike a sniper rifle, it suffers no damage penalty for firing from the hip (without aiming down sights). However, the Saber has only average accuracy when fired without zooming, but above-average accuracy for an assault rifle when it is aimed down sights. Aim down sights whenever possible to avoid wasting shots and to maximize long range accuracy; firing from cover will further improve accuracy and reduce recoil.
    • Unlike most assault rifles, when fired while zoomed, the Saber has a delay before the crosshairs shrink back to their normal level of accuracy. This delay significantly affects the ability to fire the Saber quickly without losing accuracy, especially when not using cover. However, having a scope mod equipped mitigates this problem, though the Saber is accurate enough not to really need a scope barring this issue.
  • The Saber's high damage shot makes it more effective by default against armored targets when compared to other assault rifles. However, this same property does mean it can be more hampered by enemy shield gates, especially on higher difficulties.
    • High-level Disruptor Ammo (single-player) or Disruptor Rounds/Phasic Rounds (multiplayer) greatly mitigates issues against enemy shields or barriers and can even allow the Saber to bypass shield gates. Warp Ammo/Warp Rounds can do the same, though only against barriers. For details see the notes section of the Disruptor Ammo page.
    • The Saber can deal enough damage from headshots to completely strip the protections even from shielded infantry, especially if headshot damage is augmented. This can make the shield gate not as much of an issue, and allow for two shot kills with accurate shooting. The high damage dealt also has a tendency to stun enemies or induce them to dodge, making lining up the following kill shot that much easier.
  • The Saber does not have any shot penetration by default and can thus be severely hampered by intervening terrain or enemy armor plating. The Assault Rifle Piercing Mod or piercing ammo augmentation is recommended. This will also help deal more damage to armored foes.
  • The Saber doesn't seem to compare that favorably with the N7 Valiant, as a high level Valiant weighs less while dealing comparable damage per shot and with a much higher rate of fire, as well as perfect accuracy while scoped. The Saber can still have some advantages, such as being less awkward to use at close range. Also, the Saber's greater clip capacity makes it more effective in tandem with Marksman, and the Saber has the option of equipping the Assault Rifle Magazine Upgrade or the Assault Rifle Stability Damper. The increases to accuracy from Marksman also mitigate the crosshair bloom issue when firing zoomed.

Single-player
  • The Saber's high damage can allow squadmates such as James Vega and Kaidan Alenko to substitute as a sniper in place of Garrus Vakarian or Ashley Williams. However, squadmates do not utilize the full rate of fire possible with the Saber, as is the case with most weapons. On the plus side, they will be very accurate without the need for any scope mod.

Multiplayer

Trivia[]

  • Though the HUD icon and menu image for the Saber include an integral scope, it has none unless it is customized.
  • CAT-6 Specialists can be seen equipped with the M-99 Saber during the cut scene of the assault on Ryuusei's Sushi Bar.
  • A saber, or sabre, is a curved sword of 17th-century European origin, meant for use by cavalry.
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