"Let's get paid!"
Table of Contents:• About
• Why play a Volus?
• How to use Volus: Shield Boost
• Adept
• Engineer
• Mercenary Sentinel
• Protector Vanguard
• The Arsenal
• Tips and Tricks
• Final Considerations
____________________________
• About
This guide is dedicated to this awesome race that is finally playable in Mass Effect 3. I've been waiting for playable Volus ever since the Multiplayer was launched, and after months of waiting they're finally here!
The following builds may not be the ideal for you depending on the playstyle: they're my personal builds of choice and work well for me. Feel free to tweak them however you please, this guide is just a reference based on my experiences with the Volus.
Have fun. =)
• Why play a Volus?
Volus are pretty unique as being the only race/class in the multiplayer made that can be used as full support, and the only class to be truly considered a "medic" or "healer", due to this amazing Power called Shield Boost, an exclusive power to all Volus characters. It has a very low base cooldown and can recharge over 900~1100 shields when properly evolved.
Before that, the only way players could rely on "fast" shield recharge was to stand next to a Geth Turret or a Supply Pylon, or using Energy Drain. Both got pretty obsolete now for that, as Shield Boost surpasses them in every aspect (however they still work great when used together).
With that in mind, Volus are here to be loved, as they can constant use a power that instantly restore shields and allows teammates to suffer more punishment instead of backing down whenever they lose shields. People will love you for that, I promise. People love Shield Boost.
• How to use Volus: Shield Boost
Despite their awesome signature power, the Volus, however, are the squishiest race in the game, with the lowest base health of all races: 150. Even with all the evolutions in Fitness, they can barely reach 300 health, and since they can't use cover/vault actions, Volus have to rely on their smaller size to dodge enemy fire (they're about half the size of the Male Human characters).
Those disavantages, however, shouldn't be a problem, since as a Volus, you'll be behind the big guys. That's right, just like in the game's story where Volus are wealthy little guys that hire Krogans and Turians as bodyguards, in the multiplayer you'll be sitting behind spamming Shield Boost and providing other support as the teammates do the dirty job (of course that doesn't mean you'll be a dead weight).
Also, they lack Melee and Heavy Melee, but those are replaced with very interesting abilities:
• Standard Melee is a Tactical Cloak that lasts around 4 to 5 seconds. It has an internal cooldown of around 3 seconds, however it doesn't share cooldown with your Powers, since it's not classified as a Power itself.
• Heavy Melee is a sort of shield barrier, where the Volus will be imobile with a energy barrier surrounding him, granting a small damage/staggering reduction. The Volus stays like this as long the melee button is held. Any enemy that gets too close will be repelled, receiving small damage and stun (this is capable of stunning even armored foot soldiers such as Geth Pyros and Dragoons). While not being able to effectively kill enemies, it can be used when Shield Boost is on cooldown and you're suffering fire. However, if the Volus receives enough damage to down his shields, the barrier will break and you will receive normal damage.
Use Shield Boost whenever you have a chance, because, without any doubts, it's the BEST support power in the game. Low cooldown, good range and absolutely incredible if leveled up properly, as Level 6 (Protection), gives you and the nearby allies +50% damage reduction, which stacks with other damage reduction powers, such as Reave and Tech Armor (cannot exceed 90%, though). That makes the Volus perfect for the matches' specific missions, such as escorts and retrievals.
Basically your role is to keep track of your team, so whenever you hear "I lost Shields!" or "Shield gone!", run to that person and Shield Boost. If someone dies, run to them, pop Tactical Cloak and resurrect the buddy, using Shield Boost as soon you're done so he/she gets up with full shields. Tactical Cloak should be used whenever you're ressurrecting someone, or whenever you're targeted, since using it will make the enemy seek someone else. However, if there's no one else around the enemy will still shoot/walk in your direction even if you pop the Cloak, specially if you do this right in front of him. Geths appears to be aware of the Cloaked Volus more than the other enemies.
The idea here is to always stick close to someone, even if it's just one guy, so NEVER STAY ALONE. Remember, you're fragile as a fly, so no going Rambo trying to take many enemies on your own. If the group scatter, seek the most resilient and/or powerful ally. Sticking to Krogans and Vorchas will make them virtually invincible: a Vorcha Soldier being constantly Shield Boosted can charge in and spam Flamer without fear, and a Krogan Sentinel can reach up 90% damage reduction with ease and become the sturdiest meat shield possible. Batarians are good partners too, as they can enjoy the damage return from Blade Armor without having to fear about shields. Sticking with a Geth Juggernaut is good idea, but since those dudes have the highest health/shields in the game, it doesn't make much difference since they can hold on their own.
In difficulties like Bronze/Silver squadmates will probably scatter more often and go Rambo (specially if they're well geared), but in Gold/Platinum they will tend to stick together (unless you end up playing with very dumb or very skilled people), and that's where you'll truly shine. Acting as a single force will allow the party to obliterate anything, as you'll be constantly keeping their shields up.
• Adept
Power Evolutions:
• Stasis: Stasis Strength (4), Bonus Power (5), Bubble (6)
• Biotic Orbs: Damage (4), Recharge Speed (4), Orb Count (6)
• Shield Boost: Shields (4), Recharge Speed (4), Protection (6)
• Volus Training: Damage & Capacity (4), Shield Boost (5)
• Fitness: (1), (2), (3)
Spec in numbers here
Yes, you'll be squishy, but it's not like a bit more health and shields will make any difference in Gold, where anything can pretty much 2 shot you. And again, your role is behind the scenes.
Strategy:
Aside the obvious Shield Boost spam, you'll be mainly set up Stasis to stop non-armored enemies. With the Stasis Strength+Bubble upgrade you can stop small groups of Phantoms and Geth Hunters easily, giving enough time for the squad to kill them, as unnoticed Phantoms/Geth Hunters can easily bring down the entire squad. Using Stasis on choke points to stop possible enemies is also a good move that can save time. People tend to look down on this power, but it's incredibly useful, specially when there's another Biotic to detonate it.
Biotic Orbs should ALWAYS be active, and never be fired. During moments that requires a more defensive stance, where you have to keep the group alive (such as escort missions), it's wiser to not fire them unless really necessary, so you can enjoy of the bonus recharge it grants.
With the fast cooldown due the Biotic Orbs buff, you can use Shield Boost every 3 seconds, making the Volus very "tanky". You can take a lot of punishment with your shields constant being recharged plus the shield per second and 50% damage reduction.
Always stay with the team. If they don't stick together, go with someone who either is a killing machine (i.e. Krogans) and/or have great synergy with your class (i.e. any Biotic Class that can prime Combos), so you can set Stasis while he/she detonates it.
• Engineer
Power Evolutions:
• Recon Mine: Radius (4), Damage (5), Invasive Scan (6)
• Proximity Mine: Radius (4), Damage Taken (4), Damage (6)
• Shield Boost: Shields (4), Recharge Speed (4), Protection (6)
• Volus Training: Damage & Capacity (4), Shield Boost (5)
• Fitness: (1), (2), (3)
Spec in numbers here
Yes, you'll be squishy, but it's not like a bit more health and shields will make any difference in Gold, where anything can pretty much 2 shot you. And again, your role is behind the scenes.
Strategy:
Aside the obvious Shield Boost spam, you'll be setting up Recon Mines and Proximity Mines.
Recon Mine is a unique power that works similar to Geth's Hunter Mode and Male Quarian's Tactical Scan, being great to set on choke points and areas of high traffic, allowing the players to spot enemies easily. Its Level 6 (Invasive Scan) is amazing as it increases the damage done of any enemy within its scan range by 25%. And even better, it stacks with Proximity Mine's Level 5 (Damage Taken), totallizing in 45% damage taken plus 30% reduced movement speed. Also, when detonated, the damage of Recon Mine is high enough to kill weaker enemies such as Husks and Cerberus Troopers. However the idea here is to keep it on choke points so enemies scanned receive bonus damage. It's also great to spot sneaking enemies such as Geth Hunters and Phantoms.
Always stay with the team. If they don't stick together, go with someone who either is a killing machine (i.e. Krogans) and/or have great synergy with your class (i.e. other Engineers or some Infiltrators). Siding with a tank class, such as a Krogan Sentinel, will simply make him invincible, as you'll be spamming Shield Boost while the partner goes into a killing spree.
• Mercenary Sentinel
Power Evolutions:
• Decoy: Durability (4), Shock (5), Shield & Duration (6)
• Combat Drone: Detonate (4), Shock (4), Chain Lightning (6)
• Shield Boost: Shields (4), Recharge Speed (4), Protection (6)
• Volus Training: Damage & Capacity (4), Shield Boost (5), Weapon Damage (6)
• Fitness: (0)
Spec in numbers here
Yes, you'll be squishier than the other builds since you will sacrifice Fitness in favor for Weapon Damage, but it's not like a bit more health and shields will make any difference in Gold, where anything can pretty much 1 shot you. And again, your role is behind the scenes.
Strategy:
The Volus Mercenary Sentinel is the most support-focused Volus class in the game, since it lacks any direct offensive powers, relying solely on pure weapon damage, Combat Drone and Decoy to inflict damage. Due that, it's the only Volus I recommend using more than one weapon (possible the Acolyte and a light Sniper Rifle or Assault Rifle). Your main role is snipping and delaying enemy advance while keeping Shield Boost all the time.
Decoy should be used on choke points and areas of high traffic, so it draws enemy fire away from you and the squad. This can be handy when trying to resurrect a squadmember in the middle of heavy fire, since enemies will almost always attack the nearest character (as long you don't shoot).
Combat Drone is another way to drive away enemy fire, and should always be active. Since it can be used through walls as long the target reticule shows the enemy's name, you can place it in the middle of spawning enemies as distraction. The Shock ability can stun foot soldiers with quite efficiency, more than it looks. I don't recommend getting Rockets since they're slower than Incinerate and not as effective.
Always stay with the team. If they don't stick together, go with someone who either is a killing machine (i.e. Krogans) and/or have great crowd control abilities (Drell Adept, N7 Paladin, Vorcha Soldier/Sentinel). Siding with a tank class, such as a Krogan Sentinel, will simply make him invincible, as you'll be spamming Shield Boost while the partner goes into a killing spree.
• Protector Vanguard
Power Evolutions:
• Biotic Charge: Force & Damage (4), Power Synergy (5), Barrier (6)
• Biotic Orbs: Damage (4), Recharge Speed (4), Orb Count (6)
• Shield Boost: Shields (4), Recharge Speed (4), Protection (6)
• Volus Training: Damage & Capacity (4), Shield Boost (5)
• Fitness: (1), (2), (3)
Spec in numbers here
Yes, you'll be squishy, but it's not like a bit more health and shields will make any difference in Gold, where anything can pretty much 1 shot you. Biotic Charge will remedy this allowing you have another source for Shield recharge.
Strategy:
The Volus Protector is the only Volus that can be played as a frontline character (though can be a bit risky if you're not careful). As with any Vanguard, Biotic Charge is your main move, and with the Volus unique Regular Melee, Tactical Cloak, you can use effectively sneak attacks and "stealthy Charges", meaning you can keep low profile and still inflict considerable damage.
Also, with Shield Boost Rank 6 (Protection) and the post Biotic Charge, you can achieve 90% damage reduction. That makes the Volus Protector the most resilient Volus character. A frontline medic, if I may say. You can stay toe-to-toe with other Vanguards and other melee oriented characters, and keep them alive effectively. Biotic Charge can also be effective to save fallen allies who are about to be executed by other enemies, being a true protector, as his name suggests.
Biotic Orbs should ALWAYS be active, and never be fired. During moments that requires a more defensive stance, where you have to keep the group alive (such as escort missions), it's wiser to not fire them unless really necessary, so you can enjoy of the bonus recharge it grants.
With the fast cooldown due the Biotic Orbs buff, you can use Shield Boost every 3 seconds, making the Volus very tanky. You can take a lot of punishment with your shields constant being recharged plus the shield per second and 50% damage reduction.
This Volus is a bit more self-sufficient and can hold enemies on his own, but it's advised to always stay with the team. If they don't stick together, go with someone who either is a killing machine (i.e. Krogans) and/or have great synergy with your class (i.e. any Biotic Class that can prime Combos), so you can set detonate their setups with Biotic Charge.
• The Arsenal
Since Volus are very dependent of Powers, you'll want to keep your load the lowest possible, always at 200%. So no heavy weaponry, after all your role is not damage, but buffs and debuffs. However there are a few weapons that you can use to increase the class synergy and allow the Volus to at least protect himself:
• Acolyte (Heavy Pistol): this baby here is awesome for all Volus classes. Its power and weight are awesome for any Power-dependant class, and it can rape shields/barriers like a hot knife in butter. A single shot can strip a Phantom's barrier or reveal a stealthy Geth Hunter in Gold/Platinum. The drawback is its low capacity and lenghty intervals between shots (around 1 second, which is a lot, believe me). It is, however, a pretty self-suficient weapon that complements the supportive playstyle of the Volus.
• Scorpion (Heavy Pistol): a bit heavy, so Ultralight Materials is a must if you want 200% cooldown. Works great with the Volus Engineer, having a neat synergy with Proximity Mine. It's not effective as the Acolyte for disabling enemies' shields/barriers, but packs a punch, giving the Volus more firepower to deal with other types of enemies, such as armored ones, since its shots can stun things like those annoying Dragoons, something that Acolyte does not (often).
• M-9 Tempest (Submachine Gun): useful as a secondary weapon. Depending on your primary weapon you'll might want to use Ultralight Materials to keep cooldown at 200%. It's pretty useful, but its lack of stability can be a bit annoying, however works fine.
• M-12 Locust (Submachine Gun): more useful than the Tempest, better stability and accuracy.
• N7 Hurricane (Submachine Gun): possibly the best SMG in the game due its extremely high rate of fire. It's pretty heavy for a machine gun, but nothing Ultralight Materials can't solve.
• Cerberus Harrier (Assault Rifle): only useful for the Volus Engineer and Sentinel, since it's pretty heavy and works great with the more defensive style of the class. Having the highest DPS (Damage per Second) of all Assault Rifles, it can be deadly for a camping Volus.
• N7 Piranha (Shotgun): only useful for the Volus Vanguard, since it's a frontline class, allowing him to take on more powerful enemies on it's own.
Aside weapons, gear is always important:
• Structural Ergonomics: very useful if you want to keep your cooldown the lowest possible. It won't exceed the maximum cooldown reduction of some abilities, but its very useful and allows you to carry some heavier weaponry to compensate.
• Medi-Gel Transmitter: ones of the best for the Volus. It's easy to see the whole group getting raped at once; sometimes it's the Phantom/Geth Hunter, sometimes it's the sudden grenade barrage from the Geth Bomber, and sometimes a sneaky Possessed Abomination reaches the group and a panicked squadmate kills it. This gear allows you to ressurect everyone and Shield Boost at once before any squadmate gets executed.
• Shield Booster: not the best one since Volus' shields are not that high, but its useful to increase your survivability.
• Survival Loadout: similar to the Shield Booster, but better since it also gives more Ops Survival Packs. Having more of these can be useful when your Shield Boost is on cooldown while the Volus is under heavy fire.
• Geth Scanner: for more defensive-oriented players, this one allows you to be one step ahead of your opponents. Very useful for the Volus Adept and Engineer (specially the last, used in conjunction with Recon Mine).
• Tips and Tricks
• Be patient: since your role here is mainly support, you have to take care of your team while they shoot things.
• Heavy Melee has a pretty lenghty ending lag when you release the button, however that can be cancelled by quickly pressing the melee button again. This will end the animation faster, eliminating most of the lag. This allows the Volus to quickly pop the shield barrier on and off as the situation sees fits without compromising much of his movement.
• The Heavy Melee can also be used in Device Missions, where you can stack with the player disabling/activating the device and use the shield barrier. Since the player will be ducked, this will allow your shield barrier to protect him entirely (except for larger characters such as Krogans and the Geth Juggernaut). Also, since it has a ducking animation, it can be used as a pseudo-cover by hiding behind a low obstacle, protecting the Volus' head.
• Learn how to strafe efficiently. Since Volus can't use the cover command, your only way to shoot when hiding is to strafe. Mastering this is essential as a Volus.
• Time your other cooldowns wisely. Shield Boost can achieve around 3 to 4 seconds cooldown, but powers such as Biotic Orbs and Recon Mine have over 7 seconds, which is a long time and can cost your life (and in many case, your team's) if you use it when surrounded.
• Proximity Mine can be used as a tracker, since it stays for a very long period before automatically exploding. If you're in a small area with more than two entrances, pop mines on the choke points that aren't being protected. That way if some sneaking bastard (Geth Hunter/Phantom) tries to attack the party from behind, the sound of the explosion should alert you and the squad about it.
• Be careful when being flanked. It is possible to bug Shield Boost if you use right before being hit with a stunning attack. If that happens you'll activate the Power, but won't restore the shields. This happens because the attack received will interrupt the animation of the Power, however it'll still count as a cooldown used. In other words you'll hear the sound of the Power but no shields will be restored.
* Customize your character with bright colors. Sounds silly, since it's hard to mistake the Volus with other enemies in the middle of a crowd (after all, they're short and round), however a shiny palette will give your squad a reference of where to stand to the maximum distance to receive Shield Boost and protect you, the medic. Seems stupid, but it works. A bright pink Volus will stand in the crowd like a big pink marshmallow.
• Volus are extremely useful in Platinum farming at Firebase Rio (AKA "Box of Shame"), specially the Engineer, as you can set a Recon Mine inside the container and spam Shield Boost freely while the enemies take increased damage. You can always pop a Proximity Mine once in a while to get them at +45% damage taken.
• If the circumstances are right, the Volus can tank powerful enemies capable of sync-kills, such as Banshees, Atlases and Praetorians. Achieving this requires a lot of support fire and mostly important: stairs. There is a bug that prevents those enemies of executing sync-kills in platforms with height differences, so if you stand at any long stairs, the enemies will use all their attacks but the sync kill ones. Be warned: this is very hard to do on your own, unless you have good equipment and a good team providing fire in order to stun those enemies as much as possible.
• A good strategy for quickly obliteration is to side with a N7 Slayer specced for Phase Disruptor. With constant Shield Boosting, the Slayer will be able to use Phase Disruptor over and over and over (since it has no cooldown). Here's the spec.
• Final Considerations:
I fell in love with the Volus. They're quite fun to play, but require a lot of awareness. You're weak as glass and any poke will bring you down, but you have Shield Boost to compensate, which allows you to sustain damage enough to even "tank" some enemies in moments of tension.
I see people complaining about the Volus (I was once kicked from a Gold Waiting Room because I was using a Volus), but those don't see how awesome Volus truly are, and what great addition they've become to this game. Most of the time a Volus can decide the fate of a match, where a single Shield Boost can give the party a chance to use a crucial cooldown, or shoot a Missile Launcher in a panic moment, or even make a strategical retreat.
Most of all, it's really fun to finally have a "medic" class in this game. In most MMOs I always stick with the role of healing, something I really enjoy, and it's nice to see how this game now has a similar mechanic. Too bad Shield Boost has no offensive buff like ÜberCharge from TF2's Medic, hehe.
I hope this simple guide encourages people to use the Volus properly and lead their team to victory!
Any comments/critics are welcome, as long you keep the politeness. =)
Thank you kindly for the attention, and I hope you enjoyed.
P.S.: My XBOX Live Gamertag is BINGBANGPOE, call me if you need a medic. ;D
Modifié par Valhalen, 16 octobre 2013 - 01:20 .
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