14 odpowiedzi w tym temacie

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Objective: Chart a path to level an Engineer starting from Level 1 with the goal of completing the run on Insanity.

 

Bonus Power:  To keep this a generic Engineer, I will use Assault Rifles as the example.  This will add some reliable DPS, but it also precludes biotic talents that move the character out of vanilla range.  If you think you will have a lot of trouble with durability you can consider taking Barrier.  I will try to mention when alternate build strategies may be helpful with other bonus powers.

 

Persuasion: I like to build characters that end up with enough persuasion to pass most checks, but I also don’t mind exploiting paragon and renegade glitches to do so.  That means I like to invest 6 points in Intimidate and take 4 freebies for 10 (which passes all checks, eventually).  I will mention some of the checks that you may not pass if you run into them before this build path can pass them.  Largely I will try to give the option to pass checks that derive some benefit, or can cut down on tedium.

 

Assumptions: As with the Adept Guide, the assumption is that you already have XP bonuses.  This only really matters with regard to plot points that I point out along the way, although it may also mean that if you don’t make a level before a few of the early fights the game might be tougher for you.  There should be some buffer, and there are some alternate paths you can take early game that are a little easier if you are having too many problems.  I will try to mention them.

 

Miscellaneous: Engineer is widely considered the most challenging class for Insanity.    Largely this is because you don’t have Immunity or Barrier.  This is also why it usually is not recommended as your first run on Insanity.  Of course with some care to the build and squad management, we can attempt to ease that pain a bit.

 

The engineer does of course have Shield Boost, but in my opinion this is largely a futile place to spend points.  Early game where you will feel the most fragile your armor doesn’t have enough shields to matter.  By mid to late game, your talents and armor will give you so many shields that you can probably take most of the hits during a battle and simply wait until after to recharge them.

 

In many instances it will be prudent for the Engineer to direct the battle from behind the rest of the squad, or at the least from behind the tank.  In some ways this means Engineer is probably closer to a classic mage than an Adept.

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Prologue and Expose Saren

 

Level 1

 

Points: 2 initial +3 (5)

 

Pistols 1

Decryption 1 (Sabotage)

Electronics 1 (Overload)

First Aid 1

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

 

You get 3 points to spend.  Since you have individual cooldowns you might as well spread the wealth around.

 

Kaidan comes with Throw and Decryption.  Add Barrier and then put the last point where you want.  The idea with him is to get Lift as early as available (Level 6).  As an Engineer, it is less important to a level him towards Neural Shock, so you can consider investing more in one of Decryption, Barrier or Passive instead of First Aid.

 

Level 2

 

Points: +3 (8)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 1 (Sabotage)

Electronics 1 (Overload)

First Aid 1

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 1

 

Get Marksman, and then start on Intimidate.  You should have another level to go before you need to have 2 in Charm or Intimidate.

 

For Kaidan, invest in Throw.  If you pick up Ash at this level, get Overkill, 1 pt in passive for health regen, and then invest in Armor for Shield Boost (and towards Heavy).

 

Level 3

 

Points: +3 (11)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 3 (Sabotage)

Electronics 1 (Overload)

First Aid 1

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 2

 

You will probably be Level 3 sometime before you reach the farmers.  I like to get the second Intimidate point here so I can get the smuggler’s name.  For other checks left on Eden Prime you will need 3, so you can consider dropping one of the Decryption points for now if you like.

 

Behind the farmers is a shack with a crate requiring Basic Electronics, which is perfect for an Engineer.

 

Kaidan should still invest as much as he can in Throw, and other points in Passive or Decryption, while Ash should try to work towards Immunity or Heavy Armor.

 

Level 4

 

Points: +3 (14)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 1 (Sabotage)

Electronics 1 (Overload)

First Aid 3

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 3

 

I went ahead and put another point in Intimidate in anticipation of the Citadel.  The other two go in First Aid to work towards Neural Shock.  Because of the way the milestones work, it doesn’t really make or break the build spending another intimidate point here, IMO.

 

Keep working towards Heavy Armor for Ash, or Assault Training.  For Kaidan, Throw and Decryption or First Aid.

 

Level 5

 

Points: +3 (17)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 3 (Sabotage)

Electronics 1 (Overload)

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 3

 

Now you should be on the Expose Saren quest.  This is also likely the level you will confront the Assassins if you chose to go see Harkin instead of picking up Wrex first. 

 

Kaidan has Throw and you have Neural Shock, so this fight shouldn’t be too horrible.  Basically try to get one by himself, then use Throw to get him off his feet, hit him with Overload, Sabotage, Marksman, Grenades, etc.  Then you can stall against the other as your powers recharge. 

 

In my last Engineer run, Ash had AR 1, Armor 5, Assault Training 3 and Passive 3 at this point.  The idea was to get to Heavy Armor before worrying too much about Immunity.

 

You should also only need 3 in Intimidate here to do Dr Michel’s personal quest, which will allow you to exploit her generosity and get a Spectre pistol before you leave the Citadel.  If going Charm, you need 6 (or you need to kill the Krogan).

 

Level 6

 

Points: +2 (19)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 5 (Sabotage)

Electronics 1 (Overload)

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 3

 

Just go ahead and work on Decryption for more Sabotage damage (and tech mine damage).

 

Kaidain should get basic Lift (sufficient for Krogan bouncer) then work towards Medicine or continue with Decryption to Electronics.  Ash should still prioritize durability, and makes sense rounding out your squad with Kaidan.  If you picked up Garrus, go Overkill, Armor 6, Advanced Decryption, Damping 1, First Aid 1.

 

Level 7

 

Points: +2 (21)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 5 (Sabotage)

Electronics 1 (Overload)

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 3

 

You hit this sometime dealing with Fist’s group and saving Tali.  That section is at a fairly quick pace and I end up skipping over this level with a lot of characters.  This often works out for me because of what I like to do with saved points at 8…

 

Level 8

 

Points: +2 (23)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 5 (Sabotage)

Electronics 1 (Overload)

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 5 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

You should be 8 after becoming a Spectre, and you get an extra talent and one freebie persuasion point in Charm and Intimidate.  You probably also got the first moralty freebie for renegade or paragon passing 10%.  Invest your banked points in Spectre for Unity.

 

Alternatively, if you plan to do a lot of Citadel side quests now, increase Intimidate to 6, which will allow you to pass all checks currently available on the Citadel.

 

Note that Level 8 Tali should be able to level to Master Sabotage (Decryption) and Master Overload (Electronics) right away.  This is more helpful for other classes, but does offer you a degree of flexibility in your build since you can rely on Tali to take care of hard crates while you focus on leveling weapon damage, for example.

 

Before you leave the Citadel I highly recommend doing Dr Michel’s quest (only need 3 Intimidate to make it easy), then using her trick to get enough credits to buy a Spectre pistol and a couple extra First Aid or Medical Interfaces.  At the very least, get a decent Medical Interface for Shepard.

 

On my most recent Engineer run I did Dr Michel’s quest in order to get the pistol, medical interface, and some other odds and ends; scanned 17 keepers; and did Homecoming before I left.  Oh and I met Conrad Verner.  This put me ahead of the Soldier run in XP, and altered my mission order slightly.

[capn233]

First Plot World (Therum)

 

The goal for this section is beating the Battlemaster on Therum.  As with a Soldier, it makes sense to me to go here first since Liara is a good squad mate for the Engineer (really for anybody, but especially non-biotics).

 

Since it is on the way, swing by Edolus for Missing Marines and some XP.

 

Level 9

 

Points: +2 (25)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 7 (Advanced Sabotage, Unlock Hacking)

Electronics 1 (Overload)

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 5 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

The idea is to get to basic Hacking before you start Therum, or any plot world for that matter.  Usually most side missions involve more “biotic extremists” (and favor squad biotics) and plot missions are mostly Geth (and favor biotics as well… I mean tech is good, too).

 

Tali should work towards Master Hacking, Garrus should try to wrap up Master Sabotage and then work towards Electronics, and Kaidan should be working towards Neural Shock.

 

Level 10

 

Points: +2 (27)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 7 (Advanced Sabotage)

Hacking 1

Electronics 2 (Overload)

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 5 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

You should be able to acquire Hacking, which is good for 2 reasons.  One is more synthetic CC, and the other is faster cooldown for tech powers.  The other point this level can go in Hacking or Electronics.  I did the latter for a few more shields. 

 

Level 11

 

Points: +2 (29)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 7 (Advanced Sabotage)

Hacking 1

Electronics 4 (Overload)

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 5 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

You might start Therum around here, or hit this level in the beginning.  It will depend partly on how many side quests you did beforehand.  On my recent Engineer I actually started Therum here.

 

There are a couple ways to proceed leveling from this point.  I ended up trying to balance offense, cooldowns, and protection from Electronics.  By and large it won’t make a huge difference what you do as long as you have Medicine and Marksman.

 

When I did this Engineer run originally, I took Ash and Tali, mainly to ensure I could unlock everything.  While writing this guide I went back and did the mission with Wrex and Tali, which is probably a bit better than Ash and Tali.  The other decent option might be Kaidan and Ash or Wrex.

 

Tali should have something like Master Sabotage, Master Overload, Damping, and 5 points in Hacking.  For Wrex, a decent build for him at Level 11 might be Overkill, Heavy Armor, Immunity, Advanced Warp 7, Barrier, and Passive 5.  That will allow Wrex to reach Advanced Throw by the Battlemaster, which is the level necessary to affect him.  If you are behind a couple levels in XP, steal points from Armor and Passive.  There is no guarantee Krogan heavy armor will even drop.

 

At this stage of the game it is a good idea to weaken enemies with the Mako, then hop out to finish them on foot for the XP.  Remember that you can also knock down elite units like Armatures with the Mako, then jump out and shoot them while they try to get up.

 

Level 12

 

Points: +2 (31)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 7 (Advanced Sabotage)

Hacking 1

Electronics 5 (Advanced Overload)

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Engineer 1

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 5 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

Level 13

 

Points: +2 (33)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 7 (Advanced Sabotage)

Hacking 1

Electronics 5 (Advanced Overload)

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Engineer 3

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 5 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

Level 14

 

Points: +2 (35)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 7 (Advanced Sabotage)

Hacking 2

Electronics 5 (Advanced Overload)

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Engineer 4

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 5 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

Level 15

 

Points: +2 (37)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 7 (Advanced Sabotage)

Hacking 4

Electronics 5 (Advanced Overload)

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Engineer 4

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 5 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

You will probably make Level 15 by the Battlemaster fight.  The strategy for this fight remains the same.  Engage the Geth, then the Battlemaster.  Leaving a single Geth is a good idea as it allows you to take the initiative against the krogan.

 

As far as the Battlemaster goes, switch your ammo to Chemical or Radioactive, use Overload, and fire at him until he rushes you.  Powers you will have available that work on him at this stage of the game may be Advanced Throw, Advanced Lift, or 1 point Neural Shock.  Lower levels of the previous biotic powers don’t work.

 

I recorded an example with Wrex and Tali with equipment that isn’t too hard to attain at this stage of the game.

 

Shepard

Stinger II (Heat Sink III, APIII), Cypher V, HE Grenade I, Onyx IV Light (First Aid III)

 

Wrex

Overkill, Heavy Armor, Immunity, Advanced Warp 7, Throw 6, Barrier, Passive 6.

Banshee II (Recoil III, APII), Mercenary I Medium (Armor Plating III), starting amp

 

Tali

Marksman, Master Overload, Damping, Master Sabotage, Advanced Hacking 10

Edge II (Recoil II, APII), Hydra I Light (First Aid III), starting omni tool

 

You can watch it here.

 

I had some better equipment (HMWP VII, Raptor AR, Medical Interfaces), but dropped them mainly to demonstrate that you don’t have to exploit Dr Michel before going here, even as an Engineer without points for shield boost.  It will of course make the fight go smoother if you do have such equipment.  Admittedly, whether you get a decent light armor for yourself by here is somewhat luck based if you don’t buy it yourself, although the HK set you get on Eden Prime isn’t too bad.  I don’t think the Cypher V makes a huge difference in this fight.

 

Wrex’s build in this example is different than I suggest because I had dumped too many points in Armor and Passive on the Citadel.  But if you time your powers right you only need to CC the Battlemaster once, even with a wimpy Stinger II, and that is part of the point I wanted to make with the vid.  This does require saving Overloads and Warp to debuff the Battlemaster though.

[capn233]

Specialization

 

The next major step is leveling towards 20 to get your specialization.

 

Level 16

 

Points: +2 (39)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 7 (Advanced Sabotage)

Hacking 4

Electronics 5 (Advanced Overload)

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Engineer 4

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 7 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

After Therum is when I tend to go back to the Citadel for some minor side quests.  6 intimidate gets you through all of them.  If you are going Charm, you may need 7 for Presidium Prophet, Rita’s Sister, and Jahleed’s Fears.  The other exception is Snap Inspection, in which case you need 9 of either to pass every check (not worth worrying about, IMO).

 

Liara should come standard with a point in Throw and First Aid, and 32 points free.  Since there is a glitch where you cannot use every power for Liara, I usually plan to skip Stasis.  You can start her off decently by getting Advanced Throw, Master Lift, Warp 7 (Advanced), Singularity 1, Barrier 1, First Aid 4, and Overload 1.  This is the same as I recommended as a companion to the Soldier. 

 

Her leveling scheme is pretty straight forward.  After you get Master Lift and 1 pt Singularity, improver her passive for power recharge, then go either Electronics or to Advanced Barrier for more durability.  If she seems durable enough to you, max Singularity.

 

Level 17

 

Points: +2 (41)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 7 (Advanced Sabotage)

Hacking 4

Electronics 6 (Advanced Overload)

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Engineer 4

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 8 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

Level 18

 

Points: +2 (43)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 7 (Advanced Sabotage)

Hacking 4

Electronics 8 (Advanced Overload)

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Engineer 4

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 8 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

Level 19

 

Points: +2 (45)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 7 (Advanced Sabotage)

Hacking 4

Electronics 9 (Master Overload)

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Engineer 5

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 8 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

After taking care of most mundane Citadel assignments, and leveling up persuasion a little with investment, you can head to do some random missions, like Major Kyle and Missing Survey Team.  Missing Survey Team is the first of many melee rush side missions.  Neural Shock and Damping are pretty good against them, at least individually.  Biotics are better. 

 

Major Kyle takes a minimum of 7 Charm or 8 Intimidate.  You may have picked up another freebie persuasion point for passing 25% renegade or paragon.  If you didn’t you can invest there.  Alternatively, if you plan to do other missions then level up Electronics, Hacking or Decryption a bit.

 

Level 20

 

Points: +2 (47)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 7 (Advanced Sabotage)

Hacking 4

Electronics 9 (Master Overload)

Damping 1

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Engineer 6

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 8 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

Max passive as much as you can and pick up Damping if you plan to go to Missing Survey team next.  Damping will stun a Husk, albeit briefly.  Every little bit helps.  Kaidan and Liara will offer strong CC at the expense of durability.

 

Level 21

 

Points: +2 (49)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 7 (Advanced Sabotage)

Hacking 6

Electronics 9 (Master Overload)

Damping 1

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Engineer 6

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 8 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

After Missing Survey Team, I got the call from Hackett unlocking Rogue VI.

 

Take Tali and Garrus to Rogue VI.  Tali should have Master Sabotage and Overload, and should have Master Hacking before Luna is over.  Garrus should have Master Sabotage, Advanced Overkill, Damping 1, medium armor, and depending on if you invested in Snipers yet or not he may have Advanced or Master Electronics.  You could also have skipped some of the weapon points for Adrenaline Burst.

 

With three characters spamming AOE tech powers, Rogue VI shouldn’t be too terrible.  Just need to keep an eye on health and keep the turrets locked down with alternating Sabotages.  Tali should hack Rocket Drones.

 

Depending on your preferred squad, it might make sense to get Master Sabotage / Decryption around this time.  I usually had someone else on side missions with it so I didn’t need it for unlocks (Kaidan, Tali, and Garrus probably all have it by now).

 

Level 22

 

Points: +2 (51)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 7 (Advanced Sabotage)

Hacking 7 (Advanced)

Electronics 9 (Master Overload)

Damping 1

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Engineer 6

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 8 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

+1 spare point

 

During Rogue VI, I banked points after leveling to Advanced Hacking.  This was to dump them into specialized passive.  As above, work to Master Sabotage if you don’t want to bank any.

 

Level 23

 

Points: +2 (53)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 7 (Advanced Sabotage)

Hacking 7 (Advanced)

Electronics 9 (Master Overload)

Damping 1

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Engineer 6

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 8 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

+3 spare points

 

Level 24

 

Points: +2 (55)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 7 (Advanced Sabotage)

Hacking 7 (Advanced)

Electronics 9 (Master Overload)

Damping 1

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Operative 11 (Overload Specialization)

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 8 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

On this run I hit 24 at the end of Rogue VI.  I had banked some points so when I unlocked the specialization I had extra to invest.  This allowed me to go past Overload specialization.

 

I prefer Operative since it gives better cooldown on tech powers, which are your main powers as an engineer.  Medic improves first aid and neural shock, but those are situational.

[capn233]

Mid Game

 

Level 25

 

Points: +2 (57)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 9 (Master Sabotage)

Hacking 7 (Advanced)

Electronics 9 (Master Overload)

Damping 1

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Operative 11 (Overload Specialization)

Assault Rifles 1 (Overkill)

Intimidate 8 (2 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

Finally went to Master Sabotage.  This means Wrex and Liara might be a compelling squad choice for side missions.  Just make sure for Liara that you avoid one power so you don’t get a glitched HUD for her.

 

As far as missions go, you can do a few side missions before the next plot world.  I went to Klensal (Hostile Takeover), and then started Hostage at this level.

 

Level 26

 

Points: +2 (59)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 9 (Master Sabotage)

Hacking 7 (Advanced)

Electronics 9 (Master Overload)

Damping 1

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Operative 11 (Overload Specialization)

Assault Rifles 2 (Overkill)

Intimidate 9 (3 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

Level 27

 

Points: +2 (61)

 

Pistols 3 (Marksman)

Decryption 9 (Master Sabotage)

Hacking 7 (Advanced)

Electronics 9 (Master Overload)

Damping 1

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Operative 11 (Overload Specialization)

Assault Rifles 4 (Overkill)

Intimidate 9 (3 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

Level 28

 

Points: +2 (63)

 

Pistols 4 (Marksman)

Decryption 9 (Master Sabotage)

Hacking 7 (Advanced)

Electronics 9 (Master Overload)

Damping 1

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Operative 12 (Overload, Sabotage Specialization)

Assault Rifles 5 (Overkill)

Intimidate 9 (3 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

You can get some more weapon damage by taking care of Lost Freighter, the second crime lord for Hostile Takeover (Mavigon), and taking care of Asari Diplomacy.  Do whatever you want on the Citadel.  I actually went to Feros on the recent run I did instead of Noveria, where I usually go.  I took Ash and Wrex.

 

Ash: Advanced Overkill 9, Advanced Assassination, Heavy Armor, Advanced Adrenaline Burst, Master Immunity, maxed passive

 

Wrex: Advanced Overkill, Shotguns 1, Heavy Armor, Master Immunity, Advanced Warp, Advanced Throw, Barrier, maxed passive.

 

Alternatively, if you go to Noveria, you should have sufficient Charm or Intimidate for anything there.  Also you can exploit Lorik Qui’in (need 5 Charm or Intimidate) to max paragon or renegade for the last freebie persuasion points.

 

If you go to Feros like I did, you probably won’t pass Jeong’s intimidate check without another point, and you need 3 to pass his Charm check.  I ended up spending a point there during Feros, so this guide will diverge slightly from my run, and you will be 0.01% more powerful than my character!

 

As far as your build options from here, if you are taking Tali (Master Hacking), Liara (Master Lift), or Kaidan (Master Lift), I would recommend leveling weapon damage before bothering to get Master Hacking.  This is mainly because your squad can provide CC to elite Geth.  For other squad compositions, it is your preference.  Also keep in mind that for both Noveria and Feros you can use the Mako to soften most of them up.

 

There is basically no barrier to getting a Spectre pistol or AR by now.  As I mentioned above, in my last run I actually got the pistol before I left the Citadel the first time.  Although I could afford it by this level, I avoided buying the AR and just ran with rifles I looted.

 

Level 29

 

Points: +2 (65)

 

Pistols 6 (Marksman)

Decryption 9 (Master Sabotage)

Hacking 7 (Advanced)

Electronics 9 (Master Overload)

Damping 1

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Operative 12 (Overload, Sabotage Specialization)

Assault Rifles 5 (Overkill)

Intimidate 10 (4 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

Level 30

 

Points: +2 (67)

 

Pistols 8 (Advanced Marksman)

Decryption 9 (Master Sabotage)

Hacking 7 (Advanced)

Electronics 9 (Master Overload)

Damping 1

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Operative 12 (Overload, Sabotage Specialization)

Assault Rifles 5 (Overkill)

Intimidate 10 (4 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

I put these two levels here like this to be consistent with the other two guides.  You should reach this about the time you leave Port Hanshan, or on the road.  You could have also picked up the last freebie persuasion point from Lorik Qui’in.

 

If you are playing Feros, you probably hit Level 29 after you kill the few Geth in the tower, then likely 30 clearing the tunnels and potentially 31 before you head to ExoGeni if you get the colony fully operational.

 

Around this time you should feel like you have good damage output and relatively good cooldowns despite mediocre omnitools.  Decent ammo like Shredder, Tungsten, and Incendiary should also be dropping.

[capn233]

Transition to Late Game

 

Finishing off your second plot world should net you a few more levels.  I favor leveling Pistols to Master Marksman and going ahead and grabbing Master Hacking.  As far as Assault Rifles are concerned, it is useful to take them to 7 or 8 for Advanced Overkill.  If it is your only weapon, you can take it further.

 

By Level 37, you can have a solid Engineer that is basically about as good as it gets.  If you didn’t reach that during the plot world, you can do a few more side missions like Lost Module, Cerberus, or meeting Helena Blake (Amaranthine).

 

Level 37

 

Points: +1 (79)

 

Pistols 12 (Master Marksman)

Decryption 9 (Master Sabotage)

Hacking 12 (Master)

Electronics 9 (Master Overload)

Damping 1

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Operative 12 (Overload, Sabotage Specialization)

Assault Rifles 8 (Advanced Overkill)

Intimidate 10 (4 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

In the referenced run, I ended up at 37 after I completed Feros and returned to Normandy.  My build was actually a little different, as I spent a point in Intimidate instead of getting the last freebie, and I also decided to invest a bit more in Spectre for incremental accuracy bonus and power damage bonus.

 

Reaching Level 37 should also mean you have a chance for items at rank VII to drop, which will include Colossus Light armor or Predator L.  Both of these are decent choices for an Engineer.  Predator L might be slightly better if you had maxed Armor to Master Shield Boost, but that takes 12 points that were better spent elsewhere.  Additionally, by this point in the game you will be able to spend an armor slot on Energized Weave or Kinetic Exoskeleton, both of which improve shield recovery, as well as boost total shields.

 

The odd power out is Damping.  I don’t bother investing early typically because I want to spend the points elsewhere.  The stun is good for melee creatures, and that is basically fine at 1 pt.  For more elite organic targets I have Neural Shock.  Investing in Damping does increase the radius of tech powers, but with maxed Operative and Master level powers, you already have pretty generous radii.  However, I often find myself investing here towards the late game just because there really isn’t anywhere else to put the points.  You can get to Advanced by Level 42.

 

Level 42

 

Points: +1 (84)

 

Pistols 12 (Master Marksman)

Decryption 9 (Master Sabotage)

Hacking 12 (Master)

Electronics 9 (Master Overload)

Damping 5 (Advanced)

First Aid 5

Medicine 1 (Neural Shock)

Operative 12 (Overload, Sabotage Specialization)

Assault Rifles 8 (Advanced Overkill)

Intimidate 10 (4 freebies)

Spectre 4 (Unity)

 

From here on out, pick your talent for points dump.  As I mentioned above, if you want to go all in on ARs, max that line and then consider Spectre for a little more incremental accuracy.

 

Just one last thing to keep in mind.  By this time you will likely be as powerful relative to enemies as you can be.  That means if you are doing a completionist run, the enemies probably have another 10 to 15 levels where they are gaining ground against you.  Of course you can offset this by continually upgrading your gear.

 

That's pretty much it and sums up how I like to level up a relatively vanilla engineer.  Go ahead and post comments below, especially if you prefer to do something completely different.

[RedCaesar97]

I really really wish I had a guide like this when I was first getting into the Mass Effect series. Of course, I did not end up joining the Bioware forums until about a year after Mass Effect 2 was released, but still...

 

I think my very first Engineer was the one of the worst builds ever. It is almost impossible to get a bad build in Mass Effect, but I nearly did it I think. At the end of the game, my build looked like this:

 

Level 53:

07 - Pistols (Basic Marksman, Advanced is unlocked at rank 8)

12 - Basic Armor

09 - Decryption

01 - Hacking

12 - Electronics

07 - Damping (Advanced Damping plus 1 extra point for some reason)

06 - First Aid

01 - Medicine

08 - Sniper Rifles (Advanced Assassination)

12 - Medic (Yes, I took Medic but did only put one point into Medicine)

03 - Charm

12 - Intimidate

12 - Spectre Training

 

 

I think the only way I could have made it worse was take Stasis as a bonus power and invest 12 points into it.

[RedCaesar97]

Generally, I am a bit of an idiot when it comes to levelling classes in Mass Effect. I should be spreading some points around early when they come fast and furious to get as many talents unlocked as possible, but I cannot just help myself it seems. I typically prefer to max my defensive abilities as soon as possible to survive firefights, even though all the other powers would help keep enemy fire off of me much better instead.

 

For most characters, I invest three points into Charm or Intimdate immediately so I can pass all dialogue checks on Eden Prime.

 

For tech characters, I then like to get Electronics and Decryption to rank 9 as soon as possible so I can guarantee to unlock everything. I can usually do this before I leave the Citadel or soon after landing on Therum, although I think Therum has no Hard Electronics/Decryption requiring the Master talents. It also means I can try to get Kaidan's Lift and Neural Shock as soon as possible.

 

After that, I do not know. Probably Hacking and class passive+specialization next, plus the 4 points into Spectre Training. Then probably armor + Pistols for Master Marksman. Then maybe I would go for First Aid to unlock Medicine then max that.

 

Like I said, I tend to level up all my characters wrong.

[capn233]

I don't know that there is really a right way to level up, but it is somewhat easy to get lost with all the powers, especially for new players.  It has been too long since I played Engineer the first time to remember what all I did back then.  I am pretty sure I had a lot of points invested in Shield Boost and armor.  I guess I could look for the save and see how it turned out.

 

The main thing that is tricky in this game is the way the milestones work against elite units.  I used Therum as the first plot world in all of these because I like going there first, and from my recollection it seemed like there was a lot more people who had trouble with him than with Benezia or the Thorian.  As an Engineer, if you show up without Neural Shock, and Wrex hasn't gotten to Advanced Throw then the fight can be difficult because you probably don't have enough DPS to kill him with no CC.  At least if you are a new character.  In NG+ you probably have better weapons, armor, and your squad will be leveled up to higher tier abilities.

[RanetheViking]

Good job on these Builds, Capn. Even though I level some of my Builds a little differently (everyone does I guess) I think they're a good idea, especially for any new players. Or even old ones.

 

There seems to be a definite lack of in-depth build guides around and I hope you do some for ME2, like the Vanguard or Sentinel, one day.

[RedCaesar97]

There seems to be a definite lack of in-depth build guides around and I hope you do some for ME2, like the Vanguard or Sentinel, one day.

 

All the ME2 guides are here: List of Strategy Guides Found on the Forum. You will probably have to go the last few posts on the last page of that thread; some of the links in the original post no longer work (due to the forum switch) so I re-compiled the entire list.

[RanetheViking]

All the ME2 guides are here: List of Strategy Guides Found on the Forum. You will probably have to go the last few posts on the last page of that thread; some of the links in the original post no longer work (due to the forum switch) so I re-compiled the entire list.

I appreciate the guides, Red. I really do, hell you've got more patience (damn Search engine) than I have.  But I meant guides like this one (non video as well) that explained 'why' someone took a certain evo, or 'why' they took a certain Bonus Power, that sort of thing. I've been playing for years, but I'm still curious as to how others view and build certain classes.

 

Now I'm certain that sort of thing is in there somewhere, but I thought that the new forum needed some easy to find stuff.  Without all the searching, which can be a pain to say the least.

[RedCaesar97]

 But I meant guides like this one (non video as well) that explained 'why' someone took a certain evo, or 'why' they took a certain Bonus Power, that sort of thing. I've been playing for years, but I'm still curious as to how others view and build certain classes.

 

Now I'm certain that sort of thing is in there somewhere, but I thought that the new forum needed some easy to find stuff.  Without all the searching, which can be a pain to say the least.

 

Well some of that is in the guides linked in that thread. Some are videos only, but some are linked to posts where the playstyle and build(s) are discussed in greater detail.

[capn233]

There seems to be a definite lack of in-depth build guides around and I hope you do some for ME2, like the Vanguard or Sentinel, one day.

 

It has been a while since I looked at those guides, but in general it seemed to my recollection that there is more advice for ME2 builds that does recommend what to level first.  For instance, in most cases someone may just say for Vanguard level Charge to Heavy, then passive, then IA to Inferno.  Then do whatever you want.

 

Seems to me that ME1 is a little more overwhelming if you haven't played it before mainly just because there are so many talents, and each one has 12 levels for point investment, but many don't require nearly that amount.  Also the way talents are unlocked is a little more complicated than in ME2 since this game has caps on talent investment that are removed as you level up.  For an Adept, what you run into first is the Throw cap preventing you from getting to Lift (at 6).  ME2 simplifies the system by keeping the nested power tree concept, but not limiting investment by anything other than available points.

 

Also I think ME2 is more fair about enemy strength vs Shepard's level and does not punish certain builds at low level as much as ME1 where some low levels of powers do absolutely nothing to some enemies.  In ME2 you mainly just had duration scaling.

[Alfonsedode]

NIce guide here, Capn ! Even if i ll probably never play the engineer route. Nice krogan battlemaster vid too.