Video of Original test (March 2014).
YouTube playlist of the playthrough.
Background:
This idea originally came to me about a year ago. I was thinking about how all classes except the Soldier had power sets that allowed them to kill all enemies using power combos without firing a gun. But as I thought about it some more, I realized that the Soldier class could actually use just powers to get through the game without firing a single shot.
Note: Shepard will fire a gun in some cutscenes. Some segments do require you to fire a gun, such as 'killing' Eva on Mars. Just pretend Shepard is using an experimental hacking device that uses thermal clips.
Playstyle and Strategy:
This build focuses on three powers: Concussive Shot amplified with Incendiary Ammo, Energy Drain, and Frag Grenades.
When amplified with Incendiary Ammo, Concussive Shot can prime enemies down to health or armor for a fire explosion. While every other power in the game does not allow you to detonate an enemy primed with the same power (you cannot detonate Overload with Overload, for example), Concussive Shot amplified with Incendiary Ammo is different. This means you can prime an enemy for a fire explosion with Concussive Shot, then detonate with another Concussive Shot WHILE PRIMING FOR ANOTHER FIRE EXPLOSION. This means you can keep firing Concussive Shot for repeated fire explosions as long as the enemy still has health or armor.
Energy Drain allows you strip shields and barriers while priming for a tech burst. Frag Grenades allow you to detonate that tech burst while you are on cooldown. Grenade pickups can be rare, so it is wise to conserve your grenades for larger enemies like Atlas Mechs, or clustered groups of enemies. It helps to have some knowledge of the missions.
In short:
1. Enemies down to health or armor: spam Concussive Shot.
2. Enemies with shields or barriers: Use Energy Drain, follow up with a grenade if you think you can spare it.
Final Build:
Concussive Shot: Radius - Recharge Speed - Amplification
Frag Grenades: Damage - Max Grenades - Shield Damage
Incendiary Ammo: Squad Bonus - Headshots - Explosive Burst
Disruptor Ammo (may be used): Squad Bonus - Headshots - Damage
Combat Mastery: Damage - Squad Bonus - Weapon Master
Fitness: Melee Damage - Shield Recharge Speed - Melee Synergy
Energy Drain: Damage - Shield Drain - Damage
For Concussive Shot, I like since it can hit (and prime) more enemies occasionally. Recharge Speed because the alternative is Shatter which is pointless.
For Frag Grenades, I like damage since a 6m radius is good enough. Shield Damage is to maximize damage to shields; I am using Concussive Shot against armor so the Armor Damage evolution is rather pointless.
Disruptor Ammo in case I want to amplify Concussive Shot with it; it will deal 4x damage to shields. This will help in the Citadel DLC ambush, where your cooldowns go through the roof. It will not prime for tech bursts. (Concussive Shot amplified with Incendiary Ammo will deal 4x damage to armor. Concussive Shot already deals 4x damage to barriers.)
Combat Mastery rank 4 damage adds +10% power damage. The other evolutions are to marginally improve squadmates.
I took two melee bonuses in Fitness because the extra health and shields are not needed all that much, and the occasional melee could use a damage boost.
Energy Drain is specced for max damage so you can fully strip most shields.
Weapons and Armor:
Pistol with Power Amplifier mod (Citadel DLC required) and melee stunner. These are the only two mods that benefit a Bulletless Soldier.
I use the Predator pistol, and I also take an Avenger for cutscene consistency.
For armor, you need as much power damage as possible. Even with Energy Drain evolved for maximum damage, you still need (roughly) and additional +70% power damage to fully strip shields at level 60. You have +10% damage from Combat Mastery. You can get +15% to +30% from Pistol Power Amplifier (+15% from buying 2 of the mods in stores pre-Citadel missions). You can get additional power damage from various Shadow Broker intel.
So Serrice Council armor pieces and Mnemonic Visor/Umbra Visor throughout the game. You can buy the Inferno Armor set (+30% power damage) using the terminal on the Normandy pre-Manae for 55000 credits with the full 10% markup (less if you get the 5% store discount intel bonus).
Build strategy:
I do not recommend starting from level 1. I strongly recommend an ME2 import or an ME3 import (NG+). I imported a level 30 Shepard from ME2. Beginning Mars, I started at level 31. Here was my starting build:
Level 31 Bulletless Soldier:
Concussive Shot: Radius - Recharge Speed - Amplification (rank 6)
Frag Grenades: Damage - Max Grenades (rank 5)
Incendiary Ammo: rank 1
Combat Mastery: no rank
Fitness: no rank
Energy Drain: Damage - Shield Drain - Damage (rank 6)
* 7 points left over
My level-up strategy:
1. Get Combat Mastery to rank 4, choose Damage. You want your powers to deal as much damage as possible. With a level 30 import, you can get this very early on Mars.
2. Get Incendiary Ammo to rank 4, choose Squad Bonus. This will help your squad to prime the occasionaly fire explosion to help you out. With a level 30 import, you can get this at the end of Mars if you do not use Medi-gel and read everything.
After Mars, I recommend buying the Inferno Armor set from the shop using the Normandy terminal. Wear it until you finally get more power damage bonuses from the Serrice Council pieces + Mnemonic/Umbra Visor.
3. Get Incendiary Ammo to ranks 5 and 6, choose Headshots and Explosive Burst. This will help your squad.
4. Max Frag Grenades to rank 6, choose Shield Damage.
5. Max Fitness, choose Melee - Shield Recharge - Melee Synergy. You can probably stick 1 point into Disruptor Ammo along the way if you want.
6. Max Combat Mastery, choose Squad Bonus and Weapon Master. This is mostly to help your squad deal a little more damage, not really needed. You can max Disruptor Ammo instead.
7. (Optional.) Max Disruptor Ammo, choose Squad Bonus and Headshots and Damage.
Gameplay videos:
Mars.
Menae.
Grissom Academy.
Citadel DLC: Citadel Archives.
Citadel DLC: Normandy Dry Dock.
Armax Arsenal Arena (Citadel DLC): Geth Challenge.
Armax Arsenal Arena (Citadel DLC): Thermal Clip Challenge. What challenge? I have been doing this all game.
Armax Arsenal Arena (Citadel DLC): Medi-Gel Challenge. I have also been doing this all game to max my XP gain.
Armax Arsenal Arena (Citadel DLC): Charity Reaper Challenge.
Armax Arsenal Arena (Citadel DLC): Spin Zone Elite Challenge.
Armax Arsenal Arena (Citadel DLC): Reaper Solo Challenge.
Armax Arsenal Arena (Citadel DLC): Cerberus Challenge.
Armax Arsenal Arena (Citadel DLC): Unusual Scores part 1.
Armax Arsenal Arena (Citadel DLC): Unusual Scores part 2.
Armax Arsenal Arena (Citadel DLC): Unusual Scores part 3.
Leviathan DLC: T-GES Mineral Works.
Armax Arsenal Arena (Citadel DLC): Prothean Challenge.
Omega DLC: Assault on Afterlife.
Bonus videos:
Retour en haut
. I watched a bit of grissom. Is it the normal speed on xbox ? I think there s a recording slowing effect ?
It's a very powerful build, especially against Armour. Has to be one of the most easiest play through's I've done in a while.
