While Shepard is always a human, Mass Effect 3 has a variety of classes suited for a wide range of playstyles. There are three "pure" classes: Soldier (combat), Adept (biotics), and Engineer (tech). The other classes are hybrids of these three.
Each class in Mass Effect 3 has different abilities, and thus requires different leveling and attention to different areas of gameplay. The Infiltrator is a hybrid class and combines the combat abilities of the Soldier with the tech abilities of the Engineer. This makes for an effective long-range fighter who can use hard-hitting weapons and tech to prime detonations and turn enemy technology on themselves.
Updated September 23, 2021 by Mark Hospodar: Picking a class for one's character in the Mass Effect trilogy is an important decision. It dictates the kind of options players will have on the battlefield. Choosing a class like the Infiltrator may seem a bit tricky for those unacquainted with hybrid builds. However, mastering the nuances of the Infiltrator class can be a highly rewarding endeavor. Combining the strength of a Soldier with the technical know-how of an Engineer results in a truly impressive force to behold on the field of battle. Don't embark upon yet another quest to defeat the Reapers without trying this unique build first.
10 Use Tactical Cloak Often
Every class in ME3 has a key ability that defines the build, and for the Infiltrator that ability is Tactical Cloak. Tactical Cloak removes the player from enemy sights, which leaves one free to move around the battlefield, and is especially helpful on higher difficulties when reviving squadmates is more of an issue. Some of the higher level upgrades players may want to consider include:
- Rank 4: Damage – Increases damage bonus by 40%
- Rank 5: Recharge Speed – Increases recharge speed by 30%
- Rank 6: Sniper Rifle Damage – Increases Sniper Rifle Damage by 40% while cloaked OR Bonus Power – Fire 1 power while cloaked and remain hidden
Even better about Tactical Cloak in ME3 is that if it's disabled before it wears off, it reduces cooldowns, which opens up a range of tactical gameplay. Combining Tactical Cloak with Incinerate to remove enemies from cover results in the opportunity to plan and line up that perfect shot.
9 Invest In Operational Mastery
Operational Mastery is the class skill for Infiltrators. The various options to upgrade can be confusing, and it's hard to predict which upgrades to choose over the others. The best option to go for when building an effective Infiltrator is the upgrades with the highest reputation bonuses and the Weight Capacity bonuses. They include:
|
Effects |
Rank 4-Influence/Duration |
Rank 5-Weight Capacity |
Rank 6-Sniper Damage |
|
Reputation Bonus |
20% |
20% |
N/A |
|
Weapon Damage Bonus |
5% |
5% |
Increases Sniper Rifle Damage by 15% |
|
Weight Capacity Bonus |
35 |
70 |
N/A |
|
Sniper Time-Dilation |
35% |
35% |
Increases Headshot Damage by 15% |
Reputation bonuses are invaluable because of how the Paragon/Renegade system works, and are key to getting the "best" end results for the story and characters. This is important because it will help avoid needless conflict, and will make for a more fulfilling game experience without having to watch characters die because you didn't choose red or blue often enough.
8 Make Key Upgrades To Fitness
The second of the passive abilities, Fitness is granted to all classes in ME3. As this skill is applied across all classes, there are parts of it that are largely irrelevant to Infiltrators. The most superfluous of these are the bonuses to melee damage. As the Infiltrator is a long-range class that uses stealth and technology to take down individuals, bonuses to melee aren't going to be helpful on the battlefield.
Much better for the Infiltrator are the Shield and Durability bonuses, which give bonuses to your shields (essential) and health. The Shield bonuses also decrease the recharge delay, which is often the difference between life and death on higher levels. The statistical breakdown looks like this:
- Rank 4: Durability – Increases Health and Shield bonuses by 15%
- Rank 5: Shield Recharge – Decreases shield recharge delay by 15%
- Rank 6: Durability – Increases Health and Shield bonuses by 25%
7 Travel Light
The Sniper Rifle is the weapon of choice for the Infiltrator. However, they are the heaviest guns in the game, which can put Shepard over the weight limit very quickly if one isn't careful. While ME3 has removed the gun limit across classes, meaning any class can carry any weapon they choose, the amount of weight Shepard can carry isn't limitless.
Going over the weight limit results in slower recharge times for tech powers, which is detrimental on the battlefield. Thus, having extra weapons is rarely worth it. A better option would be to pick your sniper rifle carefully and supplement it with a lightweight sidearm. This should keep Shepard under the weight limit and be more than enough to cover the player on the field.
6 Weapons – The Black Widow & Mantis
Speaking of weapons, there are several options to go for as an Infiltrator. One of the best sniper rifles in the game is the Black Widow, a rifle similar to the M-98 Widow, the difference being the weight and firing rates. The Black Widow fires three shots per round as opposed to the M-98 Widow's one, which makes it one of the most powerful weapons in the game.
Unfortunately, these advantages also make the Black Widow extremely heavy. This can be circumvented with weight-reducing mods. Alternatives to the Widow series is the Mantis, which is much lighter but still an incredibly powerful weapon. Mods that allow Shepard to see through smoke are essential add-ons to all these weapons.
5 Essential Bonus Powers
One of the most useful bonus powers for an Infiltrator is Armor-Piercing Ammo. This ammo power allows the Infiltrator to shoot through light cover, and it devastates armored opponents. Warp Ammo is also a useful bonus power, as it provides bonus damage to health, shields, and barriers.
4 Marksman, Decoy & Defense Drone
Aside from ammo powers, Marksman is also a good ability from the Soldier class. Using Tactical Cloak to lower the cooldown on it means you can pretty much have it constantly active. The "Headshots" upgrade to Marksman is particularly useful since Infiltrators tend to favor sniper rifles.
Tech powers such as Decoy and Defense Drone are also useful, especially as the Infiltrator has so few defenses of their own and are vulnerable to being ambushed. A distraction allows the Infiltrator time to escape being mobbed and move to a safer position.
Prioritize Disruptor & Cryo Ammo
The Infiltrator is automatically granted Cryo and Disruptor Ammo, which are enough to serve a range of enemies. Disruptor Ammo in particular is incredibly helpful and is devastating against synthetics and enemy shields. While it's generally better to avoid the Squad Ammo bonus, it's useful for Disruptor Ammo because of how specialized it is, and it becomes devastating on missions where all the enemies are synthetic.
Cryo Ammo increases damage from all sources and increases headshot damage. The Damage Combo upgrade is especially recommended as it also weakens the armor of enemies by 50%. In addition, enemies that become immobile become sitting ducks for the player and their companions.
3 Choosing The Right Squadmates
Shepard is a badass all on her own, but squad makeup is important in ME3. Squadmates are there to cover your weaknesses and to add to your strengths. Infiltrators have soldier and tech skills but are not specialists in either field. Infiltrators also don't have biotics, unless a biotic ability is chosen as a bonus power.
Liara, Javik, Kaidan & James
To cover the lack of biotics, Liara is a natural choice as squadmate for an Infiltrator. Her Singularity also helps with crowd control, which is helpful when husks get too near. Javik is also a good option for an Infiltrator, along with Kaidan. James is good for drawing fire, which can help take the pressure off when a combat encounter starts to go south.
While Garrus and Tali are wonderful characters, Garrus has the same function as the Infiltrator, while Tali's tech powers are also used by the Infiltrator, which makes them less helpful in combat than some of the other companions.
2 Utilizing Detonations
Tech and Biotic detonations are one of the key parts of teamwork in ME3. Detonations require a primer and a trigger to detonate, and different abilities fulfill these functions. Luckily, the Infiltrator has some options when it comes to pulling off detonations.
The Infiltrator's tech power Incinerate is a primer for tech detonations, which becomes an especially deadly Fire Explosion when detonated with Sticky Grenade, or other tech powers and biotics. Infiltrators can also use Cryo Ammo to freeze targets and deploy Incinerate to deal massive amounts of damage.
1 Infiltrator Tactics
Although an Infiltrator can be an effective close-range fighter, the class is far better served for long-range combat. Using Tactical Cloak to find the best flanking position is a staple tactic. Firing out of Tactical Cloak increases damage while headshots are almost guaranteed to be an instant kill.
Grenades, husks, and Cerberus Phantoms are dangerous and will corner you or force you out of cover. The best option is to spot these enemies and dispose of them quickly before any other enemies. Husks, while appearing mostly harmless, can swarm and quickly overwhelm Infiltrators. In these situations, it's best to switch to a smaller sidearm and get one's squadmates to assist.