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Mass Effect builds is where it's at. I mean, it's almost impossible to put into words just what a massive, expansive "game" the entirety of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is. For all intents and purposes, this is literally the entirety of the original Mass Effect saga, and it's going to take you a heck of a long time to play through all of its awesome content. Now, the goal is - presumably - for you to keep the same Shepherd across all three games. If that's the case, choosing the right ME: Legendary Edition character class is a big deal.
In case you haven't settled into any particular build for your Shepherd, this article may prove to be just what you need. Down below, we'll go over all six of the games' major classes and explain what they do best and what kind of players should ideally opt for them.
The differences can be pretty substantial, too. If you're playing on higher difficulties, in particular, you'll need to either carefully build and balance your Shepherd or run a well-tuned team of operatives to back yourself up. There's a myriad of options to choose from. Better still, specializations come into play, too, and we'll try to cover as much as we can while keeping things as simple as possible.
As you may have noticed by now, we're pretty thrilled with Legendary Edition so far. If you'd like to check out other content we've prepared for it, we've assembled a list of the best ME: LE missions you need to play before finishing things up. We've also explained the differences and nuances between the games' Paragon and Renegade dialogue options, which is a must-read for newbies to the franchise.
Now, without further ado - let's discuss character class options!
Overview:
Options for the Character Class Mass Effect Builds
The first thing we need to mention is that most classes aren't entirely congruent across all three games. This was to be expected, however, since not only would continuous and constant progression bungle game balancing to a ridiculous degree, but some Specializations and Skills straight-up don't transfer from one title to another. To that end, we couldn't go into extreme detail with this article. Instead, we'll offer you a general overview of what each Legendary Edition character class does so that you know what to expect from it moving forward.
Down below, we'll explain the niches that each class covers as well as the tools they get to use in the first place. One of the major updates that Legendary Edition received, for example, is that all weapons are usable across all Classes. The problem with that, though, is that though your Engineer will now be able to equip and fire, say, an assault rifle, they won't be able to spec it out as a Soldier would. To that end, sticking with Classes' preferred armaments would be ideal.
ME: Legendary Edition Soldier
For those of us who enjoy the core gunplay of Mass Effect games - more so after the first game - the Soldier class should be the ideal pick. Being able to use just about every assault rifle under the sun, short of sub-guns, the Soldier is a powerhouse at every range. This comes at a cost, though, as the Soldier has virtually no Tech nor Biotic capabilities to speak of.
As you progress through Legendary Edition, your Soldier Shepard will become more proficient in Ammo Skills. This means they'll be able to switch to dedicated ammo types on the fly, allowing them to deal with any threat under the sun.
Of course, alongside being a fully-fledged mobile weapons platform, the Soldier is also effectively a tank. Certain skills will allow your Soldier to withstand immense damage, whether through the use of heavy armor and armor mods, or their sheer amount of health and health regeneration. Eventually, Soldiers also unlock the incredibly awesome bullet time skill, so that's a big plus.
The Soldier class is for players who want to shoot guns and tank damage.
Pros:
- Access to most of the game's weaponry and their dedicated skill trees
- Exceedingly tanky
- Extremely versatile
- Simple and straightforward
Cons:
- No access to Tech skills
- No access to Biotic skills
- Foregoes some of the more interesting features of ME combat
ME: Legendary Edition Engineer
The ultimate Tech specialist, an Engineer Shepard focuses on using their tech abilities to manipulate the world around them and plow through enemies in ways that might not be obvious at first. The Engineer's weapons of choice are lightweight handguns and, later on, SMGs and Heavies. However, assault rifle gunplay will rarely be an Engineer Shepard's primary driver in combat. Instead, the Engineer is a hacker as much as they are a drone operator, though they'll only get to use drones starting from ME2 onwards.
In the meantime, you'll probably want to use hard-hitting members of your squad to dish out the damage while you eviscerate their defenses. Think of the Engineer as the ultimate harasser, far as Shepard classes go. They'll push enemies out of cover, blast them with elemental effects, and sic sentries made of hard light on their enemies.
Another important upside of choosing the Engineer is that they can basically spam their Tech abilities at high proficiency levels. This will allow you to control the battlefield in ways that no other Class can.
The Engineer is for players who want to mess with their enemies.
Pros:
- Extremely proficient at hacking and decryption, granting you access to high-end loot drops on missions
- Can dish out serious damage with properly specced-out handguns
- Will support their squadmates with both healing and defensive abilities
- Can easily spam high-end abilities to nullify enemies' defenses
Cons:
- Extremely limited access to firearm buffs
- Only gets really interesting after the first game in Legendary Edition
ME: Legendary Edition Infiltrator
If Shepard was a fan of Sam Fisher, he'd always choose the Infiltrator. Though there's not much in the way of actual stealth in Mass Effect games, Infiltrators are one of the most potent classes for fans of the old 'one shot, one kill' philosophy. This Class dedicates its skill points to marksman weaponry with some Tech added to the mix, for good measure.
In combat, an Infiltrator will focus on crippling the enemies' defenses as much as humanly possible to deliver a single, highly accurate round to the forehead. What's particularly curious about the Infiltrator is that they can greatly reduce Heat buildup during the first game in LE, allowing you to spec your high-powered assault rifle even further than you otherwise could. Better still, by the time Shepard makes a return in Mass Effect 2, the Infiltrator will gain access to optical camo and even bullet time while using a scoped weapon.
Of all the different Legendary Edition character class options, Infiltrator generally stays true to its Mass Effect 1 roots, so it's a perfect fit for sniper rifle fans across the board.
The Infiltrator is for people who want to know for a fact that their every shot will also be a kill-shot.
Pros:
- A perfect Tech/Firearm combo for those who want a bit of both
- Access to some of the most powerful weapons in all of Legendary Edition
- Extremely proficient at reducing Heat buildup, which is useful for single-shot armaments
Cons:
- Locks you into using marksman weaponry for the most part
- Limited to weapons and grenades until ME2
ME: Legendary Edition Adept
A dedicated Biotic character class, the Adept is, perhaps, the most unique of all baseline Shepard classes in that they rely almost exclusively on Biotic abilities to dish out punishment. They are, however, limited to only using the lightest armor and weapons, which means they'll necessarily lean towards needing some kind of protection from Tech and weapon damage.
In practice, this translates to an extremely agile and manipulative combat class. From being able to Warp away an enemy's defenses to straight-up throwing them through the air, the sky's the limit for an Adept Shepard. In fact, that's probably going to be the limit for their enemies, too, depending on how powerful your Lift ability ends up getting.
Really, the Adept is mechanically similar to the Engineer, except that they start with genuinely interesting abilities right off the bat. With an Adept, you're getting extremely competitive Biotic skill recharge times as well as Biotic protection. By the time you reach Mass Effect 2 and 3 content, you'll even get to lob Biotically-enhanced grenades and spawn Shockwaves and Singularities wherever you want.
The Adept is for those players who aren't very interested in guns at all.
Pros:
- Exceedingly powerful abilities
- Can spam Biotic DPS to a ridiculous degree
- Can easily control the battlefield through the use of both debuff and crowd control Biotics
Cons:
- Fragile when it comes to any type of Tech and/or weapons damage
- Can't use most assault rifle firearms
- Limited to lightest armor classes
ME: Legendary Edition Vanguard
Basically, a Soldier combined with an Adept, but with a tiny bit of generalist proficiency added to the mix, the Vanguard is in equal parts a firearms specialist and a Biotic warrior. A Vanguard-specced Shepard will be the point of the spear in most situations. Decked out in Biotic defenses and with an arsenal to almost match the Soldier, Vanguard operators will easily plow through the frontline to dislodge enemy hardpoints. To further emphasize their close-quarters proficiency, they can easily spec out shotguns to deal one-shot-kill amounts of damage.
Since the Vanguard has limited access to Biotics, they can use gravitational abilities to move enemies around. Y'know, for those times when you don't feel like leaving cover to blow someone in half at point-blank range.
By ME2 and ME3, the Vanguard can also use Incendiary and Cryo ammunition to specialize their weapons' damage for the enemy they're dealing with. On top of that, with a maximum weight capacity of 70, the Vanguard can also carry some really heavy armaments without suffering any real downsides.
The Vanguard is for people who want to get in real close and personal.
Pros:
- Extremely tanky
- Has access to some of the most useful Biotic crowd control abilities
- Can use close-range weapons to augment his defensive playstyle into that of a berserker
- Special ammo types come in very handy for dealing with specialized targets
Cons:
- Limited to close-range encounters
- Can't deal large amounts of Biotic damage before reaching ME3 content
ME: Legendary Edition Sentinel
The ultimate support Legendary Edition character class, Sentinels combine Tech and Biotic abilities to great effect, but they leave dealing damage to other characters in their squads. A Sentinel Shepard will have access to a wide variety of Engineer-like and Biotic skills, though most of them will focus exclusively on manipulating the environment and the enemies. Of course, even the Sentinel can spec out a powerful hand cannon for personal defense purposes, but that's really not the gist of the class at all.
Instead, the Sentinel is here to open opportunities for their squad to make the kill. Whether it's their ability to Lift enemies into the air or Decrypt electronics on the fly, Sentinels can always find an opening to turn the tables on their enemies. Since they rely on the rest of their squad so heavily, though, they're also proficient in healing and supporting them at a range.
In our experience, a Sentinel Shepard is heaps of fun. While they'll be extremely limited in weapon options in ME1, they do get access to SMGs and Heavies by ME2. Further, they also get Tech Armor and Overload abilities to deal with powerful artificial constructs. Since these will often be boss-tier encounters, having a Sentinel at hand may be what gets you through higher difficulties.
The Sentinel is for those people who are huge fans of teamwork.
Pros:
- Can unlock and use a huge arsenal of both Biotic and Tech skills
- Extremely proficient at dealing with large threats
- Will easily open up combat opportunities for their squad to deal with
- Can heal up their compatriots quickly and easily
Cons:
- Generally limited access to firearms
- Somewhat frail before unlocking Tech Armor
- Needs to rely on their teammates more than other Classes do
Specialization Classes? What Are Those?
Now, everything we've written above should pretty much stay the same across the entirety of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. What doesn't, though, are the so-called Specializations. As you may notice when you start putting in Skill points, not all of your Skill trees will have their max rank skill points available right off the bat. In Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 content, you'll need to complete specific quests and questlines to unlock these extra modifiers for use. Find more information below!
Mass Effect 1 Specializations
In ME1 content, Specializations unlock when you complete the UNC: Rogue VI mission after hitting level 20. This is a special combat mission where you'll shut down a rogue VI killing human operatives in a training compound on the Moon. After doing that, you'll have the chance to choose one of the following Specializations:
- Bastion (Adept/Sentinel) - reduces Biotic recharge, unlocks Barrier and Stasis specialization abilities
- Commando (Infiltrator/Soldier) - increases all weapon damage, unlocks Immunity and Assassination specialization abilities
- Medic (Engineer/Sentinel) - reduces medical ability recharge, unlocks Neural Shock and First Aid specialization abilities
- Nemesis (Adept/Vanguard) - increases Biotic ability damage and duration, unlocks Warp and Lift specialization abilities
- Shock Trooper (Soldier/Vanguard) - boosts Health and Damage reduction stats, unlocks Barrier/Immunity and Adrenaline Burst specialization abilities
- Operative (Engineer/Infiltrator) - reduces Tech recharge, unlocks Overload and Sabotage specialization abilities
As you can see, each baseline Class will have access to two Specializations. These not only stack with other passive improvements to your Shepard, but they also add extra functionality to some of their abilities. The Bastion will, for example, be able to deal damage to enemies that are affected by Stasis!
Mass Effect 2 Specializations
As you may have guessed, Mass Effect 2's iteration of Specializations is pretty different from that of ME1. Here, each Class gets two unique Specializations that aren't shared with other Classes. In ME2 content, you unlock Specializations simply by reaching your class-specific power's fourth rank. Afterward, you'll have the chance to choose from the following six Specializations:
- Soldier: Commando/Shock Trooper
- Adept: Bastion/Nemesis
- Engineer: Mechanic/Operative
- Vanguard: Champion/Destroyer
- Sentinel: Guardian/Raider
- Infiltrator: Agent/Assassin
The effects of each Specialization in ME2 are more far-reaching than they are in ME1. Since they're also not an optional unlock anymore, we recommend you weigh your options when you gain access to these abilities. In most cases, you'll need to choose whether you want to, say, have your abilities last longer or for them to recharge faster. It's more of a give-and-take system, and generally more enjoyable than it originally was.
How to Choose The Right Character Class?
Finally, the million dollar question: just how are you supposed to choose which ME: Legendary Edition character class you should stick with? After all, chances are that you probably want to make a Shepard that'll get you through all three games, right? Doubly so if you're a newcomer to the franchise!
Well, the simple answer is that just about any Class will work. The game is designed specifically to give you all the options you could wish for, and this means that locking you out of content generally isn't something you should worry about. However, since Mass Effect is incredibly replayable, your decisions and choices will inevitably lock you out of some content somewhere. This means that you'll probably want to circle back after a while and give it another go; maybe with a different Shepard.
To that end, you really should choose the Class that sounds most interesting. If you want some good old cover-based shooting action, Soldier will be a great fit. If you'd like to spam insanely badass Biotic abilities, you can't go wrong with an Adept. Want to build a CQB expert? Vanguard! There's something for everyone here, and if you keep what we've written above in mind, you cannot go wrong.
Can You Re-Spec Your Shepard in ME: Legendary Edition?
Finally, there's the question of re-speccing your Skill points to re-invest them into something else. The answer to this question varies from one game to another, as you may imagine it would.
Re-Spec in Mass Effect 1
Sadly, there's no way for you to re-spec your Shepard in Mass Effect 1 content. Thankfully, with Legendary Edition, you're getting skill points left and right to help your reach level 60 without the need for New Game +. It shouldn't be that big of a problem, from what we've played.
Re-Spec in Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 introduces the re-spec option via the 'Retrain Powers' option available on Normandy SR2's Research Terminal. Open it up and look under the 'Prototypes' category, but note that it's only going to be made available after you complete the mission on Horizon, and that re-speccing will cost a hefty 2,500 Element Zero each time you use it.
Alternatively, if you complete the Shadow Broker questlines (which you should), you'll eventually find the 'Advanced Training' console in the Shadow Broker's base. This console, too, allows you to re-spec Shepard, but at the cost of a mere 1,000 Element Zero.
Re-Spec in Mass Effect 3
Come Mass Effect 3, re-speccing Shepard is made even more accessible! Just head on over to Normandy SR2's Med Bay and find the appropriate terminal. This option is available right off the bat, as soon as you have access to the Med Bay, and the cost is virtually nothing. Your first re-spec is completely free, with each subsequent re-spec being 5,000 Credits more expensive than the last.
Worth noting is that you can use this same approach to re-spec any of Shepard's squadmates, too, allowing you to try out a far greater array of skills and ability combos than ever before.
Wrap-up!
Well, that about covers everything a newbie should know about Mass Effect: Legendary Edition's downright incredible array of skills and abilities. Of course, we are talking about three whole games here, so be prepared for some things to change slightly as you progress from one title to the next. Your Soldier Shepard won't ever really get access to Biotic abilities, though, so things don't change that much as you go along.
It's also worth keeping in mind that the skills do get far more interesting in the later games, with Mass Effect 1 still being the weakest game when it comes to its pure gameplay loop. That's just the function of it being the oldest of the bunch. While the Legendary Edition remaster did alleviate a bunch of issues we had with the first release, it's still in essence the same game, just slightly more accessible across the board. That's not a good or a bad thing, mind - it's just what it is. Have fun!
Get in the Game ! 
