A guide for playing the most powerful class in Mass Effect 2.

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The Soldier is simply the most powerful class in ME2. He has access to every Ammo Power in the game, and every nearly every weapon in the game. He doesn't have fancy powers like an Adept, but he doesn't need them; Adrenaline Rush is so powerful, and on such a short cooldown that to use any other power would (outside of rare situations) actually result in less damage being inflicted on the enemy.

Lets look at numbers: An Infiltrator using Assassination Cloak with the Assassin Specialization has +90% weapon damage for one shot. The downside, is that while Cloaked, you're "debuffed" and can't regenerate health or shields, and while you're invisible enemies tend to hide behind cover until it wears off, and has a 6-second cooldown. A Soldier using Heightened Adrenaline Rush and the Commando Specialization deals +155% damage not with one shot, but with EVERY SHOT FIRED UNDER ADRENALINE RUSH. What's the cooldown on such an amazing skill? THREE SECONDS. Oh yes, it also doesn't slow your movement or melee attack speed; so you can sprint like Usain Bolt and melee like a machine gun (your melee also gets the +155% damage boost). It's hilarious to melee groups of husks to death. Another thing most people don't know about Adrenalin Rush is that it calculates damage totally differently than any other skill. Other skills calculate their bonuses as a bonus percentage of the weapons base damage, which makes most individual bonuses underwhelming when taken on their own. Adrenaline Rush is a different beast. It operates like the range modifier; it multiplies the total damage, not the base damage, meaning that instead of doing +155% of your weapons base damage, it's doing +155% of the modified damage; adding up ammo powers, headshot bonus, armor bonus, upgrade bonuses. It's absolutely monstrous. (Even your melee strikes hit like wrecking balls when you add up armor bonuses with that kind of multiplier). There is simply no other skill that a soldier can take that outclasses it. Except maybe Stasis, but that's only for special occasions.

It should be noted, that if you're using a weapon with a fixed fire-rate like the Vindicator or the Revenant, you should use Hardened Adrenaline Rush. Single shot weapons like Sniper rifles and shotguns, or the Mattock (which is a special case) should be used with Heightened Adrenaline Rush.

I only play on Insanity anymore, and for me the best build was: - Adrenaline Rush: Rank 4 (I prefer Heightened) - Concussive Shot: No points; I hate it. - Disruptor Ammo: Rank 4 (I waffle between Heavy and Squad) Heavy is probably better. - Inferno Ammo: Go Inferno or go home; the damage and crowd control are unparalleled. - Squad Cryo: Rank 4, of course; best squad power in the game. - Commando: Higher weapon damage and Storm Speed, it turns Adrenaline Rush into Biotic Charge. - Stasis: Rank 1; performs best at one point, is solely a Scion and YMIR slayer.

I prefer Mattock + Widow + Predator (for higher ammo reserves) + Geth Plasma Shotgun. Revenant is fun, but nothing is as efficient as that loadout right there. I sometimes swap out the Widow for the Viper.

It's imperative to use every weapon in your arsenal; why drain all of your assault rifle ammo and have to scrounge for heatsinks when you can begin the fight by sniping a guy or two, close to medium range and engage with the assault rifle, then charge isolated guys with your shotgun? It's a more dynamic playstyle that's also much, MUCH more ammo-efficient.

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