Mass Effect Andromeda works like the previous Mass Effect games – at least in terms of assembling a squad. The player selects two of the protagonist’s companions to go along on missions as squadmates. These squadmates are A.I. controlled, but can also be given commands by the player.
This list will focus on generalities – seeing as how the best squad is likely different for every player and depends on how they build their own character. If the build for your Ryder is a straight soldier, then it is better to have squad members that use biotics or tech skills to complement your combat skills.
Liam/Jaal
Liam and Jaal are good squad members; however, there are much better teams. These two do not have the combat expertise to stay alive in combat for long; they aren’t the biggest help against stronger enemies either due to their low damage output (compared to other squad members). Liam’s favored weapon is the Overclocked Dual Omni-blade. He has to get close to use these weapons; unfortunately, he doesn’t have the health to stay in close-quarters combat for very long. Jaal is a great support squad member – as long as the other squad member is someone like Cora or Drack who can deal a large amount of damage.
Peebee/Vetra
For a Turian, Vetra is kinda squishy, meaning she seems to drop easily and frequently in battle. Peebee has some good skills, but she is also prone to dropping during a heated battle. Another potential problem with this team is the lack of any substantial damage output. These two have some great crowd control capabilities that at times complement each other, but when an encounter intensifies you’ll want at least one member of the squad with high damage output and better survivability. This is a squad for players that like the challenge fighting alone, because after about fifteen seconds that is probably going to be the case.
Drack/Liam
This squad can be absolutely devastating if all goes as planned. Drack is like most Krogan – he is strong, tough, and fearless. His Incinerate skill can be devastating when used on groups. The problem is that this skill doesn’t work on shields. Liam’s Overload attack is great at lowering opponents’ shields. The one-two punch of Liam’s Overload ability, followed by Drack’s Incinerate skill can quickly win a battle. This tactic works even better if the player-character has the Singularity skill to pull enemies together for this combo. The problem with this team is that both Liam and Drack tend to rush the enemy ranks.
Cora/Liam
This is the first squad the player will assemble, and is similar to the Ashley and Kaiden squad from the first Mass Effect game. The difference is that Cora and Liam are better soldiers than Ashely and Kaiden – to be fair, Ashley is pretty close to Cora in terms of combat effectiveness.
Cora’s Shield Boost skill is one of the best in the game (especially when fully leveled-up) and really helps keep Liam alive when he recklessly rushes into an enemy formation. This squad is best for players that choose Adept or Explorer builds.
Drack/Vetra
This is another squad that is best when the player-character is a build that tends to keep their distance in battle – like the Soldier or Adept. The reason for this is Drack is usually going to rush the enemy; whereas Vetra tends to maintain a little distance between her and the enemy. After Vetra’s loyalty mission she can use Disruptor Ammo, which is great for reducing enemy shielding. At this point, she is great for priming the enemy for Drack’s Incinerate skill. The problem is the Disruptor Ammo comes way later in the game; so this squad can have problems against enemies with strong shields.
Cora/Peebee
This can be a dangerous squad combination is used efficiently. Peebee’s Invasion skill is great for reducing the enemies’ defenses for a heavy hitting squad member – like Cora. Cora’s Nova skill is a great follow-up attack after Peebee’s Pull skill has them floating helplessly. Cora’s Shield Boost is also useful for this squad, since Peebee has a tendency to fall in combat too easily early in the game. This squad can have trouble during long-range engagements. This squad is also amusing in terms of banter, especially if Ryder is romancing one (or both) of them.
Drack/Jaal
This is a lot of players’ favorite squad. They’re a favorite pairing not only for how well they fight together, but because these two have some great dialogue while travelling together. Jaal’s Energy Drain reduces enemy shields while strengthening the shields of the squad members. This primes the enemy for Drack’s Incinerate skill.
This combo devastates the enemy while healing any damage done to your team’s shields. Jaal, as mentioned above, can be taken out of the fight quickly by a strong enemy force. Drack frequently charges the enemy, this helps keep them from focusing on Jaal.
Drack/Peebee
If the player chooses a tech-heavy build for Ryder this might be the best squad to use. The combination of using Peebee’s Pull skill to gather the enemy together, followed by a skill to weaken the enemies’ shields, is a perfect set-up for Drack’s Incinerate skill. This combo is incredibly effective against nearly all enemy types as well – biologic and synths. That worst thing about this squad combination is the dialogue between Drack and Peebee isn’t as amusing, or interesting, as other pairings; though, this is mainly due to Peebee. Drack is always a source of great conversation.
Cora/Jaal
Cora works well with Jaal for the same reasons that Drack and Jaal work well together – just a little more so. For starters, Jaal’s Energy Drain skill working in tandem with Cora’s Shield Boost makes the squad nigh invulnerable for short periods. This allows this squad to begin an encounter by hitting the enemy hard while barely taking any damage themselves; this initial blitz is typically enough to win most encounters. The fighting styles of Cora and Jaal complement each other quite well. Cora prefers to get up close and personal, while Jaal usually prefers to maintain a medium distance.
Cora/Drack
This might be the most used squad among players of Mass Effect Andromeda. The main reason is the battle heartiness of these two. They will rarely fall in battle – this is especially true with Cora’s Shield Boost skill recharging their shields and healing their wounds. This squad deals heavy damage, on top of their unsurpassed survivability. Cora’s Nova skill followed by Drack’s Incinerate is a great combo for finishing-off an enemy group. This is a great squad no matter what type of build a player uses for Ryder, but a tech or biotic build compliments the fighting skills of Cora and Drack best. These two have some great dialogue that is reminiscent of Gimli and Legolas’ friendly rivalry.
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Graduate of Sam Houston State University — Class of 2011
B.A. in History, minored in Political Science
I have lived in the Houston TX area my whole life; love the winters…hate the summers. I have conducted scholarly research on, and written about, the use of ballooning for reconnaissance purposes during the U.S. Civil War, tort reform, voter initiatives and referendums, the formation of civilization, Ancient Rome, Mesopotamia, and the major religions. I am also an avid gamer and have researched the history of electronic entertainment extensively.
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