Mass Effect Andromeda: Tips and Tricks for Beginners

Pick a Profile That Suits You Early On

Profiles are important in Mass Effect: Andromeda because they provide specific perks tailored to playstyles. They revolve around the skills you choose and can be changed later on. However, before you gain access to Profiles or enough skill points to really change them, you’ll be stuck with only one so make this choice count. Your options are:

Soldier – This is combat focused, so good for those who rely on guns and explosives.

Engineer – Tech focused, this profile supports Tech power recharging, using constructs (such as turrets) and keeping enemy systems weak.

Adept – If you love Biotics then this is the profile for you. Helps with evading and traversal as well as combos and support.

Sentinel – This is a hybrid profile focusing on Tech and Biotics so it will greatly help with recharges while also upping your armor and shields.

Vanguard – Combining Combat and Biotics, Vanguards are all about powerful melee damage and survivability. If you like to hang back, though, this isn’t for you.

Infiltrator – This one uses Combat and Tech and helps with stealth. Increased accuracy and stability help those who like to stay out of danger and you even get a cloak while evading.

Explorer – A combination of all three trees, this is for those all round players who like to mix it up. Helping with damage, defense, and recharge rates is very useful, and you gain the ability to pass through walls.

Choosing the right one will help out a lot early on. But don’t worry, eventually, you’ll be able to use them all at your leisure.

Scan Everything When You First Begin

The scanner you’re given in Mass Effect: Andromeda isn’t going to win awards for being everyone’s favorite tool, but it is quite useful. Scanning creatures, enemies, and technology will earn you Research Data which can then be used to learn new blueprints that you can craft to give yourself an edge in battle.

There’s a ton of stuff to scan so it’s worthwhile to get as much info as you can. This will ensure that you can get the best blueprints, especially those of a higher tier. Of course, if you’re not big on crafting you can ignore this, but chances are that you’ll want to craft at least one weapon to give yourself an advantage over your enemies.

Visit All Systems and Planets, Even if There’re no Missions There

You’ll notice that there are a lot of Systems and Planets in Mass Effect: Andromeda, but you’re only guided to a few of them for the story. In fact, you can’t even land on the vast majority of the planets on offer, but you should still make time to visit each one.

The reason for this is that you’ll often find Anomalies. These can either lead to Research, XP, Materials, or Salvage. Whichever you end up finding, it will help you power up yourself and your crew, making the journey ahead a lot more manageable. 

Don’t Start Crafting Right Away

You will be tempted to start crafting things right away in order to have the best gear possible. However, this isn’t a great idea in the beginning. You won’t be able to afford amazing blueprints with your research points, and you’ll actually find some amazing gear as you play.

Instead, save your research points and use the weapons and armor you find. This will allow you to figure out what type of weaponry you really like and then you can focus on getting a Tier 5 blueprint for it. That’s when crafting will be most useful to you. 

Invest in the Reconnaissance and Trade Capacity Pods

As you progress in Mass Effect: Andromeda, you’ll start to earn Andromeda Viability Points (AVP). These are used to unlock Cryo Pods, upgrading the Nexus and granting useful perks to Ryder. It will take some time to earn points, but there are two Cryo Pods that you should open up as soon as you get the chance.

The first is Reconnaissance, which is found under the Military category. It will reveal hidden caches around forward stations you’ve unlocked. This may not seem like a big deal, but those caches hold a lot more than just materials. You can get really good gear, including Ultra Rare weaponry that you can use.

Trade Capacity is found under the Commerce category. It ups your Item Limit which can be useful when out looking for salvage and loot to sell and use. As you progress through the game, you’ll unlock higher levels of this perk which will definitely be useful. 

More Missions Unlock as You Complete Others, So Don’t Be Afraid to Move On

Exploring can become quite the distraction while playing Mass Effect: Andromeda. You’ll see tons of quests, new areas to visit, and stumble across threats (some of which you aren’t ready to deal with). You can’t be blamed for wanting to do every single thing on a planet, but you also shouldn’t stay locked to one planet.

More missions and opportunities will open up if you leave and explore elsewhere, sort of like how situations develop if you let time pass in the real world. You’ll also find more varied gear if you explore new areas, and gain access to new requests from your team (which tends to lead to great rewards and romance) so get out there. 

Combat Punishes Recklessness

The Kett can take quite a bit of punishment. You? Not so much. They can easily take out you or any of your squadmates if you grow to be a bit too reckless. The combat isn’t overly complicated, which is a good thing, but you’ll still want to take advantage of all the mechanics at your disposal.

Cover is automatic and integral. Do note that thin cover can be destroyed by larger, more powerful enemies though, which makes mobility just as important as cover. You’ll want to constantly move around, looking for vantage points that give you an advantage over your foes. At the same time, you’ll want to tell your squadmates where to stand. They’ll often follow your example, but sometimes they run out and get themselves killed. You can have them target specific enemies or hold certain points, which helps out a ton in tougher battles. 

Know the Differences Between Health Bars So You Can Use the Right Weapons

Enemies will have health bars in one of three colors – Red, Red and Blue, or Yellow. Usually, health bars in games just let you know how strong your opponent is, but in Mass Effect: Andromeda, they tell you what’s the best type of weapon to use to make the battle go a little faster.

Red – This is the basic health bar, any weapon works here and Milky Way weapons do really well against these.

Red and Blue – The blue bar represents shields and must be depleted first. Remnant weapons (energy and beams) are the best against blue bars. Sure, anything will work (and you won’t have many options in the beginning), but later on, it’s better to finish fights as quickly as possible. After the blue is gone you just have the basic red bar.

Yellow – These are armored enemies, which are very different from shielded enemies. Shields are energy, so energy weapons work against them. Armor is plating and will take tons of damage from plasma and explosive damage (Heleus weapons and combat powers).

You should try to bring at least two types of weapons with you as you explore, that way you have more options when you face the threats ahead. 

Loot, Use, Deconstruct, Sell

Next up, the loot cycle. Pick up everything you see because it all has a use. Materials can be stacked in the thousands, so never worry about just grabbing them all. Salvage also stacks, though keep an eye on your Item Limit while collecting this stuff. Weapons can either be used, broken down, or sold.

It’s easy to sell off gear as there is a kiosk right on your ship, and you can use the resources obtained from breaking gear down to craft items you actually want. It’s a cycle that seems dull, but you’ll be all the better for it. 

Don’t Worry Too Much About Choices

There are choices in Mass Effect: Andromeda, but don’t let them make you get to into your own head. Sure, they will affect certain things, but that’s unavoidable. What you should do is make choices that you would actually make. Nothing will really ruin an outcome for you, at least not one that’s very important.

Caring too much can ruin the experience. Our advice is to trust your instinct and just make the choices you feel are best. You can always play through the game again if you want to try something different.

These tips will help make the early goings a lot more manageable. In time you’ll develop your own methods and become the best Pathfinder the Andromeda galaxy has ever seen.

For more on Mass Effect: Andromeda, check out our wiki.