Citadel Forces Part 1

     
*credit to those who made pictures, videos, information and of course credit to Bioware itself. 

 Many factions in science fiction are one dimensional in regards to species, carrying with them a "us or them" mentality that leaves little opportunity for compromise and many for genocide. The Imperium, Dune, and the Vong are all examples of such factions. A few rise above this line of thinking, carrying with them many different races and even valuing them, however with one clearly dominant. The Tau, Covenant and Galactic Empire are all examples of the latter. 

                  (The Complete soundtrack for ME1)
  The Citadel are one of the very few, perhaps ONLY, faction in this tournament where no one race holds a distinct advantage or dominance over the other. Sure some races have more influence then others yet no one race is clearly dominant. In the eyes of the law all are formerly equal, and this is a advantage that no one else can (yet) claim. They are a alliance of many equals working towards one goal.   The "Citadel Alliance" is  called such in-formerly thanks to the single sole space station that influences the rest of the galaxy through both the seating of a "Council" and its unique position as a hub of galactic movement.  It constitutes now the immense alliance that Commander Shephard, hero of the series, managed to bring together to fight the Reapers. 

  In battle the Citadel brings diversity in tactics and a mysterious force known as biotics to bear alongside their  racial diversity. Their weapons can be described as mini-railguns and though all operate under the same base technology, there is many variations for said technology and well as force applications. The combined influence of their heroes, all of which carry a commonality in companion to Shephard, can collectively move a galaxy into profound action. Yet their greatest advantage may be outside of battle, for to disenfranchised and oppressed individuals the Citadel might seem like a bit of Utopia, a island of serenity and relative equality situated deep inside a ocean of hate (Doctor Who Factions), bigotry (Imperium, Dune), ruthless oppression (CIS, Covenant), horrific monsters (Chaos, Tyranids), warmongers (Vong, Orks)  and manipulative dickishness ( both Eldar factions). Only time will tell if this little island can  conquer the ocean or be swallowed up by it. 

    

1. Opening Clarification, Core Essential  Technologies, and Races involved 

As Mass Effect cannon choices vary heavy from player to player the issue of what path this profile assumes needs to be addressed immediately. From examining all lore choices, it is clear to me that the paragon path is the best avenue to be chosen  as it is the paragon path that affords the most unity among the different races.  Yes Renegade Shephard may be badass but his choices somewhat suck at fostering inter-racial unity. For example the Turians would resent humanity if Shephard chose to get their council killed in ME1, while they praise and respect humanity if Shephard chooses to save the council (sacrificing human lives in the process) . In PC terms they and humanity would come to each other's aid a lot faster in Paragon path then Renegade where all the resentment is still there. For that reason this profile assumes the following career choices, with the profile itself taken from the Citadel Forces Alliance as a whole JUST before the Last Mass Effect mission

--Rachni Queen Saved
--Wrex is saved on Virmire
--The Batarian Terrorist leader is allowed to go free in Shatter the Sky in exchange for the life of Colonists
--The Council is saved at the end of Mass Effect 1 albeit at the cost of human lives
-- All Mass Effect 2 squad-mates recruited, given optimum loyalty and survived the final mission
-- Reaper Base Detroyed
--Krogan Genophage cured
--Quarian and Geth conflict resolved, both join coalition
--Leviathans agree to aid indirectly
--Aria T'Loak liberates Omega with Shephard, gains support of mercenaries
--Batarian Terroist leader mentioned above agrees to support Shephard
--Elcor, Vlous, Hanar and Drell support given . Vorcha are part on behalf of the Krogan
--Liara is Shadow Broker
--Citadel Forces  in general boosted to its maximum scientific and military potential

Furthermore Mass Effect Multiplayer is cannon in that it is representative of larger conflicts fought outside the Shephard-centric story. This has been confirmed in quite a few different interviews.  As the Wiki does a excellent job in separating classes by rarity, the majority of the multiplayer classes shall appear as rare elites.

Next up are the 3 technologies key to the Mass Effect universe that are so common that for all extents and purposes they shall be wielded by ALL combatants listed below. 

MASS ACCELERATOR WEAPONS

 For those who can't see the video, ill post a description : 

"A mass accelerator propels a solid metal slug using precisely-controlled electromagnetic attraction and repulsion. The slug is designed to squash or shatter on impact, increasing the energy it transfers to the target. If this were not the case, it would simply punch a hole right through, doing minimal damage.

Accelerator design was revolutionized by element zero. A slug lightened by a mass effect field can be accelerated to greater speeds, permitting projectile velocities that were previously unattainable. If accelerated to a high enough velocity, a simple paint chip can impact with the same destructive force as a nuclear weapon. However, mass accelerators produce recoil equal to their impact energy. This is mitigated somewhat by the mass effect fields that rounds are suspended within, but weapon recoil is still the prime limiting factor on slug velocity."

The key thing to remember with these powerful rounds is that they are almost always weakened by kinetic shields and armor, and are only really seen at their true monumental force in the books. There, depending on the velocity and power of the gun in question, we see everything from thighs and legs "getting turned to pulp and hamburgers" to blowing off skulls and limbs "(and these were just pistols- high powered rifles and shot guns do much worse). In fact in the books when a frigate made the mistake of turning off a kinetic barrier it was utterly destroyed by a equivalent of a grenade launcher thanks to so many Mass Accelerator rounds penetrating in one place.   All wounds that manage to bypass armor will deal shrapnel damage, as per the nature of its shattering rounds. However its power is going to be limited by the recoil of the weapon; the more powerful bullets require greatly increased recoil, to the point that with the highest guns you run the risk of either breaking something when its fired, or guns that require a long charge time. 

 

-Ammunition and Thermal Clips: 

 Lets clarify something; the ammunition for many of these weapons is in fact far exceeding most rifles in fiction. Hundreds if not many thousands of rounds can be found in many of these guns. In fact they have so much ammo that this frees up space for a multitude of grenades and different ammo types, with Mass Effect Revelation mentioning that one make of Assault Rifle has a whopping 4,000 round clip ! The pelets of that gun were near microscopic projected at a high velocity, so rounds/guns demanding larger ammunition types would have less total ammunition.  However it came at a cost as the weapons were prone to quickly overheating which proved to be an issue in combat with the synthetic Geth. Mathematically reviewing their combat logs, the geth found that in an age of kinetic barriers, most firefights were won by the side who could put the most rounds down-range the fastest. But combatants were forced to deliberately shoot slower to manage waste heat, or pause as their weapons vented.

       (Alliance Marines vs. Blood Pack. Also shows Mass Accelerator rifles in action , combat drones, planning ect). 

To eliminate this inefficiency, the geth adopted detachable heat sinks known as thermal clips, which was very, very quickly adopted by everyone else. While organic arms manufacturers were initially doubtful this would produce a net gain, a well-trained soldier can eject and swap thermal clips in under a second. Faced with superior enemy firepower, organic armies soon followed the geth's lead, and today's battlefields are littered with these thermal clips. Thermal Clips are designed so that even a clip for a pistol will work equally well with a assault rifle. 

*Note: Whenever I refer to "Clip" or rounds below, I am really referring to how many shots a rifle can get off before needing to change a thermal clip. 

-Specialized Ammunition:

Next up is specialized ammunition. Given the ludicrious amount of ammo stored in a single clip it would be effortless for a operative to keep multiple types on him, switching up ammunition to defeat a multitude of forces on need. 

--Anti-Organic/Shredder Ammunition: Anti-Organic Ammunition provides a heavy damage bonus versus organic enemies with no downsides. These mass accelerator ammunition is based on either modern day  hollow point or shredder rounds, the latter of which shear apart on impact for maximum shrapnel. 

--Anti-Armor Synthetic Ammunition: This type of ammunition is derived from tungsten. This extremely dense, heavy metal is about 1.7 times heavier than lead, and far more difficult to deform than steel. It is excellent for use in armor-piercing type ammunition. Because of tungsten's great properties and strength, it is very useful for piercing deep into synthetic, metallic targets. Depending on the caliber its also quite probable the weapon using this ammunition can penetrate vehicle armor and shielding. 

--Cryo Ammunition: Cooling lasers collapse ammunition into small Bose-Einstein condensate - a mass of super-cooled subatomic particles - capable of snap-freezing impacted objects.  Once frozen the object can be smashed like any other ice statue. Though the complete freeze doesn't always happen doesn't always happen, even getting hit by this ammo with reduce accuracy, movement speed and weakens armor. 

--Disruptor Ammunition: When activated, the player's weapon is empowered by an electric field that causes additional damage to shields and once its down stops it from reactivating. The ammo also deals increased damage to synthetic enemies and adds a chance to temporarily disable them, essentially short-circuiting them.  In addition, the ammo has a chance to overheat enemy weapons thereby disabling them.

--Drill Rounds: Essentially this type of ammunition aids makes the mass accelerator rounds far better at penetrating objects and people, thus making it great to use against enemies with cover. 

--Explosive Rounds: Rounds that explode after a short period after being fired, sending shrapnel everywhere.

--Hammerhead Rounds: Hammerhead ammunition, also called squash projectiles, are designed to flatten on impact, increasing the amount of physical force transferred to the target.

--Incendiary Rounds :Incendiary rounds consist of a thermite paste which clings to, and burns through, nearly any known substance.

--Photon Rounds: Instead of projectiles, upgraded weapons release energized protons capable of bypassing kinetic barrier shields. However, the actual damage inflicted on the target is typically less than that of a standard round.

--Radioactive Rounds: These rounds are stamped with a minuscule amount of radioactive material, inducing low levels of radiation sickness in targets

--Sledgehammer Rounds: Sledgehammer Rounds hit with incredible force, often knocking opponents completely off their feet. They are great for attacking a charging target, because the force of the rounds hitting the target can knock them to the ground. This makes them perfect for shotguns.

--Toxic Rounds: Can fire toxic ammunition that both poisons the enemy and hinders their regeneration, if they have any. 

--Warp Ammo:  This ammo type  rips apart the enemy on a molecular level in the areas that it hits. Does additional damage to those already affected by biotic powers and, presumably since this is a vs. debate, enemy fighters that use similar powers. 

-Upgrades: 

Mass effect is extremely variable in its upgrade system, even on the individual level, and any soldier that can afford it will be sporting at least one of these upgrades.

Furthermore, and this is VERY Important, EVERY SINGLE WEAPON has a in-built Smart Targeting system! Yes everything, down from the most primitive gun to a rocket launcher. It might not gaurentee 100 percent kills or hits but it does boost their accuracy immensely.  Also these guns can collapse in on themselves, allowing for the greater conservation of space. 

Then come the optional modifications which can be installed on a user's whim. These include:

--Ultralight Materials: Superior lightweight alloys replace weapon parts, making weapon less obtrusive and easier to handle.
--Melee Weapons: The user can affix a omni-blade to the gun for a melee weapon, or in the case of a pistol a stunner. 
---High Velocity Muzzles/Peircing Mods: Superior kinetic coils increase shot penetration.

--Scopes : Range from 4x scopes to thermal  that can see through walls and smoke to identify enemies. 
--Extended Barrel: Lengthens barrel, creating greater bullet velocity and impact.
--Extended Clip Size/Spare Thermal Clip: Extends the gun's natural clip size/ gives more total ammunition (i.e. thermal clips).
--Power Magnifier: Generator designed to enhance the effectiveness of tech or biotic attacks.

Specific Weapon Type Upgrades: 
--Pistol Cranial System: Increase headshot lethality by balancing barrel calibration so that ammunition pierces bone and explodes in soft tissue.
--Sniper Rifle Concentration System: Biometric sensors and auto-targeting software adjust to the user's pulse and breath rate, assisting aim.
   Omni-tool: 

 The second extremely common technology Mass Effect uses is the Omni-tool. The eventual evolution of modern day electronic devices, Omni-tools are handheld devices that combine a computer microframe, sensor analysis pack, and minifacturing fabricator. Versatile and reliable, an omni-tool can be used to analyze and adjust the functionality of most standard equipment, including weapons and armor, from a distance.
The fabrication module can rapidly assemble small three-dimensional objects from common, reusable industrial plastics, ceramics, and light alloys. This allows for field repairs and modifications to most standard items, as well as the reuse of salvaged equipment.

Omni-tools are standard issue for soldiers and thus everyone of all races shall have them . The Omni-tool is classified as tactical aid and has the following uses :

--Flashlight
--Scanner (See Sensors, Recon though not quite as good)
--Repairing items
--Dispensing Medi-gel (see below)
--Programming and hacking (This is very important. Essentially every single soldier carries with them a device that might, with time, be able to hack enemy tech)
--Camera
--Video, audio and holographic communication
--Downloading and playing video games, attachments real time (falls under holographic communication)
--Converting items into omni-gel
--Manufacturing  and modifying objects  in real time (Upgrading see below) 

--Final Usage: The Omni-Weapon: Recently with the arrival of the Reaper War the various suppliers of the Omni-tools have been forced to mass produce a mod that would help their soldiers in battle, particularly against the melee prowess of the zombie like Husks.

The most common melee design is the "omni-blade," a disposable silicon-carbide weapon flash-forged by the tool's mini-fabricator. The transparent, nearly diamond-hard blade is created and suspended in a mass effect field safely away from the user's skin. Warning lights illuminate the field so the searing-hot blade only burns what it is intended to: the opponent.

More technically adept soldiers frequently modify their omni-tools to maximize stopping power through electrical, kinetic, or thermal energy. Some troops integrate their weapon with their kinetic barriers, transforming the omni-tool into a wrist-mounted bludgeon;others giant shields or laser whips; still others fabricate flammable gases, held in place by a mass effect field and ignited upon impact. All prove deadly surprises for opponents who expect a disarmed  warrior.
---Upgrading: (Note this is pulled directly from the codex)
The development of practical minifacturing omni-tools allows modern militaries a great deal of flexibility in equipment load-outs. A vast number of field modification kits, or "upgrades", are available for common equipment such as weapons, armor, omni-tools, biotic amps, and even grenades.
An upgrade kit typically consists of less than a dozen unique parts and an optical storage disc. When loaded into an omni-tool, the OSD provides all technical specifications required to manufacture the tool and additional parts necessary to install the upgrade onto another piece of equipment. Assembly is typically modular, and installation can be completed in less than a minute.

Since omni-tools are designed to use common battlefield salvage materials such as plastics, ceramics, and light materials (rendered into semi-molten "omni-gel" for quick use), it is quite possible for a trained soldier carrying upgrade kits to customize gear on the battlefield to fit the current tactical situation.

Now we begin the three layer protection system for the soldiers of Masss Effect: shield, armor, repair.
-Kinetic Barrier

  According to the codex entry Kinetic barriers, colloquially called "shields", provide protection against most mass accelerator weapons. Whether on a starship or a soldier's suit of armor, the basic principle remains the same.
Kinetic barriers are repulsive mass effect fields projected from tiny emitters. These shields safely deflect small objects traveling at rapid velocities. This affords protection from bullets and other dangerous projectiles, but still allows the user to sit down without knocking away their chair. In order to successfully hurt the wielder of a shield, you would first need to overwhelm the generators on the Kinetic Barrier, which can be difficult. These shields have been shown on a personal level to allow its user to survive a high-powered mass accelerator sniper round to the face (though its possible that that was a higher grade barrier then commonly available ). Vehicle and Ship level barriers would be much stronger then a personal level one.  These seem to be mass produced, with its inclusion being near universal in the military.  When these shield generators are finally overwhelmed it will, with time, regenerate.

However for all its strengths it can be overwhelmed with enough firepower as mentioned above. It does not effect attacks that involve toxins, extremes of temperature, or radiation. Finally, and this part is key, the description for the Gardian Laser states that starship kinetic barriers fail to activate against its laser weaponry, which implies one of two things: 1. that the Kinetic Barrier cannot react fast enough agaisnt Light Speed weaponry or B. That Direct Energy Weapons completely ignore the barriers for lacking mass. Furthermore as shown by the novels kinetic barriers are programmed to reach to speed, and don't react to attacks below a certain speed. This makes them of limited use in melee combat depending on how fast the enemy strikes. 

- Body Armor:

Combat hard-suits use a dual-layer system to protect the wearer. The inner layer consists of fabric armor with kinetic padding. Areas that don't need to be flexible, such as the chest or shins, are reinforced with sheets of lightweight ablative ceramic. These plates are great for repair, and  the material works to dispense the overall effect of the strike, in heat and impact, thus weakening both by spreading around the impact.  However this armor type will degrade faster then other types however again it is easy to repair.
The outer layer consists of automatically-generated kinetic barriers, which were already mentioned.


Armored hard-suits are sealable to protect the wearer from extremes of temperature and atmosphere. Standard equipment includes an onboard mini-frame and a communications that can liase with nearby computers to download data, navigation, and sensing suite that can give readouts of the environment or local wildlife . The mini-frame is designed to accept and display data from a weapon's smart targeting system to make it easier to locate and eliminate enemies.

 There are three main types of armor with the unimaginative names of light, medium, and heavy armor, with the key trait of protection value rising as you climb the ladder and the other trait of mobility and reaction time improving as you go down. That said  even the hardest armor is insufficient to offer optimum protection against powerful mass accelerators, and indeed this armor is more designed to offer a further bonus layer to those few rounds that get past the shield rather then tank them outright. This is shown in the Novel Revelation where a point-blank Shotgun round tore through already weakened shields, armor, and stopped in the targets torso. The fact that the target was a Krogan Battlemaster and the blast still knocked him on his ass was a testament to Krogan durability more then anything else. However that said Mass Effect armor isn't weak by any means, and its failures relate more to the power of these mass accelerators than anything else.

--Upgrades: Furthermore this armor, like everything in  Mass Effect, is incredibly customizable depending on the whims of the wearer (and cash or "credits"!), with options including the ability to improve shields, resistance to melee attacks, accuracy, night vision, storage of Med-gel, armor toughness, reaction time and "power control" (more on that later).
-Med Gel: 

 For the final layer of standard defense we have the "repair" option. Medi-gel (medical gel) is an all-purpose medicinal salve combining an anaesthetic and clotting agent used by paramedics, EMTs, and military personnel, produced by the Sirta Foundation. It heals various wounds and ailments, instantly sealing injuries against infection and allowing for rapid healing by having the gel grip tight to flesh until subjected to a frequency of ultrasound. It is sealable against liquids - most notably blood - as well as contaminants and gases.  From what I have found, each fighter in this profile is capable of carrying 3-9 medigel packs, and intelligent combat suits can deploy small doses of the medicine in just the right areas upon command. Essentially this can improve causality rates on all but the most dire of wounds by 80 percent above the modern day. 

--Powers (Biotics, Tech) 

Biotics is the ability of rare individuals to manipulate dark energy and create mass effect fields through the use of electrical impulses from the brain. Intense training and surgically-implanted amplifiers are necessary for a biotic to produce mass effect fields powerful enough for practical use. The relative strength of biotic abilities varies greatly among species and with each individual.
There are three branches of biotics. TELEKINESIS uses mass-lowering fields to levitate or impel objects. Mass-raising KINETIC FIELDS are used to block or pin objects. DISTORTION uses rapidly shifting mass fields to shred objects. In general every single biotic should be considered as possessing basic moves of those two first traits (i.e. like they can, in a firefight, use biotics to move away enemy cover or stick a enemy in place) with the third being a little less common. When I describe biotics in the profiles, I shall only detail individual advanced moves. 


Most organic species are capable of developing biotic abilities, though there are risks involved. Biotics are the result of in-utero exposure to element zero. This usually causes fatal cancers in the victim, but in rare cases it coalesces into nodules within the fetus's developing nervous system. 

 The Asari are the most prolific biotic race, with every single individual carrying the talent, and all individuals actively involved in the military trained to hone it to the best of their ability. The Turians, Salarians, Humans and Krogan all have rare individuals with the biotic ability however those biotic individuals are prized and eagerly incorporated into their battle lines and tactica. The other races too incorporate biotics to a rare degree.

There are two weaknesses to note. One is that biotic energy is dependent on physical stamina, and what is taxing on one is taxing on the other. Second biotics, except for perhaps the best, can't spam their power and will need some time to recharge (however this is usually only a few seconds required) .

There are also tech powers, which utilize technological discoveries to inflict a great deal amount of damage or aid to a given individual.  An example is incinerate which is a high-explosive plasma round fired from the user's omni-tool that inflicts damage over time to all nearby enemies and permanently stops their health regeneration.

One more stop before getting to the unit profile and that is the races to be found herein

Races of Mass Effect: 

 Mass Effect s a rich and diverse universe which contains a multitude of alien races. In a shocking twist for many of the factions featured in this tournament these races actually live side-by-side relatively peacefully, and though xenophobia exists it is marginalized and frowned upon by civilized society. No this is a society where friendships between races, even  RELATIONSHIPS between races is both common-place and accepted. The latter would make even comparably tolerant races like the Tau, Protoss, and UNSC blanch and vomit, to say nothing of what extreme races like the Imperium would do. Socially, the Mass Effect Citadel factions are probably one of the advanced factions in this tournament, being a society where all its member (remember that term) species are formally equal (compare to the Tau, where Tau are more equal than others and Ethreals are demigods), ruled primarily by democracies and with a desire to incorporate new races into their own when they can. However politically they do have some issues to be noted later in additional factors.

--The 4 Member species are the Asari, Human, Salarian, and Turian.
--Associate Species of the Citadel (prior to the Reaper war) are the Elcor, Hanar (who have a client race named the Drell), and Volus
--Thanks to the efforts of Commander  Shephard, the Quarians, Geth, Krogan, Batarians (reluctantly),  Vorcha, Rachni , the very few (100s max) remaining Protheans or Collectors, and indirectly the Leviathans give aid to this alliance. Shephard has succeeded in what no one else could have done and unified the races of Mass Effect as one force.

The Council Species: 

The Council is an executive committee composed of representatives from the Asari Republics, the Turian Hierarchy,the Salarian Union and now the Human Systems Alliance. Though they have no official power over the independent governments of other species, the Council's decisions carry great weight throughout the galaxy. No single Council race is strong enough to defy the other two, and all have a vested interest in compromise and cooperation.
Each of the council species has general characteristics associated with the various aspects of governing the galaxy. The Asari are typically seen as diplomats and mediators. The Salarians gather intelligence and information. The Turians provide the bulk of the military and peacekeeping forces. The newly invited Humanity  forms sort of a jack of all trades however they are considering extremely adaptable and fast growing.

Asari:

Intro and Biology:    

The Asari are the first of the Council Races, arriving on the Citadel in 560 BCE and forming the Council with the Salarians 60 years later. 
A typical Asari individual has a blue to purple complexion; though some  Asari can also have a teal complexion, but this seems to be a rarity. Some Asari, such as Matriarch Lidanya, Matriarch Benezia, Liara T'Soni, and Tela Vasir have facial markings, which are unique color patterns that vary for every Asari. Some of these facial markings are associated with eyebrows by humans, but the Asari do not think of the markings as such themselves. In the place of head hair, Asari possess semi-flexible, cartilage based scalp crests that grow into shape. These structures are rigid, and do not "flop around" as some believe. Asari also have a robust cellular regenerative system; while they do not heal faster than other species, they are known to reach over 1000 years of age

The Asari are extremely long-lived species, with the average member capable of  living up to a millennium split into three stages: Maiden, Matron, and Matriarch.  Generally The Maiden travels the galaxy relentlessly to explore and learn, the Matron stage is where they begin to settle down and raise children, and the  Matriarch eventually takes up a position of influence among the Asari, leading their people through sheer experience. They are widely considered the most respected, influential and attractive  race in the galaxy. .

The Asari are unique in that they can mate with any Mass Effect species (and very likely most species in this tournament) and produce viable, albeit 100 percent Asari, offspring. Indeed this prevalence has become so common among the Asari that interbreeding among Asari is actually looked down upon as a taboo. They are helped along in this by a neuromechanical ability to attract other species to themselves, even those that look completely different,  which further helps in their Citadel role. The Asari are the Diplomats, Negotiators and Peacekeepers of the Citadel, and by all accounts are very good at their jobs.

Culture: 

Because of their long lifespan, Asari tend to have a "long view" not common in other races. When they encounter a new species or situation, the Asari are more comfortable with an extended period of passive observation and study than immediate action. They seek to understand and incorporate, and it was most likely them that invited the humans in the first place. This is reflected in their history, while unlike ancient warring humans they sought to achieve their ends through barter, trade, and eventually ended up creating government E-Democracies.  They are unfazed that some of their investments or decisions may not pay off for decades or centuries. Matriarchs can seem to make incomprehensible decisions, but their insight is evident when their carefully-laid plans come to fruition. In interstellar relations, this long view manifests in an unspoken policy of centrism. The Asari instinctively seek to maintain stable balances of economic, political, and military power.

Traditionally, Asari spread their influence through cultural domination and intellectual superiority. They invite new species of advanced development to join the galactic community, knowing that their ideals and beliefs will inevitably influence the existing culture.  If they deem a race too anti-social, as was with the Yahg, they will attempt to quarantine them from general Galactic Society until they can learn to be more social. Also the fact that other species all find them attractive (even the Hanar!) helps them greatly in diplomacy. 

Military Doctrine and Depth of Presence 

First and foremost the Asari are the ones who are going to attempt diplomacy first in a attempt to convince the opposing side that there is no need to fight. As stated in the last paragraphs they are quite patient and adept at diplomacy, and will seek at first to understand rather then alienate. Some among the negotiators would have likely have done this before,  as they can live up to a thousand years old! 

However should words fail and mass accelerators fly, the Asari are not unprepared for conflict. Every single Asari is a Biotic capable of manipulating the battlefield around her with decades if not centuries of experience , and Asari Commandos are feared and respected by all other races. Even the Militaristic Turians will freely concede that pound for pound the Asari have the best troops, however by the Asari nature they don't have very many of them.

The Asari military resembles a collection of tribal warrior bands with no national structure. Each community organizes its own unit as the locals see fit, and elect a leader to command them. Units from populous cities are large and well-equipped, while those from farm villages may only be a few women with small arms. There is no uniform; everyone wears what they like. The Asari military is not an irregular militia, however; those who serve are full-time professionals.

While fluid and mobile, Asari can't stand up in a firestorm the way a Krogan, Turian, or human could. Since their units are small and typically lack heavy armor and support weapons, they are almost incapable of fighting a conventional war, particularly one of a defensive nature. So Asari units typically undertake special operations missions. Like an army of ninja, they are adept at ambush, infiltration, and assassination, demoralizing and defeating their enemies through intense, focused guerrilla strikes.

Depth of Presence: Uncommon 

  The Asari are going to be relatively uncommon in this battle (but not rare like Turians), for they do not maintain vast armies like the Turians or even the Humans. Though military policy shall not be discussed here (see additional factors) their contribution to the joint effort will be threefold: 1. They shall be the initial negotiators and Diplomats 2. If (When) words fail they shall send their powerful Commandos into the fray and 3. At the end when gains are being decided they shall probably play the biggest role in deciding if a race is social enough to join their forces as either allies, associate members or potentially even members.

Salarian: 

Intro and Biology:  The Second race to find the Citadel and one of the two founding races, the Salarians are sort of the polar opposites of the Asari in many ways. While the Asari can live for a millennium the Salarians are lucky to reach 40. While the Asari look at the long view and take their time in decisions the Salarians, in part due to their lifespans but also because of their hyperfast metabolism, make rapid-fast decisions. Speaking of this metabolism it allows their minds and bodies to work much faster then other species, which in turn suits the Salarians in their Citadel role of intelligence, espionage, and being the race with the best scientists. Salarians think fast, talk fast, and move fast. To Salarians, other species seem sluggish and dull-witted.

The salarians are a bipedal race of amphibians, with tall, elongated bodies well-suited for their high metabolism, and skeletons composed of more cartilage than those of other races such as humans. Salarian heads are long and thin, and have a pair of horns protruding from the top of their skulls. Skin varies in color, from bright reds and greens to the more common shades of blue or grey. Their blood is a greenish color. Salarian eyes are large and oval and have thin membranes in place of eyelids. The pupils are a wide slit, oriented horizontally, and the irises can be dark green, purple, red, blue, or brown. Salarians blink upwards, rather than downwards as humans do.

Culture: 

They are curious creatures, always seeking to learn everything they can. This is reflected firstly in their own government, which is a myriad of different  dynasties, fiefdoms, baronies, duchies, planets, and marches (colonization clusters) all rolled up into one overall faction.  Females generally rule in politics, while males become great authorities in science, military, intelligence, academia and more.  Salarians are exceptionally good at the first, and ultimately the volatile Krogan wars were won in a Salarian Laboratory rather then a battlefield. This is what the Salarians are known for ; observational capability and non-linear thinking. This manifests as an aptitude for research and espionage. They are constantly experimenting and inventing, and it is generally accepted that they always know more than they're letting on. A Photographic memory which can allow them to remember nearly everything they do helps greatly in this regard.

Military Doctrine: 

In principle, the Salarian military is similar to the Alliance, a small volunteer army that focuses on maneuver warfare. What differentiates the Salarians is not their equipment or doctrine, but their intelligence services and rules of engagement. The Salarians believe that a war should be won before it begins.

Conventional wisdom holds that the Salarians know everything about everyone, and this is not far from the truth. In war, the unquestioned superiority of their intelligence services allows them to use their small military to maximum effectiveness. Well before fighting breaks out, they possess complete knowledge of their enemy's positions, intentions, and timetable.


In every war the Salarians have fought, they struck first and without warning. For the Salarians, to know an enemy plans to attack and to let it happen is folly. To announce their own plans to attack is insanity. They find the human moral concepts of "do not fire until fired upon" and "declare a war before prosecuting it" incredibly naive. In defensive wars, they execute devastating preemptive strikes hours before the enemy's own attacks. On the offensive, they have never telegraphed their intentions with a declaration of war before attacking.

However the Salarians freely acknowledge that they have little staying power and for that reason rely on other factions for long drawn out conflicts, particularly the Turians. This proved to be a disadvantage in the Reaper War, where the Salarians were rendered useless through much of the early war thanks to the speed of the Reaper assault on their Turian, Human and Asari allies preventing them from aiding until much later in the war. 



Depth of Presence: Uncommon

 Like the Asari, the Salarians are not going to be much of a factor in conventional battles. That is what the Turians and Humans and Krogan and Geth are for. Instead the Salarians shall also have three applications 1. Intelligence gathering and possible first strike in the beginning of the conflict 2. Further intelligence gathering, espionage, and brutal preemptive strikes  once its underway and 3. At the end, they shall be the race most involved in studying and trying to replicate the other faction's technology as well as improve on their own.

Turian

Brief History and Biology Roughly 1,200 years ago, the Turians were invited to join the Citadel Council to fulfill the role of galactic peacekeepers. The Turians have the largest fleet in Citadel space, and they make up the single largest portion of the Council's military forces.As their territory and influence has spread, the Turians have come to rely on the Salarians for military intelligence and the Asari for diplomacy. Despite a somewhat colonial attitude towards the rest of the galaxy, the ruling Hierarchy understands they would lose more than they would gain if the other two races were ever removed.

Turians typically stand over six feet tall, have two long, proportionately thick fingers and an opposable thumb on each hand, each tipped with talons, and a set of mandibles around their mouths. The most distinguishing feature of turians is their metallic carapace, which contains trace amounts of thulium. The turians evolved this trait as a defense against the greater levels of solar radiation that penetrate their homeworld's weak magnetic field. Turian features are avian, making them resemble humanoid birds or raptors, however unlike most Earth avian creatures, turians are viviparous and give birth to live young.The turian homeworld, Palaven, has a metal-poor core, generating a weak magnetic field and allowing more solar radiation into the atmosphere. To deal with this, most forms of life on Palaven evolved some form of metallic "exoskeleton" to protect themselves. Their reflective plate-like skin makes turians less susceptible to long-term, low-level radiation exposure, but they do not possess any sort of "natural armor".

Although life on Palaven is carbon-based and oxygen-breathing, it is built on dextro-amino acids. This places the turians in a distinct minority on the galactic stage; the quarians are the only other sapient dextro-protein race. The food of humans, asari, or salarians (who evolved in levo-amino acid-based biospheres), will at best pass through turian systems without providing any nutrition. At worst, it will trigger an allergic reaction that can be fatal if not immediately treated.

Culture: 
Turians come from an autocratic society that values discipline and possesses a strong sense of personal and collective honor.  Their system can also be classified as a meritocracy, with 27 ranks ranging from normal Civlian to  Primarch. Ascendance up the ranks is based on personal assessments by co-rankers and superiors, and is earned through personal responsibility, civic duty and great works. Throughout their lives, turians ascended to the higher tiers and are occasionally "demoted" to lower ones. The stigma associated with demotion lies not on the individual, but on those who promoted him when he wasn't ready for additional responsibility. This curbs the tendency to promote individuals into positions beyond their capabilities.

Settling into a role and rank is not considered stagnation. Turians value knowing one's own limitations more than being ambitious. At the top level Primarchs only vote on matters of national import and exercise little oversight, trusting those below to fulfill their roles competently.

While turians are individuals with personal desires, their instinct is to equate the self with the group, and set aside personal desires for the good of all.
Turians are taught to have a strong sense of personal accountability, the "Turian honor" that other races find so remarkable. Turians are taught to own every decision they make, good or ill. The worst sin they can make in the eyes of their people is to lie about their own actions. Turians who murder will try to get away with it, but if directly questioned, most will confess the crime.

Turians have a strong inclination towards public service and self-sacrifice, so they tend to be poor entrepreneurs. To compensate, they accepted the mercantile Volus as a client race, offering protection in exchange for their fiscal expertise.

The Turian military is the center of their society. It is not just an armed force; it is the all-encompassing public works organization. The military police are also the civic police. The fire brigades serve the civilian population as well as military facilities. The corps of engineers builds and maintains spaceports, schools, water purification plants, and power stations. The merchant marine ensures that all worlds get needed resources.


Military Doctrine: 

Although they lack the brutality of the Krogan, the skill of the Asari, and the virtuosity of the humans, the Turian military has formidable discipline. Officers and NCOs are "lifers" with years of field experience. Enlisted personnel are thoroughly trained and stay calm under fire. Turian units don't break. Even if their entire line collapses, they fall back in order, setting ambushes as they go. A popular saying holds: "You will only see a Turian's back once he's dead."

Boot camp begins on the 15th birthday. Soldiers receive a year of training before being assigned to a field unit; officers train for even longer. Most serve until the age of 30, at which point they become part of the Reserves. Even if they suffer injuries preventing front-line service, most do support work behind the lines.


Command and control is decentralized and flexible. Individual units can call for artillery and air support. They make extensive use of combat drone for light duties, and practice combined arms: infantry operates with armor, supported by overhead gunships. Strategically, they are methodical and patient, and dislike risky operations.

Tradition is important. Each legion has a full-time staff of historians who chronicle its battle honors in detail. The oldest have records dating back to the Turian Iron Age. If a legion is destroyed in battle, it is reconstituted rather that replaced.

The Turians recruit auxiliary units from conquered or absorbed minor races(Volus) . Auxiliaries are generally light infantry or armored cavalry units that screen and support the main Turian formations. At the conclusion of their service in the Auxiliaries, recruits are granted Turian citizenship.

When waging war they rely on ranks of disciplined troops, "lifer" NCOs and Officers, and decentralized warfare. Though Humans may be more flexible, Geth forces overall larger and Krogan more ferocious  the Turians are considered overall the most formidable military in the galaxy.

Depth of Presence: Common

Turian soldiers are going to be relatively common due to their mandatory recruitment and militaristic culture. Turians are primarily going to have one key application in this battle : Frontline troops to be dispensed throughout the conflict.



Humans: 

 The latest race to join the Citadel Council is Humanity. United under the Systems Alliance this race has risen from being comparably minor  to one of the Galaxy's dominating in 40 years. This is in no small part due to Humanity's rapid growth, tenacious spirit, and relative ability in adaptability.

The Systems Alliance is an independent supranational government representing the interests of humanity as a whole. The Alliance is responsible for the governance and defense of all extra-solar colonies and stations.
The Alliance grew out of the various nation space programs as a matter of practicality. Sol's planets had been explored and exploited through piecemeal nation efforts. The expense of colonizing entire new solar systems could not be met by any one country. With humans knowing that alien contact was inevitable, there was enough political will to jointly fund an international effort. When alien contact actually occurred and the individual nations squabbled over who was to lead the relief mission it was the Systems Alliance that acted quickly and thus secured its place as leader of Humanity.

Humans in the future have utilized genetic engineering on pre-born fetuses to make them  mature smarter, stronger and more attractive adults. Adults also can get Treatments to improve strength, reflexes, mental ability, or appearance. Most governments provide free assessments and corrective therapy for genetic diseases in prospective parents. This has nearly eliminated everything from cystic fibrosis to nearsightedness. They have even used this technology to uplift apes into full sentience.

Military Doctrine: 

The human devotion to understanding and adapting to modern space warfare stunned the staid Council races. For hundreds of years, they had lived behind the secure walls of long-proven technology and tactics. The Council regards the Alliance as a "sleeping giant". Less than 3% of humans volunteer to serve in their military, a lower proportion than any other species.

While competent, Alliance soldiers are neither as professional as the turians nor as skilled as the asari. Their strengths lie in fire support, flexibility, and speed. They make up for lack of numbers with sophisticated technical support (V.I.s, drones, artillery, electronic warfare) and emphasis on mobility and individual initiative.

Their doctrine is not based on absorbing and dishing out heavy shocks like the turians and krogan. Rather, they bypass enemy strong points and launch deep into their rear, cutting supply lines and destroying headquarters and support units, leaving enemies to "wither on the vine".

On defensive, the human military is a rapid reaction force that lives by Sun Tzu's maxim, "He who tries to defend everything defends nothing." Garrisons are intended for scouting rather than combat, avoiding engagement to observe and report on invaders using drones.


The token garrisons of human colonies make it easy for alien powers to secure them, for which the Alliance media criticizes the military. However, the powerful fleets stationed at phase gate nexuses such as Arcturus are just a few hours or days from any colony within their sphere of responsibility. In the event of an attack, they respond with an overwhelming force.

Depth of Presence:  Common

 Going to be common throughout the conflict thanks to jack of all trades nature, mobile warfare in conjunction with Turians, and the fact that many notables (Commander Shephard among them) are human.

Volus: 

Intro and Biology The volus are an associate race on the Citadel with their own embassy, but are also a client race of the turians. 

The Volus homeworld Irune features an ammonia-based ecology and a gravitational field 1.5 times that of Earth, as well as a high-pressure atmosphere. This is reflected in the physiology of the Volus themselves. The Volus are unable to survive unprotected in an atmosphere more suitable to humans and other carbon-based lifeforms, and as such require protective suits capable of providing the proper atmosphere, as well as being pressurized to support the Volus. Traditional nitrogen/oxygen air mixtures are poisonous to them, and in the low pressure atmospheres tolerable to most species, their flesh will actually split open.

Culture: 

Volus culture is dominated by trade, whether it be of land, resources, or even other tribe members. The Volus have a reputation as traders and merchants, and many, such as Barla Von, work as some of the best financial advisers in Citadel space. Due to the Volus not being physically adept, they tend not to be violent, and can even seem overly-pacifistic and cowardly to other, more militant species. The Volus homeworld Irune is remarkable for having done away with warfare as an institution of the state, as the Volus lack the romantic view of war found in the galaxy's more aggressive species. Physical skirmishes between groups rarely last long, and are almost always ended by social castigation, bargaining agreements, or harsh economic sanctions.
Volus have two names but no family names. According to Volus sensibilities you cannot own a person, so using a family name would essentially be laying claim to their offspring. Possibly because of their tribal origins, Volus tend to refer to members of other races by their source world rather than species name (i.e. "Earth-clan" instead of "human"). A notable exception to this, however, is they refer to the Quarians as "clanless", due to their lack of a homeworld.

 What they lack in military prowess they excess in finances. The Volus' mercantile prowess made them instrumental in developing a stable galactic economy. They authored the Unified Banking Act, which established the credit as the standard currency of interstellar trade, and the Volus continue to monitor and balance the galactic economy even today. They are great manufacturers, capable of switching up factory produce at ease in response to the latest trend.

Military Doctrine: Basically Non-existent   

As part of their protection agreement, the Volus must  pay a tax to the Hierarchy, as well as deferring to the Turians in all foreign policy matters and providing auxiliary troops to the Turian armed forces. This contribution  is mostly in regards to fleet support as the Volus don't like physical combat at all nor are they cut out physically for it. There is one exception though to be found in the elites section.

Depth of Presence: Very Rare direct presence

The Volus's main assistance is going to be logistical, as their financial and industrial prowess strives to keep up with Citadel demand for weapons, food and water. However they are also good engineers and noted for being exceptionally good at reverse engineering technology, thus boosting victory gain score. Also a once in a blue moon Volus appearing directly on the battlefield.

Hanar and Drell

Intro and Biology : The hanar are a species resembling Earth's jellyfish and are one of the few non-bipedal Citadel races. Hanar are known for their intense politeness when speaking, and their strong religious beliefs regarding the Protheans, whom they refer to as "the Enkindlers".  As such they are somewhat infamous around the Council for defending their religious beliefs whenever possible and for being the ultimate grammar Nazis.

Yet don't think the Hanar aren't generous. Several hundred years ago, the Hanar made contact with the Drell on their nearby homeworld of Rakhana. Drell society was quickly collapsing due to overpopulation and warring over scarce resources, so the Hanar rescued several hundred thousand Drell and brought them to Kahje, where they integrated into Hanar society with the remaining Drell dying out. Now the Drell serve as a client race of the Hanar, and although to outside observers the relationship can be construed as a form of slavery, the reality is very different. Drell have integrated with every level of Hanar society, and most consider it an honor to serve a Hanar family in a tradition referred to as the Compact. Many Drell become unofficial members of the family, and some even earn the privilege to learn their masters' "soul names".

The hanar "stand" slightly taller than a human, although most of their height is in their long tentacles which have three fingers at the base. The invertebrate, water-native hanar cannot support their own weight in normal gravity. When interacting with mainstream galactic society, they rely on contra-gravitic levitation packs that use mass effect fields. Their limbs can grip tightly, but are not strong enough to lift more than a few hundred grams each. Hanar also possess the ability to secrete natural toxins.

Drell are omnivorous reptile-like humanoids with an average lifespan of 85 galactic standard years. Drell appearance is very similar to Asari and humans, but their muscle tissue is slightly denser, giving them a wiry strength. Although many of their more reptilian features are concealed, their thyoid bone, located in their throats, is particularly developed. This allows them to inflate their throats and produce vocal sounds outside of the human range. Their skin is apparently infused with a venom mild enough to be served in drinks, and may cause mild hallucinations on "oral contact". They also have two sets of eyelids, akin to alligators and crocodiles. The inner lid is milky white and closes from the left and right, while the outer lid is black and closes from top and bottom. Much like humans or Asari, Drell possess the ability to shed tears.

The Drell possess eidetic memory, an adaptation to a world where they must remember the location of every necessary resource (vegetation, drinkable water and prey migration paths) across vast distances. The memories are so strong that an external stimulus can trigger a powerful memory recall. These recalls are so vivid and detailed that some Drell may mistake it for reality. Thane Krios, for example, remembers every assassination he has ever performed and can describe them in flawless detail. Indeed he can almost remember his whole life in perfect detail. Though painful this ability could be very helpful for scouts.
Culture:  

Yes, even Giant Jellyfish somehow find themselves attracted to the Asari

Due to the presence of Prothean ruins on Kahje, the Hanar have developed a religion centered on the ancient species, calling them the "Enkindlers". Hanar myths often speak of them as an elder race that uplifted and civilized them by teaching them language.The Hanar communicate using sophisticated patterns of bioluminescence—which other species need machine assistance to translate (though many Drell apply genetic modification to their eyes in order to perceive higher frequency flashes which allows them to understand the Hanar)—and speak with scrupulous precision and extreme politeness. Most Hanar take offense at improper language, and must take special courses to unlearn this tendency if they expect to deal with other species.

The Hanar have two names, a "face name" and a "soul name." The face name is used as a general label for use by strangers and acquaintances. The soul name is kept for use among close friends and relations, and tends to be poetic. For example, a Hanar known for its cynicism may take a name that means "Illuminates the Folly of the Dancers." That said, Hanar are extremely polite, almost to a fault. They never refer to themselves in the first person with someone they know on a face name basis: to do so is considered egotistical. Instead they refer to themselves as "this one," or the impersonal "it." It is only around those who know their soul name that they would ever consider using the first person. Even when flustered or angry, a Hanar will still maintain exquisite poise, and will remain formal even with those it wishes dead.

The hanar practice a religious holiday called Nyahir or "First Cresting Bloom" which lasts a full thirteen days and revolves around celebrating the gift of speech, which they attribute to having come from the Enkindlers. It is a mixture of contemplation and competition, with the faithful engaged in stylized debates, poetry duels, and other traditional hanar art forms.

The Drell have for the most part just absorbed Hanar culture. However at the same time they place a huge emphasis in differentiating the body, the mind and the soul. To them their own bodies are just tools while their minds and souls are the important components. 

Military Doctrine: 

In war the Hanar, incapable of lifting more then a few hundred grams outside of water, rely on the Drell for assistance. The Drell function as combat specialists accomplished spies, saboteurs, and assassins trained from a young age. They don't really have standard troops, relying instead on Drell Specialists to destroy the enemy from within. 

In this combined warfare setting the Drell shall be deployed alongside other specialist forces (Asari, Salarians) for maximum effect. 

Depth of Presence: Hanar Extremely Rare, Drell Rare

Jokes about Blasto aside The Hanar presence is mainly going to be limited to a single ambassador and advisory staff. Though Hanar are usually loath to commit their Drell allies into combat Commander Shephard did manage to save their homeworld, which the Hanar honor by committing these elite troops.

Elcor: 

The elcor are a Citadel species native to the high-gravity world Dekuuna. They are massive creatures, standing on four muscular legs for increased stability. Elcor move slowly, an evolved response to an environment where a fall can be lethal. This has colored their psychology, making them deliberate and conservative.
Elcor speech is ponderous and monotone. Among themselves, scent, slight movements, and subvocalized infrasound convey shades of meaning that make a human smile seem as subtle as a fireworks display. Since their subtlety can lead to misunderstandings with other species, the elcor often go out of their way to clarify when they are being sarcastic, amused, or angry.
Culture: 

Elcor usually prefer to stay on their colonies rather than travel in space, which may be why few elcor are seen on the Citadel or on other worlds. Possibly because of their size or evolution in the open air, the elcor find the necessary confines of space travel uncomfortable. Evolving in a high-gravity environment where a fall could be lethal has made elcor psychology deeply cautious and conservative. Their culture is built on small, tight-knit groups, and their conservative nature means the elcor government is extremely stable. Despite this, they are always welcoming to outsiders.
Military Doctrine: 

Because of their slow, conservative psyches, elcor are not suitable for making the spur-of-the-moment decisions necessary in combat situations. Instead, they rely on sophisticated VI combat systems. These war machines can choose between thousands of gambits developed and polished over centuries by elcor strategists.
The slow speed and immense size of the elcor makes them easy targets. Fortunately, their durable hide allows them to shrug off most incoming fire. Elcor warriors don't carry small arms; their broad shoulders serve as a stable platform for the same size of weapons typically mounted on Alliance fighting vehicles. According to an elcor diplomat on the Citadel, elcor soldiers are called "living tanks" by their enemies, among other less flattering names.
Depth of Presence : Very  Rare

Elcor "Living Tanks" are cool but not common.


Non-Council Species. 


Geth

Intro and Design
The geth are a humanoid race of networked A.I.s. They were created by the quarians 300 years ago as tools of labor and war. When the geth showed signs of self-evolution, the quarians attempted to exterminate them. The geth won the resulting war. This example has led to legal, systematic repression of artificial intelligences in galactic society, however the Geth were far from malevolent. They believe all intelligent lifeforms should "self-determinate" and largely left the galaxy alone afterwards, embarking on a self-isolation. 
Physically, the humanoid Geth resemble Quarians—their hands, head shape and legs are similar—which is probably a holdover from their origins. A common design feature among Geth is a single brightly glowing photoreceptor, causing some to refer to them as "flashlight heads".
Geth are primarily composed of two materials: a flexible but durable outer shell, and a kind of synthetic muscle tissue that gives Geth Hoppers their incredible agility. Geth "bleed" a white conductive fluid when shot, but they don't have any internal organs or nervous system, so the Geth do not feel hunger or pain. The Geth are also seen using omni-tools, and have seemingly modified them to heal synthetic wounds; likewise, some Geth facilities contain first-aid kits, implying that their synthetic "tissues" can be repaired using conventional medical technology.

Part of the geth's success is due to their neural network. Effectively, they "share" their processing power, distributing low-level processes like motor control and visual identification to free up bandwidth for higher reasoning and complex thought. Geth can't share sensory data—they aren't a hive mind like the Rachni—but in large groups they have more to think with. An individual Geth has only a basic intelligence on par with animal instincts, but in groups they can reason, analyze situations, and make tactical decisions as well as any of the organic races. In Legion's words they are many eyes looking at the same thing, and through that can come to different conclusions regarding the same subject.  While A.I.s are "Top-Down " creations (i.e. one super-intelligent main drive) Geth are "Bottom-Up" machines.An exception would appear to be Legion, a Geth specifically designed to operate as an autonomous sentient unit outside the Perseus Veil. Legion possesses over 11 times as many Geth programs as a standard Geth platform and can function intellectually on its own. It should also be noted that during the Reaper War the Geth became True A.I.s, boosting their processing power immensely and giving them true personalities. 

According to Legion, each Geth is made up of hundreds of programs equivalent to VIs, all operating in parallel with one another to form a kind of emergent intelligence described by EDI as "a thousand voices talking at once". An individual Geth is thus more of a "mobile platform" than an actual body; the programs that make up its consciousness are constantly being transferred and downloaded; the mind operating one of these "mobile platforms" might just as easily inhabit a starship body should it need to. Most of the time Geth programs can be found residing in server hubs, which function as something akin to the organic equivalent of a city, and can run millions of Geth in communion.

The most difficult aspect of Geth existence for organics to comprehend is that a body is meaningless to Geth. The biped form commonly perceived as a Geth is nothing more than a "mobile platform." A Geth's software -- hundreds of programs whose interactions mimic organic consciousness -- can be installed in any given hardware, even those of other races. The Geth that was a bipedal soldier an hour ago may now be a quadruped heavy armature and, in another hour, might be a starship. Between tasks, Geth programs upload to gigantic space station mainframes that allow billions of programs to exchange thoughts and memories with minimal lag.

As all Geth are networked to each other, they may communicate their exact thoughts and ideas at the speed of light. They find organic methods of communication, such as body language and spoken word, to be largely inefficient; the Geth are able to communicate their thoughts flawlessly without any fear of misinterpretation. Because of this they have no true form of government and no system of rank. When a matter must be decided upon, the Geth communicate all viewpoints of a situation and a consensus is made, the decision being whatever benefits the Geth as a whole the greatest.

"Culture" :
The Codex states that the Geth, lacking individual personalities until late in Mass Effect 3, don't have one. Though they are likely in the midst of developing them now it is difficult to state exactly what it would be like. It is difficult to say what the outcome of Mass Effect 3 Rannoch did for their culture, though it is clear they now have one. 

Military Doctrine: 

Records of the quarian war suggest the geth have no concept of self-preservation. They do not flinch from gunfire, and do not hesitate to sacrifice themselves if it allows their fellows an advantage. Thousands of mobile platforms were expended assaulting quarian positions, but file-sharing between platforms ensured their memories and experience would not be lost. Geth are therefore immortal; if their hardware is destroyed, archival copies of their programs and databases can be downloaded into a new body. For this reason, Geth are willing to engage in seemingly-suicidal actions like boarding a ship, engineering it to crash, and then remaining on board to ensure the ship goes down.


When Geth shut down, they fry their memory cores as a defensive measure, which is probably why Geth haven't been successfully captured for study. However, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya was able to retrieve some of the data cache from a deactivated Geth, using her Quarian tech expertise and quick decisiveness.

In addition to pure numbers and suicidal assaults, the Geth also like to utilize ambushes to win.  Their sudden and unexpected return from beyond the Veil after three centuries was typical. Shepard describes the geth as perfect ambushers—"they don't move, they don't make noise, they don't even breathe." Their freedom from the need to eat or sleep allows the geth to leave dormant garrison units in ambush at key positions, and the fact they don't feel pain allows them to drop units directly onto the battlefield from high altitudes. Geth can even be packed tightly into crates and left in storage, shutting down their power sources to stay undetected. A tactic particularly favored by the Geth is to set "distress signals" and then ambush the rescuers; they also turned the freighter MSV Cornucopia into a drifting trap.

Depth of Peresence: Common

Not only are Geth very difficult to  permanently kill, have a high reinforcement rate and already exist in great numbers, but they are one of the largest armies in the galaxy. Thanks to commander Shephard winning their support, expect many Geth.

Krogan:

Intro and Biology;  The krogan evolved in a hostile and vicious environment. Until the invention of gunpowder weapons, "eaten by predators" was still the number one cause of krogan fatalities. Afterwards, it was "death by gunshot".
When the salarians discovered them, the krogan were a brutal, primitive species struggling to survive a self-inflicted nuclear winter. The salarians culturally uplifted them, teaching them to use and build modern technology so they could serve as soldiers in the Rachni War.

 Krogans possess a 240 degree vision, far more then most species. Their thick hides are virtually impervious to cuts, scrapes or contusions, and they are highly resistant to environmental hazards, including toxins, radiation, and extreme heat and cold. Consequently their diets can include food and drink which would prove very dangerous to other species—a fact reflected in the krogan liquor of choice, ryncol, which is said to "hit aliens like ground glass". Younger krogan have yellow or green markings on their hides. These markings darken to brown or tan over time, showing their age.

Krogan typically stand over 7 feet and weigh roughly one ton in armor.  The most amazing physiological feature of krogan biology is the multiple instances of major organs. These secondary (and where applicable, tertiary) systems are capable of serving as back-ups in the event of damage to the primary biological structures. They have, for example, two hearts, four lungs, and four testicles. This reflects in their slang, where they often speak about a "quad" where a human would use the words "balls" or "pair". Krogan also have a secondary nervous system using a neuroconductive fluid, meaning they are almost impossible to paralyze. All this, plus the too be discussed "Blood Rage" makes Krogan very difficult to kill in combat, even withstanding multiple headshots.
Culture:  The harsh krogan homeworld conditioned the krogan psychology for toughness just as it did the body. Krogan have always had a tendency to be selfish, unsympathetic, and blunt. They respect strength and self-reliance and are neither surprised nor offended by treachery. The weak and selfless do not live long. In their culture, "looking out for number one" is simply a matter of course.

Most krogan trust and serve no one but themselves. This solitary attitude stems in part from a deep sense of fatalism and futility, a profound social effect of the genophage that caused krogan numbers to dwindle to a relative handful. Not only are they angry that the entire galaxy seems out to get them, the krogan are also generally pessimistic about their race's chances of survival. The surviving krogan see no point to building for the future; there will be no future. The krogan live with a generally violent and short-sighted attitude of personal gain.

However recently under the rule of Urdnot Wrex and with the aid of the human commander Shephard, that had begun to change. With the Genophage, a virus that reduced their viability greatly, cured Krogans are now flocking into every greater numbers to fight against the Reapers, partially in gratitude of Shephard.

Military Doctrine: 

Krogan military doctrine has a different take on what "scouting and reconnaissance" means. While other races' scouts prefer stealth and discretion in carrying out their tasks, krogan scouts instead opt to deal psychological warfare when they find the enemy by way of occasional harassment or intentionally exaggerating their numbers. The reasoning is that it is a lot easier to count enemy numbers when some of them get blown up.
Traditional krogan tactics were built on attritional mass-unit warfare. Equipped with cheap, rugged gear, troop formations were powerful but inflexible. Command and control was very centralized; soldiers in the field who saw a target contacted their commanders behind the lines to arrange fire support.
Since the genophage, the krogan can no longer afford the casualties of the old horde attacks. The Battle Masters are a match for any ten soldiers of another species. To a Battle Master, killing is a science. They focus on developing clean, brute-force economy of motion that exploits their brutal strength to incapacitate enemies with a swift single blow of overwhelming power. This change of focus from mass-unit warfare to maximal efficiency has increased employment demand in the fields of security and "muscle for hire." Due to the unsavory reputation of the krogan, most of these jobs are on the far side of the law.

Battle Masters are not "spit and polish," but they do believe in being well-armed and equipped, preferably with a gun for each limb. They are callous and brutal, but methodical and disciplined. They use any means at their disposal to achieve their goals, no matter how reprehensible. Hostage-taking and genocide are acceptable means to ensure a quiet occupation with few krogan casualties.


Depth of Presence: Common

Krogan are all about military and will be spoiling for a fight. Thanks to the huge amount of them, their toughness and willingness to fight the enemies of this Mass Effect force will learn to be wary of the Krogan.
Quarians: 

Intro and Biology:

The Quarians are a nomadic species of humanoid aliens known for their skills with technology and synthetic intelligence. Since their homeworld Rannoch was conquered, the Quarians live aboard the Migrant Fleet, a huge collection of starships that travel as a single fleet. Though recently the issue on Rannoch has been addressed they still haven't had time to settle.

Quarians are mostly humanoid in appearance and biology with the exception of inverted knees.  As a result of their homeworld's lack of major diseases followed by 300 subsequent years inside the sterile fleet environment, Quarian immune systems became infamously weak to pathogens. This resulted in Quarians nearly always staying inside their enviro-suits and for the rare moments that they want to leave their suits they must take a multitude of vaccines and immunizations. 

Like turians, the quarians are a dextro-protein species of reverse chirality from humans and asari. The food of levo-protein races such as humans or asari is at best inedible and at worst poisonous, most likely triggering a dangerous allergic reaction. Quarians who want to taste something (other than the refined edible paste issued to all who leave on their Pilgrimage) can eat specially purified turian cuisine, though the typical quarian diet is vegan, as livestock were found to possess an inefficient resource-to-calorie ratio when stored on the Migrant Fleet.

Culture: 

Young Quarians are required to undertake a Pilgrimage outside the fleet in order to pass into full adulthood. The Pilgrimage is an opportunity for Quarians to experience the world outside the Migrant Fleet, interact with other cultures, and learn to appreciate life among their own people. Their departure is a major event; the whole crew assembles to see them off, and they are given many gifts to aid them on their journey, along with immunity-boosting injections and advice on surviving on the outside. The young Quarian cannot return to the flotilla until they have found something of value to bring back - whether information, money, or supplies. When they return, they do not go back to their birth ship, but instead select a new ship to join; this helps maintain genetic diversity by preventing intermarriage between close relatives. The Quarian presents their gift to the captain of the new ship to prove they will not be a burden on the crew. Although the gift may be rejected if it is subpar, this is very rare, as most captains are eager to welcome a new shipmate on board. Having a large crew is a prestigious thing, as it means the captain has the financial and material means to provide for many people. Thus every Quarian in this tournament has had experience adventuring in the outside world .

They are also a famously emotional people and due to their need to maintain zero population growth in fear of exceeding their ability to sustain themselves they make use of every little thing.  Loyalty, trust, and cooperation are highly prized qualities. Over time, the environmental suits themselves have gained symbolic and cultural significance, and being fitted with their first suit is considered a rite of passage. After returning to the fleet after their pilgrimage, they may alter their suit to reflect their new status as adults. Linking suit environments is seen as the ultimate gesture of trust and affection.
Due to their history with the geth, quarians are reluctant to place complete trust in virtual or artificial intelligences, but they also show surprising compassion towards them and are far more likely than other species to treat them as living beings.

Military Doctrine:

Quarians only number around 17 million so to them, every Quarian life is precious. Its a reason why their main punishment for crime is exile rather then execution as a exile's children, if they had one, would still be welcome back in the fleet. Quarians take no chances in deploying their forces, and if the motives of the enemy can't be ascertained they have a shoot first and ask questions later policy. 

The Quarians are exceptionally good synthetic specialists and engineers.  They are masters at maintaining and converting technology, especially ship parts, and they are also expert miners because the Fleet requires huge amounts of fuel. They are able to repair what most species would melt down. This proficiency means corporations sometimes quietly hire quarians "on the side" if the Migrant Fleet is nearby, replacing existing workers, much to their annoyance.

When forced into combat the Quarians mainly rely on their fleet of ancient and scavenged warships, still kept up to full repair, to inflict great damage. They are noted as having the greatest fleet in the galaxy. When forced into combat they use specialized marines, VI drones, and engineers. However they are rather short for supplies, which means they can't afford a long term fight. 

Depth of Presence: Uncommon: 

The Quarians shall dispatch a segment of their marines and various other specialists, but shall not play as much a role as other main races. Also Quarian hacking and engineering factors into Victory Gains.

Vorcha: 

Intro and Biology Known for their unique biology and aggressive behavior, the vorcha of Heshtok are a primitive race that live among the galaxy's darker and more dangerous locations, such as Omega. Many vorcha are trained by the krogan Blood Pack as mercenaries due to their savage nature and adaptability to different environments. The rest of galactic civilization regards them as pests and scavengers, and their presence is generally seen as a blight.

The vorcha are the shortest-lived sapient species currently known, with an average lifespan of only 20 years. The vorcha are known for a rather unique biology that differentiates them from other known species and which carries with it a striking set of advantages and disadvantages. The vorcha have clusters of non-differentiated cells, similar to those found on the planarian worm of Earth. These cells allow the vorcha limited regenerative abilities, as well as the ability to adapt quickly to its environment, such as developing thicker skin after being burned or increased musculature to survive in high gravity. When a vorcha is injured or in distress, these cells move to the affected area and rapidly (~1 week) mature to specialized forms that will alleviate the issue.

A vorcha that is cut or burned will adapt to have thicker skin. The lungs of a vorcha placed in a barely-breathable atmosphere will adapt to better use the gases there. A vorcha subjected to high gravity will quickly develop stronger heart and leg muscles. A vorcha that is water-starved will adapt to live off less and the live off what can be found in food. Non-differentiated vorcha cell clusters do replenish themselves, but the process is slow. Generally, vorcha can only adapt to a single environment within their brief lives. However, what cells are replaced allow them to heal rapidly, and even to regrow lost limbs over a period of months. They can even adapt (if raised young enough) to unique positions and even become emissaries, proving that not all Vorcha are genetically pre-disposed for violence.

However, as a consequence of this, the vorcha as a species no longer evolve as other races do. The vorcha equivalent of DNA has remained unchanged for millions of years. There is no need for them to evolve as a species when they can adapt as individuals.

Culture: 
Vorcha society is built around combat. In fact, the vorcha use combat, both individually and in groups, as their default form of communication resulting in their communications being primarily non-verbal. The vorcha are a clan based people who prefer living in communal environments with others of their species to living alone or in the company of alien races. When a clan population grows too large, younger members will depart to start a new clan elsewhere. The vorcha are extremely aggressive, both against rivals of their own species and against any alien who stands in their way. Vorcha who have managed to escape their homeworld have a tendency to occupy uninhabited areas of space stations or larger spaceships.

However Vorcha are also known for their legendary adaptability, and they will readily adapt to Krogan or Asari cultures. 

Military Doctrine: 

Usually the Krogan Blood Pack (a mercenary force under Aria) controls Vorcha warriors however recently both the Alliance and Turians, desperate for fighters, have begun recruiting them.The vorcha have no formal military force to speak of. The Blood Pack uses them as cannon fodder while the Turians/Humans sometimes lead them with mixed sucess. 

Military Presence:  Uncommon-Rare

 Though naturally a very populus species, they are listed as rare simply because there aren't enough factions that utilize them.
Batarian

A race of four-eyed bipeds native to the world of Khar'shan, the batarians are a disreputable species that chose to isolate itself from the rest of the galaxy. The Terminus Systems are infested with batarian pirate gangs and slaving rings, fueling the stereotype of the batarian thug. It should be noted that these criminals do not represent average citizens, who are forbidden to leave batarian space by their ubiquitous and paranoid government.

Batarians place an extremely high value on social caste and appearance, and overstepping one's place is frowned upon. Casting aspersions on the monetary worth of a social better is considered a serious insult. Batarians strongly believe that species with fewer than four eyes are less intelligent; they often gain the upper hand in interspecies arguments because other races find it difficult to know which eyes to focus on when speaking to them.

With the Reaper invasion this government has been overthrown, the survivors scattered to the various corners of the galaxy. The Batarians are now a shattered people, led by a former terrorist who is the highest surviving officer of the former government. They are reluctant allies to the other races or else mercenaries, serving prominently under Aria (see Hero Section) . In addition they are looked on with suspicion thanks to their former slave-taking tendencies.
Military Doctrine: 

Extremely Dirty Fighters/Terrorists: Batarians are infamous for being professional slavers and mercenaries, and from what I have found their army is little different. They will willingly use hostages, hijacked superweapons, assassinations and other tactics designed to sap the will of the people they are fighting. Only the fact that they are a very small fish in a big pond full of disapproving big fish could stop them from utilizing their full dirtyness. Also some Batarians are beginning to have second thoughts towards their old ways.  Depth of Presence:  Rare

Mostly going to be among Aria's group but will come with a few under the remnants of their own officers, led by a terroist who would rather be killing his human allies if not circumstances had forced him to remain under their side. However there are a very few that have thrown aside their xenophobic hatred and have come to see Humans and other aliens in a new light.

Rachni

The rachni, a species of spacefaring insects guided by a hive-mind intelligence, evolved on Suen, a planet tidally-locked to its red dwarf star. Life developed in a habitable terminator zone between hemispheres that were constantly scorched or perpetually frozen. The harsh conditions of Suen's surface forced the rachni to forage underground amid sprawling subterranean river systems.
The rachni are a territorial race, determined to remain isolated from the rest of the galaxy. They normally inhabit extremely hazardous worlds, able to survive environments that would kill most sentient species. Should their territory be invaded on purpose or even by accident, they respond with swift and brutal force.
However, many make the mistake of underestimating the rachni as mindless animals when in fact the rachni are an extremely intelligent sentient species. The rachni achieved space flight and a form of cryogenic suspension, developed weapons and carved out a huge swathe of galactic territory. Far from being treated as disposable resources of the hive, rachni soldiers are carefully nurtured as part of the group.

The queens are the leaders of the rachni hive mind. Their ways of perception, thinking and communications seem to be different from that of other races, and based upon a synesthetic perception of sound as both sound and color. According to Dr. Ann Bryson, rachni communication is geared towards pheromones, and, as further proof of their intelligence, an organic quantum entanglement communicator - not, as so many believed, telepathy.

Rachni regard speech and thought as forms of music, as shown by the strange metaphors used when attempting to communicate, for example, "songs the color of oily shadow". The speech patterns used by them in such occasions are also unusual; "When we speak, one moves all". They refer to their manner of communication as "singing", which soothes and nurtures their young, and this appears to colour their entire psychology - for example, the rachni speak of death as "the great silence", and refer to their homeworld as the "singing planet". The rachni ability to genetically share knowledge across generations makes queens a vast repository of information.

Depth of Presence:  Very Rare Initially:

At first the Rachni Queen, an ally of Shephard who has vowed to fight alongside him, only starts out with a tiny brood of mostly workers and some guards. However from what I have found Rachni breed very quickly and thus will become an increasing threat as time goes on.

Leviathans

The Leviathans are an ancient aquatic race that dominated the galaxy in the time before the Reapers. Proud and aloof, they regard themselves as the galaxy's first and only apex race, and all other races as mere tools meant to serve them. With the advent of the Reapers, the Leviathans were forced into hiding to preserve themselves, and were content to observe the Reapers' harvests while surreptitiously erasing any evidence of their existence over the course of hundreds of millions of years.

Like the Reapers that were designed after them, the Leviathans are massive in size and possess a resemblance to Earth cuttlefish or squid. The Leviathans possess the natural ability to influence the behaviors of lesser-minded organisms to the point of complete physical and mental control, an effect that is similar to indoctrination. They can use this ability to communicate with other beings in a manner similar to telepathy, as well as to turn them into thralls. The exact mechanics of this ability are unknown, but it has been compared to the rachni's theorized ability to communicate using an organic quantum entanglement communicator analogue that stimulates neural activity. Over-exertion of this mind-control ability causes nosebleeds in humans, and in extreme cases can lead to brain damage and death.

Despite over a billion years of isolation, Shephard managed to convince them to return to the fold  and aid him against the Reapers for their own selfish reasons. Though neither side trusts each other at all and the Leviathans are quite malevolent they do bring one powerful aid to the battle.

Depth of Presence: No-direct Presence, Enthrallment teams.

The Leviathans don't appear on the battlefield directly however they do aid via their special enthrallment artifacts. These devices, which have been shown to work on multiple species in addition to Reapers, shall be explained further in the support section.

Misc Races:

Thanks to Leviathan a  tiny number of Collectors- a Reaper thrall race made of Protheans- has been freed and joined the alliance cause. Furthermore there exists one pure Prothean named Javik who is part of Shephard's personal team . There are also multitudes of VI and AI assistance.


===Recon===

Mass Effect frigates have superb scanners, able to scan a planet for indigenous life, electronic signatures, emissions  basic geography information including gravity, atmosphere conditions/breath-ability, notable landmarks, radio signatures, thermal signatures, resources ect. This is will likely be the first line of reconnaissance, but not the only one. They can also utilize hordes of long range autonomous reconnaissance drones to scan things  from up close, equipped with sensors to do so even in utter darkness.  Infiltrators and other cloaked individuals are another method to be deployed if the situation necessitates a first person exploration, and these are also rather good at both sabotage, assassination and espionage. 

As mentioned earlier it is the Asari that will likely attempt diplomacy if their opponents seem to reasonable in the slightest, being skilled diplomats who have a ethereal air to them. Some of who have done this before, and they are renowned for being powerful empaths, able to sense and manipulate emotions.  Even if they fail they let everyone know they tried, and this may effect morale and defections on the opposing side. They will also no doubt try to make attempts to convince any planet-side natives to either remain neutral  or join with the Citadel. Should they fail then the Salarians, with their desire for one massive First Strike, will likely take over . 

===Infantry===


Noe 1: This section is going to be extremely long, and to shorten it I am going to be merging similar units types while also trying to preserve their uniqueness.
*Note 2: For the individual profiles I will only be expanding on their racial weapons/techniques as well as using that as a separating point. . However given the way Mass Effect universe is set up there is a lot of troop and weapon diversity, and its entirely possible for  a Turian to choose to wield Alliance weaponry instead of his own. Racial ownership is determined first by wiki information, then by manufacturer location/origin, then finally if all else fails then by place of appearance. There will also be many weapons listed as "common to all" meaning many races are known to utilize it. Finally I shall try to determine, using descriptions and the multiplayer guide, how rare-common a weapon is. It is likely that rare weapons will only be available to the most distinguished or richest troops. 
Alliance/ Quarian  Marines

Alliance Marines defending Eden Prime

Weapon Type: Mass Accelerator
Armor Type: Medium Body Armor (see above)
 Mobility: 4
 Training: 4.3 (Slightly better then modern marine training) -5.6(N6) 
Max Range: Sniper Rifle range
Preferred Range: Assault Rifle
Classification: Versatile deployment infantry
--Basic Description:
 As the center of both the Systems Alliance and Quarian military is their navy, with  the marines are a arm of this to be deployed in the event that ground combat or boarding actions are needed. Thus is in contrast to soldiers marines generally are going to be more mobile, deployed via dropships directly into the fray.   They are well-trained infantry force that seem to possess the equivalent of modern day training, as well as armed with a multitude of  diverse weapons. 

As noted in the racial profiles, Human marines shall be more common then Quarian. 
--Loadout: 
 - Ranged:
Loadout of Alliance Marine first, who primarily carry assault rifles and pistols with some grenades (or at least that is what I have found from reading the books) 
 --M-8 Avenger Rifle 

The Avenger is a common, versatile, military-grade assault rifle manufactured by the Elkoss Combine. It's accurate when fired in short bursts, and deadly when fired on full auto. The modular design and inexpensive components of the Avenger make it a favorite of military groups and mercenaries alike. The rifle has a reputation for being tough, reliable, easy to use, and easy to upgrade. It can hold 30 "rounds" at a time (see point on Thermal Clip), with most people holding 210 rounds total on them. Capable of automatic fire and extremely fast to reload. One of the great things about the Avenger is that it has no major weakness, but it has no major strengths. Its only real issue is its relatively low damage compared to other assault rifles. Most often used by basic human grunts who can't afford something else, but it can nevertheless be found on all races.

---M-96 Matchlock 

Medium-range, semi-automatic rifle. The Mattock is a hybrid weapon with an assault rifle's low heat production and a sniper rifle's punch. Marksmen favor its increased power over that of an assault rifle to bring down hardened targets. Its lack of a full-auto setting is advertised as a feature rather than a shortcoming as it curbs a soldier's tendency to spray inaccurate fire under stress. It has a ROF of 750 per minute, which is impressive given the 16 clip and lack of full auto. Its greatest strength is its high impact and highly accurate ammo, while its main weakness is inefficiency in close quarters. It is a common replacement to the Avenger. 
--M-37 Falcon: 

This Alliance rifle launches 25mm mini-grenades, thus making it "rare" due to the cost of its ammunition type. Lighter and more accurate than most grenade launchers, the Falcon burns through specialized ammunition as well as standard thermal clips. A field fabrication kit generates this ammunition, leaving the clips as the rifle's only limitation. All upgrades and specialized ammunition can apply to this gun, resulting in cyro or incendiary ammunition having area of effect damage. Is not suited for close quarters though. Also has 6 rounds per clip.

M-99 Saber 

A heavy-duty semi-automatic rifle favored by only the most elite marksman, the M-99 Saber is jokingly referred to as "The Big Iron" for its sheer stopping power. Each M-99 Saber is designed specifically for its owner, making it one of the Alliance's more expensive (and thus rarest) weapons.It has a Clip Size of 8 and is known for its high power, accuracy  and range (the latter two rival a sniper rifle). However it compensates for slow rate of fire and massive weight. 

M-7 Lancer: 

The M7-Lancer is a rare collector's item that was introduced shortly after the First Contact War. The Lancer has been refurbished by an unknown master weaponsmith, and it now uses the higher velocity rounds of today's weaponry. It does not need heat sinks, instead utilizing weapon heat-generation from an earlier era, which means it has virtually no need to reload but is prone to overheating and the delays in weapon usage that come with that.  Few of these finely crafted weapons are in existence.

M-76 Revenant ( Available to all, but very rare) 

The M-76 Revenant unleashes a storm of high-velocity slugs. It has low accuracy but a high thermal clip capacity, and packs considerable firepower. This custom-made machine gun features technology not widely available. Protected against replication by sophisticated Fabrication Rights Management (FRM) technology, only the richest and most powerful warlords can afford the Revenant. Though highly damaging and having a clip of 60, its drawbacks are huge recoil and lack of accuracy at ranges. This was reverse engineered Collector technology, taken first aboard a human vessel. Expect only the richest to afford it. 

--Particle Rifle: Rarest of them all, see Javik for profile description
Pistol: 
M-5 Phalanx 

The M-5 Phalanx is the product of the Alliance's Offensive Handgun Project that developed a close-in weapon to be used on armored or shielded targets with no loss of stopping power in comparison to the soldier's assault rifle. The Phalanx enjoys a ballistics advantage even over most "hand cannons" and features an integral laser sight which is highly visible even in bright lighting conditions. Civilian variants are often purchased by colonists on planets that have particularly dangerous big game animals. With a Clip size of 12  and power high enough that it was dubbed "the Dismantler" by Bioware, this is a formidable backup weapon. 

Grenades: 

Though not every marine carries these those that do can usually carry multiple. They range from improved Frag Grenades to Cyro Grenades that freeze enemies, inferno that lights them on fire,poison gas, EMP to disable shields and weapons,   or  flash grenades. The rarer grenades are described as having charged photon blasts or acting as mini-nukes.  Most seem to have a 10-second timer, though can be trigger to explode before then. Others can be made adhesive to stick to walls.  More grenades to be covered for elites later. 


Quarian Marine: 

Quarian Marines, thanks to their early life-style, are going to be  exceptionally used to fighting in close quarters. As much of their fighting takes place on ships they are probably going to keep a lot of shotguns in their inventory while also maintaining a lot of scavenged weapons, either from pilgrimages or from strip-salvaging anything they can get their hands on. However that doesn't mean they don't carry their own invented  weapons. They are anti-synthetic specialists and in addition to their scavenged weapons (see essentially every other profile on this page) they bring to the table the 

--Adas Anti-Synthetic Rifle 

Named in memory of the quarians killed in the Morning War on the planet Adas, this weapon's electrical attack has been optimized for medium- to long-range firefights. The Adas ionizes targets with a nonvisible laser to ready them for a high-voltage electrical attack. As the lightning-like bolt hits its first target, a sophisticated autotargeting system paints succeeding targets with the ionization laser, allowing the electricity to take the path of least resistance and arc between them. Alliance marines take issue with calling it a "rifle" since, technically, it has no rifling in its barrel. The Quarians shrug this off, as Quarian weapon terminology rarely translates flawlessly into human languages. The Adas has a 24 round clip that it burns through rather quickly however this is compensated for "splash" damage i.e. more then the original target gets electrified. It is very powerful against both synthetic opponents and mechanized vehicles such as the Atlas. Fully Automatic.  While other races might wield Quarian weapons, they will be extremely rare and far between as until very recently Quarians were a heavily insular society. 

--Arc Pistol: 

An innovation of Admiral Daro'Xen, the Arc Pistol is a scaled-down Arc Projector that only requires thermal clips, to solve its power problems. The Arc Pistol uses a nonvisible laser to ionize the air and create a path for a high-ampere electric shock. For a more damaging blast, it can be charged up. Though it lacks the "jumping" power of the Adas it compensates for greater ammo conservation with 18 rounds. Also semi-auto. 

--Reegar Carbine 

This electrical weapon improves upon the arc pistol's design by generating a sustained current on its target. This weapon is named for the quarian Reegar family, whose marines have served valiantly against the geth.The Reegar Carbine is an automatic, close-quarters combat weapon that fires a constant stream of electricity; despite being called a carbine, the weapon's function is consistent to a flamethrower. With a clip size of 22  this weapon can mantain its current for a fairly long time. 

Alternative Weapons: 

Herein lies the weapons that, while no where near as common as above, should still make occasional appearances within various squads. 

Sniper Rifles: 


M-97 Viper 

The Viper is a semi-automatic, rapid-fire sniper rifle manufactured by Rosenkov Materials, a Russian company. Rosenkov developed a patented automated-release system that assists with thermal-clip ejection, shortening the Viper's reload time. This rifle is popular with military snipers, who appreciate a long-range gun that can snap off multiple shots in the blink of an eye.Clip size 6, and possessing high impact shots, one can see why humans use this weapon. 
-Black Widow 

The Alliance wanted to reduce the reload time of the original Widow rifle, without sacrificing its stopping power. The solution was to increase the number of shots the gun could fire before it needed a fresh thermal clip. Heavy for a sniper rifle, the Black Widow's firepower more than compensates for its encumbrance. The Black Widow Sniper rifle is a powerful sniper rifle, penetrating 25cm of metal cover without any modifications or piercing ammo and can pierce far more with those .  It is only limited due to its newness and is fresh off the market and its huge weight.  It has a 3 round clip size . Its also a extremely expensive weapon, way more then the Viper. 

- M-90 Indra 

The Indra's low-powered scope leaves it most effective at medium range, but many soldiers believe this limitation is offset by the gun's rapid rate of fire. The Indra is the first military-grade, fully automatic sniper rifle. It has an extremely efficient heat-sink system that allows a surprisingly large number of shots to be fired before the weapon ejects its thermal clip. It has an impressive 25 round clip size and can fire very powerful shots. Probably the best if rarest Sniper Rifle an Alliance operative can wield. 

Shotguns:

M-23 Katana 

Manufactured by Ariake Technologies, the Katana is a common mercenary weapon, and is also popular on colonies with Varren infestations. It's deadly at short range, but ineffective at long range. Its an incredibly popular Shotgun with a clip size of 5 and Semi-autonomous fire.  Pretty much common among all factions. 

Sub-Machine Guns: 


M-12 Locust

The Kassa Fabrications Model 12 Locust is a compact submachine gun developed for the Alliance but now favored by gang enforcers and hit men. Featuring a complex recoil-reducing mechanism and high-grade auto-targeting software, the Locust delivers longer range, more accurate fire than others in its class. It is legendary among gun-enthusiasts as the "Gun that killed two presidents". The Locust's main strength is its flexibility. It has low recoil, and very high accuracy which allows the Locust to fire full auto even at long range, something no other SMG can do effectively.

Heavy Weaponry: 

 Heavy Weaponry users will be the rarest of them all, only equipped when they are expecting enemy vehicles or are in need of some serious firepower. Every faction will have some of these below. 
Cobra Missile Launcher 

Though it looks identical to the M-560 Hydra, the Cobra is a single shot launcher that fires a missile directly at the target. It is powerful enough to destroy a target on contact and has a small area of effect.In comparison to the Hydra below it offers more "shots" and more powerful singular shots however it is not as powerful overall. 

--M-560 Hydra 

Before the introduction of the M-560 Hydra, missile launchers either focused on bringing down a single armored target or simultaneously neutralizing multiple unarmored opponents. With the Hydra, a soldier no longer needs to choose between the two.
The Hydra releases a barrage of  8 miniature missiles, each guided by an independent homing system that seeks out exposed enemies. On impact, three shaped charges per missile explode in sequence. The first overloads the target's kinetic barriers before the second destroys its armor, clearing a path for the third warhead to detonate inside the target. However this weapon seems better against infantry then vehicles, while the Cobra does quite well against vehicles. 

M-920 Cain 

The M-920 Cain is a portable particle accelerator surrounding an array of dust-form element zero chambers. By subjecting its eezo chambers to extreme positive and negative currents fueled by antimatter reactions, the weapon projects mass effect fields that shear away at the target. The fields warp ambient materials with such explosive force that the impact produces a mushroom cloud. This has led Alliance marines to call the Cain a "nuke gun," though its detonations do not in fact produce fallout.

The M-920 uses graphite rods as neutron moderators, but they require frequent replacement to sustain power. Fortunately, the omni-tool can refabricate most heavy weapon ammunition into graphite rods. The amount of charge-up time is understandable as the weapon is a juggernaut capable of unstoppable destructive power.

Reaper Blackstar 

The Reaper weapon nicknamed "Blackstar" is so advanced that Alliance scientists can only offer speculation about how it works. The gun appears to exploit an element zero core and mass effect fields to fire gravitational singularities - micro black holes - that revert to their natural lethality when they impact a solid object. Researchers theorize that the blast tears apart the strong nuclear forces that hold the target's atoms together, resulting in a localized fusion reaction in light atoms and a fission reaction in heavy atoms. If that hypothesis is correct, the weapon alters nuclei, thus changing the chemical composition of the target. It destroys organic tissue, corrodes surviving armor, and leaves a visible trail of light-emitting particles.

Although some might argue that the Blackstar's single-launch capability makes it a liability, its capacity for utter destruction is essential when the user requires large-scale, instantaneous damage.As what models in use appear to be stolen Reaper weapons and a very few produced prototypes, this will probably be a very rare weapon. 

M-490 Blackstorm

The Blackstorm, colloquially called the "black hole gun" encases a few particles of matter within a high-powered mass-increasing field, elevating them to near-infinite mass. This creates a gravitational singularity that draws nearby enemies and objects inward for a short time. The rapidly-increasing gravity near the singularity's event horizon rips objects apart. The mass effect field soon destabilizes and returns to normal mass, with explosive results. Both this and the Blackstar are experimental, and thus exceptionally rare, weapons. 

M-622 Avalanche

Cryo Round technology is used to modify standard weapon slugs. A cooling laser collapses the ammunition into Bose-Einstein condensate, a mass of super-cooled subatomic particles capable of snap-freezing impacted objects. Normandy's scientists have found a way to apply this technology on a large scale: by generating a mass effect containment "bubble", this proof-of-concept large weapon technology is effective against armor, shields, and biotic barriers. It is nicknamed the "Cryo-Blaster". Another experimental, new and rare weapon. 

M-597 Ladon 

Marrying a Hydra missile launcher to a target identification system based on Reaper code, the M-597 Ladon is a significant leap forward in smart heavy weapons. The Ladon counts targets in its field of fire -- up to a maximum of six -- and lets fly one homing warhead per target. The incendiary blasts tear through most shields and armor .

Arc Projector  

The arc projector ionizes targets with a nonvisible laser to ready them for a high-voltage electrical attack. As the lightning-like bolt hits its first target, a sophisticated autotargeting system paints succeeding targets with the ionization laser, allowing the electricity to take the path of least resistance and arc between them. An entire enemy strike team can be shocked to death with a few pulls of the trigger. The Quarians will be the msot proficient users of this weapon, given that they have minaturized and mass-produced versions of it. 

Sync Laser 

The weapon was designed by Admiral Daro'Xen vas Moreh using reverse-engineered geth technology. It is connected with the Normandy SR-2's weapon systems, and allows for laser-painting a target with pin-point accuracy, for a precision bombing run once the target has been locked. EDI mentions however, that the weapon should only be used when necessary, as the signal could be jammed.  Sort of functions like a Tau Markerlight. 

 (Sync Laser used against Reaper. However in game version doesn't have nearly as much firepower, relying on a single ship)

 - Melee: Omni-Blade: See Omnitool profile. A Large blade is capable of being extended from their omni-tool for close quarters combat.  As far as I can tell both Quarian and Alliance uses it. 
 - Defense: See Technology section. Both have the standard triple layer defense - barriers, armor and then medigel. Quarian armor is sealed however so germ and chemical warfare unlikely to effect them. Alliance armor does come with the option to be sealed however. 
 -Special: Tech or Biotic Powers: 
Currently it is unknown what powers the Quarian Marines use, however it is likely to be like the A.I. powers that the engineers use (see Support) .Some Alliance Marines  are known to Utilize the following

Adrenaline Rush: A tech power that speeds up the user's adrenaline drastically, making it appear as if time itself slows down. For a brief moment it slows down time around the user (in actuality greatly speeding up his reaction time) , giving a small window to line up the perfect head-shot with the sniper rifle or other weapons, as well as increasing the damage dealt, including melee damage. Admittedly this might have some long term consequences. 

Concussive Shot: 

When activated, the user's weapon fires a single high-powered round that damages a target and can stun it for a few seconds. That is assuming the enemy doesn't die outright from it.  Can be modified with different ammo types. 

--Quarian Marksmen: 

A specialized Sniper, The Quarian Marksman is a pugnacious tactician that, after assessing the situation, will just as soon blister the field with explosives as pick off enemies from a distance. He is armed with a variety of tech powers including
--Tactical Scan: S/he can scan a foe with his advanced array of scanners, and then similar to Tau markerlight have the scanner focus on the foe, revealing its weak points and making it more vulnerable to enemy fire. 
--Marksman: This tech power increases ROF of fire and speed for a limited time. 
--Sabotage: Showcasing the Quarian mastery of electronics, the Marksman hacks enemy weapons (if a smart weapon) or nearby enemy robot, either sabotaging them or turning them against their foe. 

-Additional Factors: 

--Role: Rapid Deployment Forces/Anti-synthetic Specialists 
--N1-6: 
Some Squads of the Marines are going to be better and more experienced then usual, being quasi-special forces. Obviously the lower the rank the more common these will be in the overall army (N1 being more common then a N6 for example). 
The Interplanetary Combatives Training (ICT) is the Systems Alliance's premier school for leadership and combat expertise. The Interplanetary Combatives Academy, sometimes called "N-School" or "the villa," recruits officers from every branch of Earth's militaries to partake in grueling courses at Vila Militar in Rio de Janeiro.
Initially, candidates train for more than 20 hours per day, leading small combat teams through hostile terrain with little sleep or food. Trainees who do well are awarded an internal designation of N1 and are invited to return. Subsequent courses - N2 through N6 - are often held off-planet and include instruction in zero-G combat, military free-fall (parachuting), jetpack flight, combat diving, combat instruction, linguistics, and frontline trauma care for human and alien biology.

The Final Ranking, N7, shall be covered in the "Elite" category. 
--103rd Marine Division (Alliance): 
The Alliance posseses a number of specialzed army units, most notably the 103rd Marine Division. 
103rd Marine Division:  Every marine enlistee, from clerks to sniper, goes through a period of infantry training. As a result, the 103rd Marine Division is Earth's largest collection of Special Forces soldiers. Officers from notable battles, such as the Skyllian Blitz and the First Contact War, run harsh training exercises in a variety of environments, insisting the marines be prepared to storm any beach, on any planet. This training has been useful in the Reaper War, as the 103rd can be fighting in the arctic desert one week, crawling through jungles the next. The 103rd also contains numerous sub-divisions such as Team Zeta. 

Nicknamed the Bridge Burners, Team Zeta are combat engineers who specialize in destroying enemy fortifications in hostile territory. This tight-knit group of men and women are respected for their knowledge, renowned for their tenacity, and infamous for their enthusiasm.

The Alliance Marine Reconnaissance Unit flies recon drones and occasionally puts live recon teams into play. AMRU works hard to ensure information is up-to-date, using VIs to disseminate intel as quickly as possible.

Biotic Support Unit: Biotic students from the Grissom Academy have joined the 103rd Marine Division as a support unit. The students focus their biotics into barriers that shield the marines and help control the flow of battle.

--Rapid Deployment: Often these squads are deployed by the  UT-47 Kodiak Drop Shuttle

---All-Terrain: Alliance soldiers are trained to fight anywhere they are needed to be, from cold desolte tundra to scorching deserts. 
--Quarians cannot afford a frontline attack given their limited racial numbers and difficulty in handling diseases, so they will always try to properly scout out an area and account for all variables first before attacking. In their own words they cannot afford a frontline attack. 
--Alliance Marines will be quite common, Quarian marines relatively rare

Turian/Krogan Soldiers

Weapon Type: Mass Accelerators 
Armor Type: Body Armor, Barriers
 Mobility: 5
 Training: 5-6
Max Range: Sniper 
Preferred Range: Assault Rifle (Turian) , Shotgun (Krogan) 
Classification: Trained Soldier, Shock Troop
--Basic Description:

  The Turian soldiery is arguably the greatest standard military in the galaxy, barring the Reapers of course. A profoundly orderly, militaristic  and disciplined culture, most Turians is required to serve at least 15 years in the military before leaving, though many still take this further and become "lifers" . Even afterwards they may still be called to serve, as the Turian Hierarchy is a famously militarized society.

Krogans are a society that exonerates warfare above all else. Oftentimes they go off world for mercenary work, or engage in combat with numerous clans. Krogan, thanks to their huge durability and lifespans that rival the Asari, usually have many decades or even centuries of combat under their belts. They, unlike the Turians, also genuinely enjoy combat to a major degree. 
--Loadout: 
 - Ranged:
First up soldiers of the Turian Hierarchy. 

---M-8 Avenger and Matchlock M-96 Auto: See Systems alliance Marine \
--Phaeston 

Named after a turian spirit of creation, the Phaeston was engineered to provide the best possible balance between accuracy and firepower in a machine gun. Each shot is tempered by kickback dampeners inside the shoulder stock, which lets the Phaeston pack more punch than other weapons its size without sacrificing precision. Its fully automatic fire and relatively light weight has turned the Phaeston into the turian infantry's primary go-to weapon. Versatile, each clip containing 50 rounds, and with great long range accuracy, it isn't hard to see why this is the premier long range weapon of the Turians.  This would be the most common Turian Assault Rifle, and common among other species too. 

Sniper Rifle: 
Turian Snipers are pretty common comparably to other species. 
Krysae Sniper Rifle 

This Turian antimateriel rifle is modified to kill Reaper enemies. The Krysae's scope uses a rangefinder that adjusts to keep the target in proper proportion to the shooter, which comes in useful when the sniper is forced into close range. Its specialized ammunition is both armor-piercing and explosive. In a desperate move, the turians released its specifications over the extranet so that nearly anyone with a fabricator could manufacture this weapon to help the war effort.  Thus while a Turian weapon by heart  it will probably be found a lot in the hands of other factions. 

M-29 Incisor: 

The Incisor is a sniper rifle designed to overload active defenses. Firing three rounds with each pull of the trigger, the Incisor was initially advertised as having negligible recoil, although under real combat conditions the second and third rounds frequently climb in difficulty. The noise of the burst is comparable to a single rifle shot in duration, making it no easier to locate the sniper by sound. It can carry 15 shots per clip making it extremely effective for long-term engagements or softening tougher enemies.

Submachine Guns: 

Not very common at all for a group that favors Assault and Sniper rifles. 


Shuriken Machine Pistol 

As kinetic barriers have grown in popularity, so has the popularity of submachine guns. Manufactured by the Elkoss Combine, the Shuriken Machine Pistol fires six-round bursts with a high rate of fire.Its main strength are its six-round bursts, which allow it to do serious damage at close range. It also has a reasonable accuracy level at close range, has a fast burst fire rate, and moderate rate of fire overall. It has a 36 round clip and  a full rate of fire of 750. 

Also known to use the M-9 Tempest, see Eclipse profile. 
Like The Systems Alliance Turians can also be armed with Proximity Mines and all sorts of Grenades. 
Krogans : 

It should be noted that many Krogans are coming into battle with mercenary experience and thus much of the arsenal for the mercenaries, particularly the Blood Pack, could be applied here.  Krogans also favor close quarters so expect shotguns to be the most common weapons of them all. 

Striker Assault Rifle 

The Striker is a fully-automatic weapon that functions more as a grenade launcher than a rifle, firing high-impact slugs that detonate on contact. The weapon increases its rate of fire the longer the trigger is held, which is devastating if the weapon can be kept on-target. In an attempt to market the Striker outside of the Krogan DMZ, the gun was designed to be fired by non-krogan, but its recoil tends to off-balance smaller species. Enthusiasts point out that the target on the receiving end of a Striker has far worse things to worry about than its shooter's balance.Once again ammo and mods can be combined (see that section) to make it far more potent , boosting its 15 round clip size. 

Graal Spike Thrower

The Graal is one of a long line of krogan weapons used to hunt thresher maws. Its ammunition consists of oversized flechettes meant to pierce thresher hide and create deep wound channels leading to massive blood loss. For additional firepower, the weapon is double-barreled, and, as a last resort, possesses blades to cause internal injuries if the wielder is swallowed by the thresher. Using a Graal on a humanoid target has predictably grisly effects. Its shots can be charged for more damage. 3 round clip standard. 

M-300 Claymore

The Claymore used to be a hard-hitting but poor-selling shotgun due to kickback problems snapping the arms of anyone but krogan firing the weapon. After a rehaul of its kinetic dampening system, the Claymore is being rolled out again. As a way to lure back customers, the gun's manufacturer has lowered the shotgun's selling price without skimping on its stopping-power. ITs biggest strength is the massive almost guaranteed infantry-killing damage it puts out. Downsides to the Claymore are its extreme weight and low rate of fire, with a 1:8 clipsize/total ratio. 

Once again grenades, with Alliance Grenades applying here  however Krogan do like to utilize the inferno grenade in particular. 

For Heavy Weapons see Systems Alliance. The Turians and Krogan have been known to use missile launchers particularly, as well as some evidence of Cains. Paragon Lost shows that Krogans love to hoard heavy weapons due to their love of blowing things up. 

 - Melee: 
--Turians: The Turians one-up the Aliance Soldiers, literally, by bringing out two omni-blades upon contact with the enemy! They also train pretty constantly in martial arts. 

--Krogans: Krogans don't need omni-weapons, they are a weapon! Krogan are far stronger then humans, able to break one in half easily, and are tough and durable enough to beat most fighters in close quarters combat. 
 - Defense:  Standard 3 layer defense- Shields, Armor, and Medigel for both. Krogans wear the heaviest armor available though and are described as mini-tanks. 
Physically, the krogan are nigh-indestructible, with a tough hide impervious to any melee weapon short of a molecular blade. While they feel pain, it does not affect their ability to concentrate. They have multiple functioning examples of all major organs, and can often survive the loss of one or two of any type. Rather than a nervous system, they have an electrically conductive second circulatory system. A krogan can never be paralyzed - they may lose some fluid, but it can be replaced by the body in time.
For example they are  able to take multiple heavy pistol shots to the head before dying or else being only slightly phased by a point blank shotgun blast. Also boosted though Blood Rage, however at a cost. 
 -Special: 

 --Concussive Shot (See Systems Alliance) : Turian Ability


Krogan: Fortification: 

Fortification The "fortification" approach uses high-energy batteries and superconductive devices within the armor to create a Foucault-current effect, essentially a magnetic field that can immobilize metals, even nonferrous ones. The field is triggered by sensors similar to those in a kinetic barrier. It is powerful enough to protect against most modern weapons, but there are drawbacks. The currents cause metallic objects to hold their position relative to one another, and although the field only lasts for a split second, it creates resistance that can slow or fatigue the wearer. Without specialized training, a soldier can quickly become exhausted or stumble at the wrong time.

--Blood Rage: 

Feared throughout the galaxy as nightmarish violent warriors, the Krogan are both aided and hobbled by their legendary "blood rage". This is caused by numerous factors that includes killing others in combat. 
In the grip of that madness, Krogan become seemingly invincible, but are merely totally unresponsive to pain. "Blood-enraged" Krogan fight regardless of injury level, to the extent that Krogan shorn of all four limbs continue gnashing past brain death until total somatic death.


The supremely resilient, hyper-violent blood rage is the synergy of two aspects of Jrogan neurology. The first aspect is a positive feedback loop in which adrenalin, also activated by fear or rage, suppresses serotonin, the brain chemical that induces serenity. The second is the over-developed Krogan limbic system. In Krogan, as in humans, fear or rage shifts mental control from the frontal lobes, responsible for reasoning, to the limbic system, responsible for aggression and survival. During that shift, Krogns exhibit diminished capacity for logic and self-control.



--War Beasts (Varren) : 

Varren are omnivores with a preference for living prey. Originally native to the Krogan Homeworld of Tuchanka, they are, like most life from Tuchanka, savage, clannish, and consummate survivors.  Armed with viscous teeth and claws, they are pack hunters when vulnerable prey is readily available and become scavengers when outnumbered or outclassed.
Their supreme adaptability, vicious demeanor, and rapid breeding cycle have made them ubiquitous and dangerous pests on many worlds. Virtually everywhere the krogan have been, Varren infestations have followed, wreaking havoc with the native ecology.


The krogan have had a love-hate relationship with Varren for Millennia, alternately fighting them for territory and embracing them as treasured companions. To this day, Krogan raise them as beasts of war. A common subgenus of Varren has metallic silver scales, leading to the rather unusual nickname 'fishdogs'. These count as "equipment"/ 
-Additional Factors: 

--Decentralized Warfare: Both Krogans and Turians utilize decentralized warfare to a greater extent then the rest here. For the Turians it is through training and discipline that their officers calmly make and carry out orders without too much input from high command, which high command trusts them to do. For the Krogan they are beserkers who are used to operating independently or with minimum input.
--Krogan Special Units: 

Aralakh Company :Ancient Tuchankan legends claim that the Aralakh Wastes, named after the system's star, are where the first warrior died in battle. Aralakh Company is made up of krogan from all over Tuchanka, each chosen for their strength, ferocity, and fighting experience. No krogan community would dream of sending anything less than its finest warriors to represent their clan. The honor of who's to be chosen for the company has started more than one brawl. Currently Grunt is the one in charge. 
--Krogan First Division: 
The krogan First Division is a conglomeration of infantry and vehicles hastily organized into a single coalition force. The chain of command is divided by clan, with representatives from each serving as officers. Despite ancient differences, fighting the Reapers together is building a spirit of camaraderie among the division's warriors. Krogan from different clans are starting to swap equipment, stories and even the occasional barrel of ryncol.
--Turian Discipline: Turians adhere to a strict moral code: "The needs of the group outweigh that of the individual." Discipline is the foundation of turian society. A turian line never collapses, its troops fall back in order, setting ambushes as they go. You will only see a turian's back when they're dead. Turians are also extremely resistant to attempts to break their morale.  Each is first and foremost a public servant, willing to risk his life to protect his comrades. Rather than increasing public war weariness, terror tactics used by the Reapers have only stiffened their resolve. It can be argued that no other race has been able to resist the Reapers as well as the Turians, nor was any other race of the Mass Effect cycle the subject of so much of their attention. When not fighting, Turians like to practice in gyms, full contact sparring or holographic combat sims. 
--Turian Special Units: 
As a militaristic society, the Turians employ a number of special militaristic organizations 
--The turian 43rd Marine Division was founded during the ancient Unification Wars that rocked Palaven over two thousand years ago. The 43rd maintains relations with other Council races, running joint training exercises with asari, salarian, and more recently, Alliance military forces. Knowing how their allies fight has become an asset, as the 43rd's troops have the discipline and experience to integrate into any army, on any battlefield.

--Both Krogan and Turian troops can be listed as "common" due to the hugeness of the Turian army and the sheer amount of support Wrex has among the clans. 

Batarian Soldiers 

Weapon Type: Mass Accelerators 
Armor Type:  Barriers-Body Armor 
 Mobility: 4
 Training:4-5
Max Range: Sniper
Preferred Range: Assault Rifle
Classification: Grunt/Terrorist forces 
--Basic Description:
 The last, shambled remnants of the military of the Batarian Hegemony- first to fall to the Reapers, has somewhat reluctantly joined the Citadel Alliance. These guys fight really dirty, using tactics all but shunned by other forces within this army. Yet they are also formidable, armed with brutal and bloodthirsty tech. 
--Loadout: 
 - Ranged:
Assault Rifles
---M-8 Avenger : See Alliance Soldier

--M-15 Vindicator: 

A battle rifle that fires in three-round bursts. Favored by assassins and elite mercenaries, and deadly at any range. Manufactured by Elanus Risk Control Services for the Blue Suns mercenary group, the Vindicator is popular in the Terminus Systems.The Vindicator packs a good punch and has better-than-average accuracy, making it a good hybrid between the Mattock and the Avenger. However it performs poorly in close range. 24 round clip, 144 reserve with a three round burst. 

Pistol: 
-- M-3 Predator: 

A reliable, accurate sidearm. Manufactured by Elanus Risk Control, the Predator is valued as a powerful, deadly, and relatively inexpensive weapon. While it is not generally deployed in the military, it's still very popular in the Terminus Systems. Its a fairly standard pistol with 15 clip size and 90 total rounds in reserve. 

Shotgun: 

-AA-12 Raider: 

Carried by the batarian military's notorious Special Intervention Unit, the Raider is a semi-automatic shotgun that loads slowly but fires rapidly, with tremendous force. Short-range even for a shotgun, the Raider has a large pellet spread. Rather than eliminating recoil, its integral compensators instead make it predictable and vertical.

--Kishock Harpoon Gun: 

An Alliance captain on her fifth tour of the Terminus Systems once said that seeing a Kishock was the easiest way to tell if she was being attacked by batarian mercenaries or slavers, since "no bastard with a Kishock means to take you alive." This powerful sniper rifle fires a harpoon-like spike that causes massive internal bleeding, and its miniaturized disruptors will also destroy synthetics. The rifle’s biggest drawback is that it must be reloaded after every shot, but for those with steady aim and good timing, one shot is enough.

Also can carry grenades and are particularly well known for  carrying Inferno Grenades. 

Before you think this is a joke look at the picture in the Additional Factors section

Finally see Systems Alliance for Heavy Weapons. They can use that too. 

 - Melee:  Enforcement Gauntlets: The Omnitool turns the Batarian's hands into a  gauntlet reminiscent of a Roman Gladiatorial Cestus. 
 - Defense: Like everyone else except Batarians wield Bladed armor, which excludes blades on command . Bad for someone who tries to tackle them. 
 -Special: 
Some Batarians will have the following ability
 Tech Powers:

--Ballistic Blades: This power allows the Batarian to shoot a multitude of blades from his omnitool gauntlet, for a close quarters suprise! 

--War Beasts: See Varren who count as "equipment" 
-Additional Factors: 

---The Batarians are going to be the least-trusted force here, given the reputation of their government and slavers. 
--Extremely Dirty Fighters/Terrorists: Batarians are infamous for being professional slavers and mercenaries, and from what I have found their army is little different. They will willingly use hostages, hijacked superweapons, assassinations and other tactics designed to sap the will of the people they are fighting. Only the fact that they are a very small fish in a big pond full of disapproving big fish could stop them from utilizing their full dirtyness. Also some Batarians are beginning to have second thoughts towards their old ways. 
--Highly-Motivated Fighters  It can be argued that there is no force in this profile more motivated then the Batarians. Their empire was directly in the way of a Reaper prime relay, and thus they were the first to meet the entire Reaper force in battle. Their world burning, their empire finished, their people on the verge of extinction (more so then any other race here) the few remaining Batarians fight with fire and passion, desperate to find purpose out of their now limited existence. 
--Rare

Geth Standard Troops

Weapon Type: Pulse Rifles, Mixture
Armor Type: Shields, Synthetic armor 
 Mobility: 3-9
 Training: 5-6 (hundreds of programs working together at once) 
Max Range: Sniper
Preferred Range: Assault 
Classification: Synthetic Shock Troopers
--Basic Description:
  Geth are actual tiny hardware components that alone possess only animistic intelligence. However the more of them are together the smarter they become. The Typical combat platform contains hundreds of them, all working together and thinking at the speed of light in combat. The Geth shift their combat platforms into a variety of different forms. This shall only cover the basic geth, not the special forms. 
--Loadout: 

Assault Rifle :
--Pulse Rifle (Common) 

The Geth Pulse Rifle is a compact highly-accurate, high-powered, advanced energy pulse assault weapon manufactured by the Geth Armory, which when discharged manifests itself briefly as a sharp, cyan beam ending in an electrical discharge. It is the standard infantry weapon for the geth military.
Two anomalies differentiate these geth weapons from other stock assault rifles. First, the mass effect field generation technology follows a sine curve (it has a variable rate of fire). Second, its slugs are lighter than standard Avenger slugs, but they're encased in a phasic envelope. Overall, this weapon should be more effective against shields and barriers than a battle rifle, but will likely have less armor penetration capabilities. Overall it has a RPM of 1000, with 80 clip and 400 in reserve. 

Shotguns: 

 --Geth Pulse Shotgun (Uncommon) : 

This three-barreled geth weapon fires miniature but potent cluster rounds of superconducting projectiles and has a longer range than standard shotguns. A two-stage trigger system allows for either quick-fire capacitors or a charge-and-release attack to electrify the projectiles as they exit the weapon. As the rounds hit the target, they fragment and electricity arcs between the pieces, flash-converting the air to conductive plasma. The resulting impact, heat, and electrical charge overloads shields and barriers and causes massive trauma to unarmored targets.The Geth Plasma Shotgun's shots have a very basic tracking capability and will sometimes group and curve slightly toward their target, even at medium range. It has a RPM of 174, clip size of 5 and reserve of 40. 

--Javelin (uncommon) 

Called the Javelin by Alliance marines, this geth weapon holds a reservoir of ferrofluid, magnetically drawn into the firing chamber and expelled at lethal speeds. Like a high-pressure water-jet, the ferrofluid cuts through nearly anything it hits with so much heat that it resembles a beam of light, causing terrible wounds. IT can fire through a meter of solid steel cover though it is a single shot weapon with only 9 rounds in reserve off the bat. 

--Geth Plasma SMG (uncommon) 

 This geth weapon works on the same principles as the Spitfire: it shoots superconducting toroids that break apart on impact, retaining an electrical charge that flash-converts the shrapnel into plasma. Unlike the Spitfire, however, the plasma SMG has been modified to take thermal clips. Holding down the trigger speeds up its rate of fire, rapidly depleting the gun’s heat sink in exchange for nearly continuous fire. Upgraded it has a clip size of 100 with 400 in reserve.

ML-77 Rocket Launcher (Common) 

Missile launchers are surfacing with increasing frequency among the Terminus Systems mercenary bands and Geth Rocket Troopers, but their origin is unknown. Each projectile features a friend-or-foe recognition system, ensuring it will find a hostile target -- though not necessarily the one in the crosshairs. In urban situations, it is useful for taking out snipers and other entrenched enemies, so it is popular with the Blue Suns mercenary band. It is nearly impossible to duplicate, as it uses Fabrication Rights Management (FRM) technology. Link here for video 

--Geth Spitfire (Rare) 

Like the geth plasma shotgun, the Spitfire is not a true energy weapon. Instead, the minigun magnetically flings clusters of superconducting toroids. These donut-shaped projectiles are designed to shatter upon impact, arcing electricity between the fragments and flash-converting them to plasma. The gun's punishing, automatic blasts impact with the heat of a cutting torch.

The weapon's stopping power has garnered the attention of both Alliance and quarian intelligence, who theorize that the Spitfire may have been designed to destroy other geth. Enough Spitfires have been found in the field to suggest that the weapon is out of the prototyping stage, and that a schism among synthetics may have forced them into production.

 - Melee:  Geth are trained in basic hand to hand should they need to fight there. They can also emit pulse shockwaves from their body to devastate those directly in front of them. 
 - Defense: Geth body armor is naturally durable in addition to standard shields/medigels (which do work on them) 

 -Special:
Some Geth Troopers may have
--Hunter Mode: Advanced diagnostics redirect power into offensive systems, boosting combat capabilities.
Faster Movement.
See through smoke and objects.
More weapon, power, and melee damage.
Greater weapon accuracy.
Shields reduced by 50%.
--Fortification: See Krogan
 Platform Variations: 
 In addition to the standard  Geth Trooper variant  (Which is far more common then the rest) shown in the above picture Geth are known to make use of the following: 

Geth Shock Trooper: 

Geth Shock Troopers are heavy geth infantry, indicated by their larger size and white armour. They are physically more durable and with better shields. The Geth Shock Trooper is not only a heavy infantry unit, but also a capable engineer. As seen on Eden Prime, they are capable of setting up and arming large explosives. Geth shock troopers 

Geth Snipers: 

The Geth Snipers are geth bipedal platforms geared for long-range combat. They're dark brown with red armor details and emit a bright cyan light from their 'flashlight eye'. They're equipped with  Javelin  rifles as of ME3 and possess the powerful Assassination ability. This ability briefly turbo-charges the gun and hits the target with accelerated force. 
--Geth Rocket Troopers: 

This class of geth is specialized to incorporate heavy firepower against groups of enemies. They are usually dispatched alongside Geth Troopers and Geth Shock Troopers. Rocket Troopers are instantly noticeable as they sport dark red armour rather than the standard dark blue and black of a Geth Trooper. they come equipped with ML-77 rocket launchers and are one of the msot common variants. 

-Geth Sapper: 

Geth Sappers are geth enemies encountered by Commander Shepard. Sapper platforms are predominantly white with darkened extremities. They jump around and cling to walls like a flood stalker though, fast and agile enough to be difficult to target. They only pause to fire on foes with their in built pulse weaponry. The Geth Stalker is Essentially the same as above, but with a in-built sniper rifle. 

--Geth Destroyer: 

Geth Destroyers are one of the larger and more dangerous forms of geth infantry, frequently encountered wherever there is a notable concentration of geth. They are more durable and deadly than most geth infantry, and should be handled with caution.The Geth Destroyer is a fearsome enemy, standing eleven feet tall. Their armor is dark grey with a yellow stripe down the middle of the chest, and they have a bright blue 'flashlight' eye. The Destroyer can carry a Pulse Shotgun or M-451 Firestorm. They are a bit rare as of Mass Effect 2

--Geth Pyro: 

Essentially the same as above with the flamethrower, but much more common. 

--Geth Hunter:

Hunters possess cloaking devices, shields and shotguns. Save for their shorter stature, their appearance is very similar to Geth Destroyers..The Geth Hunter's combat behaviour is to close in and eliminate opponents with its shotgun. Their stealth devices mean they are capable of catching opponents off guard, particularly in the middle of combat where more visible threats are likely to be targeted first. However their bodily outline is still visible.
-Additional Factors: 
--Drop deployment: Geth are literally dropped out of their drop ships, surviving due to their high durability. The Geth dropships don't even need to stop to do this.  --They are extremely good at hacking enemy AI and machines. They can also skavenge machinery and build new combat platforms from that.
-- Difficult to hack: According to Mass Effect 2 Geth couldn't be hacked or get Viruses for more then a few seconds. Or at least that is the most damage a Quarian or other Citadel faction can inflict upon them. In the words of Legion Geth behavioral process changes only last until the Geth in question manage to restore to a archived copy, which doesn't take that long. 
---According to Mass Effect 2, Geth shields are less vulnerable to incoming projectiles  then Alliance ones. 
--Radar Jamming: Several Geth units have the ability to passively  jam radar or other sensors. 
--Body Unimportant: Thanks to the information shown in the Geth profile the Geth view their combat platforms, rather then the programs, as unimportant. They won't hesitate to sacrifice them if need be. 

Rachni Forces :

Weapon Type: Bio-Weapons (Acid) 
Armor Type: Natural Carapace
 Mobility: 5
 Training: 5 instinctual 
Max Range: Assault Rifle
Preferred Range: Close Quarters
Classification: Insectoid Infantry 
--Basic Description:

  Rachni Warriors are the cheap to breed soldiers of the Rachni Queen. Though in this battle she starts out with few Rachni can apparently breed fast, so she will be able to lend more and more to the overall war effort as time goes by.  The Rachni Queen has agreed to aid Shephard in his war, and will do so here. However the numbers she can breed are limited as she is only one queen. 


--Rachni Workers: 

Rachni workers Rachni Workers are tiny green rachni (similar to aphids) which usually act as a first wave for Rachni Soldiers. Acting in swarms, they rush up to the squad and explode in suicide attacks, causing heavy toxic damage which ignores kinetic shields.They are also extremely good building and construction helpers. 

 --Rachni Soldiers:

Rachni Soldiers are slower but much larger creatures than Rachni Workers, with thin tentacles ending in little pods. These tentacles are used to impale enemies - the rachni can use weapons but prefer to use these tentacles to impale their victims. They can also spit acid, causing extremely heavy toxic damage with damage as high as a sniper round. Rachni Soldiers are cunning and like to ambush their enemies. They are most at home in vents and tunnels.

--Rachni Brood Warrior:

Rachni Brood Warriors are rachni who are much larger and stronger than normal Rachni Soldiers. They are the 'elder males' of the hive that usually mate with the queen. According to historical information, it is said that they only attack when the hive is particularly strained for warriors. The Brood Warrior has abilities comparable to a standard Rachni Soldier, although its attacks inflict more damage. It is also unique among rachni in that it possesses some biotic abilities.
Those are 
---Barrier: Barrier surrounds the user with a high-gravity mass effect field essentially strengthening the user's shields for a certain period of time.
-- Stasis: Stasis causes an enemy to be temporarily locked in a mass effect field of opposing gravitational and magnetic forces, freezing the target in place and making them unable to attack.  
--Warp: Warp works by creating rapidly shifting mass effect fields that shred a target apart, similar in function to the disruptor torpedoes used by starships.


--Additional Factors:

--Group Workers: Rachni use quantum entanglement devices to form a sort of hive mind that allows them to communicate real time. These aid them in coordinating strategies, building bases, and defending the queen.
--Burrowers: The Rachni evolved to burrow and though they won't be quite as good at this as the Zerg they will be proficient at making tunnels even into enemy bases. 
--Thrive on Toxic Planets
--Rare initially, will increase as battle goes on


Elcor "Living Tanks"

Weapon Type: Vehicle weaponry
Armor Type: natural durability, shields
 Mobility: 1.5
 Training: 4
Max Range: Beyond Sniper potentially
Preferred Range: Bombardment Range
Classification:  Living Tanks, 
--Basic Description:
 Too Awesome not to include

The slow speed and immense size of the elcor makes them easy targets. Fortunately, their durable hide allows them to shrug off most incoming fire. Elcor warriors don't carry small arms; their broad shoulders serve as a stable platform for the same size of weapons typically mounted on Alliance fighting vehicles. According to an elcor diplomat on the Citadel, elcor soldiers are called "living tanks" by their enemies, among other less flattering names.
--Loadout:
 - Ranged: Rocket Launchers, miniguns, the weapons shown in the Vehicle profile mostly. 
 - Melee: Not much given their ponderous slowness
 - Defense: Shields, Body armor, extremely durable hide, medigel. Walking Tanks
 -Special: 

-Additional Factors: 
--Weakness : Incredibly Slow 
--Very Rare
--VI-run systems handle reloading, targeting, and ammunition selection. 

Aria's Mercenaries: 

Aria T'Loak is the Criminal Warlord of Omega that has thrown her support behind Commander Shephard thanks to his help in reclaiming Omega. Through the actions of both her and Commander Shephard she has seized control over the greatest mercenary organizations they galaxy had to offer, and offers them as War Support for Shephard. 
 Blue Suns

Weapon Type: Mass accelerators 
Armor Type:  Armor/Shields/Medigel
 Mobility: 4-5
 Training: 3-4
Max Range: Sniper
Preferred Range:  Assault Rifle
Classification: What is its purpose? Standard Grunt is fine.
--Basic Description:
The Blue Suns are a "private security organization," in reality a mercenary outfit, operating in the Skyllian Verge. The Blue Suns have a reputation for being both discreet and ruthlessly efficient, and as such charge a sizable fee. They were founded by Zaeed Massani and Vido Santiago, though Vido later betrayed his partner. The Blue Suns have a partnership with the Batarians and are mainly composed of Turians, Humans and the aforementioned Batarians. Currently they are firmly in Aria's pocket, as a result of Shephard's actions. 
--Loadout: 
 - Ranged:
Blue Suns have been known to make use of the following: 
Assault Rifle

M-8 Avenger: See Alliance 
--M-15 Vindicator: (Common, Built specifically for Blue Suns) 

A battle rifle that fires in three-round bursts. Favored by assassins and elite mercenaries, and deadly at any range. Manufactured by Elanus Risk Control Services for the Blue Suns mercenary group, the Vindicator is popular in the Terminus Systems. It has a ROF of 73 (900 rounds) , clip size of 24 and is made for medium range fighting. Not the best choice at close quarters. 
--M-76 Revenant (see Alliance- only richest Blue Suns could afford it)
Shotguns:
--M-23 Katana:  See Alliance (Common)
--M-27 Scimitar (Rare - See Eclipse)
--M-300 Claymore: Primarily a Krogan weapon, yet apparently the Blue Suns modify it so it won't break their arms. See Krogan profile for more details. 
Heavy Weapons: 
--ML-77 Missile Launcher: See Geth
--M-451 Firestorm: 

The M-451 Firestorm flamethrower is a product of human ingenuity, ruthlessness, and industrial espionage. Its origin dates back to the 2160s, when human colonists to new planets used flamethrowers to clear vegetation or ice. The fuels performed erratically on planets with extremely cold temperatures and differing air compositions from Earth. Realizing this could be a problem for military units, Systems Alliance intelligence operatives stole the turian design for the "Hieras" flamethrower, a battle-tested workhorse that functioned in nearly every environment.
The result was the Firestorm, an anti-personnel and anti-armor flame unit that can accept a variety of liquid fuels. The turian design used low-octane hydrocarbons thickened with dentra oil, which is taken from large marine animals similar to Earth's whales. Humans then reverse-engineered a synthetic composite with almost identical properties that could be fabricated from heavy weapon fuel cells using an omni-tool.

The result is a sticky spray that burns at approximately 1,600 degrees Celsius, a less intense fire than plasma weapons but covering a significantly wider target area. Adding to the trauma is the choking smoke produced by the spray, and if the target's armor is breached, the fires quickly consume the oxygen within. The Firestorm may not be the most efficient weapon in the Systems Alliance arsenal, but the sheer ugliness of how it kills ensures it is the most feared. 
 - Melee: Presumably they have OmiBlades like the rest of the profiles. In addition they are somewhat skilled at Brawler-style fighting. 
 - Defense: Standard Shields, Body Armor, Medigel. HOWEVER in addition to that the Blue Suns are known to use 

Tech Armor: "Tech Armor" is the common term for a complex series of field generators that disrupt incoming force using a stationary warp effect. The theory is that bullets that would normally shatter on impact instead break apart when they strike the field. The field then bleeds away the shrapnel's kinetic energy. The standard design for tech armor traps the warp field between two low-yield kinetic barriers to protect the user from the field itself. When the outer barrier fails, the warp effect is discharged, potentially harming anyone nearby. For this reason, many soldiers modify the armor with a haptic-style light effect to warn allies not to get too close. On missions where stealth is paramount, this effect is disabled. Cynical soldiers joke that the design is called "tech armor" because if it were simply called "warp armor," no one would use it.
 -Special: 

The Blue Suns are known to employ lots of  Loki and Ymir Mechs and Combat Drones for support, who shall be talked about in the Support section. 
They can also employ the FENRIS Mech

FENRIS Mechs are mechanical constructs designed by Hahne-Kedar specifically for security. Like other mechs produced by Hahne-Kedar, they are identifiable by their white armor and red lights. For many humans, the FENRIS Mechs are viewed as the mechanical analogs of "attack dogs" and mimic dog-like behavior when they attack a target,  charging and tackling a opponent to tackle them with their taser. FENRIS Mechs possess advanced sensory equipment allowing them to detect weapons and narcotics, used in the same manner bomb- and drug-sniffing dogs would. Typically deployed in groups and is counted as equipment. Like other mechs they explode when destroyed to prevent others from using their parts. 
-Additional Factors: 
--Fights Dirty: The Blue Suns are used to carry out missions that more honorable soldiers could not. Any dirty tactic is on the table for them.
--Under Aria's Control: The Blue Suns are under Aria'T'Loak control, and thus it is less likely to buy their support away from this Citadel Alliance. Not Impossible though.
--Role: Blue Suns are mostly used as professional mercenaries, with mostly clandestine uses like frontal assaults, ambushes ect. 
--Gutted Organization: Thanks to all the ass-kicking Commander Shephard did in Mass Effect 2, this organization is a shadow of its former strength. Nevertheless it can still field a number of troops to have influence over an entire sub-section of the galaxy!

Blood Pack Mercenaries

Weapon Type:  Mass Accelerators 
Armor Type: Standard
 Mobility: 3-4
 Training: 3-6 (some Krogan have centuries of battle experience) 
Max Range: Assault
Preferred Range: Shotgun
Classification: What is its purpose? Standard Grunt is fine.
--Basic Description:
Originally a small Terminus Systems vorcha gang, the Blood Pack was transformed into a mercenary legion by visionary krogan battlemaster Ganar Wrang. Banned from Citadel Space, the Blood Pack bribes its way through spaceports into armed conflicts across the galaxy. Priding themselves for accepting otherwise untouchable contracts, the Blood Pack rejects bodyguarding and security in favor of cases requiring minimal oversight and maximal violence. Blood Pack appears to be, for the most part, made entirely of vorcha and krogan members, though they also use varren as war beasts.
--Loadout: 
 - Ranged:
--M-8 Avenger
--M-3 Predator
--M-23 Katana 
--ML-77:
--M-451 Fire Storm: See Above profiles. Also given the huge amount of weapons, Crtl +F is highly recommended
-Executioner  Pistol (Uncommon) 

Invented by Blood Pack weapons experts, the first Executioner was improvised using spare parts and scrap metal during an Omega territory dispute. The result was a hand-held cannon able to fire high-impact armor-piercing slugs, although only one at a time due to its limited heatsink. Many Blood Pack mercs carry an Executioner as backup in case they get pinned down, but some enthusiasts prefer it as their primary gun, sticking to the one-shot-one-kill approach.

Blood Pack Punisher (Uncommon) 

The Punisher features a secondary barrel that fires one armor-piercing round per main-barrel burst. It was developed by Blood Pack gunsmiths who found that their vorcha recruits frequently forgot to optimize ammo loads in the heat of combat. This configuration makes the process automatic and highly effective at penetrating armor. Typical Clip size for its primary barrel is 40. 

 - Melee:  Krogan and Vorcha are naturally going to be power CQC combatants  attacking with Claws and in the case of the Krogan, vastly superior strength. Just by their biology they are going to be formidable foes.  The Vorcha can also fly into a bloodlust like state, becoming more feral yet more powerful. 
 - Defense: Armor, Shields, Krogan and Vorcha durability (see Racial profiles) . Also have low-scale regeneration. 
 -Special: 
-War Beasts: Varren, see Krogan profile
--Fortification:  See Krogan profile

--Carnage: Another Tech power, this is essentially a extremely powerful shot fired at clsoe range by a shotgun. It  fires a concentrated fireball-like blast from the shotgun, causing it to deal massive amounts of damage to anything it strikes.

-Additional Factors: 
--Gutted Organization: See Blue Suns, but not to the same extent
--Role: Unlike the Blue Suns which take a more professional role, the Blood Pack exists only to inflict mass amounts of damage and havoc. When they are deployed they will form expendable shock troops, causing terror and destruction in their wake. 
--Fights Dirty, Under Aria's Control: See Blue suns

Eclipse Mercenaries 

Weapon Type: Various
Armor Type: standard
 Mobility: 5-6
 Training: 3-6 (some are Asari commandos with many years of training) 
Max Range: Sniper
Preferred Range: Assault or Biotic Range (Shotgun?) 
Classification: Biotic Specialist Mercenaries
--Basic Description:
Eclipse is a mercenary corporation that was founded by asari commando Jona Sederis. The organization provides effective security and firepower for prospective employers; they have few scruples about the nature of those who hire them, so long as they can afford their services. Eclipse mercenaries work in teams of troopers and vanguards which may be led by more experienced commando units
--Loadout: 
 - Ranged:
--Assault Rifle: M-8 Avenger or M-15 Vindicator (both Common) : See Alliance, Batarians 
--Shotgun: M-300 Claymore(Uncommon) :See Krogan
--M-27 Scimitar (Fairly Common To Eclipse) 

 Manufactured by Ariake Technologies, the Scimitar features twin mass effect generators, giving it a more rapid rate of fire than a traditional shotgun. This weapon was created for the Eclipse mercenary band, but is rapidly becoming popular with Blood Pack Trooper mercs as well. It possesses a 8 round clip size. 
--Heavy Pistols: M-3 Predator( Common, See Batarian) 
--M-6 Carnifex (Common) 

A highly accurate and lethal pistol. The Carnifex is a favored sidearm of mercenary leaders and Eclipse mercenary tech specialists. An expensive but powerful weapon, its marketing materials feature a charging krogan with the slogan "Don't you wish Carnifex was at your side?" Needless to say, anything designed to take down charging Krogan are powerful and the Carnifex also boosts an impressive range too. Clip size of 8. 

               (Carnifex was my favorite pistol in the game)
Sub- Machine Guns: 
-M-4 Shuriken: 
See Turian Profile

M-9 Tempest

Produced by Elanus Risk Control Services for the Eclipse mercenary band, the Tempest is an expensive but deadly addition to anyone's personal arsenal. This fully automatic submachine gun is punishing up close, but becomes less accurate at long range. Though possessing excellent rate of fire ( 900 RPM) , decent accuracy, and good clip capacity (36) it has drawbacks in terms of recoil and slower reload (which is still much faster then modern weaponry) .
--Heavy Weapon: ML-77 Missile Launcher (Common) : See Geth
Grenades are standard to all groups. 
 - Melee: Likely has some Omni-tool weapons, however not shown in game. Other then that expect martial art training and devastating biotics employed at this range. 
 - Defense: Standard, Biotic Barrier 

-Tech Armor:  See Blue Suns. Some Eclipse are known to use it to enhance their regular shields. 

--Biotic Barrier: 

Barrier surrounds the user with a high-gravity mass effect field essentially strengthening the user's shields for a certain period of time . As shown by Mass Effect Retribution this has the effect of ensuring that a limited number of projectiles are either suddenly stopped and fall directly in front of the barrier or are simply blocked by it.  .  Some powerful Biotics like Samara and Jack can create a massive Biotic Field that extends over squadmates, however they must work to both maintain said field and focus to keep a certain thing out (in the case of that mission, seeker swarms). They can even, through massive  amounts of effort, create personal  biotic fields that don't let anything in save what they want to let in or out, such as bullets. On Thessia biotic specialists would cover their turrets with biotic barriers to cover the troops firing on them when they get shot at. Multiple biotics can work together to power these barriers to reduce the strain on one.   -Special: 
 Eclipse fighters can use a number of special powers and helpers, including 
--Combat Drone: See Special Cateogry
--Fenris Mech: see Blue Suns

--Incinerate: It is a high-explosive plasma round fired from the user's omni-tool that inflicts damage over time to all nearby enemies and permanently stops their health regeneration. Can be specialized to do more damage over a area or for a more powerful shot.
--Warp: See Rachni Profile

--Additional Factors: 

--Wounded Organization: See Blue Suns and Blood Pack, though not to the extent of the Blue Suns
--Specialist Role: Eclipse in general favors stealth, discrimination, and "intelligent" ways of conducting battles. They are not as disciplined as their more established rivals in the Blue Suns, but make up for this with cutting edge equipment and weaponry, as well as their extensive use of biotics.
--Plays Dirty, Under Aria's Control: See Blue Suns


Talon Mercenaries 

Weapon Type: Various
Armor Type: Standard
 Mobility: 4-5
 Training: 4-5 (Due to Leader's military discipline)
Max Range: Sniper
Preferred Range: Assault Rifle
Classification: Honorable Mercenary Company
--Basic Description:
The Talons are a mercenary organization based on Omega. They are highly organized, setting them apart from other gangs like the Blood Pack, but were originally just as dishonorable and greedy. They even attempted to mess and take profits from Aria on HER station, however this all changed when Nyreen Kandros, a Turian Spec Ops , took over. She turned a deeply dishonorable organization into a honorable one, dedicated to protecting the civilians of Omega. Since Aria took over the Talons have become the main security force of the station. 
--Loadout: 
 - Ranged:
See Other mercenaries. Basically they are commonly found with those weapons. In addition they might rarely be seen with ....

Chakram Launcher: ( Very rare) 

The fancifully named Chakram Launcher uses an internal fabricator to manufacture lightweight ammunition discs wrapped in holographic tracers. The discs explode on impact, sending shrapnel tearing through the enemy. Markings stamped on the gun's barrel are a shipping code created by its manufacturer, Ama-Lur Equipment. The code warns that the rifle must be assembled carefully, as it contains mixtures extremely volatile under pressure. This is why the Chakram Launcher requires thermal clips: without a way to dissipate the intense heat caused by its fabrication process, the rifle's circuitry would quickly destroy itself in a spectacularly lethal meltdown. Including it here given that the weapon is found in a Talon base. 

Oh and Grenades like everything else. 
 - Melee:  Generally they have to bash foes with their weapons and rely on their hand to hand training. They do not use a close ranged omni-tool because the talons are known for using another application of that....
 - Defense: Standard -Shields, Body Armor and Medigel
 -Special: 

--The Omnibow: The Talons are well known for their skill with the Omnibow, which fires silicon-carbide arrows at enemies. Given the Omni-tools ability to manufacture ammo on the fly, this allows them to fight foes even when out of all other ammunition types. There are two sub-type variants of arrows . Concussive Arrows load concussive charges into your omni-bow to increase impact force, to knock down unarmored enemies, and to increase the number of arrows fired simultaneously. Armor Peircing Arrows load 3 armor-piercing charges into your omni-bow to increase damage and the number of arrows fired simultaneously. At max power the omni-bow can fire 6 different arrows at one point. 

They are also known to utilize Cain Trip Mines which are proximity mines equipped with C4 that explode when a enemy gets near it. 

-Additional Factors: 

--Honorable, Disciplined Mercs: Thanks to Nyreen the Talons have gotten a 360 degree turnaround. No longer do they fight for profit but for the people of Omega, willing to sacrifice themselves even for them. She gave them military training and tactical aptitude too.  Aria awared them for their dedication by making them the official Security force for Omega. 

--Role: Of all the Mercs, the Talons come closest to functioning like a professional military force now thanks to their leader. 
--Thanks to Shephard's actions, this is currently the biggest mercenary group. 


===Elites===
Note: I am going to divide up the various multiplayer classes, which are cannon, by the lore groups that spawn them first before going into the general "infiltrator" or "combat engineer". Thus the Asari Justicar will belong in the Asari Commando section rather then the later category of "biotic support". 
N7 

Weapon Type: Various
Armor Type: Standard (generally) 
Max Range: Sniper
Proffered Range: Various
Mobility: Various (5- if Human)
Training : 7 See here for Details 
Classification: : Galaxy Wide Spec Ops group
Basic Description:

N7 is a vocational code in the Systems Alliance military. The "N" designates special forces and the "7" refers to the highest level of proficiency. It applies to marines who have graduated from the Interplanetary Combatives Training (ICT) program, which is far tougher then any training program we have today. Hell to get into the program (according to Citadel DLC) you have to survive longer then all your companies on a deserted asteroid with only a limited amount of oxygen. And that is just to enter the program. 

The N7 can refer to one of two things. The Original N7 were just highly trained marine squads deployed where fighting was at its toughest, trained for any combat situation and any enemy. Though much of the information regarding these marines is seemingly sealed, they are already renowned as the  elite of the elite. Among their ranks are counted James Vega, the deceitful Kai Leng, and even Commander Shephard himself. 

During the Reaper war, Allied forces began recruiting anyone, soldier or mercenary, to serve on the front lines of the conflict. The most experienced operatives formed squads to secure objectives, evacuate civilians, and battle Cerberus or the Reapers deep in enemy territory. Initially led by N7 Alliance marines, these squads were nicknamed the N7 Special Ops. In light of these teams' exemplary service and remarkable bravery, the Alliance allowed this unofficial name to spread across the ranks as a sign of respect for their efforts. Thus there is a lot of overlap as any individual considered elite enough can be called "N7" meaning that you can have a Project Phantom N7, a Krogan N7 ect. This profile shall mainly focus on the actual Alliance marine class of N7, though ill note here that this category should be considered the numerically largest of the Elite category due to overlap. 

There are 6 different "sub-classes" or troop specializations that a N7 can be trained in that can be found under this section. It is likely of course that not every N& marine will fit into one of these subs.  Also see Anderson notes on N7

Fury operatives use implants to fuel biotics and their incredible movement speed. These operatives wind an unpredictable path on the battlefield, moving in and out of combat before returning to unleash a sweeping biotic attack on their unsuspecting targets.

The Destroyer's T5-V Battlesuit gives these strong-but-slow soldiers mech-like protection. Driven by eezo-assisted actuators, these frontline troopers carry heavy weapons onto the battlefield.

The Demolisher uses grenades to attack at range and to terrorize the battlefield. Demolishers can also can deploy  a supply pylon that stocks allies with an unending reserve of grenades and thermal reloads.

The Paladin carries a powerful omni-shield onto the battlefield to block enemy fire. The Paladin also uses the shield as a heavy-melee weapon that, when modified with incendiary or cryo upgrades, creates a devastating combination attack.

Shadow infiltrators use implants to dramatically improve agility, making them slippery combatants on the battlefield. Their monomolecular blades are a menace from cover and close range.

Slayers use implants to dramatically improve mobility. Their dizzying sword attacks can hit multiple opponents, and the Slayer's ability to slip fire makes them hard to pin down on the battlefield.

LOADOUT 
-Ranged Weapons: 
The Systems Alliance crafted only the best weapons for their elite soldiers. Thanks to the great expansion of the N7 to incorporate aliens, expect other organizations to have these among their ranks. 
N7 Typhoon:

The Typhoon is a distinctive light machine gun featuring a face shield to protect the shooter from headshots. Its power and recoil are so notorious that it includes a high-tech kinetic reducer to fight muzzle climb. Since the reducer tries to limit all motion by the weapon, marksmen do not engage it while moving and instead reduce the recoil only while they are in cover. It excels however at armor penetration, ROF, and clip size(100). 


N7 Valkyrie: 

After the carnage of the Battle of the Citadel, Alliance officers commissioned a new rifle for their ground forces. A variation of the popular Avenger design, the Valkyrie is now standard issue for new recruits. Exceptionally well-crafted, accurate, and packing ample firepower, the rifle is a hot black-market item when it surfaces. 16 rounds with a 2 burst fire. 

N7 Crusader: 

Bruised and bloody Alliance marines on Torfan attributed their survival against waves of batarian mercenaries to the precision and stopping power of the Crusader. With a design patterned on riot shotguns, this weapon has a moderate rate of fire that rewards careful aiming. Since this accuracy provides little room for error, the Crusader is primarily used by highly trained soldiers. Instead of a spray of pellets, the Crusader fires a single, high-precision slug allowing for greater accuracy at range. Still excellent at penetration. 

N7 Piranha: 

The N7 Piranha is an assault shotgun designed for the Reaper war. When the N7 program began training alien resistance forces, the lighter-bodied species wanted a low-recoil weapon with a wide pellet spread for dealing with hordes of husks. The result was the Piranha, which hit a sweet spot in close-range firepower. Its rapid-fire capability tears apart not only husks but most opponents unlucky enough to be in its way. Clip size of 6. 

N7 Hurricane: 

While some militaries pass on the Hurricane because of its lower accuracy, the Alliance feels the gun's rapid firing rate offers excellent suppressive fire. A disciplined marksman can use the fully automatic submachine gun to chew through targets with alarming speed. Alliance officers were so pleased with field results that the Hurricane is now many squadrons' standard-issue SMG. Clip size of 40. 

N7 Valiant: 

The Valiant is a sniper rifle tested by Alliance soldiers during a series of harsh survival exercises on the planet Kruljaven. This streamlined weapon employs a sophisticated fire-control system that improves accuracy by stabilizing the barrel during targeting. Although this comes at the cost of reduced capacity and rate of fire, most soldiers find the increase in precision and quick reloading time a worthy tradeoff. Clip size of 3. 

N7 Eagle: 

When the Alliance's Offensive Handgun Project received funding to update one of its designs, its engineers chose to redesign the already impressive Phalanx pistol. Like its predecessor, the Eagle is a compact, fully automatic pistol with a clip size of 18  that delivers unprecedented accuracy and punch with a rapid firing rate. The Eagle is named after the Desert Eagle, a classic handgun which gained a romantic reputation among gun collectors, thanks to its popularity in 20th- and 21st-century Earth action  movies.

-Melee:  Various. The Slayer and Vanguard use monomacular blades, which are literally microscopic thin blades renowned for their ability to cut through almost any armor (see Dark Eldar profile for similar). The Paladin uses a omni-tool shield that functions both for protection and offensive bashing. The Fury strikes with her own biotics, while the Demolisher uses a omnitool that explodes outwards towards the enemy when s/he punches (but does not kill her or destroy her omnitool!). Finally the Destroyer uses his  power armor itself as a potent weapon. 
-Defense: Standard  shields, body armor (with the Destroyer Soldier having the best) and Medigel. The Paladin can also use his omni-shield as a extra layer until it is overwhelmed through pure fire. 

-Special : 

The Fury Adept has the following biotic powers 

--Throw: 
Throw uses mass effect fields to hurl targets away, damaging them if they hit an object. It can now be precisely curved around objects and cover to hit its target. It can hurl a target with hurricane force (1200 N) into walls or other nastier objectives, in addition to pull them from cover.  Some Few can even throw multiple people at once.  Though the throw won't kill people outright it can snap joints, break bones and even crack necks . Generally these direct biotic attacks aren't lethal by themselves (though they can be) often being used more for tactical utility purposeses then anything else. 

--Annihilation Field: 
Spins  fiery Mass Effect field around a person to burn them. Can be triggered to explode outward if enemy is close enough. 

--Dark Channel: 

Plague an opponent with a persistent, damaging biotic field that moves onto other foes if it kills.  It dissipates if it doesn't kill a foe within a set amount of time though.

Destroyer Soldier: 

The Destroyer's main instrument of death is his prototype battlesuit, equipped with numerous functions to allow him to wreak havoc on foes in battle.  The Shoulder Cannon on its shoulder can fire a salvo of Hawk Missiles that auto-target enemies. Munitions can be upgraded for more lethal efffect. Then there is the Multi-Frag Grenade Gauntlet  which can fire up to 5 grenades at once in a given direction with the ability to do this 3 times. Finally there is the Devastator Mode which when activated turns the battlesuit into a turret, slowing movement drastically but shifting all that power to shields, rate of fire and magazine size (bumps up the power of the thermal clips). 

Demolisher Engineer 

The Engineer has a support role among the N7 squad. She can utilize the micro-fabricator technology of the Omni-tool to deploy experimental supply pylons, which manufactures on the field ammunition for the Engineer and her allies.  For direct combat the Engineer deploys homing frag grenades or arc grenades, which function as both electro-shock and EMP device. Video Here

Paladin Sentinel: 

Another support role, the Paladin can utilize Snap Freeze at short range , which deployed from his omni-tool in a stream instantly flash freezes enemies. He can deploy Energy Drain to drain shields, barriers and other electronics. The description for Incinerate can be found in the Eclispe section. Finally the Paladin has his great big shield mentioned earlier that is adept at both stopping projectiles, making a makeshift barrier, and whamming foes.  

Shadow Infiltrator: 

The aptly named shadow infiltrator posses tactical cloak, which will cloak them for a limited time (though presumably this cloaking can be further upgraded, as Master Thief Kasumi can stay cloaked for what must be many hours).  While cloaked they can infiltrate and silently assassinate with their monocular blade. They can even endow this blade with electricity. ...Also going to limit the videos from now on as the page is starting to lag in making this. 

Slayer Vangaurd: 

The Vangaurd is a powerful warrior who uses his biotics for destruction. Specifically there is the Biotic Charge, uses biotics to augment speed and strength, and charges across the battlefield towards a target. This culminates in a powerful collision that sends unprotected enemies flying backward, inflicting massive damage.  The collision negates the mass of an enemy, allowing for even the largest of enemies to be sent flying backwards. In other words a tiny human can knock a massive 2 ton Krogan backwards.  This power also compensates for impeding obstacles, by allowing the Vanguard to 'phase' through solid objects en route to their target. He can endow his blade with biotics, using it bite enemies from afar and at a wide angle with it. Finally he can focus his biotic barrier into a high powerful beam of energy at a foe from afar. 

Additional Factors:
--Role: Elite Squads
--All-Terrain, Rapid Deployment: See Alliance Marines
--Notable N7s: James Vega, Kai Leng, Admiral Anderson, and Commander Shephard. 
 Thereappears to be many, many squads among the System Alliance's vast military with even more incorporated in since then. Indeed while formally a purely human organisation aliens can now be freely found within its ranks. 

Asari Commandos (Asari Justicar) 

Weapon Type: Various, Biotics
Armor Type: Standard
Max Range: Sniper
Proffered Range: Close enough to use biotics
Mobility: 6
Training : 6-8
 Classification : Biotic Commandos 
Basic Description:
While the Asari lack the discipline of the Turians or the Cunning of the Salarians, they make up for it with enthusiasm, years of practice and biotics. Every Asari warrior is in fact a biotic, it being so prevelant that mastery of it is a requirement to get in. The average asari huntress is in the maiden stage of her life and has devoted 20–30 years to studying the martial arts. At least, and full-time soldiers may well have centuries of experience and training. . Asari choose to be warriors at a young age, and their education from that point is dedicated to sharpening the mind and body for that sole purpose.
LOADOUT 
-Ranged Weapons: 
Again thanks to multiculturalism expect to see a lot of alien weapons here, with preference on light quick weapons.  In addition expect to see the following Asari made weapons. 
Acolyte: 

Designed for asari resistance, the Acolyte's barrels fire advanced ammunition similar to that of an impact-triggered resonant warp bomb, which has a devastating effect on shields and biotic barriers. The specialized nature of the warp field means it does not pierce armor as effectively, but the shooter's biotics are expected to make up for this shortcoming. With a clip size of three, this weapon is extremely lightweight in the typical Asari style. 

Disciple: 

Originally handcrafted for the exclusive use of justicars, the Disciple Shotgun's schematics were finally released to asari commandos after centuries of negotiation. The Disciple uses shells packed with microscale submunitions to deal staggering amounts of damage. Even shielded enemies are stunned by the force of a blast from this weapon. Has a clip size of 4 and is exceptionally lightweight. 

M-98 Widow:

Weighing in at 39 kilograms, the Widow Anti-Material Rifle is primarily used by sniper teams in assault missions against armored vehicles or krogan. While kinetic barriers offer effective protection on vehicles, the kind generated by conventional military field generators are far too weak against the Widow.

The Widow was never designed to be carried and fired by a human. Although this modified model can be carried, no ordinary human could fire it without shattering an arm. However one company did eventually make a version barely compatible with humanoid physiology which became a instant hit on the market. 
-Melee:  Asari are going to have, as the codex states, an average of 20-30 years studying martial arts alone. This is undoubtedly in addition to omni-tools and close range biotic blasts. 
-Defense: Standard. Also Biotic Barriers will be very common (See Eclipse) . 

-Special : 

In addition to all the basics that all biotics can utilize shown in the biotics section, The Asari have been known to utilize: 
-Warp  :See Rachni 
-Annihilation Field: See N7
--Stasis: See Rachni 
--Throw: When activated a biotic is capable of throwing a person like a ragdoll. A particularly powerful biotic, like Gillian Grayson in Mass Effect Ascension, can throw someone into objects with enough force to break bones, snap necks and even crush skulls. 
--Biotic Charge: See N7
--Lift Grenades: Grenades infused with biotic power, in addition to sending out shrapnel this grenade lifts up foes into the air. 
--Dark Channel : See N7
It is likely that the Asari know more powers then this in total. 
Also the following tech powers

--Tech Armor :see Blue Suns 
--Tactical Cloak: See N7

-Asari Justicars: 

Despite the refinement and sophistication of asari culture, criminality remains a fact of life. The asari solution to the most vicious and destructive criminal element is the Justicar Order.

Justicars are an asari class of virtually untouchable, extrajudicial executioners operating almost exclusively within asari territory. In the last decade alone, Justicars have smashed dozens of criminal rings inside asari territory, operated by asari and non-asari alike. Their methods range from subtle where possible, to brutal where necessary.
Trained for extreme-strength, biotic capacity, resourcefulness, asceticism, and ruthlessness, the fanatical justicars are romanticized and feared throughout asari society.

Although justicars generally work alone, their effectiveness arises from the huge body of knowledge they can access. Any asari who enters the ranks of justicars has already spent centuries in a combination of criminal investigation, military intelligence, and combat experience; the collective body of justicar knowledge exceeds even that of the Spectres. Indeed it is said that a skilled Asari Justicar is more then a match for most Spectres. 


Justicars tend to be independent, requiring little help but also scorning it since such advanced skill and experience usually travels with a powerful ego. 

--Pull:  the Asari can use Pull to generate a mass-lowering field, which levitates enemies into the air. While aloft, enemies will slowly drift towards the biotic, allowing any allies to finish them off effortlessly. 
-Reave: The power employs mass effect fields to biotically attack the target's nervous or synthetic systems and prevent healing. It slowly weakens shielding and armor when in effect.
--Biotic Sphere: Creates a Biotic Sphere that surrounds a justicar and her allies. This field greatly reduces damage to allies within it. 

This is just a short list based on multiplayer. In all probability given their immense skill and dedication they probably know most if not all biotic powers featured on this profile. 


Additional Factors: 
- Lone or Small Group Warriors: 
Typically Huntresses fight individually or in pairs, depending on the tactics preferred in their town. One-on-one, a huntress is practically unbeatable, possessing profound tactical insight, a hunter's eye, and a dancer's grace and alacrity.Sometimes, very rarely their are whole squads of Biotic Commandos, and these are feared perhaps more then any other military force in Citadel Space.
--Asari Commandos: 
Asari Commandos train from an early age to control theirs minds and bodies, seeking the ultimate economy of thought and movement. They are taught that each shot and each decision be made without hesitation. While exact training methods vary among teams, all commandos are consummate professionals. Their ambushes, quick strikes, and clever tactics have bested larger, well-armed units in thousands of recorded conflicts.

Notable Units (From War Assests): 
--Armali Sniper Unit: 

The Armali Sniper Unit is an elite team of asari commandos who favor long-distance engagement. Some of the unit's soldiers have augmented themselves with strength-boosting cybernetic implants, allowing them to fire heavier guns, like the 39-kilogram M-98 Widow anti-material rifle, with incredible precision.

--Serrice Guard: 

The Serrice Guard set out to stop Blood Pack mercenaries attempting to enslave asari colonies in the Terminus Systems. After a ship-to-ship fight, the commandos and mercs crash-landed. With no means to contact Thessia, the surviving asari continued to engage the grounded Blood Pack, whittling down the frustrated slavers with traps, ambushes, and nighttime offensives. After nine days and more than 100 casualties, the Blood Pack surrendered. And the mercenaries were astonished to learn they had only been battling five asari commandos. Although the Guard downplayed their heroics, they became instant celebrities upon their return to Thessia.
--Justicar Code: 
The Justicar Code is the central force in every justicar's life. The Code is composed of more than five thousand sutras that describe every possible situation a justicar may encounter. Every justicar is required to know the entire Code by heart. Samara comments that living by the Code makes her choices simple: "if I follow the Code, I am just. If I do not, I am unjust." In compliance with the Justicar Code, there are no morally grey actions: every deed done falls clearly into right or wrong categories. Thus a justicar will defend a village of just farmers to her dying breath if they are being attacked by bandits, but she will kill every person in that village if they are found to be running a smuggling cartel. Samara herself admits that, due to the harsh nature of the Code, curiosity is a liability for a justicar: if she is required to kill a murderer, she does not wish to know anything that could potentially redeem him in her eyes.
--A dying order: The Justicars have risen to fight the Reapers in force, and have already taken great losses. 
--Notable Justicars: Samara

Krogan Battlemasters

 (and other Krogan Elites) 
Weapon Type: Various
Armor Type: Standard but very likely to have heavy body armor
Max Range: Sniper
Proffered Range: Shotgun
Mobility: 6 (thanks to biotics)
Training : 6-7
Classification:  Elite Warrior Leaders
Basic Description:
Krogan Battlemasters are some of the toughest krogan in existence, biotic veterans of a thousand battles. They are rare because of their biotic abilities and their determination.

As the Codex details, the Battle Masters were officers of the krogan military. Tough, disciplined, well-armed, and biotically gifted, a single Battle Master is said to be an equal match to ten soldiers of any other species. Battle Masters regard killing as a science and focus on developing economy of motion which allow them to maximise the advantage gained from their incredible strength in battle; a single blow from a Battle Master is usually enough to kill or severely incapacitate any non-krogan.
LOADOUT 
-Ranged Weapons: See Krogan primarily, but given their usual wealth its essentially whatever they want. 
-Melee:  Absolutely brutal at melee, using their massive physique and strength to great effect. 
-Defense: Standard, Biotic Barriers (See Eclipse) 

-Special : 
The Krogan Battlemaster would know a number of powerful biotic moves, including 
--Carnage: See Blood Pack 
--Biotic Charge: See Slayer Vangaurd, N7. In Mass Effect Retribtuion a biotic charge from a lithe human  can bowl over a krogan, meaning that a Krogan doing it could probably knock aside foes like bowling pins. 
--Krogan Shaman: 

Shamans, who possess biotic powers, sometimes join Krogan in the march to glorious battle! These are hardened warriors, tested by battle and the grueling trials required to become a shaman. These trials must performed every day, at dusk and dawn, and thus these warriors are as tough as they come. 
--Warp: See Rachni


--Barrier: See Eclipse

            (Seen at the end) 

--Shockwave: When used, the power sends out a series of explosive biotic impacts in front of the user ignoring any obstacles. It can be unleashed along the ground to launch all enemies in its path into the air, or used against airborne targets. It is worth noting that when Shockwave hits a shielded target it will be stunned for a brief moment, losing a bit of shield depending on your skill's impact force, but won't be thrown into the air. This can be useful in stopping advancing enemies and allowing you to focus fire on this target with your team. 
Krogan Warlord: 

Krogan Warlords have earned the dubious distinction of being the elder statesmen of the species. They hold little regard for the honor that other races often display in combat, resorting to hostage-taking and mass-slaughter when victory is at stake. Warlords lug battle hammers onto the field to make quick and brutal work of enemies foolish enough to stick around, and their maturity gives them unsurpassed regenerative capabilities, making them extremely difficult to kill when enraged.
--Tech Armor: See Blue Suns
--The HAMMA!: This hammer, stolen inspired clearly by the Covenant Brute Gravity Hammer, functions very similarly.  In its basic form its just a massive yet deadly maul, capable of great close quarters damage. Yet the Krogan Warlord also possesses special abilities with this hammer. It can be charged with biotic energy so that when it lands it creates massive shockwaves (again like the Brute Hammer) or it can be charged with electicy, electrocuting those in a wide area near it. 

Additional Factors: 

--Brutal Tactics: Battle Masters hold little regard for the honor that other races often display in combat; they will use any means necessary to achieve their goals, no matter how reprehensible. Hostage-taking and genocide would be generally accepted tactics if they ensure that a victory is gained with minimal krogan casualties.
-- These Krogan are going to have on average hundreds of years of constant experience, as the Krogan lifestyle breeds a lot of violence. 
--Notable Krogan Battlemasters: Wrex, arguably Grunt 

STG

Weapon Type: Various
armor Type:  Standard
Max Range:  Sniper
Proffered Range: Sniper probably
Mobility:  4
Training : 5-6
 Classification: Information saboteurs 
Basic Description:
Salarian intelligence field agents are grouped into an organization called the Special Tasks Group. Given the nature of the Salarians this is a large part  of the Salarian military. STG operators work in independent cells, performing dangerous missions such as counter-terrorism, infiltration, reconnaissance, assassination, and sabotage.
They are used to monitor "developing situations" because they tend to attract less attention than more prominent figures, such as Spectres. This also allows them to quietly "handle" troublesome individuals. STG operators are brutally practical, devoted to accomplishing their mission regardless of the cost involved to others or themselves. Nevertheless, STG operators are highly flexible, accustomed to carrying out their missions on shoestring resources and changing their tactics when necessary.
LOADOUT 
-Ranged Weapons: 

As always expect a lot of weapons used from other profiles. In addition they have the following unique weapons. 

Scorpion: 

Originally issued to the salarian STG to allow small units to contain much larger enemy forces, the Scorpion pistol now sees service galaxy-wide. It fires low-velocity, squash-head projectiles with a dual use. The high-explosive filler within the projectiles contains an adhesive that secures the projectile to the target on impact. When fired into a surface, it turns into a proximity mine. 4 rounds per clip, and the charges detonate after three seconds. 

Venom Shotgun: 

The Venom shotgun was developed by the salarian Special Tasks Group to meet the unpredictable needs of those stationed in hostile areas. The double barrel fires ammunition that detonates on impact, while a third barrel below can be charged to fire a round of microgrenades. Given the nature of most STG assignments, the Venom was designed to force an exit strategy and was issued to teams whose primary objective was to extract compromised undercover operatives. The shotgun is now issued to frontline soldiers in the war against the Reapers.


Also if you haven't already gotten the inference, expect every faction to use some grenades. 
-Melee:  In addition to fast paced martial arts Salarians are known to use forked Omni-tools with disrupter or incendiary applications. 
-Defense: Standard
-Special : 

 The Salarians, limited in biotics, make use of many tech powers including 
--Energy Drain: See N&
--Incinerate: See Eclipse 
--Tactical Cloak : see N7
--Decoy: deploys a hologram decoy that mimics its user's movements,distracting foes. 
Additional Factors: 
--Clandestine Tactics: The records of STG missions are sealed and even the greatest agents are only known by codenames. These include the Ever Alert, who kept armies at bay with hidden facts; another, known as the Silent Step, was so successful he once defeated a nation with a single shot. At any time, a dozen groups are operating covertly within the lawless Terminus Systems, sowing dissent among the various factions. Civilians analysts also note how troublesome "hinge point" individuals in Terminus frequently meet unexpected deaths.

STG operators are feared throughout the galaxy for their clear-eyed, remorseless practicality. They are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their mission, even if it kills civilians or results in the team's own destruction.

In a battle such as this expect the STG to conduct intel and counter, assassination missions, sabotage, infiltration, and even sowing descent within enemy ranks if they can. 
--Notable STG: Mordin Solus, Captain Kirrhae 

 Spectres 

Weapon Type: Standard
armor type :  Standard
Max Range:  Variable 
Proffered Range: Variable 
Mobility: 4-7
Training : 7 at least
Classification: Elite Agents 
Basic Description:
Spectres (Special Tactics and Reconnaissance) are agents entrusted with extraordinary authority by the Citadel Council, including the power of life and death over the inhabitants of the galaxy. They form an elite group selected from a number of different species, and their primary responsibility is to preserve galactic stability by whatever means necessary. Though they are generally considered as being above the law and have complete discretion as to the methods used to accomplish their mission, an individual's status as a Spectre can be revoked by the Council in a case of gross misconduct. Spectres work either alone or in small groups according to the nature of a particular task and to their personal preference.
LOADOUT 
-Ranged Weapons: 
Whatever they want. Spectres are the best of the best and can acquire the best with but a request. 
-Melee:  Typically the best melee specialists around, 1 spectre might be a match for a dozen normal men in close combat. 
-Defense: Standard but typically the best equipment
-Special : 
Highly Variable given what the Spectre's background is. If Biotic expect the best most powerful biotics. 

Additional Factors: 
--Limited Numbers: Said to be less then a hundred, working alone or in small groups of 2-3
--Organization: Spectres have no command structure. They answer only to the Council, and in some cases the Council prefers not to know the exact details of how a Spectre accomplishes their mission. Spectres act in any way they see fit, either with careful diplomacy or ruthless force, being officially above any law. Some are empathetic peacekeepers, resolving disputes through diplomacy. Others are cold-blooded assassins, ruthlessly dispatching problem individuals. 

They are shown to be highly effective, with prominent operations in the Krogan Rebellions so effective at sabotaging enemy defenses that the fast producing Krogan were put at a huge initial disadvantage.  Krogan planets went dark as computer viruses flooded the extranet. Sabotaged antimatter refineries disappeared in blue-white annihilation. Headquarters stations shattered into orbit-clogging debris, rammed by pre-placed suicide freighters. 

--Training: Candidates for the Spectres typically have years of military or law enforcement experience before even being considered. The screening process involves background checks, psychological evaluations, and a long period of field training under an experienced mentor. The spectres shown have quite literally been the best of their various special forces branches. Because of the rigorous selection process, Spectres might sometimes use unorthodox methods but they rarely go rogue. 
--Spectre Elite Unit: 
 While Spectres usually work alone, the Reaper threat gave cause for these extraordinary agents to assemble in an elite unit capable of operating in enemy territory without backup. Spectre Jondum Bau, while not their official leader, is the group's spokesperson.

Geth Primes

Weapon Type: Various
Armor Type:  Standard
Max Range:  Above Assault 
Proffered Range:  Assault Rifle
Mobility: 3
Training : 5-6
Classification: Heavy Geth tank Troopers
Basic Description:
Geth Primes are heavy geth platforms that serve as command units on the battlefield. Larger and more powerful than any other geth infantry platform, Primes are equipped with heavy armor and shields, specialized abilities and a variety of deadly weapons.
LOADOUT 
-Ranged Weapons: 
Geth Primes use a variety of Missile Launchers, pulse rifles,  light machine guns or massive pulse cannons, which are anti-vehicle weaponry. 
-Melee: Though slow and clunky, they can deploy deadly energy pulses at point blank range. In addition the Geth Juggernaut can open up and maintain a electrical current with a nearby foe, quickly electrocuting them. 
-Defense: Standard, however the Geth defenses here are going to be multi-layered powerful shields and powerful heavy armor. 
-Special : 
--Geth Turrets: Geth Primes deploy automated turrets that  can recharge the shields of nearyby allies, and deploy pulse/flamethrower fire.
--Combat Drone: Deploys a fast flying drone that can be armed with either a pulse gun or a flamethrower. 
-- Seige Pulse: Deploys a massive pulse of electricity in the area around the Prime.

Geth Juggernaut: 

The Geth Juggernaut is a heavy geth infantry platform. Like the Geth Prime, it towers above ground forces as an intimidating presence on the battlefield. It can be armed with the Hex Shield, which is a portable energy shield used to block a number of bullets or shock those that try to run through it. Then they have the already mentioned Siege Pulse and Geth Turrets to deploy at will. 

Additional Factors: 
See Geth. Basically everything there. 
Awakened Collectors

Weapon Type:  Particle Weaponry
Armor Type:  Chitin  Armor
Max Range: Sniper
Proffered Range: Assault 
Mobility: 9 (can fly) 
Training : 5-6
Classification: Vengeful Ancients 
Basic Description:
When the Reaper-killer known as Leviathan fought the Collectors, it severed their connection to Harbinger with a thrall device. Most Collector forces died as a result, but a few survived. Now, these rare individuals fight for the memory of their people, a proud race broken by the Reapers.

Protheans appointed avatars to embody and model a single virtue for their society. The Awakened Collectors' virtue is vengeance.
LOADOUT 
-Ranged Weapons: 
--Collector Assault Rifle: 

The Collector Assault Rifle uses the same principles as a human assault rifle, but its organic components clearly set it apart. Its power source appears to be an internal organ with biotic capacitance; its ammunition resembles pellets of metallic enamel that strip shields off enemies with deadly efficiency. As Paragon Lost shows a significantly powerful Collector beam can utterly incinerate a foe, turning them into ash. 
--Collector SMG: 

This short weapon is a hybrid of mechanical and organic parts, some more advanced than the Collector assault rifle. It vents heat automatically rather than requiring thermal clips and, when wielded by a Collector, extends a neural link to their skin at the wrist. Its ammunition is effective against armor and low recoil makes it a good weapon for sustained suppression.
--Collector Sniper Rifle: 

This weapon's long-range particle beam is capable of sustained fire, allowing it to switch between anti-personnel or anti-materiel roles just by holding down the trigger. This rifle does not accept thermal clips, instead cooling down by venting heat into a liquid-containing sleeve that radiates it through the fin-like protuberances on its barrel.

--Collector Particle Beam: 

Precise and lethal, this focused-radiation weapon is very effective against shields, barriers, and armor.The amount of energy required to create a destructive beam is several orders of magnitude more than the amount needed to launch a high-velocity projectile via a mass effect field. It can fire at a whopping 1200 RPM. 
-Melee:  Like the Asari the Prothean remnants use their biotics in close quarters, boosting their strength or letting out powerful bursts of energy. 
-Defense: Standard, Collector Armor
The Collectors' chitinous armor is flexible and even tougher than ballistic fibers. Its organic construction allows it to be self-healing, and the muscle-like tissue that assists movement ensures it is comfortable to wear despite its weight.
-Special : 
-Dark Sphere: Launches a slow-moving sphere of dark energy to cause damage over time to any target it passes over. The sphere can be detonated at any time to cause massive damage.
- Seeker Swarm: Each Awakened Collector is surrounded by three seeker swarms that block some damage. Can be launched at a foe to tear through them with toxins, incessant biting, and just slowing the enemy down. 
-Dark Channel: See N7

Additional Factors: 
--Dedicated to Vengeance: These soldiers want revenge for their fallen race, and are entirely dedicated to the goal, paying little else heed save for that which might impede this (like enemies). This does make them hard to command however they apparently can function in squads with otjher races. 
--Capable of Limited Flight
--Rare: Expect Numbers in the high hundreds to low thousands 
--Very Powerful Biotics


Turian Cabal

(and other Turian special forces) 
Weapon Type: : Various
Armor Type:  Standard
Max Range: Sniper
Proffered Range:  Assault
Mobility: 4-6
Training : 6
Classification: Biotic Special Forces
Basic Description:
Turian biotics are isolated from regular infantry in elite units called Cabals, whose proud dictum is, "the intangible is unstoppable." Since turian biotics are relatively rare, Cabals become small, tight-knit teams of fearsome biotic warriors  that are trained to handle the deadliest infiltration missions. They are led by a officer called a Kabalim. 

Cabal training makes these deadly turians both biotically and technically proficient. Cabals equip their members with venom-infused gauntlets that are fatal to any enemy foolish enough to get within range.A turian Cabal is often deployed covertly as shock troops or saboteurs, or they're sent on long reconnaissance missions for the Hierarchy. In addition to advanced biotic training, all Cabal soldiers are highly skilled in small arms, explosives, infiltration tactics, and piloting.

LOADOUT 
-Ranged Weapons: See Turians though they could probably afford weapons from elsewhere easily. 
-Melee:  The Turian Cabals use venom gauntlets coated with highly potent toxins to kill their enemies overtime if the first strike fails. Also she can further charge this attack with biotics, making it far more powerful. 
-Defense: Standard in addition to Biotic Barriers
-Special : 
--Nightshade Blades: See Batarian, but basically launches blades from her gauntlet that are poisoned tipped. Essentially a vastly improved version of the Ballistic knife. 
--Turian biotics should also be quite capable of anything the other races can do. 

26 Armiger Legion
The turian's lethal 26th Armiger Legion, a respected and feared frontline assault battlegroup that is known for employing various types of special forces for devastating strikes and mobility. On the battlefield, the 26th use propulsion packs built into their armor to launch lightning-quick airstrikes on unsuspecting foes.

 Among the powers utilized by this legion are:
--Cyro Blast: Fired from the Omni-Tool, this flash-freezes and destroys some targets while slowing the rest. Even the best armor will be substantially weakened by these temperatures. 
--Propulsion Packs : Everyone in this legion is equipped with Jetpacks on their shoulders and feet. 
--Stimulant Pack: Turian designed drug pack that temporarily boosts damage output and input. Makes them tougher and more powerful
--Sabotage: See Quarian Marksman
--Tactical Cloak: See N7 or Geth Hunter
--Overload: A pulse sent from a Omni-tool that shuts down an enemy's shields, rendering them vulnerable to attack. Also very effective against robots. 
--Sentry Turret: The Turian can deploy a Sentry turret to aid in defending a given position. These sentry turrets fire Mass Accelerator machine guns, however can be upgraded to fire rockets or machine guns. 
--Homing Grenade: Grenades that actively track and fling towards their targets

Additional Factors: 
--Squad Size: 10-15
--Turian Discipline: See Turians. 
--Role: Surgical Strikes or provide frontline support. They also classify as Biotic support thanks to the nature of their powers.

Drell Specialists

Weapon Type: Various
Armor Type: Various 
Max Range: Sniper
Proffered Range:  Variable
Mobility: 5-6
Training : 5-6
 CLASSIFICATION: What are they? Are they Shock Troopers, Saboteurs, Spec ops, Terror squads ect?
Basic Description:
Some  Drell are chosen to be raised from a young age to do what their Hanar overlords cannot do- fight. The reptilian drell have dense muscle tissue that grants them surprising, wiry strength. With unique thyoid bones in their throats, drell can vocalize high-pitched sounds outside of human hearing range. The bones have the added benefit of making drell extremely difficult to strangle. They can also remember and recall nearly every memory of their life up to childhood.
Though drell may lack the rugged durability of other races, they are lightning fast and deadly accurate.
LOADOUT 
-Ranged Weapons:  See every other profile
They are also armed with homing grenades and recon mines, which are equipped with tactical scanners. Biotic Cluster grenades, which launch themselves into many pieces then explode in biotic energy, are also common. 
-Melee: The Drell are trained from youth to excel at martial arts, employing species specific tactics and strategem that takes into account enemy biology. Furthermore they can charge themselves with biotic power. 
-Defense: Standard
-Special : 
Some of the Biotic abilities these Drell have been taught include 
--Biotic Charge: See N7
Tactical Cloak: See N7
Pull : See Asari

Additional Factors: 
--Role: Assassins/Sabotuers/ Spies: The Hanar drain and utilize the Drell for covert Ops, and thanks to Drell ability to memorize every aspect of their training and adapt to new situations they are extremely skilled at this. 
--Memorization of all details aids in their spying ability. 
Project Phoenix

Weapon Type:  Various 
Armor Type: Standard
Max Range: Sniper
Proffered Range: Assault Rifle
Mobility: 6
Training : 6
Classification: Shock Troops
Basic Description:
A result of the Illusive Man's early experiments in enhanced human physiology, Project Phoenix subjects are highly skilled combat and biotic specialists. When the Illusive Man turned to indoctrination in order to ensure the loyalty of his troops, many Phoenix operatives defected and joined the Alliance in order to stop the Reapers.

Phoenix operatives are highly skilled combat and biotic specialists. Their ability to manipulate Cerberus lash and stasis technology, backed up by their powerful skills, make them invaluable assets on the battlefield.
LOADOUT 
-Ranged Weapons: See other profiles. In general this character would prefer light weapons. 
-Melee: Attached to the phoenixes are biotically charged lashes that can rip through flesh easily. He can even smash it into the ground for AOE damage like the Krogan Warlord can.  Phoenixes also carry shock batons. 
-Defense: Standard
-Special : 
--Lash This power launches a biotic field right beneath a foe and pulls them towards the Phoenix, doing a great deal of damage to the average mook. 
--Biotic Charge: See N7
--Singularity: The power launches a dark energy sphere to create an intense mass effect field. The field creates a warp in the space around it, creating a gravity well akin to a black hole. Enemies are drawn into the Singularity and held briefly helpless in orbit while protected enemies are held in place.  As Mass Effect Retribution shows us enemies can even be sucked into these minature black holes, annihilating them. 

Additional Factors: 
--Ex-Cerebus: These men once belonged to a faction that despised aliens and though they left for indoctrination reasons, they may still have problems working with aliens. However they also had/have some of the best training and equipment money can buy. 
--Agile: Phoenixes are known for being extremely agile, dashing around the battlefield. 

The Volus

Weapon Type:  Various 
Armor Type: Standard
Max Range: Sniper
Proffered Range: Assault Rifle
Mobility: 3
Training : 5
Classification:  Elite Auxiliary Troops/Bad-asses
Basic Description:
The Volus Homeworld, Irune, has a high-pressure atmosphere that supports an ammonia-based biochemistry. To survive on other planets, the Volus must wear pressure suits and breathers or, when facing combat, specially sealed armor.

Volus are cagey support specialists that use the most technologically advanced power armor credits can buy. Not to be underestimated, the diminutive Volus adept more than makes up for its size with biotic abilities that are nothing short of godly. 
LOADOUT 
-Ranged Weapons: Various, again probably light weapons. 
-Melee: 

The Volus actually don't have good melee rather they deploy  biotic shields around themselves to block attacks. 
-Defense: Standard but should be noted a suit fracture can be fatal.
-Special : 

The differing Volus classes carry with them a number of various options. They can deploy combat drones and decoys to take attention off themselves or, given their races weakness to shield fracturing they can use their omni-tool to boost their shields. Mines are frequently used to slow the onslaught of enemies. For Biotics they can do devastating charges, the ability to use stasis to freeze enemies in place, and even summon orbs of pure biotic energy that hovers around the Volus until he hurls them at the enemy. 

Additional Factors: 
-- To the Surprise of many, those Volus that have been shown to take part in combat, even combat simulators, have been shown to be quite good. This could be bad if enemies underestimate them based on their appearance. 

Infiltrators 

Weapon Type:  Various 
Armor Type: Standard
Max Range: Sniper
Proffered Range: Assault Rifle
Mobility: 6
Training : 5
Classification:  Stealth Shock Troopers
Basic Description:

Infiltrators are the assassins, saboteurs and spies of the Citadel. Every race (well except for the Krogan) has a few of these subtle individuals dedicated to covert ops, operating even independently of the other special forces sects. Often times they utilize tactical cloaks, sensor jamming devices, or other such stealth devices. This term refers to members of a number of races, but particularly  Salarians, Geth, Quarians and Humans. The Infiltrator is a tech-savvy warrior, able to win battles by quickly disabling and killing enemies. These soldiers focus on unlocking alternate routes, gaining access to good equipment, and obtaining an advantageous position over enemies in combat.
LOADOUT
-Ranged Weapons: Various, though one weapon I think will be used is
M-11 Supressor: 

The M-11 Suppressor is the product of the Alliance's Offensive Handgun Project that developed an infiltration weapon to be used in close-quarters situations where silence is key. The Suppressor features a built-in integral sound moderator that reduces noise and muzzle flash. Civilian variants on the weapon are considered illegal but can be found in some sectors.

-Melee: Various such as omni-blades, explosive pulses, basically much of what has been found above. 

-Defense: standard. 
-Special :
Among the powers infiltrators use is the 
-Tactical Cloak: See 
--Tactical Scan: See Quarian Marksman
--Cyro Blast: See Turian Cabal
--Energy Drain :see N7
--Proximity Mines and Sticky Grenades: Self explanatory 
--Sabotage: Quarian Marksman
--Hunter Mode :See Geth 

--Arc Grenade: see N7

--Alliance Infiltration Unit: 

The Alliance Infiltration Unit is modeled on the Cerberus synthetic Eva that Commander Shepard's team discovered on Mars. Quantum blue-box AIs are considered illegal by the Council, but the Alliance has secured a special allowance to deploy the infiltration unit in this time of need.

Alliance Infiltration Units favor shotguns and are designed for close-quarters combat, being quite agile and also wielding a cyro-infused omni-blade. They are durable and able to self-repair when downed. Presumably like most A.I.s they are proficient hackers.  Also they can snap freeze people and deploy tactical cloak. 
Additional Factors: 
--Role: Infiltration, sabotage, assassination. They can also be found as battlefield assassins.