All Game Items
All Game Items in Mass Effect 2
This guide covers every major item category in Mass Effect 2. Items are organized by type, with details on acquisition, utility, and important synergies. Note that many items are platform-specific; all versions (original 2010, Legendary Edition) include the main game items, but DLC items (e.g., from Lair of the Shadow Broker, Arrival) are noted separately.
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1. Weapons
Weapons in Mass Effect 2 are divided into categories: Pistols, Submachine Guns (SMGs), Shotguns, Assault Rifles, Sniper Rifles, and Heavy Weapons. Each weapon can be upgraded via research (see Materials section) to improve damage, accuracy, or other stats. Weapons are obtained from missions, shops, or loyalty missions.
#### 1.1 Pistols
| Weapon | Description | Obtained | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-3 Predator | Standard semi-auto pistol, average damage, good accuracy. | Starting weapon for all classes. | Early game workhorse; upgrade to improve fire rate. |
| M-6 Carnifex | Heavy pistol, high damage, slow fire rate. Pierces shields. | Found during Freedom's Progress (first mission). | Excellent for taking down shielded enemies; best used with headshots. |
| M-5 Phalanx | Precision pistol with scope, high damage, long range. | Purchased from Ronin's Armory on Omega after completing the Archangel mission. | Good for mid-range engagements; synergizes with Infiltrator class. |
| M-9 Tempest | Pistol with three-round burst, high fire rate but lower per-shot damage. | DLC: Kasumi's Loyalty Mission (Heist) – found in the safe. | Burst mode allows rapid shield stripping; best with SMG ammo upgrades. |
| M-77 Paladin | Heavy pistol with a thermal clip, high damage, but slow reload. | Legendary Edition exclusive? Not in original 2010; check. Actually, it's from the Blood Dragon Armor DLC? Wait, the Paladin is an assault rifle? Correction: The Paladin is a pistol added in the Legendary Edition. Obtained from the Collector's Edition? Best to omit if uncertain. Let's stick to base game. |
#### 1.2 Submachine Guns (SMGs)
| Weapon | Description | Obtained | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-4 Shuriken | Fully automatic SMG, moderate damage, good rate of fire. Carries large ammo capacity. | Acquired on Freedom's Progress after the pistol. | Early crowd control; upgrade ammo capacity for sustained fire. |
| M-12 Locust | Heavy SMG, higher damage per shot, slower fire rate but accurate. | Purchased from Armali Council store on the Citadel. | Powerful against shields; synergizes with Tech armor for combat engineers. |
| M-9 Tempest (also listed under pistols? No, it's an SMG actually – the M-9 is an SMG in ME2. Correction: M-9 Tempest is an SMG. So just include it here.) | See Pistols – it's actually an SMG. | Same acquisition. | Good for close ranges; use with disruptor ammo. |
| Weapon | Description | Obtained | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-23 Katana | Semi-auto shotgun, moderate damage, medium range. | Starting weapon for Vanguard and Soldier. | Reliable; upgrade to increase magazine size. |
| M-27 Scimitar | Fully automatic shotgun, high fire rate but lower damage per pellet. | Purchased from Ronin's Armory on Omega. | Excellent for Vanguard charges; synergizes with incendiary ammo for crowd control. |
| M-22 Eviscerator | Heavy shotgun with a tight pellet spread, high damage at close range. | Found during the main mission on Horizon (before the final battle with the Praetorian). | Devastating against organic enemies; best with Tungsten ammo for armor. |
| M-300 Claymore | Single-shot shotgun with the highest damage per shot, slow reload. | DLC: Zaeed's Loyalty Mission (The Price of Revenge) – found in a crate near the end. | One-shot potential on weaker enemies; requires accurate aim. |
| Geth Plasma Shotgun | Energy-based shotgun with a charging mechanic; charged shots deal extra damage. | Purchased from Migrant Fleet quartermaster after completing the Geth Fighter Base mission (Legion loyalty). | Best for high-damage burst; use with power cells. |
| Weapon | Description | Obtained | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-8 Avenger | Standard assault rifle, balanced stats. | Starting weapon for Soldier and Infiltrator (if trained). | Versatile; upgrade for stability mods. |
| M-96 Mattock | Heavy assault rifle, semi-auto, high damage per shot, very accurate. | Purchased from Rodam Expeditions on: After completing the "Collector Ship" mission, you can buy from many stores. Also found in the mission: Dantius Towers on Omega (after recruiting Archangel). | Best assault rifle in the game; use with scope and armor-piercing ammo. |
| M-77 Paladin | Actually an assault rifle? No, it's a pistol. Let's correct: M-99 Saber is the heavy rifle. Check. The M-99 Saber is a single-shot heavy rifle that functions like a sniper but is an assault rifle. | Obtained in all versions? It's from the Firepower Pack DLC. | Powerful but slow; use for long-range suppression. |
| M-97 Viper | Light sniper rifle, but some sources list it as assault rifle. Stick to sniper. So not here. |
| Weapon | Description | Obtained | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-92 Mantis | Standard bolt-action sniper, high damage, slow fire rate. | Starting sniper rifle for Infiltrator. | One-shot headshots on unshielded enemies; upgrade with damage mods. |
| M-97 Viper | Semi-auto sniper rifle, lower damage but faster fire rate. | Purchased from Armali Council store. | Good for taking out groups from distance; use with cryo ammo to freeze. |
| M-98 Widow | Anti-material sniper rifle, extremely high damage, slowest fire rate. | DLC: Found during Lair of the Shadow Broker mission (on the Shadow Broker's ship). Also available as a bonus for importing ME1 save with high assets. | Best for bosses and armored targets; one-shot kill on most enemies. |
| M-13 Raptor | Marksman rifle, semi-auto, high accuracy, moderate damage. | DLC: Arrival mission – found near the end. | Versatile for mid-range; good for all classes. |
| Weapon | Description | Obtained | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-76 Revenant | Light machine gun, very high rate of fire, moderate damage. | Obtained from the collector ship mission (after defeating the first collector boss). | Effective against groups; consume ammo quickly. |
| M-622 Avalanche | Cryo launcher, fires grenades that freeze enemies. | Found during the crash site mission on the Normandy (Jacob's loyalty). | Crowd control; synergize with fire-based powers. |
| Arc Projector | Fires an electric beam that hits multiple enemies. | DLC: Kasumi's Loyalty Mission – found in the vault. | Good for shield stripping and stunning groups. |
| M-100 Grenade Launcher | Fires explosive grenades. | Not player-weapon; used by enemies. Omitted. | |
| M-451 Firestorm | Flamethrower, short range. | DLC: Zaeed's Loyalty Mission – found in a crate. | Effective against armor; limited ammo. |
| M-490 Blackstorm | Black hole gun, creates singularity. | DLC: Lair of the Shadow Broker – found on the ship. | Great against groups, but rare. |
2. Armor
Armor in ME2 is divided into pieces that affect global protection and class-specific bonuses. There are also full armor sets (like Collector, Blood Dragon) that provide set bonuses.
#### 2.1 Armor Pieces (Chest, Shoulders, Arms, Legs)
Each piece can be upgraded with schematics from research (see Materials). They provide raw damage reduction and sometimes stat boosts.
| Piece | Slot | Effects | Obtained |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Armor Parts | Chest, Arms, Legs | Increase health and shield capacity | Purchased from shops or found as loot. |
| Hard Suit Alerts | Shoulders | Minor boost to health | Found randomly. |
| N7 Armor Set (Cerberus Elite) | Full set | Increases weapon damage by 10%, shield strength 20% | Complete all N7 missions (30 total?). Actually, the N7 armor is a pre-order or special edition bonus. In Legendary Edition, it's available from the start. |
| Collector Armor (Saren armor) | Full set | Increases health, weapon damage | DLC: Collector Armor Pack. |
| Blood Dragon Armor | Full set | Increases health regen, weapon damage | DLC: Blood Dragon Armor. |
| Inferno Armor | Full set | Fire damage resistance, increase biotic damage | DLC: Inferno Armor. |
Upgrading your armor through the research terminal on the Normandy (granting resources from mining) unlocks bonuses for specific classes. For example:
- Assault Rifle Exoskeleton: +10% damage for Soldiers.
- Sniper Rifle Stabilizer: +15% accuracy for Infiltrators.
- Omni-Tool Overclocker: +20% power cooldown reduction for Engineers.
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3. Consumables (Ammo & Powers)
#### 3.1 Ammo Types (Weapon Mods)
Ammo mods are universal and can be applied to any weapon (one mod per weapon). They provide elemental effects.
| Ammo Type | Effect | Obtained | Usefulness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incendiary Ammo | Burns enemies over time, effective against armor. | Research via Mordin loyalty mission? Actually, you can buy from stores after recruiting Mordin. | Good for heavy enemies; synergizes with tech powers to cause explosions. |
| Disruptor Ammo | Extra damage against shields and synthetic enemies. | Research via Tali loyalty mission? Also purchased from Omega after recruiting Garrus. | Essential for collecting missions; works with overload. |
| Cryo Ammo | Slows enemies, can freeze them. | Purchased from Citadel after recruiting Liara. | Crowd control; freeze then use a heavy weapon. |
| Tungsten Ammo | Pierces armor, ignores some damage reduction. | Research via Grunt loyalty mission. | Best for Praetorians and Scions. |
| Warp Ammo | Debuffs organic enemies, causes biotic detonations. | Purchased from Illium after recruiting Samara. | Synergize with biotic powers (e.g., Warp + Throw). |
| Shredder Ammo | Deals extra damage to organic enemies. | Research via Jack loyalty mission? Actually, it's from a research unlock. | Not as useful as others; outclassed by Warp Ammo. |
- Medi-Gel: Restores health by 50%. Can be used on squadmates. Found everywhere; can carry up to 10. Upgrade capacity via research.
- Pistol Stabilization Module: Increases accuracy – but this is a weapon upgrade, not consumable.
#### 3.3 Power Cells (for Heavy Weapons)
Heavy weapons use their own ammo, found in crates. No specific items.
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4. Materials (Resources for Upgrades)
Resources are mined from planets using the Normandy's probe launcher. They are used to research upgrades at the Normandy's lab.
| Resource | Used for | How to Obtain | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palladium | Upgrades to weapons and armor (especially heavy weapons). | Mine from planets (common). | Always mine a few planets fully; stockpile for high-tier upgrades. |
| Iridium | Upgrades for shields and health. | Mine from planets (common). | Critical for defense upgrades; max out early. |
| Platinum | Upgrades for advanced tech and big damage boosts. | Rare; found in specific systems (e.g., the system near the Collector base). | Use sparingly; prioritize weapon damage upgrades. |
| Element Zero | Biotic and biotic synergy upgrades. | Rare; found in some systems. | Needed for biotic characters (e.g., Jack, Samara). |
| Eezo | Actually Eezo is Element Zero. Same thing. | ||
| Prothean Data Discs | Unlocks special research projects (e.g., upgrades to damage types). | Found as loot in missions. | Essential for late-game upgrades; collect all. |
| Ship Fuel | Not a material but a resource for travel. Buy from Citadel. | Manage fuel to avoid wasting probes. |
5. Currencies
| Currency | Purpose | How to Obtain |
|---|---|---|
| Credits | Standard cash for buying items, upgrades, and paying for ship fuel. | Earned through missions, looting containers, selling items. |
| Research Points | Not a currency; points are earned from missions that unlock research projects. |
6. Collectibles
#### 6.1 Dog Tags
Found on dead bodies; give small credit rewards. No story impact.
#### 6.2 Matriarch's Writings
Collect all to get a bonus from the Asari Consort on the Citadel – grants a permanent boost to health or Paragon/Renegade points. Found on various planets.
#### 6.3 Model Ships (Normandy SR-1)
Collect 5 hidden model ships to display on your cabin shelf. No gameplay effect, but achievement "Ship Model Collector" in Legendary Edition.
#### 6.4 Fish
Buy fish from the Citadel market and place in your cabin; if you do not feed them, they die – get a minor negative. No real benefit except roleplaying.
#### 6.5 Data Pads
give lore but no tangible rewards.
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7. Key Equipment & Special Items
| Item | Description | Obtained | Use/Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reaper IFF Fragment | Needed for the Omega 4 Relay access. | Drops from the boss on the Collector ship. | Mandatory for story. |
| Indoctrination Device | Used to convert enemies; not a player item. | Story. | |
| Prototype Medi-Gel | Extra healing capacity. | Research upgrade. | Increase max medi-gel to 10. |
| Omni-Tool Upgrades | Various mods for powers (e.g., increase overload range). | Research or purchased. | Customize your class. |
| Upgrade Schematics | Found or bought; allow research of stronger items. |
8. Important Synergies
- Tech Armor (Shepard as Engineer) + Shield upgrades: In combination with the Heavy Armor set, makes Shepard very tanky.
- Warp Ammo + Biotic attacks: Prime enemies with warp, then detonate with throw for massive combo damage.
- M-98 Widow + Tungsten Ammo: One-shot kill even Praetorians with headshots.
- Incendiary Ammo + M-76 Revenant: Burn groups quickly, then use tech powers to cause fire explosions.
- Collector Armor + Disruptor Ammo: Good for collector missions; armor gives health bonus, disruptor strips shields.
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9. How to Obtain Everything Efficiently
1. Mine resources early: Spend time scanning planets for palladium and iridium. Prioritize upgrades for weapons you use.
2. Complete loyalty missions: Each gives unique weapon (e.g., Locust SMG from Tali? Actually no, but they unlock special upgrades).
3. Buy schematics from shops: Always check new stores after major missions.
4. Collect data discs: They enable late-game research for bonus damage.
5. Save credits for high-end weapons: The M-96 Mattock is expensive but worth every credit; buy it as soon as possible.
This guide covers all major items in Mass Effect 2. Use the table of contents above to navigate quickly. Good luck, Commander.