The Insurgent (Batarian Soldier)

Preface

So I'm running a couple of ideas in my head and I'm not 100% sure how to prioritize them. If you have requests (that aren't Vanguards), I would like to know what to focus on next. Even if its not on this list, I would like to know.

And on the wonderful topic of Curtis. Basically he will be sending poorly written letters to me highlighting how some people may not like my options. If the opinion is REALLY against the grain, I fear he will be protesting next to me (in a non-speaking role, fortunately).

Introduction

Remember Batarians from Mass Effect 1? They were the assholes who tried to slam an asteroid into Terra Nova and they know how to fight brutally. They fight so brutally that their weaponry now consists of grenades that eat through armor and set everything on fire, armor with blades sticking out of it (we won't be using that today), and blades that get launched into an opponent and then explode them INTO A MILLION PIECES.

Unfortunately there really isn't a formal Batarian military presence, so they learned how to fight dirty. They built their weapons so that they can fight even at a huge disadvantage in numbers. Now let's get to the juicy stuff.

Side note This build isn't that dissimilar from Salsadips Batarian Soldier. Keep that in mind.

Ballistic Blades

Probably the most important part of this kit. I like to keep the cooldown at around 110% or so, because that means that you can spam Explosive Blades on an enemy while seeing if an enemy got hit by it or not. This allows for one to adjust their spacing so that they can still hit enemies with Explosive Blades while not getting too close for comfort.

So the damage Ballistic Blades rolls on an 80% initial impact damage/20% bleed damage over 10 seconds mechanic. In addition, the base Blade damage is dependent on range, with longer ranges causing Blades to deal less damage. The damage on Explosive Blades is not dependent on range, so its damage value is pretty consistent. Unfortunately, Ballistic Blades can't detonate Tech Combos and the explosion cuts the bleed duration and damage from the full 10 seconds to 3 seconds, lowering the Blade bleed damage.

Inferno Grenades

Simply put, use them to either nuke a spawn, destroy armor, or set up an enemy to be detonated into a Fire Explosion by a teammate. In addition, their arc is much lower compared to other grenades. Adjust your aim accordingly.

Nothing else to say here, besides the fact they kinda look like cinnamon Tic Tacs.

Passives

Optimizing power damage and shielding is important, so those evolutions were taken. The final evolution in Batarian Enforcer was taken so that this kit can still have a little bit more spare ammo, while the other evolutions weren't as great. The cooldown reduction from Blade Armor is too much unless I am taking lighter weapons (like a Mattock only), while I never use shotguns or sniper rifles on this kit to warrant a weight reduction on it.

Weapons

I'm fairly certain that most people here have a bunch of SMG and Pistol Rail Amps they want to burn. I run with both an SMG and Pistol to use both amps and have a mix of power, spare ammo, and weight. Typically I run one for tough enemies (Talon) and one for more mobile enemies (Hurricane). Just make sure one of your weapons can attack at long range so you can attack while closing in.

The important thing is to run with weapons that put the cooldown of Ballistic Blades at around 3+ to 4 seconds, to spam Ballistic Blades while being able to tell if you hit the target before the next Blade volley hits.

Gameplay

To keep things simple, just try to stay close enough to deal a lot of damage, while not being too close that the Batarian gets mobbed to death. Cover here is very important, but be forewarned that Ballistic Blades and cover don't mix very well.

Never stay in one position too long, as this will cause enemies to focus you down easily. Keep moving around and flanking enemies (use your fast speed to your advantage) so that they cannot focus you for too long. Don't fight like a normal fighter, fight like an insurgent (hence the title) and keep the enemies bogged down. It will help your teammates as well.

Conclusion

The Batarian Soldier is a pretty solid kit, with its ability to melt armor and bog down enemies with Exploding Blades. Versatile, meaty, fast, and exciting, the Batarian Soldier is a solid choice on U/U/G and beyond.

And that's that. If you have comments, especially what I should focus on next, post below. Now have a blast while blasting your enemies with fire and explosions.