Playing as a sniper in Mass Effect: Andromeda is one of the most rewarding experiences. It's all about surveying the battlefield, getting into position, and delivering well-aimed shots with this build.
Let's go over how you can turn Ryder into a powerful sniper.
Weapon
Unlike prior Mass Effect games, in Andromeda you will not be granted access to a sniper rifle until a few hours into the game, in this case after leaving Habitat-7. Be patient for the time being and do your best to progress with the default assault rifle.
Upon completing Habitat-7 you will gain access to your first sniper rifle. Unfortunately, this weapon will operate on a three-round burst, which is one of the worst configurations for a sniper rifle. At the very least you'll have access to a proper ranged weapon.
At first inspection it may seem that using research & development to get a sniper rifle is the way to go. However, the amount of effort and time required to gather the required materials to obtain the blueprint for a sniper rifle before crafting it is unintuitive.
Your best bet is to try to find a rare sniper rifle drop. To do this in a reasonable amount of time, you will want to focus on opening treasure around the game world while focusing on completing the monoliths on each planet. The monolith quest lines send you into a dungeon that has plenty of treasure. Once completed, you will also receive a highly valuable item, usually an augmentation.
Once you're much farther into the experience you may find yourself with the resources required to craft a sniper rifle. At this point, make sure you invest in something that is either bolt action or semi-automatic. These weapons tend to have the highest damage output, which pairs extremely well with headshots and Tactical Cloak.
Build
The first thing you're going to want to do is unlock the Infiltrator profile. This is achieved from placing 9 points in Combat and Tech. Your priority should look like this:
- Tech - Incinerate (Rank 3)
- Tech - Overload (Rank 2)
- Combat - Sniper Rifle (Rank 4)
Also Read: A Guide To The Best Skills To Level In Andromeda
Following this, you will want to invest a few points into Tactical Cloak. This skill is great for providing a way to shed enemies off you when needed. At higher ranks you will be able to convert it into a skill that greatly increases the damage of your next one to two attacks.
In regards to tier two specialization, focus on the following:
- Incinerate - Burning, Anti-Armor, Double Incinerate
- Overload - Recharge Speed, Anti-Shield, EMP
- Sniper Rifle - Spare Ammo, Clip Size, Killing Spree
- Tactical Cloak - Damage Bonus, Speed, Combat Cloak
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