While Shepard is always a human,Mass Effect 3has a variety of classes suited for a wide range of playstyles. There are three “pure” classes: Soldier (combat),Adept (biotics), and Engineer (tech). The other classes are hybrids of these three.
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Each class inMass Effect 3has different abilities, and thus requires different leveling and attention to different areas of gameplay. The Infiltrator is a hybrid class and combines the combat abilities of the Soldier with the tech abilities of the Engineer. This makes for an effective long-range fighter who can use hard-hitting weapons and tech to prime detonations and turn enemy technology on themselves.
Updated July 31, 2025 by Mark Hospodar:Picking a class for one’s character in the Mass Effect trilogy is an important decision. It dictates the kind of options players will have on the battlefield. Choosing a class like the Infiltrator may seem a bit tricky for those unacquainted with hybrid builds. However, mastering the nuances of the Infiltrator class can be a highly rewarding endeavor. Combining the strength of a Soldier with the technical know-how of an Engineer results in a truly impressive force to behold on the field of battle. Don’t embark upon yet another quest to defeat the Reapers without trying this unique build first.
10Use Tactical Cloak Often
Every class inME3has a key ability that defines the build, and for the Infiltrator that ability isTactical Cloak. Tactical Cloak removes the player from enemy sights, which leaves one free to move around the battlefield, and is especially helpful on higher difficulties when reviving squadmates is more of an issue. Some of the higher level upgrades players may want to consider include:
Even better about Tactical Cloak inME3is that if it’s disabled before it wears off, itreduces cooldowns, which opens up a range of tactical gameplay. Combining Tactical Cloak withIncinerateto remove enemies from cover results in the opportunity to plan and line up that perfect shot.
9Invest In Operational Mastery
Operational Masteryis the class skill for Infiltrators. The various options to upgrade can be confusing, and it’s hard to predict which upgrades to choose over the others. The best option to go for when building an effective Infiltrator is the upgrades with the highest reputation bonuses and the Weight Capacity bonuses. They include:
20%
5%
35
70
35%
Increases Headshot Damage by 15%
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Reputation bonuses are invaluable because of how the Paragon/Renegade system works, and are key togetting the “best” end resultsfor the story and characters. This is important because it will help avoid needless conflict, and will make for a more fulfilling game experience without having to watch characters die because you didn’t choose red or blue often enough.
8Make Key Upgrades To Fitness
The second of the passive abilities,Fitnessis granted to all classes inME3. As this skill is applied across all classes, there are parts of it that are largely irrelevant to Infiltrators. The most superfluous of these are the bonuses to melee damage. As the Infiltrator is a long-range class that uses stealth and technology to take down individuals, bonuses to melee aren’t going to be helpful on the battlefield.
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Much better for the Infiltrator are theShield and Durability bonuses, which give bonuses to your shields (essential) and health. The Shield bonuses also decrease therecharge delay, which is often the difference between life and death on higher levels. The statistical breakdown looks like this:
7Travel Light
TheSniper Rifleis the weapon of choice for the Infiltrator. However, they arethe heaviest guns in the game, which can put Shepard over the weight limit very quickly if one isn’t careful. WhileME3has removed the gun limit across classes, meaning any class can carry any weapon they choose, the amount of weight Shepard can carry isn’t limitless.
Going over the weight limitresults in slower recharge times for tech powers, which is detrimental on the battlefield. Thus, having extra weapons is rarely worth it. A better option would be to pick your sniper rifle carefully and supplement it with alightweight sidearm. This should keep Shepard under the weight limit and be more than enough to cover the player on the field.
6Weapons – The Black Widow & Mantis
Speaking of weapons, there are several options to go for as an Infiltrator. One of the best sniper rifles in the game is theBlack Widow, a rifle similar to the M-98 Widow, the difference being the weight and firing rates. TheBlack Widow fires three shots per roundas opposed to the M-98 Widow’s one, which makes it one of the most powerful weapons in the game.
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Unfortunately, these advantages alsomake the Black Widow extremely heavy. This can be circumvented withweight-reducing mods. Alternatives to the Widow series is theMantis, which is much lighter but still an incredibly powerful weapon. Mods that allow Shepard tosee through smokeare essential add-ons to all these weapons.
5Essential Bonus Powers
One ofthe most useful bonus powersfor an Infiltrator isArmor-Piercing Ammo. This ammo power allows the Infiltrator to shoot through light cover, and it devastates armored opponents.Warp Ammois also a useful bonus power, as it provides bonus damage to health, shields, and barriers.
4Marksman, Decoy & Defense Drone
Aside from ammo powers,Marksmanis also a good ability from the Soldier class. UsingTactical Cloakto lower the cooldown on it means you can pretty much have it constantly active. The"Headshots"upgrade to Marksman is particularly useful since Infiltrators tend to favor sniper rifles.
Tech powers such asDecoyandDefense Droneare also useful, especially as the Infiltrator has so few defenses of their own and are vulnerable to being ambushed. A distraction allows the Infiltrator time to escape being mobbed and move to a safer position.
Prioritize Disruptor & Cryo Ammo
The Infiltrator is automatically granted Cryo and Disruptor Ammo, which are enough to serve a range of enemies.Disruptor Ammoin particular is incredibly helpful and isdevastating against synthetics and enemy shields. While it’s generally better to avoid the Squad Ammo bonus, it’s useful for Disruptor Ammo because of how specialized it is, and it becomes devastating on missions where all the enemies are synthetic.
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Cryo Ammoincreases damage from all sources andincreases headshot damage. The Damage Combo upgrade is especially recommended as it alsoweakens the armor of enemies by 50%. In addition, enemies that become immobile become sitting ducks for the player and their companions.
3Choosing The Right Squadmates
Shepard is a badass all on her own,but squad makeup is important inME3.Squadmates are there to cover your weaknesses and to add to your strengths. Infiltrators have soldier and tech skills but are not specialists in either field. Infiltrators also don’t have biotics, unless a biotic ability is chosen as a bonus power.
Liara, Javik, Kaidan & James
To cover the lack of biotics, Liara is a natural choice as squadmate for an Infiltrator. Her Singularity also helps with crowd control, which is helpful when husks get too near. Javik is also a good option for an Infiltrator, along with Kaidan. James is good for drawing fire, which can help take the pressure off when a combat encounter starts to go south.
While Garrus and Tali are wonderful characters, Garrus has the same function as the Infiltrator, while Tali’s tech powers are also used by the Infiltrator, which makes them less helpful in combat than some of the other companions.
2Utilizing Detonations
Tech and Biotic detonations are one of the key parts of teamwork inME3. Detonationsrequire a primer and a trigger to detonate, and different abilities fulfill these functions. Luckily, the Infiltrator has some options when it comes to pulling off detonations.
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The Infiltrator’s tech powerIncinerateis a primer for tech detonations, which becomes an especially deadlyFire Explosionwhen detonated withSticky Grenade, or other tech powers and biotics. Infiltrators can also useCryo Ammoto freeze targets anddeploy Incinerate to deal massive amounts of damage.
1Infiltrator Tactics
Although an Infiltrator can be an effective close-range fighter, the class is far better served forlong-range combat. Using Tactical Cloak tofind the best flanking positionis a staple tactic. Firing out of Tactical Cloakincreases damagewhileheadshots are almost guaranteed to be an instant kill.
Grenades, husks, and Cerberus Phantoms are dangerous and will corner you or force you out of cover. The best option is tospot these enemies and dispose of them quicklybefore any other enemies. Husks, while appearing mostly harmless, can swarm and quickly overwhelm Infiltrators. In these situations, it’s best to switch to a smaller sidearm and get one’s squadmates to assist.
