Mass Effect Firing the Arc Projector

Arc Projector

The Arc Projector is my favorite heavy weapon is Mass Effect 2.  I hope that it along with my favorite Mass Effect 2 characters make it into Mass Effect 3.  You can get an Arc Projector by download through the Cerberus Network.

Although the M-920 Cain with its devastation and mushroom cloud after effect is the big boy of Mass Effect 2 heavy weapons, there are many reasons why in most instances I like the Arc Projector more. (See Firing the M-920 Cain post.)

A Husk hit by the Arc Projector.

Here is why you should consider the Arc Projector as your everyday heavy weapon.  You can carry enough ammo to get off 10 shots. (I think that's the max, if somebody knows the max Arc Projector ammo leave me a comment.)

 

“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 auto-targeting 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.”  http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Arc_Projector

 

The Arc Projector has a two second charge time compared to four for the M-920.  You also get the benefits of the biotic powers Overload and Reave when firing the Arc Projector.  It is a great area affect weapon to use against multiple targets as it jumps from target to target.  It destroys shields, armor and health as well as paralyzes targets for a few seconds.  In many cases this gives you enough time to finish them off with a weapon or biotic power.  In addition to all this it also detonates pyro and other explosives doing additional damage to your targets. Check out the video and you’ll see these affects and why the Arc Projector is a good choice to take with you especially when outnumbered.

 

 

Any mission that has multiple targets, or waves of enemies is a good one to take the Arc Projector with you.  For example when you retrieve the Reaper IFF you could use the Arc Projector to great affect on the packs of Husks and Scions along with other area affect weapons such as the InfernoGrenade.

The main negative with the M-920 Cain is that it is a heavy weapons ammo hog.  If you are maxed out on heavy weapon ammo, the most you can fire the M-920 is twice.  So you have to make sure that your one or two M-920 shots are fired at the right time in a mission.  (Don’t miss the Human Reaper like I did.  Yes, I missed him.) Granted, however that two hits from the M-920 kills just about anything with the exception of the Human Reaper and some other “bosses” on insane difficulty level. (I used the Cain on the dual Mechs towards the end of Garrus’s loyalty mission on insane difficulty and one shot didn’t kill them.  It did wipe out their shields and reduce their armor to about 50 percent, which was very helpful. See video below.)