Welcome to IGN’s list of every skill (also known as powers or abilities) in Mass Effect: Andromeda. Here, you will find out what every skill is and what purpose they serve in the game.

Skills are split into three classes: combat, biotics, and tech. Each offer different kinds of utility in combat. Each squad member has a skill that’s unique to their combat style. To learn about those, head over to the Characters‘ page for information on their specializations. Ryder can have three skills equipped at a time.

Mass Effect: Andromeda doesn’t require players to select one class. Instead, players can choose to upgrade any of the following skills so long as their Ryder meets basic requirements. Putting points into one of the three groups unlocks different Profiles that boost Ryder’s abilities and grants bonuses.

Don’t forget to save a combinaton of skills and your profile to your Favorite wheel! The button that pulls up the Favorites menu is listed on the bottom right corner of the Skills menu screen. Switch to your favorite skills loadout on the field in the weapons and consumables quick menu.

You can respec Ryder on the Tempest for a small fee if you’re unhappy with your chosen skills.

If you’re looking for the best skills in Mass Effect: Andromeda, here are some tips for finding skills that are right for you and recommendations for any playstyle.

Regardless of your loadout preference, you should take advantage of the combo primers and detonators. Primers are things like Pull and Incinerate. Detonators are skills like Concussive Shot and Overload. Pairing any primer and detonator will do a ton more damage on bare enemies, meaning if they’re without shields or armor. Even then, you’ll still deal more damage.

Below is a list of some of our favorite skills to get early:

• Overload – How do you feel about enemy shields? Decimate them with this Tech skill and stun your enemy in place for a brief period of time — perfect for lining up headshots. This is also a combo Detonator.

• Backlash – When this is at its earliest it’s not the most powerful skill, but it’s helpful in a pinch. Dedicate more points to this power to make your enemies their own worst nightmare and give Ryder better regeneration. It’s especially handy in close quarters.

• Incinerate – This is one of the few damage over time skills, and who doesn’t love fire? Set your enemies ablaze and set them up for combos with this skill. It does great damage to armor.

• Concussive Shot – Knock down your enemies with this skill. It’s great even at it’s lowest rank, and it detonates combo primers.

• Barricade – Mass Effect: Andromeda may give Ryder tools to be more mobile, but it’s still a cover shooter. Use Barricade to create cover wherever you go that also boosts shield regeneration for you and your allies. This is especially handy when exploring.

• Combat Fitness – This is a passive skill, but you’ll want to invest a few points in it early on to get a little boost in Ryder’s health, shields, and an extra weapon holster. The higher ranks offer great bonuses for regeneration, ammo capacity, and more.

• Shockwave – This biotic power allows Ryder to throw down a line of explosions that goes through solid objects. It’s great for picking out nearby enemies hiding in an inopportune area. Plus, it detonates combos.

Have a recommendation? Click the “Edit Page” button to add it to this list or leave it in the comments below with a brief explination of why you like it.

A majority of the combat skills are passives that award advanced proficiency with certain weapon types. Other skills allow Ryder to equip unique tools, like the Flak Cannon and Omni Grenade.

Tap Button: Throws a grenade that causes massive area damage after a 2 second fuse.

Hold Button: Shortens the grenade’s fuse timer before throwing. The grenade will explode if held too long.

Activation requires one power cell from Omni Grenade’s limited power cell supply.

• Rank 1 – Omni Grenade
• Rank 2 – Grenade Capacity
• Rank 3 – Damage
• Rank 4 – Sticky Grenade OR Frag Grenade
• Rank 5 – Grenade Capacity OR Shrapnel
• Rank 6 – Anti-Armor OR Anti-Shield

Fires a target-seeking high-impact round that knocks down unarmored, unshielded, normal-sized enemies and detonates combo primers.

• Rank 1 – Concussive Shot
• Rank 2 – Force
• Rank 3 – Damage
• Rank 4 – Recharge Speed OR Repeat Concussion
• Rank 5 – Radius OR Damage & Force
• Rank 6 – Anti-Armor OR Anti-Shield

Deploys a temporary energy barricade that will boost shield regeneration for everyone who takes cover behind it. Upgraded versions provide additional combat bonuses for allies.

Activation requires one power cell from Barricade’s limited power cell supply.

• Rank 1 – Barricade
• Rank 2 – Power Cells
• Rank 3 – Duration
• Rank 4 – Duration OR Power Cells
• Rank 5 – Weapon Feedback OR Power Feedback
• Rank 6 – Regeneration OR Electric Defense

Temporarily vents weapon heat via armor to improve thermal clip efficiency and boost weapon firing rates.

• Rank 1 – Turbocharge
• Rank 2 – Recharge Speed
• Rank 3 – Damage
• Rank 4 – Recharge Speed OR Duration
• Rank 5 – Damage & Force OR Accuracy & Stability
• Rank 6 – Supercharge OR Dump Heat

Deploys an explosive mine that triggers when an enemy comes within proximity of or crosses a sensor laser. Enemies suffer more damage the closer they are to the mine.

Activation requires one power cell from Trip Mine’s limited power cell supply. The maximum number of active mines equals the current number of maximum power cells.

• Rank 1 – Trip Mine
• Rank 2 – Power Cells
• Rank 3 – Damage & Force
• Rank 4 – Sensor Range OR Power Cells
• Rank 5 – Damage & Force OR Blast Radius
• Rank 6 – Detonator OR EMP

Fires krogan-designed shells that burst into shrapnel upon impact. Shrapnel damage is reduced against armored enemies.

Activation requires one power cell from Flak Cannon’s limited power cell supply.

• Rank 1 – Flak Cannon
• Rank 2 – Power Cells
• Rank 3 – Damage & Force
• Rank 4 – Damage & Force OR Power Cells
• Rank 5 – Anti-Armor OR Stunning
• Rank 6 – Flak OR Shredder

Improves sidearm training for pistols (including submachine guns). Pistols are designed largely for short to mid-range combat and shooting on the move.

• Rank 1 – Pistols
• Rank 2 – Accuracy
• Rank 3 – Mobility
• Rank 4 – Weight OR Spare Ammo
• Rank 5 – Reload OR Clip Size
• Rank 6 – Unassisted Targeting OR Augmented Targeting Assistance

Advanced training improves facility with assault rifles for dedicated combatants. Assault rifles offer moderate accuracy, range, and stopping power.

• Rank 1 – Assault Rifles
• Rank 2 – Accuracy
• Rank 3 – Stability
• Rank 4 – Weight OR Spare Ammo
• Rank 5 – Reload OR Clip Size
• Rank 6 – Shatter Defenses OR Critical Hits

Specialized training for close-quarters combatants. Shotguns deal high damage at short range at the expense of poor accuracy at long distances.

• Rank 1 – Shotguns
• Rank 2 – Stability
• Rank 3 – Precision
• Rank 4 – Weight OR Spare Ammo
• Rank 5 – Reload OR Clip Size
• Rank 6 – Damage & Force OR Melee Synergy

Improves specialist sniper training for long-range combatants. Sniper rifles deal high damage at a distance at the cost of slow firing rates and capacities.

• Rank 1 – Sniper Rifles
• Rank 2 – Accuracy
• Rank 3 – Headshots
• Rank 4 – Weight OR Spare Ammo
• Rank 5 – Reload OR Clip Size
• Rank 6 – Damage & Force OR Killing Spree

Intense physical and survival training designed to improve a combatant’s stamina and versatility in battle. Improves Max Health and shields by a set percentage.

• Rank 1 – Health
• Rank 2 – Shields
• Rank 3 – Extra Holster
• Rank 4 – Consumables OR Regeneration
• Rank 5 – Extra Holster OR Heavy Lifting
• Rank 6 – Hold the Line OR In the Trenches

Increases combat power damage with each skill point invested in the Combat Skill Group.

• Rank 1 – Power Damage
• Rank 2 – Melee
• Rank 3 – Detonators
• Rank 4 – Hover OR Evasion
• Rank 5 – Arial Melee OR Detonators
• Rank 6 – Arial Combat OR Martial Arts

Ryder can learn Biotics to better deal with enemy armor and barriers. Biotics include abilities like Pull, Throw, and Shockwave.

Tap Button: Lifts an unshielded, unarmored enemy helplessly in the air and primes the target for combo detonations.

Hold Button: Drags the target enemy or object along with the user.

Combine with the Throw power to hurl a held target.

• Rank 1 – Pull
• Rank 2 – Recharge Speed
• Rank 3 – Duration
• Rank 4 – Duration OR Radius
• Rank 5 – Crushing Grip OR Expose
• Rank 6 – Anti-Shields OR Biotic Drain

Hurls a gravity field projectile to throw unshielded and unarmored targets away and detonate combo primers. Combine with Pull to hurl held targets.

• Rank 1 – Throw
• Rank 2 – Recharge Speed
• Rank 3 – Damage & Force
• Rank 4 – Damage & Force OR Radius
• Rank 5 – Duration OR Recharge Speed
• Rank 6 – Double Throw OR Swift Detonation

Alters the biotic’s mass, launching the user at an opponent. Restores some shield strength at the charge’s end. Charge detonates combo primers on targets.

Requirement – 9 skill points invested in Biotics

• Rank 1 – Charge
• Rank 2 – Recharge Speed
• Rank 3 – Damage & Force
• Rank 4 – Damage & Force OR Radius
• Rank 5 – Weapons & Melee OR Power Synergy
• Rank 6 – Shock Trooper OR Bastion

Channels energy into a point-blank, high-damage explosion around the user.

• Rank 1 – Nova
• Rank 2 – Radius
• Rank 3 – Damage & Force
• Rank 4 – Damage & Force OR Radius
• Rank 5 – Anti-Armor OR Anti-Shield
• Rank 6 – Seismic Nova OR Shield-Powered

Blasts enemies with a line of explosions that proceeds through walls and other solid objects. Shockwave detonates combo primers.

• Rank 1 – Shockwave
• Rank 2 – Recharge Speed
• Rank 3 – Damage & Force
• Rank 4 – Damage & Force OR Radius
• Rank 5 – Recharge Speed OR Reach
• Rank 6 – Anti-Armor OR Lifting Shockwave

Weaves rapidly shifting mass effect fields to slowly damage nearby enemies. Enemies caught are primed for combo detonations. Other powers activated while Annihilation is in use suffer reduced recharge speed.

Requirements – 9 skill points invested in Biotics

• Rank 1 – Annihilation
• Rank 2 – Recharge Penalty
• Rank 3 – Damage
• Rank 4 – Radius OR Recharge Penalty
• Rank 5 – Damage Attractor OR Biotic Wind
• Rank 6 – Draining Field OR Vortex

Hold Button: Generates a frontal biotic aegis barrier that reflects most projectiles and reduces the damage of other enemy attacks. A well-timed initial activation interrupts melee attacks.

• Rank 1 – Backlash
• Rank 2 – Recharge Speed
• Rank 3 – Durability
• Rank 4 – Durability OR Recharge Speed
• Rank 5 – Durability OR Reflection
• Rank 6 – Shield Resurgence OR Damage Aftermath

Tap Button: Deploys a gravity well that lifts and damages unshielded and unarmored enemies. Primes enemies for combo detonations.

Tap Again: End the effect early.

Requirements – 9 skill points invested in Biotics

• Rank 1 – Singularity
• Rank 2 – Recharge Speed
• Rank 3 – Damage
• Rank 4 – Duration OR Radius
• Rank 5 – Anti-Shield OR Recharge Speed
• Rank 6 – Exploding Singularity OR Expanding Singularity

Devastates a small area with a swiftly thrown shaft of energy. Inflicts bonus damage against enemy weak points (such as heads) and detonates combo primers.

• Rank 1 – Lance
• Rank 2 – Recharge Speed
• Rank 3 – Damage & Force
• Rank 4 – Damage & Force OR Radius
• Rank 5 – Focused Blast OR Anti-Shield
• Rank 6 – Knockdown OR Shield-Powered

Maximum Shield strength scales with each skill point invested in the Biotic Skill Group.

Requirements – 9 skill points invested in Biotics.

• Rank 1 – Barrier
• Rank 2 – Barrier Speed
• Rank 3 – Barrier Regeneration
• Rank 4 – Unyielding Barrier OR Recuperative Barrier
• Rank 5 – Biotic Link OR Biotic Alacrity
• Rank 6 – Active Barrier OR Saving Barrier

Increases biotic power damage and force with each skill point invested in the Biotic Skill Group.

• Rank 1 – Offensive Biotics
• Rank 2 – Speed
• Rank 3 – Detonators
• Rank 4 – Amplitude OR Alacrity
• Rank 5 – Exploitation OR Detonation
• Rank 6 – Biotic Expert OR Biotic Warrior

Increases the duration of biotic power effects with each skill point invested in the Biotic Skill Group.

• Rank 1 – Containment
• Rank 2 – Effectiveness
• Rank 3 – Anti-Shield
• Rank 4 – Radius OR Duration
• Rank 5 – Shield Detonation OR Concussive Detonation
• Rank 6 – Manifold Duration OR Event Horizon

Tech skills are helpful for taking down enemy shields and provide for other unique tactical opportunities.

Tap Button: Unleashes an electronic discharge upon a target. High damage to shields and synthetic enemies. Detonates combo primers.

Hold Button: Charges Overload, causing it to “chain” two additional targets.

• Rank 1 – Overload
• Rank 2 – Recharge Speed
• Rank 3 – Damage
• Rank 4 – Damage OR Recharge Speed
• Rank 5 – Charged Overload OR Anti-Shield
• Rank 6 – Maximum Charge OR EMP

Fires a plasma projectile that does bonus damage to armor and inflicts ongoing burning damage to unshielded foes. Burning enemies are primed for combo detonations.

• Rank 1 – Incinerate
• Rank 2 – Recharge Speed
• Rank 3 – Damage
• Rank 4 – Radius OR Burning
• Rank 5 – Impact OR Anti-Armor
• Rank 6 – Detonator OR Double Incinerate

Deploys an automated assault turret that counts as a tech construct.

Tap Button: Directs the turret to attack a particular target.

Hold Button: Detonates the turret, damaging nearby enemies.

Requirements – 9 skill points invested in Tech

• Rank 1 – Assault Turret
• Rank 2 – Durability
• Rank 3 – Damage
• Rank 4 – Durability OR Recharge Speed
• Rank 5 – Damage OR Omni-Link
• Rank 6 – Cryo Ammo OR Flamethrower

Hold Button: Directs a continuous stream of super-cooled particles that freezes targets, priming them for combo detonations. Freezing disables unarmored enemies and weakens enemy armor, but has no effect on shielded foes.

• Rank 1 – Cryo Beam
• Rank 2 – Recharge Speed
• Rank 3 – Damage
• Rank 4 – Damage OR Recharge Speed
• Rank 5 – Brittle Freeze OR Radius
• Rank 6 – Snap Freeze OR Cryo Trap

Restores Shields by sapping electromagnetic energy around a target. Causes bonus damage to shields and synthetic enemies, and detonates combo primers on all primed enemies.

• Rank 1 – Energy Drain
• Rank 2 – Recharge Speed
• Rank 3 – Effectiveness
• Rank 4 – Effectiveness OR Recharge Speed
• Rank 5 – Extended Drain OR Auxiliary Drain
• Rank 6 – Damage OR Team Drain

Employs light-bending technology to render the user invisible at the cost of shield and health regeneration. Guns, powers, and melee attacks used from cloak gain a damage bonus but break the cloaking effect.

Requirements – 9 skill points invested in Tech

• Rank 1 – Tactical Cloak
• Rank 2 – Recharge Speed
• Rank 3 – Duration
• Rank 4 – Recharge Speed OR Damage Bonus
• Rank 5 – Duration OR Speed
• Rank 6 – Escape Artist OR Combat Cloak

Hold Button: Unleashes a short-range jet of flame that causes bonus damage to armor and ongoing burn damage. Unshielded enemies held in the jet catch fire, priming them for combo detonations.

• Rank 1 – Flamethrower
• Rank 2 – Recharge Speed
• Rank 3 – Damage
• Rank 4 – Damage OR Recharge Speed
• Rank 5 – Reach OR Lingering Burn
• Rank 6 – Anti-Armor OR Blinding Heat

Investigate Remnant technology to unlock this skill

• Rank 1 – N/A
• Rank 2 – N/A
• Rank 3 – N/A
• Rank 4 – N/A
• Rank 5 – N/A
• Rank 6 – N/A

Infects opponents with an invasive VI-controlled machine swarm that weakens defenses and spreads itself to nearby enemies.

• Rank 1 – Invasion
• Rank 2 – Recharge Speed
• Rank 3 – Duration
• Rank 4 – Recharge Speed OR Outbreak
• Rank 5 – Epidemic OR Weaken
• Rank 6 – Virulence OR Sabotage

Improves defenses and support for the whole squad through kinetic barrier generator and hardsuit enhancements.

Requirements – 9 skill points invested in Tech

• Rank 1 – Shields
• Rank 2 – Shield Recovery
• Rank 3 – Support
• Rank 4 – Squad Offensive OR Support
• Rank 5 – Team Recovery OR Tactical Revive
• Rank 6 – Defense Grid OR Life Support

Increases tech power damage with each skill point invested in the Tech Skill Group.

• Rank 1 – Damage
• Rank 2 – Recharge Speed
• Rank 3 – Detonators
• Rank 4 – Anti-Armor OR Anti-Shield
• Rank 5 – Detonators OR Anti-Synthetic
• Rank 6 – Elemental Tech OR Technical Rounds

Increases the effect duration with each skill point invested in the Tech Skill Group.

• Rank 1 – Duration
• Rank 2 – Force
• Rank 3 – Constructs
• Rank 4 – Weapon Mass Reduction OR Priming
• Rank 5 – Enduring Tech OR Impact Dilation
• Rank 6 – Shield Feedback OR Omni-Vents