A variable number of missions following the completion of the core mission Reaper IFF, the eponymous Reaper IFF will be successfully installed on the Normandy, with some… unintended side effects. After the abduction event you’ll be back in control of the Normandy, able to do everything you could do before… back when you still had a crew. Convenient!
Unfortunately, delaying will make it more likely that your crew will not survive the comforts provided by the Collectors, so aside from shopping and probing for resources (and completing research projects with said resources) you shouldn’t delay - completing missions/assignments (particularly the former) will count against you.
When you’re ready to commit to the endgame mission (we suggest making a hard save here!) head into the Omega 4 relay and confirm your decision with EDI warns you about the finality of this trip. After possibly being treated to a scene involving your romantic interest, you’ll arrive beyond the Omega 4 relay.
Events immediately beyond the Omega 4 Relay will vary depending on what upgrades you’ve researched for the Normandy.
Press on through the Omega 4 relay and you’ll get numerous scenes. While these scenes may seem like fluff, they may play out differently depending on what upgrades you’ve researched for the Normandy. If you don’t upgrade your shields and armor (Multicore Shielding and Heavy Ship Armor, respectively), the Normandy will suffer serious damage during the scenes and Jack will die. If you didn’t upgrade your weapons (Thanix Cannon) you’ll lose another squadmate during the fight with the Collector Ship.
Between scenes you’ll have to fend off an enemy Oculus.
Boss Battle - Oculus¶
Between these scenes the Normandy will be breached by an enemy - the Oculus - which Shepard and select squadmates will have to fend off in the cargo bay. The Oculus only has an armor bar, so bring along characters capable of using Incinerate, Reave, Warp and other means of taking down armor.
Offensively this foe will zip around and fire lasers at you - not too dangerous if you stay behind cover and don’t let it flank you. For the first phase of this fight, whittle down its armor bar and when it’s reduced to under 50% it’ll fly away - try not to use too many resources during this fight, as it shouldn’t be hard to drive it off before it flees.. After the Oculus has taken sufficient damage, you will be treated to another scene.
Following the scene, you will once again find yourself in the cargo hold facing off against an Oculus. The strategy is the same as before, but this time there is a lot less cover for you to hide behind and the majority of it is destructible. There are a few low-lying platforms on either side of the room you can use, but because the Oculus hovers, it will get behind your cover pretty easily so you will need to keep moving. There are a few crates of Power Cells lying around, so don’t be afraid to use your heavy weapons liberally. When it has taken sufficient damage, another scene will play.
| Mission Completion Rewards | |
|---|---|
| Experience Gained: | 300 |
After defeating the Oculus you’ll find yourself at the Collector Base… and while the circumstances aren’t ideal, going back certainly isn’t an option.
Pick a secondary squad leader, a tech expert, and two squadmates to accompany Shepard.
Before you begin the infiltration of the Collector Base, you’ll need to delegate responsibilities; this job is too sophisticated for Shepard to handle alone, and by necessity you’ll need to make use of your squadmate’s skills. Specifically you’ll need to assign the leader of a secondary squad and a tech expert. Some characters will perform better at certain tasks than others (Garrus, Jacob and Miranda are the best leaders, Tali and Legion are the best tech characters, Jack and Samara are the best biotics), but whatever their areas of expertise, a character whose loyalty you’ve not secured will not perform up to snuff. That being the case, when you’re forced to delegate responsibilities, always pick a loyal character.
For this first choice, we prefer picking Tali for our tech expert and Jacob for our secondary squad leader - Miranda and Garrus are more useful as active companions in Shepard’s team. Do what you wish and as your resources allow, but remember you’ll be fighting Collectors, which means you’ll need to overcome armor and barriers, so plan accordingly.
| Assignments | Suggested Characters |
|---|---|
| 2nd Squad Leader | Garrus, Jacob, Miranda |
| Tech Expert | Legion, Tali |
After you make these assignments, the second phase of the suicide mission will begin.
Shepard arrives at the Collector Base.
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