Just about every situation in the Mass Effect universe ends in a fight. As Commander Shepard and their squadmates try and save the galaxy, they will be met head-on by hoards of enemies throwing up shields and biotic barriers, which make taking them out far more difficult than Shepard has time for. Fortunately, the Milky Way has plenty of guns to get the job done, and when it comes to those up close and personal fights, the submachine gun is the perfect weapon.
SMGs tend to be outstanding at close range, dispatching shields and barriers and gaining significant damage increases against targets that maximize at point blank range. Every player class except Soldiers starts the game with the ability to use SMGs. Plus, six of Shepard's 13 Mass Effect 2 squadmates utilize them in combat, making them highly accessible to nearly half the team.
All classes (aside from Soldiers) will automatically gain the M-4 Shuriken is when embarking on the "Freedom's Progress" mission. Incredibly effective against shields and biotic barriers, it offers 1.5 percent bonus damage against them. It may be mediocre against armor, dealing just one percent bonus damage, however this submachine gun piston has a firing rate of 700 RPM. That means, even if it's not tearing armor to shreds, it's still capable of busting through. It does 20.5 base damage and 24 shots per clip, with a base spare ammo capacity of 240. This can be upgraded to 264 with the Armor Pack, and 360 with with research modifications.
It fires in three-round bursts, though it can be fired at a higher rate at the expense of accuracy. It has a moderate recoil, which makes it better than other SMG models for firing shots long range. However, the fact that it is only semi-automatic means constantly spamming the trigger to increase the firing rate and sacrificing accuracy. One great thing about this weapon is that it's excellent for squadmates, as they are forced to take cover more regularly; the M-4 Shuriken helps keep them alive and fighting much longer.
The M-9 Tempest's base damage may be on the lower side, dealing just 14 base damage, but its firing rate of 925 RPM makes it perfect for long, deadly bursts. However, its high recoil rate makes accurate long range shots nearly impossible. The Tempest is an incredibly expensive weapon that was created by Elanus Risk Management Control for the Eclipse Mercenaries Band. Fortunately, Shepard doesn't need to buy it, as it can be found during Tali'zorah's recruitment mission on a dead Quarian near the radio. Picking it up before answering the radio call is important, otherwise it can be found in a room blocked by a pillar just before speaking with Tali via radio.
The Tempest is excellent against barriers and shields, dealing 1.5 percent bonus damage. However, much like other SMGs, it's not nearly as effective against armor, dealing only one percent bonus damage. It holds 50 ammo per clip and has a spare ammo capacity of 450, upgradeable to 495 with the Armor Pack and 675 through research upgrades. It's capable of dealing accurate shots, but automatic firing increases shot bursts that can lead to inaccurate firing.
Manufactured by Kassa Fabrications, the M-12 Locust was initially developed for the Alliance Military. However it's become a favored weapon for hitmen and gang enforcers because of its long-range accuracy potential. The Locust can be found during Kasumi Goto's loyalty mission in Donovan Hock's vault on the same table as Keiji's graybox. However, if it isn't picked up, it will still be a reward at the end of the mission.
While it deals mid-range base damage in comparison to other SMGs, the M-12 Locust's ammo clip capacity is very low, holding only 20 rounds per clip. Default spare ammo capacity is 240, but can be upgraded to 264 through the Armor Pack and 360 through research upgrades. The Locust has a fire rate of 550 RPM, and its low recoil and auto-targeting ability makes it far more accurate when firing at long range.
Though its bonus damage against shields and barriers is lower than other SMGs at just 1.25 percent, it's also equally effective against armor, receiving the same bonus damage. Because squadmates don't suffer the same accuracy issues as Shepard, they tend to do more damage with the Tempest than the Locust, but for Shepard, this is a top notch submachine gun.
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