Mass Effect 3 Endings Guide
The ending to the Mass Effect saga has been a long journey, so naturally there are a lot of different ways to end the game in Mass Effect 3 for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
*SPOILER ALERT*
Deciding to save or destroy the Collector’s Base at the end of Mass Effect 2 is the major thing that changes the ending of Mass Effect 3. You’ll see that some outcomes are similar, but some are quite different.
Note that if you didn’t import a Mass Effect 2 saved game, it will default to having the Collector’s Base being destroyed, so the only way to see the other options is to have a saved game with that option chosen in Mass Effect 2.
The next thing to focus on is your military strength. Your military strength is raised several different ways. In single player, it’s raised primarily by gaining war assets. There is a limited number of these in the game, however there is supposed to be just enough to get the good endings without playing multiplayer.
Another way to raise your military strength is by playing in the Galaxy at War multiplayer games. Playing in these games increases your galactic readiness rating, which in turn raises your military strength. This will allow you to gain better endings without having to collect as many war assets in single player.
There are also some iPhone and iPad apps that will help boost your galactic readiness rating. One is called Data Pad, and the other is called Infiltrator. Obviously you’ll need to sync your EA account in order to apply your ratings.
Important note: By not playing any multiplayer at all, your galactic readiness rating stays at 50%. This means that your effective military strength will be cut in half. For example, even if your military strength is 6000, your effective military strength is only 3000 if your galactic readiness is still at 50%.
Another important note: The only difference between the last two endings in each list is if you choose to save Anderson from the Illusive Man during the Paragon moment at the end. If you have maxed out Paragon/Renegage to save him, then you only need 4000 effective military strength to see the cut-scene of Shepard taking a breath at the end. If you don’t or can’t save him, you’ll need 5000 to see that scene.
Following is the effective military strength you’ll need in order to see all of the different endings.
Saved the Collector’s Base in Mass Effect 2
Effective Military Strength under 1750 — Earth is destroyed regardless of the decisions you’ve made
Effective Military Strength of 1750 to 2049 — Save the Reapers and Earth will be saved
Effective Military Strength of 2050 to 2349 — Become a Reaper and Earth will be saved
Effective Military Strength of 2350 to 2649 — Destroy the Reapers and Earth will be somewhat destroyed
Effective Military Strength of 2650 to 2799 — Destroy the Reapers and Earth will be destroyed
Effective Military Strength of 2800 to 3999 — The Galaxy and Earth will be saved once you’re able to create synergy
Effective Military Strength of 4000 to 4999 — Destroy the Reapers and Save Anderson from the Illusive Man to see that Shepard lives (Requires max Paragon/Renegade to save Anderson)
Effective Military Strength of 5000 and higher — Destroy the Reapers but unable to Save Anderson from the Illusive Man, you’ll see the clip where Shepard is alive
Destroyed the Collector’s Base in Mass Effect 2
Effective Military Strength under 1750 — Earth is destroyed regardless of the decisions you’ve made
Effective Military Strength of 1750 to 1899 — Become a Reaper and the Earth will be destroyed
Effective Military Strength of 1900 to 2349 — Destroy the Reapers and the Earth will be somewhat destroyed
Effective Military Strength of 2350 to 2649 — Become a Reaper and the Earth will be saved
Effective Military Strength of 2650 to 2799 — Destroy the Reapers and Earth will be saved
Effective Military Strength of 2800 to 3999 — The Galaxy and Earth will be saved once you’re able to create synergy
Effective Military Strength of 4000 to 4999 — Destroy the Reapers and Save Anderson from the Illusive Man to see that Shepard lives (Requires max Paragon/Renegade to save Anderson)
Effective Military Strength of 5000 and higher — Destroy the Reapers but unable to Save Anderson from the Illusive Man, you’ll see the clip where Shepard is alive
How to Increase Galactic Readiness Rating
One way to increase your military strength is by increasing your galactic readiness rating. The galactic readiness rating is only raised by playing the Galaxy at War multiplayer games (which require the Online Pass), or by playing a couple of the games for iPhone and iPad. These apps are called Infiltrator, and Data Pad.
Raising your galactic readiness rating simply lets you apply more of your military strength into effective military strength. Playing no multiplayer games leaves your readiness rating at 50%, meaning that a 5000 military strength score is reduced to 2500. If you play a lot of multiplayer games and increase your readiness rating to 100%, then you would get your full 5000 points of military strength.
Note that you shouldn’t need to worry about this rating if you don’t want to, since you can increase your military strength by collecting war assets in single player, however you’re going to need around 8000 military strength, since playing no online games will take your effective rating down 50%.
Howto Increase Military Strength
Military strength is raised several different ways:
In single player, military strength raised primarily by gaining war assets. There is a limited number of war assets in the game, but there is supposed to be enough in the game to see the best ending. You’re gonna need 8000 military strength without playing online though, so it’s gonna be tough.
Another way to raise your military strength is by playing in the Galaxy at War multiplayer games. Playing in Galaxy at War increases your galactic readiness rating, which in turn raises your military strength. This will allow you to see the better endings without having to collect as many war assets in single player.
There are also some iPhone and iPad apps that will help boost your galactic readiness rating. One is called Data Pad, and the other is called Infiltrator. Obviously you’ll need to sync your EA account in order to apply your ratings.
Important note: If you don’t play any multiplayer games, then your readiness rating stays at 50%, which is how much of your military rating is used to calculate your “effective military rating”. For example, if you have 5000 military rating, but your readiness rating is only 50%, this reduces your effective military rating down to 2500. Long story short, you probably want to play online some in order to see the best endings effectively.
How to Import a Character from Mass Effect 2
To import a character, you just need to select New Game from the main menu. On the next screen, the bottom option will be Import ME2 Character.
Once you select that option, it will search for saved games on your hard drive and allow you to choose which character to import.
Character Import Bonuses
Much like the previous game, you get quite a few bonuses for importing characters from Mass Effect 2 into Mass Effect 3 for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
When you import a character from Mass Effect 2, you will retain the look you created for them, your level, and the major decisions you made over the course of the previous games. The levels of your squad members will also be retained. You will also be given the proper amount of points to spend on their abilities when you start the game.
The primary ship upgrades you purchased for the Normandy SR-2 will be there as well, but research upgrades will not.
Unfortunately your credits and resources gained in the previous game will be lost as well.
Unlock the Chakram Launcher and Reckoner Knight Armor
To unlock the Chakram Launcher and REckoner Knight Armor in Mass Effect 3, you just need to download and play the Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning demo.
The Reckoner Knight Armor boosts close quarters combat, and increases some weapon powers as well.
The Chakram Launcher is essentially an explosive disc launcher.
Unlock Battlefield 3 Soldier
To unlock the Battlefield 3 Soldier in Mass Effect 3, you just need to have purchased the Battlefield 3 Season Pass and link it to the same EA account you use to play Mass Effect 3.
Don’t have Battlefield 3? Well why not? You can buy the PC version here
Romance Options
There are a lot more romance options in Mass Effect 3 for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 than there were in previous games. They have even added some same sex romance options for both males and females.
Several options are only available if they were continued from the previous game though, so check the list below to see your available options.
Romance options for male Shepard
Ashley Williams
Diana Allers
Jack (only if continued from Mass Effect 2)
Kaidan Alenko
Liara T’Soni
Miranda Lawson (only if continued from Mass Effect 2)
Steven Cortez
Tali’Zorah vas Normandy (only if continued from Mass Effect 2)
Romance options for female Shepard
Diana Allers
Garrus Vakarian (only if continued from Mass Effect 2)
Kaidan Alenko
Liara T’Soni
Thane Krios
Samantha Traynor
Female Shepard’s relationship with Jacob Taylor can’t be continued from Mass Effect 2.
Unlockable Characters from Card Packs
Here are the characters you can unlock in multiplayer from purchasing card packs, and what rarity group they’re in.
Common Characters
Human Characters (Appearance Mods)
Uncommon Characters
Asari Vanguard
Drell Adept
Quarian Infiltrator
Salarian Engineer
Turian Sentinel
Turian Soldier
Rare Characters
Asari Adept
Drell Vanguard
Krogan Sentinel
Krogan Soldier
Quarian Engineer
Salarian Infiltrator
Unlockable Weapons from Card Packs
Here are the weapons you can unlock in multiplayer, and what rarity group they’re in.
Common Weapons
M-3 Predator
M-4 Shuriken
M-8 Avenger
M-23 Katana
M-92 Mantis
Uncommon Weapons
M-5 Phalanx
M-9 Tempest
M-12 Locust
M-13 Raptor
M-15 Vindicator
M-22 Eviscerator
M-27 Scimitar
M-29 Incisor
M-96 Mattock
M-97 Viper
Phaeston
Rare Weapons
Arc Pistol
Disciple
Geth Pulse Rifle
Geth Pulse Shotgun
Graal Spike Thrower
M-6 Carnifex
M-25 Hornet
M-37 Falcon
M-76 Revenant
M-98 Widow
M-300 Claymore
Ultra-Rare Weapons
Black Widow
Javelin
M-11 Wraith
M-77 Paladin
M-99 Saber
M-358 Talon
Scorpion
Unlockable Weapon Mods from Card Decks
Here are the weapon mods you can unlock in multiplayer, and what rarity group they’re in.
Common Weapon Mods
Assault Rifle Magazine Upgrade
Assault Rifle Precision Scope
Assault Rifle Stability Damper
Pistol High Caliber Barrel
Pistol Scope
Shotgun Blade Attachment
Shotgun High Caliber Barrel
Shotgun Smart Choke
SMG Scope
Sniper Rifle Spare Thermal Clip
Uncommon Weapon Mods
Assault Rifle Piercing Mod
Assault Rifle Stability Damper
Pistol Melee Stun
Pistol Piercing Mod
SMG Ultralight Materials
Sniper Rifle Enhanced Scope
Sniper Rifle Extended Barrel
Shotgun Shredder Mod
Shotgun Spare Thermal Clips
Unlockable Weapon Capacity Upgrades from Card Packs
Here are the weapon capacity upgrades you can unlock in multiplayer, and what rarity group they’re in.
Common Capacity Upgrades
Cobra Missile Launcher
Medi-Gel
Ops Survival Pack
Thermal Clip Pack
Rare Capacity Upgrades
Cobra Missile Launcher Capacity Upgrade +1
Medi-Gel Capacity Upgrade +1
Ops Survival Pack Capacity Upgrade +1
Thermal Clip Pack Capacity Upgrade +1
Unlockable Avatar Items
There are two avatar items you can unlock in Mass Effect 3 for the Xbox 360 that will make your avatar look like the famous Commander Shepard.
N7 Helmet – Return to active duty
Omniblade – Kill 25 enemies with melee attacks
Mass Effect 3 Achievements List
There aren’t any secret achievements to unlock, but there are two bonus achievements at the bottom that come with the From Ashes DLC pack.
A Personal Touch (10 points) – Modify a weapon
Almost There (15 points) – Reach level 15 in multiplayer or level 50 in single-player
Always Prepared (10 points) – Obtain two non-customizable suits of armor
Arbiter (25 points) – Win a political stand-off
Battle Scarred (25 points) – Promote a multiplayer character to the Galaxy at War or import an ME3 character
Bringer of War (10 points) – Chase down an assassin
Bruiser (10 points) – Kill 100 enemies with melee attacks
Combined Arms (25 points) – Perform any combination of 50 biotic combos or tech bursts
Defender (25 points) – Attain the highest level of readiness in each theater of war
Driven (5 points) – Return to active duty
Enlisted (5 points) – Start a character in multiplayer or customize a character in single-player
Executioner (25 points) – Defeat an old adversary
Explorer (15 points) – Complete three multiplayer matches or five N7 missions
Eye of the Hurricane (10 points) – Kill a brute while it’s charging you
Fact Finder (15 points) – Discover an enemy’s monstrous origin
Focused (25 points) – Evolve any of your powers to rank 6
Giant Killer (10 points) – Defeat a harvester
Gunsmith (25 points) – Upgrade any weapon to level 10
Hard Target (15 points) – Call down an orbital strike
Hijacker (10 points) – Hijack an Atlas mech
Insanity (75 points) – Finish the game on Insanity without changing difficulty after leaving Earth
Last Witness (25 points) – Extract ancient technology
Legend (50 points) – Mission accomplished
Liberator (15 points) – Stop a Cerberus kidnapping
Long Service Medal (50 points) – Complete Mass Effect 3 twice, or once with a Mass Effect 2 import
Lost and Found (25 points) – Dispatch 10 probes to retrieve people or resources in Reaper territory
Mail Slot (10 points) – Kill 10 guardians with headshots from the front while their shields are raised
Master and Commander (50 points) – Deliver most of the Galaxy at War assets to the final conflict
Mobilizer (15 points) – Bring a veteran officer aboard
Overload Specialist (15 points) – Overload the shields of 100 enemies
Paramour (25 points) – Establish or rekindle a romantic relationship
Party Crasher (15 points) – Sabotage a dreadnought
Pathfinder (15 points) – Explore a lost city
Patriot (25 points) – Make the final assault
Peak Condition (25 points) – Reach level 20 in multiplayer or level 60 in single-player
Problem Solver (15 points) – Evacuate a scientific facility
Pyromaniac (15 points) – Set 100 enemies on fire with powers
Recruit (10 points) – Kill 250 enemies
Saboteur (15 points) – Disable a group of fighter squadrons
Shopaholic (10 points) – Visit a store in the single-player campaign
Sky High (15 points) – Lift 100 enemies off the ground with powers
Soldier (15 points) – Kill 1,000 enemies
Tour of Duty (20 points) – Finish all multiplayer maps or all N7 missions in single-player
Tourist (5 points) – Complete one multiplayer match or two N7 missions
Tunnel Rat (15 points) – Survive the swarm
Untouchable (10 points) – Escape a Reaper in the galaxy map
Unwavering (50 points) – Finish all multiplayer maps on Gold or all single-player missions on Insanity
Veteran (25 points) – Kill 5,000 enemies
Well Connected (15 points) – Send a warning across the galaxy
World Shaker (15 points) – Destroy an Atlas dropped from orbit
Here are the two bonus achievements to unlock in the From Ashes DLC pack.
Freedom Fighter (25 points) – Find all required intel to help Eden Prime’s colonists
Prothean Expert (25 points) – Learn more about the Prothean Empire
Mass Effect 3 Trophies List
There aren’t any secret trophies to unlock, but there are two bonus trophis at the bottom that come with the From Ashes DLC pack.
A Personal Touch (Bronze) – Modify a weapon
Almost There (Bronze) – Reach level 15 in multiplayer or level 50 in single-player
Always Prepared (Bronze) – Obtain two non-customizable suits of armor
Arbiter (Bronze) – Win a political stand-off
Battle-Scarred (Bronze) – Promote a multiplayer character to the Galaxy at War or import an ME3 character
Bringer of War (Bronze) – Chase down an assassin
Bruiser (Bronze) – Kill 100 enemies with melee attacks
Combined Arms (Silver) – Perform any combination of 50 biotic combos or tech bursts
Defender (Bronze) – Attain the highest level of readiness in each theater of war
Driven (Bronze) – Return to active duty
Enlisted (Bronze) – Start a character in multiplayer or customize a character in single-player
Executioner (Bronze) – Defeat an old adversary
Explorer (Bronze) – Complete three multiplayer matches or five N7 missions
Eye of the Hurricane (Bronze) – Kill a brute while it’s charging you
Fact Finder (Bronze) – Discover an enemy’s monstrous origin
Focused (Bronze) – Evolve any of your powers to rank 6
Giant Killer (Bronze) – Defeat a Harvester
Gunsmith (Silver) – Upgrade any weapon to level 10
Hard Target (Bronze) – Call down an orbital strike
Hijacker (Bronze) – Hijack an Atlas mech
Insanity (Gold) – Finish the game on Insanity without changing difficulty after leaving Earth
Last Witness (Bronze) – Extract ancient technology
Legend (Silver) – Mission accomplished
Liberator (Bronze) – Stop a Cerberus kidnapping
Long Service Medal (Silver) – Complete Mass Effect 3 twice, or once with a Mass Effect 2 import
Lost and Found (Bronze) – Dispatch 10 probes to retrieve people or resources in Reaper territory
Mail Slot (Bronze) – Kill 10 guardians with headshots from the front while their shields are raised
Master and Commander (Silver) – Deliver most of the Galaxy at War assets to the final conflict
Mobilizer (Bronze) – Bring a veteran officer aboard
N7 Elite (Platinum) – Acquire all trophies
Overload Specialist (Bronze) – Overload the shields of 100 enemies
Paramour (Bronze) – Establish or rekindle a romantic relationship
Party Crasher (Bronze) – Sabotage a dreadnought
Pathfinder (Bronze) – Explore a lost city
Patriot (Bronze) – Make the final assault
Peak Condition (Bronze) – Reach level 20 in multiplayer or level 60 in single-player
Problem Solver (Bronze) – Evacuate a scientific facility
Pyromaniac (Bronze) – Set 100 enemies on fire with powers
Recruit (Bronze) – Kill 250 enemies
Saboteur (Bronze) – Disable a group of fighter squadrons
Shopaholic (Bronze) – Visit a store in the single-player campaign
Sky High (Bronze) – Lift 100 enemies off the ground with powers
Soldier (Bronze) – Kill 1,000 enemies
Tour of Duty (Bronze) – Finish all multiplayer maps or all N7 missions in single-player
Tourist (Bronze) – Complete one multiplayer match or two N7 missions
Tunnel Rat (Bronze) – Survive the swarm
Untouchable (Bronze) – Escape a Reaper in the galaxy map
Unwavering (Gold) – Finish all multiplayer maps on Gold or all single-player missions on Insanity
Veteran (Silver) – Kill 5,000 enemies
Well Connected (Bronze) – Send a warning across the galaxy
World Shaker (Bronze) – Destroy an Atlas dropped from orbit
Here are the two bonus trophies to unlock in the From Ashes DLC pack.
Freedom Fighter (Bronze) – Find all required intel to help Eden Prime’s colonists
Prothean Expert (Bronze) – Learn more about the Prothean Empire
