Build Title: Versa-Utility

Class: Volus Adept

Map Difficulty Rating: This build has the potential for Gold gameplay, if you choose to play Platinum, make sure your team covers the bases.

Power Evolutions:

Stasis: (4) Stasis Strength, (5) Recharge Speed, (6) Bubble

Biotic Orbs: (4) Radius, (5) Recharge Speed, (6) Expose

Shield Boost: (4) Shields, (5) Regeneration, (6) Protection

Volus Training: (4) Damage & Capacity, (5) Shield Boost

Fitness: (1), (2), (3)

Weapons:

I recommend either the M-358 Talon or the N7 Hurricane. Both deal respectible damage and both allow high recharge speeds. When taking the M-358 Talon, apply High Caliber Barrel and Piercing Mod. When taking the N7 Hurricane, apply High Velocity Barrel and SMG Recoil Systems. Both hit hard against bosses and infantry. My preference is the N7 Hurricane because I just prefer something that can give a constant stream off damage, but it really doesn’t matter which you choose. If you can’t decide, use whichever one is the highest level. Both of these are difficult to get, if you have neither, use the M-12 Locust with High Velocity Barrel and Heat Sink or the M-6 Carnifex with Piercing Mod and High Caliber Barrel. Take the Acolyte with Extended Magazine and Pistol Heavy Barrel if taking an SMG.

Gear:

Use Warp or Cryo Rounds for this build, their armor weakening pairs excellently with Expose Biotic Orbs. For your weapon and armor bonuses, use the respective rail amp (SMG or Pistol) and Power Efficiency Module. I recommend Expert Package for your gear bonus for +12% SMG Damage and +12% Recharge Speed. If you aren’t using the Hurricane or Locust, use Structural Ergonomics for +15% Recharge Speed. Again, as with the Volus Engineer, you want to optimize Recharge Speed for this build, allowing you to use the powers quicker.

Strategy:

When players look at the two Volus, it’s pretty clear who the favourite of the Adept and Engineer is with the community. Personally on the XBOX360, I don’t see half as many Volus Adepts as I do Volus Engineers. Volus Adepts are harder to play and don’t have the same skill set as their Engineer counterparts but are just as effective if played right. Again, a Volus that gets 10000 points from spamming Shield Boost isn’t an asset to the team in the long-run. We’ll look at its powers, how he fares against the enemies and then look at his limitations.

For Stasis, your standard Stasis spec applies. You shouldn’t need the extra Duration on Stasis to make a kill, considering Stasis and Biotic Orbs is a biotic explosion. Bonus Power on Stasis is nice… but only when it works, you’re better off have the flat recharge increase everytime. You should always spec Stasis for Bubble, never Vulnerability. It is a crowd control ability. As for Biotic Orbs, it is evolved in a similar way to Proximity Mine. Radius allows it to affected multipe targets and Recharge Speed allows you to benefit from the Orbs when you aren’t using them for debuff, with +45%/+30%/+15% Recharge Speed with 3/2/1 Orbs on you. Expose is the money on this power, it’s like a Warp that stacks 3 times. 45% more damage for 6 seconds. Biotic Orbs also detonates Biotic Explosions and other explosions as well (pairing well with Dusruptor, Cryo and Incendiary Ammo). Shield Boost is the basic, best spec for maximum recovery and protection. Volus Training applies more damage to Biotic Orbs and empowers Shield Boost further, adding to your versatility and utility.

The Volus Adept doesn’t have a niche particularly because it’s versatile all-round. It is good against Cerberus because of Stasis but less so against Collectors or Reapers because of Stasis (too many armored units). But Expose is effective against and should be used everything, plus Stasis is just always handy for your Phantoms, Hunters, Marauders and Possessed Abominations. He works effectively at killing trooper enemies, having little trouble aside from being staggered. If the Volus Adept becomes staggered, you better hope you can use Shield Boost in the next few seconds. Stasis is effective against all troopers without armor, and Biotic Orbs will weaken Bombers, Turrets, Pyros and Dragoons so your Hurricane (or Talon, Locust, or Carnifex) can finish it off.

Smaller boss enemies like Scions, Ravagers and Brutes shouldn’t cause much trouble either. For the first two you need to be wary of their protectile attacks and if you are hit by one it is likely you’ll be hit with the others and I don’t believe the Volus can survive all three, make sure to Shield Boost if this happens. Keep a respectable distance, far enough to aim accurately. Otherwise Ravagers will down you quickly with their swarmers and Scions and Brutes both have relatively quick sync-kill techniques. Weaken them with Biotic Orbs and kill them with your team from afar.

As for the big bosses (Altases, Primes, Banshees, Praetorians), you’ll be throwing your Biotic Orbs a lot. You want to keep that Expose effect going for as long as possible while Shield Boosting inbetween when you need to. Try to make sure that you have Orbs up when you Shield Boost to make the cooldown faster. Fire shots of your Hurricane inbetween this. If you work with your team, the bosses can go down very fast; especially if you have Proximity Mine users or other debuffers on your squad. Keep a respectable distance, far enough to aim accurately but not close enough to be sync-killed. Volus have the power to make or break teams.

Do not forget about the light melee Tactical Cloak the Volus characters receive either. You need to use this often and whenever possible to keep you out of fire. Use this to your advantage for objectives and when battling in general. You can sneak around Exposing targets your team is on, particularly effective with bosses are near the ends of rounds.

The Volus Adept is a sturdy character with Shield Boost at the ready…and incredibly flimsly without it ready. With 625/188, it will die nearly immediately on Gold with no shields active. Play with your team, supporting them with Shield Boost and Biotic Orbs. You have more of a chance to survive with another player near you, providing they aren’t getting killed every 5 seconds. Unfortunately, the Volus characters got awesome powers with lengthy cooldowns. Biotic Orbs has the longest cooldown of all biotics and Stasis isn’t fast either. Shield Boost, while not as long to cooldown, doesn’t get off easily either. Use the recommended gear and supplies to counteract this. He also cannot get into cover, and on Gold, even though you don’t use cover often, it is frustrating thinking you are in cover to avoid that Praetorian Particle Beam, but then you remember you are a Volus. I also recommend not fighting Collectors with the Volus Adept. I said he is viable for all factions, which is true, but he has the most trouble with Collectors. If he is ever caught amongst them in melee range, you can expect to use a medi-gel from all the staggering going on. You’ll never “dominate” with a Volus character, but it isn’t impossible to be leading the pack. Play to your strengths, play to your team and play intelligently.

N00b Rating:

5 – You’re playing a Volus. That in itself is never simple. The Volus Adept doesn’t have Proximity Mine to stagger enemies at will, just Stasis which cements them in place but has a longer cooldown. You only have 625 shields and 188 health: one shot from a trooper on Gold will down you instantly. Play with your team. This Volus is versatile because it can cause havoc on its own but also support a team. If you have another biotic on your team that you stick with, your road will be easier. It’ll take time to get use to a Volus character in general, let alone one which plays aggressively and defensively.