Tech Powers in Mass Effect 2 are a set of abilities based around your Technical skills that can be used to neutralize enemies, approach a position without being detected or to hack objects. As you level up, you acquire Squad Points that you can spend to improve these aspects of your character. The Powers available to you and your squad are determined by the Class selected in Character Creation.
Power Levels
Except for Unity Power, all other powers can be leveled up to 4 ranks for a total cost of 10 squad points. Regardless of the upgradeable power, each level rank requires the same points as the rank:
- Power Rank 1: Requires 1 Squad Point
- Power Rank 2: Requires 2 Squad Points
- Power Rank 3: Requires 3 Squad Points
- Power Rank 4: Requires 4 Squad Points
Once a Power is upgraded to Rank 4, players need to choose between two final evolutions of that Power. Once you have chosen an evolution, you can not change it back.
All Tech Powers in Mass Effect 2
AI Hacking
Available to the Engineer and Infiltrator Classes, AI Hacking allows characters to hack any enemy vulnerable to hacking and make them your allies and prevent them to attack your Squad. It can also increase Shepard and the Squad Shield Strength.
Rank 4 evolutions:
- Improved AI Hacking: Increases Shepard and the Squad Shield Strength.
- Area AI Hacking: Increases the radius of the AI Hacking effect
Cryo Blast
Available to the Engineer and Sentinel Classes, Cryo Blast allows characters to impact enemies within a radius with a cold energy field that can freeze them.
Rank 4 evolutions:
- Deep Cryo Blast: The blast potency and freeze duration are equal to advanced cryogenic weapons
- Fully Cryo Blast: Increases your chances of freezing multiple targets
Combat Drone
Available to the Engineer Class, allows characters to deploy and control a drone. You can use the drone to attack enemies or distract them.
Rank 4 evolutions:
- Attack Drone: An improvement that allows your drone to damage enemies' health, armor, and biotic barriers
- Explosive Drone: When the drone is destroyed, it explodes inflicting damage to nearby enemies
Energy Drain
Available to Tali'Zorah vas Neema and Commander Shepard, it harms shields and removes power from enemies barriers and transfer it to the user
Rank 4 evolutions:
- Heavy Energy Drain: Greatly increases the power of Energy Drain
- Area Drain: Increases the radius of Energy Drain, affecting multiple enemies
Geth Shield Boost
Available to Legion and Commander Shepard, it improves the user's Shields
Rank 4 evolutions:
- Heavy Geth Shield Boost: Increases the protection of the user's Shields absorbing impacts from Heavy Weapons too.
- Improved Geth Shield Boost: Increases user's Weapon Damage
Incinerate
Available for the Engineers and Infiltrators Classes, Incinerate is a high-explosive plasma round that inflicts damage over time to all nearby enemies and permanently stops their health regeneration. Very effective against Armor.
Rank 4 evolutions:
- Heavy Incinerate: An advanced plasma round that melts or burns nearly anything it hits
- Incinerate Blast: Increases Incinerate radius, so you can burn multiple enemies
Neural Shock
Available to Mordin Solus and Commander Shepard, it neutralizes organic enemies for a shortly period of time
Rank 4 evolutions:
- Heavy Neural Shock: Performs multiple chain shock strikes that leave the enemy completely neutralized.
- Neural Shockwave: Increases the radius of Neural Shock
Overload
Available to the Engineer and Sentinel Classes, Overload fires an electromagnetic pulse that instantly inflicts massive damage on shields and synthetic enemies.
Rank 4 evolutions:
- Heavy Overload: The electromagnetic pulse inflicts high-damage that can cause synthetic enemies to explode when they die.
- Area Overload: Increases the radius of Overload, so now you can damage multiple enemies at once.
Tactical Cloak
Available to the Infiltrator Class, Tactical Cloak allows characters to become invisible to enemies at the cost of halting health and shields regeneration. Also, when Tactical Cloak is activated, it increases weapons damage.
Rank 4 evolutions:
- Enhanced Cloak: Increases the time your remain invisible to enemies.
- Assassination Cloak: Greatly increases damage dealt to enemies while you are invisible
Tech Armor
Available to the Sentinel Class, when Tech Armor is activated, it creates an energy armor suit that boosts your shields. When the armor is destroyed, it sends an energy pulse knocking back and damaging nearby enemies.
Rank 4 evolutions:
- Assault Armor: Increases the radius and damage of the explosion when the armor is destroyed
- Power Armor: Increases Tech Armor deflection capability, and it channels its energy into biotic amps and weapons, increasing the damage of all your powers.
