The Reapers are the most varied of the enemies that you can face off against in the multiplayer, and that makes them the most dangerous, too. While weaker Husks charge you and Ravagers snipe at you from afar, you might not even notice the Banshee teleporting up to you for an instant kill. Because these enemies can be so unpredictable, it is important to have a unified squad when facing them. A varied class loadout with Soldiers, Vanguards, Adepts, and Engineers as suggested in the Classes guide is highly recommended for doing battle with these forces.
The most basic enemy of the Reapers is the Husk. You’ve been fighting these guys since the first Mass Effect, so there should be no surprises here. The mindless creatures simply run at you until one of you is dead. The Cannibal is very much the traditional land-based unit of the Reapers, but with a little twist. If one Cannibal dies, the others can feast on him to get stronger. For this reason, you should never let the Cannibals get near their fallen comrades. Take them all out in one unified burst of fire to avoid any of them powering up too much.
Marauders are one of the most troublesome units in the Reaper’s arsenal. Alone, these are mere soldiers, who take cover and fire at you with Assault Rifles. In a group, however, they will buff their allies and make them much harder to defeat. If you see a red streak moving from the Marauder to an ally, you will know that you must now tackle a much tougher force than before. Kill the Marauders first. Go for headshots with Sniper Rifles, as these will kill the Marauders in one hit despite their high health and shields. Ravagers can be similarly annoying. These enemies will sit far from you and blast powerful energy at you from across the battlefield. A few hits from their cannon will be enough to bring down even the strongest soldiers. Watch for the blue hologram that indicates the Ravager’s line of fire. Focus your team’s fire on these resilient enemies to bring them down quickly.
The Reapers have access to not one, but two heavy and dangerous enemy types. First is the Brute, a lumbering enemy that will charge across the battlefield in pursuit of its prey. The Brute is heavily armored, but lacks shielding of any kind. As long as you and your team can stay out of its hit radius and avoid its charges, you should be able to bring it down easily enough. Use your teammates like a red flag to a bull. Have one of them lure the Brute to charge towards them, while the others chip away at its armor from behind. You should also try to hit it with armor-weakening moves, whether it’s Incinerate, Warp, or Grenade. The Brute will be toast in no time. The Banshee, on the other hand, isn’t quite as straightforward. This highly dangerous enemy can teleport across the battlefield, making it difficult for snipers to get a bead on them. They can also launch Biotic projectiles at you that will basically destroy your entire shield in one hit. Finally, and most deadly of all when combined with their teleporting prowess, is the fact that the Banshees have a one-hit-kill melee attack. Luckily, you will be able to hear them coming by their screams. If you still have the Cobra missile launchers that your team brought in to the battle, the first Banshee appearance would be a great time to use it. You simply have to kill these dangerous enemies as soon as they appear on the battlefield, or risk losing valuable members of your squad.
