Mass Effect 3: How to Defeat Brutes (Tips, Tricks, & Strategies)

Brutes are the heavy melee enemies in Mass Effect 3‘s Reaper-synthesized armies. They’re a mutated mixture of Turians and Krogans earlier killed by the Reapers, now reformed into dangerous, hulking tanks. Brutes can be difficult to take down at first, but with the right knowledge and strategies, they aren’t so difficult to overcome.

Brutes can be intimidating, however, with their large armor bars and rapid charge attacks. Armored enemies in Mass Effect 3, like Atlas Mechs, are typically harder to take down because armor is only weak to certain weapons and abilities. The fact that Brutes want to get in close and wipe Shepard out can make the fights even tenser. Getting good at fighting Brutes involves both learning what they’re weak to, and getting used to dodging their attack patterns.

Some of Mass Effect 3‘s classes can take Brutes on in different ways. For example, the Vanguard class has biotic abilities like Charge that they can combine with a Warp or Reave from squadmates to deal significant damage and stagger a Brute. This is usually best done when the Brute is reaching lower health so it’s easier to finish them off close-range with a shotgun. Charge can also restore the player’s shields, so it’s a good option if the Brute has landed a solid hit.

Fighting Brutes in Mass Effect 3

Firstly, it’s important to learn a Brute’s attack patterns. They have a handful of attacks, all of which can deal substantial damage (especially on higher difficulties like insanity) and an insta-kill ability that only a handful of other enemies in Mass Effect 3 have.

Brutes rely mainly on a charge attack, telegraphed when they lift up their large right arms. They’ll quickly rush to Shepard’s location, smashing into them, and finish with a huge swipe from their claw arms. Both the charge and the swipe can deal heavy damage. When up close, Brutes can also jump and slam their claws into the ground. This slam and their insta-kill ability mean that it’s essential to stay out of melee range.

To avoid Brutes, players should maintain some distance and use terrain obstacles to prevent the Brute from reaching Shepard. Brutes, like Mass Effect 3’s Husks, are less aware enemies and will frequently run right into walls and debris. Shepard can also always dodge roll to the right, since the swipe comes from their left. Players shouldn’t be afraid to turn and run away to get some distance as well – there’s a decent amount of end lag on a Brute’s charge, so players should have some time.

 Mass Effect 3 gives players a number of effective anti-armor options, and fighting Brutes basically comes down to melting through their armor as quickly as possible. Incendiary Ammo is highly effective against Brutes. It’ll burn through armor faster than regular ammo. Complement this with Carnage and Incinerate, and a Brute’s armor will quickly burn away. Abilities like Cryo Blast and Warp, which reduce the effectiveness of armor, are also great options. In short, players should set up Shepard and their squad with enough anti-armor options and upgrades and practice dodging their close-range attacks, and Brutes will quickly become no trouble at all.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition is available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with backward compatibility for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

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