Virmire: Assault | Mass Effect 1 Wiki

Virmire: Assault is a Mission in Mass Effect. Virmire: Assault is the second Mission you obtain on the planet Virmire. Completing Missions in Mass Effect progresses the story forward.

 

Virmire: Assault Objectives

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Virmire: Assault Walkthrough

Getting Ready

• Besides the usual Geth army Saren employs, you will find many Krogan during this Mission. This part of Virmire focuses more on short-range combat, so consider bringing at least one member with shotgun training. Tali and Wrex are perfect squadmates to bring along.
• Consider modifying Weapons to utilize ammo that either prevents health regeneration, knocks opponents down or both of them. In the Armor department, try to gear it towards shield and health regeneration,

Sneaking

• You start jumping behind a wall to survey the area. Captain Kirrahe get ins contact via comm to do a quick comm check. He mentions that he will start the attack on Saren's base and reminds Commander Shepard to be on the lookout for anything that can help them.
• Head forward and in the distance, there is a watchtower of sorts. Head towards it and you will find a group of Geth, composed of Geth Troopers, Geth Shock Troopers and Geth  Rocket Troopers. They tend to deploy a small shields on the upper level.
• Once they are down, move up the ramp and head to the console. Select it to disable the Geth's communications frequencies. There is a Weapons locker you can hack there. Head back down the ramp and you can either keep going to the T-Junction or go around to the north and around. No matter the way you choose you will inexorably run into more Geth. To the North you will find Geth Rocket Drones and to the south you will find Geth Troopers instead.
• At the next watchtower, you will find more Geth, this time accompanied by a Geth Destroyer and a Krogan. Focus on the Destroyer first, because it likes to get close. When the Enemies are down, target the structure of the roof, doing so will disrupt the Geth's satellite uplinks. 
• If you feel like, you can take the other route to get the experience from killing more Enemies, or just simply head up.

Approaching the Base

• As you head up the ramp you will see a Geth Destroyer in the distance. It is advised to take it out before it moves out of sight. If it does get away, it will come back around the corner  to find you. Once you reach the T-junction take the left/south path, get ready to engage in combat. You will find two Krogan on a platform, use Biotics to throw them off balance. While you are facing both Krogan, if you haven't taken the Geth Destroyer down before, it will come around you. You can grab the crate on the platform on the platform after you defeat the Krogan. Head up the rock ramp to find a technician kit.
• Head back down the ramp and head left/north. You will hear the squadmate you sent with Captain Kirrahe over the intercom telling everyone to hunker down. That is your audio cue that you have taken the right path, if you don't hear it, you probably made a wrong turn. After turning a corner you will see a few fuel tanks and some Geth Rocket Drones. Take advantage of the fuel tanks, shoot them or use Sabotage on them, to inflict severe damage.
• It is important to note that Captain Kirrahe's fate depends solely on the Geth Flyers. He will die if you ignore them and survive if you destroy them all. 
• You can now head on either path to reach the final bridge to Saren's base. You will find it covered by several hexagonal Geth shields. You will be attacked by two Geth Snipers and two Krogan. Take cover as soon as you can. These Krogan have a habit of walking down the bridge and then charge about halfway across to close the gap on your squad to fully take advantage of their devastating close-range Shotguns and powerful melee attacks
• Once defeated, head across the bridge. Grab the crate on the left and hack the wall safe on the right. Now you are presented with two options to enter the base:

1. The door on the upper level to the right of the bridge.
2. A path down through the base's underworks that can be accessed to the left of the bridge.

Base Underworks

• Head to the left after crossing the bridge, and take the ramp on the left. Use Decryption on the door at the bottom of the ramp to enter it.
• Go along the pipes, eventually you will reach a room where on your right is an elevated platform. In this room you will find some indoctrinated Salarians and a few Geth Troopers. Use the cover to take them out.
• Once the fight is over, grab the technician kit on the lower level then head to the upper level to access the security console. One of your squadmates will hack the console and say there are two options: 

1. Disable the alarms
2. Generate alarms on the other side of the base as a distraction.

• If you select the first option, you will earn more experience because there will be more Enemies to fight. 

Door on the Upper Level

• Open the door and send your squadmates up the stairs. Get ready to fight some more indoctrinated Salarians. You can find an Aid Station near them, right by the door.
• You can loot four crates after defeating the indoctrinated Salarians,  behind the staircase.
• Head up the stairs and keep going. When you get to the next set of stairs, you will arrive at an area marked as Cell Block B on your map. You can find the Turian Intel Report terminal containing a codex entry, if you haven't received it yet. There is a hold of cells containing imprisoned Salarians, but you can talk to only one.
• He will introduce himself as Private Menos Avot and says that he has been subjected to experiments for the past six days. You can choose to leave him imprisoned or let him out. 
• If you let him out, he succumbs to the "incessant whispering" and attacks along with the rest of the indoctrinated Salarians. Doing this awards you Paragon points.
• If you choose to leave him imprisoned, he will try to escape by charging the glass. Although he won't be able to leave, he will crack his skull in the process. Choosing this option, awards you with Renegade points.
• Take the stairs and at the end you will reach a security office with two more indoctrinated Salarians. Defeat them, loot the crate in the room and the Weapons locker. The terminal labeled Salarian Intel Report has another codex entry in it. Go to the door opposite  to where you came from, open it. You should see a catwalk on the same level as you, if not, then try another door. DON'T use the elevator yet unless you are trying to avoid unnecessary Enemies and loot, as it leads you to the interior of the base.
• Walk over the catwalk until you reach another door. If someone on the cellos below notices your presence, you are in the right place. For now, just ignore him. Beyond the door, you will reach an antechamber that contains an Asari Intel Report containing another codex entry. You will find two more indoctrinated Salarians accompanied by a Geth Juggernaut in the next room. 
• When you take them down, Salarians and Geth will be coming from the lower level warehouse. If you previously decided to generate alarms on the other side of the base, then you will be facing Salarians only, otherwise you will be also facing Geth Troopers, Geth Rocket Troopers, Geth Shock Troopers and a Geth Destroyer. Focus on the Geth Destroyer at first. Once the fight is over, grab the medi-gel from the aid station near the stairs. (If you didn't enter from the base undeworks, and decided to take the door on the base's upper level, this is the room you'll have entered)
• Return to the security office and then turn to the right and take the door. When you open you should be looking at a staircase heading down to the right. This staircase leads to the lower levels of the catwalk you were on. As you reach the bottom, open the door and you will see the Salarian that was calling you out earlier. Lieutenant Ganto Imness. Ganto has plenty of information to share, about the threat of indoctrination and what happened to his squad.
• As was the previous case, after talking for a while, you can decide to release him or keep him inside the cell. If you  release him, you will acquired Paragon points, while leaving him to rot in his cell will net you Renegade Points. You can tell him you are leaving, to obtain the Renegade points, and then change your mind and open the cell, to earn the Paragon points.
• Next to his cell, there are four more trapped Salarians. Again the process is the same, you can free them or execute them as you see fit.
• Return to the security office and now it's time to use the elevator.

Base Interior

• Once at the top, you will see a lot of Enemies, but they won't instantly notice you. Once you interact with the stasis console directly in front of you will instantly draw their attention. Dr Droyas, his assistant and the Husks will attack. Dispatch them, Dr Droyas is not as though as the other Krogan you have previously faced, so there's not much to worry about. 
• Once defeated, loot the area and head out of the room, destroy the two Geth Troopers on the floor. You will find an Asari behind a desk. She introduces herself as Rana Thanoptis. She gives more information on Indoctrination and especially, Saren's ship, Sovereign.
  If you keep asking her questions, she gives a lot of information and access to Saren's private lab. As has been the case during this Mission, you have the option of killing her or letting her go. Grab the Weapon locker on the room. 
• Take the elevator to Saren's Lab and to your whole squad surprise, you will find another Beacon. Your squadmates will comment if it is the same you found on Eden Prime. Activate the Beacon and a vision will be played as the one in Eden Prime, but this Beacon doesn't explode. 
• After Commander Shepard is dropped the squad walks up the stairs, across the catwalk and a bright red hologram appears.
• The hologram begins talking, Commander Shepard and the squad learn that Sovereign is an actual Reaper. You can learn about the intentions of the Reapers and the destruction of the Protheans, after that information Sovereign shatters all the lab glasses.

The destruction of Saren's Base

• After the scene, Joker comes over the radio stating that Sovereign has pulled a turn that would shear any ship in the Alliance Navy in half. Head back to the elevator. As you exit the upper station, a Geth Destroyer is waiting for you, face it. When you enter Rana's former office, you have another opportunity to grab the locker code. Leave the room and you will see the bridge leading bak to the way you came from raised. However, the one in front of the squad is lowered.
• You will find three Krogan armed with Shotguns on the other side. They are too far to deal much damage. Send your squadmates, and use Lift as soon as they charge. This may lead to an instant-kill. Once they are down, move through the tunnel and exit.
• You can find three crates on the lower platform. Head around the corner and get ready for another fight. There is a Krogan on a lower platform to the right. Lift and then Throw  is a specially effective tactic to dispose of him. You can now focus on the Geth Hopper, around the corner, you will find more Geth. Two Geth Rocket Drones and a single Geth Assault Drone.
• Once the Geth are gone,  you will find two crates on the platform where the Krogan was. Head up to the platform and turn around, you will find, more inorganics Enemies. Geth Troopers, two Geth Rocket Drones and a Geth Rocket Trooper. Take them out and enter the elevator.  Once you exit, you will find yourself in one ofthe Krogan breeding trenches. You will find a few Geth Stalkers.
• After defeating the Geth, head to the next door to find even more Geth. Geth Troopers, Geth Rocket Troopers, Geth Shock Troopers and a Geth Destroyer or a Geth Juggernaut on higher difficulties. After this fight, you are treated to a cutscene.

The Bomb

• The squadmate you didn't send with Captain Kirrahe, walks down the ramp with the Salarian drive core that has been converted into a nuclear bomb. The bomb is placed near the geothermal taps that power the base. This is interrupted by your other squadmate coming over the radio stating that they are being pinned down on the second AA tower. The squadmate with you suggests to go because they are still in the arming process and need more time, so go. 
• You have the option to select your squad again at this point. You won't have access to Kaidan Alenko or Ashley Williams, no matter your choices. If Commander Shepard is not a Biotic, Liara T'Soni is an excellent addition to the team for the next sequence.
• Once you are in control, head to the door on your right. and you will be facing a mix of Krogan and Geth. There are three Krogan, including a powerful Krogan Warlord, and a few Geth Hoppers. Get to cover as ASAP, to avoid Assassination by the Geth Hoppers, and don't lose sight of the Warlord, because he tends to charge before the other Krogan. He likes to specifically focus on Commander Shepard so keep that in mind.
• When the Krogan Warlord is defeated, focus on the Geth and finally the remaining Krogan. After the fight is over, run across and take the elevator. When you reach the top, you will find a crate to your left, grab it before heading up the ramp. A big decision is coming, a cutscene starts and you see a Geth Dropship flying overhead.

Big Decision

• Commander Shepard receives a call from the squadmate back at the bombing site, stating that Geth are being deployed in overwhelming numbers, but no matter what, the bomb will be armed. Both are insistent that Commander Shepard go and save the other one. There is no time to save both, so it is the moment of the big decision. Kaidan Alenko or Ashley Williams, the one you don't pick, will die when the bomb goes off. This will cause you to lose all equipped gear on the squad member you don't save.
• Now, depending on whom you choose to save, you will either continue to the AA tower or head back to the bomb site. You will have to follow the route you chose until the end of the Mission. Meaning, if you decided to save your teammate at the AA tower, the elevator back to the bomb will be disabled, and vice versa.

 Escape of Virmire

• After taking enough damage, Saren falls. You are treated to a final cutscene of him stepping off his platform, grabbing Commander Shepard by the neck. Suddenly, something distracts the Turian. A split second Commander Shepard seizes to punch him and set himself free. Saren, gets on his platform again and leaves.
• If you decided to go to the AA Tower, you see the squadmate you left at the bombing site, gravely wounded, fighting off the Geth from behind the bomb. As the Normandy passes by, he/she smiles and gets back to shooting the Geth. On the other hand, if you decided to save the squadmate at the bomb site, you won't see the fate of whoever was left at the AA tower.
  The scene shifts to the Normandy getting as away as possible from the bomb's blast. As the nuke goes off, Commander Shepard look out the window at the mushroom cloud.
• Now at the briefing room, whomever you saved is bitter and angry about not saving the one who perished at Virmire, and states that saving him/her was not the right choice. You can choose the soft response or be blunt about it. 
  If Liara T'Soni is in your party, she will offer to join minds once again. to make sense of the vision and if you have the cipher from Feros, she is able to recognize some of the places from her research. This points you to Ilos.
• Joker offers to patch the Council in, and you can accept or decline to talk to them. If you do, they are grateful for the success of the Mission. Regarding the Reapers, they are skeptical.
• You can walk around the Normandy and talk to your squadmates about the Misison and the lost of your teammate. 
  If Captain Kirrahe survived, he is at the Normandy's hangar deck. You can also talk to Commander Rentola to purchase any of his leftover gear, Armory Licenses and a second chance to acquire the Armali Council armory license, that he didn't have available before the battle.
• If you already completed the first four plot worlds, you will be returned to the Citadel once you use the Galaxy Map and lockdown will being immediately after you dock.

 

How to unlock Virmire: Assault

• You obtain Virmire: Assault once you leave the Salarian camp on Virmire.

 

Virmire: Assault Rewards

• N/A

 

Enemies found on Virmire: Assault

 

Virmire: Assault Notes & Tips

• Notes & tips go here

 

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