Best Engineer Tech Build - Mass Effect: Andromeda (MEA)

This post covers the Best Engineer Build in Mass Effect Andromeda. This is a profile that is unlocked via skill investments into the tech tree. Generally, an engineer is an expert at offensive and defensive tech powers. Moreover, they are capable of effectively controlling various constructs and drones.

Engineer Tech Build

This build took a lot of effort, reading, and testing to make. I wanted to do something that utilizes the constructs and relies on them for combat. That is a viable solution, however, Andromeda is a fast-paced game, and having two constructs makes you lose a lot of damage.

Fortunately, I was able to find a compromise and a very good at that. We spread Engineer capabilities to use - casting skills, constructs, and weapons to create a multi-purpose Engineer on the battlefield. The construct plays an important role by providing some aggro and priming combos.

Your weapons are used to shred enemies while your tech skills are on cooldown. Once your skills are ready you can create combos yourself or together with your construct/party members to take out any type of protection easily

Skills allocation

This section covers how Squad points should be allocated for the end game on the Engineer Tech Build.

Tech Powers

Here are recommended tech power skills. The upgrade choices are optional and you can pick them based on your preference.

Power name	Upgrades Choices	Description
Energy Drain	Recharge Speed Extend Duration Damage	A truly powerful ability that we will use to prime and detonate tech combos. Moreover, it restores shields giving a large boost to the Engineer's survivability.
Incinerate	Radius Anti-Armor Detonator	You will use this ability mainly against enemy armor. Moreover, once we take the Detonator upgrade, the ability can also detonate combos, which can be created by Remnant VI, Energy Drain, or companions. For the level 5 upgrade, I went with Anti-Armor, because I feel armored enemies are especially dangerous and you want them dead ASAP.
Remnant VI	Exploited Repairs Focus Module Electric Beam	The construct will play two major roles. First, it will provide some damage and draw the enemy's attention. Second, it will prime targets for Tech Combos. This will happen with the level 6 upgrade Electric Beam. With it, you will have 3 sources of combos - Ryder, companions, and construct
Offensive Tech	Any Detonators Elemental Tech	Improves offensive stats of tech-related skills - damage, recharge speed, detonator damage. The last upgrade Elemental Tech will give elemental defense debuff for more damage.
Team Support	Support Team Recovery Life Support	The most important survivability skill. Although it gives good bonuses, the last upgrade Life Support, allows restoring HP when a Tech skill has been used
Auxiliary Systems	Weapon Mass Reduction Impact Dilation Omni-Vents	Improves tech skills effects, like construct health, duration, radius, etc.

Combat Skills

Choose only one based on the weapon you use. Check recommended weapons in the Equipment section. You should pick either Assault Rifle or Shotgun in my opinion.

Power name	Upgrades Choices	Description
Assault Rifles	Weight Clip Size Shattered Defenses	If you wish to use Assault Rifles I recommend this skill tree
Shotguns	Weight Clip Size Damage & Force	If you wish to use Shotguns I recommend this skill tree

Biotic Skills

I only recommend one skill from this tree. It will give a decent boost to Ryder's survivability.

Power name	Upgrades Choices	Description
Barrier	Any Biotic Alacrity Saving Barrier	Our goal is the level 6 upgrade - Saving Barrier. It gives instant shield restoration when health is low. On Insanity, this can mean life and death and it will come in handy in almost every encounter

Profile

Profile	Description
Engineer	The profile gives bonuses to combo damage and improves summoned construct stats. More importantly, it gives a unique effect - Combat Drone. It releases an EMP charge when enemies are nearby and provides bonus power recharge speed.

Ability Progression

This section covers detailed ability progression for Engineer Build. This is just a suggested progression, feel free to adjust it based on your needs.

Order	Skill	Description
1	Energy Drain Lv 3	Getting the core offensive abilities that will improve damage and allow combos with just Engineer
2	Incinerate Lv 3
3	Offensive Tech Lv 3
4	Overload Lv 3	I do not list this skill but I recommend it in progression, strange? The reason is that it may take some time before obtaining Remnant VI, so having one unusable skill slot is a big waste
5	Energy Drain Lv 5	Get Duration upgrade for Tech priming capabilities.
6	Team Support Lv 2	Improvements to shields for survivability
7	Incinerate Lv 6	Get the Detonator upgrade to have another ability that can prime and detonate skills
8	Remnant VI Lv 4	Get this ability and switch it with Overload. By this time you should have access to it after Aya planet and finishing Pebee: Secret Project
9	Offensive Tech Lv 6	Maximize tech skills damage
10	Remnant VI Lv 6	Get the upgrades for increased beam damage and Electric Beam, this will play an essential role in allowing the construct to prime enemies. You can then exploit this by using Incinerate/Energy Drain to detonate them
11	Energy Drain Lv 6	Get the last Damage upgrade
12	Team Support Lv 6	Passives to improve survivability and tech skill effectiveness
13	Auxiliary Systems Lv 6
14	Preferred Weapon skill Lv 6	I enjoy using either Assault Rifles or Shotguns, you can also pick Pistols
15	Barrier Lv 6	Provides another layer of survivability, the last upgrade gives instant shield restore at low HP.

After this, you are free to take the additional abilities that I recommend, based on your preferences

Tactics

This section will cover playing the best Engineer build in Mass Effect Andromeda.

Fully utilizing Construct

For this build, we will be using Remnant VI (there is also an Assault Drone). What makes it good is that it follows Ryder and provides some combat support. However, with the last upgrade Electrical Beam, it starts playing a major role in your combat tactics.

The key is to use your tech ability like Incinerate or Energy Drain once you see the Remnant's Beam hitting an enemy. This is a small period where enemies are primed for Tech Combo and you can create combos.

However, I would do a bit different approach, I would still engage in combat on my terms, and if I see that the drone is hitting an enemy nearby that I can detonate, I do that. Otherwise, I leave the construct to do everything by itself.

Mix in weapon combat

This is an important aspect of the Engineer build that should not be neglected. Although we heavily invest in Tech skills, weapon still plays a large role. Check weapon recommendations in the equipment section. Overall, this will greatly improve your offensive capabilities as your abilities will be often under cooldown while you do not have good augmentations and large skill investment

Combat Rotation and approaches

Generally, I would start combat by summoning Remnant VI as it can help throughout the whole encounter. Once that is done, check what enemy you will be attacking. If it has:

• Shields - start with Energy Drain
• Armor - start with Incinerate

After this follow up with an ability that is not on a cooldown to create a combo detonation. Now, your abilities will probably be on cooldown, and I would release a volley of shots with your weapon.

Once the first tech skill becomes available, check what your construct is doing. If it is hitting a nearby enemy with Electrical Beam, detonate it with the skill that is ready. Otherwise, you can start again by setting up your combos. This is a general flow I use with Engineer

Rinse and Repeat

Companions

Here are the companions that I recommend for Engineer in Mass Effect Andromeda. Overall, this build works with almost any companion. By yourself, you already have good capabilities to prime and detonate combos. Check the squad builds recommendations

Of course, having someone like Drack or Peebee is useful for combos, but it will not be a gamechanger, as the build is sufficient by itself to handle almost any combat situation

Equipment

This section will cover what equipment you should be using with Engineer Tech Build.

Weapons

Choosing a good weapon is extremely important for the best Engineer build. You will rely on it a lot as abilities will be on a cooldown quite often.

Name	Mods	Augmentations
N7 Valkyrie	AR Light Stock AR Heavy Magazine AR Barrel AR Scope	Automatic Fire System - turns the weapon into automatic Bio-Converter - use HP to reload Double Mod Extension - adds two mod slots Tech Damage Module - increases tech skills damage
N7 Piranha	Shotgun Barrel Shotgun Receiver	Bio-Converter - use HP to reload Seeking Plasma System - projectiles track enemies. Tech Damage Module - increases tech skills damage

Melee Weapons

Having a good melee weapon is important for the Engineer build. The main reason is that the augmentations that you choose apply all the time. So go for the one that has the most slots (these are Ultra Rare)

Name	Augmentations	Description
Asari Sword	Tech Recharge Module - reduces tech abilities recharge time	Has 4 augmentation slots, the most out of all melee weapons. However, it also has a unique effect that makes the wielder invulnerable during its use

Armors

Here are what Armor pieces I recommend for the Engineer. This will use gear from two item sets:

Armor piece	Stats	Augmentation options
Heleus Helmet	+7%-25% Power Damage +2%-8% Weapon Damage	Tech Damage Module - increases tech skills damage
Angaran Chest	+4%-13% Tech Power Damage +4%-13% Tech Effect Duration +4%-15% Max Shields +10%-25% Tech Construct Damage	Shield Oscillator - provide shield restoration on kill Tech Damage Module - increases tech skills damage
Angaran Legs	+3%-12% Tech Power Damage +3%-12% Tech Effect Duration +3%-12% Max Shields	Tech Damage Module - increases tech skills damage
Angaran Arms	+3%-12% Tech Power Damage +3%-12% Tech Effect Duration +3%-12% Max Shields	Tech Damage Module - increases tech skills damage Aerial Lubricant - increases tech skill damage while hovering

Fusion Mods

Name	Description
Fusion Mod of Rapid Deployment	I do not think this mod is necessary, however, you should try it. This mod gives 50% power recharge speed and decreases weapon damage by 30%. So if you were relying on weapon damage, this could impact negatively your build

Conclusion

Thank you for reading this post on the best Engineer build in Mass Effect Andromeda. I covered recommended abilities and their progression, best equipment, and tactics.

Feel free to leave a comment below!