Priority: Earth | Mass Effect 3 Wiki

Priority: Earth Full Walkthrough

Getting Started

This mission is automatically acquired upon the conclusion of Priority: Cerberus Headquarters.

All systems except Earth are unavailable for travel and once you've ordered the fleets planetside, you will not be returning to the Normandy. So get any affairs you can in order, do your last minute shopping and choose your armor set wisely as you will not get another chance to do so.

You will be facing only Reaper enemies in this mission and in much greater numbers than anything you've faced thus far. By this time, you should have a good grasp of how best to deal with them and depending on your actions, you should have a good number of squadmates and Powers available. About halfway through the mission, you will get an opportunity to reassign squadmates, weapons and Powers.

When ready, open up the Galaxy Map and choose the Order Fleets to Earth option. As you do, Admiral Hackett will call for a meeting aboard the Normandy. After his speech, he joins you as Admiral Anderson briefs you over comms. The Reapers have closed the arms of The Citadel after transporting it to London, making it impossible to dock the Crucible. Your mission is to infiltrate and disable the Hades Cannons allowing Hammer team to land and then proceeding with the second stage of the plan which is to secure and utilize a translocation beam that the Reapers use to transport humans to the Citadel. Once inside, you will get the arms open allowing for Shield Fleet to escort the Crucible to the Citadel.

Walkthrough

The mission opens to a scene as the entire Alliance Fleet warps into Sol space and begins engaging the Reapers for a massive space battle, allowing for a big enough distraction for the Normandy to make its descent to Earth. As you fly over London, a Hades cannon shoots down one of the shuttles under your command, prompting the squad to make an emergency landing to take out that cannon.

As soon as the shuttle doors open, you will be fired at by a swarm of Reaper forces down below so get into cover immediately. This first area contains a large number of Cannibals and Marauders on higher ground. You will start the battle below and should secure the top of the hill immediately to curb their advantage. Take note of the Hades cannon in the background which emits a blinding light and shakes the screen every time it fires which can be highly disorienting. Get into cover whenever it fires and pop out in between its shots or you might find it difficult to aim at your opponents. Keep following the staircase up to street level and you should see a couple of Brutes in the distance. You should have plenty of time to take them out before they get to you, otherwise be prepared to reposition. Keep heading towards the cannon and you will eventually reach a ramp leading up to the upper level of a building where a scene shows Cortez getting shot down. Note that he may not survive this if you've not interacted with him enough to help him move on from his personal issues.

Up above are more Reaper forces to kill including Ravagers. To the right is the downed shuttle and you should now see a Nav Point for the M-920 Cain Heavy Weapon.. Make your way to the shuttle while clearing out enemy forces. Once you have a clear shot, pick up the Cain and aim for the Hades Cannon in the distance. There is another one further to the back and left of the shuttle in case you miss. Note that if, for whatever reason you miss both shots, it will lead to a mission failure as Shepard is bombarded with missiles. It's best you clear the area of enemies before taking the shot so you can ensure the cannon is destroyed, leaving you with another Cain to use for the next sequence.

After destroying the cannon, Shepard will call for extraction and you will hear a Banshee wail in the distance as you are prompted to "Survive". Hordes of enemies will pour in from the side adjacent to the shuttle, lead by the aforementioned Banshee. Note that if Morinth survived the events of Mass Effect 2, she will be the Banshee in this sequence. She will behave identically to a regular Banshee, the naming is simply for flavor. If you have the Cain, use it early before the Banshee gets to you as the blast can heavily damage or kill you or your squadmates if used in close to medium range. With the Banshee dead, you will have to deal with an endless horde of Cannibals until you are rescued which will take several minutes. Keep your focus on crowd control and disabling enemies instead of outright killing them as it does not matter how many you kill, a new Cannibal will pop up to take its place. This sequence is all about survival and mitigating damage so keep those enemies away from you, slow them down, stun them or suspend them in the air. Use your Powers generously. After a few minutes, a shuttle will arrive across the roof. Make your way to it as soon as you can while picking off enemies. Note the shuttle's health bar on your HUD. It's game over if the shuttle is destroyed but this should not be an issue if you have a clear path as it takes 2 seconds to sprint and get on board. Just don't get too occupied trying to kill off the enemies.

On board the shuttle, you are finally reunited with Admiral David Anderson for the first time since you left Earth at the beginning of the game. A Paragon Interrupt is available allowing you to shake his hand as you meet. As you make your way to the Hammer FOB, he briefs you on the events that took place on Earth since your absence. There will be several opportunities to earn morality points during your conversation. Another scene shows Hammer soldiers engaging the Reaper forces on the ground before cutting to a scene with you landing in the FOB. Anderson asks you to see him when you're ready. Once you regain control, head down the ladder to the right. You will have a final opportunity to interact with your squadmates as you explore the base. Depending on who's in your roster, up to 7 of them will be present in the base. 

James can be found just opposite of where you exit the building. Down the street from him on the right, you will find a group of soldiers huddled around a radio. You can listen to their conversation if you like. Across from them is a group of trucks and between the first two, you can find an opening in the building containing a Datapad. Directly opposite this room and across the street, you will find a building with the Communications Tech inside. Kaidan is just outside this building. If you go inside, you can speak with the Communications Tech who will allow you to converse with allies and former squadmates over video comms. Depending on who survived to this point, you will have the following roster of allies to speak with: Grunt, Jack, Jacob Taylor, Kasumi Goto, Miranda Lawson, Samara, Steve Cortez and Zaeed Massani. After exiting the building, turn right and find a ramp going up to the second story of a building where you can find Garrus conversing with a Turian soldier. You can also find Primarch Victus in the same room. When ready to proceed, head through the door in the back of the room. 

A cutscene will show an explosion going off in the distance, as a truck crashes near the base's barricades below. Shepard will then man the turret in the middle of the area and you will have to mow down the Husks and Cannibals appearing on the streets below. This sequence ends after a set amount of time regardless of how many enemies you kill. Continue along the walkway and past the door to find Liara. There are also a couple of Med Kits in the same room and a radio conversation if you wish to listen in. You can find a Datapad in the small, dark room to the right. Go through the door in the next section to find Javik. You can also see either Wrex or Wreav up on the ramp, addressing a group of Krogan soldiers below. You can speak to him after his pep talk. Through the final door, you will find EDI, Tali and Anderson. A Geth Prime will take Tali's place if you chose the Geth over Quarians during Priority: Rannoch and Admiral Raan will take her place if she died during the events of Mass Effect 2. Pick up the Med Kit on the fallen pillar by the windows before speaking to Anderson. Speaking with Anderson begins the final briefing for the second portion of the mission and after a final speech by Shepard to his squad, you will have a last chance to pick your squadmates and modify your loadout. Then begins the final stretch. A cutscene shows entire battalions and squads moving out of the FOB to engage the Reaper forces.

You regain control whilst in cover behind a group of Marauders and Cannibals. Beware of several enemies hiding around the corners. Continue ahead as you clear enemies and you will see a Mako vehicle get blown up. Defeat the enemies at the back and press onwards to the right where another Mako gets locked in combat with a Harvester. You can help destroy it for some extra XP or allow it to destroy the Mako, after which it will fly off. A Banshee will soon appear leading a pack of other Reaper infantry. Focus on the Banshee before it can get to you to keep danger at a minimum. When the Banshee is down, you will get a request for backup from a Marine whose platoon is pinned down nearby. Clear out your group of enemies and then head for the back of the area to a door on the left leading to a parking lot. Inside, you will be swarmed by Husks followed by a pair of Brutes and more Husks after. Be careful not to get caught in a tight spot in the relatively small space. Once the coast is clear, go around the vehicle wreckage on the left to find a ladder and climb up. Follow the ramps leading further up until you come across a large room on the right with a Ravager and several Cannibals and Marauders. Taking them out will allow the Marine's platoon to proceed. You can examine the computer here for a message. There is a Med Kit in the middle of the room and another near at the end of the row of sinks in the next room. Head back to the main room and exit through the door in the back. You will be assaulted by three Husks as soon as you open it. Proceed down the hall to get back to street level.

Plenty more Marauders will try to stop you as you proceed down the street. Further down, you will find a Ravager up on elevated terrain. From the Ravager's perch, a Brute will appear from the building on the right followed by several more Marauders and Husks. After clearing them, head towards the building and take cover by the windows as more Cannibals and Marauders come out of hiding. Once a path has been cleared, head inside and turn left to find more enemies. Search the shelves around the room for ammo if you need to replenish your supply. At the back, more Cannibals will appear from behind the row of terminals and you can see an exit on the left. There is more ammo and a Med Kit on the shelf opposite the rightmost terminal. Exit the building and drop down into the crater while making your way for the building on the opposite side. Enemies will be shooting at you from the building as you attempt to cross. When you get to the building, you can go around to the right window to spot a group in cover and take them out. Now get inside the building and go through the door in the back or left, depending on which entrance you took.

There will be more enemies in this room as well as in the adjacent building to the right, visible through the large window. There is a Medical Station left of the window. You should be able to see a Brute coming up the alley from the window. Take it out before it reaches you. Clear out any remaining enemies and then head down the alleyway the Brute came from. At the end, two more Brutes will come crashing through the wall stunning you briefly. Be careful in this narrow space. Backpedal immediately and begin shooting as you create distance between you and the Brutes. Head through the hole in the wall they created and refill ammo from the shelves on the right. There is a Datapad here as well. Head through the door in the back to begin a cutscene showing a Reaper destroyer doing what it does best.

When you regain control, you will be out on a busy street with a view of a Reaper Destroyer in the distance and a beam of light from the Conduit behind it. The mission parameters should now read "Secure Missile Battery". You will see a Thanix Missile truck in the center of the intersection, you will be using this on the Destroyer but the panel is inoperable until you defeat the surrounding enemies. After clearing them out, Shepard will converse with Major Coats who tells you about interference coming from the beam, preventing precision strikes with the missiles. Shepard will then contact EDI who suggests using the Normandy's targeting systems. Activate the console to begin the link and then prepare to defend the truck from an incoming horde of Reaper ground troops. The first wave will come in from the north (relative to the Conduit and Destroyer) with several more groups coming in from the south. Keep watch of your surroundings at all times as enemies can come from any direction at this point.

After some time, a Marine will radio in to inform you that enemies are headed your way from the left. This horde will consist of two Banshees leading more Marauders, Cannibals and Husks. If you prop yourself in the building directly left of the truck, you should be able to see them coming down the raised platforms and rubble through the large windows. Note that there is an M-560 Hydra Heavy Weapon in this building that you can use to clear one group that you're having trouble with but you should save it for later if you can. The Banshees will not be coming in at the same time but you should keep a lookout and prioritize them as they appear. Once all the enemies in the left are defeated, EDI will confirm the missiles are ready to launch.. Head back to the truck and activate the console to launch. The missiles will miss due to the Reaper being too close to the beam so you will need to find a way to draw it away from the beam and within firing range of your two remaining missles.

Move forward towards the second Thanix Missile truck and look to the right side of the intersection for the first wave of enemies. Take note that the Destroyer will now begin firing its death beam at you. You can either go for cover in one of the ruined buildings where the beam cannot hit you or stay out in the open where you are relatively safe from the close-range opponents but exposed to the beam. You will be faced with several pairs of Brutes coming from various directions. If you don't destroy them fast enough, they will all converge on your location making them quite tough to deal with. A useful trick is to lead them all down a long stretch of the road and bait the Destroyer's beam into killing them while you dodge to the side. Otherwise, consider making use of the Hydra launcher now. Eventually, a Harvester will land near the middle of the intersection which should be your priority unless too many Brutes are still alive. Killing this Harvester will end encounter with the Brutes immediately.

After the Harvesters and Brutes are dealt with, you will now face the final wave which will consist of endlessly spawning Marauders and Banshees. If you still have the Hydra available, now is the time to use it. Keep careful watch of each side of the intersection as enemies can basically spawn from anywhere at this point. If you need refills on ammo and Med Kits, head for one of the buildings strewn across the areas, each one should have some supplies available for you. Eventually, EDI will radio in to tell you the Destroyer is in range and the missiles are ready for launch. This signals that you can end the encounter right then and there. Head for the truck and activate the console and watch the Destroyer get obliterated after landing a critical shot and opening it up to Alliance bombardment. Anderson will arrive shortly after and he reports several Soveeign-class Reapers including Harbinger have broken off from the main battle in orbit and are heading towards the planet. He emphasizes that if you are to get the Citadel arms open, the time to do so is now.

After several cutscenes, you are finally at the Conduit, witnessing the arrival of Harbinger. There is nothing else to do here but run towards the Conduit as Harbinger decimates your allies all around you. At the end of the run sequence, you will bear witness to either the survival or deaths of the squadmates you brought along. This is dependent on your Effective Military Strength rating influenced by all the War Assets you've acquired. Subsequently, Shepard will continue on dashing for the Conduit as Harbinger aims a death ray at him and the screen turns white. In the next scene, Shepard wakes up, heavily injured and alone, grabbing his pistol as you regain control.

You will begin hobbling towards the Conduit, being attacked by Husks as you do. Armed with nothing but a pistol and a highly unstable aim, you must take out your attackers before they reach you. Your pistol will have infinite ammo and there is no need to reload it for this sequence. Furthermore, the game goes into slow motion any time enemies comes near, making it easier to kill them despite the conditions. During the last stretch, you will get shot at by a Marauder. Eliminate it and continue on to the beam.

After another cutscene, you are ejected into an unfamiliar area of the Citadel, littered with corpses and Keepers attending to them. You contact Anderson and he reveals he followed you up to the Citadel but did not seem to end up where you did. When you regain control, simply move forward as Anderson keeps speaking to you and describing his position. You will eventually come to a long walkway leading down and then up again on the other side, with chasms on either side. Keep moving forward and head up the ramp as Shepard loses contact with Anderson.

As you reach the top, you are met with familiar scenery and a figure in the distance. It's Anderson who is being held hostage by the Illusive Man who then appears from behind you, his appearance heavily altered. There are several branches for the conversation with the Illusive Man, but only the final choice will have an impact on the outcome. If you have used Paragon or Renegade options in all other conversations with him throughout the game, you will have the choice of using a Paragon or Renegade dialogue option during the final conversation sequence. If choosing the Paragon option, the Illusive Man will commit suicide by using Anderson's gun. Choosing the Renegade option will lead to an Interrupt chance. Not taking this Interrupt will result in mission failure. Using a Neutral dialogue option will result in two Interrupt chances which must be taken, otherwise it will also lead to a mission failure.

After dealing with the Illusive Man, Shepard opens the Citadel's arms, allowing the Crucible to dock. The ending sequence begins with several long conversations and potential outcomes. Due to the number of possible outcomes and their complexity, please check the Endings Guide for details on the various endings and how to achieve certain outcomes.

Trivia & Notes

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