Priority: Rannoch | Mass Effect 3 Wiki

Priority: Rannoch Full Walkthrough

Getting Started

This mission is acquired automatically upon the conclusion of Priority: Geth Dreadnought. However, you will not be able to start the mission until you complete either Rannoch: Admiral Koris or Rannoch: Geth Fighter Squadrons. After completing one of the two, you will get a scene on the Normandy with Admiral Raan informing you they've located the Reaper base. Note that if you've only completed one of the aforementioned missions, starting this mission will make the other permanently unavailable.

If Tali is present in your playthrough, she will be a mandatory squadmate on this mission leaving you with only one other slot to pick another squadmate. Otherwise, you can pick both squadmates freely as Admiral Xen provides support via comms. In the same vein, Legion will be present in this mission if it survived the events of Mass Effect 2. Otherwise, Geth VI will take on its role. This guide assumes the former in both scenarios.

As for squad composition, this mission's combat scenarios will play out much like the past few Geth missions. You will have Tali who is adept at disabling Geth forces so pick another squadmate who will compliment her Powers and allow you to create powerful Tech Bursts as the enemies will tend to be grouped up frequently. You can also focus on armor-stripping powers if you want an easier time against the Geth Prime units.

When ready, chart a course for Rannoch and pick the Reaper Base NavPoint to begin.

Walkthrough

The mission opens to a cutscene on the shuttle with Shepard and Legion discussing strategy. Legion reveals it still retains some of the Reaper upgrade code and will attempt to disable Geth defense systems and secure an escape vehicle for the team. When you land, a short scene with Tali ensues as she processes the reality that she has returned to her homeworld.

Once you've regained control, you are thrust into combat immediately with a group of Geth Troopers. After defeating this initial group, more troopers will appear just down the hill. Take them out and continue on down where they were. Move toward the large blast door in the distance which will shut as you approach while more troopers attack. After the enemies are defeated, move towards the door and pick up the SMG High Caliber Barrel Upgrade on the right. You will be unable to proceed from here so head further right of the blast door and climb up the large pipes. There is a ladder up above with a Geth Trooper waiting for you. Take him out and then vault over the ledge to the left to get to a walkway. There will be another trooper and a Geth Rocket Trooper spawning in from the distance. Continue forward and then take the ladder on the left to the upper platform. There is another ladder leading up but before you take it, continue on forward and pick up the Kassa Fabrication Gauntlets on the ground. Then hop over to the right to where the rocket trooper was and you can pick up the Assault Rifle Piercing Mod just behind the piece of cover. Now hop back over to the left and take the ladder up another level. Vault over the pipes and ledges and you will see a couple of troopers appear in the lower level in front of you. Take them out and a couple of rocket troopers should appear. Be careful as you defeat them and move forward as more will appear from the back area and immediately fire at you. Once all hostiles are down, proceed along the walkway and then to the right past the door. Inside the small room, you can salvage some Reaper Tech on the right worth 10,000 Credits.

Head up the ramp just ahead and kill the trooper hiding behind cover. You arrive at a fork overlooking a massive facility encasing a very large piece of Reaper tech, with a blast shield covering it up as Legion informs you of an override atop the Geth fortifications. Take the left path first and pick up the SMG Ultralight Materials upgrade and then head back towards the right. Numerous troopers will arrive shortly prompting another fight. Search the right and back side of this area for an Assault Rifle Stability Damper and then follow the walkway going left towards the troopers. Make liberal use of your Powers as this section faces you off with a very large number of enemies. Make sure to pick up ammo where ever you find them. You will eventually reach an area where more troopers will appear on a balcony platform on the left. Keep moving forward and taking out Geth troopers left and right. Legion will contact you via comms signaling that all hostiles have been eliminated. You can safely proceed towards the door at the end of the main walkway but be sure to pick up the Geth Plasma Shotgun and 5,000 Credits' worth of salvage just before it.

Past the door, salvage the data from the terminal for 10,000 Credits and pick up the Med Kit on the floor nearby. Follow the narrow corridor around to a door. Go through and engage the Geth troopers who immediately begin firing at you. Be careful not to get flanked as more troopers will be attacking you from all directions. Follow the path left of the entrance, moving towards the console at the back. Eliminate all hostiles and then activate the console. More enemies will come flooding in and you need to survive as Legion bypasses the security systems. Some Geth Pyros will now come into play. Try to Sabotage the ones closest to the rest of the Geth forces, allowing them to deal a hefty blow to enemy numbers with relative ease. Once every Geth is defeated, Legion will contact you again about requiring a manual override but they conveniently enable the console just ahead of you. Activate the console to retract the blast shield around the Reaper tech outside. Legion will inform you that the way back has been sealed but there is an elevator just ahead that you can take back to the surface. Prop your squadmates behind the pockets of cover as the elevator arrives with a Geth Prime in it. A couple of rocket troopers will also drop in shortly after. Pick up the Med Kit to the right of the elevator before stepping on.

On the upper level, you are thrust into combat once again with three Primes in each direction to your left, right and directly ahead. There are Geth Spitfire heavy weapons in this large room with one directly in front of the elevator. These will be helpful in quickly dispatching the Primes if you can find an opening. To get such an opening, it is recommended you attempt to strip the shields of one Prime, allowing Tali to Sabotage it, giving you some breathing room as the remaining Primes switch targets to their ally.

Once the Primes are destroyed, follow the waypoint to a walkway platform overlooking the large Reaper broadcasting device. Shepard will pull out the targeting laser to designate a target for the Normandy. Aim the laser at the targeting circle and hold the trigger. The Normandy will swoop in to bomb the device as the blast knocks Shepard off the platform down to the outer edge of the facility. A Reaper Destroyer then emerges from the hole as Legion arrives on the far side with an escape hovercraft. Make your way immediately to Legion's vehicle as taking too long on this section will result in the Reaper killing you. Once on the vehicle, Shepard will call for an orbital strike, temporarily disabling the Reaper. Shepard will then decide to destroy the Reaper right there and then, ordering EDI to sync the Quarian fleet's targeting systems with the Normandy's. 

This next sequence is fairly straightforward. As the Reaper comes back online, it will begin shooting its laser beam at the terrain while a targeting reticle appears over its "eye". Just like with the signal device, aim your targeting laser at the eye as it fires to signal the Quarian fleet to attack the weakspot. After the first successful hit, the Reaper will begin to target you and you will need to roll to the sides to avoid its beam. Note that targeting progress is saved even if you stop aiming to dodge, meaning you can aim, hold the trigger, dodge the beam and then resume targeting from where you left off without having to initiate the targeting sequence from the beginning. Depending on your difficulty, you will need to hit the Reaper 2-4 times. It will close in on you after every successful hit. After the last shot, a slow-motion final sequence will initiate which requires rather precise aiming compared to previous instances. Once successful, this will trigger a cutscene showing the Quarian fleet firing in tandem and destroying the Reaper for good.

As the mission comes to a close, the Reaper converses with Shepard, taunting him about the inevitability of his defeat. There are several dialogue options you can choose here, each with either Paragon, Renegade or neutral leanings. The Paragon and Renegade options will also come with their own Interrupt opportunities but aside from extra Paragon or Renegade points, these options do not have a large impact on the outcome as the Reaper still dies. What comes next however is largely impactful as Shepard will have to decide the fate of the Geth and Quarian races.

Legion will arrive at the cliffs and confirms the Geth are no longer under Reaper control. Admiral Gerrel comes in over comms exclaiming the Geth are completely vulnerable and calls on the fleet to destroy them. Legion wishes to upload the Reaper upgrades to all Geth, giving them true intelligence while retaining their free will. Tali is appalled by this suggestion as it would mean the extinction of her race at the hands of a vastly superior, intelligent Geth army and begs you not to pick the Geth over her people. You now have two options to make:

• Upload the code - Choosing this will cause Legion to begin uploading the program as Tali frantically tries to get the Quarian fleet to cease fire, an order which Admiral Gerrel adamantly repeals. Legion will sacrifice itself in order to complete the upload. The end result of this decision is the destruction of the Quarian race and Tali taking her own life by throwing herself off the cliff. There will be a Paragon Interrupt chance as she falls to her death, but this will have no impact. Tali cannot be saved once she decides to commit suicide. You will gain the Geth as a War Asset but permanently lose Tali and the Quarians.
• Let the geth die - Choosing this option will lead to Legion attacking, forcing Shepard and Tali to retaliate. There will be several Renegade Interrupts leading to Shepard killing Legion. The Geth will be annihilated and you will gain the Migrant Fleet as a War Asset as a result while retaining Tali as a squad member.
• There is a hidden third option which causes the Geth and Quarians to co-exist in peace. This option(split into either Charm or Intimidate dialogue options that result in identical outcomes) only appears if you meet certain very specific requirements:
  1. 80% of the Reputation Bar filled which requires investing heavily in NPC interactions throughout the game.
  2. Tali must be alive and present. This requires importing a Mass Effect 2 save file in which she survives the ordeals of the previous game.
  3. Legion must be alive and present. Similar to Tali, this also requires a Mass Effect 2 save file where Legion survives.
  4. Rannoch: Geth Fighter Squadrons must have been completed.
• Meeting ALL four requirements above will allow you a Charm or Intimidate option shortly after choosing to either upload the code or let the Geth die. Choosing either one will cause Shepard to address the Quarian Fleet directly and attempt to get them to cease fire. However, the success of this will hinge on passing a check. Similar to Priority: The Citadel II, this check will employ points based on actions you've taken earlier in the story, as well as in the previous game. The factors that come into play and their point calculations are as follows:
  • Securing Tali's Loyalty during her Loyalty Mission in Mass Effect 2 awards +2 Points.
  • Destroying the heretic Geth during Legion's Loyalty Mission in Mass Effect 2 awards + 2 Points.
  • Resolving Tali and Legion's post-Loyalty Mission argument in Mass Effect 2 awards + 1 Point.
  • Completing Rannoch: Admiral Koris awards +1 Point.
  • Rescuing Admiral Koris during Rannoch: Admiral Koris awards another +1 Point.
• The game then tallies up the point total and the call for ceasefire will succeed if you have 5 Points or more. While this conclusion is the most involved and hardest to achieve, it is also the most rewarding as it leads to both races co-existing and co-operating and also allows you to retain Tali as a squad member while awarding you War Assets from both races, significantly boosting your military strength for the coming final battle.

Trivia & Notes

• Trivia and notes go here