How to Survive a Mako Battle in Mass Effect

Despite being an armored personnel carrier, the Mako can be surprisingly fragile in certain situations. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do with the Mako to increase your chances of survival.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Use the cannon. The Mako has two weapons: a rapid-fire machine gun and a large cannon. The cannon has a 4-second reload time, but deals much more damage than the machine gun, particularly so to fortified targets like turrets. Use It liberally!
2. Use the jump jets to avoid incoming missiles. This is tricky to get right, particularly when used on hillsides. While your jump jets won’t lift you very high, it may be high enough to lift you out of the path of incoming missiles.
3. Keep moving! Though this does make it hard to hit enemy targets, keeping on the move is one of the best defenses the Mako has. Most other targets you’ll fight on Mako missions are much slower, allowing you to take advantage of your speed.
4. Retreat to repair. While it may be tempting to try and use the repair function when you’re in the middle of a fight, avoid doing this at all costs! Repairing makes you immobile for several seconds, making you a hot target for the enemy. Retreat to a safe distance (if the enemy stops following you, you’re good) then repair.
5. Run them over! If you’re in a hurry and can’t be bothered to fight with enemy troops, try simply running them over. The Mako is strong enough to kill most humanoid targets outright by running them over, and will seriously damage larger enemies like Geth heavy troops.