Mastering Legion’s Loyalty in Mass Effect 2: A Comprehensive Guide
The Geth. Synthetic minds. Enemies of the Quarians. And in Mass Effect 2, a potential ally, or a source of intense inter-squad conflict. Securing Legion’s loyalty is crucial for maximizing your chances of surviving the Suicide Mission and sets the stage for the complex Geth-Quarian dynamics of Mass Effect 3. So, how do you keep Legion loyal? The answer is relatively straightforward: Complete Legion’s loyalty mission after unlocking it and make a specific choice during that mission (rewriting or destroying the heretics doesn’t impact loyalty, but resolving the Tali/Legion conflict effectively is what truly counts). But as with all things in Mass Effect, nuance and preparation are key.
The Core Requirements for Legion’s Loyalty
First, you need to unlock Legion’s loyalty mission, which is aptly named, “A House Divided”. This becomes available after you’ve recruited Legion onto the Normandy. Critically, Legion’s loyalty mission is typically one of the last to unlock. You’ll need to have completed the loyalty missions for most of your other squadmates (with the exceptions of Zaeed and Kasumi, who are DLC characters) before Legion feels comfortable enough to open up to Shepard.
Once the mission is unlocked, undertake it as soon as possible to maximize the crew’s survival and minimize storyline impact. “A House Divided” involves investigating a Geth collective that has diverged from the mainstream, worshipping the Reapers and becoming “heretics”. The key decision comes at the mission’s end: Whether to rewrite the heretics with code to bring them back into the Geth consensus or to destroy them completely. This choice DOES NOT influence Legion’s loyalty itself. Your primary goal is to avoid losing the loyalty of another key character, Tali.
The critical junction for securing Legion’s Loyalty comes after Tali’s loyalty mission. If you bring Legion to Tali’s trial during her loyalty mission and successfully resolve their conflict, you can still achieve Legion’s loyalty. If you decide to complete Legion’s loyalty mission after completing Tali’s loyalty mission, the true Loyalty test will begin.
After completing each of the loyalty missions, a fight will inevitably break out, and Shepard will have to choose a side. This is where things get tricky. If you don’t have a high enough Paragon or Renegade score, you will be forced to pick a side, and you will inevitably lose Loyalty with the other squadmate. In this case, it will be Tali.
The Charm/Intimidate Solution: Your Best Bet
The ideal solution to this conflict is using Charm or Intimidate options. Having a high enough Paragon or Renegade score allows you to choose a special dialogue option (colored blue or red, respectively) to defuse the situation without taking sides. This is highly recommended because it keeps both Legion and Tali loyal. If your Paragon or Renegade score isn’t high enough (you’ll know because the option will be greyed out), you’ll be forced to choose, potentially losing loyalty.
To prepare for this, invest in the passive skill of your class. This skill typically offers bonuses to Paragon/Renegade points. Focus on dialogue options in other conversations that give you Paragon/Renegade points. This will ensure your reputation is sufficient to pass this crucial check.
What Happens If You Choose?
If you must choose between Tali and Legion, the consequences are significant:
- Choosing Legion over Tali: Tali will lose her loyalty. This can jeopardize her survival during the Suicide Mission and locks you out of a potential romance with her.
- Choosing Tali over Legion: Legion will lose his loyalty. This can also affect his survival and alters the Geth-Quarian relationship in Mass Effect 3, potentially impacting war assets.
Character Composition in Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 emphasizes character composition for squad missions. Some of the character synergies will benefit your character by allowing them to use overload and AI hacking, allowing you to take down mechs quickly during Legion’s loyalty mission. Tali and Miranda are two excellent choices for taking down mechs, especially if both characters are loyal and have abilities upgraded.
Legion’s Impact Beyond Mass Effect 2
Remember, the choices you make regarding Legion’s loyalty have a ripple effect. Your decisions will influence events and outcomes in Mass Effect 3, especially concerning the long-standing conflict between the Geth and the Quarians. Maintaining Legion’s loyalty, alongside navigating the challenges of Mass Effect 3, provides the best chance to forge an alliance or at least avoid the complete annihilation of either species.
FAQs: Securing Legion’s Loyalty and Navigating the Fallout
1. Can I do Legion’s loyalty mission and still save the crew?
Absolutely. The key is timing. As soon as you acquire Legion (after the Reaper IFF mission), activate him immediately. You’ll have time to do one mission before the crew is abducted. That mission should be Legion’s loyalty mission. This ensures you get Legion’s loyalty and save the crew.
2. What is the best outcome for Legion’s loyalty mission itself?
The choice between rewriting or destroying the heretics is less about Legion’s loyalty and more about your overall Paragon/Renegade leanings and your desired outcome for the Geth-Quarian conflict in Mass Effect 3. Rewriting favors the Geth, while destroying the heretics favors the Quarians, though either choice can lead to peace (or war) later on. Remember, character composition is an important factor, and using Tali and Miranda will give you the best result in Mass Effect 2.
3. Who should I take for Legion’s loyalty mission?
Tali is a strong choice, given her history with the Geth and her abilities against synthetic enemies. Miranda’s Overload is also invaluable. Ultimately, it depends on your Shepard’s class and playstyle, but bringing squadmates effective against synthetics is generally a good idea.
4. How do I keep Tali and Legion loyal during their conflict?
Always aim to resolve the conflict using the Charm/Intimidate options. This requires a high Paragon or Renegade score. Invest in your character’s passive skill and make Paragon/Renegade choices in other conversations to boost your score.
5. Can Legion survive if he’s not loyal?
Yes, but it’s riskier. An unloyal Legion is far more likely to die during the Suicide Mission. You’ll need to carefully assign roles and ensure other squadmates are loyal to compensate for his lack of loyalty.
6. Does Legion’s loyalty mission affect Mass Effect 3?
Yes, significantly. The choice you make during the mission (rewriting or destroying the heretics) directly impacts the Geth-Quarian conflict and the war assets you gain in Mass Effect 3.
7. What happens if I bring Legion to the Quarian Migrant Fleet for Tali’s trial?
This will trigger unique dialogue and reactions. However, it doesn’t automatically lead to a negative outcome. You can still successfully defend Tali and maintain both her and Legion’s loyalty by choosing the correct dialogue options. This can also potentially cause a fight between Tali and Legion.
8. Is it possible to bring Legion on Tali’s loyalty mission?
Yes. Complete everyone else’s loyalty mission first. Then the Reaper IFF mission, and then choose to keep and activate Legion. You can then bring him on Tali’s mission if it is available.
9. Can you romance Tali if she gets exiled?
It’s possible, but it’s much harder. You MUST ensure Tali is loyal to you by NOT presenting the evidence against her father to the Admiralty Board. Exile makes the romance more complex, requiring specific dialogue choices.
10. Should I rewrite the heretics or delete them?
There is not one correct way. Rewriting the heretics is a huge boost in Paragon points, whereas destroying the heretics provides additional Quarian assets. Depending on your character, you may want to choose between one or the other.
11. Is it better to rewrite or destroy the heretics for the Geth-Quarian conflict in ME3?
Rewriting generally makes achieving peace slightly easier in Mass Effect 3, as it strengthens the Geth presence. However, you can achieve peace regardless of your choice, provided you meet the other necessary conditions (such as resolving Tali and Legion’s personal conflict).
12. How much Paragon/Renegade do I need for the Tali/Legion conflict?
The exact percentage varies depending on your class and difficulty level. Generally, you’ll need a substantial amount – around 75% of your Paragon or Renegade bar filled to reliably pass the Charm/Intimidate check.
13. Can you lose Garrus’s loyalty?
No, Garrus’s loyalty mission doesn’t have a fail state. As long as you complete it, he will remain loyal, regardless of the choices you make during the mission.
14. Can Miranda survive without loyalty?
Yes, Miranda can survive the Suicide Mission even if she’s not loyal, but her chances of survival are significantly lower. You’ll need to avoid assigning her to critical roles (like leading a fireteam) and ensure other squadmates are loyal to compensate.
15. What happens if Thane dies in ME2?
If Thane dies, you will no longer have him as a war asset. This will change the outcome in Mass Effect 3, as you need Thane to protect the Salarian councilor. Learning more about games can be achieved through participation in communities such as the Games Learning Society and their events. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org for more information.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure Legion’s loyalty, navigate the complex inter-squad dynamics, and set yourself up for success in both the Suicide Mission and the events of Mass Effect 3. Good luck, Commander.