The Geth Pyro is a geth enemy introduced in Mass Effect 3. It wields a flamethrower and is protected by armor and shields. It is similar to the Geth Destroyer from Mass Effect 2.
Capabilities
Offensive
The only weapon of the Pyro is an M-451 Firestorm. It has a short range, but strips the enemy shields very quickly and does considerable damage to health. It is advisable to deal with Pyros at long range whenever possible.
Defensive
The Pyro is protected by shields and armor. It moves very slowly, making it an easy target, but can take a lot of damage before it is destroyed and is able to dodge attacks like other geth. It is immune to the physics-based effects of powers like Pull, Throw, Concussive Shot and Singularity, as well as Stasis.
Pyros can be stunned by the electrical shocks of tech powers such as Overload and Energy Drain when their shields are depleted, and by Disruptor Ammo even when they still possess shields.
Pyros, being armored, are immune to being grabbed by players.
Tactics
- In addition to standard headshot vulnerability, Pyros have a canister on their backs. If you shoot a Pyro's tank enough when its shields are down, it will catch fire and subsequently explode, thus killing the Pyro and damaging anybody nearby. Once the canister is on fire, the Pyro is guaranteed to die.
- The Pyro has a chance of similarly exploding if the killing blow is from tech powers such as Arc Grenade, Overload, Energy Drain, Tech Burst, Hex Shield or Electric Slash.
- The animation of the Pyros flamethrower is shorter than the actual range at which it can damage you, so keep to a safe distance when facing them.
- Despite being protected by armor, Pyros are just as mobile as any other geth platform. Great care must be taken in order for the players to not be flanked by a Pyro who might have jumped over cover or climbed a ladder that the players might not have been paying attention to.
- Sabotage is heavily recommended. Pyros are usually deep within enemy ranks and sabotaging them will lead to heavy damage against the enemy.
- Overload is very effective against the shielding and Warp is great against the armor. Likewise, an SMG, assault rifle, or shotgun would be ideal against shields while a sniper rifle or heavy pistol would be effective against the armor.
- Outside of cover, you should keep your distance against Pyros. Failing that, use moves that will stagger them. The flamethrower doesn't deal heavy damage at once, but it does deplete your shields and then health very quickly if left unchecked. Due to being in the thick of geth formations, they can quickly overwhelm you if you are not careful. Overload skills that jump are more effective at suppressing this.
- Aside from its considerable damage, another very obnoxious feature of the flamethrower is that it significantly obscures your vision, disorienting you and making retaliation difficult.
- A Pyro will not go around cover to get to you, but it will fire its flamethrower at you in an attempt to pin you behind cover or force you to run and expose yourself. If the cover is only partial, this can be problematic, and give the illusion that you are being hit "through cover".
- In multiplayer, a Pyro can be killed with one shot from a piercing weapon such as the Javelin by lining up the head and fuel tank, thus hitting the unprotected tank if the initial headshot does sufficient damage to knock out the Pyro's shield.
- Most Biotics are ineffective against Pyros. Warp, however, inflicts significant damage to armor, and Reave damages them over time.
- Despite Vorcha being capable of regenerating their health quite quickly, the Pyros are more than capable of draining their health quicker than they can regenerate. A powerful weapon should be equipped to deal with them (ideally with a piercing mod so they can set the canister on fire quickly).
- They are less likely to dodge attacks: if staggered by gunfire, if you are in close proximity, or if they are focused on another target.
- If the Pyros get close to you while there is a bomber in your immediate vicinity, you could be in real trouble, since said enemies can pin you in cover while the bomber proceeds to lay explosive ordnance. This damage can mount up extremely quickly due to the constant stream of damage from the Pyros mixed in with the 4 explosions from the grenades as well as gunfire from the other geth forces in the area. Deal with Pyros as soon as they come on screen if a bomber is nearby.
- Unlike virtually all other enemies in the game, Pyros don't emit any voice chatter. This silence combined with their habit of flanking makes them unusually stealthy and easy to miss when coming up from behind or approaching around corners. Weapons or equipment that can see through terrain are useful when fighting them.
- After Patch 4, Pyros can no longer be grabbed.
| Mass Effect 3 Enemies | |
|---|---|
| CAT6 | Atlas • Brooks • CAT6 Heavy • CAT6 Sniper • CAT6 Specialist • Clone • Disruption Drone |
| Cerberus | Adjutant • Assault Trooper • Atlas • Centurion • Combat Engineer • Dragoon • Dr. Eva • Guardian • Kai Leng • Legion Assassin • Nemesis • Phantom • Rampart Mech • Turret |
| Collectors | Abomination (Possessed) • Collector Captain (Possessed) • Collector Trooper (Possessed) • Collector Web • Praetorian (Possessed) • Scion (Possessed) • Seeker Swarm (Plague) |
| Geth | Combat Drone • Geth Bomber • Geth Hunter • Geth Prime • Geth Pyro • Geth Rocket Trooper • Geth Trooper • Geth Turret |
| Reapers | Banshee • Brute • Cannibal • Harvester • Husk • Marauder • Ravager • Swarmer |