Mass Effect 3: Priority, Geth Dreadnought - walkthrough Mass Effect 3 guide, walkthrough

Last update: 13 October 2022

On this page of the Mass Effect 3 game guide you will find the walkthrough for the main quest Priority - The Geth Dreadnought. Our guide explains you where the geth ship is located, how to secure the docking area, how to successfully defeat the geths, how to eliminate hunters, how to avoid shockwaves, how to sabotage the Dreadnought and how to defeat the behemoths.

• Reaching the Dreadnought and securing the docking area
• Beginning of the exploration of Dreadnought
• Battles against geths
• Confrontation with Geth-Hunters
• Avoiding the shockwaves
• Encounter with Legion/Geth VI
• Escape from Geth Dreadnought - behemoths
• Return to Normandy

Reaching the Dreadnought and securing the docking area

Received from: Quarian admirals [Normandy SR-2: Combat Information Center]

Unlocked by: Received automatically after completing Priority: Perseus Veil.

Open the galaxy map and travel to the Perseus Veil. Once you're there (Tikkun system), get closer to the geth dreadnought (screen above) and begin docking procedures (notice that Tali will have to take active part in the upcoming mission).

Watch several cut-scenes during which you'll find out that you will have to travel alone through a damaged docking tube in order to secure a safe dock for the rest of your squad.

Start moving towards an entrance to the geth ship seen in the distance. You won't encounter any enemies during this segment and you also don't have to worry about Shepard's magnetic boots to stop working. The only problem are the damaged parts of the tube, because they will be forcing you to move left or right to go past them. You shouldn't have any major problems here and it won't take long to reach your current destination.

Watch a new cut-scene which will explain why your team members won't be allowed to use the same tube to join you. As a result you will have to unlock another docking tube for them.

Beginning of the exploration of Dreadnought

You may now officially begin exploring the [Geth dreadnought] thanks to the working artificial gravity. The most valuable find in this area is a weapon mod [Shotgun Smart Choke]. Once you have the mod go in an opposite direction and interact with the ladder. Proceed towards the only available door, performing a single jump along the way.

Find a new door and search the area to your left to uncover geth data [1875 credits]. The last task on your list is to use a second ladder and to interact with a docking control terminal [300 EXP].

Wait until you've regained control over Shepard and pick up a pistol [Arc Pistol] which was left to you by Tali. I would suggest that you follow her advice and choose this weapon from your inventory, because it's very effective against the geth.

Proceed towards the newly unlocked passageway leading to the operations center, finding GARDIAN data and a weapon mod [Sniper Rifle Enhanced Scope] along the way. Your objective is to get to a new computer terminal which is used to extend a nearby bridge. Save your game before using the terminal, because you're about to meet the first group of geth units.

Battles against geths

This is probably your first encounter with the geth in Mass Effect 3, so make sure to change the style of play accordingly (you'll want to become effective in destroying synthetic targets).

I would strongly recommend that you rely on Tali's powers, because she can turn the geth on each other, damage them or distract them with a probe. It's important to use cover during this battle, because aside from the standard geth you'll also be dealing with geth rocket troopers and if you get hit by a rocket you can receive major injuries.

Move forward once you've defeated the first group and be ready to deal with more geth. You should still be using cover and rely mostly on tech powers. It's also wise to consider throwing grenades each time you notice a group of geth standing close to each other.

Keep moving forward until you've found a ladder. Don't be fooled by seeing only a single geth, because more will come once the battle has started. Watch out for mines while exploring this section of the ship, because they take away a lot of damage. You can avoid the mines or destroy them from a safe distance using a weapon or an offensive power.

Continue moving forward, destroying or avoiding the mines and exploring the area. You'll find geth data [2500 credits] and also after you've entered a small room you'll come across an armor fragment [Archont Visor], and two consoles.

The next room of the geth ship contains a third console and an assault rifle [Geth Pulse Rifle]. Save your game before opening a door leading to the operations center (screen above), because you're about to take part in a battle with a very large group of geth [300 EXP].

Confrontation with Geth-Hunters

The biggest challenge of this battle is that you'll have to deal with a new type of enemies called geth hunters. These machines rely on camouflage and this makes them difficult to locate and to track their movements. You must prevent them from moving too close to Shepard and the rest of the team, because most hunters are using shotguns and therefore can inflict serious damage in close combat.

The safest way to locate the hunters is to rely on the pause function as often as possible. You should also know that shooting at them can disable their camouflage (permanently or only for a while) and this of course makes the future attacks easier to organize. This isn't of course everything, because other interesting strategies against the hunters include sending out probes to distract them and sabotaging their shields thanks to tech powers. Guard your flanks during this battle and focus on the hunters and you should prevail.

Once you've won proceed to the opposite end of the room, however watch out for new mines along the way. Find a console data, a weapon mod [SMG Scope] and geth data [1250 credits].

Don't forget to save your progress again before interacting with the main console of the operations center (screen above). Listen to a conversation which will be about reaching a room on the geth ship from which the Reaper signal is being broadcasted.

Get ready, because as soon as the conversation has ended more geth will show up in the operations center. I would recommend that you order your team members to defend two ramps leading to the console you've just used. Just as before, focus on locating and eliminating geth hunters, preventing them from moving closer.

Keep fighting until you've destroyed geth units and then proceed towards the newly unlocked corridor located on the opposite end of the operations center. Approach a closed door and interact with it to automatically use your omni-tool.

Avoiding the shockwaves

Explore a few empty corridors, using the ladders along the way and finding geth data [1250 credits] and a med-kit [50 EXP]. You'll encounter two doors and opening the second door will allow you to get to the main battery tunnel (screen above).

From this point of the mission you'll be dealing with an additional complication which are the electromagnetic shockwaves appearing every few seconds. The only way to avoid a wave is to take cover and if you ignore this step you'll immediately lose your shields or (if they're already gone) you'll injure the main character. It's worth knowing that the shockwaves don't affect the rest of your team, so you don't have to constantly worry about your colleagues, because they can take care of themselves.

Keep heading forward. Don't count on the shockwaves to be your only problem, because you'll soon come across a new group of geth. Furthermore, all the geth are invulnerable to the shockwaves, so they won't be taking cover along with you. This means you must prevent them from moving too close before a wave has hit, so they won't surprise you while you're hiding in cover.

Just as in previous fights, focus mostly on the hunters, however you will also have to avoid being targeted by rocket troopers. Depending on your preferred style of play you can stay close to the main tunnel or you can choose a smaller left path which will force you to jump over several obstacles. I wouldn't recommend moving too fast, because otherwise you may end up getting surrounded by more than one group of the geth units.

Make sure that you've dealt with the first group of geth before moving on. I would also recommend exploring the area a little, so you'll collect ammunition and geth data [1250 credits].

Your objective is to get to the maintenance console and interact with it. Proceed towards the core, performing a jump along the way. You should be able to leave the endangered area in time even if you're in a lot of hurry and you'll end up standing close to the second battery tunnel. Get ready, because you'll take part in a battle here as well.

I wouldn't recommend choosing the main tunnel in this battle. Proceed with the rest of your team towards the left ramp instead. The ramp leads to the upper balconies, however don't move too fast, because you'll soon encounter new geth. Allow your allies to begin firing at the hostile machines and in the meantime focus on guarding the main tunnel alone, preventing hunters and other geth from organizing surprise attacks.

Continue eliminating the geth and move forward each time you've dealt with a larger group. Don't perform any risky actions and also don't forget that also here you must avoid the electromagnetic shockwaves.

The primary objective of this part of the mission is to reach a ladder and in order to do that you must remain on the upper balconies. Interact with the ladder after one of the shockwaves has passed and be ready to immediately begin a new battle with the geth.

You can remain on the lower level if you want to and in this case you'd have to choose between defending in the main tunnel or using a small path located to the right (this is also a good idea if you're interested in flanking the geth).

The second option is to quickly use the ladder again, so that you would be allowed to attack the geth from an upper balcony.

Either way, be on a look out for new hunters, especially since you'll encounter at least a few of them.

Keep fighting until you've defeated all the geth in this area and then find a ramp to your left which leads to an upper level. Open a door there with a help from your omni-tool. Proceed to the next area, finding the geth data [1875 credits] close to the elevator. Once you have the data interact with the elevator panel. The game will now trigger a cut-scene and as soon as it has ended approach Tali (screen above) so that she can grab you and save your life. Important - If you take too long moving towards Tali, then you'll die and be forced to repeat the last battle with the geth!

Encounter with Legion/Geth VI

Continue exploring the dreadnought, using ladders to get to the upper floors. You can also collect a med kit [50 EXP] along the way.

Your objective is to reach the main core room. Depending on your decisions from the previous game you can encounter Legion here or (if the geth companion was destroyed) an "anonymous" Geth VI. Listen to the conversation during which you'll find out how to stop the Reapers signal from transmitting [600 EXP].

Start off by exploring the surrounding area so that you'll come across geth data [2500 credits] and a weapon mod [Assault Rifle Precision Scope]. Once you're done looking around stand on an elevator and wait to be transported to an upper level.

Your primary task here is to interact with a nearby terminal (screen above). Doing this will allow you to set Legion/Geth VI free and to shut down both the weapons and the defences of the dreadnought. You'll now begin your extraction from the geth ship. Don't think that it's going to be easy, because you're about to take part in the final battle with the geth [300 EXP].

Escape from Geth Dreadnought - behemoths

Ignore the transmissions coming from the quarian fleet, because you won't have to race against the clock. You can take your time while leaving the geth ship and nothing important will happen prematurely.

Head forward and as soon as you've noticed geth units order your team to take cover. You'll be dealing not only with "standard" geth units during this battle, but also with two very powerful geth primes, so you'll have to be even more careful and cunning than usual.

The first geth prime can be encountered soon after the battle has started. Make sure that you're using cover, because the prime's ranged attacks are deadly. As for the means of defeating it, your first job is to take out its tech shields. Once they're gone you can focus on the machine's standard armor. An interesting thing to know is that instead of attacking the prime as soon as possible you can also use it to your advantage by activating Tali's tech powers and forcing the machine to temporarily join your side and begin attacking other geth units.

I wouldn't recommend focusing only on the geth prime, especially since the machine is moving slowly and therefore can't get close to your team in a manner of seconds. It's equally important to watch out for other geths, especially the hunters whom you probably truly hate by now.

The second prime is stationed on the other side of this floor and the overall tactics while fighting it remain the same. This means you must use correct types of ammunition, grenades and powers in order to destroy its shields and then its armor.

Keep fighting the geth until they've all been defeated. You must now return to Legion/Geth VI which shouldn't be a problem. Watch a short cut-scene and proceed towards the newly unlocked passageway leading to the hangars (screen above). The escape from the dreadnought is very easy, because you'll be travelling in a linear path and even though you'll witness many explosions you won't be in any danger.

Return to Normandy

Your objective is to reach Legion's/Geth VI's final position. This will result in playing a longer cut-scene and returning to Normandy. Take part in conversations with Admiral Hackett, the quarians and Legion/Geth VI.

It's worth knowing that the game will unlock a couple of new quests, with Priority: Rannoch playing the main role. You will be able to begin it after completing Rannoch: Admiral Koris mission or Rannoch: Geth Fighter Squadrons mission. Of course it's worth to complete both quests before resuming the main campaign, because it will allow you to gather additional experience, items and war assets.

Prizes for completing the mission:

1. Mission unlocked: Priority: Rannoch
2. Mission unlocked: Rannoch: Admiral Koris
3. Mission unlocked: Rannoch: Geth Fighter Squadrons
4. New Normandy crew member: Legion or Geth VI
5. [12500 credits]