Mass Effect 3: Priority, Tuchanka - 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 - Tuchanka. This walkthrough explains, among other things, when to go to the Shroud complex on Tuchanka, how to behave during the conversation with Eve, how to lure Thresher Maw, how to avoid the Reaper, and what are the variants of the important choice related to Mordin and the vaccine.

• Reaching the Shroud Site on the Tuchanka planet
• Conversation with Eve
• Exploration of the ruins
• Battles in the ruins
• Luring Thresher Maw and avoiding the Reaper
• Important choice - vaccine and Mordin

Reaching the Shroud Site on the Tuchanka planet

Received from: Mordin Solus [Normandy SR-2: Combat Information Center]

Unlocked by: Received automatically after completing Priority: Sur'Kesh, however you won't be allowed to start the new mission until you've completed two quests for the krogan (Attican Traverse: Krogan Team and Attican Traverse: The Rachni) or one quest for the turians (Tuchanka: Turian Platoon).

Make sure you've fulfilled all the requirements for this mission, so you must complete either two quests for the krogan or one quest for the turians. Once you've done that wait until you've returned to the Normandy and the game should automatically trigger a cut-scene showing a conversation concerning the genophage cure.

Mordin will inform everyone that in order to spread the vaccine he's developed you'll have to travel to a salarian tower on Tuchanka called The Shroud.

Open the galaxy map and plan a trip to the Krogan DMZ. Once you're there (Aralakh system), fly to the planet Tuchanka.

The game will force you to take part in two cut-scenes before you leave the Normandy and begin the trip to the planet's surface. The first cut-scene will be about creating a plan of destroying a Reaper found near the Shroud facility and the second cut-scene will be a conversation with a Salarian Dalatrass. She'll try to convince you not to spread the vaccine and she'll want to outsmart the krogan by only simulating this process and not curing them entirely. Thankfully you don't have to make a decision how you want to act right now, so it's not really that important how you'll respond to her proposal.

Conversation with Eve

Don't think too much about the first conversation with Eve during the trip, because it's going to be interrupted. Wait until you've made your way to [Tuchanka: Shroud Site] and start the first battle of this quest which will be about defending Eve.

I would strongly recommend that you remain where you've started the fight. Begin firing at husks, preventing them from moving too close to your team. Attacking the monsters from the distance is the best option here, because they can't fight back. Once you've won [300 EXP] you'll automatically trigger new cut-scenes.

During the second part of the trip you'll have to decide how you want to respond to Eve's question.

1. If you want to score A LOT of paragon points and/or if you want to help the krogan without messing with anything, then you should share the news about the Salarian Dalatrass wanting to convince you to sabotage the cure (upper right dialogue option). It's important to know that choosing this option will prevent you from ending this quest in an alternative way.
2. If you plan on outsmarting the krogan or if you didn't make up your mind about the decision concerning the cure, then you should remain silent (lower right dialogue option).

Exploration of the ruins

Wait until the convoy has been stopped and take some time to explore this area. You can find three weapon mods [Shotgun Smart Choke] [Pistol Melee Stunner] [Pistol Magazine Upgrade], an armor fragment [Death Mask], two med-kits [100 EXP] [100 EXP] and a shotgun [Graal Spike Thrower].

Finish off by talking to the krogan scout which will trigger a very interesting cut-scene [150 EXP]. Wait until you've regained control over the team and choose the only available passageway leading to the city of the ancients (screen above).

It's important to know that you won't encounter any enemies during the exploration of the underground ruins and you shouldn't also get lost at any point. Make sure to examine a krogan artifact on the wall in one of the first chambers [8500 credits].

Continue exploring the ruins and listen to a comment about a thresher maw queen appearing in the area. There are two other interactive krogan artifacts in the second part of the ruins [8250 credits] [8250 credits], as well as ravager's body. It shouldn't take long for you to locate the exit from the catacombs (screen above), but make sure you've located all mentioned interactive objects before moving on with the mission [300 EXP].

Battles in the ruins

Save your game after you've made your way to topside ruins. Proceed forward, but make sure to take cover as soon as you've noticed enemy units appearing in the area. You'll be fighting mostly against cannibals here, however you'll also encounter two ravagers and assuming you didn't complete the quest for the krogan earlier in the campaign this may be your first encounter these monsters. Don't forget about using proper type of ammunition and to rely on cover, especially since ravagers fire projectiles which can inflict serious injuries.

Depending on your preferred style of play you can continue attacking the monsters from the distance or you can use the passageway located to your left to flank them. Don't forget to take care of swarmers as well, preventing them from moving close and injuring you or your squadmates.

The only way to reach the next section of the ruins is to cross the bridge, performing a small jump along the way. Get ready to take part in a new battle here. The first part of this battle is very simple, because you'll be attacking small groups of cannibals from the distance.

The second part of the battle is much more difficult, because aside from a group of husks you'll also have to deal with a single brute. Start using attacks which are effective against armored targets (a shotgun from the beginning of this quest may come in handy here, because it's very powerful) and don't forget to avoid contact with the brute each time it's trying to perform a charging attack. Thankfully this area of the ruins is rather large, so you'll have to plenty of room for manuever. After you've won proceed to the corridor from which the monsters came from.

I strongly recommend saving the game on your way to the next area of the ruins, because you're about to take part in a new battle. Start off by eliminating the husks heading your way and as always it's important to avoid melee combat. As soon as you've noticed ravagers order the entire team to take cover. You can remain where you are and start firing right away or you can go to your left to find a better vantage point.

Make sure you've eliminated all ravagers before you leave cover. Secure the area and then proceed towards the large statues seen in the distance. You can observe a cool interactive scene along the way showing the krogan units being pursued by a thresher maw Kalros.

The final battle in this part of the ruins will begin very soon. Thankfully it's going to be much easier than the ones you had to win not long ago, because you'll be dealing only with husks, cannibals and marauders (focus on destroying their shields).

Once you've killed all monsters search the area in order to locate two weapon mods [SMG Scope] [Assault Rifle Extended Barrel]. You may now proceed towards the dunes which will trigger a new cut-scene. Wait until you're transported close to where the Reaper is stationed. Listen to a new conversation which will be about implementing a plan of luring the thresher maw to this area using two maw hammers [650 EXP].

Luring Thresher Maw and avoiding the Reaper

Start off by dealing with a small group of cannibals. Thankfully they won't have any support, so you should be able to eliminate them very quickly. Proceed towards the stairs and make sure to pick up a pistol [M-5 Phalanx] along the way. You will soon find a bridge and don't forget that you were attacked while trying to cross it, because this is all staged and no one from your team will die.

You must now start RUNNING towards the Reaper seen directly in front of you. The Reaper will begin firing, however as long as you don't make any longer stops along the way you shouldn't die. This doesn't mean of course that you shouldn't be careful, so instead of running in a straight line try to use statues on both sides of the path for cover (only while moving).

Eventually you should reach a small obstacle and you'll have to cross it which will trigger a cut-scene showing turian ships attacking the Reaper. I would strongly recommend that you save your current progress here, because this is your last chance to do that in this quest and you might want to have a backup save before making a decision about the genophage cure.

Drop down to a lower level and notice that brutes have begun appearing in the area. DON'T FIGHT these monsters and instead focus on reaching one of the maw hammers. These objects are located to your left and to your right and I would recommend starting with the left hammer.

Brutes aren't your only problem during the sprint to the hammer, because you'll also have to avoid the Reaper itself. Notice that the Reaper is trying to use its legs to stop you. Each time you see a shadow appearing near your location immediately jump to the side or stop for a second, so you won't be crushed and receive major injuries or even die.

You will probably have to avoid the Reaper's leg twice during your trip to the first maw hammer, so take your time and don't rush this process. Once you've reached the hammer interact with it [300 EXP].

Turn around and start running towards the second hammer. Just as before, aside from the brutes you will also have to avoid being crushed by the Reaper's leg, so be on a look out for shadows appearing on the ground, warning you about upcoming attacks. Don't worry about your allies, because you don't need them and you can finish the task you've been given alone. Approach the second hammer and activate it [300 EXP]. The game will now play a very interesting cut-scene showing a duel between a thresher maw and a Reaper. Once the Reaper has been defeated you'll automatically travel to the Shroud facility.

Important choice - vaccine and Mordin

Begin by listening to a conversation with Mordin. If you've created a new character or if you've lost the genophage data in Mass Effect 2, then he will inform you that Eve has died while you were fighting the Reaper forces. Otherwise she'll be alive and well. Get ready, because you'll soon have to decide how you want to end this quest. Here are your choices:

1. Variant 1 - Allowing Mordin to distribute the genophage cure. If you want to cure the krogan, then you must choose the upper right dialogue option during the conversation with Mordin. It's important to know that if you didn't share the details of the sabotage earlier on while talking to Eve, then you must now inform Mordin about it. The results of this choice will be curing the genophage, however Mordin will sacrifice his life in the process (he'll die in the explosion of the Shroud tower).
2. Variant 2 - Convincing Mordin to distribute the false genophage cure. If you want to outsmart the krogan and do that without any immediate losses, then you must choose the lower right dialogue option. This must be followed by a special paragon dialogue option (upper left) or special renegade dialogue option (renegade option) and as you probably know these options can appear on the dialogue wheel only if you've sufficiently developed Shepard's reputation. This isn't the only requirement, because you won't be allowed to convince Mordin to help you if Wrex is leading the krogan or if you've already disclosed the details of the sabotage during your earlier conversation with Eve. The results of this choice are the best ones, because Mordin won't have to die (he'll escape from Tuchanka and join the scientists working on the Crucible) and you'll receive support from both the salarians and the krogan (they won't find about your betrayal, at least not in Mass Effect 3).
3. Variant 3 - Shooting Mordin. If you want to distribute the false vaccine at all costs, then you must choose the lower right dialogue option and then perform a renegade interrupt by pressing the left mouse button. The results of this choice are far worse than the ones from option 2, because you won't cure the krogan AND you'll also kill Mordin (he won't reach the console in the tower in time). Furthermore, if Wrex is leading the krogan he will find out about your betrayal later in the game and this will result in losing krogan support.

To summarize, choosing option 1 will satisfy the krogan and provide you with a lot of paragon points, but will result in losing Mordin for good and not receiving additional war assets from the salarians. Choosing option 2 will satisfy the krogan and the salarians (both of these races will grant you a sizeable amount of war assets). Choosing option 3 will satisfy the salarians (and the krogan unless Wrex is their leader) and provide you with a lot of renegade points, but will result in losing Mordin for good.

After you've dealt with the situation in the Shroud tower you'll witness a lot of cut-scenes. If Eve died, then you will be attend her funeral. You will talk to Wreav/Wrex, admiral Hackett and Primarch Victus, as well as take part in a new nightmare. The rules of this scene are very similar to the previous one, so you must focus only on locating and approaching the child.

Once you've returned to the Normandy talk to Liara and to the salarian Council member. The last conversation will be different if you've followed the instructions provided by the dalatrass or cured the krogan without deceiving them. Either way, you will be informed about the illegal activities of ambassador Udina and asked to show up on the Citadel to meet with the Council member.

Prizes for completing the mission:

1. Mission unlocked: Priority: The Citadel #2
2. [25000 credits]
3. War asset [Urdnot Wreav/Wrex]
4. War asset [Krogan Clans]
5. War asset [Clan Urdnot]
6. War asset [Turian 43rd Marine Division]
7. War asset [Turian Seventh Fleet]
8. War asset [Turian Engineering Corps]
9. War asset [Salarian First Fleet] (only if you've distributed the false genophage cure)
10. War asset [Dr Mordin Solus] (only if he made it out alive)