Something you have to choose for yourself, for example, are which colonists you’ll wake up from your ship’s freezer as you progress through the game and make planets more viable. This won’t change the story in any way, but you’ll get different bonuses that play a big role in what you’re capable of doing. Choosing can be complicated. Especially if you’re playing for the first time. To help you allocate your resources efficiently I’ve put together this list covering the best cryo pods, which perks they give, and how they affect the game.
10. Munitions
Prerequisites: Munitions can be activated from the moment you gain access to the Andromeda Viability Percentage system. This basic Military Pod will provide you with a random drop of consumables every 45 minutes, including Backup Life Support and RPGs. Which are always useful. As one of the first few perks available when you’re first introduced to the AVP and Cryo Pods, Munitions is ideal for people who make a habit of utilizing consumables to their advantage to tackle bigger challenges.
9. Supply Lines
Prerequisites: Requires either Financial Infrastructure II or Grey Market Connections II and viability of 90% on Kadara to be activated. As you progress through the game you’ll need more and more varied crafting materials to make weapons, plus other key items in your quest to colonize this new system. Supply Lines is an amazing perk to get in the mid to late game. It doubles the number of crafting materials and consumables available for purchase from vendors all around, making everything easier if you have the credits to keep up your spending habits.
8. Market Dominance
Prerequisites: Awakening these colonists can only be done after Grey Market Connections has been activated. Market Dominance will add a whole slew of new items to vendor stock all around. This gives you a wider selection of tools to help on your mission. Still, since most bought equipment is easily overshadowed by crafted and looted items, this perk is more useful as a prerequisite to unlock better ones as you make your way through the game.
7. Lab Technicians
Prerequisites: As a starter perk, this cryo pod can be opened from the moment you access the AVP System for the first time. Lab Technicians is easily the best starter perk to get, next to Reconnaissance from the Military tree. It’ll net you 100 points of Milky Way Research Data every 45 minutes, which is a lot when you’re just getting started. Milky Way Research Data is the kind you’ll need to craft new weapons for your team, so this bonus can go a long way in getting your squad ready for the dangers ahead.
6. Advanced Training
Prerequisites: Acquiring any of the basic perks from the Military tree will unlock Advanced Training. This is one of the most important perks you absolutely need if you want to progress fast through the Heleus system. It gives you an extra 10% XP from any enemy encounters, which means you’ll get stronger 10% faster than all those other lame-o players. It may not seem like much at first. But it does add up!
5. Trade Capacity I & II
Prerequisites: The first level of Trade Capacity has no prerequisites, but its upgrade needs 70% viability on Kadara before you can activate it. Mass Effect: Andromeda was criticized from the day of release for having an abysmally small inventory capacity at the start of the game. And while improvements have been patched in, you can always use more space. Trade Capacity I & II provide just that: increasing your inventory from 100 to 150 items at first, then up to 200 with the upgrade.
4. Improved Development I & II
Prerequisites: The first level of Improved Development only needs Lab Technicians to be active before being unlocked, but Improved Development II also needs 90% viability on Havarl. STOP. SCANNING. While it may seem tempting to just start scanning everything you see out in the world to expand humanity’s knowledge, you’d be better off abstaining until you have Improved Development. This nifty perk and its upgrade increase research points gained from scanning – including ship scans – by 10% each, for a total of 20% extra research. You’ll need a lot of it for high-level blueprints to craft weapons and gear. So ultimately this perk directly translates to a stronger team.
3. Reconnaissance
Prerequisites: Reconnaissance is a starter perk with no prerequisites. Hidden chests containing gear and salvageable materials are especially impactful at the beginning of your adventure, when you really need to get rid of your puny beginner equipment in favor of greater things. Reconnaissance is possibly the best starter perk because it reveals hidden caches and general resources near your forward stations on every planet. Which you can then simply collect for profit. Just avoid this if excessive waypoints on your map upsets your OCD.
2. Fusion Mod Support
Prerequisites: If you want to awaken these colonists, you’ll need to unlock Market Dominance and achieve 90% viability on Kadara first. Raiding Remnant Vaults and defeating Remnant Architects can reward you with Fusion Mods, a kind of chest armor attachment that greatly empowers your player in one way, at the cost of something else. If you want to be the strongest Ryder you can, you’ll need Fusion Mod Support. This halves the penalties for wearing these mods, effectively making most of them viable.
1. Innovation
Prerequisites: To obtain this incredible perk you’ll first need to acquire Improved Development I & II and get 90% viability on Havarl. Augmentations are very powerful enhancements that you can put on equipment to get bonuses. Examples might be a better rate of fire or increased accuracy. Equipment has a limited number of slots determined by their rarity. But with Innovation you can an extra augmentation on any of your crafted items. Nice! Out of every cryo pod to open, none will give you the same return in power as Innovation.
