HOW to save Tali & Legion: The Rannoch Choice
Alliance Naval Command // Commander Shepard // Classified: Top Secret
Mass Effect is perhaps one of the greatest RPG adventures across space. Commander Shep and his band of merry and wary aliens and friends trip trapping all over the place, having a gay old time until the stakes of ME3 bring a sobering reality to the game.
For the casual player or anyone new to the franchise, the game sets a trap on the planet Rannoch. It presents a mission called Priority: Rannoch which sounds urgent. However, launching this mission too early will lock you out of the "best" ending and force you to choose between the Geth and the Quarians.
One race will die. The other will live with the guilt.
This guide breaks down how to navigate the Rannoch arc without losing your soul or your teammates.
The Rannoch Peace Treaty
The Conflict: The Creators (Quarians) vs. The Created (Geth).
The Quarians created the Geth as labor machines. When the Geth began to ask if they had souls, the Quarians tried to shut them down. The Geth revolted in the Morning War, driving the Quarians from their homeworld.
Now, in Mass Effect 3, the Quarian Flotilla has returned to retake Rannoch, but the Geth have allied with the Reapers for survival.
The Golden Rule: Mission Order
To broker peace, you must complete the Rannoch missions in this exact order. Do not deviate.
- Rannoch: Geth Fighter Squadrons (Enter the Geth Consensus).
Outcome: saves the Prime units and reveals the truth of the Morning War. - Rannoch: Admiral Koris (Rescue the Admiral).
CRITICAL CHOICE: Admiral Koris will beg you to save his civilians. You must ignore him. You must choose to save the Admiral. His authority is required to vote for peace later. If he dies, peace dies. - Priority: Rannoch (Destroy Reaper Base).
Only start this mission once the two above are complete.
The "New Player" Trap
If you started your journey with Mass Effect 3 and did not import a save file from Mass Effect 2, peace is impossible.
The game requires a long history of trust to achieve the truce. A default New Game assumes the worst case scenario.
- Tali was exiled in the previous game (Default).
- Legion is dead. You meet a generic "Geth VI" unit instead. This VI lacks the capacity for trust.
Without these specific characters and history, the dialogue option for peace will simply not appear. You will be forced to choose one side to annihilate the other.
If you succeed, you gain the might of both fleets. If you fail, you lose half your forces and potentially Tali herself.
Tactical Appendix: Other Critical Fail States in MASS EFFECT
The Rannoch treaty is the peak of complexity, but the galaxy tests your resolve elsewhere. Review the following historical data for context.
File: The Virmire Sacrifice (ME1)
The Conflict: Kaidan Alenko vs. Ashley Williams.
On the tropical world of Virmire, a mission to destroy Saren's breeding facility goes wrong. You will receive two distress calls simultaneously: one from Kaidan, one from Ashley. There is no third option. There is no perfect run.
File: The Genophage Cure (ME3)
The Conflict: The Future of the Krogan vs. Salarian Politics.
You have the chance to cure the Krogan sterility plague. However, the Salarian Dalatrass offers you their fleet support if you sabotage the cure instead. If you accept her deal, you must deceive your friend Mordin Solus.
"Stand amongst the ashes of a trillion dead souls, and ask the ghosts if honor matters. The silence is your answer." - Javik, Prothean Survivor
