How to Mod Weapons in 'Mass Effect: Andromeda': Quick guide to modding and augmenting

Feeling overwhelmed by the weapon mods and augmentations system in Mass Effect: Andromeda?  There are a lot of moving parts to keep track of, but it pays to know what you're doing.

You probably know you can mod your existing weapons, but did you know you can also modify your weapons and armor when you're crafting? And did you know you can only do those things at specific locations that are different from one another? 

It's all very confusing. Let's break it down.

How to mod weapons in Mass Effect: Andromeda

If all you want to do is equip a mod for a weapon you already have, you'll have to visit a loadout station. You can't equip mods on-the-fly; it's the same for equipping weapons and armor.

Luckily, loadout stations are pretty easy to find. There's one aboard the Tempest, in the small room to the left of the galaxy map. You can also access the loadout menu from forward stations, the blue-and-white pods scattered throughout the open-world planets.

To equip a mod from a loadout station, tap the corresponding button — square on PS4 — while hovering over an equipped weapon you want to mod. Select the slot into which you want to place the mod and pick the mod you want to equip. If there's a green checkmark beside a mod, it means it's already equipped on one of your weapons. Selecting it will remove it from its existing home and place it on your current weapon.

Now, that's not the only way to modify your equipment. You can also add augmentations while you're crafting, which is another process entirely.

How to use augmentations on armor and equipment in Mass Effect: Andromeda

Unlike mods, augmentations are permanent additions you add while crafting a weapon or piece of armor — and they can make a huge difference.

To start playing with augmentations, you'll need to visit a research station, which you can find in the Tempest and in the tech lab on the upper floor of the Nexus' docking bay.

Once you've researched a blueprint for whatever you're crafting at one of these stations, swap over to the development menu to start the actual crafting. Select the blueprint you want to craft. Then, select an augmentation slot to view the augmentations you can place there. (Tip: Make sure you comb through the augmentation blueprints you have before you start crafting weapons and armor. You might have a really cool augmentation you want to craft that can be added to something else.)

Make sure you pay close attention to the differences between the augmentation effects when placed on a weapon versus armor. For example, an augmentation might increase your power recharge speed by 5% when placed on a weapon, but 2% when placed on a piece of gear.

Most augmentations are totally straightforward, but others will more fundamentally alter the way a weapon functions — like changing bullets into a sustained electricity beam, for example.

Bonus tip: You should craft using the tech lab on the Nexus — it's on the upper floor of the docking bay, if you weren't paying attention earlier. If you don't have enough resources to craft something, you can just pop down to the store on the floor below the lab, which has an extensive library of minerals, crafting materials and augmentations to choose from.

More Mass Effect: Andromeda news, updates, tips and tricks

For more on everyone's favorite space opera, check out the rest of what Mic has to offer. Here's an essay on the troubling history of colonialism in Mass Effect, a story about the horrifying harassment campaign carried out against a former BioWare employee, a look at the #MakeJaalBi fan movement and an overview of the historic lack of gay romance options in Mass Effect.