r/masseffect • u/Infinite-Reveal-9226 • 19h ago
DISCUSSION If they swapped places would they survive in their universes?
2nd image masterchief halo
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u/N7__Kraken 19h ago
John is “surviving” no problem, meaning I think he can handle the threats we face with little issue, but I don’t think the war will be won considering how Shephard’s charisma affects the outcome of so much.
Shepard may survive depending on class (Vanguard or Sentinel should be fine) but I’m curious how their personality would affect the war.
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u/Stronhart 18h ago edited 18h ago
Actually, I wonder how well Shepard could charisma their way into making allies of the Covenant indentured 🤔 or even the Prophets themselves. Chief is unstoppable, but he struggles in one category:
Sociability
With Shepard's social maneuvering, and strategic mind when it comes to utilizing factions that are at odds it's a wonder what they could accomplish. Imagine Guilty Spark not turning because Shepard figures out a way that Chief simply isn't "programmed" to discover or rallying the Sangheili earlier in the war, etc.
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u/depravator 17h ago
Shepard bangs the entire covenant, war over. Also, I think the main arbiter guy would immediately help him. Since he is also Keith Fucking David
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u/TaralasianThePraxic 14h ago
The Arbiter would get along GREAT with Shepard.
If you think about it, there are a lot of parallels between the Arbiter and Urdnot Wrex from Mass Effect. Both are respected leaders who experience a fall from grace, both their respective races were essentially used as a tool by other species to help win a war but never actually given respect or power of their own, and both are very big on truth, justice, and reclaiming the honor of their people.
Assuming he didn't get capped on Virmire in the first game, Wrex ultimately comes to think of Shepard as a brother and would follow him into hell. Shep could definitely get Arbiter on his side.
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u/Kosame_san 16h ago
The problem is the Covenant were on track to blow themselves up regardless of humanity. The only reason they actually committed to self implosion is because Chief was able to destroy the first Halo ring and kill one of the prophets.
Also the fact that the Covenant were hellbent on genocidal war it really won't do much to work in Shepherd's favor.
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u/BayonetTrenchFighter 8h ago
I think the one that would struggle the most would probably be soldier or engineer, no?
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u/Smooth_Monkey69420 13h ago
Shep is a diplomat at least as much as a soldier. Chief is 100% soldier. The most interesting thing about the swap though is that Chief very well could have survived the destruction of the SR-1 and the fall from orbit which completely changes the trajectory of ME2 and 3. RIP Khalisah al-Jilani though, she ain’t getting up after a punch from Chief
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u/BerrySuperb8282 12h ago
She doesn't get punched she gets the most watched clip during an interview where the chief explains the woman in his head calls him studmuffin.
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u/Rolebo 15h ago
Master Chief will survive any Mass Effect threat up until the full scale Reaper invasion, he does not have the charismatic skills to rally the entire galaxy to fight the Reapers.
Shepard depends on which class, Vanguard and Adept will clean house with the Covenant and Flood. The other classes I'm not so sure of.
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u/ButtcheekJones0 14h ago
That was my take, too. Shepard's leadership is the reason the Milky Way races got as far as they did, something MC doesn't have. Meanwhile Shepard isn't as deadly as Master Chief physically, but biotics give a massive advantage against most enemies, especially the unshielded ones.
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u/CloverTeamLeader 15h ago
Shepard depends on which class
That's what I was thinking. What Shep lacks in physical stats compared to Chief, he can potentially make up for with tech and biotics.
A Vanguard Shep can actually move faster and hit harder than Chief in short bursts.
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u/TheBoredOne1985 13h ago
Master chief may struggle with indoctrination, but most other threats yeah he'd handle well unless the seeker swarms the collectors use work on him then.......well
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u/FenHarels_Heart 7h ago
Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Physical threats? 100% he's taken down worse. But John is an obedient soldier. An engineered weapon. I think he'd be much more susceptible to indoctrination. But then again, idk if Shepard really faces they much indoctrination themselves. With the exception of finding the Reaper IFF, we spend very little time with actual Reapers. Just short fights, and usually from a distance. And even the derelict Reaper took several days/weeks to influence the scientists. So maybe John would be fine.
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u/SKeptical230 16h ago
So, here's my assessment. Chief and Shepard are very different people who serve different roles. Shepard's biggest strength is uniting people, and getting things done with them. Shepard can come back from all odds, achieve any goal, and rally anyone to fight for them. ME2 and ME3 have a huge focus on just how damn persuasive and inspiring Shep is, especially for them being functionally just a human. Their strength is being so strong in their ideals and motivations that it makes people want to fight for them.
Master Chief, on the other hand, isn't particularly focused on uniting people, he's focused on his job. Chief isn't totally a loner but he's a one man army. He'll fight and finish the fight himself and more often than not he actually will do it himself. He's not just a spartan he's basically the perfect spartan, raised from childhood to be the perfect spldier, molded in fires of truly impossoble odds again and again and he's survived and beat those odds again and again. He has allies, he's inspired millions but he himself isn't the guy you'd send to motivate a planet, you send him to eradicate one.
Shepard doesn't match up to Chief's strength or freakish ability to win, no matter how good they are. Shepard survives impossible odds but Master Chief is genuinely that guy, and the pure fighting isn't Shepards strength. It's their pure charisma and unstoppable resolve. I can see Shepard taking a similar role, but their biggest impact would be their affect on morale. Humanity suddenly has a shining beacon that says they can't, won't lose. One who loudly refuses to stop, or surrender, or die. Give Shepard a modified Soartan armor and you've got a near perfect symbol of humanities resolve. Shepard may not be soloing planets but they'll be right on the front lines every time, and everyone will want to be there with them.
Chief on the other hand would probably struggle to operate in Mass Effect. He's capable to fight it all but he won't have any way to prove the Reapers are coming either and I don't see him waiting. He'd find a crew similar to Shepard and just go try and do it himself. I doubt he'd struggle in any scenario combat wise, he's far too capable, but politics wise he'd be hard pressed. Shepard is a master negotiator, someine who can end a war with words. Chief can end a war but it'll be through his own actions. Once the reapers come, I don't know if he could unite the galaxy the way Shepard does, but he'll go fight the reapers head on.
Their biggest difference is their personal attitudes and strengths. Chief is the ultimate soldier, capable to take down a planet of enemies on his own, in the worst possible conditions, with the most minimal of equipment. Shepard has spent years negotiating, convincing, befriending and fighting all in the aim of uniting the galaxy. Shepard can see the good and bad in anyone, and manage impossible situations near perfectly. The war between the geth and quarians had raged for decades and Shepard can end it in a few days. The Krogan, Turians and Salarians wouldn't have even thought of uniting in their history before Shepard arrived. That's an unmatched amount of charisma and wisdom.
Both are perfect soldiers but the reason for that is very different, and for Chief, I'm not sure his strengths would be as useful in a world so divided they can't see the apocalypse looming.
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u/MihaelZ64 14h ago
Many people forget that chief is REALLY good at getting soldiers morale up and getting them to follow his lead. He is not verbally inspiring but once the war breaks out the soldiers are going to follow the 7 foot tall demigod that is crushing enemy resistance and ensuring as many people survive as possible. He won't be a diplomat, he will be anderson's hammer sent to crush the problem asap. If he has cortana though, she is the diplomat to his physical acts. And lets not forget chief is a master tactician who has adapted to fighting a losing war against an enemy that always had superior numbers and superior tech and won. In mass effect he'd coast in combat but he'd be following cortana's cues without issues. Man does know how to make his point without being physical, he is just one for few words.
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u/SKeptical230 8h ago
He's inspiring just not diplomatically so. Soldiers will follow him but in Mass Effect the biggest issue is the politicians. No way Chief is gonna be able to negotiate like, the Geth and Quarian stuff, or the Krogan cure, or deal with the council bs.
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u/BugbearBrew 15h ago
At the strategic level I totally agree, but I would also add that at the tactical level Shepherd's strength lies in their tactical acumen. Their ability to not only see the full battlefield but to quickly adapt new tactics to rapidly evolving conditions.
That's not to sat that MC can't do that, but on a smaller engagement scale I feel that Shepherd wins out here.
If Shepherd was given a squad of ODST to lead his capability to win in the Covenant War would go up dramatically.
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Though to be honest I also just prefer ME to Halo so I might be biased.
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u/urbanviking318 10h ago
Shepard is regularly able to bring a more varied range of tactical options for engagements than Chief, I think that's what informs that feeling. Every specialization for Shepard has an effective response to any threat, it's mostly a matter of applying that tool at the right time. Eliminating our gameplay mistakes from either character's run, Shepard pound for pound is more effective in direct action than Chief. Chief, however, is a stronger asymmetic asset. Nothing the Reapers, or Cerberus, or the Geth can throw at him is beyond his and Cortana's ability to neutralize, barring an orbital response. I believe Covenant plasma weapons operate at a higher energy expenditure than Geth weaponry, but Mass Effect's kinetic weapons are significantly more advanced than what the UNSC were using.
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u/SKeptical230 8h ago
Yeah Shepard generally prepares extensively for every mission, and has teams crafted for them. Chief just gets sent in, with fuck all to use, gets an objective and gets it done.
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u/Actual-Yesterday1875 8h ago
I mean... Shepard does have the ability to hyper focus and speed up his thoughts to the point of stopping time to think a little before giving an order)))
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u/HotFall5654 8h ago edited 8h ago
I think people seriously underestimate how well Shepard and the Mass Effect universe could handle the Flood.
Both Shepard and Master Chief have the training and firepower to destroy Flood combat forms. Chief has superior physical abilities, experience, and AI support, while Shepard has mass-accelerator weapons, incendiary ammunition, biotics, and advanced combat technology.
However, killing Flood forms isn't enough. You need to destroy infectious biomass to prevent further spread. This is where Covenant plasma weapons excel, while the UNSC relies heavily on conventional ballistics.
Mass Effect's incendiary weapons and tech abilities could provide valuable alternatives, although their effectiveness against Flood contamination remains unproven.
The biggest threat is infection. Even Chief nearly became infected when a Flood form penetrated his armor, requiring Cortana's intervention.
Shepard's environmental protection isn't infallible either. Chief has the advantage in experience and containment knowledge, but Shepard is far from helpless.
As for leadership, people confuse Chief's battlefield heroism and reputation with charisma. Inspiring soldiers through combat isn't the same as negotiating peace and uniting entire civilizations.
Shepard has demonstrated diplomatic influence by navigating centuries-old conflicts involving the krogan, salarians, quarians, and geth.
Chief hasn't demonstrated comparable political or diplomatic leadership. That doesn't mean he's incapable, but reputation isn't evidence of abilities he hasn't demonstrated.
Ultimately, both have advantages, but surviving and defeating a galactic threat requires more than physical strength and combat accomplishments.
It requires strategy, adaptability, containment, and the ability to unite people against a common enemy.
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u/axethebarbarian 17h ago
Chief could win a boxing match with any krogan and single-handedly best an army of Geth, but he would never be able to unify the galaxy. Chief himself would be fine, but they'd lose the war..
I think Shepherd would actually do better than Chief against the covenant and the flood depending on class. With a cooperative UNSC supporting them and a less politically complicated goal, I dont see any reason Shepherd couldn't maneuver themselves into getting a Spartan team to lead and Cortana supporting. Imagine fighting through the same events that Chief does with biotic Shepherd and 5 additional Spartans.
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u/Kosame_san 15h ago
The problem with Shepherd in Halo is that there are a handful of key events that have to occur for humanity to not get wiped out. That are basically only doable because Chief is insanely physically capable.
1) Shepherd has to somehow be present at the first Halo ring, and survive the 2 week ordeal with the flood and blow up the ring. This is most important because it gives Cortana the activation index, and also triggers the Covenant's great Schism, which without humanity gets glassed at Earth by the full might. 2) Shepherd has to make it back to earth somehow after that destruction which is another two week ordeal including destroying the Uneven Elephant. He has to save Doctor Halsey during this time period, who is instrumental for future events like the Created Uprising and the events of Infinite with the Banished. 3) Shepherd has to solo his way through High Charity to rescue Cortana in order to retrieve the activation index in order to stop the Flood from doing their rug pull. 4) Finally Shepherd has to be lost inside the Dawn in order to drift to Requiem and encounter the Didact first-hand to be given enough knowledge on how deadly he is. This involves a several day period of waking up from a 4 year stasis and being able to fend off a renegade Covenant armada and then Promethean Knights.
I don't doubt Shepherd's charisma and leadership qualities at all. In fact there a couple key moments where Shepherd may be better suited than Chief, but physically he just cannot match Chief's influence in Halo and that means a ton of super important events dont play out nearly the same.
For some fun things Shepherd may excel in though:
1) Shepherd would undoubtably be able to save Johnson by negotiating with Guilty Spark, or at least clocking Spark's growing fanaticism and be able to act accordingly. 2) If Shepherd gets the face to face with the gravemind, he'd actually strike up a conversation and the gravemind would very likely play along 3) Shepherd may not outright kill the Prophet of Regret and could get the Prophet to beg for his life. 4) Cortana could definitely be talked down by Shepherd during the uprising.
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u/sometimeserin 13h ago
Best alternative scenario I can see for Shepherd is that he manages to befriend some Covenant defectors while on Alpha Halo and gets back to Earth with them, giving humanity a two week period of learning inside information about the Covenant to prepare for the attack. But then, Regret still needs to be able to retreat and lead In Amber Clad to Delta Halo in order for the rest to play out. Once the Schism happens, humanity might be better prepared to ally with the splinter factions of the Covenant against Truth’s invasion—but Shepherd and any surviving crewmates will be stuck on board the keyship, unable to help with that. And if this alliance manages to stop Truth from activating the portal to the Ark, that unfortunately probably means the Gravemind sending High Charity crashing into Earth instead.
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u/Kosame_san 12h ago
I dont doubt Shepherd could befriend, but I will say it's functionally impossible for a scenario like that to occur durinf Halo CE. The Covenant that land on the ring are so full of religious zeal and furvor that they are effectively all doubling down on their genocidal intent. Humanity is tresspassing on the Covenant's holy grail and greatest discovery since the founding of their religion. Ever Covenant assest that is put upon the Ring is carefully avoiding "desecration" and even the opportunistic Kigyar that are described on the ring are well aware of how important this moment is for the Covenant as a whole.
After that, there's also the tiny issue of The Flood completely wiping out both human and Covenant forces on the ring. By the time Chief is running to the Longsword the Covenant have fully retreated back into space and have stranded what little forces were isolated on the ring. The Truth and Reconciliation was very likely going to be blown up in orbit because Thel Vadamee would have judged the ship to be too dangerous as a Flood infection vector. Chief and a handful of humans are essentially the only survivors of the entire events of Halo CE and it's almost entirely because they got lucky (and Chief had Cortana to guide him to the Longsword).
And considering that the events of second half of CE's mission list takes place back to back with no rest period for Chief, I really really don't think Shepherd has the physical endurance or physical capacity to even come close to Chief's performance.
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u/sometimeserin 12h ago
I think there are always going to be potential defectors within any extremist organization, someone like Yayap is a good example of an independent thinker who follows but silently questions orders until given an opportunity to forge his own path. And both the revelation of the Flood and the infighting between the Prophet of Stewardship and Thel ‘Vadamee provide potential sources of disillusionment. But I do agree with you that Shepherd probably doesn’t have the physical traits to make it. Like I said, I was trying to think of the best possible alternative that played to Shepherd’s strengths.
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u/LordAsheye 17h ago
Maybe but it'll be tough.
Shepard isnt the one-man army Chief is. They might have a hard time 1v10000000ing the Covenant and the Flood. Not impossible but Chief was definitely better equipped for it.
As for Chief in Mass Effect he arguably will have a harder time. He's a one-man army but that's not what's needed to defeat the Reapers. Chief is an elite soldier and squad leader but I'm not so sure he has the pull to rally the entire galaxy.
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u/Marinedown59 17h ago
I mean, isn't soldier class almost a direct one to one with how a spartan is trained? Especially reaching up the N7 and Spectre degree? Physically we don't know how much stronger human soldiers are or what type of enhancements if any they get.
I think they both would do just fine, shepherd has companion charisma so he'd/she'd probably somehow bed an elite baddie and make a kick ass little commando squad, and Chief, well he's the fucking Masterchief man, and if he has Cortana then yeah, it's pretty much a wrap
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u/Kosame_san 15h ago
Isn't soldier class almost a direct one to one with how a spartan is trained?
Trained yes, but beyond Shepherd's adult training he has nothing in common with a Spartan.
Physical augmentations alone make Soldier Shepherd look like a basic ODST compared to a Spartan. Then Chief was trained as a child. Shepherd began military career like a normal person. Chief also has been in a losing genocidal war for 20+ years, and has the most successful service record of all the UNSC. Chief is so much more physicall superior to Shepherd that it's unironically the hydrogen bomb versus healthy child.
But the moment you look at leadership and charisma Shepherd's got Chief beat in the exact same superior method. Chief is by the books military, he basically lacks a personality except following orders. The one time he has deal with his emotions results in him questioning his existence. Shepherd's presence and social skills make Chief look like an actual coughing baby versus hydrogen bomb.
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u/Marinedown59 15h ago
I think that is essentially all correct but I'd give Chief a bit more credit as well considering he was chosen to be a leader for Blue Team and other various spartan squads, now he'd be nowhere Shepherd's Charisma levels of course, but leadership wise he'd be fine.
And yeah thats basically what I thought most human soldiers were, definitely enhanced, just not to amy degree of a spartan obviously. ODST fits well, hell for Shep maybe even closer to a Spartan 3
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u/Kosame_san 15h ago
I think of it more like Chief has the leadership qualities to make a team of trained soldiers more effective.
Shepherd has the leadership and charismatic qualities to literally change the course of the galaxy through diplomacy and reasoning.
I'm aware chief was selected for leadership so that's why I'm still saying it's like an actual Hydrogen Bomb versus a Coughing Baby when comparing their leadership capacity.
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u/Marinedown59 15h ago
Yeah I'd agree with that. Chief is a good soldier, and a good squad leader, but I can't imagine him doing the a speech at the start of Sheps takeover of the Normandy, maybe later down the line as he grows as a person, but for sure Chief would be more about getting shit done especially in the beginning. I feel like the direction of Halo 4 and Infinite does a good job at the Human side of Chief
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u/Bovinusk 17h ago
cortana would be a detriment to Chief rallying the council races, and the quarians. actually, before the reaper invasion, a guy like chief could arguably start a new war between humans and the council races.
They already don’t trust humans in ME1, now they show up w a 7’+ tall supersoldier in super advanced armor with unheard of augmentation and genetic modification, who has a full-fledged AI in his head, that can basically one man most military engagements?
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u/pieisgiood876 16h ago
Nah Cortana's hyper intelligent and MC trusts her. She'd analyze the state of galactic society and insist to him that whenever they're talking to folks that she speak as if she were the person under the helmet.
Or just act like a VI and setup some kind of front company to give the illusion that her work is done by a private intelligence firm.
Only Joker and EDI would know... well and Garrus because bros transcend universes.
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u/Marinedown59 16h ago
Think the other person that replied to you put it well, who said anything about Cortana revealing herself to anyone who would care. Let's be honest most of the companions could care less about AI other then Tali maybe, look at EDI, joke practically broke all his bones trying smash that shit.
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u/Bovinusk 16h ago
in an ideal world sure, but then what when she goes rampant? which doesn’t take long, mind you. reapers or not chief becomes a liability one way or another for humanity. The Alliance also isn’t going to not thoroughly study chief, and they’re playing politics as much as they’re playing Navy.
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u/Marinedown59 16h ago
I guess it truly depends on how this thought experiment is being done. Is Chief and Shep just being plucked and dropped, or truly integrated as if nothing happened? It's hard to discuss it when there aren't any hard rules and just vague how would they do. But overall regardless with Chiefs combat ability, and leadership, and most other traits, I think he'd do just fine in Sheps shoes, definitely would take some other paths, but overall the same progress. Gotta remember Chief isn't stupid or anything, and Shepherd is a stand in for the player, and can be just as dumb or as smart as you want them to be.
As for rampancy it seems like the Mass Effect universe has that covered, so I think it's safe to assume Cortana would be okay.
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u/jcbaggee 15h ago
Shepard's entire deal, the reason he's got the red stripe, is that he passed the N7 test. That test is essentially being abandoned with other candidates on an asteroid with no notice and minimal supplies. You pass the test by being the last one conscious after the oxygen runs out. He would be fine.
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u/Specialist-Equal-408 15h ago
Bro that's fucking cool where can I read mass effect lore plz tell me or any youtube videos
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u/gilean23 8h ago
The most lore is in the in-game Codex which can be found in its entirety at that link.
Some of the books play fast and loose with that lore.
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u/Veryegassy 13h ago
That is a terrible test though? All it tests is which member of a group does the best in a low oxygen environment
It's also not the N7 test it's the N6 test, and it doesn't work like that. The N6 test is being separated and dropped on an asteroid in an active combat zone with basic (not minimal) supplies and no maps, but they don't pass by being the last one conscious, they pass by surviving. Other than the first few who drop unconscious. They just fail.
And if they survive in an "admirable and effective fashion", they get N7
Straight from the Codex
Initially, candidates train for more than 20 hours per day, leading small combat teams through hostile terrain with little sleep or food. Trainees who do well are awarded an internal designation of N1 and are invited to return. Subsequent courses--N2 through N6--are often held off-planet and include instruction in zero-G combat, military free-fall (parachuting), jetpack flight, combat diving, combat instruction, linguistics, and frontline trauma care for human and alien biology.
The highest grade of training, N6, provides actual combat experience in conflict zones throughout the galaxy. If the trainee survives these scenarios in "admirable and effective fashion," he or she finally receives the coveted N7 designation. N7 is the only ICT designation that may be worn on field or dress uniforms.
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u/set_me_on_fire_plz 12h ago
Both are very different characters in VERY different situations, assuming they switch at the beginning of the first game, master chief (the super soldier since he was 6 or so) is gonna have a hell of a time trying to complete investigations. Can you imagine him doing the mission at the strip club? Or doing any kind if diplomacy without cortana holding his hand? The guy who went to his medal ceremony in full armor and never considered taking his helmet off? Im sure he'd like the cool weapons, but they arent exactly spartan sized. Seriously, Chief is an amazing soldier, but spectors are a lot more than that and Chief isnt up to the task.
On the other side, shepard is a kickass guy with good equipment and skills, but hes NOT a spartan and he doesnt have a hyper advanced ai in his pocket to quickly figure out forerunner maps and do the necessary digging. Shepard is going to be completely alone on the ring, no support, no teamates, nobody to talk to besides a bunch of very angry aliens who wont be charmed into submission. If he somehow isnt killed by the first elite with an energy sword and somehow figures out where to go and what to do, (keep in mind, this is first game Shepard) i want you to imagine him entering the Library. Do you think shepard, with his nonsupersoldier body and non-mjolnir armor, is gonna survive the flood? I dont think the lancer 1, the galaxy's shittiest grenades, and lukewarm powers (assuming its the shepard who opted for powers rather than guns guns guns) are gonna defeat one of the meanest enemies in all of scifi.
Dont think either of them are gonna do great, i guess Chief could, in theory, maybe, learn to speak in complete sentences, but i dont think the council is gonna look at the murder machine who is probably closer psychologically to a Geth than a well adjusted person and think "yeah, this guy would be perfect candidate for our 'lone wolf super agents with unlimited authority who we pay so little attention to that they can start committing terrorism and we will have no idea' department"
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u/gilean23 9h ago
I wouldn’t call ME1 biotics weak for one reason: unshared cooldowns. By end game, ME1 Adept Shep is a crowd control juggernaut, and crowds are the Flood’s biggest weapon. Also, regular marines use the same shotguns and ARs as MC, so Shep would have the same weapons as MC, barring the armor and cybernetics (not that those are a small factor).
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u/GardenVarietyIdiot2 8h ago
Lore wise biotics have 2-5 minutes of high-intensity combat in tgem before they reach physical exhaustion.
Shepard spamming 800 billion black holes every 3 seconds for hours straight is something you can only do in gameplay, not in universe.
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u/Russell1113 9h ago
Not to mention chief has a smart AI, which is crazy illegal in mass effect universe. He'd be a great war asset once the reaper war breaks out, but without Shepard, I don't think we get past the ending of me1.
Similar for halo, the covenant probably ends up activating the ring and that's the end of it.
I don't think either of them make it past the other's first game.
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u/gilean23 9h ago
Chief doesn’t make it off the Citadel. If they’re lucky, Shep could make it a ways against the Covenant… but not a long way
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u/Lingdow 7h ago
Shepard gets rebuilt with enhanced basically everything at the start of me2 , he’s not Spartan level but he’s leagues above a regular human in halo in terms of physical stats .
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u/Spiritual_Assist_918 5h ago
That’s not enough. Spartans didn’t win wars, period. They turned the tides of battles, but it wasn’t just because of their superhuman physiology. I sincerely doubt that he can make it off the first ring.
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u/WeekendPass 3h ago
Ironically Halo 1 is probably his biggest hurdle since Cortana is so important to Chief's very navigation and traversal there. Although maybe, if his omni-tool can still turn any raw material into omni gel to hack anything?
But in 2 and 3... if we generously assume Shepard has biotics, Pull Field disables entire squads of Covenant at a time, and ME1 Throw has enough juice to literally topple a Scarab.
On a more jovial note, if we assume each of them also brings their particular "trademarks" to their new settings, Chief will continuously luck his way through the logistical hurdles while someone else does the talking for him, and Shepard will inexorably attract a crack team of Marvin Mobuto, Yayap, Sesa Refumee, Floodified Private Jenkins, Vergil, Jameson Locke, 2401 Penitent Tangent, Jun A-266, Black Box except in an inexplicably sexy Forerunner robot body, Chieftain Avitus, and finally the Ur-Didact who miraculously somehow survived in this timeline
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u/NotPrimeMinister 7h ago
In the books, Chief is fairly politically savvy. Not nearly as much as Shepard, but on account of being a Spartan, he had to walk dome very thin toght ropes to compkete his missions. I'd say his biggest problem, however, is that when he's told no, he'll very likely follow orders. It takes something very emotionally personal for him to go AWOL and ao he may not take thr necessary chances that Shepard does. Maybe if Anderson gave him an order to, say, head to Ilos against the Council's wishes, he may do it. And he may just very well defer to the Alliance military only
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u/Kilroy1007 12h ago
I think they'd both be fine if swapped. I think Shepard would face more difficulty (or less depending on how the shielding works) with the Flood, but otherwise wouldn't be too out of place. His weapons are more powerful than anything the Marines have and throw in Biotics on top and he's doing fine.
People say Chief wouldn't be able to rally the galaxy or face the Reapers, I disagree. Chief is already an icon to the UNSC, and he's got a supernatural level of luck. Like his luck is so powerful it manifests in a universe that doesn't contain the preternatural. He'd be fine and then some.
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u/Kilroy1007 12h ago
To elaborate, in universe all of those conveniently placed weapons and health packs are really there Chief is that lucky.
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u/ShadowWalker2205 12h ago
Depends if it's biotic Shepard or not. It's kinda impossible to know if flood can pierce through a biotic barrier
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u/HPLovecraftsCat6969 11h ago
I think flood trying to pierce through a barrier would be similar to the swarm in me2 trying to pierce through the suicide mission barrier
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u/HistoricalGrounds 10h ago
Biotic barriers will eventually buckle under mundane physical force. Whether by sheer weight or by their ability to use small arms, the flood could theoretically break through a shield given enough time, same as anyone.
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u/LeonThePaladin 16h ago
Shepard in Halo Universe = The Covenant and The Flood gets Desintegrated
Master Chief in Mass Effect Universe = Saren, The Collectors and The Reapers gets Desintegrated
GOAT meets GOAT
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u/Agent_Xhiro 16h ago
Which Shepard? The one from 1 or after his death? Because version 2.0 would be absolutely fine.
Chief would also do relatively well. But the problem would be the relationship aspect. You need a team to get things done and Shepards personality doesn't get talked about enough.
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u/DESTRUCTI0NAT0R 7h ago
Were there always eyeballs behind that picture of Chief?
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u/SeniorSepia 19h ago
Shepard would need superhuman abilities to survive MC ordeal, and yeah some Shepards have biotics and tech powers but Soldier shepard is more of a regular joe right?.
MC would need a lot of charisma and conversational abilities to make it till the end of Shepard adventures and yeah in the books (and h5 but who the fuck cares about that) we see he has a squad and can lead other spartans and soldiers but idk if he has the skills necessary really move around the ME universe.
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u/The_Reverse_ Spectre 18h ago
Shepard is basically a supersoldier after the Lazarus Project, regardless of class. Extensive cybernetic implants allow them to headbutt a krogan, send a yahg reeling with a punch, and wield weapons normal humans can't.
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u/TaralasianThePraxic 14h ago
The Yahg fight is honestly kind of insane for Shepard feats-wise. Like this is an alien creature whose whole planet was quarantined by the galactic community because they were far too intelligent, strong, and deadly to be allowed to expand. The one Shep fights is a prime example of its species, and carries an omnishield that can tank massive amounts of handheld railgun fire as well as casually wielding a HMG-type weapon with its one free hand.
Shep realises that his guns can't break the shield, and his solution is to crack his knuckles and fucking throw hands
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u/SinnerSaint98 17h ago
All alliance soldiers get genetic modifications.
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u/The_Reverse_ Spectre 17h ago
Yeah, but they're comparatively very minor to Shepard's augmentations. We don't know exactly what all they do, but the...Binary Helix? guy on Noveria that we could spy on talked about 20/20 vision and lower muscle degeneracy in zero gravity. Not exactly making supersoldiers.
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u/SinnerSaint98 17h ago
Yes, because of the Sudham-Wolcott Genetic Heritage Act, they have the technology for it, but they don't use it. And the weapons of the mass effect universe are more powerful than just regular bullets.
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u/infinitelytwisted 12h ago
also soldier class hephard is also not just baseline human even if you include those augments. They also get reaction times fast enough to see the world in slow motion, physical abilties that accelerate their bodies to be percieved as being at normal speeds even while the world is being percieved as being in slomo (meaning he is actually moving superhumanly fast), and some amount of regeneration that heals him very quickly that may actually be a tool to combat the flood infection if its being achieved by tech as implied. i.e. like nanobots that are destroying infections and rebuilding flesh and bone...not even to take into consideration the other factors of ME medical tech and however the hell the medigels and such would interact with flood tactics.
then if we veer away from teh soldier class there are multiple instances of abiltiies or situations where the whole body is infused with either biotic or electric energy which may also kill off flood spores, psychological resilience that may help to stave off flood controlled impulses and such, and his actual teammates that would have the skills, tech, or creativity to simply invalidate the flood as an enemy. thats also assuming that the flood can even infect the various races in the first place, my memory of how they work on that front is pretty stale.
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u/StaendutBlakk 18h ago
Shepard isn't exactly your average Joe. They're N7 and later a Spectre, meaning the peak of human soldiery. There is some genetic modification, but not at all as much as MC. I don't think Shepard is going to have a fun time in Halo though.
Neither is the Chief gonna have a fun time trying to talk his way through Citadel red-tape, I think.
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u/Poonchow 14h ago
"Sir, your armor is triggering our anti-WMD alarms. You'll have to register that as a mobility platform and file the requests for disability exemptions. Your embassy will be able to forward the appropriate forms to file with C-Sec, which you should be able to find on our intranet, and once that is on file we'll need a bio-signature—"
Cortana: "Done."
Chief: "Anything else?"
"Uhh, I guess have a nice day?"
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u/StaendutBlakk 14h ago
That's a thing. Cortana would have the Citadel going into meltdown mode. An actual AI on the Citadel? Guess the question is "Can MC fight off the C-Sec equivalent of SWAT?" in that case
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u/Cdog923 18h ago
Shepard has superhuman abilities in every class; he'd be fine.
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u/SeniorSepia 18h ago edited 18h ago
IDK if we have ever seen shepard do MC feats like going alone in a scarab, stealing mounted vehicles with ease, delivering bombs with precision through space from one ship to the other using his own body to aim the bomb or even punching a missile midair like in the books.
Also i dont know about shepard surviving the flood.
EDIT: Also falling from the atmosfere, hitting the ground and still be alive (never been a fan of this being a thing in Halo tbh)
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u/infamusforever223 19h ago edited 19h ago
Even soldier class is augmented. The problem is I believe Halo weaponry is above Mass Effect's, so he would struggle more because of that.
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u/DdPillar 19h ago
Halo weaponry is above Mass Effect's
It's really all over the place. The assault rifle from Halo just fires 7.62x51mm NATO, which is nothing compared to the mass accelerated assault rifles of Mass Effect. But then there's Covenant plasma weaponry.
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u/Angel-Stans 19h ago
You sure? UNSC stuff is just bullets for the most part.
Like, I guess the Covies have some unique stuff comparably, but the Brutes just use spike throwers and grenade launchers.
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u/SeniorSepia 19h ago
Thing is, Bungie weren't really that good at making weaponry realistic or believable for the year 2552 xd, they focused in making "fun guns" (exact term they used). So it's hard to really compare, you might have a silly weapon that uses some silly underpowered ammo but in gameplay it shreds enemies.
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u/Kosame_san 16h ago
UNSC? Yes
Covenant, Brute and Forerunner? It's on the level of WH40k with how some of the damage is described by the books. Marines in environment suits are getting 3rd degree burns by near miss plasma fire.
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u/Anubis17_76 18h ago
I feel like the opposite is true. I mean, Halo uses conventional chemical weapons (at least the humans) whereas mass effect uses jets of molten steel shot out at a fraction of the speed of light?
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u/SeniorSepia 19h ago
I didn't know soldiers were augmented in ME universe, thx
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u/Angel-Stans 19h ago edited 18h ago
“It’s less dangerous than the genetic enhancements every soldier in the Alliance receives”
Line from ME1 from the bickering couple arguing about the baby the lady is about to have.
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u/infamusforever223 19h ago
I believe there are some codex entries on it as well.
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u/Trinitykill 19h ago
Also on Noveria when posing as a buyer for that Asari, you can pretend to be interested in finding a new supplier for genetic enhancements on behalf of the Alliance.
Plus class descriptions for Soldier mention having even more intensive enhancements and cybernetics.
Add on the ME2 upgrades and Shepard is probably on par with Chief.
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u/Janixon1 18h ago
Shepard can headbutt a Krogan and make them reel, and go toe to toe with a Yahg. Don't know if that's the same level as MC, but Shep is definitely up there on physical capabilities
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u/StaendutBlakk 18h ago
Well, from ME2 on they're more machine than man so that probably helps. Headbutting a krogan seems like a good way to get brain damage and entertain the murderturtle for a second as far as regular humans are concerned.
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u/Feisty_Bread8259 18h ago
most humans are augmented in some way in the ME universe, theres a line in the codex of how they legaly dont allow things like tails to be added, but most of them are stronger, smarter or live longer that normal humans, the soldiers get some extra things on top of that but is expensive so only rich people or soldier get them.
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u/Thrownawaybyall 19h ago
Why swap universes? Join forces and kick ass 😎
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u/Ubeube_Purple21 19h ago
But what if their respective enemies also join forces?
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u/Ackapus 18h ago
Hmmmm.... Reapers, Covenant, Banished, Flood.....
Well, the three Halo enemy factions already engage in gleeful no-quarters genocide with each other, what makes you think ancient super-intelligent gestalt-consciousness synth-organic constructed living starships of mass destruction are going to give them the time of day?
No, it's an all-out slugfest. The only real question is, can the Flood infect the Reapers and overcome their internal gestalt consciousness as easily as it can with the singular ASIs of Halo canon, or does the Reaper indoctrination ability control Flood instead?
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u/John_Wotek 10h ago
Two very different character.
Shepard is a born leader. He command his own ship, he make real decision, he inspire his crew, he has to deal with politics and he has understood there is more than soldiering in life.
Chief is the perfect soldier. He's lucky, he'll survive anything, he'll always accomplish his mission, he knows how and when to take initiative.
Both work in their universe because they fit the specific role the story has assigned to them. The UNSC needs a brutal shock trooper that can fight his way through absurd odds and survive long enough to accomplish the mission. The Concilian species needed a leader that could gather them against a common threat. There is no one to gather against the covenant or the flood. And there is more than killing the Reapers.
Shepard, especially a biotic one, could have handled the Halo original trilogy. But Shepard isn't used to the intensity of what the chief goes through. Shepard get to always have a team to rely on and a ship to relax on between battle. In Halo, he'd have to fight alone, improvise constantly, away from any help, reinforcement, with no ship, no friends. This is a tough fight for him, with no certainty of success. Heck, Halo 3 re-entry in Earth would probably kill him. We know he already tired it once and we know how poorly it ended. If he survive the war, however, if he comes back to Earth, then he becomes their greater asset. Because there is no more Covenant, no more Flood. Only a new galactic order, an uncertain one where alliance can be forged and melted in the blink of an eye. A guy like Shepard is like a fox in a henhouse in such context.
The Chief in Mass Effect, on the other hand, is basically just a human shaped Krogan. He's not an idiot, he can be an inspiring figure. But commanding a whole ship on a personnal quest for galactic unity? That's not his style. Dealing with everyone's daddy issues? He works with very professional people that have been subjected to so much trauma Jack's backstory barelly qualifies as an inconvenience. He'll be laser focus on the mission, seeing no point in diverting precious ressources to deal with Garrus's nemesis of the month or Legion and Tali shenanigans. He doesn't punch of cleverly answer to some journalist to boost morale, he doesn't even enterain the idea of getting anywhere close to Emily Wong! He would ignore Conrad Verner and be utterly puzzled by high command asking him about rescuing the council or not.
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u/richarddiveauthor 8h ago
As a Halo fan, Chief is getting indoctrinated immediately if the Prothean relic doesn’t fry his brain, and Shepherd is making a Human-Covenant alliance happen with all but the most faithful against the Flood after seducing the Arbiter, a Prophet, and probably a ranking Grunt. Hell, they could probably seduce the Gravemind
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u/sputnik67897 17h ago
I mean honestly yeah probably. The absolute space magic that is biotics would handle just about anything the halo universe could throw at Shepard. Chief may not have space magic but he has near supernatural luck
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u/Cybion_ 15h ago edited 9h ago
Shep has so many op Biotic abilities. Dominate is basically minde control while being resistant to minde manipulation himself. Reave steals life force and makes it his own. Stasis freezes anything and i even heard it works on the Human Reaper if it wasen't for gameplay mechanics. Flare is Biotic M920 Cain. Lift can lift up a Geth Colossus. And of course the sheer mobility and untouchability of Charge, when Vasir uses it it's like she teleports. All while increasing his physical stats even.
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u/Exotic-Wall4528 19h ago
Shepard would demolish the Covenant if he was a Biotic
Master Chief would be a soldier class in ME but I don’t think he’d be as charming but still a Paragon
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u/Lawlith117 16h ago
I think Chief fails on the social/political stage but, dominates in fights and tech if Cortana or any other Smart AI comes with him. There's not much in ME that can hurt chief, he's leagues above most the verse in stats.
Shep can't fight the Human covenant war the war Chief did but, he certainly succeeds as well. Shep is extremely competent, he just doesn't have the stats and plot luck on his side like chief. He'd probably struggle with the flood a bit but, I imagine he'd get paired with a smart AI and spartan IV augments sooner than later.
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u/ButtcheekJones0 14h ago
Chief fails, Shepard is relevant because of their charisma and ability to bring people together as a symbol. Chief is an excellent soldier and won't fail a given mission, but I don't see him stopping the reapers.
Shepard likely wins since the main conflict is still military and they're highly competent as well as dealing with superior tech. It's especially better if they are any class other than a typical soldier, especially as a biotic.
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u/Pyromaniacal13 13h ago
I don't believe Shepard would win. Most of Chief's fights involve using his genetic enhancements and Mjolnir armor to survive things normal humans can't, sort of like a halfway Astartes. Shepard gets armor similar enough to regular soldiers and has been rebuilt more than improved.
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u/ButtcheekJones0 13h ago
Shepard is a genetically enhanced soldier, and that was before they were rebuilt as a cyborg. They can fire weapons that would shatter regular human bones. Shepard's shields are built more for absorbing bullets and slugs but they're still resistant to energy/plasma weapons. Not to mention most of Shepard's kit like biotics and tech give a massive advantage. Covenant forces aren't equipped to deal with miniature black holes and the like.
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u/Pyromaniacal13 13h ago
They can fire weapons that would shatter regular human bones.
I forgot about the Black Widow and Claymore.
As far as weapons, OP did not mention whether our heroes are bringing their kit with or appearing bare ass nekkid, Terminator style. I just went based on Shepard and Chief swapping places and using the other's gear.
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u/Meshakhad 10h ago
MC would struggle to be the leader Shepard was. He'd be extremely capable in combat, but not sure if he could command the same loyalty.
Shepard would do OK, I think, depending on her class. Biotic Shepard would be a major out of context problem for any Covenant or Flood that faced her, simply because they have zero experience with such powers. Engineer Shepard might also be a problem if she can find new sources of eezo and give the UNSC access to mass effect technology.
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u/Purdaddy 9h ago
Master Chief is a good leader in Halo Canon.
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u/Maximum_Boros 8h ago
He's an excellent leader of Spartans specifically I think. I love me some master chief but I'm genuinely not sure how well that translates to a bunch of randoms who aren't specifically prepped to hang on his every decision because of the myth of the Spartan IIs.
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u/playzintraffic 18h ago edited 15h ago
Both are tough enough to get the job done.
Vanguard FemShep (my canon!) is a badass with an omniblade, no need to steal one from a dead Elite. She can also zip around the battlefield in ways that would make Master Chief jealous.
Master Chief slots in as a perfectly serviceable Soldier to replace Shep. His suit can be upgraded with mass effect tech; he’d LOVE the practically infinite ammo of the Avenger. The geth could help heal whatever’s wrong with Cortana, and per usual Halo plot rules, she’d probably figure out some way to Synthesis curbstomp the Reapers on her own, only to go crazy again and become the Big Bad of ME 4.
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u/Kroc_Zill_95 18h ago
Against the Covenant, some versions of Shepard would thrive. But against the flood, he would have to keep his helmet on and remain vacuum sealed at all times.
With Master Chief, the biggest factor is whether his mind can withstand the information overload from the Prothean beacon. If he can, he should be fine.
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u/GenghisN7 17h ago
He needs extreme charisma to rally the galaxy. There’s no Universe John can do what Shepard did.
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u/Marinedown59 17h ago
Well to be fair, we never see John in his squad until Halo 5, but in all the books and lore, Chief is literally groomed into the leadership role, he's the glue that holds his squad together. And not only that but throughout the games he leads marines multiple times even if not directly speaking, mostly inferred. Such as when they hop in your warthog and when you move with them
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u/RedNUGGETLORD 18h ago
No
Shepard doesn't beat the Reapers through his strength, it's his allies, the crucible and a lot of luck. He can't beat the Covenant that way, imagine him all alone fighting the Flood, he'd be fucking cooked
Master Chief is the leader of a squad, not an army, he doesn't have the same pull Shepard would, if anything people would fear him. I heavily doubt he'd be able to ally the Geth & Quarians and other stuff like that. He's a one man army, which is literally the opposite of what the Galaxy needs
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u/Kosame_san 16h ago
Chief gets indoctrinated. The only thing that gives Shepherd an edge over Chief is the fact he's just a superior leader in every sense of the word. Shepherd is casually walking around solving massive disputes between different culture groups, nations, and bringing wildly opposing people together to fight a common enemy. Chief would utterly dominate every physical and war-like scenario he encounters, but would fumble the ball so hard being a paragon or renegade that the galaxy needs to survive. Chief is so physically capable that he could basically solo fight everything in ME including some of their starships, but the moment he needs to be charismatic he might as well be a stone. Even worse is that because he may never die on account of being so durable, Chief would almost certainly fall eventually to the indoctrination from Sovereign or the later Reaper presences.
Shepherd gets killed in the first firefight. Covenant and Forerunner weaponry is so unbelievably deadly that it's easily on par with WH40k. Shepherd would quite literally have to take a full backseat role to be of any influence on the Halo universe. His universe has so many anti-feats that demonstrate how inferior their durability is that the moment a stray plasma bolt grazes him, he gets pressure cooked inside his suit. Not only that Shepherd's charisma and leadership capacity isn't what Halo needs to save it. Between ONI and the nonnegotiable gennocidal existential threats Shepherd would find himself alienated by his own kind because he might dare to question the authority of people who can get him ghosted. The ONLY caveat is that Biotic Shepherd is probably strong enough to "survive" some of the major important battles, but he's getting exhausted after the first one, whereas Chief has the augmentation and experience to just keep going. Also, some of the battles Chief takes place in are decided by John's speed at handling a firefight, Shepherd's battle tactics would be too slow, and eventually that lost time would catch up with him and cause issues.
Both characters are perfectly designed to fit into their universe but their specializations really don't do them any favors once they step into the others' universe. Mass Effect needs a charismatic diplomatic leader. Halo needs a physical powerhouse who can keep going no matter the challenge.
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u/BellonaXIV 15h ago
Would chief be indoctrinated if he has Cortana? Im not the biggest ME lore person but I would assume having an extremely advanced AI inside your head would help mitigate the reapers ability to manipulate people?
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u/DiScOrDtHeLuNaTiC 15h ago
I don't think Cortana could do anything to stop it. Indoctrination is a biochemical process.
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u/Lord_Of_Shade57 15h ago edited 14h ago
Its also up in the air whether or not Cortana herself would even be effective against the Reapers. I'm not sure if we have a good basis to compare electronic warfare capabilities between the two universes, but its difficult to believe the Reapers are in any way hackable and Cortana's status as a copy of an organic mind might leave her as vulnerable to indoctrination as anyone else
EDIT we do know Cortana went toe to toe with the Gravemind and while she was never the same, she did resist it. It is similarly impossible to compare the intensity of the Graveminds torture to the subtle power of indoctrination, but this could be taken as evidence that Cortana can handle it
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u/JohnB351234 15h ago
You see chief is the main character so he doesn’t get indoctrinated
Though in seriousness if we’re wholesale swapping the two he’d have the same resistance that Shep would have
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u/Nathaniel-Prime 14h ago
The only way Shepard would survive the Halo universe is if they joined the Spartan-IV program. That is if ONI doesn't dissect them to try and figure out why they have a biotic amplifier and what Element Zero is.
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u/HighKingBoru1014 17h ago
Some classes of Shepard would be doing better than others, depends on the gear and upgrades too.
Chief is doing alright mostly, would love to see him and Wrex have a go for fun.
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u/StrictlyFT 16h ago
Chief can survive everything but a direct confrontation with a Reaper perfectly fine.
Whether he can actually win the Reaper War is a different matter.
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u/Hamster-Fine 19h ago
I get PTSD now whenever I see anything Halo related on the Internet due to it's assholish community considering I've been around the Halo series it since Halo 2 lol.
I feel like Chief would fare well in the Mass Effect universe no problem and a Vanguard Shepard would be genuinely overpowered in the Halo universe.
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u/Cdog923 18h ago
Absolutely. I'd argue Shepard would have an easier time than MC taking out the Covenent, even.
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u/Neurionz 16h ago
Hot take, but I don't think Chief would survive in Mass Effect. The only reason everyone even stood a chance was because of shepard going against their superiors and pushing and pushing for everyone to take the Reapers seriously. This led to each victory they had. I'm not so sure the Chief would have pushed it all like Shepard did and I don't think he'd have stayed with Cerberus either. I think the Reapers would have won in those circumstances.
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u/AgentMaryland2020 16h ago
Chief had to do a similar thing twice. He disobeyed Del Rio to go after the Didact while Del Rio wanted to just file paperwork and let someone else deal with what could have literally been the complete extermination of humanity.
And then he disobeyed direct orders to return to the Infinity in favor of chasing down the phantom that was Cortana.
Chief has literally also turned enemies to allies with his actions alone.
I think Chief would be fine rallying the Mass Effect populace to arms against the Reapers.
Shepard is written to naturally be charismatic, though they do have points where they are tested for their reliability and loyalty (ex: the Krogan, twice). Chief earns the respect of those around him by not backing down and stepping in the place of others instead of sending people to die for him.
Shepard loses hope twice (ME 1 and ME 3), but regains it thanks to allies.
Chief doesn't believe failure to be an option. He will sooner die than accept nothing can be done.
As for Cerberus, Chief wouldn't have ended up working for them because he wouldn't have gone down with the Normandy. He would have grabbed up Joker, tossed him into the last escape pod, and fled with the rest.
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u/Lord_Of_Shade57 15h ago
Shepard's leadership and relationship building gives him the tools needed to pull the kind of diplomatic magic that won the war in ME3.
Master Chief intentionally does not have the people skills to make this happen. He is an inspiring figure, but this comes from his status as a war hero and a champion on the battlefield. All of Shepard's actual success against the Reapers comes from his ability to bring people together on the back end AND lead them personally into hell on the front end.
Master Chief's best comparison in Mass Effect is probably Javik. They are both supremely talented fighters who have a deep and nuanced understanding of war, but little else. Both exist largely apart from the societies of their time as they lack the interpersonal skills to really engage with them. Either would be an insanely valuable asset in the war against the Reapers, but neither could step into Shepard's shoes
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u/Lady-Lovelight 18h ago
Neither of them are succeeding. Mass Effect requires too much charisma for John. Maybe Cortana can do the talking for him, but I doubt the Council would take kindly to a human with a personal AI. Meanwhile Shepard simply isn’t built enough like John for them to survive Halo. Shepard’s biggest strength is their ability to forge friendships and alliances, not their personal combat skill.
Basically one game requires you to bang aliens, and the other requires you to bang aliens. Shepard and John are good in their respective fields, but their skills can’t be swapped.
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u/SinnerSaint98 18h ago
I think people forget that alliance soldiers also get genetic modifications, and it's hard to point how powerful Shepard is because the classes are different, a soldier Shepard is different than a biotic Shepard, which is basically space magic
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u/GingerMarquis 17h ago
Yes, I think they’d do alright. Master Chief would hate the political stuff and Shepherd may or may not try to bone the enemy but they’d do alright.
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u/xXTylonXx 17h ago
My answer changes based on what you actually mean by "each other's universe"
Each other's universe following the same stories but only having their own abilities/enhancements? Chief will do fine but may struggle against biotics users. Sheppard might struggle a bit when taking things solo, unless he has Biotics or Tech, then he might thrive.
Each others universes, no caveats, no individual story, just what they take with them? Basically just another day at the office for both of them.
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u/Darklord-Ravensblood 16h ago
I think they'd both do just fine actually. They have both undergone rather extensive Genetic and Cybernetic augmentation, and while in ME some of those augments are standard for all Aliance Soldiers as an N7 and then a Spectre Shepard would obviously have more extensive upgrades.
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u/Janixon1 18h ago
All Alliance marines receive genetic enhancements, though it's never really stated to fill extent. Plus Shepard has cybernetic enhancements from Cerberus
Shepard was able to headbutt
WorfGatatog Uvenk and make him reel. And he was able to go toe to toe with a Yahg. Shepard has impressive physical capabilities. But the real question is, can Shepard flip a Warthog?→ More replies (5)•
u/Gripping_Touch 18h ago
One thing they could have better than spartans is biotics. ME1 biotics were broken, like the sigularity would pick up any enemy without a shield. I think most Covenant don't have shields.
And then you throw a warp while they're floating and chain-react them I to blowing up.
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u/MissingXpert 18h ago
i would think Biotics might skew the results there, Spartans don't, on the regular, have access to space magic.
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u/slasher1337 18h ago
Alliance marinrs are enhanced in some way but the extent is not known
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u/Xivitai 19h ago
Depending on the class. ME3 Vanguard Shepard would be insane in Halo.