Ilos: Upper Ruins – Mass Effect

This guide will help you explore the upper ruins area of Ilos in Mass Effect.

Ilos: Upper Ruins Map

Legend

1. Arrival
2. Welcoming Party
3. Plaza
4. Exit to Lower Ruins
5. Crate
6. Exit to Lower Ruins
7. Courtyard
8. Elevator
9. Geth Sappers
10. Exit to Security Station
11. One-Way Elevator

Ilos: Upper Ruins Overview

Thanks to Captain Anderson, you’re able to bring the Normandy into the Pangaea Expanse and follow Saren to Ilos through the Mu Relay. If you’ve been pursuing a romance with Ashley, Kaidan, or Liara, then they will enter your quarters as you approach the planet and you’ll have the option to, uh, take your relationship to the next level.

1 – Arrival

As the Normandy begins its final descent on Ilos, Pressley picks up some strange readings on the planet’s surface and pinpoints Saren’s location. Unfortunately, there are no landing zones nearby, so you have to trust Joker to drop your squad inside the Mako within a 20 meter area right next to Saren and a small army of Geth.

The drop goes as planned and you wind up right behind Saren just as he seals the door to some kind of underground archive. To continue pursuing him, you’ll need to find a security override somewhere nearby to get the door open. You’ll also discover that the Planets: Ilos codex entry is now available.

After shutting down the security system on the Ilos: Security Station map, you can hop back into the Mako and head through the north door to reach the Ilos: Archives map. Or, as one of your squad members puts it, the “creepy underground bunker”.

2 – Welcoming Party

Three Geth Troopers make up the first of several groups of Geth you’ll be facing here on Ilos.

3 – Plaza

The plaza and surrounding area is heavily defended by Geth Troopers, Geth Shock Troopers, and a pair of Geth Armatures. Make sure you use the available cover to avoid getting hit by the Armatures’ powerful energy attack. If you’d rather not deal with the Geth Armatures at all, you can use the ramp to the west to reach the Ilos: Lower Ruins map where an Armature Control panel can be decrypted to deactivate the monstrous synthetics.

When all of the Geth in the plaza have been eliminated or subdued, loot the hardened crate along the southwest wall (near the elevator).

4 – Exit to Lower Ruins

Continue down this ramp to reach the Ilos: Lower Ruins map.

5 – Crate

A single unlocked crate rests against the wall here. Loot away.

6 – Exit to Lower Ruins

Continue down this ramp to reach the Ilos: Lower Ruins map.

7 – Courtyard

Four Geth Troopers and a Geth Destroyer inhabit the courtyard. Take them down, then check the secure crate near the west wall for some more valuables.

8 – Elevator

This elevator will take you to the platform just above you where two Geth Shock Troopers and a secure crate await.

9 – Geth Sappers

Five Geth Sappers guard the back area of these ruins.

10 – Exit to Security Station

If you want to continue after Saren, you’re going to have to take this elevator down to the Ilos: Security Station map.

11 – One-Way Elevator

This elevator will only allow you to return to the upper ruins after overriding the security system on the Ilos: Security Station map.