Ilos

Ilos

This is it, the final stretch. Stop Saren from finding the Conduit on Ilos to prevent Sovereign from carrying out its devastating plan. You'll be facing plenty of geth here, so install weapon upgrades that improve damage to synthetics.

Ilos Landing

Ilos: Find the Conduit

Objective: Override the Security
Saren cannot be pursued until you find some way to open the door that shut behind him. Enter the Mako and use its weaponry to destroy the geth coming from the south. When the perimeter is clear, exit the Mako and enter the Plaza. This area is dense with geth, so immediately take cover behind the nearest object to avoid taking damage. Of particular danger are the two geth armatures; they are rather hard to take down without the Mako's weaponry, and their projectiles are absolutely lethal. Take cover behind one of the large stone blocks in the area, pop out every once in awhile to damage the armatures and dive back behind cover to avoid oncoming projectiles. 

Alternatively, the two geth armatures can be shutdown using the Armature Control terminal in the Lower Ruins area. This option requires a high Decryption skill, so stand and fight if neither Shepard nor an ally has an adequate amount of talent points invested in Decryption. You could also pursue this option if you are willing to part with some Omni-gel. Sprint to the end of the area and take the series of ramps down to the reach the lower ruins. Move north until you reach a small area that contains geth stalkers and sappers. The terminal is next to the entrance to this section. Decrypt the terminal, destroy the geth, and head back the way you came.

Geth Armatures

Armature Control

Follow the trail at the southern end of the Plaza to reach the Courtyard. Take out the group of geth in the courtyard and start towards the elevator at the other end of the area. A couple of geth shock troopers and a group of jumpers stand in your path, so proceed with caution. The elevator leads up to the Security Station.

At the center of the Armature Bay stands a number of geth troops and a hulking geth prime. The prime is one powerful variant of geth, so use tech abilities such as Overload and Sabotage to weaken it, and then weapon abilities (i.e., Assassination, Marksman, Carnage, Overkill) to destroy it as quickly as possible. Use the Armature Repair stations at the head of the bay to raise some geth armatures to help wipe out the remaining geth.

Geth Prime

Armature Repair Station

When the area is clear, make your way to the opposite end of the Armature Bay and head up one of the ramps there to reach the Security Room. Open the Security Panel to activate a strange recording. 

Security Panel

Recording

Objective: Enter the Archives
Make your way to the elevator at the north end of the Security Station and take it to the Plaza area. Return to the Landing Zone, enter the Mako and start towards the archives. The first stretch is clear of geth, but a group of rocket troopers stands guard at the mouth of the second tunnel. Blast the rocket troopers as you drive by and continue moving towards the large barrier visible in the distance.

To the Archives

Barrier

Exit the Mako once you reach the barrier and enter the elevator to the right of it. Activate the elevator to reach the Watcher's Chamber. Move to the other end of the walkway and interact with Vigil. What follows is a lengthy conversation with the ancient Prothean VI. Vigil details the Reaper attack, the subsequent downfall of the Prothean race, and the shocking truth of the Citadel's purpose.

Vigil

Race Against Time: Conduit

Return to the Mako and continue down the path. A group of geth rocket troopers stand ready at the archives' end, but they are no match for the Mako's weaponry. Drop into the trench and drive down the path. You'll soon come to another group of rocket troopers, backed by a towering geth colossus, at the bottom of a large decline. Blast the rocket troopers with the Mako's cannon and then immediately turn your attention to the colossus. Keep a fair distance between yourself and the colossus and use the cannon and machine gun to damage it. Move the Mako back and forth to avoid taking damage from the colossus' projectiles and continue attacking until it falls.

Geth Colossus

A few geth rocket troopers are stationed along final stretch, but again it's nothing the Mako can't handle. The impressive mass relay known as the Conduit is visible in the distance as you near the end of the trench run. You have forty seconds to make it to the Conduit after the cutscene. Immediately start down the decline and make haste to the Conduit. Ignore the geth forces along the way and continue moving towards the Conduit's launch pad. Hit the ramp to warp to the besieged Citadel.

Conduit