Augmentations overview

The information was taken from official Deus Ex readme file, written by Ion Storm.

Slot 3

Energy Shield

Energy Drain: Moderate
Default button: F3
Reduces the effectiveness of attacks from the plasma gun and flamethrower by 80%.

Advantages
The energy shield has a fairly low power drain, and a high defensive percentage. This aug is particularly useful against a heavy weapons player, since it works on the flamethrower, plasma, and wp rockets. It is also helpful if you use it in conjunction with a plasma rifle at short range or point blank targets, since you don't have to worry about hitting yourself as hard with the plasma splash damage.

Disadvantages
This aug is only useful against the aforementioned weapons. If no one in the game is using any of the heavy weapons, you have a wasted aug slot and might be burning energy uselessly if you use the 'allaugs' hotkey.

Opposing
The best offense against the energy shield is to notice if someone is using it. It's harder to notice the blue shield effect if you are firing energy weapons, so watch closely. If you are firing a flamethrower or plasma at them and they don't seem to care, it's time to switch weapons. If you are the heavy weapons player, you have fewer options, and your best bet is to get away from them and hit them with regular gep rounds.

Combat Strength

Energy Drain: Low
Default button: F3
You do double damage with melee weapons (e.g., combat knife).

Advantages
This aug has not been changed very much from the single player, but does have an added dimension in a multiplayer setting. This aug works well for a stealth player, especially when combined with a cloak. Hand to hand weapons will do quite a bit of extra damage if you have this aug turned on, and getting the drop on someone with a nanosword and combat strength usually means instant death. It should also be noted that this damage bonus also applies to throwing knives, which have limited range but a fairly high damage and a very fast rate of fire, making them a viable option for a low tech specialist.

Disadvantages
No significant disadvantages to this aug, as it has a fairly low power drain.

Opposing
This aug only affects weapons using the low-tech skill, and all weapons of this type can be shielded against using ballistic protection. A player using this aug will also have to get in fairly close in order to cause damage, and listening for their footsteps can make it difficult for them to get in close enough. Using the vision aug can also help defend against low-tech weapons, since if they are in close enough to hit you, they are close enough for you to see them.

Slot 4

Radar Transparency

Energy Drain: Very Low
Default button: F4
Makes you invisible to electronic devices such as cameras, turrets and proximity mines (e.g., LAMs).

Advantages
While this aug is turned on, you will be completely invisible to turrets and also to any placed grenade traps. This aug has a low power drain, and can be left on for a very long time when combined with the recirculator. Radar transparency is a must have if you are going to be hacking turrets with multitools or placing a lot of demolitions. It makes it incredibly easy to walk past turrets and remove enemy demolitions traps and make them your own.

Disadvantages
First off, you cannot take the regeneration aug if you take radar transparency. Secondly, while turrets can't see you, other players still can. This means if you want full stealth, you will have to take cloak as well, which has a much higher power drain. Another important note is that while grenade traps won't go off on you directly, you can still be caught in blasts caused by other players.

Opposing
The main defense for this aug is paranoia. Check previously safe grenade traps when you pass by them again. Keep an eye out at the turret and terminals, since opponents with this aug will probably be spending significant amounts of time there.

Regeneration

Energy Drain: High
Default button: F4
When active, you heal, but at rate insufficient for healing in combat.

Advantages
Healing is a good thing. Regen is very useful if you can find a place to hide for 30 seconds or so and get yourself combat-ready again. The drain is also fairly low.

Disadvantages
Regeneration has been toned down a lot from the single player version. In multiplayer, you will only heal up 10 health per tick as opposed to the 40 in single player. The result of this is that you can no longer wade into combat with this aug turned on and expect to come out the other side unscathed.

Opposing
The simplest way to oppose this is to cause damage faster than they can heal it. With almost all weapons, this is not a problem. This aug also makes a distinct sound when it is turned on, and if you are close enough you can hear your opponent healing. Half dead opponent hiding and trying to heal? Sounds like a good time for an attack.

Slot 5

Environmental Resistance

Energy Drain: Low
Default button: F5
Reduces damage from poison and gas by 90% and eliminates poison and gas vision reduction entirely. Note that turning on this aug after you already have vision problems will not remove the vision effect.

Advantages
This is another low cost aug that can be left on a lot of the time. Having it turned on beforehand will block the vision wavering effects of poison or gas, and greatly reduce the damage from gas clouds and dart poison. This is a great one against players too fond of the crossbow. It works well in conjunction with gas grenades. You can throw one into a room and then charge in and start shooting. In this respect, it acts much like a flashbang does in other multiplayer games.

Disadvantages
Turning this aug on after your vision is already wavering will not remove the effect, though it will still block most of the poison damage. Another aug that is only useful in very specific situations.

Opposing
Players blithely wandering through gas clouds are easy to spot as using this aug. Once you notice that, simply don't bother with the crossbow or more gas attacks and switch weapons.

EMP Shield

Energy Drain: Very Low
Default button: F5
Reduces the effectiveness of EMP attacks against you by 95%.

Advantages
The emp shield has a very low drain and protects very well against emp damage. This is also a great aug to use in conjunction with emp grenades or the spy drone. Turn on your shield and fire off emp attacks at close range with near impunity. Your enemy is suddenly weaker, while your own energy is barely depleted.

Disadvantages
This only blocks emp damage, and thus is of limited usefulness. It should also be noted that the shielding effect is lessened the closer you are to the center of the emp attack. Standing at the fringe of an emp blast with the shield on means you take minimal drain. Standing at the center of an emp grenade will still drain you for a significant amount.

Opposing
Someone ignoring or lobbing emp attacks everywhere is easy to spot as using this aug. Stay as far away as possible and hit them as hard and fast as you can. If they are throwing emp attacks at you, that means they aren't actually causing damage, which is a perfect time to dish out some damage yourself.

Slot 6

Targeting

Energy Drain: Moderate
Default button: F6
You do 40% more damage with all weapons. You can also see an enemy's health.

Advantages
Targeting provides many advantages. It is effectively a skill increase of one level in all weapon skills. This means that you do more damage and have higher accuracy. The GEP gun will also lock onto opponents faster. Even preplaced grenades do more damage if placed while target is on. This is particularly nasty when combined with the sniper rifle or other high damage weapons. The other advantage is more subtle, in that you can see how much overall health your opponent has left.

Disadvantages
The only real disadvantages are the drain, and the fact that you have to really pay attention to get the health info, and the health info is an overall number, and does not reflect specific body parts.

Opposing
The direct defense against targeting is to use ballistic protection. This will more than make up for the targeting damage bonus.

Ballistic Protection

Energy Drain: High
Default button: F6
Reduces the effectiveness of melee weapons and ballistic weapons (e.g., rifles and pistols) by 40%.

Advantages
This will block 40% of the damage you receive from most weapons. This is a great aug to use right before or as you enter combat, and can keep you alive while you are being sniped until you can find cover. It is also very useful to turn on before you cross any large open area, especially when combined with the speed aug.

Disadvantages
Significant power drain. This really isn't an aug you can leave on all the time unless you have a recirculator going and stop in at repairbots quite a bit.

Opposing
This is one of the toughtest augs to oppose. Attacking someone with this aug going can make combat somewhat frustrating. The moment you see that blue shield, it's time to switch weapons or hit them with an emp attack. The crossbow or energy weapons are probably the best to switch to. Anything that will disorient the other player will help you take them out faster, and poison, fire, or plasma will usually distract them at least into trying to turn off the ballistic and turn on another defensive aug. Making the ballistic person multitask is essential to taking them out. The effectiveness of this aug can be reduced by using the targeting aug, which provides a damage bonus.

Slot 7

Speed Enhancement

Energy Drain: Very High
Default button: F7
Allows you to move twice as fast and jump twice as high.

Advantages
Turning on this aug doubles your movement speed and makes very high and long leaps possible. This is a great aug for getting into or out of combat quickly, or just crossing a large open space while minimizing risk. While you are moving at this speed, you are much harder to hit, and incredibly difficult to get locked onto with the gep gun. All in all, this is one of the most powerful and versatile augs.

Disadvantages
While it is harder for other enemies to hit you, it is also more difficult to target others when moving that fast. Combat can get very frantic very fast, and overcorrecting is a common problem. The drain on this is also the highest of all the augs. This is really only useful in short bursts, you simply don't have enough energy to leave it on for long, especially since if you have speed you cannot have the recirculator. Another important note: You do not jump as high while carrying the gep gun as you do with other weapons. So don't expect to be able to hop that fence with a gep drawn.

Opposing
Trying to defeat someone who has speed, especially if you don't, can be incredibly difficult. Your best bet are weapons with some sort of spread, such as the shotgun, assault rifle, or plasma. Explosives also work well, but you have to remember to lead them pretty heavily. Hitting a jackrabbit with an emp blast can also be fairly rewarding, as most people who use this aug a lot come to rely on it heavily, and take time to adjust to moving at the regular speed. Also remember that even if you are moving, you will still have a slightly easier time aiming than the person blitzing across the map.

Power Recirculator

Energy Drain: None
Default button: F7
Reduces the energy drain of other augmentations. Note that the Power Recirculator is automatically activated when any other augmentations are activated.

Advantages
This is probably the simplest aug available. If you turn on any other aug, the recirculator kicks in automatically. There is no drain on the recirculator, so it never adds to your power loss. This aug is also incredibly useful if you are fond of the 'allaugs' hotkey. Combining the power recirculator with a few defensive augs and the 'allaugs' key can make you very difficult to attack successfully.

Disadvantages
Having this aug means you cannot have the speed augmentation. Get used to moving at the regular speed, and playing a slightly slower paced game.

Opposing
There really isn't a very good way to oppose someone with this other than emp attacks or using the speed aug to your advantage if that is what you took. If your opponent has the recirculator, you are going to have to hit them more often, since they can keep their augs going for longer. This means hit hard and fast, since you probably won't win a war of attrition with this player.

Slot 8

Cloak

Energy Drain: Moderate
Default button: F8
Makes you invisible to enemy players. Electronic devices and players with the Vision Enhancement augmentation can detect you. Upon drawing a weapon you uncloak and become visible to all. In Team Death Match players who are cloaked are still visible to their allies.

Advantages
This augmentation is great for avoiding enemy snipers and for avoiding enemies at a distance. When active, it is much safer to cross open spaces. When you wish to use the cloak to attack someone, the general strategy is to either maneuver around behind them, or wait for them to turn their back on you. When they do so, draw a weapon and fire at them. After you do this, it is often a good idea to put your weapon away, cloak again, and move. If you don't do this, then your opponent will most likely return fire. And since your opponent was not cloaked, he or she probably has a combat enhancing augmentation. Finally, the cloak prevents the GEP gun from locking onto you, and will break a lock if turned on after the lock is acquired.

Disadvantages
It has a fairly high power drain, so you have to manage your energy carefully while using it. It doesn't mask your footsteps, so people can often tell when you are nearby. Finally, while it is active, you have no weapon out. If someone with the vision augmentation spots you while cloaked, you are at a disadvantage, as your opponent is armed and you are not.

Opposing
The vision augmentation is the most useful anti-cloak power. At short to medium ranges, it will display cloaked enemies. Since these enemies are cloaked, they do not have weapons out, and are at a disadvantage if you choose to attack them. If you do not have the vision augmentation, be alert for footsteps. If you hear them, but don't see an opponent, you can try spraying the area with the flamethrower. If you hit someone, he or she will catch on fire and be easy to track. A WP rocket fills a similar role at longer ranges, if you suspect a cloaked person to be in a particular sniper spot. If you have a weapon equipped, and target a cloaked enemy, you will get white targeting crosshairs. You get the same crosshairs if you look at objects in the world, such as crates and doors, but if you get them when not looking at an object, then you may very well be targeting a cloaked enemy. Many cloaked players think of themselves as undetectable, so a shot at them while they are cloaked will often catch them by surprise.

Vision Enhancement

Energy Drain: Moderate
Default button: F8
Allows you to see enemy players in the dark from any distance. For a short distance you can see through walls and see cloaked enemies. Enemy players appear in red.

Advantages
This is the best defense against a cloaked player. It is also a vast improvement over your usual crosshair iff. Friends will now appear as bright green, and enemies will now glow red. This makes it much easier to spot enemies at a distance, even if they are in shadows, and thus is great for spotting troublesome snipers. You can also see friends/enemies on the other side of walls at very close range.

Disadvantages
There are 4 main problems with this aug. First, you can only see cloaked people at medium/short range. This makes the vision aug slightly less advantageous on a larger map. Second, the drain on the vision aug is greater than the cloak drain, which means they can stay cloaked longer than you can see them. Third, if you are facing any kind of explosion with this aug turned on, you will be temporarily blinded. The severity and duration of the blindness depend on the closeness/brightness of the explosion, and whether you were looking straight at it or caught it at an angle. Finally, the farther away an enemy player is, the less bright red he will glow.

Opposing
The vision aug is directly opposed by the cloak. If you have the cloak, stay as far away from this person as possible and try to snipe them. The vision aug player is also very vulnerable to being blinded. Any kind of explosion or grenade stands a good chance of temporarily blinding them. The flamethrower and plasma are also bright enough to impede the vision aug player somewhat, although they do not cause the same type of blinding effect.

Slot 9

Spy Drone

Energy Drain: Moderate
Default button: F9
Creates a small, remote-controlled drone. Pressing the firing key (or mouse button) while the drone is active delivers powerful EMP damage to any player or electronic device in the vicinity of the drone.

Advantages
The spy drone lets you scout an area where you suspect an enemy to be at reduced risk to yourself. Once this is activated it moves very quickly across even the large maps, and is difficult for enemies to spot. The emp attack has been enhanced for multiplayer, and detonating this anywhere near a person will cause massive bioenergy loss. The drone is also useful to send ahead and disable a turret so you can then run past. The spy drone is nearly invulnerable while it is in flight. The drone is great to send alone up to the top of that likely sniper nest and flush someone out. A favorite close range tactic is to activate the spy drone and the emp shield at the same time, and detonate the drone immediately. This is very surprising to an enemy at close range and gives you an immediate energy advantage.

Disadvantages
This aug does have a couple of drawbacks. First, while it is active, you cannot move. This means you better have a really secure place before you go flying around with the drone. Second, having this aug in a slot makes it very difficult to use the 'allaugs' hotkey without special planning. Also note: while the spy drone can't be directly damaged by bullets, any type of nearby explosion has a good chance of blowing it up. This means an enemy can defend themselves with plasma or explosives, and you really don't want to get caught in your own emp blast.

Opposing
There are a couple of ways to deal with an incoming drone. They make a distinctive humming sound so you can generally hear them coming. The simplest way to deal with one is to get a direct or near hit with some type of explosive or plasma. You can also emp a spy drone, knocking it out of the air. Also remember that while someone has a drone out, they are basically a sitting duck.

Aggressive Defense System

Energy Drain: Low
Default button: F9
Enemy rockets detonate before they hit you, doing reduced damage. Large rockets (like the LAW) may detonate close enough to cause considerable damage to your character even if you activate the Aggressive Defense. Agressive Defense does not detonate thrown LAMs, Gas Grenades, or EMP Grenades.

Advantages
This aug has a fairly low drain, and is quite effective at keeping away unwanted rockets. It is also useful as an umbrella for teammates, so if you are close together, only one of you needs to have this turned on. This is a great aug to turn on while crossing open areas. The offensive use of this aug is when you turn it on while very close to someone firing rockets or 20mm at you. The closer you are to them when they fire, the more likely they are to damage themselves. The other nice thing is that you can often hear incoming rockets and thus have time to turn this on quickly, thus negating or at least reducing the damage you take.

Disadvantages
This is not a stealthy aug. Whenever you have this turned on you and nearby players will be able to hear a distinctive sound somewhat like a sonar pulse. This makes it much easier to find you if you are trying to hide. There have also been some major changes from the way this worked in single player. The only things aggressive defense will block in mp are rockets, wp rockets, 20mm, and the law rocket. It will not block placed or thrown grenades, darts, knives, or any of the other things it stopped in the singleplayer game. Also, depending on the skill of the opposing player and the weapon they use, you may still take some damage from incoming rockets even if you have this turned on. The best example is the law, which will still cause significant damage to you if you get caught in the open and try to defend yourself with aggressive defense.

Opposing
Listen for the distinctive sound of this aug and be very careful before you start firing rockets around. When you hear this aug turned on, or you see a rocket detonate with a large blue explosion (much like an EMP explosion), it's time to switch weapons to something else. Since EMP grenades are not blocked by this augmentation, don't be afraid to toss one at your opponent.

Slot 10

Run Silent

Energy Drain: Low
Default button: F10
You move completely silently regardless of speed.

Advantages
This is a nice low drain aug that is loads of fun for a stealth player. Experienced players will be listening for footsteps and it's great to be able to pop up without them hearing you. Using this with the vision aug to see your enemy through a wall and then walking (or running with the speed aug) up behind them is very satisfying.

Disadvantages
No disadvantages worthy of note, except you can't have its opposing aug. This aug can cause a bit of overconfidence though. Just because you are being sneaky is no reason to let down your guard.

Opposing
Again, paranoia is a great defense. If you can't hear their footsteps, sometimes you can hear them switching weapons or activating/deactivating augs. Look around a lot, watch for movement. The vision aug also helps a lot to defend against this: they think they are sneaking up the ladder, you are watching them through the floor and can mow them down before they pop their head up.

Microfibral Muscle

Energy Drain: Low
Default button: F10
Allows you to pick up large crates.

Advantages
While this aug doesn't have any direct damage applications, (at least in the premade maps), it does offer some interesting map control options. Few people take this aug, so if you are the only player who has it, you can move those large crates and no one else will be able to do anything about it. This doesn't sound terribly useful until you realize that you can use those large crates to strategically block off small passages or elevators, and thus funnel your opponents wherever you want them. Blocking doorways, air vents, and elevator exits can be extremely amusing.

Disadvantages
The only real disadvantage is that the usefulness of this aug is directly tied to which map you are on, and if there are any large crates for you to move.

Opposing
The simplest way to oppose this aug is to take it yourself. That or simply go way around and realize that you are being channeled to where your opponent wants you. The speed aug will often also allow you to jump over crates that your opponent has moved.

Slot 11

Aqualung

Energy Drain: Low
Default button: F11
Allows you to stay underwater 12 times longer than normal. This also doubles the player's swimming speed.

Advantages
Using this aug will not only increase your air supply, but in multiplayer it also increases the speed at which you move underwater. If you arm yourself properly, you can get someone to follow you into the water and waste them when they try to keep up. This works particularly well if you have taken a weapon that works underwater (sword, knives, or crossbow).

Disadvantages
No significant disadvantages unless you are on a map with no water, in which case this is just cluttering up your hud.

Opposing
If you are on a map where water is a significant factor, make sure you have the aqualung as well, at least that way you are on an even footing. Also, while you can't fire most weapons underwater, that doesn't mean you can't fire into the water at your swimming opponent.

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