Mass Effect 3 Store Guide: What to Buy, Costs, and Shopping Tips
This page from the Mass Effect 3 wiki guide focuses on shopping: the stores you can visit, what they carry, and the costs of everything you can buy. It also covers content tied to DLC and the Legendary Edition, plus practical advice for getting the most value out of every credit you spend.
Mass Effect 3 Shopping and Store Guide
Shopping Tips
You might feel like buying everything the moment you see it, but there are multiple strategies you can use to stretch your money further.
- Credits are limited – Just like in Mass Effect 2, Credits are earned by finishing Missions and by locating certain items during missions (and those can be missed). Because of that, it’s usually not realistic to purchase every item from every shop in a single run. Prioritize buying what you need or what you want most first.
- Use the Citadel DLC for unlimited Credits – The Citadel DLC includes the Armax Arsenal Arena, which lets you exchange medals for Credits. You can jump into the Arena after you complete Citadel’s main “Shore Leave” storyline, which becomes available after “Priority: The Citadel 2.” If you’re trying to grind faster, set the difficulty to Narrative and stack as many Bonus Modifiers as possible to make it easier to earn Gold Medals.
- Unlock store discounts – Mass Effect 3 offers two separate discounts that stack together for a total of 10%. To get the most out of your Credits, it’s smart to wait to spend until you’ve earned the full combined discount:
- In the base version of Mass Effect 3, you can locate Intel in the “Kallini: Ardat-Yakshi Monastary” Mission (which unlocks after “Priority: The Citadel 2”). That Intel grants a 5% Discount.
- If you own the From Ashes DLC, play it after “Priority: The Citadel 1” and collect another Intel item that also unlocks a 5% discount.
- Don’t buy through the Procurement Interface – The Procurement Interface is convenient, but it applies a 10% markup. Over time that extra cost adds up, so it’s better to go directly to the stores on the Citadel instead.
- Check updated inventory via the Procurement Interface – A useful feature of the Procurement Interface is that it lets you review the stock of every store in the game through a menu available in the Cargo Bay. It’s far easier than returning to the Citadel and checking each individual shop one by one.
- Finish side missions – Since Credits are tied to mission completion, side missions are a major source of income too. They typically reward about 12,500 Credits, and they can provide at least double what you’d get from finding credits as loot in the mission itself. That makes them well worth doing, alongside other benefits like earning War Assets and uncovering Mods and Weapons.
- Collect everything while you’re in missions – Weapons can be purchased from stores if you missed them during a mission, but missed weapon mods are different: if you don’t grab them in the level, they’re gone for good. Exploring stages can also turn up items that provide Credits, letting you boost what you earn in a single run (by combining Found Credits with the Credits you receive for completing the mission).
- Stores never stock the same mod twice – When you buy the first version of a mod at one store, you can obtain a second version from another store—often one that becomes available later in the game. In the tables referenced below, the earlier mod version is labeled “A,” while the later version is “B.”
- In the base version of Mass Effect 3, you can locate Intel in the “Kallini: Ardat-Yakshi Monastary” Mission (unlocked after “Priority: The Citadel 2”) to gain a 5% Discount.
- If you have the From Ashes DLC, you can play it after “Priority: The Citadel 1” and find another Intel item that also unlocks a 5% Discount.
- Check updated inventory via the Procurement Interface – The Procurement Interface lets you see the stock of every store through a Cargo Bay menu. It’s much less time-consuming than traveling back to the Citadel and visiting each store manually.
Store Update Graph
The graph referenced above is meant to show when each store refreshes its inventory during the story. Stores receive new items after certain Missions, rather than stocking everything immediately. That said, the graph does not account for missed Weapons or quest-related items.
- The stores below are presented in the same order they appear in the Procurement Interface (as shown in the screenshot above).
- If you skip a Weapon or an item required for a quest, it will be purchasable from a store later. Still, it’s usually best to grab items in the mission itself, since that avoids spending any Credits.
- As mentioned earlier, buying a weapon mod at one store unlocks a second version at a different store. If you find a weapon mod in a mission, it increases the mod’s rank in stores. Rather than using labels like “II” and “III,” the guide uses “A” and “B.” If the “B” version of a mod isn’t available at a store yet, you must purchase the “A” version first.
Nos Astra Sporting Goods
Nos Astra Sporting Goods is one of the four shops in the “Meridian Place Market” area on the north-eastern side of the Presidium Commons. You’ll find it in the lower section just north of the Courtyard.
Batarian State Arms
Batarian State Arms is an easy-to-overlook storefront in the Docks: Holding Area refugee camp. It’s in the Batarian section of the camp, specifically Cargo Hold: C, which is the area closest to the Security Checkpoint.
There are two important notes about Batarian State Arms:
- Any items from the Omega DLC will only show up here if you didn’t buy them from Harrot’s Emporium during that DLC’s mission series.
- The Kestrel Helmet appears only after you complete “Citadel: Batarian Codes” with Balak present and you successfully use a Charm or Intimidate option.
Kanala Exports
Kanala Exports is located in the Presidium Commons’ “Bank” area in the south-west corner of the map. It’s the kiosk on the left side of the desk.
While the earlier table on the page claims this storefront’s stock refreshes after “Priority: The Citadel 2,” it actually updates after finishing any Mission following “Priority: Tuchanka.” Even so, due to delivery markups, the guide recommends waiting until after “Priority: The Citadel 2.”
Sirta Supplies
Sirta Supplies can be found in Huerta Memorial Hospital. The kiosk is across from the front desk, in the starting Patient Lounge area.
Your Virmire Survivor Gifts will depend on who your Survivor is. If it’s Kaidan Alenko, the only option is “TM-88 Peruvian Whisky.” If it’s Ashley Williams, you’ll receive everything except the Whisky. The best gift for her is “The Collected Alfred Tennyson,” since that’s what her grandfather enjoyed.
Kassa Fabrication
Kassa Fabrication is one of the four stores in the “Meridian Place Market” area on the north-eastern side of the Presidium Commons. It’s located in the lower area just north of the Courtyard.
Aegohr Munitions
Aegohr Munitions is also one of the four shops in the “Meridian Place Market” area in the north-eastern portion of the Presidium Commons. You’ll find it in the upper area in the north-eastern corner of the map.
Spectre Requisitions
Spectre Requisitions is located in the Citadel Embassies inside the Spectre Office. Once you enter, go down the hallway and turn left. The kiosk is on the right-hand side.
In the Legendary Edition, the Black Widow, Wraith, and Paladin have lower base prices than in the original release. To cover both versions, the guide lists their costs as “[Original] / [Legendary].”
Cipritine Armory
Cipritine Armory is another store in the “Meridian Place Market” group within the north-eastern area of the Presidium Commons. It sits in the upper section in the north-eastern corner of the map.
Elkoss Combine Arsenal Supplies
Elkoss Combine Arsenal Supplies can be found in the Presidium Commons’ “Bank” area in the south-west corner of the map. It’s the kiosk on the desk along the back wall when you climb the stairs.
Want more Mass Effect 3 help? Check out the following pages:
- Legendary Edition Changes
- How-To Guides
- Key Choices and Consequences
- Romance Guide
- Walkthrough
- Side Missions
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