Mass Effect 3 Priority: The Citadel 1 Guide—War Assets and Dialogue Tips
This part of the Mass Effect 3 guide focuses on Priority: The Citadel 1, covering what to do during your first visit, which dialogue options to choose, and how to grab as many War Assets as possible. It’s built for players who want to hit the Citadel efficiently while also setting up a few key outcomes for later.
Quick-scan checklist
- Choose “That’s a good idea” for +2 Paragon Points.
- Choose “Council first” for +2 Renegade Points.
- Citadel areas you can visit right now: Normandy Dock: Bay D24, Huerta Memorial Hospital, and the Citadel Embassies.
- War Assets can shift in strength; their combined rating is measured as Total Military Strength (TMS).
- Speaking with reporter Diana Allers: accept “Let’s do a trial run” to get her covered in-story, deny with “No way” to remove her.
- At Huerta, you can invite either Dr. Chakwas or Dr. Michel, with different Medi-Gel upgrades and one-time versus New Game Plus carryover.
- At the Council, respond with “I believe in trying” for +2 Paragon Points or “Do you have a better plan?” for +2 Renegade Points.
- In Spectre Office: authorize “Partner Benefits Increase” to raise Citadel Defense Force by +8 TMS, or authorize “Asari Huntress Weapon Permit” to lower it by -4 TMS.
- At the Fourth Estate: Renegade Interrupt leads to a strike and +5 Renegade Points, while a successful Paragon Interrupt leads to comforting Khalisa and +5 Paragon Points, plus War Asset value.
- Side quest offered at the end: “Shrike Abyssal: Prothean Obelisk”, tied to Search and Rescue via the Normandy’s Galaxy Map.
Priority: The Citadel 1
First arrival
When you reach the Citadel for the first time, Shepard immediately goes after their Virmire Survivor—only to watch a medical team carry them off to Huerta Memorial Hospital. Shortly after, Bailey of C-Sec approaches. He’s been promoted to Commander, and he tells you the Council is already expecting you, though you still have time to visit the hospital before heading in.
If you want early alignment points, the guide recommends choosing “That’s a good idea” for +2 Paragon Points, or choosing “Council first” for +2 Renegade Points.
After this moment you’ll have full control of Shepard, but your options are limited. You can only visit three areas during this initial window: Normandy Dock: Bay D24 (where you start), Huerta Memorial Hospital, and the Citadel Embassies. Completing “Priority: Mars” also gives you rewards at this point.
The Citadel is sprawling, so the rest of this section breaks down what you can do in order, including optional conversations and side activities that affect War Assets and EMS-related outcomes.
War Assets and why this visit matters
The Citadel is the earliest point where you can begin earning War Assets, which represent people, technologies, and vessels obtained for the fight against the Reapers. They’re not locked in permanently—many can become stronger or weaker based on what you do elsewhere.
Each War Asset has a strength rating measured as Total Military Strength (TMS). Your overall War Asset pool adds up into a single combined rating. In the original 2012 version of Mass Effect 3, the final EMS value can also be influenced by Galactic Readiness; however, the guide notes that if you gather a lot of War Assets, you won’t need to worry as much about that extra scaling.
Avina
Start by moving backward toward the window overlooking the Normandy, then turn to face the security checkpoint barriers. On your left, you’ll spot a purple hologram of an Asari—this is Avina, a basic VI you can talk to for information about the Citadel and how the wider galaxy is functioning, including how it’s coping with refugees. The guide warns she can be very “politically correct,” but she’s still useful.
You can also find an Avina terminal near the entrance of every Citadel area, so she’s essentially your built-in “fictional tourism” stop as you move around.
Asari and Turian couple conversation
To the left of Avina, you’ll see a Turian speaking with his Asari bondmate. He’s preparing to defend Palaven, the Turian homeworld. This interaction is multi-part, and if you hear every segment, you unlock a Spectre Terminal item inside the Spectre Office. That item can raise the EMS of one of your War Assets.
The guide also explains that the later parts won’t appear continuously—you’ll either have to leave and return to the area, or save and load to trigger the next portion.
If you want to speed things up, you can use Mass Effect 3’s Quicksave. It’s mapped to Select on PS3, Back on 360, – Select on Wii U, View on Xbox One, or the Touchpad on PS4. Stand at a reasonable distance, quicksave, then pause and load your save to continue the conversation.
The full talk for this couple is split into five parts. You’ll know you’ve reached the end when the Turian mentions sending his family to a place called Sanctuary, and calls the original comm-traffic limitation “a stupid rule anyway.”
Diana Allers
Next, head to the lower waiting space and look for the reporter in the white dress. She’s at the moment asking one of your crew whether you’re on the Citadel—before realizing you’re right there. This is Diana Allers, a journalist for Alliance News Network, and she offers to cover what’s happening aboard the Normandy.
- If you accept with “Let’s do a trial run”, Allers can be found later on the Engineering Deck of the Normandy. She’ll request an interview after major events that let you earn Morality Points and influence the EMS of your War Assets. Diana Allers is also a War Asset worth 5 TMS.
- If you deny her with “No way”, she’s removed from the story entirely.
From here, the guide shifts you toward the next Citadel area. Since you’re playing a Paragon-aligned route, it recommends visiting Huerta first—though it stresses you can do it second. The only non-negotiable thing in this early visit is to make sure you meet your Virmire Survivor at least once. Use the security barriers to reach the elevator.
Sirta Supplies at Huerta
When you first enter Huerta, you’re placed in the Patient Lounge. Move toward the reception desk, then check to its left to find the Sirta Supplies kiosk. This is where you can buy Medi-Gel Capacity upgrades. There are five options, each one increasing in price.
The guide suggests skipping these purchases for now because you can get a 10% discount about halfway through the game, and because there are many expensive items you’ll likely want later.
Even so, there’s one purchase you should make here: a gift for your Virmire Survivor.
- For Ashley, buy The Collected Alfred Tennyson since she’s a fan of Tennyson from the first game.
- For Kaidan, buy TM-88 Peruvian Whisky.
Dr. Chakwas and Dr. Michel
A little farther into the room, near the left-hand window, you’ll find a familiar face—possibly two. If Dr. Chakwas survived escaping the Collector Base at the end of Mass Effect 2, she’ll be here talking with Dr. Michel. If Chakwas isn’t present, then Dr. Michel is located in the back-right corner.
NOTICE: the Normandy medical decision
At this point, you’ll be given a chance to invite one of the two doctors onto the Normandy. The guide calls this decision more significant than it initially seems. In “Citadel: Medical Supplies”, each doctor provides a unique Medi-Gel upgrade.
Important detail: the guide states that Dr. Michel’s upgrade can be carried into New Game Plus runs, while Dr. Chakwas’ upgrade only applies to the current playthrough.
You’ll still only get one attempt. Inviting Dr. Michel requires that you first deny Dr. Chakwas, and the game won’t let you revise that choice later. The effects differ as follows:
- If you invite Dr. Chakwas, Dr. Michel remains at Huerta. In “Citadel: Medical Supplies”, Chakwas provides a Medi-Gel Efficiency upgrade that gives a 50% chance for the First Aid power to not consume any Medi-Gel. However, the guide emphasizes this only affects your current playthrough.
- If you deny Dr. Chakwas and persuade Dr. Michel (who moves to the other side of the room), Chakwas becomes a War Asset worth 10 TMS. In “Citadel: Medical Supplies”, Michel provides a +2 Medi-Gel Capacity upgrade that carries over to future runs.
The guide notes that whichever doctor you choose has no direct impact on the story itself.
Because Dr. Michel is a clinic doctor, you’ll need persuasion through either the blue Charm or the red Intimidate option to get her to join the Normandy.
- Choose “Save billions, not hundreds” (Charm) for +2 Paragon Points.
- Choose “Our mission is more important” (Intimidate) for +2 Renegade Points.
Regardless of which doctor you invite, you’ll gain reputation for talking to them: +5 Reputation for speaking with Dr. Chakwas and +2 Reputation for speaking with Dr. Michel.
Virmire Survivor visit
Now you do the thing you came here for: meeting your Virmire Survivor. Go through the rear door from the entry room, cross the security corridor, and enter the Inpatient Wing. As you advance, you’ll see a Salarian and a human doctor exiting a side room ahead. They’re discussing your survivor, so enter the room they came from.
As Dr. Michel mentioned, your survivor is still unconscious, meaning you can only offer encouragement. This sequence doesn’t award Morality Points, so you can choose whatever you want without worrying about alignment math. Completing the scene grants +2 Reputation.
Distressed Asari
Back in the Patient Lounge, you’ll find two Asari sitting behind the reception desk in a private area near the elevator. This conversation is another multi-stage event similar to the earlier couple, but it’s longer—spanning twelve parts. The guide says it’s harrowing, and you’ll know it’s finished when the Asari experiencing PTSD leaves her seat empty. Completing it also unlocks another option at the Spectre Terminal.
Once you’re done, return to the elevator and head to the Citadel Embassies.
Citadel Tower and the Council
Ignore the main floor and sprint straight to Councillor Udina’s office. It’s up the stairs to the right of the elevator, then through the door at the end of the hallway on the right side. From there, you’ll be brought to the Council Chambers in the Citadel Tower.
As expected, the Council falls back into old habits: dismissing humanity’s concerns, rejecting Shepard’s proposals, and focusing on their own priorities. They also express doubt that the Prothean device you found plans for is actually viable, pointing out that the Protheans were wiped out by the Reapers. Your response choices are:
- “I believe in trying” for +2 Paragon Points.
- “Do you have a better plan?” for +2 Renegade Points.
No matter how you answer, they won’t agree to your plan. Instead, they decide to regroup once the Reapers begin pressing closer to the Council’s homeworlds.
After that, you’ll be taken to Udina’s office. The guide describes the conversation as you both venting at the Council while the situation unfolds. During this, a Turian Councillor arrives with a proposal: a War Summit has been organized between Turians, Asari, and Salarians to discuss the war. But the Turian representative, Primarch Fedorian, went missing after the Reapers attacked Palavan, the Turian homeworld.
Your exact dialogue here can vary depending on which Turian Councillor you’re dealing with, but the guide provides a consistent rule: the upper-right reply grants +2 Paragon Points, while the lower-right reply grants +2 Renegade Points.
Finally, if your Spectre status wasn’t reinstated during Mass Effect 2, the Turian Councillor will restore it here, granting access to the Spectre Office. When the cutscene ends, you can talk to Udina to learn what his role looks like and hear updates on Earth.
Spectre Office
In the Spectre Office area, Spectre Requisitions sits through the door directly across from Udina’s office. There are multiple points of interest here. Start by going left to locate two terminals: the Spectre Terminal and Spectre Requisitions.
The Spectre Terminal is where you can read classified intelligence and make executive choices that raise or lower the TMS of your War Assets. If you managed to complete both the Distressed Asari and the Turian and Asari couple conversations earlier, then you’ll have access to the Asari Huntress Weapon Permit and Partner Benefits options.
- Authorizing “Partner Benefits Increase” will raise Citadel Defense Force by +8 TMS.
- Authorizing “Asari Huntress Weapon Permit” will lower Citadel Defense Force by -4 TMS.
To the left is Spectre Requisitions, which lets you purchase weapons, armor, and other items. Most of it is expensive, especially the exclusive weapons. If you own the Legendary Edition, you’ll also have access to additional items that were previously tied to DLC or Deluxe Edition content in the original release.
The guide then notes that you can buy a full suite of items at the moment, and identifies the final Spectre Office feature as the Shooting Range.
At the Shooting Range, you can customize your weapon and mod loadout, then test it against practice targets to see how effective it is versus health, armor, and shields. Thermal Clips are provided in unlimited supply, and the guide emphasizes this is the only place in the entire game where you can do this type of testing.
Commander Bailey
Next door is the C-Sec office, where you’ll speak with Commander Bailey. You’ll have a short scene involving Khalisa Bint Sinan al-Jilani, the smear reporter from the first two games, before moving into a conversation with Bailey about his promotion and Udina’s motives behind it. Your replies here can be:
- “Bear with it” for +2 Paragon Points.
- “It’s a stupid game” for +2 Renegade Points.
You can also talk to Bailey a second time to learn how C-Sec and the Citadel at large are handling the war’s arrival.
The Fourth Estate: Khalisa’s interrogation
Leave Bailey’s office and go deal with Khalisa. You can spot her standing beside Avina just outside the elevator. Talk to her and she’ll start her usual routine of accusatory, bait-like questions aimed at Shepard. The guide lays out the possible responses:
- If you trigger the Renegade Interrupt, you’ll throw a punch and earn +5 Renegade Points. Khalisa will actually dodge it, so you’ll need to trigger another Renegade Interrupt to headbutt her; otherwise, she’ll knock Shepard to the floor.
- If you allow the Renegade Interrupt to pass, you’ll get a Paragon Interrupt. Pull it to have Shepard comfort Khalisa and earn +5 Paragon Points, with Khalisa becoming a War Asset worth +5 TMS. If you never punched Khalisa, her TMS is doubled. If you miss the Paragon Interrupt, Shepard walks away and you gain no Morality Points.
- If you never punched Khalisa, her TMS is doubled!
James Vega
At the window to the left of where Khalisa stood, you’ll find Jamea, who’s now available after you’ve spoken with the Council. There are no Morality Points tied to this interaction, so you can respond however you want. Speaking with Vega grants +2 Reputation.
Prothean Obelisk side quest
The last item you can handle on the Citadel for now is picking up a side quest. From Vega’s window, head north and look for a Volus talking with a Turian and a Human. He speaks indirectly about supporting the Alliance’s project and mentions a Prothean Obelisk they lost in the Shrike Abyssal.
This begins the new side mission “Shrike Abyssal: Prothean Obelisk”. You can’t finish it on the Citadel right away; it connects to the Search and Rescue system, which is handled through the Normandy’s Galaxy Map.
With everything done here for the moment, return to the elevator and go back to Normandy Dock: Bay D24. Head to the intersection where Avina is, take a left, then use the door at the far end to leave.
If you want more help for Mass Effect 3, the guide points you toward additional sections including Legendary Edition Changes, How-To Guides, Key Choices and Consequences, Romance Guide, Walkthrough, and Side Missions.
Up next: Exploring the Normandy
Top guide sections
- Legendary Edition Changes
- Game Basics
- Tips and Tricks
- How-To Guides
