Vanguards are feared for their high-risk, high-reward combat style, closing in quickly on enemies and destroying them at short range with weapons and Biotic abilities.
They are outfitted with L5n implants, enabling them to perform a Biotic charge that strikes the opponent with incredible force while bringing the Vanguard in for close-range combat.
The Vanguard is a powerful class. A one-person wrecking ball, the Vanguard has a talent for quick, close-quarter combat that is unparalleled. In battle, a Vanguard relies heavily on two powers, Biotic Charge and Nova.
With Biotic Charge, the Vanguard can travel across the battlefield in the blink of an eye and instantly attack a target.
With the ability to close in quickly on foes, a Vanguard can benefit from strong close-quarter weapons like shotguns. However, assault rifles and SMGs are also a great complement to the damaging range and power of this class.
POWERS
Incendiary Ammo
Shoot and your enemy will burst into flames. Increases weapon damage, eats through armor, and can make an enemy panic.
Ranks 1 through 3 Analysis
Incendiary Ammo is a great power for a damage-dealer because it makes all weapon fire even more lethal. With Incendiary Ammo (or any Ammo power, in fact), it’s best to activate it before every mission and make sure you keep it active at all times.
When active, it extends damage over time and sets enemies ablaze. It also functions as a “source” power that can be detonated using other powers like Biotic Charge.
Rank 4 Analysis
At Rank 4, Incendiary Ammo can either increase damage to health and armor (Rank 4a), or you can gain the ability to automatically grant it to all squadmates when active (Rank 4b).
The choice really breaks down to whether you want to tank and dish out as much damage as you can or whether you will hang back as part of the squad.
If your squadmates don’t have any ammo powers available to them, select Rank 4b to grant them use of yours. Otherwise, select Rank 4a and increase your ability to inflict as much damage as possible.
Rank 5 Analysis
At Rank 5, you can select to either carry 30 percent more ammunition or to increase headshot damage by 25 percent. To make the best use of this selection, take into account what types of weapons you will be using the most.
If you plan on using weapons like sniper rifles or assault rifles with high accuracy, then select Rank 5b. If you prefer to serve as the team’s tank, equip yourself with a shotgun and select Rank 5a.
You’ll benefit from the increased ammunition count when engaging enemies in close combat, the shotgun’s best range.
Rank 6 Analysis
Both options in Rank 6 increase Incendiary Ammo’s damage output. However, Rank 6a is for a health and armor damage increase across the board.
This makes all shots with Incendiary Ammo more powerful since it’s a good general increase to overall damage.
Rank 6b adds an entirely new effect to shots taken using Incendiary Ammo. Instead of simply dealing more damage to health and armor, it ignites enemies and explodes, causing more damage in a wider radius and reaching more enemies nearby.
Your Rank 6 option should depend on whether you want to take down enemies one at a time or if you want to soften groups of enemies for the rest of your squad to finish off.
Cryo Ammo
Flash-freeze and shatter unprotected enemies. Slow down the rest. Weaken armor. Frozen targets won’t regenerate health.
Ranks 1 through 3 Analysis
Cryo Ammo is a perfect tool for pistol-toting Vanguards. Its freezing abilities can slow targets or even instantly shatter them if you get a headshot.
However, even if you don’t plan on going for headshots and instead use the power with pistols, SMGs, or shotguns, then the effects of Cryo Ammo can slow an enemy just enough for you to finish them off with a Biotic Charge or Nova blast.
Rank 4 Analysis
At Rank 4, Cryo Ammo can increase duration (Rank 4a), or you can gain the ability to automatically grant it to all squadmates when active (Rank 4b).
Like Disruptor Ammo’s or Incendiary Ammo’s Rank 4 upgrade options, you can select Rank 4b to give your teammates a chance at freezing foes as well.
This will benefit a Vanguard build, allowing your team to freeze foes on the battlefield, making it easier for you to rush in and kill them. By selecting Rank 4a, you can ensure that enemies will stay frozen longer after sustaining a shot with Cryo Ammo.
Rank 5 Analysis
This rank upgrade is no different than other ammo powers’ Rank 5 upgrades. You can select to either carry 30 percent more ammunition or to increase headshot damage by 25 percent.
To make the best use of this selection, consider what type of Vanguard you’re buidling. If you’ve chosen the other Headshot upgrades, select this one as well. Otherwise, stick with the increased ammunition count.
Rank 6 Analysis
At Rank 6, you can either increase how effective Cryo Ammo is as a stand-alone damage-dealing power (Rank 6a) or increase damage to frozen enemies with all other attacks (Rank 6b).
If you want to obliterate enemies with one shot, such as a sniper rifle shot or a single shotgun blast to the face, then select Rank 6a. Vanguards who plan to weaken foes for the rest of the group should invest in Rank 6b.
Pull
Yank an opponent helplessly off the ground.
Ranks 1 through 3 Analysis
For a class that can rush an enemy instantly, it may be a bit odd having a power that can yank enemies closer to you. However, this is extremely helpful when trying to disrupt enemy movement on the battlefield.
Use Pull on a nearby foe to knock him off balance, then use Nova or Biotic Charge on another foe to create some distance. Alternate between targets like this and no enemy will have a steady enough hand to take a shot.
Rank 4 Analysis
At Rank 4, you can increase the duration of Pull to knock enemies off balance for 60 percent longer (Rank 4a), or its radius can affect more nearby enemies (Rank 4b). If you want to focus on enemy disruption, then select Rank 4b.
The ability to affect more enemies can help your squad in nearly any combat situation. However, increasing the duration of the Pull effect will grant you more time to use Pull as a source power and trigger more explosive Biotic combos.
Rank 5 Analysis
Select Rank 5a to inflict additional damage on lifted targets, or choose Rank 5b to augment all damage on targets affected by lift.
If you frequently group with a squadmate who uses Singularity, select Rank 5b. If you want to focus on power damage, select Rank 5a.
Rank 6 Analysis
Like Throw, Pull also has an upgrade option that allows you to affect two targets rather than one. Select Rank 6a to increase the disruptive abilities of your Pull power.
After all, more enemies off balance means less enemies that can attack.
Alternatively, if you want to use Pull more frequently on the battlefield, select Rank 6b. The increased recharge speed will lower the amount of time it takes before you can launch it again.
Biotic Charge (Unique)
Smash into a target while encased in a Biotic barrier, leveling your opponents. Invulnerable while this power is in effect.
Ranks 1 through 3 Analysis
A Vanguard’s bread and butter, Biotic Charge can close the gap between a foe instantly, knocking him away or even obliterating him with a single blast.
It is useful as a stand-alone attack but can also be used to set up other attacks like Nova or heavy (charged) melee blows. Best of all, when taking damage, use Biotic Charge to get away from enemy fire and simultaneously replenish your shields.
Rank 4 Analysis
If you want to use Biotic Charge as a stand-alone attack to flatten one enemy at a time, select Rank 4a. To widen the Charge’s reach, select Rank 4b. The increased reach of the Biotic impact will hit two more foes within 2 meters.
Rank 4b won’t inflict as much damage, but since you can reach more enemies you’ll be able to wreak more havoc on the battlefield.
Rank 5 Analysis
At Rank 5 you must choose which other types of attacks you will rely on. Since Vanguards can excel at either power or weapon combat, choose which style you prefer to use in battle.
For example, if you will follow Biotic Charge with a shotgun blast, select Rank 5a. If instead you prefer to use Nova to follow up a Biotic Charge, then select Rank 5b.
There’s no reason you can’t follow up a Biotic Charge with both a weapon blast and a power. But one must come first. Make your choice here based on which attack will immediately follow the Biotic Charge.
Rank 6 Analysis
Rank 6a will grant you a 25 percent chance to not experience any recharge penalty. This will allow you to instantly follow up with another power usage, like another Biotic Charge, Nova, or Pull.
This upgrade choice is best for Vanguard players who plan on using a lot of power combinations.
If you want to maintain 50 percent of your barriers, rather than deplete them all after using a Biotic Charge, then select Rank 6b. This will also help when following up with a Nova blast immediately afterward.
Shockwave
Topple a row of enemies with this cascading shockwave.
Ranks 1 through 3 Analysis
Shockwave is another disruptive ability in a Vanguard’s arsenal. Like Throw, it can hurl enemies out of the way and clear a path forward. Unlike Throw, however, this power doesn’t stop at affecting one or two enemies.
It also does not travel around objects or other enemies. Shockwave travels in a straight line and for a long distance, affecting all enemies in its path.
This makes it a particularly useful power for Vanguards who want to focus on disruption rather than destruction. Of course, Shockwave is also a detonator power, so it can be used to trigger explosive combos as well.
Rank 4 Analysis
Like most other powers, you can select to either increase the force and damage (Rank 4a) to inflict more damage on enemies and hurl them farther, or increase its radius (Rank 5b), allowing each Shockwave to reach more enemies.
Your choice depends on whether you want to cause more damage or disrupt more enemies.
Rank 5 Analysis
If you select Rank 5a, you can increase the force and damage of Biotic combinations when using Shockwave as a detonator power. Select this if you plan on often using Shockwave as part of explosive biotic combos.
If you plan on using Shockwave as a disruptive ability only, then select Rank 5b. This will let the Shockwave travel farther before it dissipates.
Rank 6 Analysis
At Rank 6a, you can increase the recharge speed of Shockwave in order to use it more frequently. At Rank 6b, you can add an additional “lift” ability to raise affected foes off the ground for a short time.
While this may not seem like a big deal, the additional lift ability will help combo off power upgrades like Pull’s Lift upgrades.
Nova (Unique)
Transfer the energy of your Biotic barrier to charge and spark this deadly blast. Barrier strength determines blast density.
Ranks 1 through 3 Analysis
Nova is a great power to use as a lead-in attack or is a perfect complement to attack combos that start with Biotic Charge.
When you unleash this power, you use up your barriers and transfer their charge into a powerful radial shock wave that knocks enemies away from you. Alone, this power can leave you at a vulnerable disadvantage.
However, when coupled with Biotic Charge, which replenishes shields, you’ll have an unstoppable one-two combination.
If you plan on using Nova as a stand-alone attack, then at least upgrade to Rank 3, where you’ll gain a power capable of dealing 455 points of damage across a 5-meter radius.
Rank 4 Analysis
At Rank 4a, you can increase the force and damage that your Nova attack unleashes. This will increase the damage to nearly 600 points of damage per blast. This upgrade is best for people who want to focus primarily on damage-dealing.
To concentrate more on disrupting foes, select Rank 4b. The increase in radius will allow you to reach farther at the point of impact and knock away more enemies.
Rank 5 Analysis
Rank 5a is a straightforward power recharge upgrade for all powers. After using Nova, all powers will recharge 25 percent faster for 15 seconds.
That means you can link together power combos for 15 seconds after the Nova blast, with increased efficiency. This is an obvious choice for players who will concentrate mainly on power combinations while rushing about the battlefield.
Rank 5b, however, reduces Nova’s barrier consumption by half (and its damage and force by 40 percent). The upside, though, is that you gain the ability to launch Nova twice in a row before completely depleting your shields.
Rank 6 Analysis
For Vanguard players who want to increase damage on protected enemies, Rank 6a is an easy choice. The increase in piercing damage is perfect for pesky foes that have shields, barriers, and armor.
Sustain, Rank 6b, gives you a 25 percent chance to not use any barriers at all. Between this upgrade and Rank 5b, tricky Vanguards will be able to unleash a devastating string of Nova blasts on unsuspecting enemies until they’re dead.
Assault Mastery
Be an expert tactician on and off the battlefield. Faster and stronger powers. More weapon damage. More dexterity. More charisma.
Ranks 1 through 3 Analysis
The increased weight capacity in Assault Mastery will make it easier for you to carry heavier weapons like shotguns. For Vanguards who want to focus on weapon damage, this passive power is a must.
Rank 4 Analysis
At this rank, you can choose to either increase damage output (Rank 4a) or force and reputation bonus (Rank 4b).
Vanguards who want to maximize their destructive capabilities with weapons and powers should invest in Rank 4a.
If you want to make better use of the force from your powers like Throw, Shockwave, and Biotic Charge, then select Rank 4b.
Rank 5 Analysis
Rank 5a will grant teammates increases in power and weapon damage. This will prove useful for Vanguards who rely on squad support the most.
For example, if you want your team to keep enemies engaged while you rush across the battlefield, select this upgrade.
Rank 5b will increase your weight capacity, allowing you to carry heavier weapons while keeping your power recharge speed low. Invest in Rank 5b in order to be able to launch Biotic Charge and other powers in quick succession.
Rank 6 Analysis
Vanguard builds that will make frequent use of the shotgun (see builds below) should invest in Rank 6a. The increase to shotgun damage is critical.
However, if you will follow your Biotic Charge with power attacks like Nova, then select Rank 6b, as this rank upgrade’s increase to power damage, duration, and force will help power combinations the most.
BUILDS
Charger: Power Combo
All Vanguard builds should begin with Biotic Charge as their main power. This is the skill that will inflict the most damage up front and serve as the lead-in to your follow-up attacks.
Invest in Biotic Charge, Nova, Shockwave, and any melee-related upgrades. That way, you can rush in for the attack with Biotic Charge and follow up with Nova.
Since Nova will deplete your shields, you can immediately follow up with Biotic Charge again to replenish your shields. When facing tough enemies like Brutes, you can also follow Nova with a charged melee blow while enemies are staggered.
Once upgraded to a high level, Vanguards can single-handedly destroy Brutes and Banshees using Biotic Charge/Nova/melee combos.
Charger: Weapon Damage
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If you’d rather not rely on powers and prefer weapon damage, then instead invest points in Biotic Charge, Pull, and both ammo powers. Activate your ammo powers, then use Biotic Charge to rush foes.
Once staggered, follow up with powerful shotgun blasts at close range to inflict maximum damage. If they try to get away or if Biotic Charge flings them too far away, then follow up with Pull to bring them in close and blast them with the shotgun again.