Vanguard

Vanguard

“I am the vanguard of your destruction!" Sovereign, Reaper Dreadnaught

CLASS TRAITS

Role: Striker. You use shotguns and other close range weapons to charge at your opponents and deal serious damage to your foes. Your physical power and daunting presence can cause foes to cower before you, and you can use your biotics to temporarily increase your offensive abilities.

Power Source: Martial/Biotics. You harness the offensive power of biotics, and the strength of martial discipline

Shield Type: Barriers

Key Abilities: Strength, Constitution

Armor Proficiencies: Light armor, armor

Weapon Proficiencies: Pistols, Shotguns

Bonus to Defense: +2 Fortitude

Hit Points at 1st Level: 15 + Constitution score

Hit Points per Level Gained: 6

Healing Surges per Day: 7 + Constitution modifier

Trained Skills: From the class skills list below, choose three more trained skills at 1st level.

Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Endurance (Con), Treat Injury (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Survival (Wis), Perception (Wis)

Class Features: Assault Mastery, Veteran, Biotic Charge, Rampage

The Vanguard is a close-combat specialist, possessing all the abilities required to push ahead aggressively and clear the way for the team. They are the first into a battle and first out, excelling at disabling and then eliminating enemies. The Vanguard can sprint or charge in and make short work of enemies with their heavy shotgun. But if it fails, the biotically-assisted warrior can manipulate of the field in their favor: disorienting their enemies and creating a vital opportunity, while increasing their utility with handy little tricks. Supplementing this arsenal with the survivability of Medium Armor and Barriers, and the Vanguard becomes unstoppable. There is undoubtedly no better choice than the Vanguard for rapid and highly reactive gameplay, capable of changing the fight at the drop of a hat.

Creating a Vanguard The vanguard has two basic builds to start: the Champion vanguard and the Destroyer

vanguard. Vanguards rely on Strength for their attacks and either Constitution or Charisma for their skills and powers.

Champion Vanguard

You use offensive biotics to fuel your mighty charges and lend power to your already imposing personal presence. Your combination of physical prowess and savage supremacy draws allies to you as surely as it fills your foes with fear. Make Strength your highest ability score, followed by Charisma (to increase your biotic powers) and then Constitution (to help fortifying your body for incoming attacks). Champion vanguards lean toward leader as a secondary role.

Suggested Assault Mastery: Champion

Suggested Rampage: Hasty or Fury

Suggested Feat: Improved Champion

Suggested Skills: Athletics, Intimidate, Perception

Suggested At-will Powers: Howling Charge, Biotic Shock

Suggested Encounter Power: Escalating Violence

Suggested Daily Power: Glorious Charge

Destroyer Vanguard You can withstand a great deal of physical punishment, even more so if you’re a Krogan

vanguard. At higher levels, your powers, particularly your charges, practically seep biotics as you unleash a torrent of biotic powers, and funnel it into decisive, devastating attacks on your foes. Strength should be your highest ability score, since you use it for your attacks, but make Constitution a close second. Charisma might be your thirdbest score, especially if you want to use some biotic-focused powers. Rageblood barbarians lean toward defender as a secondary role.

Suggested Assault Mastery: Destroyer

Suggested Rampage: Savage or Relentless

Suggested Feat: Improved Destroyer

Suggested Skills: Athletics, Endurance, Treat Injury

Suggested At-will Powers: Inevitable Wave, Momentum Shot

Suggested Encounter Power: Desperate Gambit

Suggested Daily Power: Meteoric Charge