Vanguard Guide (Mass Effect 2)

Vanguards are outfitted with a L5n implant giving them powerful biotic capabilities; coupled with their weapons training, they become lethal at close range. Vanguards are capable at closing the distance instantly on an enemy with their unique Charge ability. Gathering immense biotic power, Vanguards will Charge toward an enemy, passing over chasms and through obstacles where upon they collide with their target, sending them flying through the air. Additionally Vanguards are able to release an explosive Shockwave, tossing enemies and knocking them from cover. If Vanguards find themselves in trouble, they are also able to use their Charge ability for a quick escape to safety.

Overview
The main difference between ME and ME2 is that the Vanguard is now more focused on close combat. Vanguards are able to use the following weapons: heavy pistols, submachine guns, shotguns, and heavy weapons. Shotguns mix well with the Vanguard's signature ability, Charge.

While other classes tend to hide behind cover and shoot at foes from afar, a Vanguard's main strategy is to charge in (preferably picking off the isolated enemies first), headshot with the strongest shotgun available and finish off with melee hits. Given Charge's 6 second cooldown, this can be done rather often. On lower difficulties where enemies are largely unprotected or with the right strategy (using powers to strip the defenses of enemies first), powers like Shockwave or Cryo Ammo can obliterate large groups of enemies with ease.

When it comes to armor and buying/researching defensive upgrades, the Vanguard benefits the most from shield-enhancing armor parts and upgrades than from health ones, since charge's bonus to shields depends on how much shield you have. Offensively, weapon damage is far more important than power damage when it comes to armors. It is also useful to take the first 3 biotic damage upgrades early to unlock the duration and cooldown upgrades for biotics, as they benefit Charge.

Incendiary Ammo
This power adds extra fire damage over the next few seconds, which stops enemies from regenerating, and works effectively against armor. It also causes unprotected organic enemies to instantly panic for a couple of seconds. Incendiary Ammo is a solid power choice when dealing with armored and/or organic enemies and remains more so on Hardcore and Insanity, where armor is the most common protection found.

Cryo Ammo
Cryo Ammo freezes targets after a few seconds from hitting them, keeping them immobile, harmless, and more vulnerable to damage. Freezing also instantly kills husks. Cryo Ammo seems to have a 100% chance of freezing when using the M-6 Carnifex Hand Cannon, the M-5 Phalanx, or the non-automatic shotguns as long as the hit damages the enemy's health. Cryo Ammo is a very solid power choice on Veteran or lower difficulties, but loses a large part of its edge on Hardcore and Insanity difficulties since all foes come with protection (armor, shields or barriers). However, overall it is still a useful power and remains a good 1 point investment, especially when dealing with synthetic enemies that are not susceptible to Incendiary Ammo and husks.

Charge
Charge is the Vanguard-exclusive ability, which moves you through cover across the battlefield and into the targeted enemy's face. At this point, the enemy is either sent flying if it had no special defenses or the enemy is knocked back for a couple seconds if it had defenses. Not even krogan and Geth Primes are immune to the knockback effect. While ammo powers and shotguns are what the vanguard will likely use the most to dish out large amounts of damage, Charge is the ability that lets a Vanguard use them to the fullest potential while remaining alive. As such, it is a vital power and one that is very useful to maximise early.

Charge combines well with the shotgun because, at short range, not only does charge bring you to point-blank range allowing you to hit with all the pellets, you also get a 2x bonus to damage. This tactic is extremely deadly with the heavy-hitting shotguns such as the M-300 Claymore Heavy Shotgun, Geth Plasma Shotgun, or the M-22 Eviscerator Shotgun. With the heavy Charge and/or quick reflexes, it is even possible to land headshots for further damage bonuses.

Charge also gives a 4 second bonus to your shields as well as recharging them, which remains even after the 4 seconds pass. This shield boost increases the Vanguard's survivability and makes charge a viable tactical option even when Shepard is wounded and shieldless; it is also good to note that one might want to charge before retreating from large groups or bosses in order to take advantage of the shield bonus and potential slow-down in time.

Charge has significant utility as well, providing unsurpassed mobility to a skilled user. This is most useful in scenarios where the player just has to "tag" something to complete mission objectives, such as during the ventilation shaft run on the Collector Base. A situationally aware player can use Charge to target isolated enemies, finish them off with melee attacks (on lower difficulties), a shotgun, or an SMG, and continuously outflank a larger group of enemies by "dancing" around them and continuously charging from one position to another (this tactic works well with the M-12 Locust from the Kasumi DLC pack). Fully maxed out Champion-spec Assault Mastery reduces cooldowns enough to make this tactic deadly. Using Charge in this capacity will still work on otherwise protected enemies (better in fact, as the isolated enemy will stay right where he is and stagger for an easy beat down), preserving the usefulness of charge into Hardcore and Insanity modes. Finally, a player finding himself trapped in a large group of enemies can locate an enemy outside of the group and use Charge to escape.

Charging does have a few disadvantages: the enemy must be on a 'reachable' part of the map, which rules out charging into snipers on a platform, the shield bonus is short-lived (only 4 seconds) meaning the Vanguard may need to run for cover right after charging (and shooting). Vanguards have to know when to charge, and more importantly when not to, an impulsive charge can lead to a short victory but also to an instant death. Vanguards must especially think of what they will do after charging (and after a possible kill), examples of considerations include: where is the next safe position, and what are the positions of enemies can they outflank you post-charge, and what weapons the enemy are using because, while Vanguards do extra damage at point blank range, this is also true for enemies targeting you. In situations where a player is forced into ranged combat (such as the biotic bubble run on the Collector Base), Charge is rendered completely useless. Unless a player received assault rifle or sniper training, a Vanguard will be at a serious disadvantage.

On Hardcore and Insanity, more emphasis must be placed on softening up enemies before using Charge, for the sole reason being that a squad of enemies will shred you once you engage at point blank. It might be a better idea to thin the herd before Charging in, eliminating elites or bosses before attacking the grunts up close. Anything that gives the Vanguard bonuses to power cooldown is a must to continue his/her deadly "dance" around the enemy squad, as it will be the only way to keep refilling barriers once in the thick of battle.

In summary Vanguards must still utilize squadmates' abilities to disable foes and must plan ahead when charging at the middle of an enemy formation; the Vanguard may be powerful and able to take a good deal of damage, but they are not invincible. Situational awareness is key to success.

Shockwave
Shockwave creates a line of explosions in front of the Vanguard that ignores cover and often height. The explosions deal damage and knock away unprotected enemies. As with other biotic powers, it instantly kills unprotected husks. It is an extremely powerful ability on Veteran or lower difficulties where enemies are largely unprotected, wreaking havoc through the enemy formation.

Unfortunately, like other area biotic powers and most disabling powers, Shockwave loses its usefulness on Hardcore or Insanity difficulty, where all foes bring some sort of protection. It can still be used if one takes the time to destroy such protections from several foes first but this is not practical with a class that has no direct protection-removing powers.

However, protected targets hit with Shockwave will temporarily stand up and recoil slightly. This can be useful on higher difficulties as hitting a group of foes with it will allow the Vanguard a brief moment of respite to either return fire or reposition, as well as allow squadmates to utilize their abilities free from retaliation. This tactic must be used strategically, as enemies are only off-balance a short while.

If another biotic that possesses Shockwave (such as Jack) is in the squad, the two biotics should time Shockwaves properly. Against unprotected targets, sending both Shockwaves together can devastate even the largest groups of enemies (the player will have an extra cooldown to use in the time it takes for the other squad member to cooldown). If targets are protected, however, Shockwaves should be staggered apart to maximize the amount of enemy recoil time per cooldown.

Pull
Pull makes the enemy float helplessly towards the direction it was hit from. If correctly arced Pull can easily to drag foes towards pitfalls or at least out of cover. Floating foes receive extra damage from Warp Ammo, Warp, and other biotic powers, and they also fly further when hit by a Throw or Charge.

Assault Mastery
This is the passive ability which increases your health, weapon damage, and decreases power recharge time. It also provides a bonus to Paragon/Renegade scores and is definitely worthwhile to maximise. Champion grants additional Paragon/Renegade bonuses, health boost, further reduces power recharge times and also maximizes power duration. Destroyer, on the other hand, yields further increases to weapons and power damage.

Reave
Reave is a great skill that has good synergy with the champion or destroyer specialization, as both specializations provide an equivalent damage increase. It offers the vanguard the ability to strip 2 of the 3 protections at range as well as dealing damage. The only disadvantage is that reave is an active power and all active powers share the same cooldown, if the vanguard uses reave, then it is impossible to charge for the next 6 seconds. Still, reave can be useful against enemies that are unreachable by charge, and in situations where using charge is likely to result in death.

Barrier
Vanguards have a very aggressive fighting style and tend to stay very close to their foes. Having barrier at the start of the fight complements the charge strategy by adding a safety net that should last at least one or two charges into the fray. The shield bonus also stacks with charge shield boost. In addition, barrier also immediately recharge the user's shield when used, so they can be used to stay alive when under heavy fire, however, charge is more arguably more effective for this task since it has a shorter cooldown. Regardless, even a Rank 1 barrier can be used as a "panic button" of sorts to buy you some time to run for cover if your standard barrier is breached and there is no easy way to escape a situation. Barrier benefits from biotic-related upgrades and abilities. Any defensive talent benefits greatly from the champion specialization's increased duration and cooldown.

Warp Ammo
Warp ammo is a mixed power for vanguards. While it does help against barriers, it does have better alternatives. If you do need warp ammo, then evolving Jack's is probably a better option than selecting a bonus power for a vanguard. Since cryo and incendiary ammo work better and are better powers, warp power is still notable for its assistance against barriers and its synergy with pull.

Armor Piercing Ammo
Armor Piercing ammo may seem a little redundant, but it can be a good power to choose because of its extra damage boost against armor and health that it provides. AP ammo does extra damage against armor but also damages health as well. On higher difficulties, AP ammo can become very useful as some enemies gain armor protection. AP ammo can rip right through it and their health once their armor is down. AP ammo can also be useful in boss fights once their shields/barriers are down as their armor can be penetrated quickly and then their health can be damage quickly as well. This can be useful in attacking enemies that have the extra protection, no matter the difficulty level.

Energy Drain
Vanguards have no natural powers to help them with shields, a protection which numerous enemies possess. Energy drain not only inflicts heavy damage on shields, it bolsters Shepards' barriers for a short amount of time. The drawback is that the cooldown time can interfere with using charge, but a smart vanguard can use energy drain prior to charging into a battle. That way, Shepard can still take advantage of the bolstered shields and have them fully recharged, allowing for better survivability. It also helps the vanguard combat synthetics, which they are not optimally equipped to fight becuase they have no natural powers useful against them like overload or AI Hacking.

Heavy Pistols
As with every class you have two options: the M-3 Predator, and the M-6 Carnifex Hand Cannon. The M-3 predator has the more ammo of the two, but the Carnifex is arguably the better choice. Although it has low ammo capacity, the damage, range, tight shot grouping and fact that you obtain the weapon early on more than compensate. On another note, a fully upgraded M-3 Predator does well enough to be considered worth the while.

For Vanguards, heavy pistols are probably the best option for mid-range combat. The M-6 Carnifex can cut down weak enemies in 1-2 shots on normal. Shot placement is a must, so aim for the head whenever you can, because the M-6 has limited ammunition, and Vanguards generally lack alternative weaponry. Fortunately, the M-6 Carnifex shoots exactly where you point it when stationary and aiming. However, you'll find very quickly that you cannot rely on your heavy pistol alone.

The Firepower Pack DLC adds a third choice in heavy pistols, the M-5 Phalanx. Possessing even greater stopping power and accuracy then the Carnifex, it is an excellent option for vanguards looking to add a long range weapon to their arsenal. Unfortunately, the Phalanx suffers from extreme recoil and a relatively slow refire rate, making it less effective at shorter distances, the Vanguard's preferred range. The player must decide which pistol best suits their particular play style.

Submachine Guns
Submachine guns have a very high ammo capacity and can strip down barriers and shields swiftly, the latter of which is an area the Vanguard lacks biotic powers against. However, they fall short when dealing with armored foes. The M-9 Tempest is the better of the two choices. With addition of the Kasumi - Stolen Memory DLC, players can find a third SMG, the M-12 Locust. Boasting high accuracy at long ranges, it is an excellent choice for any Vanguard, especially those that forgo assault rifle training aboard the Collector vessel. SMGs are a great addition for the Vanguard as it provides the ability to deal with enemies at mid-ranges, which was a problem for the Vanguard because they previously only had pistols to deal with this range. SMGs can quickly become a Vanguard's best friend and primary weapon alongside the shotgun.

Shotguns
Shotguns are the primary weapon of the Vanguard and are the dominating weapon at close range. However, shotguns have too large a spread to be anything more than a waste of ammo at mid- or long-range. There are a total of five shotguns on the Vanguard's arsenal, with one obtained through the Cerberus Network DLC and another obtained only through advanced weapon training. Shotguns are the staple weapon for the Vanguard and shouldn't be taken lightly. They are effective at close range and along with the other weapons, rounds out the Vanguard nicely in mid to close-range combat. The Firepower Pack also adds the Geth Plasma Shotgun, which is better at range and at dealing with enemies. While it doesn't have the spread pattern that the other shotguns do, its ability to inflict critical damage against one or a small group of opponents, makes it a notable choice for picking up.

ML-100 Grenade Launcher
The grenade launcher has its uses in taking out a lot of enemies really quickly. The best thing about it is you have it from the start. Good for use in the early game, but once the Vanguard's capabilities start to get better in the later game, the other weapons may be of better use. Conversely, a Vanguard may choose to rely on the ML-100 for the entire game, as it can knock down enemies even if their protections are still intact, allowing the Vanguard to advance to devastating effect. Shots must be very well-placed, however, since ammo is limited and the projectile travels relatively slowly.

ML-77 Missile Launcher
The missile launcher is essentially a dumbed down version of the M-100 that comes with a decent ammo capacity. For vanguards it is situationally effective in missions against gunships or other highly mobile tough enemies, where the Vanguard lacks alternative weaponry, but is also useful for taking down smaller targets. As a rule, the vanguard benefits more from the ML-100's knockdown capabilities.

M-622 Avalanche
The M-622 takes chunks out of enemy protections, although it does not do much damage compared to the other weapons of a vanguard. The M-622 freezes any enemies within the vicinity of the projectile's impact making them vulnerable to attack, however, this can also be achieved through the usage of the vanguard's cryo ammo power. The Avalanche is a decent choice for vanguards who forsake reave or ammo powers for a more defensive ability, as its protection stripping abilities are quite substantial, and although the Avalanche can be charged, doing so has no effect. Therefore, the vanguard can minimize exposure from cover when firing.

M-920 Cain
For vanguards who have chosen the barrier bonus power, raising a biotic barrier in advance can help with negating the Cain's charge-up time. It is very effective for bosses (e.g. Thresher Maw) and certain parts of the suicide mission where vanguards lack long-range weaponry. This is the most powerful heavy weapon available, which will destroy anything in its blast radius instantly. Vanguards lacking a defensive power will be hard pressed to wield the Cain effectively, especially on higher difficulties where the Cain is more useful.

Collector Particle Beam
Found during the mission on Horizon. The Collector Particle Beam is one of the better heavy weapon choices for a vanguard to fulfill the class deficit in long range weaponry. The Particle Beam unleashes a sustained particle beam which deals continuous damage at a high rate to a single target. It works well at any range, especially medium and long ranges, against shields, barriers, and armor, easily making up for what vanguards lack in the weapons department. It is not very difficult to aim at all, and very useful for taking down larger enemies quickly.

M-490 Blackstorm Projector
For Vanguards, the M-490 finds its main use as a weapon to augment the control of enemy movement. It is particularly useful against weaker unshielded enemies. The long charge period and abundant enemy protection layers prevent the Blackstorm from being an effective weapon for Vanguard on higher difficulties.

M-451 Firestorm
The Firestorm is a short-range flamethrower, and fills a similar role to the Vanguard's primary weapon, the shotgun. However the M-451 has a much higher damage output and has no need to reload. It burns through armor and health very quickly. It is also effective at controlling smaller enemies through the burning animation and even taking out larger enemies (e.g. Scions). Fire also has the added ability to block health regeneration of krogan and vorcha, although this can also be achieved through the use of incendiary ammo. The Firestorm is useless at range, however, meaning to be useful against tougher opponents like YMIR Mechs or krogan, the Vanguard must be is close range, which can be exceedingly dangerous on higher difficulties.

Arc Projector
The Arc has a charge time of 2s before firing. It is effective at removing protections from a squad of enemies, in particular the regular enemies, as the weapon fires a chain-lightning attack which travels from the initial targeted enemy to nearby enemies. This can be a very useful weapon for competent vanguards as it will remove protections on tight groups of enemies, making it an excellent prelude to devastating charge assaults. In addition, the Arc Projector will temporarily immobilize synthetic enemies, allowing the vanguard to attack unhindered. It is also quite effective against synthetic foes and shields, two obstacles the vanguard has no inherent solution to.

Advanced Weapons Training
During the mission aboard the Collector Cruiser, there will be the option of training in the usage of assault rifles, M-300 Claymore, or sniper rifles.

Assault Rifles
Assault rifles can be a good addition for the vanguard because they fill a role that they previously couldn't fill, mid to long-range. Rifles are good and because you have access to a wide variety of them, they won't go to waste. They also compliment the vanguard's ability because they are more closer weapons than sniper rifles, but this comes more down to personal choice. Assault rifles are good weapons, and they are good at filling ranges the vanguard couldn't fill before, or not as effectively. The Firepower Pack also adds the M-96 Mattock semi-automatic assault rifle. The rifle fits more into the vanguard's style of doing things at close to mid-range, and the other rifles follow suit. Assault rifles can be a great bonus to any vanguard who likes to stay back a little, which still having the opportunity to charge forward when necessary.

M-300 Claymore
As previously said, the M-300 Claymore is the quintessential vanguard shotgun. It is extremely deadly, able to take down all but the strongest foes when used at point-blank range, thus allowing the Vanguard to put out the highest damage in the smallest amount of time before heading for cover, reloading, charging, and repeating the strategy. However because of its low ammo capacity, and lack of crowd control, this weapon does have its limitations. With the addition of the Firepower Pack and its Geth Plasma Shotgun, the Claymore has been outpaced in both DPS and crowd control abilities, but still boasts a higher damage multiplier against armor.

Sniper Rifles
Sniper rifles are probably not the first weapon choice for Vanguards, however they can be effective. Vanguards trained in these weapons can pick off enemies at a distance, then literally charge in to finish the job with their staple shotguns. Because they do operate at a distance, they fill a role that the Vanguards couldn't before. With the addition of the Aegis Pack and its M-29 Incisor sniper rifle, which is effective against barriers and shields, it adds another reason for sniper rifles. Overall this weapon choice is more dependent on personal playstyle. Unlike Infiltrators and Soldiers, however, Vanguards have no way of slowing down time while taking a long-range sniper shot, making the M-97 Viper or M-29 Incisor better choices than the bolt-action M-92 Mantis, as "one-shot, one-kill" sniping requires a chance to line up a good shot and enemies either move around or shoot at you too much to make this an easy task.

Combat Guide
Combat with the vanguard is mostly about getting up close an personal with your opponents. To this end, the vanguard has only two ammo powers and powers that are designed to knockdown or disabling enemies. Using powers like pull and shockwave are extremely effective at keeping enemies away from you, or putting them up in the air for some time. Using powers like charge are extremely effective for a finishing move, or for shooting around the battlefield. The ammo powers the vanguard has access to help deal with protected enemies; they can take care of armor, and freeze enemies, making then extremely vulnerable to shattering with incendiary and cryo ammo respectively. However the vanguard doesn’t have access to powers that effectively deal with shields or barriers, so pick a bonus power or a squadmate that helps deal with them. For the most part, vanguards have powers that help them deal with enemies close up or at mid-range, rather than at a distance.

Combat with weapons for the vanguard is also more close up with pistols, SMGs, and the staple weapon for the vanguard, the shotgun. Because the charge-shotgun move works very well, using shotguns is also advised when enemies get too close. While they don't have access to the carnage ability any more, shotguns are still effective at dealing with enemies. SMGs are a huge boost to the vanguard's arsenal because it allows to effectively engage at mid-range, rather than purely relying on pistols for this task. That doesn't mean that pistols should be neglected, as they can still be better than SMGs or shotguns in certain situations. Overall the vanguard is effective at close to mid-range, rather than long-range combat. At medium to long range, the Locust and Phalanx can be used to whittle enemies down while pull can be used to isolate unprotected enemies, allowing the vanguard to close in for the kill with the Eviscerator or Claymore. The high-risk dancing strategy is still viable, but requires more thought and better reflexes, and it may be a better idea to take assault rifle training to patch up the vanguard's middle-range game for a more reliable, all-around game that increases survivability.

Squad Members
Picking the right squad members for each mission and correctly using their abilities is a big step towards making fights easier.

Vanguards lack active powers to deal with protections, which is bad because unprotected enemies fly beautifully when you charge them. When dealing with high-tech shield-using enemies it is good to bring allies with shield-destroying abilities such as energy drain or overload; when dealing with barrier-using biotics, warp, concussive shot and reave are key; when dealing with tough armored opponents, incinerate and warp are very good to have. This is particularly important on hardcore and insanity where, starting at Freedom's Progress, ALL enemies possess protection.

Vanguards also lack long-range capabilities, biotic powers such as throw or warp and high damaging powers such as incinerate can be used to eliminate unprotected foes on vantage un-chargeable positions.

Concussive shot, neural shock, and biotics such as throw, pull, reave, or shockwave can be used on unprotected opponents to prevent them from damaging your vanguard, and they can still be used on protected opponents to stun them for a couple of seconds. This allows the vanguard to charge larger groups of enemies and emerge victorious.

When all else fails, allies with sniper or assault rifles can deal decent damage from safe distances. Switching your team's weapons between rapid firing and slow but powerful guns depending on the most common protection you're dealing with is also a good idea.