Mass Effect 3 Vanguard Class Strategies for Multiplayer
Playing as a Vanguard in Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer is beneficial for players who want advantages in close quarters combat. The Vanguard can be considered a "high risk, but high reward class," meaning that you may have superior advantages, but many of the powers put you at risk of uncertain death. There are currently 3 types of races for the Vanguard; the Human, Drell, and the Asari. Each race plays out a little differently because of their powers, but for the most part, the Vanguard class is for close range fighting.
Mass Effect 3 Vanguard Classes: Powers
- Human - Biotic Charge, Shockwave, and Nova
- Drell - Biotic Charge, Pull, and Cluster Grenade
- Asari - Biotic Charge, Stasis, and Lift Grenade
As you can see, each race that is a Vanguard has the Biotic Charge, but the other two powers are different. Each race will have certain advantages when facing certain foes, whether it be Cerberus enemies, the Geth, or Reaper forces.
Mass Effect 3 Vanguard Multiplayer Strategies
Playing as a Vanguard will require you to be up-close and personal with enemy forces if you want optimal combat efficiency. The Biotic Charge is great for moving fast towards an enemy and doing high damage. This should be a foundation attack for the Vanguard, as each race that is a Vanguard has Biotic Charge.
- Great Human Vanguard Combo: (1)Biotic Charge at an enemy(s) then use (2)Nova power to cause massive damage to enemies nearby. (3) If there are still enemies around perform a heavy melee attack or finish them off with your weapon.
- Nova Power requires shield power usage, so be careful as you are vulnerable to taking health damage after using Nova. Plan your attacks carefully against enemies.
- The Drell's Pull power is great for exposing Cerberus soldiers who carry shields. Use pull on Cerberus shields then follow up with a Biotic Charge attack (or simply shoot the enemy with a weapon).
- Asari Vanguard Combo: (1) Biotic Charge an enemy then either use a (2) lift grenade right away or the Asari's unique heavy melee attack that does massive damage to surrounding enemies.
- Another Asari combo is to use (1) Stasis then (2) Biotic Charge.
- DON'T CARRY TOO MANY WEAPONS! The Vanguard class in Mass Effect 3 relies on many of the powers, so make sure that your power recharge time is over 100% (the higher the better). Carrying heavy weapons or too many weapons will affect your recharge time.
Favorite Vanguard Race?
Vanguard's can be easily killed if you're not careful in Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer
Remember that using the Vanguard in Mass Effect 3 carries a high risk. Attacking into large group of enemies may be dangerous! The Biotic Charge allows you to move great distances very fast and cause damage to enemies, but if you do not follow up a good combo or escape, you can get killed.
Note that the Asari has a special evasive maneuver in Mass Effect 3 multiplayer. The Asari can use energy from shields to perform a fast biotic slide. Obviously this carries a risk because it uses shield energy like the human Nova power, but it can be useful for escaping enemies.
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Your Mass Effect 3 Vanguard play style?
Vanguard is stupidly powerful, I played only as a human Vanguard and on silver I solo'd 2 brutes and a Rachni without ammo left, I was eventually mowed down by four marauders but Damm those Vanguards go down hard
The trick is to use a weapon that doesn't slow your power charging, max out Biotic Charge and Nova first, and then alternate between the two. Make sure you take the Regen rate increase skill in Nova, and the 100% regen barrier perk from Biotic Charge. If done right, you'll almost never be vulnerable to attack, except for a half second right after Nova, while you're cooling down for your next charge. Typically, Charge, Nova, Roll Backwards will be the whole combination, and it's nearly unstoppable in Bronze and Silver.
I won't lie: I'm loving the Vanguard. They are especially great when paired with an adept, since the Vanguard's Biotic Charge will set off biotic explosions! I worry sometimes that people might get ticked at me for kill-stealing, since Biotic Charge often knocks and enemy quickly to the side, out of the line of fire of allies.
On marauders and Rachni, I've found that Biotic Charge, Heavy Melee, Biotic charge (rinse and repeat) is a great combo: the Heavy Melee will tear through a marauder's shields, and more importantly, staggers enemies: both the Rachni and marauders will be staggered just long enough for you to charge again (without the vulnerability you experience with nova). With weaker enemies (husks, cannibals), it's all charge and nova.
One last word of advice: when you see the Banshee, run. Engage from a distance. It's a counterintuitive move for a vanguard, but every time I've done it we take the monstrosity down. If you stand your ground, you WILL lose shields, and then instinct takes over: you charge. And then it's time for a big friendly hand-through-your-sternum style embrace. Trust me. When the Banshee comes for you, run.
Bulls*****th Asari Vangaurd is the best "Charge + heavy meele followed by another charge (To restore the sheild) and continue till evey one is dead.
Yes I love playing as Vanguards as well. Being able to take on Brutes even on silver is awesome. Haven't found a style to work them on gold
Loving VG the biotic charge when paired with nova is fantastic when you have the right upgrades. On silver took down a banshe solo and generally waste brutes, trick is to spam combat roll and get out of mele range. Because I carry only one weapon (the shurikan smg) my recharge rate is at 200% so I only wait a moment before my charge is ready allowing me to spam the combo. I now only use biotic powers in my games, never fire a shot.
You don't ever get vulnerable to regular attacks. I can pretty much solo a silver game against the Geth with my vanguard, since they don't have any insta-grab-kill units.
The trick is to get a light-weight weapon such as the SMGs, to keep recharge rate at 200%, then spam the Biotic Charge - Nova - Nova - Biotic Charge combo.
This, of course, if you have picked the right powers from the skill trees, since you'll need to use nova twice and use the biotic charge to recharge your barrier after you've depleted it with the nova powers.
I'll make a detailed video about that strategy and upload it to youtube soon.
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