The N7 Slayer is the brand new Vanguard that I think a lot of people misunderstand. I’ve been seeing a lot of threads that bash this character for being a quote "Useless" or "Just Bad" character when this is not the case. This will be my comprehensive guide to using him in such a way that he is effective even on Platinum difficulty.
Before you read on remember this is my way of using him, and the best way ive found to use him. There are many different builds that work for many different play styles and people. Now lets start with the Build.
The Build
His build is primarily built around his invincibility frames, melee, and teleportation dodge, all of which I will cover later. All of the choices pertaining to the ranks chosen on powers will also be explained further on in the guide.
Biotic Charge
This is the vanguards bread and butter. Its the skill that keeps him alive and lets him move easily around the map. For my build you must put full ranks into it.
Rank 4 Radius Rank 5 Power Synergy Rank 6 Barrier
Phase Disruptor
Think of this skill like a ranged version of the Human male Vanguard's Nova ability. Its pinpoint accuracy and amazing range make it very useful at range, and the base 5 meter radius makes it very good at stunning groups of trooper class targets. While it will not set off Biotic powers it will set off any tech ability.
Rank 4 Damage Rank 5 Efficient Blast Rank 6 Armor Damage
Biotic Slash
For this build the biotic slash is not heavily depended upon, but that doesn’t mean its not a great power. With a base 20 meter range and great raw damage you may be asking why I only put in the first three ranks, we will get to that later.
Rank 1 Biotic Slash Rank 2 Recharge Speed Rank 3 Damage
N7 Slayer
This skill tree is used for getting that extra edge out of your powers. Stopping at Rank 5 its only role is giving powers a 45% increase.
Rank 4 Damage and Capacity Rank 5 Power Damage
Fitness
Fitness on this character is the standard survival build. I have tried this character with a full melee build, full fitness build, and a mixture. On Platinum and all difficulties below it I feel the bottom row is the way to go.
Rank 4 Durability Rank 5 Shield Recharge Rank 6 Fitness Expert
Gear
Weapon: Any light weapon with a melee attachment will do. I usually run my Avenger X with an Armor Piercing mod, or my Paladin IV with a Pistol Melee stunner, and a Pistol lightweight materials mod. As long as you have over 185% Recharge rate you can use this build very well.
Gear bonus: If you have it the new Juggernaut Shield is a good option as it will boost your shields and melee damage which are both vital to the build. A very good alternative is the Stronghold package.
Weapon Bonus: For this build the Strength Enhancer is the best option.
Ammo bonus: This one is up to the player. As this build doesn’t rely on the weapon at hand very much its best t use Cryo, Disruptor, or Incendiary rounds in combination with either your teammates powers or your own Phase Disruptor ability to get explosions to happen.
Armor bonus: This depends on your difficulty and skill level. I’ve used the class quite a bit on Platinum and have gotten used to using it the way I do so generally I run an Adrenaline mod, but the player new to the class may want to stick to a Cyclonic modulator to increase survivability.
Now that all that is out of the way lets dive into how to use this character effectively.
The big advantage of the slayer it that unlike most classes he has small but very important seconds between his light melee attacks that make him invulnerable to damage. This gives him the ability to Biotic charge masses of enemies and melee his way around them while taking little to no damage before charging again would be necessary.
Know your enemy
On a Reaper, Platinum, London game I used him like this. Id gauge the number of forces in the area, and if I thought I could handle them id firs Phase Disruptor into the mass, follow it up with a biotic charge dealing even more damage, then finish the stragglers off with light melee attacks. The Phase Disruptor puts out 780 Damage over a 5 meter radius that plus the charge which puts out 412.50 damage hitting 2 additional enemies within 2 meters of the impact point adds up to 1,192.50 damage. That’s enough to clear a large group of enemies, or at least make them weak enough to slash to death with your light melee. You cant make the mistake of charging into something you cant handle on your own though. Being reckless will get you killed and its unnessacery. If you don’t think you can handle it spam 3 phase blasts into the group and soften them up first. Three blasts adds up to 2,340 damage which will defiantly put a dent into your opponent. Don’t forget how effective Phase disruptor is on armor. Charge in and immediately dodge backwards then just spam it on a large armored target and repeat. Biotic slash will penetrate walls and has great range. At 907.50 damage its still a great skill. Just use it wisely as the charge up can leave you open. A huge staple of this character is his teleporting dodge. You can not only teleport through walls both up and down levels on most levels. The easiest way to do this in my opinion is to either turn your back to the wall or level you would like to port to or through and do a backwards dodge. This eliminates you trying to do a forward dodge and instead taking cover on an object. Practice makes perfect with this, try different maps and learn your port spots well.
Watch your teammates
If there is another biotic in the group work with them even if they have no mic its possible to work together. If a teammate weakens a mass of targets charge in and finish them off. This is a co-op game after all. In the end its the team that wins the battle not the individual. Practice with your character and you will get the hang of it. As we all know being host with a vanguard helps a lot as well.
Wrapping it all up
If you remember to charge often, melee when taking a lot of fire, and you work with teammates you will fall in love with this class and character as I have. I hope this helps those having a hard time with this character.
As always thanks for your time, and good luck in all your matches and packs.
Regards
Justin
And to the community I ask how do you play your vanguard?
Retour en haut
