Without spoiling the story of the game, could someone help me get acclimated to the Vanguard class in mass effect 3?
I have played 1 and 2 before, but this is my first playthrough on 3, and I am the Vanguard. Basically what I want to know is which powers should I develop and which to ignore. Also what weapons should I take, and which ones to avoid.
Hey Carl,
I chose the Vanguard for my first (current) PT, too. I followed the "guide" of Kronner for an aggressive style and have a blast. Actually the shotgun seems unnecessary since before I have a chance to shoot Charge is available again.
First things first:
Before importing your Vanguard from ME2, go into ME2 and load your Vanguard save and reset your talent points. This will allow you to assign all your talent points from scratch in ME3.
Now on to the most commonly-used powers:
Charge: Radius > Weapon Damage > Barrier
Nova: Damage > Half Blast > Pierce
Incendiary Ammo: Squad Bonus > Headshots/Ammo Capacity > Explosive Burst
Commonly-used bonus powers:
Reave (requires Kaidan to unlock): Radius > Damage Reduction > Damage and Duration
Fortification: Durability > Power Damage > Durability
Most commonly-used weapons:
Claymore shotgun
Raider shotgun (DLC)
Reegar shotgun (DLC)
Piranha shotgun (DLC)
Talon pistol
Hurricane SMG (Collectors Edition/modding)
Punisher SMG (DLC)
And I would probably throw the Harrier assault rifle in that list as well.
Levelling up your Vanguard:
1) Level up Charge first
2) Nova to half blast
3) At least one point into Incendiary Ammo, rank 6 for Explosive Burst is good.
4) Probably Assault Mastery next.
5) Fitness last unless you want more health and shields sooner.
6) Bonus power last
If you want something fun that plays more like ME2, then take either Barrier, Fortification, or Slam as the bonus, and ignore Nova altogether.
If you want the most powerful ME3 style Vanguard, then you will want to invest in Nova and learn how to Nova-cancel for immunity frames.
Take Headshot at rank 5 of any ammo power since that increases the weapon's headshot multiplier.
If you want something fun that plays more like ME2, then take either Barrier, Fortification, or Slam as the bonus, and ignore Nova altogether.
If you want the most powerful ME3 style Vanguard, then you will want to invest in Nova and learn how to Nova-cancel for immunity frames.
Take Headshot at rank 5 of any ammo power since that increases the weapon's headshot multiplier.
How exactly does fortification work? I started with it from importing my maxed ME2 character, but when I go to use it, nothing seems to happen. Note I just started the game and am currently on the Mars mission.
Also what is the Nova-cancel and how would I do it?
Fortification (and all the defense powers) grant some amount of Damage Reduction while they are turned on. For Fortification, you can get up to 40% DR which essentially reduces the damage you take by 40%. The trade off is that when active, the defensive powers increase your cooldown. Fortification is a "50%" cooldown penalty, which just means it is the same as taking an extra gun that weighs 0.5, more or less. Fortification is the first one I recommend largely because it has a lower cooldown penalty and slightly higher DR ever since one of the later patches.
The defense powers largely all have some sort of power damage bonuses that apply while they are active. That will enhance your damage from Charge, Incendiary Ammo, and Nova, etc.
Lastly, each defensive power has their own perk that occurs when you turn them off, known as "purging." Fortification will increase melee damage when purged, Defense Matrix increases your shields, and Barrier can lift and prime enemy targets in the blast radius. It may or may not be worth your while to purge any of these on Vanguard, since you will incur a cooldown for doing so.
Nova gives you 1.5s of invulnerability when you start the animation. This basically starts from when you press the button to Nova until the time runs out, and is there to make it easier to Nova. However, you can cancel out of Nova by dodging, or even sometimes from getting staggered by enemy attacks like rockets, and you still get the 1.5s of invulnerability. You can use this to reduce the amount of damage your shields take, or to prevent high damage attacks like an Atlas rocket or grenade from dealing any damage to you.
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