Sawerin
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Mass Effect 3. Class Guide: Vanguard.
At the very beginning of Mass Effect 3 you will be offered to choose a warrior class. All of them offer different abilities, tactical maneuvers, strategy tricks and specials. Each class has a corresponding class talent which improves abilities important to that class. Some of class talents will be at your service from the very beginning, others have to be unlocked while you progress through the game. Here’s the list of available classes in Mass Effect 3:
1. Adept;
2. Engineer;
3. Infiltrator;
4. Soldier;
5. Sentinel;
6. Vanguard.
Vanguard
If you do not want to turn Mass Effect 3 in another 3rd person shooter and at the same time you do not find it interesting to rely on biotic powers only, you should definitely pick the Vanguard as your character. It is a powerful combatant who combines the offensive powers of the Adept and the Soldier. This allows Vanguards to access the various weapons and armor and use a great variety of biotics. You are likely to see Vanguards in the front line of the squad and a greater part of their biotic powers is oriented on disabling enemies, getting through their armors, take down their shields and deadly damage unprotected enemies. If playing as Vanguard you will start with the light armor but with time it can be upgraded to medium. Vanguards are feared for their high-risk combat styles that are based on deadly combinations of weapons and biotic powers.
Powers
Class Powers
Biotic Charge
Biotic Charge is Vanguard's signature attack. It can be treated as both the offensive and the defensive ability. It deals great damage, especially when upgraded to higher Ranks and is capable of knocking enemies several meters back. The best thing about Biotic Charge is that it will detonate every type of power combo which means – more damage to multiply enemies. Warp, Pull will work great here but Reave is also a decent choice for a biotic explosion. Also, while charging, Vanguard becomes immune to all forms of damage and restores barriers. On lower difficulties this makes you almost invincible because standard enemies simply do not have enough strength and power to break through the barriers and destroy you. It is highly recommended to upgrade Biotic Charge up to Rank 4 and go the radius upgrade way. This allows clearing a certain area of enemies causing heavy damage. However, if you are playing as a Human Vanguard, investments in damage are more likely to be useful. Before you enter the battle, it would be very nice of you to consider what kind of warrior you are going to be. If you plan on using Biotic charges to rather defend yourself than to attack the bad guys, I would recommend to go for the cooldown evolution at Rank 6. But, if you use your biotic powers in the offensive kind of way and fuel barrier-draining powers such as Phase Disruptor or Nova, then it might be a good idea to stick to the extra barriers to keep you alive for a longer period of time. One of the greatest fighting strategies is based on using both Biotic Charge and Nova consecutively. The first thing you need to do is to use Biotic Charge to reach the group of enemies. Now use your heavy melee attack on a certain enemy and only after that charge Nova immediately. Nova will use Vanguard's barrier which gives him a perfect opportunity of not having a cool-down period. Do some heavy damage and knock-back to all enemies within close-range (of course, in order to be like that you are supposed to have Biotic Charge with the Rank 6 Barrier evolution and quick power recharge rate). It is not recommended to abuse Biotic Charge in Multiplayer, especially on Gold and Platinum difficulties. The reason is rather simple: there are enemies capable of killing you with a few hits maximum: Brutes, Banshees, Phantoms can all execute a Vanguard upon the landing of the charge.
Biotic Charge: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Biotic Charge
Smash into a target while encased in this biotic barrier, leveling your opponents. Invulnerable while this power is in effect.
Recharge Speed: 10 sec (14 krogan)
Damage: 250 (400 multiplayer non-krogan, 500 krogan)
Force: 500 N (650 multiplayer non-krogan, 750 krogan)
Barrier Restored: 50%
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge Speed: 8 sec (11.2 krogan)
Rank 3: Force & Damage
Increases damage and force by 20% (30% multiplayer).
Damage: 300 (520 multiplayer non-krogan, 650 krogan)
Force: 600 N (845 multiplayer non-krogan, 975 krogan)
Rank 4: Force & Damage/Radius
Force & Damage: increases damage and force by 30%. (40% multiplayer)
Damage: 375 (680 multiplayer non-krogan, 850 krogan)
Force: 750 N (1105 multiplayer non-krogan, 1275 krogan)
Radius: hit up to 2 additional targets within 2 meters of the impact point.
Rank 5: Weapon Synergy/Power Synergy
Weapon Synergy: increases weapon damage by 15% (25% multiplayer) for 3s (5 multiplayer) after a successful Biotic Charge.
Power Synergy: increases power damage and force by 25% (40% multiplayer) for 15s (10 multiplayer) after a successful Biotic Charge.
Krogan Battlemaster Vanguard Rank 5: Weapon Synergy/Melee Synergy
Weapon Synergy: increases weapon damage by 25% for 5s after a successful Biotic Charge.
Melee Synergy: increases melee damage by 40% for 5s after a successful Biotic Charge.
Rank 6: Bonus Power/Barrier
Bonus Power: Give Biotic Charge a 25% (33% multiplayer) chance of not triggering a cooldown.
Barrier: increases barriers by an additional 50% after a successful Biotic Charge.
Barrier Restored: 100%
Cryo Ammo
One of the best ways of using Cryo Ammo is to combine it with a fast-firing SMG or Assault Rifle. As you’ve guessed already, Cryo Ammo has an amazing feature to freeze enemies and the faster your gun shoots, the faster you are going to send a regular enemy in a Cryo stage. If used against tougher enemies, Cryo Ammo will simply slow them down giving you an opportunity to shoot for headshot bonuses. But, of course, power’s main attraction is to freeze enemies entirely and when done so, you can use other biotic powers including Vanguard’s favorite Biotic Charge to shatter enemies into pieces and killing them regardless of their health. So, when your recharge speed is great, you can turn a small group of enemies into small pieces in no time. Cryo Ammo is extremely effective against armor plates protecting Brutes, Cannibals and Husk but it does not directly damages armored targets like Atlases, Ravagers and Geth Pyros. You also need to remember that if you level up Cryo Ammo to Rank 5: Ammo Capacity evolution, it still will apply only on the active ammo power and switching to one that does not have the Ammo Capacity evolution will lose the extra ammunition.
Cryo Ammo: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Cryo Ammo
Flash freeze and shatter unprotected enemies.
Slow down the rest.
Freeze Duration: 3 sec
Movement Speed: -15%
Armor Weakening: -25%
Rank 2: Freeze Chance
Improves the odds of freezing a target by 30%.
Rank 3: Freeze Duration
Increases freeze duration by 40%.
Freeze Duration: 4.2 sec
Movement Speed: -15%
Armor Weakening: -25%
Rank 4: Freeze Duration/Squad Bonus
Freeze Duration: increases freeze duration by 40%.
Freeze Duration: 5.9 sec
Movement Speed: -15%
Armor Weakening: -25%
Squad Bonus: squadmates gain Cryo Ammo at 50% effectiveness.
Rank 5: Ammo Capacity/Headshots
Ammo Capacity: increases ammo capacity by 30%.
Headshots: increases headshot to frozen enemies by 35%.
Rank 6: Freeze Chance/Damage Combo
Freeze Chance: improves the odds of freezing a target by 50%.
Decreases a frozen target's movement speed by an additional 20%.
Damage Combo: increases damage to frozen targets from all sources by 50%.
Weaken the armor of chilled targets by 25%.
Incendiary Ammo
Incendiary Ammo is very effective against armor and it has fiery damage-over-time effect on this kind of protection. When equipped with this power, you also have an amazing chance to make organic enemies to panic. But you need to remember that Incendiary Ammo is the ammunition capacity boost and can be applied on active ammo power only. It is highly recommended to combine this power with the weapon that has higher fire rate. For instance, SMG will work just great. When upgraded to Rank 6, you can either add decent percentage to Damage or invest skill point into Explosive Burst. If you pick the seconds option, here’s what you are going to get instead:
- First of all – Explosive Burst has a 50% chance to trigger from any shot. It works regardless of weapon’s fire rate but automatic weapons have a certain advantage;
- While Explosive Burst doesn't harm enemies who are protected by shields or barriers, you can still shoot a shielded enemy and the resulting explosion will harm the enemies around not protected by shields.
- When using a shotgun, each shotgun pellet has an individual chance to trigger Explosive Burst. As far as most shotguns have 8 pellets in the clip, you will definitely get 4 Explosive Bursts.
- You can trigger Explosive Burst by shots that penetrate cover with the help of weapon's piercing mod. In other words, this combination is effective against Guardians and is really effective against unprotected enemies hiding behind the cover.
- Explosive Burst always deals instant damage but does not always set enemies on fire.
- Explosive Burst and its explosion always has a chance to create panic among enemies standing nearby.
- Explosive Burst is devastating when used with high rate of fire weapons such as the Geth Pulse Rifle but can’t be triggered by shots from the Geth Plasma Shotgun, the Falcon Assault Rifle or the Scorpion.
Incendiary Ammo: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Incendiary Ammo
Shoot and your enemies will burst into flames.
More weapon damage.
Weakens Armor.
Chance to make an enemy panic
Weapon Damage Bonus: +10.50%
Armor Damage Bonus: +10.50%
Rank 2: Panic
Improves the odds of panicking an enemy by 15%
Rank 3: Damage
Increases health and armor damage bonuses by 4%
Weapon Damage Bonus: +14.50%
Armor Damage Bonus: +14.50%
Rank 4: Damage/Squad Bonus
Damage: increases health and armor damage bonuses by 6%
Weapon Damage Bonus: +20.50%
Armor Damage Bonus: +20.50%
Squad Bonus: squadmates gain Incendiary Ammo bonus at 50% effectiveness
Rank 5: Ammo Capacity/Headshots
Ammo Capacity: increases ammo capacity by 30%.
Headshots: increases headshot damage by 25%
Rank 6: Damage/Explosive Burst
Damage: increases health and armor damage bonuses by 10%
Weapon Damage Bonus: +30.50%
Armor Damage Bonus: +30.50%
Explosive Burst: ignites enemies with an intermittent explosion that covers 2.50 meters for 105.00 damage.
Nova
Nova is one of the most interesting and powerful powers (sorry for tautology) for Vanguards in Mass Effect 3. It is effective only at the close range and when used creates a strong shock wave. Nova is one of the main reasons why Vanguards are so effective in close combats and so feared by the enemies. Also, Nova causes a high amount of damage to the surrounding enemies by pushing them back and sending into the air. On the top of all it has no cooldown time and can be used whenever your character has a barrier remaining. When you activate Nova, it will detonate and expend the Vanguard's remaining biotic barrier causing damage within its radius back and knocking enemies around. It may sounds strange but Nova power kind of behaves like a living grenade. Due to the fact that Nova is derived from the amount of the Vanguard's remaining barrier, when used at full-barrier strength it turns into a devastating attack powerful enough to kill almost any enemy from the first hit or heavily damage the heavier ones. Nova is a perfect choice to finish Biotic Charge unless you are using it for defensive purposes. You can use the Charge to stun or kill the first enemy you hit and then finish your combo with Nova. As a pleasant addition, you can use Nova with Biotic Charge and Heavy Melee. This will turn your regular attack into 1>2>3 power combo and trust me – when performed right, nothing will resist its devastating damage. It looks like this: Biotic Charge > Nova > Heavy Melee. While Nova has a short animation, Vanguard is totally invulnerable to non-execute attacks during it. However, in this state he is not protected from Ravager's cannon blast. When investing skill points in Nova and leveling up to the Rank 6, it is recommended to concentrate on Pierce. This will allow you to ignore most of enemy's protections, increasing the chances that enemies will be killed outright by the blast. But, if you are not a risky player (which is kind of hard when playing as Vanguard), you can go the other way and consider the Double Blast upgrade. In this case you will be allowed to use Nova twice in a row but your damage level will suffer a bit. It might be a good strategy to use the reverse. Stun opponents with Nova when in close proximity and complete your attack with Biotic Charge. This will replenish your shields and will give you an opportunity to unleash a second Nova. There is a great possibility that no one else will survive your strategic moves.
Nova: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Nova
Transfer the energy of your biotic barrier to charge and spark this deadly blast. Barrier strength determines intensity.
Damage: 350
Force: 450 N
Radius: 4 m
Rank 2: Radius
Increases radius by 25%.
Damage: 350
Force: 450 N
Radius: 5 m
Rank 3: Force & Damage
Increases damage and force by 30%.
Damage: 455
Force: 585 N
Radius: 5 m
Rank 4: Force & Damage/Radius
Force & Damage: increases damage and force by 40%.
Damage: 595
Force: 765 N
Radius: 5 m
Radius: increases impact radius by 40%.
Damage: 455
Force: 585 N
Radius: 6.60 m
Rank 5: Power Recharge/Half Blast
Power Recharge: increases recharge speed of all powers by 25% for 15s.
Half Blast: gain the option to use Nova two times in a row by reducing its barrier consumption by 50% but at the cost of reducing damage and force by 40%.
Rank 6: Pierce/Sustain
Pierce: increases damage to barriers, shields, and armored targets by 100%.
Sustain: Nova gains a 33% chance of not using up barriers.
Pull
I’m pretty sure that the name of this biotic power is pretty self-explanatory: it allows you to pull your enemies closer and either kill them with one move (when upgraded to the possible maximum and used on weaker enemies) or finish with a short combo of biotic powers causing Biotic Explosion. The best part about Pull is that it has the shortest recharge time: it takes only 0.74 seconds to recharge and send another projectile. Thanks to this uniqueness you can combine Pull with Biotic Charge and bring massive amounts of damage that will allow you to finish almost any unprotected enemy on any difficulty. Pull is especially useful when fighting Cerberus Guardians. When you hit the shield with Pull, it will rip it from the target’s hands and will force it to stumble forward. In this state Cerberus Guardians will remain immobile and defenseless for a few seconds. But, when attacked from behind it will have pretty much the same effect as Singularity (it will lift them in the air and permanently drop their shields). Pull has an arc trajectory meaning that you are not supposed to face the enemy directly: it will hit the highlighted enemy anyway. When upgraded to Rank 6: Double Pull and used against shielded enemies, it will overload and electrocute anyone using it as a cover. When used in multiplayer, it will deal 100% damage to unprotected enemy.
Pull: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Pull
Yank an opponent helplessly off the ground.
Recharge Speed: 4 sec
Duration: 4 sec
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge Speed: 3.20 sec
Rank 3: Duration
Increases duration by 40%. (50% multiplayer)
Duration: 5.60 sec (6 multiplayer)
Rank 4: Duration/Radius
Duration: increases duration by 50%. (100% multiplayer)
Duration: 7.60 sec (10 multiplayer)
Radius: increases impact radius by 2 meters. (2.5 multiplayer)
Rank 5: Lift Damage/Expose
Lift Damage: inflict 20 (75 multiplayer) damage per second to lifted targets.
Expose: increases all damage to targets lifted by Pull by 25% (30% multiplayer).
Single Player Rank 6: Double Pull/Recharge Speed
Double Pull: launch two Pull projectiles to seek two targets instead of one.
Recharge Speed: increases recharge speed by 60%.
Recharge Speed: 2.16 sec
Multiplayer Rank 6: Duration & Combo/Recharge Speed
Duration & Combo: increases duration by 50%, and increase the force and damage of biotic detonations on affected targets by 75%.
Duration: 12 sec (duration), 8 sec (radius)
Recharge Speed: increases recharge speed by 150%.
Recharge Speed: 1.45 sec
Shockwave
Shockwave is one of the most effective cover breakers capable of displacing entrenched enemies. It can travel through covers and knock enemies back. Even if enemies are protected by shields or armor, Shockwave is still good enough to stun them opening a window for other actions including biotic powers or regular weapon shooting. You will also be surprised to see how effective Shockwave is against groups of swarming husks: it knocks them off their feet and effectively disables for a few seconds, again, giving you a great opportunity to finish the target. Shockwave is the only power that can detonate all types of power combos from a distance including Singularity. Using Shockwave while standing next to a player armed with a sniper rifle, or against targets near a player using a sniper, can severely disrupt the other player's aim.
Shockwave: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Shockwave
Topple a row of enemies with this cascading shockwave.
Recharge: 8 sec (Shepard)
Damage: 200 (300 multiplayer)
Force: 600 N (700 multiplayer)
Radius: 2 m
Range: 10 m (16 multiplayer)
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge: 6.40 sec (Shepard)
Damage: 210
Force: 600 N
Radius: 2 m
Rank 3: Force & Damage
Increases force and damage by 20% (25% multiplayer).
Recharge: 6.40 sec (Shepard)
Damage: 240 (375 multiplayer)
Force: 720 N (875 multiplayer)
Radius: 2 m
Rank 4: Force & Damage/Radius
Force & Damage: increases force and damage by 30%.
Recharge: 6.40 sec (Shepard)
Damage: 300
Force: 900 N
Radius: 2 m
Radius: increases radius by 30%.
Recharge: 6.40 sec (Shepard)
Damage: 240
Force: 720 N
Radius: 2.60 m
Rank 5: Detonate/Reach
Detonate: increases force and damage of biotic detonations by 50% (65% multiplayer).
Reach: increases the distance the Shockwave cascades by 50%.
Range: 15 m (24 multiplayer)
Rank 6: Recharge Speed/Lifting Shockwave
Recharge Speed: increases recharge speed by 40%.
Recharge: 4.85 sec (Shepard)
Lifting Shockwave: suspends targets in the air for a short time.
Fitness (Vanguard)
A lot like any other power of this kind, Vanguard's Fitness is a passive talent and increases character’s health, barriers and melee damage. However, if for other classes Fitness is rather a pleasant addition, for Vanguards it plays a lot more important role. The increased survivability is especially important for Vanguards because they are considered to be close combat fighters and in order to survive they need to be more than just tough. For Vanguards this power is available at Level 1. Of course, if you do not have enough skill points, it is recommended to spend them on something else, a bit more effective and offensive. But, if you want to turn your character into a real tank – Fitness is exactly what you need to rely on.
Fitness: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Fitness
Put on some muscle and become fearless in close-quarters combat.
Health & Shield Bonus: +15%
Melee Damage Bonus: +15%
Rank 2: Durability
Increases health and barrier bonuses by 10%.
Health & Shield Bonus: +25%
Rank 3: Melee Damage
Increases melee damage by 15%.
Melee Damage Bonus: +30%
Rank 4: Melee Damage/Durability
Melee Damage: increases melee damage bonus by 25%.
Melee Damage Bonus: +55%
Durability: increases health and barrier bonuses by 15%.
Health and Shield Bonus: +40%
Rank 5: Melee Spree/Barrier Recharge
Melee Spree: increases melee damage by 75% for 30 seconds when an enemy is killed by heavy melee.
Barrier Recharge: decreases shield recharge delay by 15%
Rank 6: Melee Synergy/Fitness Expert
Melee Synergy: increases melee damage bonus by 25%.
Increases recharge speed of Biotic Charge by 200% after an enemy is killed by heavy melee.
Melee Damage Bonus: +80% (Melee Damage), +55% (Durability)
Fitness Expert: increases health and barrier bonuses by 25%.
Health & Shield Bonus: +65% (Durability), +50% (Melee Damage)
Assault Mastery
Assault Mastery is another passive power in Vanguard's repertoire that increases power damage, weapon damage, carrying capacity and reputation. In other words it simply makes your character better and provides buffs to the core components of your personality. Assault Mastery is exactly THE thing that makes Vanguards so good at the battlefield and it is recommended to invest as many points in this power as possible and to do that as fast as possible.
Assault Mastery: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Assault Mastery
Reputation Bonus: 4%
Weapon Damage Bonus: 2.50%
Power Damage Bonus: 5%
Weight Capacity Bonus: 15
Rank 2: Influence & Capacity
Increases reputation bonus by 4%.
Increases weight capacity bonus by 20 points.
Reputation Bonus: 8%
Weapon Damage Bonus: 2.50%
Power Damage Bonus: 5%
Weight Capacity Bonus: 35
Rank 3: Influence & Damage
Increases power damage bonus by 5%.
Increases weapon damage bonus by 2.50%.
Increases reputation bonus by 4%.
Reputation Bonus: 12%
Weapon Damage Bonus: 5%
Power Damage Bonus: 10%
Weight Capacity Bonus: 35
Rank 4: Damage/Influence & Force
Damage: increases power damage by 10%.
Increases weapon damage by 5%.
Reputation Bonus: 12%
Weapon Damage Bonus: 10%
Power Damage Bonus: 20%
Weight Capacity Bonus: 35
Influence & Force: increases force bonus by 30%.
Increases reputation bonus by 8%.
Reputation Bonus: 20%
Weapon Damage Bonus: 5%
Power Damage Bonus: 10%
Force Bonus: 30%
Weight Capacity Bonus: 35
Rank 5: Squad Bonus/Weight Capacity
Squad Bonus: increases squadmate power damage by 15%.
Increases squadmate’s weapon damage by 10%.
Weight Capacity: increases weight capacity bonus by 35 points.
Reputation Bonus: 12% (Damage), 20% (Influence & Force)
Weapon Damage Bonus: 10% (Damage), 5% (Influence & Force)
Power Damage Bonus: 20% (Damage), 10% (Influence & Force)
Force Bonus: 0% (Damage), 30% (Influence & Force)
Weight Capacity Bonus: 70
Rank 6: Shotgun Damage/Power Intensity
Shotgun Damage: increases shotgun damage by 15%.
Power Intensity: increases power damage bonus by 25%
Increases power duration and force by 25%.
Reputation Bonus: 12% (Damage), 20% (Influence & Force)
Weapon Damage Bonus: 10% (Damage), 5% (Influence & Force)
Power Damage Bonus: 35% (Damage), 25% (Influence & Force)
Power Duration: 25%
Force Bonus: 25% (Damage), 55% (Influence & Force)
Weight Capacity Bonus: 70
Bonus Power
Reave
Reave is a perfect investment for those who prefer to rely on powers rather than weapons. It is one of a few unique biotic powers that can set up and detonate biotic explosions on any enemy at any time. When in use, the power employs mass effect fields to biotically attack the target's nervous or synthetic systems and prevent healing. At the same time it restores health and when used against unprotected organics, it even gives temporary health bonus. On the top of that Reave deals double damage to armor and barriers. Reave can be used to detonate Biotic Explosions when paired with Pull. Also, Drell Adepts can detonate Reave with Cluster Grenades which is one of deadliest ways to take down almost anything or anyone with hostile looks in your directions. When launched, this power travels in a straight line to the target. However, it can hit a Collector Guardian behind his shield. Unfortunately, it won’t work that way with normal covers. Reave will not provide the damage protection effect if used on synthetics like the Geth but it will stack with multiple uses by draining your enemy even faster. Also, if you upgrade Reave with Radius evolution, you can expect it to become very effective against multiply targets. Unlike Mass Effect 2, in Mass Effect 3 Reave no longer restores health or stuns enemies but when used it gets great damage reduction bonus.
Reave: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Reave
Drain target's health and disrupt their resistances, receiving increased damage protection while this power is in effect.
Effective against barriers and armor.
Recharge Time: 8 sec
Damage Per Second: 70; 100 (Asari Justicar)
Duration: 4 seconds
Damage Reduction: 15%
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge Time: 6.40 sec
Damage Per Second: 70; 100 (Asari Justicar)
Duration: 4 seconds
Damage Reduction: 15%
Rank 3: Duration
Increases power duration by 35%.
Recharge Time: 6.40 sec
Damage Per Second: 70; 100 (Asari Justicar)
Duration: 5.40 sec
Damage Reduction: 15%
Rank 4: Duration/Radius
Duration: increases power duration by 40%.
Recharge Time: 6.40 sec
Damage Per Second: 70; 100 (Asari Justicar)
Duration: 7 sec
Damage Reduction: 15%
Radius: increases impact radius by 3 meters.
Rank 5: Damage Reduction/Recharge Speed
Damage Reduction: increases damage protection by 10%.
Recharge Time: 6.40 sec
Damage Per Second: 70; 100 (Asari Justicar)
Duration: 7 sec (Duration), 5.40 sec (Radius)
Damage Reduction: 25%
Recharge Speed: increases recharge speed by 35%.
Recharge Time: 5 sec
Damage Per Second: 70; 100 (Asari Justicar)
Duration: 7 sec (Duration), 5.40 sec (Radius)
Damage Reduction: 15%
Rank 6: Barriers & Armor/Damage & Duration
Barriers & Armor: increases effectiveness against armor and barriers by 75%.
Damage & Duration: increases damage by 30%.
Increases duration by 30%.
Increases damage protection bonus by 15%.
Damage Per Second: 91; 130 (Asari Justicar)
Duration: 8.20 sec (Rank 4 Duration), 6.60 sec (Rank 4 Radius)
Damage Reduction: 40% (Rank 5 DR), 30% (Rank 5 Recharge)
Energy Drain
Energy Drain is a great power that will help you to minimize your weaknesses if any. For instance, Vanguards are pretty bad when dealing with shielded foes like Centurions, Atlas Mechs or Geth Primes. The only two things that will save the situation are: the Charge/shoot combo or the Energy Drain. When in use, it can be extremely useful against the enemies mentioned by weakening them in a blink of an eye. When used on enemies with shields, barriers or synthetic fellows, Energy Drain will replenish the player's shields. It can also turn almost any Vanguard into a tech bursting machine. All you have to do is to use Energy Drain then Charge and finish your biotic combo with Nova. It is also a very fast way to take down Turrets and Atlases. When used in multiplayer, it might not be as effective but it will still stun the enemy no matter what. Use it to your advantage as long as possible. Energy Drain will come in handy on higher difficulties as an amazing survival tool due to its parasite nature: it will weaken the enemy and will restore your shields at the same time. When used to kill primed synthetics or shielded organics, unlike Overload, Energy Drain will trigger Tech Bursts, Fire Explosions and Cryo Explosions only. Luckily, Energy Drain’s recharge time is fast enough to make it an effective power in almost any combat situation.
Energy Drain: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Energy Drain
Hit an enemy with this energy pulse to inflict damage and to steal barrier and shield power.
Recharge Time: 8 seconds
Damage: 220 points
Radius: 1.50 meters
Shields Restored: 50%
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge Time: 6.40 seconds
Rank 3: Damage
Increases damage by 20%.
Damage: 264 points
Rank 4: Damage/Radius
Damage: increases damage by 30%.
Damage: 330 points
Radius: increases impact radius by 100%.
Rank 5: Drain/Recharge Speed
Drain: increases shield restoration rate by 50% when draining shields, barriers, or power from synthetic enemies.
Shields Restored: 100%
Recharge Speed: increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge Time: 5.33 seconds
Rank 6: Damage/Armor Boost
Damage: increases damage by 40%.
Damage: 418 (Damage), 352 (Radius)
Armor Boost: reduces damage taken by 15% (40% multiplayer) for 10 seconds by gaining a temporary layer of armor by draining shields, barriers, or energy from synthetics.
Defense Drone
Unlike the Combat Drone, the Defense Drone will hover around Shepard's head during combat, shocking things that come within range. This power is very effective if you fight enemies at the close range because the Drone will cause heavy damage to all the targets trying to reach and hit you. But, it is pretty much useless if you decide to stay away and take enemies down from the distance. The Drone itself acts a lot like you when charging with the Overload ability but, of course, deals a lot less damage. If upgraded to the Rank 6, Defense Drone will deal substantial damage to multiple targets. But you need to keep in mind that Defense Drone will only stay active if the player is in combat.
Defense Drone: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Defense Drone
Deploy this drone to electrocute enemies within its firing range.
Recharge Speed: 2.36 sec
Drone Damage: 26.25
Radius: 5 m
Duration: 45 sec
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge Speed: 2.15 sec
Damage: 26.25
Radius: 5 m
Duration: 45 sec
Rank 3: Damage
Increases damage by 30%.
Recharge Speed: 2.15 sec
Damage: 33.75
Radius: 5 m
Duration: 45 sec
Rank 4: Range/Duration
Duration: increases duration by 100%.
Recharge Speed: 2.15 sec
Damage: 33.75
Radius: 5 m
Duration: 90 sec
Range: increases attack range by 40%.
Recharge Speed: 2.15 sec
Damage: 33.75
Radius: 7 m
Duration: 45 sec
Rank 5: Attack Rate/Damage & Range
Attack Rate: increases the drone's attack rate by 50%.
Damage & Range: increases damage by 100%.
Increases range by 60%.
Damage: 58.75
Radius: 10 m (Range), 8 m (Duration)
Rank 6: Incapacitate/Chain Lightning
Incapacitate: gain a 30% chance to knock down an enemy.
Chain Lightning: damages up to 2 additional nearby targets.
Note: as a matter of fact, duration is a hidden stat and is unlisted on the in-game tooltip. However, you need to remember that duration is affected by numerous class skills and research upgrades.
Defense Matrix
If you plan to fight enemies at the close range, then Defense Matrix is exactly your kind of power. It will keep you alive for a longer period of time and will instantly restore shields during the battle without needing it to recharge. This can either be used for protection or for unleashing Nova. There is also a nice little trick you can use to immediately purge for large shield restore and it’s called “double-tapped.” Basically, what you do is turn the power on and off. Thanks to the Shield Gate effect, you can increase the total amount of damage Shepard can survive.
Defense Matrix: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Defense Matrix
Reinforce armor with protective foucault currents. Purge the currents to restore shields.
Slows power use by 60%.
Recharge Speed: 10 sec
Damage Reduction: 15%
Shields Restored: 50%
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge Speed: 8 sec
Rank 3: Shield Bonus
Increases shield restoration by 20% when purging armor.
Shields Restored: 70%
Rank 4: Durability/Shield Bonus
Durability: increases damage protection by 5%.
Damage Reduction: 20%
Shield Bonus: increases shield restoration by 30% when purging armor.
Shields Restored: 100%
Rank 5: Shield Recharge/Power Synergy
Shield Recharge: decreases shield-recharge delay by 15%
Power Synergy: increases tech power damage by 25% while Defense Matrix is active.
Rank 6: Power Recharge/Durability
Power Recharge: reduces power speed penalty by 30%.
Power Speed Penalty: 30%
Durability: increases damage protection by 10%.
Damage Reduction: +10%
Fortification
If you plan to use Vanguard the way it is supposed to be used, than Fortification is one the “Must Have Powers” you are supposed to have in your arsenal. It gives you an amazing opportunity to be extremely effective at melee attacks being able to resist hire damages. Well, it gets pretty serious penalty damage but, at the same time, it can be reduced with the help of Rank 6 Power Recharge evolution, cooldown-reducing armor and a light loadout. In technical sense, it functions as well as Barrier and Geth Shield Boost do but unlike the already mentioned Barrier and Geth Shield, Fortification is a combat skill, and does not receive any enhancement from biotic or tech upgrades. The good thing about Fortification is that it can be activated while on the go and you won’t be forced to stop waiting for any kind of animation. Fortification cooldowns fast and you can use it almost instantly after the first one even with something heavy in your arms.
Fortification: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Fortification
Reinforce armor using protective Foucault currents.
Purge the current and send its charge to your gauntlets for increased melee damage.
Slows power usage by 60%. (50% multiplayer)
Recharge Speed: 5 sec
Damage Reduction: 15% (25% multiplayer)
Melee Damage Bonus: 50%
Melee Damage Duration: 20 sec
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25% when armor is purged.
Recharge Speed: 4 sec
Rank 3: Melee Damage
Increases melee damage bonus by 20% when armor is purged.
Melee Damage Bonus: 70%
Rank 4: Durability/Melee Damage
Durability: increases damage protection by 5%.
Damage Reduction: 20% (30% multiplayer)
Melee Damage: increases melee damage bonus by 30% when armor is purged.
Melee Damage Bonus: 100%
Rank 5: Recharge Speed/Power Synergy
Recharge Speed: increases shield recharge rate by 15%.
Power Synergy: increases power damage and force by 20% (30% multiplayer) while fortification is active.
Rank 6: Power Recharge/Durability
Power Recharge: reduces power speed penalty by 30%.
Power Speed Penalty: 30% (20% Multiplayer)
Durability: increases damage protection by 10%.
Damage Reduction: 30% (40% multiplayer) (Durability), 25% (35% multiplayer) (Melee Damage)
Carnage
Carnage is a power in Mass Effect 3 available to James Vega and several Soldier species in the multiplayer mode. It is a powerful projectile that, however, has no animation. It is very effective against armored enemies and will rip them to shreds with the vicious blast when upgraded to higher Ranks. Carnage deals heavy damage at almost any range and its recharge time can be reduced to a few seconds with low weight and a few level ups. The projectile is very effective against Guardians, exposing them for about 3 seconds, and Atlases, by knocking them back a bit. It is also effective against health and armored enemies but less effective against those with barriers and shields. Luckily, you are not supposed to be equipped with a shotgun in order to use this power – it will work great with any weapon. When upgraded far enough, it will deal over 700 damage to almost any enemy and that is a lot. On the top of that, when fired at enemy that has caught fire, it can cause a serious devastating Fire Explosion and kill the guy more than just easily. Also, there is an effective tactic that can and should be used against groups of enemies: ignite one enemy at the center of a crowd with Incendiary Ammo (Incinerate will work too) and then launch Carnage at the group. This will do the incredible damage to the targeted enemy and all the others standing around and as far as Carnage’s travel speed is pretty high, there is no way your enemies will be able to dodge the projectile. After successfully hitting a target, Carnage continues to deal mild fire damage over time.
Carnage: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Carnage
Recharge Speed: 10 sec
Damage: 315 (350 multiplayer)
Radius: 1.50 m (1 m multiplayer)
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge Speed: 8 sec
Damage: 315 (350 multiplayer)
Radius: 1.50 m (1 m multiplayer)
Rank 3: Damage
Increases damage by 20%.
Recharge Speed: 8 sec
Damage: 378 (420 multiplayer)
Radius: 1.50 m (1 m multiplayer)
Rank 4: Radius/Damage
Radius: increases impact radius by 50%.
Recharge Speed: 8 sec
Damage: 378 (420 multiplayer)
Radius: 2.25 m (1.50 m multiplayer)
Damage: increases damage by 30%.
Recharge Speed: 8 sec
Damage: 472.5 (525 multiplayer)
Radius: 1.50 m (1 m multiplayer)
Rank 5: Incapacitate/Recharge Speed
Incapacitate: incapacitates enemies by knocking them down.
Recharge Speed: increases recharge speed by 35%.
Recharge Speed: 6.25 sec
Rank 6: Armor Damage/Damage
Armor Damage: increases damage to armored units by 65%.
Damage: increases damage by 50%.
Damage: 535.5 (595 multiplayer)
630 (700 multiplayer) with Rank 4 Damage evolution
Inferno Grenade
Inferno Grenade is extremely effective against armor, doing twice the damage. Its explosive mechanics is rather interesting and devastating: first of all – it explodes on impact causing heavy damage. Afterwards it sends damaging fire fragments in all directions. Those fragments are very devastating and can actually take down the whole squad of enemies if the bomb explodes correctly. However, you need to remember that Inferno Grenade can also damage your teammates. Inferno Grenade deals damage even to shielded enemies, although it is somewhat reduced. There is an effective way to take down groups of enemies with a power combo: throw an Inferno Grenade at a group of enemies > Charge into the middle of them > unleash Nova. The combo itself is deadly enough but due to the fact that it detonates Fire Explosions, you can expect to get even deadlier combo. Like any other grenade, power travels in a vertical parabolic arc towards the target.
Inferno Grenade: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Inferno Grenade
Cluster-bomb a small area with incendiary munitions.
Damage Per Second: 100 (150 multiplayer)
Duration: 8 seconds
Radius: 5 m
Rank 2: Max Grenades
Increases grenade capacity by 1.
Rank 3: Damage
Increases damage by 20%.
Damage Per Second: 120 (180 multiplayer)
Rank 4: Damage/Radius
Damage: increases damage by 30%.
Damage Per Second: 150 (225 multiplayer)
Radius: increases impact radius by 30%.
Radius: 6.5 m
Rank 5: Max Grenades/Damage
Max Grenades: increases grenade capacity by 2.
Damage: increases damage by 40%.
Damage Per Second: 190 (285 multiplayer) (Damage), 160 (195 multiplayer) (Radius)
Rank 6: Armor Damage/Radius & Shrapnel
Armor Damage: increases damage to armor by 50%.
Radius & Shrapnel: increases impact radius by 40% (50% multiplayer). Increase shrapnel by 1 fragments [sic].
Radius: 8.5 m (9 multiplayer) (Radius), 7 m (7.5 multiplayer) (Damage)
Weapons of Choice
Technically, Vanguard will be effective with almost any kind of weapon but as far as he is a close combat warrior, it is highly recommended to pick something that deals heavy damage at the close range. It should be either a powerful shotgun or a decent Heavy Pistol/SMG.
Assault Rifles
Assault Rifle is not exactly the weapon of choice for a Vanguard because a greater part of those is kind of heavy. But, when picked right, it will help you to suppress enemies with heavy fire when getting closer and then finish your fighting strategy with a few power based combos. At this point I would recommend to pick something from M-8 Avenger, Phaeston or Geth Pulse Rifle. All three guns can put out long bursts with minimal recoil and short time between reloads. This is more than just useful for taking down enemy shields and barriers. Also, with the right modes, armors, upgrades and power evolutions any of the rifles mentioned will be a good choice for you. M-15 Vindicator is not a bad choice either due to its excellent weight and damage balance. By all means, combining any assault rifle with either Cryo or Incendiary Ammo will make it a lot deadlier. If you want to remain effective at medium-range and still be great at the close range battles, I would recommend choosing something from The M-76 Revenant, M-55 Argus, and N7 Typhoon.
Heavy Pistols
Heavy Pistol is the classiest answer and the most common choice of every Vanguard. Well, there is nothing bad in this: just on the contrary – there is a plenty of great items in this category that will cover all the possible requirements. It is recommended to start with M-3 Predator thanks to its fairly effective fire rate and light weight. Your next stop should be M-5 Phalanx with a bit higher damage level and then M-6 Carnifex. The last is extremely powerful but has only 6 rounds in the clip that, actually, can be an issue. M-77 Paladin is even deadlier than the M-6 Carnifex but at the same time it has even fewer rounds in the clip – 4. Very often you can see Vanguards running with M-358 Talon for a reason: this heavy gun can serve as a lightweight substitute for a shotgun and happens to have great damage bonus against shields and barriers. If you have an opportunity to get the Mass Effect 3: Firefight Pack DLC, I would recommend to try out the Acolyte: it is effective against shields and barriers and deals decent damage.
Shotguns
If you see a warrior running on a battlefield with a shotgun, there is a great possibility that this is a Vanguard. Due to their nature, Vanguards are close combat soldiers and they need something deadly and reliable to take out enemies or group of enemies in a blink of an eye. And, there is nothing deadlier than a good old shotgun. Because of its balance in terms of decent damage output, shot capacity per clip and manageable weight, M-22 Eviscerator might be a perfect choice for you. Plus, it becomes available pretty early in the game. The next one to pay your attention to is M-11 Wraith: it is light, it reloads fast and deals decent damage. As a matter of fact, M-11 Wraith is the second lightest shotgun in the arsenal. The Disciple combines all the best features: it is light, it is accurate and it deals great damage. Very often Disciple is believed to be a perfect decision for a Vanguard and not only. Graal Spike Thrower and Geth Plasma Shotgun are excellent choices for those who are willing to trade power recharge speed for firepower and range. It is important to note that when both the Wraith and Disciple are fully upgraded, both become extremely lightweight, allowing for additional weapons to be used without compromising a 200% cooldown reduction. Vanguard benefits a lot from the Shotgun Spare Thermal Clip upgrade, so do not forget to get one as soon as possible. High Caliber Barrel is a recommended upgrade too, especially if you rely on weapon damage.
Sniper Rifles
If you consider choosing a sniper rifle when playing as Vanguard, I have to warn you that:
- you are making a big mistake;
- you are doing it wrong;
- Vanguard is not your kind of character.
As it was mentioned before, Vanguard is a close combat fighter and it is nearly impossible to be effective as Vanguard with a sniper rifle in the hands. However, despite me being so skeptical and you being so unpredicted, in Mass Effect 3 there is always a place for something special and unique. So, if you still want to get a sniper rifle after all the arguments, it is recommended to concentrate on something light and upgrade it with all the possible mods to make the thing lighter. So far, I can name either Level X M-90 Indra or M-13 Raptor. They are both light and have a decent fire rate. But still – my recommendations about choosing something from the Shotgun, Heavy Pistol or SMG category remain.
Submachine Guns
Submachine guns are well known and respected for their amazingly fast fire rates. At the same time being compact and light, SMGs are almost irreplaceable at the battlefield. As a rule, SMGs are used as medium range weapons but very often can be effective at longer and closer ranges. The main advantage of every SMG is its ability to stagger multiple enemies and apply the effects of ammo powers at an alarming rate. Also, due to the fire rate, I would recommend applying any possible ammo related powers like Incendiary or Cryo Ammo on SMG. The last one will allow you to freeze almost any enemy after a few controlled bursts. Pretty decent damage and accuracy can be offered by M-4 Shuriken. It is not the best choice but it appears early in the game and if I was asked to describe it with one word, I would say that it’s OK. M-9 Tempest offers greater damage output but is not that good at the distance. If you are looking for something to be effective at longer distances, you should take a look at M-25 Hornet. It will suit you well at the fair distance but, unfortunately, happens to have lower accuracy. And the last but not the least - M-12 Locust: great at long range, has great accuracy and low recoil but very low damage. Usually, SMGs are light enough to cause no penalties for your actions but still it is highly recommended to upgrade it with Ultralight Materials. This allows you to reduce the weight of almost any SMG up to 90% and increase power cooldown time. And, the last but not the least: if you want to be a classical Vanguard and show effectiveness in close combats and short ranges, N7 Hurricane is a decent choice for your actions. Of course, you will have to upgrade it a bit but with some level of control you can fairly expect it to become your best helper.
At the very beginning of Mass Effect 3 you will be offered to choose a warrior class. All of them offer different abilities, tactical maneuvers, strategy tricks and specials. Each class has a corresponding class talent which improves abilities important to that class. Some of class talents will be at your service from the very beginning, others have to be unlocked while you progress through the game. Here’s the list of available classes in Mass Effect 3:
1. Adept;
2. Engineer;
3. Infiltrator;
4. Soldier;
5. Sentinel;
6. Vanguard.
Vanguard
If you do not want to turn Mass Effect 3 in another 3rd person shooter and at the same time you do not find it interesting to rely on biotic powers only, you should definitely pick the Vanguard as your character. It is a powerful combatant who combines the offensive powers of the Adept and the Soldier. This allows Vanguards to access the various weapons and armor and use a great variety of biotics. You are likely to see Vanguards in the front line of the squad and a greater part of their biotic powers is oriented on disabling enemies, getting through their armors, take down their shields and deadly damage unprotected enemies. If playing as Vanguard you will start with the light armor but with time it can be upgraded to medium. Vanguards are feared for their high-risk combat styles that are based on deadly combinations of weapons and biotic powers.
Powers
Class Powers
Biotic Charge
Biotic Charge is Vanguard's signature attack. It can be treated as both the offensive and the defensive ability. It deals great damage, especially when upgraded to higher Ranks and is capable of knocking enemies several meters back. The best thing about Biotic Charge is that it will detonate every type of power combo which means – more damage to multiply enemies. Warp, Pull will work great here but Reave is also a decent choice for a biotic explosion. Also, while charging, Vanguard becomes immune to all forms of damage and restores barriers. On lower difficulties this makes you almost invincible because standard enemies simply do not have enough strength and power to break through the barriers and destroy you. It is highly recommended to upgrade Biotic Charge up to Rank 4 and go the radius upgrade way. This allows clearing a certain area of enemies causing heavy damage. However, if you are playing as a Human Vanguard, investments in damage are more likely to be useful. Before you enter the battle, it would be very nice of you to consider what kind of warrior you are going to be. If you plan on using Biotic charges to rather defend yourself than to attack the bad guys, I would recommend to go for the cooldown evolution at Rank 6. But, if you use your biotic powers in the offensive kind of way and fuel barrier-draining powers such as Phase Disruptor or Nova, then it might be a good idea to stick to the extra barriers to keep you alive for a longer period of time. One of the greatest fighting strategies is based on using both Biotic Charge and Nova consecutively. The first thing you need to do is to use Biotic Charge to reach the group of enemies. Now use your heavy melee attack on a certain enemy and only after that charge Nova immediately. Nova will use Vanguard's barrier which gives him a perfect opportunity of not having a cool-down period. Do some heavy damage and knock-back to all enemies within close-range (of course, in order to be like that you are supposed to have Biotic Charge with the Rank 6 Barrier evolution and quick power recharge rate). It is not recommended to abuse Biotic Charge in Multiplayer, especially on Gold and Platinum difficulties. The reason is rather simple: there are enemies capable of killing you with a few hits maximum: Brutes, Banshees, Phantoms can all execute a Vanguard upon the landing of the charge.
Biotic Charge: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Biotic Charge
Smash into a target while encased in this biotic barrier, leveling your opponents. Invulnerable while this power is in effect.
Recharge Speed: 10 sec (14 krogan)
Damage: 250 (400 multiplayer non-krogan, 500 krogan)
Force: 500 N (650 multiplayer non-krogan, 750 krogan)
Barrier Restored: 50%
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge Speed: 8 sec (11.2 krogan)
Rank 3: Force & Damage
Increases damage and force by 20% (30% multiplayer).
Damage: 300 (520 multiplayer non-krogan, 650 krogan)
Force: 600 N (845 multiplayer non-krogan, 975 krogan)
Rank 4: Force & Damage/Radius
Force & Damage: increases damage and force by 30%. (40% multiplayer)
Damage: 375 (680 multiplayer non-krogan, 850 krogan)
Force: 750 N (1105 multiplayer non-krogan, 1275 krogan)
Radius: hit up to 2 additional targets within 2 meters of the impact point.
Rank 5: Weapon Synergy/Power Synergy
Weapon Synergy: increases weapon damage by 15% (25% multiplayer) for 3s (5 multiplayer) after a successful Biotic Charge.
Power Synergy: increases power damage and force by 25% (40% multiplayer) for 15s (10 multiplayer) after a successful Biotic Charge.
Krogan Battlemaster Vanguard Rank 5: Weapon Synergy/Melee Synergy
Weapon Synergy: increases weapon damage by 25% for 5s after a successful Biotic Charge.
Melee Synergy: increases melee damage by 40% for 5s after a successful Biotic Charge.
Rank 6: Bonus Power/Barrier
Bonus Power: Give Biotic Charge a 25% (33% multiplayer) chance of not triggering a cooldown.
Barrier: increases barriers by an additional 50% after a successful Biotic Charge.
Barrier Restored: 100%
Cryo Ammo
One of the best ways of using Cryo Ammo is to combine it with a fast-firing SMG or Assault Rifle. As you’ve guessed already, Cryo Ammo has an amazing feature to freeze enemies and the faster your gun shoots, the faster you are going to send a regular enemy in a Cryo stage. If used against tougher enemies, Cryo Ammo will simply slow them down giving you an opportunity to shoot for headshot bonuses. But, of course, power’s main attraction is to freeze enemies entirely and when done so, you can use other biotic powers including Vanguard’s favorite Biotic Charge to shatter enemies into pieces and killing them regardless of their health. So, when your recharge speed is great, you can turn a small group of enemies into small pieces in no time. Cryo Ammo is extremely effective against armor plates protecting Brutes, Cannibals and Husk but it does not directly damages armored targets like Atlases, Ravagers and Geth Pyros. You also need to remember that if you level up Cryo Ammo to Rank 5: Ammo Capacity evolution, it still will apply only on the active ammo power and switching to one that does not have the Ammo Capacity evolution will lose the extra ammunition.
Cryo Ammo: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Cryo Ammo
Flash freeze and shatter unprotected enemies.
Slow down the rest.
Freeze Duration: 3 sec
Movement Speed: -15%
Armor Weakening: -25%
Rank 2: Freeze Chance
Improves the odds of freezing a target by 30%.
Rank 3: Freeze Duration
Increases freeze duration by 40%.
Freeze Duration: 4.2 sec
Movement Speed: -15%
Armor Weakening: -25%
Rank 4: Freeze Duration/Squad Bonus
Freeze Duration: increases freeze duration by 40%.
Freeze Duration: 5.9 sec
Movement Speed: -15%
Armor Weakening: -25%
Squad Bonus: squadmates gain Cryo Ammo at 50% effectiveness.
Rank 5: Ammo Capacity/Headshots
Ammo Capacity: increases ammo capacity by 30%.
Headshots: increases headshot to frozen enemies by 35%.
Rank 6: Freeze Chance/Damage Combo
Freeze Chance: improves the odds of freezing a target by 50%.
Decreases a frozen target's movement speed by an additional 20%.
Damage Combo: increases damage to frozen targets from all sources by 50%.
Weaken the armor of chilled targets by 25%.
Incendiary Ammo
Incendiary Ammo is very effective against armor and it has fiery damage-over-time effect on this kind of protection. When equipped with this power, you also have an amazing chance to make organic enemies to panic. But you need to remember that Incendiary Ammo is the ammunition capacity boost and can be applied on active ammo power only. It is highly recommended to combine this power with the weapon that has higher fire rate. For instance, SMG will work just great. When upgraded to Rank 6, you can either add decent percentage to Damage or invest skill point into Explosive Burst. If you pick the seconds option, here’s what you are going to get instead:
- First of all – Explosive Burst has a 50% chance to trigger from any shot. It works regardless of weapon’s fire rate but automatic weapons have a certain advantage;
- While Explosive Burst doesn't harm enemies who are protected by shields or barriers, you can still shoot a shielded enemy and the resulting explosion will harm the enemies around not protected by shields.
- When using a shotgun, each shotgun pellet has an individual chance to trigger Explosive Burst. As far as most shotguns have 8 pellets in the clip, you will definitely get 4 Explosive Bursts.
- You can trigger Explosive Burst by shots that penetrate cover with the help of weapon's piercing mod. In other words, this combination is effective against Guardians and is really effective against unprotected enemies hiding behind the cover.
- Explosive Burst always deals instant damage but does not always set enemies on fire.
- Explosive Burst and its explosion always has a chance to create panic among enemies standing nearby.
- Explosive Burst is devastating when used with high rate of fire weapons such as the Geth Pulse Rifle but can’t be triggered by shots from the Geth Plasma Shotgun, the Falcon Assault Rifle or the Scorpion.
Incendiary Ammo: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Incendiary Ammo
Shoot and your enemies will burst into flames.
More weapon damage.
Weakens Armor.
Chance to make an enemy panic
Weapon Damage Bonus: +10.50%
Armor Damage Bonus: +10.50%
Rank 2: Panic
Improves the odds of panicking an enemy by 15%
Rank 3: Damage
Increases health and armor damage bonuses by 4%
Weapon Damage Bonus: +14.50%
Armor Damage Bonus: +14.50%
Rank 4: Damage/Squad Bonus
Damage: increases health and armor damage bonuses by 6%
Weapon Damage Bonus: +20.50%
Armor Damage Bonus: +20.50%
Squad Bonus: squadmates gain Incendiary Ammo bonus at 50% effectiveness
Rank 5: Ammo Capacity/Headshots
Ammo Capacity: increases ammo capacity by 30%.
Headshots: increases headshot damage by 25%
Rank 6: Damage/Explosive Burst
Damage: increases health and armor damage bonuses by 10%
Weapon Damage Bonus: +30.50%
Armor Damage Bonus: +30.50%
Explosive Burst: ignites enemies with an intermittent explosion that covers 2.50 meters for 105.00 damage.
Nova
Nova is one of the most interesting and powerful powers (sorry for tautology) for Vanguards in Mass Effect 3. It is effective only at the close range and when used creates a strong shock wave. Nova is one of the main reasons why Vanguards are so effective in close combats and so feared by the enemies. Also, Nova causes a high amount of damage to the surrounding enemies by pushing them back and sending into the air. On the top of all it has no cooldown time and can be used whenever your character has a barrier remaining. When you activate Nova, it will detonate and expend the Vanguard's remaining biotic barrier causing damage within its radius back and knocking enemies around. It may sounds strange but Nova power kind of behaves like a living grenade. Due to the fact that Nova is derived from the amount of the Vanguard's remaining barrier, when used at full-barrier strength it turns into a devastating attack powerful enough to kill almost any enemy from the first hit or heavily damage the heavier ones. Nova is a perfect choice to finish Biotic Charge unless you are using it for defensive purposes. You can use the Charge to stun or kill the first enemy you hit and then finish your combo with Nova. As a pleasant addition, you can use Nova with Biotic Charge and Heavy Melee. This will turn your regular attack into 1>2>3 power combo and trust me – when performed right, nothing will resist its devastating damage. It looks like this: Biotic Charge > Nova > Heavy Melee. While Nova has a short animation, Vanguard is totally invulnerable to non-execute attacks during it. However, in this state he is not protected from Ravager's cannon blast. When investing skill points in Nova and leveling up to the Rank 6, it is recommended to concentrate on Pierce. This will allow you to ignore most of enemy's protections, increasing the chances that enemies will be killed outright by the blast. But, if you are not a risky player (which is kind of hard when playing as Vanguard), you can go the other way and consider the Double Blast upgrade. In this case you will be allowed to use Nova twice in a row but your damage level will suffer a bit. It might be a good strategy to use the reverse. Stun opponents with Nova when in close proximity and complete your attack with Biotic Charge. This will replenish your shields and will give you an opportunity to unleash a second Nova. There is a great possibility that no one else will survive your strategic moves.
Nova: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Nova
Transfer the energy of your biotic barrier to charge and spark this deadly blast. Barrier strength determines intensity.
Damage: 350
Force: 450 N
Radius: 4 m
Rank 2: Radius
Increases radius by 25%.
Damage: 350
Force: 450 N
Radius: 5 m
Rank 3: Force & Damage
Increases damage and force by 30%.
Damage: 455
Force: 585 N
Radius: 5 m
Rank 4: Force & Damage/Radius
Force & Damage: increases damage and force by 40%.
Damage: 595
Force: 765 N
Radius: 5 m
Radius: increases impact radius by 40%.
Damage: 455
Force: 585 N
Radius: 6.60 m
Rank 5: Power Recharge/Half Blast
Power Recharge: increases recharge speed of all powers by 25% for 15s.
Half Blast: gain the option to use Nova two times in a row by reducing its barrier consumption by 50% but at the cost of reducing damage and force by 40%.
Rank 6: Pierce/Sustain
Pierce: increases damage to barriers, shields, and armored targets by 100%.
Sustain: Nova gains a 33% chance of not using up barriers.
Pull
I’m pretty sure that the name of this biotic power is pretty self-explanatory: it allows you to pull your enemies closer and either kill them with one move (when upgraded to the possible maximum and used on weaker enemies) or finish with a short combo of biotic powers causing Biotic Explosion. The best part about Pull is that it has the shortest recharge time: it takes only 0.74 seconds to recharge and send another projectile. Thanks to this uniqueness you can combine Pull with Biotic Charge and bring massive amounts of damage that will allow you to finish almost any unprotected enemy on any difficulty. Pull is especially useful when fighting Cerberus Guardians. When you hit the shield with Pull, it will rip it from the target’s hands and will force it to stumble forward. In this state Cerberus Guardians will remain immobile and defenseless for a few seconds. But, when attacked from behind it will have pretty much the same effect as Singularity (it will lift them in the air and permanently drop their shields). Pull has an arc trajectory meaning that you are not supposed to face the enemy directly: it will hit the highlighted enemy anyway. When upgraded to Rank 6: Double Pull and used against shielded enemies, it will overload and electrocute anyone using it as a cover. When used in multiplayer, it will deal 100% damage to unprotected enemy.
Pull: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Pull
Yank an opponent helplessly off the ground.
Recharge Speed: 4 sec
Duration: 4 sec
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge Speed: 3.20 sec
Rank 3: Duration
Increases duration by 40%. (50% multiplayer)
Duration: 5.60 sec (6 multiplayer)
Rank 4: Duration/Radius
Duration: increases duration by 50%. (100% multiplayer)
Duration: 7.60 sec (10 multiplayer)
Radius: increases impact radius by 2 meters. (2.5 multiplayer)
Rank 5: Lift Damage/Expose
Lift Damage: inflict 20 (75 multiplayer) damage per second to lifted targets.
Expose: increases all damage to targets lifted by Pull by 25% (30% multiplayer).
Single Player Rank 6: Double Pull/Recharge Speed
Double Pull: launch two Pull projectiles to seek two targets instead of one.
Recharge Speed: increases recharge speed by 60%.
Recharge Speed: 2.16 sec
Multiplayer Rank 6: Duration & Combo/Recharge Speed
Duration & Combo: increases duration by 50%, and increase the force and damage of biotic detonations on affected targets by 75%.
Duration: 12 sec (duration), 8 sec (radius)
Recharge Speed: increases recharge speed by 150%.
Recharge Speed: 1.45 sec
Shockwave
Shockwave is one of the most effective cover breakers capable of displacing entrenched enemies. It can travel through covers and knock enemies back. Even if enemies are protected by shields or armor, Shockwave is still good enough to stun them opening a window for other actions including biotic powers or regular weapon shooting. You will also be surprised to see how effective Shockwave is against groups of swarming husks: it knocks them off their feet and effectively disables for a few seconds, again, giving you a great opportunity to finish the target. Shockwave is the only power that can detonate all types of power combos from a distance including Singularity. Using Shockwave while standing next to a player armed with a sniper rifle, or against targets near a player using a sniper, can severely disrupt the other player's aim.
Shockwave: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Shockwave
Topple a row of enemies with this cascading shockwave.
Recharge: 8 sec (Shepard)
Damage: 200 (300 multiplayer)
Force: 600 N (700 multiplayer)
Radius: 2 m
Range: 10 m (16 multiplayer)
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge: 6.40 sec (Shepard)
Damage: 210
Force: 600 N
Radius: 2 m
Rank 3: Force & Damage
Increases force and damage by 20% (25% multiplayer).
Recharge: 6.40 sec (Shepard)
Damage: 240 (375 multiplayer)
Force: 720 N (875 multiplayer)
Radius: 2 m
Rank 4: Force & Damage/Radius
Force & Damage: increases force and damage by 30%.
Recharge: 6.40 sec (Shepard)
Damage: 300
Force: 900 N
Radius: 2 m
Radius: increases radius by 30%.
Recharge: 6.40 sec (Shepard)
Damage: 240
Force: 720 N
Radius: 2.60 m
Rank 5: Detonate/Reach
Detonate: increases force and damage of biotic detonations by 50% (65% multiplayer).
Reach: increases the distance the Shockwave cascades by 50%.
Range: 15 m (24 multiplayer)
Rank 6: Recharge Speed/Lifting Shockwave
Recharge Speed: increases recharge speed by 40%.
Recharge: 4.85 sec (Shepard)
Lifting Shockwave: suspends targets in the air for a short time.
Fitness (Vanguard)
A lot like any other power of this kind, Vanguard's Fitness is a passive talent and increases character’s health, barriers and melee damage. However, if for other classes Fitness is rather a pleasant addition, for Vanguards it plays a lot more important role. The increased survivability is especially important for Vanguards because they are considered to be close combat fighters and in order to survive they need to be more than just tough. For Vanguards this power is available at Level 1. Of course, if you do not have enough skill points, it is recommended to spend them on something else, a bit more effective and offensive. But, if you want to turn your character into a real tank – Fitness is exactly what you need to rely on.
Fitness: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Fitness
Put on some muscle and become fearless in close-quarters combat.
Health & Shield Bonus: +15%
Melee Damage Bonus: +15%
Rank 2: Durability
Increases health and barrier bonuses by 10%.
Health & Shield Bonus: +25%
Rank 3: Melee Damage
Increases melee damage by 15%.
Melee Damage Bonus: +30%
Rank 4: Melee Damage/Durability
Melee Damage: increases melee damage bonus by 25%.
Melee Damage Bonus: +55%
Durability: increases health and barrier bonuses by 15%.
Health and Shield Bonus: +40%
Rank 5: Melee Spree/Barrier Recharge
Melee Spree: increases melee damage by 75% for 30 seconds when an enemy is killed by heavy melee.
Barrier Recharge: decreases shield recharge delay by 15%
Rank 6: Melee Synergy/Fitness Expert
Melee Synergy: increases melee damage bonus by 25%.
Increases recharge speed of Biotic Charge by 200% after an enemy is killed by heavy melee.
Melee Damage Bonus: +80% (Melee Damage), +55% (Durability)
Fitness Expert: increases health and barrier bonuses by 25%.
Health & Shield Bonus: +65% (Durability), +50% (Melee Damage)
Assault Mastery
Assault Mastery is another passive power in Vanguard's repertoire that increases power damage, weapon damage, carrying capacity and reputation. In other words it simply makes your character better and provides buffs to the core components of your personality. Assault Mastery is exactly THE thing that makes Vanguards so good at the battlefield and it is recommended to invest as many points in this power as possible and to do that as fast as possible.
Assault Mastery: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Assault Mastery
Reputation Bonus: 4%
Weapon Damage Bonus: 2.50%
Power Damage Bonus: 5%
Weight Capacity Bonus: 15
Rank 2: Influence & Capacity
Increases reputation bonus by 4%.
Increases weight capacity bonus by 20 points.
Reputation Bonus: 8%
Weapon Damage Bonus: 2.50%
Power Damage Bonus: 5%
Weight Capacity Bonus: 35
Rank 3: Influence & Damage
Increases power damage bonus by 5%.
Increases weapon damage bonus by 2.50%.
Increases reputation bonus by 4%.
Reputation Bonus: 12%
Weapon Damage Bonus: 5%
Power Damage Bonus: 10%
Weight Capacity Bonus: 35
Rank 4: Damage/Influence & Force
Damage: increases power damage by 10%.
Increases weapon damage by 5%.
Reputation Bonus: 12%
Weapon Damage Bonus: 10%
Power Damage Bonus: 20%
Weight Capacity Bonus: 35
Influence & Force: increases force bonus by 30%.
Increases reputation bonus by 8%.
Reputation Bonus: 20%
Weapon Damage Bonus: 5%
Power Damage Bonus: 10%
Force Bonus: 30%
Weight Capacity Bonus: 35
Rank 5: Squad Bonus/Weight Capacity
Squad Bonus: increases squadmate power damage by 15%.
Increases squadmate’s weapon damage by 10%.
Weight Capacity: increases weight capacity bonus by 35 points.
Reputation Bonus: 12% (Damage), 20% (Influence & Force)
Weapon Damage Bonus: 10% (Damage), 5% (Influence & Force)
Power Damage Bonus: 20% (Damage), 10% (Influence & Force)
Force Bonus: 0% (Damage), 30% (Influence & Force)
Weight Capacity Bonus: 70
Rank 6: Shotgun Damage/Power Intensity
Shotgun Damage: increases shotgun damage by 15%.
Power Intensity: increases power damage bonus by 25%
Increases power duration and force by 25%.
Reputation Bonus: 12% (Damage), 20% (Influence & Force)
Weapon Damage Bonus: 10% (Damage), 5% (Influence & Force)
Power Damage Bonus: 35% (Damage), 25% (Influence & Force)
Power Duration: 25%
Force Bonus: 25% (Damage), 55% (Influence & Force)
Weight Capacity Bonus: 70
Bonus Power
Reave
Reave is a perfect investment for those who prefer to rely on powers rather than weapons. It is one of a few unique biotic powers that can set up and detonate biotic explosions on any enemy at any time. When in use, the power employs mass effect fields to biotically attack the target's nervous or synthetic systems and prevent healing. At the same time it restores health and when used against unprotected organics, it even gives temporary health bonus. On the top of that Reave deals double damage to armor and barriers. Reave can be used to detonate Biotic Explosions when paired with Pull. Also, Drell Adepts can detonate Reave with Cluster Grenades which is one of deadliest ways to take down almost anything or anyone with hostile looks in your directions. When launched, this power travels in a straight line to the target. However, it can hit a Collector Guardian behind his shield. Unfortunately, it won’t work that way with normal covers. Reave will not provide the damage protection effect if used on synthetics like the Geth but it will stack with multiple uses by draining your enemy even faster. Also, if you upgrade Reave with Radius evolution, you can expect it to become very effective against multiply targets. Unlike Mass Effect 2, in Mass Effect 3 Reave no longer restores health or stuns enemies but when used it gets great damage reduction bonus.
Reave: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Reave
Drain target's health and disrupt their resistances, receiving increased damage protection while this power is in effect.
Effective against barriers and armor.
Recharge Time: 8 sec
Damage Per Second: 70; 100 (Asari Justicar)
Duration: 4 seconds
Damage Reduction: 15%
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge Time: 6.40 sec
Damage Per Second: 70; 100 (Asari Justicar)
Duration: 4 seconds
Damage Reduction: 15%
Rank 3: Duration
Increases power duration by 35%.
Recharge Time: 6.40 sec
Damage Per Second: 70; 100 (Asari Justicar)
Duration: 5.40 sec
Damage Reduction: 15%
Rank 4: Duration/Radius
Duration: increases power duration by 40%.
Recharge Time: 6.40 sec
Damage Per Second: 70; 100 (Asari Justicar)
Duration: 7 sec
Damage Reduction: 15%
Radius: increases impact radius by 3 meters.
Rank 5: Damage Reduction/Recharge Speed
Damage Reduction: increases damage protection by 10%.
Recharge Time: 6.40 sec
Damage Per Second: 70; 100 (Asari Justicar)
Duration: 7 sec (Duration), 5.40 sec (Radius)
Damage Reduction: 25%
Recharge Speed: increases recharge speed by 35%.
Recharge Time: 5 sec
Damage Per Second: 70; 100 (Asari Justicar)
Duration: 7 sec (Duration), 5.40 sec (Radius)
Damage Reduction: 15%
Rank 6: Barriers & Armor/Damage & Duration
Barriers & Armor: increases effectiveness against armor and barriers by 75%.
Damage & Duration: increases damage by 30%.
Increases duration by 30%.
Increases damage protection bonus by 15%.
Damage Per Second: 91; 130 (Asari Justicar)
Duration: 8.20 sec (Rank 4 Duration), 6.60 sec (Rank 4 Radius)
Damage Reduction: 40% (Rank 5 DR), 30% (Rank 5 Recharge)
Energy Drain
Energy Drain is a great power that will help you to minimize your weaknesses if any. For instance, Vanguards are pretty bad when dealing with shielded foes like Centurions, Atlas Mechs or Geth Primes. The only two things that will save the situation are: the Charge/shoot combo or the Energy Drain. When in use, it can be extremely useful against the enemies mentioned by weakening them in a blink of an eye. When used on enemies with shields, barriers or synthetic fellows, Energy Drain will replenish the player's shields. It can also turn almost any Vanguard into a tech bursting machine. All you have to do is to use Energy Drain then Charge and finish your biotic combo with Nova. It is also a very fast way to take down Turrets and Atlases. When used in multiplayer, it might not be as effective but it will still stun the enemy no matter what. Use it to your advantage as long as possible. Energy Drain will come in handy on higher difficulties as an amazing survival tool due to its parasite nature: it will weaken the enemy and will restore your shields at the same time. When used to kill primed synthetics or shielded organics, unlike Overload, Energy Drain will trigger Tech Bursts, Fire Explosions and Cryo Explosions only. Luckily, Energy Drain’s recharge time is fast enough to make it an effective power in almost any combat situation.
Energy Drain: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Energy Drain
Hit an enemy with this energy pulse to inflict damage and to steal barrier and shield power.
Recharge Time: 8 seconds
Damage: 220 points
Radius: 1.50 meters
Shields Restored: 50%
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge Time: 6.40 seconds
Rank 3: Damage
Increases damage by 20%.
Damage: 264 points
Rank 4: Damage/Radius
Damage: increases damage by 30%.
Damage: 330 points
Radius: increases impact radius by 100%.
Rank 5: Drain/Recharge Speed
Drain: increases shield restoration rate by 50% when draining shields, barriers, or power from synthetic enemies.
Shields Restored: 100%
Recharge Speed: increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge Time: 5.33 seconds
Rank 6: Damage/Armor Boost
Damage: increases damage by 40%.
Damage: 418 (Damage), 352 (Radius)
Armor Boost: reduces damage taken by 15% (40% multiplayer) for 10 seconds by gaining a temporary layer of armor by draining shields, barriers, or energy from synthetics.
Defense Drone
Unlike the Combat Drone, the Defense Drone will hover around Shepard's head during combat, shocking things that come within range. This power is very effective if you fight enemies at the close range because the Drone will cause heavy damage to all the targets trying to reach and hit you. But, it is pretty much useless if you decide to stay away and take enemies down from the distance. The Drone itself acts a lot like you when charging with the Overload ability but, of course, deals a lot less damage. If upgraded to the Rank 6, Defense Drone will deal substantial damage to multiple targets. But you need to keep in mind that Defense Drone will only stay active if the player is in combat.
Defense Drone: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Defense Drone
Deploy this drone to electrocute enemies within its firing range.
Recharge Speed: 2.36 sec
Drone Damage: 26.25
Radius: 5 m
Duration: 45 sec
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge Speed: 2.15 sec
Damage: 26.25
Radius: 5 m
Duration: 45 sec
Rank 3: Damage
Increases damage by 30%.
Recharge Speed: 2.15 sec
Damage: 33.75
Radius: 5 m
Duration: 45 sec
Rank 4: Range/Duration
Duration: increases duration by 100%.
Recharge Speed: 2.15 sec
Damage: 33.75
Radius: 5 m
Duration: 90 sec
Range: increases attack range by 40%.
Recharge Speed: 2.15 sec
Damage: 33.75
Radius: 7 m
Duration: 45 sec
Rank 5: Attack Rate/Damage & Range
Attack Rate: increases the drone's attack rate by 50%.
Damage & Range: increases damage by 100%.
Increases range by 60%.
Damage: 58.75
Radius: 10 m (Range), 8 m (Duration)
Rank 6: Incapacitate/Chain Lightning
Incapacitate: gain a 30% chance to knock down an enemy.
Chain Lightning: damages up to 2 additional nearby targets.
Note: as a matter of fact, duration is a hidden stat and is unlisted on the in-game tooltip. However, you need to remember that duration is affected by numerous class skills and research upgrades.
Defense Matrix
If you plan to fight enemies at the close range, then Defense Matrix is exactly your kind of power. It will keep you alive for a longer period of time and will instantly restore shields during the battle without needing it to recharge. This can either be used for protection or for unleashing Nova. There is also a nice little trick you can use to immediately purge for large shield restore and it’s called “double-tapped.” Basically, what you do is turn the power on and off. Thanks to the Shield Gate effect, you can increase the total amount of damage Shepard can survive.
Defense Matrix: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Defense Matrix
Reinforce armor with protective foucault currents. Purge the currents to restore shields.
Slows power use by 60%.
Recharge Speed: 10 sec
Damage Reduction: 15%
Shields Restored: 50%
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge Speed: 8 sec
Rank 3: Shield Bonus
Increases shield restoration by 20% when purging armor.
Shields Restored: 70%
Rank 4: Durability/Shield Bonus
Durability: increases damage protection by 5%.
Damage Reduction: 20%
Shield Bonus: increases shield restoration by 30% when purging armor.
Shields Restored: 100%
Rank 5: Shield Recharge/Power Synergy
Shield Recharge: decreases shield-recharge delay by 15%
Power Synergy: increases tech power damage by 25% while Defense Matrix is active.
Rank 6: Power Recharge/Durability
Power Recharge: reduces power speed penalty by 30%.
Power Speed Penalty: 30%
Durability: increases damage protection by 10%.
Damage Reduction: +10%
Fortification
If you plan to use Vanguard the way it is supposed to be used, than Fortification is one the “Must Have Powers” you are supposed to have in your arsenal. It gives you an amazing opportunity to be extremely effective at melee attacks being able to resist hire damages. Well, it gets pretty serious penalty damage but, at the same time, it can be reduced with the help of Rank 6 Power Recharge evolution, cooldown-reducing armor and a light loadout. In technical sense, it functions as well as Barrier and Geth Shield Boost do but unlike the already mentioned Barrier and Geth Shield, Fortification is a combat skill, and does not receive any enhancement from biotic or tech upgrades. The good thing about Fortification is that it can be activated while on the go and you won’t be forced to stop waiting for any kind of animation. Fortification cooldowns fast and you can use it almost instantly after the first one even with something heavy in your arms.
Fortification: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Fortification
Reinforce armor using protective Foucault currents.
Purge the current and send its charge to your gauntlets for increased melee damage.
Slows power usage by 60%. (50% multiplayer)
Recharge Speed: 5 sec
Damage Reduction: 15% (25% multiplayer)
Melee Damage Bonus: 50%
Melee Damage Duration: 20 sec
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25% when armor is purged.
Recharge Speed: 4 sec
Rank 3: Melee Damage
Increases melee damage bonus by 20% when armor is purged.
Melee Damage Bonus: 70%
Rank 4: Durability/Melee Damage
Durability: increases damage protection by 5%.
Damage Reduction: 20% (30% multiplayer)
Melee Damage: increases melee damage bonus by 30% when armor is purged.
Melee Damage Bonus: 100%
Rank 5: Recharge Speed/Power Synergy
Recharge Speed: increases shield recharge rate by 15%.
Power Synergy: increases power damage and force by 20% (30% multiplayer) while fortification is active.
Rank 6: Power Recharge/Durability
Power Recharge: reduces power speed penalty by 30%.
Power Speed Penalty: 30% (20% Multiplayer)
Durability: increases damage protection by 10%.
Damage Reduction: 30% (40% multiplayer) (Durability), 25% (35% multiplayer) (Melee Damage)
Carnage
Carnage is a power in Mass Effect 3 available to James Vega and several Soldier species in the multiplayer mode. It is a powerful projectile that, however, has no animation. It is very effective against armored enemies and will rip them to shreds with the vicious blast when upgraded to higher Ranks. Carnage deals heavy damage at almost any range and its recharge time can be reduced to a few seconds with low weight and a few level ups. The projectile is very effective against Guardians, exposing them for about 3 seconds, and Atlases, by knocking them back a bit. It is also effective against health and armored enemies but less effective against those with barriers and shields. Luckily, you are not supposed to be equipped with a shotgun in order to use this power – it will work great with any weapon. When upgraded far enough, it will deal over 700 damage to almost any enemy and that is a lot. On the top of that, when fired at enemy that has caught fire, it can cause a serious devastating Fire Explosion and kill the guy more than just easily. Also, there is an effective tactic that can and should be used against groups of enemies: ignite one enemy at the center of a crowd with Incendiary Ammo (Incinerate will work too) and then launch Carnage at the group. This will do the incredible damage to the targeted enemy and all the others standing around and as far as Carnage’s travel speed is pretty high, there is no way your enemies will be able to dodge the projectile. After successfully hitting a target, Carnage continues to deal mild fire damage over time.
Carnage: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Carnage
Recharge Speed: 10 sec
Damage: 315 (350 multiplayer)
Radius: 1.50 m (1 m multiplayer)
Rank 2: Recharge Speed
Increases recharge speed by 25%.
Recharge Speed: 8 sec
Damage: 315 (350 multiplayer)
Radius: 1.50 m (1 m multiplayer)
Rank 3: Damage
Increases damage by 20%.
Recharge Speed: 8 sec
Damage: 378 (420 multiplayer)
Radius: 1.50 m (1 m multiplayer)
Rank 4: Radius/Damage
Radius: increases impact radius by 50%.
Recharge Speed: 8 sec
Damage: 378 (420 multiplayer)
Radius: 2.25 m (1.50 m multiplayer)
Damage: increases damage by 30%.
Recharge Speed: 8 sec
Damage: 472.5 (525 multiplayer)
Radius: 1.50 m (1 m multiplayer)
Rank 5: Incapacitate/Recharge Speed
Incapacitate: incapacitates enemies by knocking them down.
Recharge Speed: increases recharge speed by 35%.
Recharge Speed: 6.25 sec
Rank 6: Armor Damage/Damage
Armor Damage: increases damage to armored units by 65%.
Damage: increases damage by 50%.
Damage: 535.5 (595 multiplayer)
630 (700 multiplayer) with Rank 4 Damage evolution
Inferno Grenade
Inferno Grenade is extremely effective against armor, doing twice the damage. Its explosive mechanics is rather interesting and devastating: first of all – it explodes on impact causing heavy damage. Afterwards it sends damaging fire fragments in all directions. Those fragments are very devastating and can actually take down the whole squad of enemies if the bomb explodes correctly. However, you need to remember that Inferno Grenade can also damage your teammates. Inferno Grenade deals damage even to shielded enemies, although it is somewhat reduced. There is an effective way to take down groups of enemies with a power combo: throw an Inferno Grenade at a group of enemies > Charge into the middle of them > unleash Nova. The combo itself is deadly enough but due to the fact that it detonates Fire Explosions, you can expect to get even deadlier combo. Like any other grenade, power travels in a vertical parabolic arc towards the target.
Inferno Grenade: Power Ranks
Rank 1: Inferno Grenade
Cluster-bomb a small area with incendiary munitions.
Damage Per Second: 100 (150 multiplayer)
Duration: 8 seconds
Radius: 5 m
Rank 2: Max Grenades
Increases grenade capacity by 1.
Rank 3: Damage
Increases damage by 20%.
Damage Per Second: 120 (180 multiplayer)
Rank 4: Damage/Radius
Damage: increases damage by 30%.
Damage Per Second: 150 (225 multiplayer)
Radius: increases impact radius by 30%.
Radius: 6.5 m
Rank 5: Max Grenades/Damage
Max Grenades: increases grenade capacity by 2.
Damage: increases damage by 40%.
Damage Per Second: 190 (285 multiplayer) (Damage), 160 (195 multiplayer) (Radius)
Rank 6: Armor Damage/Radius & Shrapnel
Armor Damage: increases damage to armor by 50%.
Radius & Shrapnel: increases impact radius by 40% (50% multiplayer). Increase shrapnel by 1 fragments [sic].
Radius: 8.5 m (9 multiplayer) (Radius), 7 m (7.5 multiplayer) (Damage)
Weapons of Choice
Technically, Vanguard will be effective with almost any kind of weapon but as far as he is a close combat warrior, it is highly recommended to pick something that deals heavy damage at the close range. It should be either a powerful shotgun or a decent Heavy Pistol/SMG.
Assault Rifles
Assault Rifle is not exactly the weapon of choice for a Vanguard because a greater part of those is kind of heavy. But, when picked right, it will help you to suppress enemies with heavy fire when getting closer and then finish your fighting strategy with a few power based combos. At this point I would recommend to pick something from M-8 Avenger, Phaeston or Geth Pulse Rifle. All three guns can put out long bursts with minimal recoil and short time between reloads. This is more than just useful for taking down enemy shields and barriers. Also, with the right modes, armors, upgrades and power evolutions any of the rifles mentioned will be a good choice for you. M-15 Vindicator is not a bad choice either due to its excellent weight and damage balance. By all means, combining any assault rifle with either Cryo or Incendiary Ammo will make it a lot deadlier. If you want to remain effective at medium-range and still be great at the close range battles, I would recommend choosing something from The M-76 Revenant, M-55 Argus, and N7 Typhoon.
Heavy Pistols
Heavy Pistol is the classiest answer and the most common choice of every Vanguard. Well, there is nothing bad in this: just on the contrary – there is a plenty of great items in this category that will cover all the possible requirements. It is recommended to start with M-3 Predator thanks to its fairly effective fire rate and light weight. Your next stop should be M-5 Phalanx with a bit higher damage level and then M-6 Carnifex. The last is extremely powerful but has only 6 rounds in the clip that, actually, can be an issue. M-77 Paladin is even deadlier than the M-6 Carnifex but at the same time it has even fewer rounds in the clip – 4. Very often you can see Vanguards running with M-358 Talon for a reason: this heavy gun can serve as a lightweight substitute for a shotgun and happens to have great damage bonus against shields and barriers. If you have an opportunity to get the Mass Effect 3: Firefight Pack DLC, I would recommend to try out the Acolyte: it is effective against shields and barriers and deals decent damage.
Shotguns
If you see a warrior running on a battlefield with a shotgun, there is a great possibility that this is a Vanguard. Due to their nature, Vanguards are close combat soldiers and they need something deadly and reliable to take out enemies or group of enemies in a blink of an eye. And, there is nothing deadlier than a good old shotgun. Because of its balance in terms of decent damage output, shot capacity per clip and manageable weight, M-22 Eviscerator might be a perfect choice for you. Plus, it becomes available pretty early in the game. The next one to pay your attention to is M-11 Wraith: it is light, it reloads fast and deals decent damage. As a matter of fact, M-11 Wraith is the second lightest shotgun in the arsenal. The Disciple combines all the best features: it is light, it is accurate and it deals great damage. Very often Disciple is believed to be a perfect decision for a Vanguard and not only. Graal Spike Thrower and Geth Plasma Shotgun are excellent choices for those who are willing to trade power recharge speed for firepower and range. It is important to note that when both the Wraith and Disciple are fully upgraded, both become extremely lightweight, allowing for additional weapons to be used without compromising a 200% cooldown reduction. Vanguard benefits a lot from the Shotgun Spare Thermal Clip upgrade, so do not forget to get one as soon as possible. High Caliber Barrel is a recommended upgrade too, especially if you rely on weapon damage.
Sniper Rifles
If you consider choosing a sniper rifle when playing as Vanguard, I have to warn you that:
- you are making a big mistake;
- you are doing it wrong;
- Vanguard is not your kind of character.
As it was mentioned before, Vanguard is a close combat fighter and it is nearly impossible to be effective as Vanguard with a sniper rifle in the hands. However, despite me being so skeptical and you being so unpredicted, in Mass Effect 3 there is always a place for something special and unique. So, if you still want to get a sniper rifle after all the arguments, it is recommended to concentrate on something light and upgrade it with all the possible mods to make the thing lighter. So far, I can name either Level X M-90 Indra or M-13 Raptor. They are both light and have a decent fire rate. But still – my recommendations about choosing something from the Shotgun, Heavy Pistol or SMG category remain.
Submachine Guns
Submachine guns are well known and respected for their amazingly fast fire rates. At the same time being compact and light, SMGs are almost irreplaceable at the battlefield. As a rule, SMGs are used as medium range weapons but very often can be effective at longer and closer ranges. The main advantage of every SMG is its ability to stagger multiple enemies and apply the effects of ammo powers at an alarming rate. Also, due to the fire rate, I would recommend applying any possible ammo related powers like Incendiary or Cryo Ammo on SMG. The last one will allow you to freeze almost any enemy after a few controlled bursts. Pretty decent damage and accuracy can be offered by M-4 Shuriken. It is not the best choice but it appears early in the game and if I was asked to describe it with one word, I would say that it’s OK. M-9 Tempest offers greater damage output but is not that good at the distance. If you are looking for something to be effective at longer distances, you should take a look at M-25 Hornet. It will suit you well at the fair distance but, unfortunately, happens to have lower accuracy. And the last but not the least - M-12 Locust: great at long range, has great accuracy and low recoil but very low damage. Usually, SMGs are light enough to cause no penalties for your actions but still it is highly recommended to upgrade it with Ultralight Materials. This allows you to reduce the weight of almost any SMG up to 90% and increase power cooldown time. And, the last but not the least: if you want to be a classical Vanguard and show effectiveness in close combats and short ranges, N7 Hurricane is a decent choice for your actions. Of course, you will have to upgrade it a bit but with some level of control you can fairly expect it to become your best helper.
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