Mass Effect 3has six classes, which gives the player plenty of suitable options regarding combat. There are three pure classes that focus on a particular type of skill: Soldier (combat), Adept (biotics), and Engineer (tech). The Vanguard is a combination of the Soldier and Adept and represents one of the more rewarding classes to play inMass Effect 3.
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The Vanguard focuses oncombat and offensive biotics. As a soldier focused on close-range combat, the Vanguard is outfitted with powerful weapons and uses their class skill, Biotic Charge, to close in on their enemies and take them out with fast and brutal efficiency. Because of the emphasis on close combat, this class is considered high-risk, high-reward, and is one of the trickiest classes to master.
Updated July 20, 2025 by Mark Hospodar:No matter how many Commander Shepards players have created over the years, there’s often something new to experience in the Mass Effect trilogy. The trilogy’s class system undoubtedly has a significant impact on how the games are played. Although each class has its merits, playing a hybrid build like the Vanguard may feel a bit tricky for the uninitiated. Nevertheless, the benefits are worth the risks, as Vanguards are capable of unleashing the biotic abilities of an Adept while also maintaining the toughness of a Soldier. Conquering the Reaper threat in Mass Effect 3 as a Vanguard can be a seamless endeavor by following these simple tips.
Make Liberal Use Of Biotic Charge
Biotic Charge is the core ability of the Vanguard. It allows the Vanguard to use biotics to travel across the battlefield within seconds and slam into their enemies. This attack staggers enemies back by several meters and brings the Vanguard into close range to use theirshotguns or melee attack. Biotic Charge also restores the Vanguard’s Barriers, which makes it an essential skill to upgrade. Here’s the statistical breakdown of each rank regarding Biotic Charge:
250
300
375
50%
N/A
100%
As the class ability of the Vanguard, Biotic Charge’s upgrades greatly influence the tactics for the Vanguard. Aim for thelowest possible weight capacityto ensure the quickest power recharge so you can activate Biotic Charge as soon as your barriers are down. One last advantage of Biotic Charge is thatit acts as a trigger for deadly detonations.
Alternative Upgrades To Biotic Charge
Whenever players reach Rank 4 and above of a particular power, there’s a choice that can be made regarding upgrades. Fans may be interested in opting for these Biotic Charge upgrades instead of the ones listed in the table above:
Other Essential Powers For The Vanguard
Biotic powers for the Vanguard which are automatically awarded areBiotic Charge,Pull,Shockwave, andNova. These last three powers certainly have the potential to put some serious hurt on the enemies unfortunate enough to cross paths with a Vanguard.
Pull & Shockwave
Biotic Charge works best in tandem with Pull, which detonates a biotic explosion. Pull can be on Cerberus Guardian shields, when used on them it pulls the shield right out of their hands, leaving them stumbling and vulnerable to attack.
Pull has afast recharging time, which makes it particularly useful for the high-risk, high-reward playstyle of the Vanguard.Shockwaveis helpful for taking out waves of husks and for pushing enemies out of cover, where they become vulnerable to follow-up attacks.
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Nova
Novaisn’t quite a biotic ability, but rather comprises ofdetonating the charge on the Vanguard’s biotic barrier. As such, it isn’t subject to recharge and is particularly helpful if surrounded by enemies when coming out of a charge. Upgrading Nova a few times can increase its range and damage potential to quite a considerable extent.
Assault Mastery
Assault Mastery is the passive class skill of the Vanguard and is focused on the core stats of the Vanguard class. These includeweight capacity, theforce of biotic powers,weapon damage, andreputation bonuses. Here’s the statistical breakdown of each rank of Assault Mastery:
Rank 4-Damage OR Influence/Force
4%
8%
12%
12% OR 20%
12% (Damage) OR 20% (Influence/Force)
2.5%
5%
10% OR 5%
10% (Damage) OR 5% (Influence/Force)
10%
20% OR 10%
20% (Damage) OR 10% (Influence/Force)
45% (Damage) OR 35% (Influence/Force)
15
35
70
35 (Squad Bonus) OR 70 (Weight Capacity)
Skill upgrades that have the highest reputation bonuses are recommended for players who want to get the most out of the story. These boosts to Paragon and Renegade not only boost the points you have but also increase the odds of opening options forpivotal story points.Theweight capacity bonusesare also important for the class if you’re using heavy weapons, and squad power can be compensated by squad leveling or in other skill trees.
Alternative Upgrades To Assault Mastery
Like with Biotic Charge, players possess some alternative options when it comes to upgrading Assault Mastery. From Rank 4 and above, fans aren’t limited to just the choices outlined in the table above. They include:
Invest In Fitness
Fitness is more important for Vanguards than other classes, particularly with their combat style being close-range. A passive skill, Fitness increases the Vanguard’s health, melee damage, and barriers. The increase in barriers is particularly helpful in regards to Nova, a skill whose damage relies on the percentage of the barrier still intact.
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As the Vanguard is a close-range class, health and melee strength are also important. Biotic Charge often places the Vanguard right in the middle of groups of enemies, and the hardier the Vanguard is, the better chances of survival they have. Because of the importance of barriers, it’s recommended to go for theBarrier Rechargeupgrade, whichshortens the shield delay by 25%. Finally,Melee Synergyis a great upgrade overDurability, as itincreases the recharge speed of Biotic Charge by 200%after an enemy is killed with melee.
Don’t Forget About Barrier
The Vanguard’s barrier is a tool that can be used defensively and offensively, much like the Sentinel’s tech armor. Barriers behave much like shields but can be discharged with a powerful Nova explosion, which can take out small groups of enemies.
Although Nova is a separate skill, it influences how barriers work for the Vanguard and provides them with several options. One of the upgrades,Power Recharge, increases therecharge rate of all powers by 25%. For a playstyle that relies on moving quickly around the battlefield using Biotic Charge, this upgrade is incredibly important to ensure Biotic Charge can be used as quickly as possible. The other upgrade,Half Blast, only consumeshalf the Vanguard’s barrier, resulting in half the level of damage.
Prioritize Strong Melee Attacks
A Vanguard’s melee abilities are crucial when close to enemies while powers are recharging. Shotguns,especially the heavier ones, are slow to reload, so a good melee skill is vital for the successful Vanguard. Fitness is the passive skill that is important for this attack, and some abilities include stronger biotics or faster recharge times for successful melee strikes.
By holding down the Melee control,Shepard will deliver a far more powerful punchthat’s augmented with biotics. These work particularly wellagainst enemies without protection. Atlases and Banshees have an instant kill strike if the Vanguard gets too close, so try and get out of the way as soon as possible.
Great Bonus Powers
Bonus Powers for Vanguardshave a wide range of potential due to the Vanguard’s nature as a hybrid class. Biotics and combat abilities work seamlessly into the class and suit most playstyles. Thus, players have plenty of effective options to choose from when it comes to Bonus Powers.
Flare & Lash
Flare is a great high damage biotic power. It works across long distances and deals damage to groups, which makes itperfect for thinning out crowds to make Biotic Charge less risky. Lash is also a powerful offensive option, with afaster recharge time than Flare.
Infernal Grenade & Fortification
Infernal Grenade is a good combat power to use asit uses ammo rather than recharges and can be used over long distances. Finally, Fortification is a great option for Vanguards asit provides an extra layer of defense, which is crucial when you’re in close range.
Utilize Shotguns As A Vanguard
Ineffective at long-range but deadly close-up,the shotgun is the weapon of choice for the Vanguard. Shotguns that pack a harder punch are generally heavier and slow-firing, while lighter shotguns don’t give as much damage, but their high rate of fire is more forgiving of missed shots.
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The Claymore & The Wraith
From the second half of the game, the heavierClaymoreshotgun series is the best shotgun for the Vanguard. The upgrade for it, theWraith, is also a respectable option. Both guns are slow to fire, but their damage output more than makes up for this.
Shotguns work best against armored foes and are brilliant at taking down individual enemies. Mods thatincrease the rate of fireanddecrease the weightmake up for the shotgun’s drawbacks, and often this is the only gun the Vanguard will need. A guide to some of the best shotguns in the trilogycan be found here.
As a biotic and combat hybrid class, the Vanguardneeds their squadmatesto cover their weaknesses. Shields in particular are a challenge to the Vanguard as they don’t have any skills geared towards taking them down. Synthetics also pose a problem.
Garrus, Tali & Kaidan
Squadmates withOverload, such asGarrus, are crucial to the Vanguard’s success. Upgrading Garrus' sniping skills is also advantageous, as he can make up for the Vanguard’s lack of long-range capabilities.Taliis also a good option to make up for the Vanguard’s lack of tech skills, whileKaidansupports the Vanguard’s biotics and provides additional tech support.
Vanguard Tactics
The Vanguard’s skillset and powers are all geared towards ahigh-risk, high reward playstyle. Timing is crucial when coming out of Biotic Charge, so one of the best things Vanguards can do is making sure theyknow where they’re going and what enemies will be surrounding themwhen they come out of the Charge.
UseGarrusto get rid of enemy shields, and usePullorShockwaveto push enemies out of cover.Charge only once enemy shields are down, anddeploy Nova upon coming out of the Charge. Shoot, then Charge again. This cycle means the Vanguard’s Barriers will be at minimal capacity most of the time, but the Vanguard will be moving so fast that enemies won’t have a chance to hit them.
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