Gears Tactics: Vanguard class guide – The best skills and items

The Vanguard class has a typical assault role in Gears Tactics. Both Sid Redburn and Augustus Cole — who’s a pre-order DLC character — are part of this class. Wielding their Retro Lancers, they’ll charge into the enemy ranks and then cause havoc with their abilities. Vanguard class recruits are available at the start of Gears Tactics‘ campaign, and here’s our skills and abilities mini-guide to help you out.

Note: This guide is based on a completed campaign where several characters reached level 6 to 7. For the other classes, you can refer to our leveling and recruitment guide. Anyway, you can see my ideal build for the Vanguard class below:

Gears Tactics: Vanguard class skills and abilities

On paper, Gears Tactics‘ Vanguard class might get outshined by the Sniper or Heavy. However, they still have their use on the battlefield. However, they still have their use on the battlefield. Their default perk, Regeneration, heals them for 10% of their max HP, which means you’ll always want them on the forefront. Additionally, unlike Scouts, you’ve also got your Bayonet Charge to go for a quick, close-range kill without a chance of missing (along with Recharging Bayonet and Enraged Bayonet to help buff its capabilities).

We can safely ignore most of the skills in the Vanguard class’ archetypes such as Warden (damage reduction and self-revive), Shock Trooper (melee rushing), and Assault (DPS increase based on missing health and stacks). Well, other than Leech (self-heal when you damage enemies with your shots) and Intimidate Lv1 (push enemies out of cover and interrupt their overwatch), our goal is to focus more on the Paladin branch.

Here, you’ll find skills such as:

• Rally – Nearby allies gain the Leech effect from their shots.
• Squad Regeneration – The Vanguard’s default passive is also applied to nearby allies.
• Stand Together – Nearby allies gain increased defenses and downed teammates are automatically revived.

You basically created another Support class unit, albeit one who provides these buffs to allies so that they can also heal up. Since Gears Tactics focuses on advancing further as you take out enemies, it’s likely that you’ll have your Vanguard soldiers in the thick of the fighting while your squadmates are nearby, providing covering fire.

Weapon and armor mods

Here are my attachments for Sid Redburn’s Retro Lancer weapon:

• Stock: Bloodlust – Heals the unit based on a percentage of the damage done; it’s a little bit overkill along with all the healing effects.
• Magazine: Flatliner – Kills increase your critical hit chance for a turn.
• Sight: Anticipation – Damage reduction.
• Barrel: Disrupt – Shots will knock back the target.

For the armor pieces:

• Helmet: Hardened – Increased health.
• Chest: Champion – Executions heal allies.
• Boots: Self-Repair – Heals the unit at the start of their turn.

Gears Tactics is available via Steam and Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass for Windows. For more information, check out our guides and features hub.