I usually take the Assault Rifle training on the Collector ship to get access to the Mattock. That thing is a beast up close, plus I use it in tandem with the time dilation effect that the max rank of Charge gives you, so it’s almost like using Adrenaline Rush with the Mattock as a Soldier every time you charge. I was never a big fan of the Claymore, it’s damage is great, but the fact that it’s single shot and it’s slow nature was a big turn of for me because I’m fast paced with my playstyle. As for my other weapons I usually use either the Eviscerator or Geth Plasma for my shotgun, the Carnifax or Phalanx for my pistol, and then either the Locust or Tempest for my SMG, depending on if I need another long range or short range option.
The Mattock is pretty good for a Vanguard, cycling between a Geth Plasma Shotgun or the Eviscerator based on enemy types between missions is more effective than locking yourself to a Claymore Vanguard build
Claymore/inferno ammo is the way to go. You have to use the reload trick to get faster reloads, but with the new controllers it is no problem now. To do the reload trick keep the fire trigger pressed and then once the animation is “right” hit a button for the melee and the claymore will fire another shot instantly. A guy called Konner has a bunch of claymore-vanguard videos where he uses it.
I found a combination of Champion Vanguard with an Avenger or Vindicator, Squad Incendiary Ammo, Heavy Shockwave, and Area Reave, with Garrus specced for Area Overload, Concussive Blast, and Turian Renegade, and Miranda specced for Area Overload, Unstable Warp, and Cerberus Leader, allowed me to pretty much blitz every encounter at Insanity. You could flip the squad Incendiary for Squad Cryo, as it seems they're equally effective at most things. I chose Avenger because while it has no obvious strengths, also has no glaring weaknesses. Ammo is plentiful, full-auto allows me to reduce button input, it's effective at all ranges, and with Incendiary Ammo and Miranda on your squad it puts out respectable damage. Many people consider the Vindicator an upgrade but I find the burst function limiting and the barrel lift is annoying, whereas the Avenger's barrel life is constant and manageable. The Mattock is a great weapon and was my go-to for my first several play-throughs. With later plays though, I've gone back to the Avenger. I avoid shotguns because even with button tricks they still only have limited fire and relatively low ammo reserve. Shepard, Garrus and Miranda specced as above allows you to deal with every obstacle and protection: your entire party can deal with barriers and shields with a combination of rapid-fire weapons and Overload/Reave/Warp, and Reave/Warp and Incendiary ammo all deal well with armor. Pull and Slam are useful to grab collectors mid-flight or just lift them off platforms when they're moving and for setting up Warp combos, and Shockwave doesn't need to be maxed out to be effective against Husks. Agree with you about Pull: either Pull Field, or 1 rank. The only reason to take Ranks 2 and 3 is because you're on your way to Pull Field. Heavy Pull is useless.
Obviously the geth shotgun does not require advanced weapons training. Would you recommend assault rifle training over the claymore for an insanity playthrough if we are going to be using the geth shotgun anyway? I just really like having an assault rifle also would the eviserator be a good substitute for close range?
The short answer is yes 100%. You should take assault rifles. The claymore can be fun, but it's not that good. As for the eviscerator, I really didn't use it that much, but I did try it for a mission or two. The geth shotgun is my recommendation though.
Inferno Ammo has a crucial advantage over Squad Incendiary - Crowd Control on grouped up Sapient enemies. Attacking an enemy down to health bar with Inferno shots will splash fire on nearby enemies even if they are shielded and cause them to panic, meaning they aren't shooting back for a few vital seconds allowing a safer retreat or follow-up attacks to finish them off. Crowd Control is extremely useful on higher difficulties - I played ME2 on Launch and my carry-over Vanguard was the first through Insanity.
Where do I unlock the ability to use Assault rifles? people keep saying during the collector mission, Do I need to form my team first? im so lost and tired of using shotguns as vanguard
For me eviserator is more confortable to use also is the shotgun with the most range in the game and dont have that stupid little delay that the geth plasma shotgun have, even if not charge! I like ti pull the trigger and shoot and even when i master the geth shotgun shooting pattern is simply not for me
where do i get those armor pieces? i'm currently playing as vanguard on hardcore difficulty, and I die a lot. i feel like my enemies just outclass me and they just eat through my shield like it is not even there.
Well you can get the Life Support Webbing (leg armor) and the Aegis Vest (chest armor) from the citadel (Sirta Foundation & Rodam Expeditions respectively) as soon as you start the game, just head there first. That will give you a little more health. For the Heavy Damping Gauntlets you'll have to wait till you get to Tuchanka (Ratch's Wares). And the Kestral armor pieces are on Ilium (Serrice Technology). If you're having problems with your shields then you can take the Sentry Interface instead of the Archon Visor its on the citadel (Rodam Expeditions again). But if you don't have enough credits or can't wait that long, you can research the Cerberus Assault Armor after you recruit Mordin. It will give you some extra health and shields.
@@BuildWizard man, i finished mass effect 2 legendary edition on hardcore difficulty, and holy crap the vanguard class was bad. the biggest problem with the vanguard class is its charging mechanic, i can't remember how many times i was killed because my charge just wouldn't trigger, despite the fact that on many occasions the enemy was standing right in front of me. charge is also rigged with bugs when charging enemies behind cover. during my Collector ship mission and the final collector base mission, there were many times when i charged an enemy behind cover, and somehow my character ended up at the opposite side of the cover instead of right next to the enemy. the enemy didn't get hit with charge so it still had most of its shield, i was completely exposed and my shotgun couldn't do maximum dmg because i was not close enough, and i just got shredded. the only good times i had with vanguard was boss fight, the fight with the shadow broker was exciting because he couldn't hide behind cover, and i just kept charging him and punch him in the face, quickest boss battle ever. and that boss fight with the Asari specter was also very good, she didn't hide behind cover and face me like a real boss, so i just kept charging her and punch her in the face, very satisfying. but man during normal missions, i really hated the vanguard class due to the issues above.
Well designed and edited video, but the build itself is very noob friendly. Guess that was the goal, especially since you made a lot of builds on the channel, obviously you can't be expert at all of them. Do you prefer to go with this generalised approach with classes or would you rather go for the "poetry" making build when you can ( obviously one can't master every class in every game) even though the learning curve and the audience would be probably a lot narrower.
Playing a Vanguard in ME2 on Insanity is the definition of masochism.
Yep, I'm never doing that one again.
@@BuildWizard DOing it right now ! WHat fun ! :)
I’m doing it right now to get all the achievements and I hate it 😂😂😂
It gets more fun the more you level up and unlock upgrades. 😁
The easiest class to do insanity on is the infiltrator for sure. Just cloak snip cloak snip cloak snip.
Warp Detonations are still my favorite sound effects in a video game.
They made Vanguard in ME3 is so OP
I usually take the Assault Rifle training on the Collector ship to get access to the Mattock. That thing is a beast up close, plus I use it in tandem with the time dilation effect that the max rank of Charge gives you, so it’s almost like using Adrenaline Rush with the Mattock as a Soldier every time you charge. I was never a big fan of the Claymore, it’s damage is great, but the fact that it’s single shot and it’s slow nature was a big turn of for me because I’m fast paced with my playstyle. As for my other weapons I usually use either the Eviscerator or Geth Plasma for my shotgun, the Carnifax or Phalanx for my pistol, and then either the Locust or Tempest for my SMG, depending on if I need another long range or short range option.
The Mattock is pretty good for a Vanguard, cycling between a Geth Plasma Shotgun or the Eviscerator based on enemy types between missions is more effective than locking yourself to a Claymore Vanguard build
Yeah, that seems like a solid idea.
Agree
Yes, but the claymore is so much fun.
@@tomgroot7039 Well, can't argue with that
@@tomgroot7039 seconded, I won't deny how satisfying it is to master a cqc claymore vanguard
I love Inferno for my Vanguard. He's an absolute monster
I absolutely love the inferno grenade! It just melts enemies away when fully upgraded
Good guide and top notch narration, hope your channel gets more attention!
Thanks! I've been trying to improve my quality lately
in the original trilogy, i played the sniper guy, now that LE is released i'm playing it close range
Claymore/inferno ammo is the way to go. You have to use the reload trick to get faster reloads, but with the new controllers it is no problem now. To do the reload trick keep the fire trigger pressed and then once the animation is “right” hit a button for the melee and the claymore will fire another shot instantly. A guy called Konner has a bunch of claymore-vanguard videos where he uses it.
I found a combination of
Champion Vanguard with an Avenger or Vindicator, Squad Incendiary Ammo, Heavy Shockwave, and Area Reave, with
Garrus specced for Area Overload, Concussive Blast, and Turian Renegade, and
Miranda specced for Area Overload, Unstable Warp, and Cerberus Leader,
allowed me to pretty much blitz every encounter at Insanity.
You could flip the squad Incendiary for Squad Cryo, as it seems they're equally effective at most things.
I chose Avenger because while it has no obvious strengths, also has no glaring weaknesses. Ammo is plentiful, full-auto allows me to reduce button input, it's effective at all ranges, and with Incendiary Ammo and Miranda on your squad it puts out respectable damage. Many people consider the Vindicator an upgrade but I find the burst function limiting and the barrel lift is annoying, whereas the Avenger's barrel life is constant and manageable. The Mattock is a great weapon and was my go-to for my first several play-throughs. With later plays though, I've gone back to the Avenger. I avoid shotguns because even with button tricks they still only have limited fire and relatively low ammo reserve.
Shepard, Garrus and Miranda specced as above allows you to deal with every obstacle and protection: your entire party can deal with barriers and shields with a combination of rapid-fire weapons and Overload/Reave/Warp, and Reave/Warp and Incendiary ammo all deal well with armor. Pull and Slam are useful to grab collectors mid-flight or just lift them off platforms when they're moving and for setting up Warp combos, and Shockwave doesn't need to be maxed out to be effective against Husks.
Agree with you about Pull: either Pull Field, or 1 rank. The only reason to take Ranks 2 and 3 is because you're on your way to Pull Field. Heavy Pull is useless.
Doing an Insanity run with Sentinel Assault Armor was a breeze
Who was the squad mates and what was the build
Best channel I've came across all thus far. ME Andromeda next?
Thank you! I have a couple of ideas for andromeda, but I'm not sure when I'll get to them. I don't have much free time anymore.
@@BuildWizard oh, its all good homie. Do your thing cuz
I'm currently having a lot of fun with a pull field + improved shockwave vanguard build, but my instincts are still inferno ammo/heavy charge lol.
Every shepard's class specific unique power is a get out of jail free card. Too valuable to ignore
@@212mochaman Agreed. Pull Field + Improved Shockwave is a lot of fun, but gimmicky. Heavy Charge is definitely the best.
Obviously the geth shotgun does not require advanced weapons training. Would you recommend assault rifle training over the claymore for an insanity playthrough if we are going to be using the geth shotgun anyway? I just really like having an assault rifle also would the eviserator be a good substitute for close range?
The short answer is yes 100%. You should take assault rifles. The claymore can be fun, but it's not that good. As for the eviscerator, I really didn't use it that much, but I did try it for a mission or two. The geth shotgun is my recommendation though.
Inferno Ammo has a crucial advantage over Squad Incendiary - Crowd Control on grouped up Sapient enemies.
Attacking an enemy down to health bar with Inferno shots will splash fire on nearby enemies even if they are shielded and cause them to panic, meaning they aren't shooting back for a few vital seconds allowing a safer retreat or follow-up attacks to finish them off. Crowd Control is extremely useful on higher difficulties - I played ME2 on Launch and my carry-over Vanguard was the first through Insanity.
I prefer to use cryo ammo for the squad, fire ammo max damage, massive charge, and reave.
Where do I unlock the ability to use Assault rifles? people keep saying during the collector mission, Do I need to form my team first? im so lost and tired of using shotguns as vanguard
Thanks for the video!
For ammo sake, sniper's probably a better option than advanced shotgun training, since it's easy to replace your shotgun with if you run out of ammo.
I feel like pull is better than shockwave because it only makes them fall over whilst I feel that pull is stronger
If your going for a more cqc playstle the tempest outdamages the locust
Great video I play an adept but really can’t pick which bonus abilities I should use. What squad mates would be good for my adept Shepard????
For me eviserator is more confortable to use also is the shotgun with the most range in the game and dont have that stupid little delay that the geth plasma shotgun have, even if not charge! I like ti pull the trigger and shoot and even when i master the geth shotgun shooting pattern is simply not for me
Your Shepard looks like Will Smith's wife
Husband*
where do i get those armor pieces? i'm currently playing as vanguard on hardcore difficulty, and I die a lot. i feel like my enemies just outclass me and they just eat through my shield like it is not even there.
Well you can get the Life Support Webbing (leg armor) and the Aegis Vest (chest armor) from the citadel (Sirta Foundation & Rodam Expeditions respectively) as soon as you start the game, just head there first. That will give you a little more health. For the Heavy Damping Gauntlets you'll have to wait till you get to Tuchanka (Ratch's Wares). And the Kestral armor pieces are on Ilium (Serrice Technology). If you're having problems with your shields then you can take the Sentry Interface instead of the Archon Visor its on the citadel (Rodam Expeditions again). But if you don't have enough credits or can't wait that long, you can research the Cerberus Assault Armor after you recruit Mordin. It will give you some extra health and shields.
@@BuildWizard man, i finished mass effect 2 legendary edition on hardcore difficulty, and holy crap the vanguard class was bad. the biggest problem with the vanguard class is its charging mechanic, i can't remember how many times i was killed because my charge just wouldn't trigger, despite the fact that on many occasions the enemy was standing right in front of me.
charge is also rigged with bugs when charging enemies behind cover. during my Collector ship mission and the final collector base mission, there were many times when i charged an enemy behind cover, and somehow my character ended up at the opposite side of the cover instead of right next to the enemy. the enemy didn't get hit with charge so it still had most of its shield, i was completely exposed and my shotgun couldn't do maximum dmg because i was not close enough, and i just got shredded.
the only good times i had with vanguard was boss fight, the fight with the shadow broker was exciting because he couldn't hide behind cover, and i just kept charging him and punch him in the face, quickest boss battle ever. and that boss fight with the Asari specter was also very good, she didn't hide behind cover and face me like a real boss, so i just kept charging her and punch her in the face, very satisfying.
but man during normal missions, i really hated the vanguard class due to the issues above.
@@fdjw88 Yeah, ME2 has its challenges and a fair amount of glitches. But I'm glad you got through it.
I heard the Archon Visor doesn’t work.
Someone on Reddit confirmed that it does work in Legendary edition.
@@BuildWizardyeah, when the original game came out I did a video when I demonstrated that it had no effect on cooldowns.
Rip stasis I miss being able to bully bosses as vanguard. Fell victim to a mediocre remaster.
Well designed and edited video, but the build itself is very noob friendly. Guess that was the goal, especially since you made a lot of builds on the channel, obviously you can't be expert at all of them.
Do you prefer to go with this generalised approach with classes or would you rather go for the "poetry" making build when you can ( obviously one can't master every class in every game) even though the learning curve and the audience would be probably a lot narrower.
Why do you sound like 3 dog from fallout 3
All the fun of playing as a vanguard is just fucking GONE on insanity because of losing all the upgrades and every enemy having armor or shielding.