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Hey hey, people!
Inspired by the positive replies I've received with my previous two guides, I've decided to write my third guide on the Vanguard class. It's a pretty involved and interesting class, which has received a lot of dope options over time. Plus, nobody wrote one before, so I decided to fill in that Vanguard-shaped hole.
Check it out, tell me what you think and I'd be glad to hear some comments on how to improve it!
You can find the link to the original reddit thread here.
Enjoy!
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Oh wow. Knew about the thruster heels but completely missed the riot shield. More bullrush pluses for me....
The advantage of reposition is that you don't need to specify a direction, you can yank someone towards you rather than away, which is extremely useful if you can do the manuever at range. You wouldn't need to go around and behind a critter to boop them past your fighters you can yoink them from where you are.
For battleflower, the benefit is in swapping Disciplines for feats. As your guide notes, there are some really bad ones there. There tends to be one good one for you at every tier.. but you get two. Dampen and Evasion are a little redundant. And if you don't like what battleflower offers at that level (because is an entropic strike using your fist using an unarmed strike with entropic strike or an entropic strike that just picks up the properties of your fist gives you an existential headache...) , you don't need to take it.
Good to have some ultimately free Vanguard guide stuff for Starfinder out there, Yoonki. ;)
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The advantage of reposition is that you don't need to specify a direction, you can yank someone towards you rather than away, which is extremely useful if you can do the manuever at range. You wouldn't need to go around and behind a critter to boop them past your fighters you can yoink them from where you are.
That's true! I'm going to add that to the guide. I didn't quite realize it can also help put enemies into a more tactically advantageous position (i.e. let your buddies full attack them without needing to guarded step). Thanks!
For battleflower, the benefit is in swapping Disciplines for feats. As your guide notes, there are some really bad ones there. There tends to be one good one for you at every tier.. but you get two. Dampen and Evasion are a little redundant. And if you don't like what battleflower offers at that level (because is an entropic strike using your fist using an unarmed strike with entropic strike or an entropic strike that just picks up the properties of your fist gives you an existential headache...) , you don't need to take it.
How the hell did I miss the fact that it has optional alt features?? I could've sworn it replaces the features wholesale. Wow, big messup on my part. Thanks a lot for this comment!
Good to have some ultimately free Vanguard guide stuff for Starfinder out there, Yoonki. ;)
You got it, chief o7.
Username checks out.
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I am a big fan of vanguards, particularly this one in SFS. I appreciate this guide.
From my experience, it feels important to note a build (both class/feat options and items) that focuses on damage mitigation with a lower AC. I have often found that enemies are far more prone to keep attacking my vanguard if they can consistently hit/deal damage. That, coupled with shelter ally seems to resign GMs to focus him down. Which, at higher levels, when he carries around a spell gem of resistant armor, is really tough.
I suppose this would be the place to discuss...
Is it me or do entropy points not matter at all after a few levels? I have leg augments for an enhancement bonus to speed and the armor mod for damage reduction (so my reaction can go to whapping things in the face)
Sometimes it just feels like Im here for EAC to manuevers and the extra reactions
I suppose this would be the place to discuss...
Is it me or do entropy points not matter at all after a few levels? I have leg augments for an enhancement bonus to speed and the armor mod for damage reduction (so my reaction can go to whapping things in the face)
Sometimes it just feels like Im here for EAC to manuevers and the extra reactions
j
Triggering aspect catalyst (12th level) costs 4 EP if you don't want to wait for taking a crit or hitting HP (the latter of which costs all your EP).
At 13th you can use 2 EP to make a ranged blast against multiple enemies with your entropic strike. This range starts slightly longer than your melee entropic strike reach, and significantly exceeds it by level 19.
Mitigating damage still helps against big ranged hits when you have no possibility of using your reaction for an attack of opportunity.
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It really depends on how you want to play the vanguard.
My vanguard uses EP and/or reactions to protect himself and his allies (shelter ally->in harm's way, dampen, mitigate (in addition to his current DR).
Sometimes I even use flatten bullet, not because I need to, but because, if I succeed, the attack will deal no damage, for flavorful fun. Sometimes I'll use a reaction to in harm's way for an ally and then another reaction to mitigate/flatten bullet/energize to thematically 'catch' the attack and it does little to no damage to me.