// CLASSES
Varath Vanguard
Combat
The Vanguard is the Varath war machine. Not the most elegant, not the fastest, but extraordinarily hard to kill and capable of shaping a battlefield through fortification and force of will. The Vanguard fights as an anchor - holding position, absorbing punishment, and keeping allies effective through Command Presence and deployed Fortify structures that persist in the sector long after the engagement.
The Overcharge mechanic rewards pushing systems past rated tolerances. A Vanguard running hot is measurably more dangerous than one playing it safe - the skill is knowing how close to the edge you can run before something breaks.
Build archetypes:
- The Wall - max Armor Mastery + Threat Broadcast + Fortify → zone lockdown, forces all aggro onto the Vanguard
- The Surge - max Combat Surge + Precision Targeting + Afterburn → aggressive burst Vanguard that hits hard and resets
- The Captain - max Command Presence + System Override + Suppression Field → group-oriented control, reduces enemy effectiveness while amplifying ally output
Vanguard Class Perk Card
(Shown at character selection)
VARATH VANGUARD
- Heaviest hull in the game - built to stay in the fight
- Deployed turrets (Fortify) persist in the sector indefinitely until destroyed
- Crafts defensive structures and heavy weapons at +20% material yield
- Exclusive: Fortify - deploy persistent combat turrets and defensive emitters mid-sector
Vanguard Skill Tree
| Skill | Type | Unlock OL | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combat Surge | Active | 0 | Tactical aggression state - bonus damage and speed for 25s. R5: also grants knockback immunity during surge. R7: surge duration extends with each kill during the window. |
| Armor Mastery | Passive | 0 | Increased hull capacity and base resilience. R5: hull damage no longer reduces weapon accuracy. R7: taking hull damage below 30% triggers a brief damage reduction window. |
| Hull Integrity | Passive | 0 | Reduces all hull damage taken. R5: -20% incoming hull damage. R7: -30%, and debuffs that target hull systems have reduced duration. |
| Threat Broadcast | Active | 0 | Forces nearby mobs to retarget onto the Vanguard. R5: expanded radius + duration, allies take -15% damage while broadcast is active. R7: enemies that break targeting take a movement penalty. |
| Emergency Systems | Active | 0 | Emergency hull repair burst. R5: restores 25% of max hull. R7: instant cast, 35% restoration, and briefly clears one active hull debuff. |
| System Override | Active | 0 | Disable one enemy ship system (weapons, engines, or shields) for a duration. R5: 15s disable. R7: can simultaneously disable two systems on the same target. |
| Precision Targeting | Passive | 20 | Increases critical hit chance. R5: +12% crit. R7: crits during Combat Surge reset 25% of its cooldown. |
| Command Presence | Active | 20 | Group combat buff - all allies within 600u gain a damage and defense bonus for 45s. R5: +15% damage + shield bonus. R7: also reduces ally ability cooldowns by 20% for the duration. |
| Overwatch | Passive | 15 | Improves Fortify deployables - turret damage, range, and lifespan. R5: turrets auto-prioritize enemies attacking allies. R7: turrets generate threat, drawing mob attention even without the Vanguard in range. |
| Suppression Field | Active | 40 | Area slow and attack penalty - enemies within radius deal -20% damage and move at -40% speed. R5: wider radius. R7: enemies in field also suffer accuracy penalty; lasts 20s. |
| Afterburn | Active | 30 | Emergency speed burst for rapid repositioning. R5: +120% speed for 8s. R7: activation provides a brief invulnerability window (1.5s). |
| Armor Penetration | Passive | 35 | Weapons bypass a percentage of enemy hull defense. R5: +15% penetration. R7: +25%, and penetration bonus doubles against shielded targets below 50% shields. |
| Field Recovery | Passive | 0 | Slowly restores hull when not taking damage (out-of-combat recovery). R5: recovery rate doubles. R7: recovery continues briefly even while taking light damage. |
| Fortify (Exclusive) | Active | 15 [Q] | Deploy a persistent combat turret or defensive emitter in the current sector. R3: 1 turret at a time. R5: up to 2 turrets. R7: up to 4 turrets or 2 turrets + 1 defensive emitter (damage reduction zone). Deployables persist until destroyed; player can have deployables active across multiple sectors. |