In depth with the Human Vanguard

Human Vanguard 

Humans joined the galactic community after discovering a Prothean data cache on Mars in 2148. Their devotion to understanding and adapting to modern warfare left the staid Council races stunned. Humanity's persistence and unflappable spirit has taken them further than anyone in the galaxy could have imagined.

Human vanguards are feared frontline opponents that can charge across the battlefield, surprising enemies before devastating them in hand-to-hand combat.

Abilities 

Barrier: 500 / Health: 500 Class: Alliance Training  Biotic Charge  Shockwave  Nova  Fitness  Biotic Strike  Combat Roll

Heavy Melee and Dodge 

• Biotic Strike - The Human Vanguard strikes at enemies with a biotically-charged fist.
• Combat Roll - The Human Vanguard rolls to quickly evade incoming attacks.

Player Notes 

General Notes

• Human Vanguards are the only race to have the Nova ability, giving them a unique play style that shouldn't be underestimated.
• The Human Vanguard can be a deadly ally on the battlefield, the unique 'Nova' ability can stun, stagger and destroy enemies time after time, giving, as said above, a unique play style. As Biotic Charge recharges shields, this allows the player to always follow up with a single Nova (or two with Half Blast evolution) and then being allowed to rinse and repeat. With that in mind, Vanguards are heavy hitting biotic combat specialists that can completely control the battlefield and live up to their names (Vanguard is a military term for those who are 'First-in.').
• Because a Human Vanguard's strength is in his/her biotics, a light load-out is recommended.
• Nova shares some similar mechanics to grenade powers: it doesn't trigger a cooldown, but is limited in use; it can be used as long the Vanguard has shields.
  • Additionally, since Nova's damage is based on the amount of shields the Vanguard has, investing on Fitness to favor shields can further increase the effectiveness of said power. Equipments such as Cyclonic Modulator are also effective for that.
  • With a Volus Adept or Vanguard (with Biotic Orbs activated for maximum recharge speed effectiveness) standing next to you and constantly uses Shield Boost, you basically have endless shields (barriers in this case), which allows you to use Nova without losing any shields at all, granting him a big advantage on higher difficulty.
• On higher difficulties, it may be wise to take the Rank 5 Half Blast evolution of Nova. This will reduce the damage of Nova by 40%, but will also reduce its barrier consumption by half. This will increase your overall survivability, since you will still have some shields left for emergencies (for example, being staggered by large opponents like Brutes and Geth Primes after executing a Nova attack). If some enemies are left alive from the first blast, you can always use your remaining barriers to unleash a second Nova attack.
• It's not immediately apparent why people would prefer Nova's Recharge evolution over Half Blast. The reason is that the recharge bonus stacks up to 4 times, giving the Vanguard effectively 300% cooldown bonus. This allows for a much higher damage Charge/Nova cycle with a window of vulnerability instead of Charge/Nova/Nova, since the Vanguard is invincible while using either powers. Using power efficiency equipment and gear can shorten the vulnerability window but not eliminate it.
• Charging at an enemy will replenish barrier strength that can be used by Nova (which does not have a recharge time) immediately after the charge is complete. With a fast enough recharge time, this combo can be used rapidly, making the Human Vanguard an aggressive biotic attacker.
• Many choose to avoid Shockwave, as its use and purpose is very blanked out in the idea of Power, BUT, to be able to "lift" opponents and CONTROL the battlefield is another treat for thought.
  • NEVER neglect Nova, as you may aswell play another race if so, as its the Unique play-style mark of the Humans, However, Taking all 3, and 'Filling' them up would require you to:
    • A) Neglect either Alliance training or Fitness, Fitness being the best option as the Shield Recharge and melee Bonuses are unneeded necessities, as your shield recharge with Charge and Melee is often suicide unless one enemy is around you.
    • Or Option B) Half the remaining 21 points (level 20) and fill each up to rank 4, with 1 point left.) The maxed Charge, Shockwave and Nova strategy can be nigh unstoppable against any ground unit thrown at you. Your ability to control the ground around you will make you a deadly adversary.

Cerberus

• Against Cerberus, the Human Vanguard's notorious Charge-Nova tactic is nigh unstoppable. As most Cerberus troops can be staggered by biotic abilities, Charge-Nova will rip through anything but an Atlas or Guardian. The rank 6 Pierce evolution on Nova will only devastate their infantry even more.
• Guardians are the only real enemies that can stand against you. Using Charge, Shockwave, or Nova against Guardians will stagger them, exposing them to a quick burst from your weapon. It would also be highly recommended to take a weapon with a piercing mod so you can take out said foes.
• Atlases can instantly kill you if you are not careful, so it is preferable to attack them from behind. With that in mind, the Vanguard can effectivelly tank the Atlas, drawing their attention away from the rest of the squad.

Reapers

• The Human Vanguard's Charge-Nova tactic is very effective against most Reaper ground troops, though caution should be taken when facing a Brute or Ravager. Against these two enemies, constantly circling them while using Charge-Nova is recommended.
• Extreme caution (and possibly avoidance) should be taken aroundBanshees, as charging a Banshee will not cause them to stagger and will put you within range of their instantly killing Impale ability.
  • Should one decide to face the Banshees, do not charge them while they are 'jumping towards you/your teammate. Only charge it when it has stopped jumping and starts throwing Warpprojectiles towards you. This applies to all Vanguards.

Geth

• Geth are much more difficult to kill since Geth Hunters, Geth Primes, and Geth Rocket Troopers are capable of stunning you (although not in either of the Biotic Charge or Nova animations). Because of this, it is highly recommended to exercise caution if you wish to go for the Vanguard class since you will very quickly be stripped of both your barriers and your health. However, they cannot instantly kill the player, making it less risky to close with them than Cerberus or Reapers.
• Nova can hit and stagger Geth Bombers even while they're flying higher.

Collectors

• Your biggest threat as a Human Vanguard is going to be the Seeker Swarms which will deny you the means of which to use your powers. They will bring any advance you make to a screeching halt, and make you very vulnerable due to the reliance on powers a Human Vanguard exhibits.
• Nova will prove extremely effective against every single enemy, but as stated above you must avoid Seeker Swarms as they will stop you from using said power, and Abominations since they will completely destroy you, especially if possessed.
• Shockwave will not be as useful, and should be avoided, since this power would be better suited to Cerberus. Stick to Nova.
• Be aware that a Praetorian's quick melee slashes can stagger you continuously, even immobilising you until they are ready to use their instant-kill move. Thus, Charge-Nova tactics should be used with care.