In depth with the N7 Slayer Vanguard

N7 Slayer Vanguard

These soldiers are the go-anywhere, fight-anything special forces of the Alliance that were trained at the Interplanetary Combatives Academy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They had to survive combat situations "in an admirable and effective fashion" to receive the N7 rank. Many N7s now train other species in anti-Reaper asymmetric warfare.

Slayers use implants to dramatically improve mobility. Their dizzying sword attacks can hit multiple opponents, and the Slayer's ability to slip fire makes them hard to pin down on the battlefield.

Abilities 

Barrier: 500 / Health: 500 Class: N7 Slayer  Phase Disruptor  Biotic Charge  Biotic Slash  Fitness  Martial Arts  Monomolecular Blades  Biotic Strike  Acrobatics

Heavy Melee and Dodge 

• Monomolecular Blades - The N7 Slayer Vanguard teleports a short distance forward before slashing at an enemy with his sword, resulting in a decapitation if the attack is fatal.
• Acrobatics - The N7 Slayer Vanguard flips and teleports a short distance at the expense of barrier strength.

Player Notes 

General Notes

• In most cases, the Slayer's dodges and melee strikes trigger a teleportation effect (which costs a small portion of barrier each time), which a player can use to teleport not only through objects and walls, but also up and down ladders (note that the high ladders in Firebase Ghost and Firebase Vancouver are an exception to this rule), skipping the seconds of climbing animation that leaves you vulnerable.
• Biotic Slash can be used through cover and walls, helping to negate the lack of damage reduction while the animation plays.
  • Additionally, the ending lag of Biotic Slash can be cancelled into melee (both types), dodge and cover animations.
  • Note that while Biotic Slash will travel through cover, it always travels in a straight line parallel to the ground, making it ineffective for engaging opponents who are at significantly higher or lower elevations. On Firebase Giant, for example, if you use Biotic Slash from the top of a ladder, it will not affect the enemies who are below you.
• If Biotic Charge is leveled to restore barriers fully and Fitness to increase melee damage, the Slayer is quite capable of devastating any lone or small group of enemy/enemies. A Charge, followed by a melee flurry, followed by another charge when your Barriers drop repeated ad infinitum allows the Slayer to inflict a constant barrage of high-damage attacks while still maintaining barrier strength. Should the player be able to acquire targets quickly, this tactic can be used against much larger groups, with charge used to jump between kills.
  • As usual, care should be taken when engaging large groups without squad support, however, as they are capable of surrounding and overwhelming you.
• Biotic Slash can be one of the most effective powers in the game if used correctly. It can do hefty damage to all forms of protection, as well as knocking unprotected enemies off their feet. With the Rank 6 Range upgrade, it will travel 30m, making it a potent tool for mid range combat (being the range-limited power with the longest reach). Whenever possible, try to use the ability while safely behind tall cover. It is invaluable for slowing enemy advances, weakening strong opponents, and killing weaker ones outright. With a high power recharge rate, one can spam this ability every two seconds.
• Phase Disruptor is essentially a long range Nova attack. It consumes your barriers to send out a powerful energy burst that will hit wherever you are currently aiming. It does not target opponents; it goes where your crosshair is pointed. Its radius can be fairly large, and it can evolved to deal extra damage to armor or barriers. Overall, however, it is less effective than Biotic Slash in most situations, though it does have the advantage of not having a cooldown.
  • 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 Phase Disruptor without losing any shields at all, granting him a big advantage on higher difficulties.
• Because a Slayer also makes use of biotic abilities as well more melee-oriented class skills, such as the N7 Shadow's, one may want to keep their loadout as light as possible, especially if planning extensive use of the Biotic Charge. This will limit your effectiveness with guns, but evolved properly, you can destroy enemies using your Phase Disruptor, charge your enemies, and then retreat to safety for deadly sneak attacks.
• The melee for this character is somewhat different than others (N7 Shadow and N7 Fury aside), and when mastered can be much more powerful and effective than other heavy melee attacks.
  • The Slayer's heavy melee is a powerful slash that moves and phases the character some distance forward. Charge this from a distance to hit your target instead of flying past it and leaving yourself open to enemy attacks. Also, similar to his dodge, the Slayer's Heavy Melee is also capable of allowing the player to traverse areas of certain maps with ease: Currently, it can allow the player to climb up certain ledges regardless of if a ladder is nearby.
  • The Slayer's heavy melee also has the unique benefit of teleporting behind enemies in cover, making this a more useful "moving" heavy melee than the Krogan melee charge, which only moves straight forward.
  • When a heavy melee is called for the character will lunge forward and strike with the sword via a "phase" effect. The forward movement can be avoided, however, and multiple strikes made, by repeatedly engaging in melee while controlling the direction of the character. The character will move in and out of phase with each strike as fast as you make them, which means that you can repeatedly strike an enemy in melee seemingly from another dimension so quickly that they cannot strike you back. This takes practice, but when mastered allows the slayer to literally shred just about any enemy in a few seconds, even Banshees or Brutes. Using melee upgrades which increase damage makes this an extremely powerful form of attack, and can be useful when dealing with a very powerful enemy, or where you are surrounded by several with few avenues of escape. This is also a much faster option than the Biotic Slash, which is slow to implement and can get you killed in such a situation.

Cerberus

• The biggest problem for this class against Cerberus is the Guardian. His shield will block all of the Slayer's attacks. A precise weapon (such as the Carnifex) to shoot through the visor or an armor piercing modded weapon is the best choice to use.
  • Another method of dealing with Guardians is to fire your Phase Disruptor just behind them. This will cause them to stagger and leave most of their body, including their head, open to attack. Phase Disruptor is also capable of temporarily knocking a Guardian's shield to the side which, again, exposes the Guardian to gunfire. A charged shot from the Geth Plasma Shotgun aimed at the visor will, on lower difficulties, usually kill the Guardian.
• Stick behind cover and use the Biotic Slash to hit enemies through walls and other forms of cover. This will hurt enemies while also protecting you from long-range attacks since this class is generally physically weak.
• Currently, Biotic Slash will affect the Guardian when used head-on, killing them outright in some cases.

Reapers

• This enemy class is easy for the Slayer until Banshees and Ravagers come into play. Banshees are very well defended from your biotic attacks and can sometimes kill you with one Reave if you're not careful. The Ravagers' three-shot burst will kill you if all three hit. Once you see one, get behind a wall or other form of cover to Biotic Slash it or let your team mates take it on as you move on to another enemy.
• Phase Disruptor, if specced for armor damage will prove very lethal against Brutes, Ravagers, and Banshees without barriers, but take care not to use said power too liberally, you need to protect yourself as well as kill the enemy.

Geth

• This enemy class is where the Slayer will excel in combat. Four Biotic Slash attacks will kill every enemy weaker than a Geth Prime from Gold difficulty down.
• The Phase Disruptor power should be avoided since its hard enough to fight Geth that hit hard. When Geth can both hit hard and stun you it can literally disrupt your ability to charge into the enemy. You need to be fully prepared to charge, but tactically, and the last thing you need is your shields stripped when the Geth start hitting on you.

Collectors

• Steer clear of the Praetorians if your focusing on melee, otherwise N7 Slayers are very effective against the Collectors due to their Biotic Slash ability.
  • Biotic Slash is an all rounded skill and does huge damage to any foe. It is however lengthy in execution, and leaves you vulnerable while doing the slash. Standing behind a wall with your allies to back you up will alleviate this problem.
• Phase Disruptor will prove very effective against every foe including armored foes when specced for armor damage. It will however drain 50-37.5% of your shields per shot and should be used liberally only when you have quick access to cover, otherwise judicious use is key. If however you have a volus around you shield boosting you regularly, you can keep an almost constant stream of disruptor shots going.
• If you are oriented to melee attacks, taking down the standard troopers and captains should be no trouble at all. Scions can be taken on, but you need to be careful since they can instantly kill you, or do serious damage.

In depth with the Project Phoenix Vanguard

Project Phoenix Vanguard 

A result of the Illusive Man's early experiments in enhanced human physiology, Project Phoenix subjects are highly skilled combat and biotic specialists. When the Illusive Man turned to indoctrination in order to ensure the loyalty of his troops, many Phoenix operatives defected and joined the Alliance in order to stop the Reapers.

Phoenix operatives are highly skilled combat and biotic specialists. Their ability to manipulate Cerberus lash and stasis technology, backed up by their powerful skills, make them invaluable assets on the battlefield.

Abilities 

Barrier: 500 / Health: 500 Class: Phoenix Training  Biotic Charge  Lash  Smash  Fitness  Shock Baton  Cerberus Lash  Combat Roll

Heavy Melee and Dodge 

• Cerberus Lash - The Project Phoenix Vanguard swings biotically-charged lashes, striking the surrounding area.
• Combat Roll - The Project Phoenix Vanguard rolls to quickly evade incoming attacks.

Player Notes 

General Notes

• The Phoenix Vanguard's Lash ability functions similarly to Pull, except that targets are dealt considerable damage and thrown a good distance. With the Shield Penetration evolution, Lash can be set up to penetrate shields and barriers. Lash can also be used as a primer for biotic explosions, with the Fast Recharge evolution increasing the short time that Lash's biotic effect affects a target.
• The Phoenix Vanguard is capable of single-handedly creating biotic explosions on armored enemies by using Smash and following it up with Biotic Charge (or vice-versa). Considering that the Rank 6 Armor Damage evolution of the former kills a Brute after three uses on Silver, the Vanguard can take down armored units even quicker and enhance survivability by restoring barriers with Charge.
• Smash creates a short-ranged shockwave-esque effect that can travel through cover. This is useful against basic infantry enemies, since Smash's high damage will likely kill them.

Cerberus

• Phantoms should be first priority when possible, since they are capable of killing the players team in moments.
• Shield Penetration for Lash is borderline mandatory against Cerberus since most of their troops are protected by shielding or barriers.
• When surrounded, Smash is highly advised since it can give the Phoenix Vanguard a great crowd controlling ability.
• Lash is very effective against Guardians as it will yank their shields off permanently and allow them to be killed more easily.
• Although it won't knock it over, Lash will still stagger an Atlas and will give enough time for Smash to be used against them without taking any additional damage.
• Since Smash can hit through walls it will devastate Atlases while remaining safe and can make living much easier since they usually take up everybody's attention.
• Like the Phoenix Adept, a smash-melee combo will prove very effective against infantry on Gold difficulty, as Smash will destroy most or all of its initial defenses or health while a heavy melee can hit anybody outside smashes path. Smash can destroy a great deal of armor or barriers when evolved to do armor damage and even with electrical damage remains lethal, ensuring that a melee can gravely injure or kill a Dragoon soon after.

Reapers

• Lash is less useful since only the smaller enemies (Husks, Cannibals, and Marauders) will be yanked off the ground.
• As ever, caution is advised around Banshees since they can and will grab anybody nearby. Smash can be used, but carefully - you don't want to be grabbed.
• Make sure you don't charge into Banshees, as said above, you don't want to be grabbed.

Geth

• Lash is very effective here since the Hunters and Rocket Troopers are capable of stunning you and the team, so a player can use Lash on them to incapacitate them for a while. Primes and Pyros aren't affected by Lash but Smash will deal more than adequate damage.
• Make sure any Hunters are lashed quickly, because they can and will stun the team. Combined with other enemies, such as Pyros, or Rocket Troopers, the player's entire team can be brought down instantly. While a Vanguard can be a bit aggressive against the geth, its often best to avoid dare-devil stunts and stick by the team.

Collectors

• Project Phoenix Vanguards may find themselves at a disadvantage against Collectors, since they favor powerful ranged attack and excel at close combat.
  • Lash is very useless against this faction, since only three enemies are affected by it, the Collector Trooper, the Collector Captain (only affected if Shield Penetration Evolution was chosen at Rank 6) and the Abominations (though it's ill-advised to do so, since Lash can sometimes pull them to the squad, being lethal if they're possessed).
  • Since this class's most useful power is close ranged, Smash, players may find themselves frequently being downed, since Collector enemies are geared towards ranged combat. They are also just as deadly at close range too.