The Best Vanguard Builds

Vanguard is one of the six classes available in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2. See the best Vanguard build and loadout for the early game, midgame, & max level, the best weapons and perks, how to pass all Vanguard Trials, as well as how to play this class!

Vanguard Class Overview

Vanguard Class Abilities

Vanguard Class Information
Vanguard
Class Perk	Armour Class
Grapnel Launcher	2
Grapnel Launcher Description
The Grapnel Launcher propels you to an enemy, allowing you to perform a Diving Kick.
PvE Rating	PvP Rating

Vanguard Class Builds and Loadout

Jump to a Build!
Endgame	Mid Game	Early Game

Endgame Vanguard Class Build

Class Perk Build

Vanguard Class Perk Build
Core	Melee Mastery	Duelist	Honed Reactions
Team	Inner Fire
Gear	Shock Wave	Tip of the Spear	Combat Readiness
Signature	Tactical Prowess

The end-game perk build is just a tweak of the already great mid-game build for the Vanguard. The perk loadout focuses more on improving the recharge rate of Abilities, with Inner Fire taking the spotlight.

Vanguard's Signature perk options from the early-mid game remain to be useful even at the endgame stage. Use Tactical Prowess if you are an offensive Vanguard then Emperor's Blessing if you needed to play more defensive.

Weapon Builds

Vanguard Class Weapon Build
Primary Weapon	Melta Rifle (Gathalamor Crusade)
Primary Weapon Perks	Standard: •　Extended Magazine Master-Crafted: •　Magazine Restoration •　Great Might Artificer: •　Divine Might •　Extended Magazine •　First Shot Relic: •　Elusive Fire •　Perpetual Fire
Secondary Weapon	Bolt Pistol (Gathalamor Crusade)
Secondary Weapon Perks	Standard: •　Great Might Master-Crafted: •　Retaliation •　Iron Grip Artificer: •　Divine Might •　Extended Magazine Relic: •　Rapid Health •　Extended Magazine •　Divine Might
Melee Weapon	Chainsword (Aquilan Dedication)
Melee Weapon Perks	Standard: •　Perpetual Strength Master-Crafted: •　Swift Recovery •　Perpetual Strength Artificer: •　Saw Blade •　Tyranid Slayer •　Minoris Slayer Relic: •　Full Throttle •　Kill Streak •　Momentum Gain

For the weapon builds, we continued with ever reliable Melta Rifle with the Gathalamor Crusade Relic version to maximize the range of the weapon for more punch-through. The perks chosen here focuses on increasing damage and improving ammo economy so you don't need to focus on increasing the magazine capacity. Similar to the Melta Rifle, we approached the Bolt Pistol the same way - improving its overall damage, accuracy, and ammo economy for an easier time during missions.

For the Chainsword, we opted to go for the Aquilan Dedication variant to increase the overall attack speed. This works well with the Saw Blade perk which increases Light Combo length to 5 strikes. This time around though, your weapon has increased Parry window so you have more defensive melee options.

Mid Game Vanguard Class Build

Class Perk Build

Vanguard Class Perk Build
Core	Melee Mastery	Duelist	Consecutive Execution
Team	Melee Champion
Gear	Shock Wave	Tenacity	Grim Determination
Signature	Tactical Prowess

The perk build for the mid-build only improves on the already great lineup for the Vanguard in the early game. The perk lineup from Level 10 to Level 17 offers great option for the Vanguard especially on improving their melee damage and grapnel launcher charge economy.

On a side note, Vanguard's Signature perk option for the mid-game are both great but we ended up choosing Tactical prowess over Emperor's Blessing to improve on grapnel launcher charge economy. In contrast to that if you find yourself dying a lot, we suggest taking Emperor's Blessing.

Weapon Builds

Vanguard Class Weapon Build
Primary Weapon	Melta Rifle (Salvation of Bakka)
Primary Weapon Perks	Standard: •　Extended Magazine Master-Crafted: •　Magazine Restoration •　Great Might Artificer: •　Divine Might •　Extended Magazine
Secondary Weapon	Bolt Pistol (Salvation of Bakka)
Secondary Weapon Perks	Standard: •　Great Might Master-Crafted: •　Retaliation •　Iron Grip Artificer: •　Divine Might •　Extended Magazine
Melee Weapon	Chainsword (Achortan Oath)
Melee Weapon Perks	Standard: •　Perpetual Strength Master-Crafted: •　Swift Recovery •　Perpetual Strength Artificer: •　Saw Blade •　Tyranid Slayer •　Minoris Slayer

For the weapon builds, we continued with ever reliable Melta Rifle as it continues to be a great primary option for the Vanguard. The perks chosen here focuses on increasing damage and improving ammo economy. Similar to the Melta Rifle, we approached the Bolt Pistol the same way - improving its overall damage and ammo economy for an easier time during missions.

For the Chainsword, we opted to go for the Achortan Oath variant to increase the overall attack speed. This works well with the Light Combo perk which increases Light Combo length to 5 strikes. This disallows parrying though but you can still dodge evade.

Early Game Vanguard Class Build

Class Perk Build

Vanguard Class Perk Build
Core	Moving Target	Duelist	Retribution
Team	Melee Champion
Gear	Restless Fortitude	Zone of Impact	Thrill of the Fight
Signature	Tactical Prowess

Early game builds are pretty much straight forward for the Vanguard, taking all available perks from Level 1 to Level 9. These will only aim to improve on your overall performance, making it a bit easier to take on Operations.

We stress the importance of Tactical Prowess for the Vanguard, as it would enable quick movements between dying enemies!

Weapon Builds

Vanguard Class Weapon Build
Primary Weapon	Melta Rifle (Master-Crafted - Alpha)
Primary Weapon Perks	Standard: •　Extended Magazine Master-Crafted: •　Magazine Restoration •　Great Might
Secondary Weapon	Bolt Pistol (Master-Crafted - Alpha)
Secondary Weapon Perks	Standard: •　Great Might Master-Crafted: •　Retaliation •　Iron Grip
Melee Weapon	Chainsword (Master-Crafted - Alpha)
Melee Weapon Perks	Standard: •　Perpetual Strength Master-Crafted: •　Swift Recovery •　Perpetual Strength

For early game weapons, we opted for an Melta Rifle because of the insane damage this weapon provides. It still continues to be one of the best weapons carrying over since the first Space Marine game. The Master-Crafter Alpha variant was also chosen to increase the range of fire, hitting more enemies in a straight line. The ammo economy improvements will come from the weapon perk tree.

The Bolt Pistol is the only option for the Vanguard and the perk loadout focused on increasing damage. You will not be using this much anyway and you'll be using your melee or primary weapons more often. We also opted for the Master-Crafted - Alpha version to increase damage as much as possible.

Lastly, we opted for the Chansword as it has the perfect balance of damage and quickness. The Master-Crafted - Alpha upgrade was also chosen because of its increased Strength, but also not removing the Balance defence to enable parrying.

Best Vanguard Weapons

Best Weapons for Vanguard

Weapon	Explanation
Melta Rifle	The Melta Rifle is the undisputed best weapon to go for when playing a Vanguard. It offers great AoE, punch-through damage to defeat hordes and hordes of enemies.
Bolt Pistol	The Bolt Pistol is the only secondary weapon available for the Vanguard so it is the best secondary weapon for this class.
Chainsword	The best melee weapon choice is the Chainsword. It offers great damage and well-balanced mobility, perfect for whenever you decide to attack enemies from close range after using your Grapnel Launcher.

The best weapon choices for the Vanguard is by far the Melta Rifle and the Chainsword, both are capable of dealing with hordes of enemies and more powerful single-target Majoris-threats if presented. The Melta Rifle straight up melts anyone on your path, while Chainsword provides the perfect balance between mobility and damage.

All Vanguard Primary Weapons

Melta Rifle	Instigator Bolt Carbine	Occulus Bolt Carbine

All Vanguard Secondary Weapons

Bolt Pistol

All Vanguard Melee Weapons

Chainsword

Combat Knife

Best Vanguard Perks

Best Perks for Vanguard

Perk	Explanation
Duelist	Unconditional increase to your own Perfect Parry window. Extremely great if you're fighting in melee rage against more powerful enemies.
Melee Champion	Works in conjunction with Duelist and makes sure you are dealing as much damage as possible against more powerful, Majoris-level and higher enemies.
Tactical Prowess	Provides a free charge if you are able to kill enemies with the Grapnel Launcher. This will enable you to be more mobile and tenacious in fights.
Shock Wave	The Diving Kick when using the Grapnel Launcher will produce an AoE shockwave which is extremely useful when jumping on hordes of minor enemies.
Emperor's Blessing	An additional insurance for when you take lethal damage. Just do take note of the cooldown on this perk!
Combat Readiness	Unconditional increase in the Grapne Launcher recharge rate. Allows you to use the Launcher more frequently!

All Vanguard Class Skills

Level	Class Perk	Effect
1	Grapnel Launcher	Type: Starting Contested Health regenerates 50% faster.
2	Moving Target	Type: Core Each Melee Attack you land reduces the Ranged Damage you take by 1% (up to 15%). If you do not land a Melee Attack for 3 seconds, the effect ends.
3	Duelist	Type: Core Perfect Parry window increases by 50%
4	Retribution	Type: Core After you are grabbed or knocked back, you deal 15% more Melee Damage for 10 seconds
5	Melee Champion	Type: Team All Squad Members deal 15% more Melee Damage
6	Restless Fortitude	Type: Gear After a Diving Kick, you take 10% less Ranged Damage for 10 seconds
7	Zone of Impact	Type: Gear Performing a Finisher with the Grapnel Launcher deals a small amount of Damage to nearby enemies
8	Thrill of the Fight	Type: Gear After a perfectly timed Parry or Dodge, you take 15% less Health Damage for 3 seconds
9	Tactical Prowess	Type: Signature Performing a Finisher with the Grapnel Launcher restores its Charge
10	Melee Mastery	Type: Core Melee Damage increases by 10% against Majoris-level and higher enemies
11	Close-Combat Focus	Type: Core You take 20% less Melee Damage but 10% more Ranged Damage
12	Consecutive Execution	Type: Core Killing 15 enemies in rapid succession restores Equipment Charge by 1. Cooldown is 180 seconds.
13	Unmatched Zeal	Type: Team Melee Finishers of Extremis enemies additionally restore a small amount of Health for any Squad Member
14	Shock Wave	Type: Gear Diving Kick additionally deals Damage in a 5-metre radius
15	Tenacity	Type: Gear After killing 15 enemies in rapid succession, Diving Kick's Damage increases by 25% for 10 seconds
16	Grim Determination	Type: Gear When Grapnel Launcher is in cooldown, Weapon Damage increases by 10%
17	Emperor's Blessing	Type: Signature Taking Lethal Damage restores all Armour instead of Incapacitating you. Cooldown in 180 seconds.
18	Upper Hand	Type: Core After a perfectly timed Parry or Dodge, you do not lose control upon taking Heavy Hits and you cannot be knocked back for 5 seconds
19	Conviction	Type: Core The moment your Armour is fully Depleted, you take 15% less Health Damage for 10 seconds
20	Honed Reactions	Type: Core When your Health is less than 50%, your Perfect Dodge window is doubled
21	Inner Fire	Type: Team All Squad Members can restore Ability Charge by 15% by performing Finishers
22	Collateral Damage	Type: Gear Diving Kick additionally deals a small amount of Damage to enemies on the way to the Grapnel Launcher's target
23	Tip of the Spear	Type: Gear Enemies hit by Diving Kick take 15% more Ranged Damage for 10 seconds
24	Combat Readiness	Type: Gear Grapnel Launcher recharges 20% faster
25	Adrenaline Rush	Type: Signature Melee kills of Majoris or higher enemies restore Health by 1%

Vanguard Trials Guide

Jump to a Trial!
Trial 1	Trial 2	Trial 3

Vanguard Trial 1: Cut the Synapse

Directives
Complete in: 60 Seconds
Complete in: 50 Seconds
Complete in: 40 Seconds

Complete all three (3) to get the full rewards.

Focus only on the Tyranid Warriors

The Minoris Tyranids are controlled by the Hive Mind through nearby Tyranid Warriors. Eliminating the Tyranid Warriors will also take out the Minoris Tyranids around them, so focus on taking down the Warriors to save time.

Grapple the Minoris Tyranids to Reach the Tyranid Warrior

The Tyranid Warriors spawn at the far ends of the area, making them unreachable with the Grapnel Launcher initially. To close the distance, grapple onto a nearby Minor Tyranid first, then use the Grapnel to reach the Tyranid Warrior.

Eliminating the first Tyranid Warrior resets the Grapnel Launcher's cooldown, allowing you to quickly grapple to the opposite side of the area for the next target.

Vanguard Trial 2: Grapnel Launcher

Directives
Complete in: 60 Seconds
Complete in: 50 Seconds
Complete in: 40 Seconds

Complete all three (3) to get the full rewards.

Just Use the Primary Weapon and Go for Headshots

Though the trial encourages using the Grapnel Launcher to get close to each target, you can remain on the first platform and use your primary weapon, the Instigator Bolt Carbine, to deal significant damage through headshots on the Tyranid Warriors. With this strategy, you can complete the trial in around 15 seconds.

Grapnel Launcher and Ammo Resets on Kill

Eliminating each Tyranid Warrior resets your weapon's ammo and the Grapnel Launcher's cooldown, allowing you to seamlessly move on to the next target without any downtime. Make full use of your ammo and Grapnel Launcher during each encounter.

Vanguard Trial 3: Perfectly Timed

Directives
Complete in: 80 Seconds
Hit 5 Enemies with the Grapnel Launcher
Kill 5 Enemies with Melee Attacks

Complete all three (3) to get the full rewards.

Grapple the First Group of Minoris Tyranids

To meet the second directive of hitting five enemies with the Grapnel Launcher, target the group of Minoris Tyranids as soon as they spawn. Then, grapple onto the ranged enemies on the right side.

From this elevated position, the melee Tyranids will funnel onto the ramp, making it easier for you to complete the Melee Kills directive.

Focus on the Tyranid Warrior Next

After completing the Grapnel Hits and Melee Kills directives, focus on eliminating the Tyranid Warrior, as this will also take out any nearby Minoris Tyranids. You may also need to deal with the ranged Tyranids on the opposite elevated platform to clear the area.

Grapple on to the Tyranid Warrior on the Next Platform

After clearing the room of all enemies, another set will spawn on a platform across the pit. Grapple onto the Tyranid Warrior here, which should complete the Grapnel Hits directive if you haven’t already. From this position, aim for headshots on the Tyranid Warrior, and then finish off any remaining enemies.

How to Play Vanguard Class

• Use the Grapnel Launcher
• Grapple to Enemies Calling Reinforcements
• Be Strategic with Grapple Charges
• Don't Forget to Parry and Dodge

Use the Grapnel Launcher

The Grapnel Launcher is the Vanguard's fastest mobility option for getting into close-quarters combat. This ability appears as a rotating reticle on a enemy, and its target automatically switches to the enemy nearest to your center aim.

Using the Grapnel Launcher will propel you forward and divekick the target upon hit. This ability can be buffed by the Vanguard's class perks such as Tip of the Spear.

Grapple to Enemies Calling Reinforcements

Enemies will periodically call for reinforcements, notifying you with a sound cue and a skull icon on top of the caller's head. Dealing with enemy reinforcements will be harder for your team, so neutralize these callers quickly.

Vanguards can quickly cancel reinforcement calls immediately by grappling onto the caller. As soon as the Grapnel Launcher hits the caller, the reinforcement call will be cancelled.

Be Strategic with Grapple Charges

Make sure to keep an eye on your Grapnel Launcher charges. It is best to save them for targetting distant priority targets such as Majoris enemies with ranged weapons, or for getting out of trouble when you have been overwhelmed by swarms.

Take care of grappling onto enemies within swarms. For safety, grapple on isolated enemies behind the main force and think of the Grapnel Launcher as a highly effective flanking tool.

Don't Forget to Parry and Dodge

Using the Grapnel Launcher will often put you at melee range, so make sure to prepare your defense. Fencing weapons are recommended if you wish to take advantage of parrying, since the Vanguard class has one of the best parry perks available (50% more Perfect Parry window from Duelist).

For dodges, you can make use the Vanguard's Honed Reactions which gives the Vanguard 50% more window for Perfect Dodges below 50% health.

Fencing and Defence Type Explained

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 Related Guides

List of All Classes

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All Space Marines 2 Classes
Tactical	Assault	Vanguard
Bulwark	Sniper	Heavy